A story of love, loss, pain, and how finding and making friends is as easy as giving an honest smile.
1000 years ago King Sombra rueled the Crystal empire with an iron hoof. Celestia with her sister Luna defeated Sombra, turning him to shadow and sealing him beneith the artic. The empire vanished along with him. 1000 years later, a student of Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, along with her friends ventured to the recently returned Crystal empire and freed them from the dark powers of the shadow king Sombra. But is that the end,
As Twilight and her friends gathered atop a hill just outside of Ponyville to watch a metior shower, as well at catch a glimpse of the familiar 'Gazer commit' another adventure falls into their lives, one that will push the girls to look not only deeper inside themselves, but deeper into the dark that they thought long since past. The 'Gazer Commit' had circled Equeatria for over 968 years, lighting up the night sky with its bright green, burning flames that encased the space rock. Only, on this year, after so much had already happened, the females died, and the rock plummeted into the forest nearest to Ponyville.
A yellow stallion with an orange mane shows up in town, without a memory or a hint as to who he is. He seeks the help of Twilight and her friends to reclaim what he lost. Little will he learn that your past doesn't make you who you are, what you do with your life from from the present onward does.
Enjoy the possibilities....
My little pony: friendship is magic is opened by Hasbro
This fan fiction is written as a parody to the show, and it used for entertainment purposes only.
As he climbed the never ending stare way, the haunting images of the empire continued to flash in Sunny Knight's mind. All his neighbors and friends, the ponie's he's known all his life of growing up in the crystal empire were now in chains, forced into hard labor of excavating more crystals from the now dead ground that surrounded the empire.
"What happened to my home?" Sunny asked himself as he continued the endless climb.
He could see the lush, green, grassy fields that surrounded the glimmering empire. Foals played while the adults worked and enjoyed the peace that the Crystal empire brought. As the sun shines down on the castle, the entire empire shines with the power of the crystal heart. It was the most beautiful sight in all of Equeatria. It was his home. But now... Something evil has taken hold of it.
"Where is the king?!" He worried what might have happened. King Sombra was a great and benevolent ruler, loved by all. He was a strong and skilled unicorn, with a wide knowlage of spells to tackle any challange. He could not have been defeated so easily.
"Whoever did this, is going to pay" Sunny vowed as he had almost reached the top. He was not prepared for what was waiting for him at the top of the tower.
Prepared for the worst, Sunny emerged at the top of the tower, ready for battle. Donning his silver crystal armor that he received when he graduated from the academy. He carefully looked around for the cause of this atrocity.
"There you are, Sunny" a horrid and heavy voice slithered into Sunny's ears. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up...." There, with his back still to Sunny, stood a stallion. His body covered in a red red royal cloak, his midnight black mane covered his head, flowing like black fire.
"Who are you?! What have you done with the king?" Sunny called out to the stallion.
"Why, I'm hurt, you don't recognize me?" As the stallion turned around, Sunny's heart sank. Even though his entire look had changed, Sunny couldn't see, nor, could he feel this was the King he had vowed his loyalty to. The same king he had always looked up to since he was but a young colt.the king who was loved and respected by every pony in the Empire!
"King... Sombra?...." Sunny slowly forced out the words, his stomach began to turn.
"Come here" he called out, a smile made of razor sharp teeth on the dark stallion's face as he looked down on the empire. "Look at my beautiful empire."
Sunny walked over, dropping his armor as he went, his body too weighed down by his heavy heart. As he looked down at the empire from the tower, he felt utterly sick. It was as if somepony had poisoned the land, his home, it was nothing but a corpse of its former glory. Even the inhabitants, the citizens looked of sickness and death.
"What... What have you done?" Sunny asked, unable to look away.
"I have taken what is mine!" Sombra called out, purple flames emerging from his glowing green eyes. "This is the way my empire is to be run! With my loyal guards by my side, and my slaves working day and night to serve me!"
Sunny stumbled away from the platform and shook his head. "No! No! This isn't right!"
Sombra's eyes weighed heavily on Sunny. "I want you by my side. Your potential and skill in the unicorn arts could help to expand the empire! Think of it!" His words tried to sway Sunny. "All of Equestria could bow before us! No pony could stop us!"
That struck a nerve with Sunny, and his sickness quickly burned into rage. "And what of the princesses in Canterlot?"
Sombra chuckled. "I have a special spot in the Dungeons just for them. I thought about turning them to stone, but I want them to see me in all my glory when I rule all of Equeatria!"
As the dark tyrant began to chuckle at his premature victory. Sunny cast his summoning spell, brining forth his life sized pony puppets from his vault. The pony sized weapons that were as skilled and battle ready as any royal guard. Maybe more so under Sunny's control. They were his signature weapon of choice. Three pony puppets; one earth pony, one pegusi, and one unicorn. All armed with secret weapons that Sunny could work with just a simple puppet manipulation spell. Not entirely difficult to do. As Sunny stretched out threads of his magic to attach themselves to the limbs of his puppets from his horn, they shook, trembled, then stood at attention, ready to attack or defend.
Sombra looked down at them, the fire in his eyes growing. "What is this?"
Sunny slowly turning around, to face the shadow of his king. "I'm not going to let you do that. This is your one and only chance, Sombra. Stop this madness. Change things back to the way they were. Free the 'citizens' and the royal guards. If you end this now, we can go back to the way thing were." Sunny swallowed his rage then turned back and looked into the tyrant king's eyes's one last time, pleading for him to stop.
For a moment, it seemed like King Sombra was considering the idea. But he quickly stood on his hind legs and slammed his front ones down, materializing dark rigged crystals from the ground. They shot up like flames themselves and struck at Sunny.
Thinking fast, Sunny used the manipulation spell on the puppets to move I front of him. One of the trio was badly damaged. The other two seemed mostly fine, give or take a few scratches.
"You think a few 'toys' can stop me?! ME!!!" The mad king cried.
With a quick flair of his magic, Sunny sent the two remaining puppets, the unicorn and the pegasus, to attack from opposite sides. The pegusi locked it's wings, the feathers acting like knives, ready to slice its opponent. While the unicorn's hooves began to stretch to fifty times their length, prepared to hold the foe in place, or if need be, strangle them.
As they approached the King, Sombra only smiled, closed his eyes for a moment, then when he opened his eyes again, everything ended in a bright flash.
Sunny was blasted back several feet, still standing on his hooves, but slightly blinded. As his eyes readjusted, he could see the horror that ended the battle in a mere moment. His remaining puppets had been impaled to the walls, they were struck countless times with dark crystals that cracked and destroyed their wooden bodies.
"Play time is over" the king spoke again as he calmly walked closer to Sunny.
As Sunny looked at the dark king, he could feel the fear in his heart growing. Not fear for himself, but fear that he had failed all the citizens of the empire, and quite possibly, all of Equeatria.
"I think you need to be taught a lesson!" The king declared. Before Sunny could cast a protective spell over himself, the king blasted a curse that blinded the young unicorn. It was a curse that the king had become quite fond of. One that showed a pony their worst fears. "Maybe after you break, you'll see my logic, that my rule is-"
"Sire! Pardon the intrusion!" A crystal empire guard entered from the stairway, out of breath. He kneeled with his red and green hazed eyes falling to the floor.
The king glared at the guard, the flames from his eyes grew. "What is it?!"
The guard gulped. "W-well your highness, it seems that the royal army from Canrerlot has been spotted at the empire's boarder." The guard reported, trembling still.
"Hmmmm" the king thought, then tuned to Sunny, who was shaking in a fetal position on the floor. "I'll have to deal with you later. I'll put you away for a while. So Celestia or Luna won't be able to find you. You will be my secret weapon incase something happens..."
King Sombra's horn bubbled with black and purple magic as his eyes glowed bright green. A large bolder that remained from the fight then began to levitate over to Sunny, as the unicorn's body began to glow. The bolder took Sunny's body into itself, in-prisoning him in the stone. And with one final flick of his horn, Sombra sent the bolder with Sunny locked inside into the sky, and to the stars.
He then turned to his servant. "Now, let's go deal with the Princesses..."
It was black and cold wherever he was. Sunny didn't feel like he was falling, but when he felt ground appear suddenly underneath him, landing face first, he guessed he had been indeed falling. Getting to his hooves, he looked around, images began to take form. It appeared to be some dark world who's only inhabitants, other then himself, were large cube like formations that just remained floating in the air all around him.
The temperature seemed to be dropping by the moment, Sunny felt a chill run down his spine as he called out into the void "h-hello!... Anypony there?!" The most eerie part of his action, was that there was no echo. It was as if the darkness just swallowed up the sound. Sunny gazed out into the vast open blackness, only to shudder both from the cold and the empty feeling he recieved from his horrable place.
Trying to keep warm, Sunny decided it was best to keep moving, and get a better look at his surroundings. The cube he stood on was rather large. About the size of a hoof ball field. And as he reached the end of it and looked down, his heart sank again. There, on another cube not far from him, were ponies he knew from the empire. Ponies, again, in chains, excavating and pulling carts full of crystals for the king. Sunny then looked around at the other surrounding cubes. More and more images of the enslaved crystal ponies began to pop up, until all the floating black cubes around Sunny were covers with the enslaved citizens of the Crystal Empire!
"Look!" One of the crystal ponies cried out. "It's him! It's Sunny!"
"Sunny!" Another called out in pain. "Why didn't you help us?!"
The other enslaved ponies began to drop their pick axes ans had siesed pulling their carts and now were chanting at him from the edge of their resprctive black cubes.
"I-I tried" he began pleading to them, his heart sank heavily. "I'm sorry, I tried but-"
"You failed!" Another pony interrupted him, rattling his chains. "You failed us!"
Sunny gulped, a slight since of fear began to build up "I'm sorry, I did my best."
The crystal pony's pain burned and changed into anger. A mare cried out while slamming her hooves on the ground "You failed us!"
"Because of you we are in pain!" Another called out, dropping her pic ax.
"We trusted you!" Another mare screamed.
"We believed in you!" A stallion yelled as he stopped pulling his cart.
"You were our friend!" Another stallion added.
"We hurt now, so much" a small filly told Sunny, appearing behind him, no anger to her voice, but tears ran fom her eyes.
"It's your fault we hurt" another filly added, taking her place beside the first filly. Both of their eyes were filled with tears now, as their necks were weighed down by heavy chains.
Sunny's sunken heart began to race, as the enslaved crystal pony's began to gather all around him, yelling at him. Their voices echoing in his ears, tearing at him.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I did my best!" Sunny pleaded to them, to the ponies that he cared for so much. His eyes darted all around, but only saw anger filled eyes with crystal pony body's that became swallowed up by shadows. Forming one dark mass of hate and pain. As the dark was began to engulf Sunny, the ponies' words still rang like war bells in his ears, rattling his very soul like the chains they were forced to wear.
"You failed us!" "It's all your fault!" "You hurt us!" "It's all your fault!" "We're in pain!" "It's all your fault!" "ITS ALL YOUR FAULT"
"ITS ALL YOUR FAULT"
"ITS ALL YOUR FAULT"
-1000 years later, atop a hill just outside of Ponyville-
"Hurry up Rarity! We're going to be late!" Rainbow Dash rushed her friend along. Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell already a few yards ahead of the two mares.
"Sorry Darling, but I simply had to dress for such a grand occasion". Rarity chimed as she flashed her newest dress. A midnight blue, accented with some sparkling gem dust that shimmered like starlight.
The girls, along with Spike and the Cutie mark crusaders had gathered for a meteor shower atop a hill not far outside of Ponyville. As the last two members of the group rejoined their friends atop of the hill, the first of the stars began to fall. They all released 'awes' and 'owes' as the stars began to shoot across the night sky. Princess Luna always loved to perform with her stars in such a way.
"They are so beautiful!" Flittershy spoke in her soft tone, eyes open wide to catch every sight.
"It's really somethin'" Applejack added, feeling a since of calm peace from the whole event.
"The best is yet to come girls" Twilight began, without tearing here eyes from the sky. "The real sight is the 'Gazer comet.' A comet that has been traveling the stars for 968 years!"
"Wait, are you sure?" Rainbow asked her alicorn friend, skepticism highlighting her tone.
"Most certain." Twilight held her head with pride as she pulled up a book she brought with her for he event. "Professor Star Gazer the 3rd, discovered it just a few years after he became a professor for Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns." She pauses and looked at her cyan colored friend. "Why?..."
"Hasn't anypony noticed that bad stuff always happens every '1000 years" the Pegasus with the rainbow colored mane and tail answered.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Like Nightmare moon?! Or Discord?! Or The Crystal empire?!Or Tirek?!" Pinkie Pie took an odd delight in listing off the girl's challenges over the years as she bounced around her friends in a circle.
"Ah' think ah' see what Rainbow is talkin' bout..." Applejack replied, now tearing her eyes away from the stars above to look upon her friends with slight concern.
"B-b-but Twilight said that she was sure of the time... And it's just a rock in space... Right?!" As Fluttershy spoke, her voice shake and started to squeak as she his behind her mane, slightly shaking.
"Unless it's really some horrible monster that was locked away 1000 years ago, but was only discovered 968 years ago, and this is the year it plummets to Equestria, crashes, and plans to threaten to conquer all of ponydom!" Pinkie Pie's explanation seemed to grow in volume as she continues to speak, her smile never fading. All the girls, including the cutie mark crusaders and Spike just stared at the pink pony as she stopped bouncing and started back at them with a look of excitement. Now Fluttershy had fully retreated into her mane, shivering and whimpering in fear.
Twilight sought to comfort her frightened friend. She put on an easy going smile and patted the yellow pegusi on the back. "It's OK Fluttershy, nothing is going to-"
Just before Twilight could finish her sentence, the last of the stars fell, and now a loud crackling noise filled the night air. As the girls, and Spike, looked up, they caught the amazing sight of the Gazer comet as it soared across the sky. It was set a flame in a blazing green fire that covered the entire rock.
Everypony was in such a state of awe by the beauty and amazing sight, they quickly forgot about he previous conversation. Even the nervous Fluttershy emerged from beneath her mane and watched the bright burning rock. It made it half way across the sky, then.... Something happened.
It's trajectory changed, almost as if it ran out of gas. The glowing green fire that surrounded the meteor dissipated, and the space rock began to towards the land of Equestria! All the girls watched in horror and surprise as it crashed down, maybe about 20 miles away from Ponyville.
After it fell, the group remained silent for a very long moment, until Spike broke the silence, tugging on the wing of the purple alicorn. "Hey Twilight... Should we..."
"Spike" she told her assistant. "Take a message, to the princess..."
-Canterlot-
Princess Celestia remained in her room, relaxing after a long and exhausting day in her Royal court, when her Sister, Princess Luna burst in, causing Celestia to almost spill her tea. "Sister! Something has happened!" Luna exclaimed as she ran past her sister and over to the balcony. "Look! What do you see?!"
Celestia rose from her seat immediately, not even donning her crown before stepping out into the open air and looking to the night sky. She looked long and hard, but saw nothing. Just a calm, quiet.... Then it struck her. "Wasn't the comet supposed to be out tonight?! Gazer's comet?"
"That is what we meant, sister." Luna explained, then maneuvered Celestia's telescope to a specific area just outside of Ponyville. About 20 miles or so to be more specific. "The comet fell, and crashed there. Not only that, Sister, but I felt... Something."
Celestia looked threw the telescope at the crash site. While still looking threw the telescope, Celestia asked her sister "what did you feel, sister?"
"It was..." Luna had a hard time pushing the words from her lips. "It felt... Like him... Like Sombra's Magic..."
Celestia remained motionless and silent for what seemed like hours. "Bring me Alister and his team."
Just then a scroll appeared or of bright green fire, causing Celestia to jump a little. But she quickly realized who's green fire it actually was. Celestia opened the note and read what her most faithful student had sent her. She half smiled. "I should have known that Twilight would report to me as well."
"Should I still send for Alister, Sister?" Luna asked.
"Yes. We'll need all the help we canget to investigate whatever happened to the comet." Celestia answered. "I'll also send word to Princess Cadence and Prince Shinning Armor, to double the guards at their boarders and around the castle."
"Do you think they might be in danger, Sister?" Luna asked, her tone cold, but behind it was great concern.
"I don't want to chance it... Not again..." Celestia said, her own words weighing heavily in her own heart.
The warm sun felt good on the yellow stallion's fur as he napped half under a tree on the side of a dirt road, his two toned orange mane half covering his face. He was sleeping so soundly when Goldie Delicious walks by him, almost completely missing him as she walked down the dirt road heading to her home in the woods.
She was about to leave him be, but he looked a little too red, possibly dehydrated. "He might be thirty" she said to herself, then decided it would be in his best of interest to wake him up and give him some water. She shook him lightly "Excuse me, Sonny, are you ok?"
The yellow unicorn began to stir, his emerald colored eyes flickered open, he smiles, stretched and yawned as he blinked rapidly, trying to adjust his eyes to the blinding morning light. He then looked upon the elderly mare before him. "Oh, ugh, hello miss..."
"Th' name's Goldie Delicious. Now what's a feller like you doin' out here, in th' middle ah' no where, gettin all dehydrated and what not? Here..." She pulled a large canteen out of her bag, after shuffling around a cat or two, and handed it to the young stallion. She never liked to travel unprepared, or without a cat or two as a traveling companion.
The stallion happily took it. He was feeling light headed and really thirsty. He popped the top and slowly began to drink until he had emptied more then half of the container. "Thank you Miss Delicious. I needed that."
"What's yer name, younyin'?" She asked him, digging in her bag for something else.
The stallion thought for a moment, thinking about something so simple, something almost everypony knew... But it's like... Like it was blurred in his mind, something he couldn't read. "I... I don't know..."
"Hmmmm" Goldie thought for a moment as she paused her search. "Well, yer awful close to Ponyville. Ah have a great grand niece about yer age. Maybe she could help ya out. Ah'd help ya mahself but I'm afraid these old bones ain't good fer much."
"Oh don't say that, ma'am" the stallion pleaded. "You were kind enough to wake me and give me water. If not for you I could have been in some serious trouble."
She chuckled lightly, then pulled out what she had been looking for. A hat. A Stetson hat with a large red delicious apple on it. "This was my grandson's old hat. He got a new one recently, and ah've been holding onto thisn' for just such an occasion." She then slapped it on top of the yellow unicorn head.
It was a little big for him, and it covered his horn, but it felt... Nice. He smiled as he looked up at it. "I love it! But are you sure it's ok?"
"Sure as sugarcane!" She laughed. "You do look mighty good in it. Now if ya take this road back the way I came, you'll come to a fork in the road. Go left, then keep goin' and you'll reach Ponyville. There'll be ah lake near the fork, ya'll can refill yer canteen there."
The stallion got up and fully stretched, then looked down the road. "Down the road, to the fork, go left, get water at lake. Got it!"
"And remember, ask fer th' Apple family, say Goldie sent cha." Goldie Delicious said to the stallion before heading back in the opposite direction, back to her own cabin.
The stallion saddled up and began down the road, only to stop a few feet away and wave back at the old mare. "Thank you ma'am! I hop I can repay you some day!"
She smiled back at the spirited young stallion and waved back. "No worries, Sonny!"
The stallion paused at the name. "Sonny... Sonny...Sunny..." He must have said it dozen times or so to himself as he walked. After a few moments of sitting on the name, he smiles and jumped into a gallop powered by his joyful bravado. "Until I find my real name, I'll be Sunny! "
-Canterlot-
Celestia was pacing in her private chambers, every moment or so looking back threw the telescope at the crash site of the comet. Concern and worry building up when a knock on the door caused her heart to skip a beat. She cleared her throat, and in her commanding, stern voice answers "come in"
It was a unicorn guard wearing a yellow cloak and special armor given to the elite spell casters. He had the basic white mane and tail, with a grey coat like the rest of the unicorn guards. "Alister, reporting for duty, your majesty." He answered and bowed, remaining in that position for a moment until Celestia instructed him to rise.
"Alister, one of our greatest unicorn guards, and one of the most brilliant minds to come out of my school. Tell me, what do you know of the 'Gazor comet'?"
He stood and cleared his throat. "I did a lot of research on it. It's discovery dates back ... 968 days as of last night I believe, discovered by Professor Star Gazer not long after he became a teacher in your school back when it first opened, am I right?"
She smiled at her bright student. "That is correct. What else?"
Alister's face grew more serious "it's a natural phenomenon, much like the Everfree forest. It some how operated outside of your highnesses control, as well as out of your sister's control. Some even believed it was the product of some ancient spell that never broke. But there was never any way or reason to delve into the theory."
"The comet has crashed into Equestria." Celestia flatly said, sending a shocked look across Alister's face. Her face was stone cold, and a fierceness flashed in her face, the likes of which Alister had never seen.
"W-w-what?! How?! Why?!" He could barely speak, his mind racing.
"That's what I want you and your team to find out. I have the coordinates marked on the map...." Celestia levitates a map of the surrounding area over to Alister in a golden magical aura.
The grey unicorn looked from the map back to the princess of the sun. "But ... Is the whole team really needed for this, your highness? If it's just a fallen comet-"
"There is more" she cut him off. "I don't know exactly what... But I fear it's something I never wanted to face again..."
Not wanting to press, Alister saluted Princess Celestia. "It will be done, your majesty!" With that he left the room to find his two closest friends and trusted royal guards.
Meanwhile, Celestia took a deep breath, her face and eyes began to relax, and looked threw her telescope again, wondering what trials await for her little ponies this time.
Sunny was now traveling down the second part of the dirt path that Golden delicious instructed him to take. He had passed the fork in the road not long ago, and had just recently stopped galloping as was just casually walking. He looked up and took a deep breath, soaking in the warmth of this summer's day. He enjoyed the peacefulness of the world around him. He heard the birds singing, insects humming, the faint sound of a small brook that lead into the lake he passed by, and it all seamed... Wonderful to him. This of course came to an abrupt end as wubs filled the air around the surrounding town. But it wasn't nessisarily a bad thing. Sunny quickly picked up the beat and soon enough, he found himself dancing to the amazing song that was playing!
Before he knew it, the yellow unicorn with an apple family Stetson hat had danced his way, not only into Ponyville, but into the middle of a party being thrown by none other then Pinkie Pie. Almost no pony noticed the new stallion who joined their party, or if they did, they didn't really care. The more the merrier.
After a couple more beats, the DJ, none other then 'the' Vinyl scratch, turned the volume down to where it was just background. It was then the hostess noticed the new face and appeared beside him as he took another swig from his canteen.
"Hi there!" She surprised him by pooping up out of nowhere as she normaly did, causing him to almost drop his drink.
He looked over at the pink mare with a cotton candy like mane and smiled. "Ugh, hello. How are you?"
"I'm great! My name is Pinkie Pie! What's yours? I haven't seen you before, so I know you're new to Ponyville because I know everypony, and I mean everypony in Ponyville. And I would love to be your friend and help you make lots and lots of friends!" When her mouth stopped running a million miles per hour and made a huge smile along with a squeak, Sunny just chuckled at her a little.
"Wow aren't you an energetic pony?" He smiled and held out his hoof. "Call me Sunny. It's a pleasure miss Pie."
She smiled and grabbed his hoof, shaking it wildly, casing the bright yellow stallion to shake violently, but he held onto his smile the whole time.
"Call me Pinkie! All my friends do!" She finally stopped her hoof shaking.
"Friends?" The tremers in Sunny's body began to dissipate. "So.... You want me to be your friend?"
"Of course! I'm friends with every pony!" Pinkie exclaimed her smile and eagerness never fading.
"Wow. You're very lucky" the yellow unicorn commented.
It was odd, Pinkie began to calm down, but smiled sincerely at the new pony in town. "I know. Its really wonderful to make so many friends. And I would like to be your friends too, if you want."
For some reason, what that pink pony with the Cotten candy hair said to Sunny just now, made him feel better then he ever had. 'Friends' he said in his mind. "I'd really like that. Oh! Do you happen to know somepony named, ugh, 'Applejack'?"
"Yep! I sure do!" The bouncing returned to the pink pony's body. "She's one of my bestest, best friends! Why?"
"Well... I was told to come here and ask for her by a miss Gold -" Sunny began to explain but was quickly interrupted.
"Oh! Really?! Great! We've been waiting for you! Come with me!!!" She exclaimed as lifted the stallion up over her head and dashed off to sweet apple archers.
-back at the fork-
A brown earth pony stallion with a lime green mane and tail sat in the shade, looking at the map, extremely confused. "Oh apple cores! I promised Golden Delicious that is help at the farm while AJ was away! Ugh! I can't believe I'm so lost! Ok..." He looked at the fork then flipped a bit. Heads down stream, tails upstream.
The coin flipped, landed, and the stallion began to walk up the road leading right to Goldie Delicious's house, miles away from Ponyville.
The trio was traveling by carriage, being pulled by the two fliers of the team. Alister directed them to land as he spotted the area. As they got closer to the ground, the point of impact became more and more clear.
"Breath taking..." Alister said as he hopped out of the carriage, not even waiting for it to fully touch the ground. "Look at it! Oh, its a dream come true!"
"Glad you are on cloud 9 with a space rock, Alister" the white Pegasus guard commented as he took of his reins.
"Why the heck do we have to cart him around?!" The female, bat pony guard hissed as she tore her reins off, throwing them as hard as she could at the ground. "I'm not some pony's chauffer!"
"Take it easy Midnight Blossom, he can't fly" the Pegasi tried his best to calm the mare's but if anger.
"He knows that spell to give him wings!" She snapped at him. "He just doesn't want to do it and 'look like a breezy'!" Midnight Blossom mocked the unicorn guard, as he did his best to ignore her and examined the crash sight.
"Come on Midnight" the Pegasi pleaded. "Let's just focus on our job"
"Shhhhh!" Alister tried to silence them.
"Cloud Skipper, you are always sticking up for him. He's not better then us, so why do we always end up carting him around like he's royalty?!" Midnight was inches from Cloud Skipper's muzzle, looking like she might bite it off.
"Shhhhhh!" Alister shushed at them even louder, getting more annoyed.
"If you try and shush me again, white hair, I'll really give you-" the bat pony began, but her mouth was covered by soft front hoof belonging to Cloud Skipper. Before she could object, he pointed to something that quickly dissipated the aggressive bat pony's fury.
It was the meteor that was once 'Gazer's Comet', sitting there about six feet deep in the ground. But that they came to expect. That was normal. But what shocked them was the pony shaped burn mark. Which was outlined on the side of it in dark colored crystals. Their eyes followed similar burn marks and crystals that lead out of the crater and into the forest.
Alister approached one, examining it carefully. As Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom took to the air to get a better look. Midnight Blossom decided to scout ahead while Cloud Skipper returned to Alister. Before Cloud Skipper left Midnight Blossom licked his cheek, to rid some left over hay burger and fries from his face. Cloud Skipper floats down to Alister his face slight red.
"What do you make of it?" the pegusus asked his unicorn friend.
"I think it's incredibly unstable, rocky, and could lead you into an early grave..." The unicorn said, looking up at his friend. "But hey, if you like her, go for it."
This caused Cloud Skipper to almost fell out of the air. "W-will you stay on topic! We need to find out what happened here to determin if there is an immediate threat!"
The unicorn carefully broke a chunk of the dark crystal from the meteor and put it cautiously in a sealed bag. Then he did the same with one from the trail that lead away from the crash site. "You want to know what I think?"
"Well, yeah, I mean, I have an idea, but it sounds..." Cloud skipper trailed off.
Alister looked back at he meteor. "I think somepony was locked in that thing. And for whatever reason, it crashed, and when it did, he broke free and..." Alister then motioned with his hoof, traced the path that lead away from it. "... It walked away."
"Who do you think it could be?" Cloud Skipper asked. "Anypony who might be a threat?"
"You see these crystals?" Alister hit one that was on the ground.
"Yeah, what about them. They are everywhere in the crystal empire. The place is practically-" Cloud Skipper was cut off.
"These are dark, rigid, and don't refract light..." Alister held the piece up in the light overhead of Cloud Skipper. And he was right. No light came threw it.
"What does that mean?" Cloud skipper asked as Midnight Blossom landed on the groung, after doing a back flip in the air.
"One more thing" Alister said in a grim tone. "Look at that burn mark, tell me, what kind of pony do you think came from there, based on the outline..." All three started at it, but Alister knew the answer. He only dreaded it.
"So we are looking for a unicorn who makes dark crystals" Midnight Blossom casually said as she cracked her neck.
"And one that used green flames" Alister added. "If either of you had taken a good look at 'Gazer's comet' you would have seen it burned with a green flame."
"... We need to return to Canterlot and report this to her highnesses." Cloud Skipper ordered.
"No, you two go ahead" Alister objected. "From what I was told, one of Celestia's other students, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and some of her friends, will be here soon to check it out. I'll meet with them and work with them on hunting this unicorn down."
"Oooowww. Somepony wants private time with the princess!" Midnight Blossom teased.
Alister was now beginning to grow more annoyed at the bat pony mare. But before he could say anything to fuel the fire, Cloud Skipper lifted into the air. "We won't be long, Come on Midnight, let's get there and report as fast as we can!"
Alister then tossed the white pegusi the bag with the samples he collected. "Show these to her highness. She's had time to study magical crystals. She'll know more of what to look for then I would."
And with that, the two fliers of the group shot off as fast as their wings could carry them, back to the golden , white and purple kingdom of Canterlot.
"We're mighty glad you could come down and help us out, youn'yin." Granny Smith said as she and Apple Bloom delivered ice cold lemonade to both Sunny and Big Mac.
"Yeah, we didn't think ya' would get here so fast too!" Apple Bloom added, handing her big brother his third glass of lemonade as he wiped some more sweat from his brow.
"I'm glad to help out" Sunny replied taking another sip of the lemonade. "You all have been so nice to me, it's the least I could do. But when do you think Applejack will be back? I need to talk to her."
"Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Twilight went off to check something out in the Everfree forest." Apple Bloom told the yellow stallion. "They didn't say what, but ah bet cha it has ta do with that comet that fell from the sky the other night."
"Commit?" Sunny repeated the word, taking a small sip of his lemonade.
"Hate to say this, boys" Granny butted in. "But we're burin daylight. We need to get most of this field cleared if we hope to start baking tomorrow."
Forgetting about Applejack and the comet for the moment, Sunny smiled and shot Big Mac a look, that he knew the red stallion could read. 'Bet I could get more work done then you!'
To which the big, muscular farm pony only smiled back with a look that replied 'bring it on!'
And like that, the two stallions went to work, bucking as many apple trees as fast as they could. Apples rained down fom the sky faster and faster. Poor Apple Bloom tried her best to keep up with the high speed work stallions, picking up the stray apples and getting rid of the bad ones, but her work piled up fast as the two competing work ponys pushed themselves harder and harder.
When Granny Smith made it back to the farm house to catch a quick nap in her favorite rocking chair, she was greeted by not only the honorable apple family member, Pinkie Pie, but now Fluttershy as well.
"Well howdy miss Fluttershy!" The elderly mare called out, smiling at the young, yellow mare . "What brings ya by these parts?"
"Oh, well, you see" she began in her timid tone, half hidden behind her pink mane. " I was on my way back from picking up some food for Angle Bunny, when Pinkie Pie told me she had a new friend she wanted me to meet..."
"Yeah! I promised I'd help Sunny make lots and lots of friends!" Pinkie Pie burst out. "And look! He already made friends with Big Mac! Look how much fun they are having!" the pink pony exclaimed as she watched Big Mac and Sunny move from tree to tree, sweat dripping from their forheads as they picked up their pace.
"Um.... Pinkie. They dont really look like they're getting along too well...." Fluttershy commented.
"Nah!" Granny reassured the gently pegusus pony as she took a seat next to her and served her a glass of lemonade. "Them's how stallions make friends. Best friends even. Gotta' get all that steam out of their systems."
"Wow... Really?" Fluttershy looked confused as she looked out at the two stallions as they bucked the trees faster and faster.
"Eh'yep" Granny quoted her grandson and snickered. "Stallions. Ah've raised more then mah' fair share of ehm. And ah know how they work." The three mares just laughed at granny's comment.
"Yeah" Pinkie agreed. "Stallions are wierd like that."
"I'm still amazed that an earth pony smaller then Big Mac can move that fast or work that hard" Fluttershy stated as she looked to the yellow stallion doning a stetson hat with an apple buckle.
"Yeah! Sunny's amazing! Maybe he grew up on a farm but didn't eat his vegetables, or drink his milk and that's why he's smaller then Big Mac! But he ate a lot of sweets and ran around bucking a lot of trees or breaking a lot of rocks and that's why he's so fast and strong " Pinkie began to real off her differen theories.
"But doesn't that just come with being an earth pony, you know, being strong and stuff?" Fluttershy asked, not wanting to sound rude comment about earth ponies.
"Well whatever the reason, ahm' real glad Golden Delicious sent him to us" Granny said, her eyelids becoming heavy as she quickly fell asleep.
Alister flagged down Rainbow Dash who was carrying Applejack while Rarity road on the back of Twilight Sparkle. When the girls attempted to land, Rainbow ended up dropping Applejack.
"Hey! What was that for?!" Applejack exclaimed as she picked up her hat from the ground, brushed it off, and placed it back on her head, glaring at her cyan colored friend.
"What? Not my fault you weigh so much!" The dare devil pegusus snapped, now hovering just slightly above the ground.
"What did you say?" The orange earth pony began to deeply blush, embarased, as she narrowed her eyes at the pegusus.
"Come on girls, we have work to do!" Twilight broke them up as she nearly crashed into them, landing face first on the ground.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry darling" Rarity told her alicorn friend. "I would have just let you carry me, but I was afraid that, well, you would do the same thing Rainbow Dash did to Applejack over there, only, well, up there..." She pointed to the sky.
"It's ok Rarity" Twilight told her as she got up and brushed herself off. "I know I'm not as strong as Rainbow Dash.
"Huh" Applejack exclaimed. "Apparently she ain't that strong to begin with"
"What did you say!" Rainbow was now in Applejack's face, both of the mares shooting each other a stair that could rival Fluttershy's.
Alister cleared his throat to get their attention. "Ladies" he exclaimed, then turned to Twilight and bowed. "Your majesty... I hate to be rude, but time is of the essence."
"Right! Sorry Sir Alister." Twilight and her friends walked over to the creator where the once 'Gazer Comet' lay, broken, burned, and now cold.
"Tell me, your majesty" Alister began as he stepped over to the edge of the crater. "What do you make of it?"
Twilight's horn began to glow with her brilliant purple aura as she waved it all around the meteor. The space rock became engulfed in the magical light. And in a flash, Twilight's eyes went wide open.
She could see images tied with the rock. Feel the burning purple and green flames. See the green and red eyes. The same ones she faced in the past. And that laugh. The laugh that she could never forget. A deep and wicked stallion's laugh. It echoed through all the Crystal Empire as she raced with Spike to find the crystal heart.
"Twilight! Twilight snap out of it!" Rainbow, Rarity and Applejack were by her side, great looks of deep concern on their faces.
"What happened darling?" Rarity asked.
"What could you see, your highness?" Alister stepped forward, both eager and hesitant at what the answer might be.
"It's him..." The purple alicorn began. "I don't know how... But he's tied to this some how..."
"Who, sugar cube?" Applejack asked.
"Sombra..." The words escaped Twilight's lips. "King Sombra."
Alister took a deep breath and looked back at the comet. "What has that monster planned now?" He asked himself. "Somepony or something came out of that comet... But who or what?"
"We need to warn the nearest towns" Twilight declared. "If I'm right, and I hope I'm not, something bad is still out there."
"I'll warn Cloudsdale" Rainbow Dash stated. "I doubt Sombra could get up that high, but they still need to be on the look out."
Twilight smirks and nodded at her friend. "Good thinking. And see if anypony had seen anything on the last couple of nights."
"Got it!" And like that, Rainbow Dash's was off, leaving a rainbow streak behind her.
"What are some of the other neighboring towns?" Twilight directed the question at Alister. "We'll send a pony to each location nearest to this site, then we'll regroup in Ponyville. I'll make an announcement there."
"I love it when a plan comes together" Alister smiled as he pulled out a map from his yellow cloak. "Ok, the next closest town..."
It had been a long hard day of work, but Sunny enjoyed himself. Between him and Big Mac, they cleared the entire orchard section they needed for the day and were all caught up and where they needed to be. Tomorrow 'real' work will begin. Or so Granny Smith told him. It made him smile. Not the work, or the 'real work' but... This feeling he got deep down inside. Was it from an honest day's work? The wonderful feeling Sunny got from helping ponies out in need? No, but those concepts did make him feel good. But there was more too it.
It started when he and Big Mac came in for dinner. Granny and Pinkie Pie, along with another mare around Pinkie's age named Fluttershy, had prepared a huge dinner for them all. As Sunny sat down and looked at everypony eating dinner, he felt something new. Or, maybe something he experienced before, but had long since forgotten. It was a warm feeling. A comfortable feeling, just being around all of them. Watching them talk and interact in their own special way.
Maybe he was reminded just then, that every pony is different. Some are big, like Big Mac, some are small like Apple Bloom . Some ponies are loud and are open like Pinkie Pie, and some are quiet and reserved but full of kindness like Fluttershy. No, he enjoyed each pony's uniquenesses, but something else was burning inside. A good burn. Sunny caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the mirror by the kitchen, and his heart sunk slightly as he looked at a stallion he didnt even know. This made the yellow stallion sigh for a moment. 'But... What am I? WHO am I?'
As everypony began to eat, Sunny forced himself to take a few small bites, but couldn't stomach that he didn't know anything about himself.
"Everything alright there, Sunny?" Granny whispered to the young stallion.
He forced a smile "nothing to worry about Granny Smith, just... Thinking..."
"What cha thinkin' bout?" Apple Bloom swallowed her bite of food and looked up at their newest guest.
He smiled at the yellow filly with a pink bow on her head. "Just thinking of how the lack of knowledge doesn't sit well in my stomach."
This just earned a confused look from the yellow filly. "Wha...."
"Ya know, Sunny" Granny put her hoof on his in reasurance as she smiled up at him. "Sometimes answers come to a pony who waits. And if anything is ever botherin' ya, feel free to talk ta any one of us. That's what family is for."
That warm feeling Sunny felt before now erupted from his heart like a joyful volcano as tears began to form at the corners of his eyes. "F-f-family?...."
"Yeah! We're not just friends!" Pinkie Pie somehow appeared behind Sunny and gave him, Granny, and Apple Bloom a great big hug. "We're one big happy family! We stick together and always look out for one another!"
Sunny then found his meal easier to eat after Pinkie Pie let them all go. 'Maybe I don't need to know who I was, but... But rather decide who I'm going to be, here and now!"
He took another look at the ponies at the table again, and smiled as it felt like his heart had exploded twice. "Family..."
-Canterlot-
Celestia levitated the crystal shards that Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom brought her. Double, triple, and quadruple checking it over to make sure it was what she suspected. Her heart sank when she realized it was.
"And you say these were growing out of meteor?" She asked the two guards who had just returned from the site.
"Yes ma'am" Cloud Skipper answered first. "From what Alister and I could tell, they, as well as burn marks on the meteor... In the shape of a unicorn, ma'am."
"As well as a trail leading away from the site?" Celestia continued, we voice firm as her heart was deeply troubled.
"Yes ma'am" it was Midnight Blossom's turn to speak. "I followed the trail for a good mile, but the trail began to shrink and it eventually disappeared deep intot he forest about half a mile away from the crash site."
She held the dark crystal shard up to a candle light, watching in horror as it absorbed all the light without letting any go. 'Just like its creator...'
"Go back and find Alister, begin the hunt. I will send reinforcements to all the neighboring towns and cities. We need to find him."
Midnight Blossom and Cloud Skipper bowed, then as quickly as they arrived, they left. They flew out the window, heading back to the crash site. Just then, a royal guard knocked on the door.
"Your highness, dinner is ready, your sister awaits for you" he told the princess of the sun.
Celestia signed and placed the dark crystal on her desk. She knew if she was to face this foe, then she would need all of her strength to do it. She followed the guard out of her room, leaving the dark crystal in the path of the candle's light.
Just as the Princess closed the door, the darkness in the crystal began to dissipate and it became a bright green color, then, it turned to crystal dust and was carried away but a slight gust that was let in by an open window.
Applejack was happy to see her cousin Braeburn again, she just wished that it was under better circumstances. She spoke with him and the sherif about what had happened involving the comet and about the possible threat coming there. The sheriff promised her that they would be on guard and if they saw anything or had any leads, they would send a message to her right away.
Applejack said her goodbyes to her cousin and the sheriff, then hopped on the next train heading back to Ponyville, worried that her family back home had not yet pulled in all of the needed harvest. She knew she would have to hit the ground running. "As soon as I get to Ponyville and let Twilight and the others know about Appaloosa, I need to get back to the farm. Maybe we can still get the work done if I work till sun fall."
It only took the train about an hour to get back to Ponyville. Applejack enjoyed a nice little nap on the way back, hoping to be well rested for the long work day ahead. As the train pulled in, Applejack jumped off the train and was about to bolt to Twilight's castle when she saw the happy sight of her friends waiting at the station for her. Well, most of them anyway. It seemed that Twilight and Rarity had not made it back from Canterlot or Los Pegusus. 'Lord knows that sending Rarity to a big city like Los Pegasus, was probably a bad idea.' But Pinkie Pie, Flitttershy, Rainbow Dash along with her little sister and the rest of the cutie mark crusades had met her at the station.
"Welcome back AJ! Did you have fun at Appaloosa?!" Pinkie Pie asked as she ran up and gave the orange farm pony a big, lung crushing bear hug.
Applejack spoke as well as she could threw the gasps of air that escaped her lungs from Pinkie's tight grip. "T-thank ya... Pinkie"The pink earth pony then let Applejack go, and she fell half to the ground, grasping for air.
"About time you got back, what took you so long?" Rainbow Dash commented with a smirk on her face. Chances were she made it to Cloudsdale, informed them on the events, personally checked every square inch around the city as well as the ground be with it, and was back by lunch time.
"Snack time actually. A little later then lunch, but still yummy!" Pinkie Pie answered, looking directly at the reader with her signature innocent smile that stretched from ear to ear. Of course, to the reader this made since. After rereading this paragraph over again a few times. Hey. What do you want from me? I had to break the 4th wall her once. Pinkie pie's friends just started at their odd friend with a great since of confusion.
"Ugh Pinkie" Fluttershy spoke up. "Who are you talking to?"
"Don't worry about it" Pinkie said, now turning back to her friends and made a squeak as she smiled at them.
"Anywho...." Applejack began. "Ah checked in with th' sheriff and Braeburn . They han't seen anythin' like what I described to them. We searched all over with the Sheriff's posse, but found nothin. If they find anythin', they said they'd send ah message."
"Well I guess we can relax a little then" Fluttershy said with a slight smile. "Ponyville already checked out ok."
"Glad to hear it" Applejack commented then turned to the little filly with a big pink bow on her head. "But sis, we need to get back to the farm and pull in th' harvest! We are -"
"Already done, sis" Apple Bloom said with a huge smile.
Before Applejack could do more then look completely confused, Pinkie Pie answered her question. "You remember your cousin, Golden Delicious? Well she sent help a while ago when she heard from Red Delicious, who spoke with Granny Smith about the harvest, and being afraid that you might not be able to bring in the harvest and get everything ready on time. Sooooooo, Golden Delicious send somepony to go and help out. He's a yellow earth pony with an orange mane named Sunny, Sunny what though, I have no idea, he didn't say. But anyway he and Big Mac brought the last of the harvest in the other day!"
Applejack stood there with her other friends, jaw half dropped, still trying to let her mind catch up with everything Pinkie just shot at her at a million miles per hour.
"It's true" Fluttershy cooed in, breaking the silance. "And he seems really nice."
"Ya have ta meet him sis! He's amazin'!" Apple Bloom said jumping around her older sister.
All togeather, the girls walked calmly over to the Apple farm. Applebloom and her friends talking about what kind of things they've done to try and earn their cutie marks, making Applejack feel more at home already. When they arrived at the arch that stood in front of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack looked over and was shocked to see that the orchard that needed to be worked on was now clear of all its apples.
The small group migrated into the kitchen were Sunny and Granny were working in the kitchen. Big Mac had gone into town to run the apple goods stand. When Granny had seen her older granddaughter enter the house, her face lit up.
"Welcome back, Sweetie!" Granny took off her apron and hugged the orange earth pony. "Ah hope things went well."
"Eh'yep" Applejack was the one to quoted her big brother now. "And Braeburn wanted me to say he misses y'all a lot too an' ta come down and visit sometime."
"Who's Braeburn?" A yellow stallion with a Stetson hat on popped out from behind the table, half covered in flower and dough.
"He's our cousin" Apple Bloom answered, running up to the stallion. "You'd like him, Sunny! He lives in Appalosa, and has his own apple farm down there!"
The stallion just tipped his hat a little and smiled at the little yellow filly. "Well I'll have to go see him some time."
"Oh! We can make it a day trip!" Pinkie added with glee in her voice. "And we can see the buffalo tribes too! And eat apple pies, apple cobblers, apple fritters and drink lots and lots of Appaloosa Apple Cider!"
"I'm totally down with that!" Rainbow added. Then flew over to Sunny and began looking him over. "So Flutterst told me you might be as strong as Big Mac. How fast are you?"
Sunny just looked a little sheepish with a nervous and forced smile. "W-well I not know. But Big Mac is still a lot stronger then I am."
Applejack happily trotted over to the new arrival and held out her hoof. "Doesn't really matter now. Ah'm just glad that ya came. Ya really helped us out."
Sunny smiled and shook her hoof, and smiled as he looked into her emerald colored eyes. Then something hit him. "Wait! Your Applejack, right? 'The Applejack'?"
"Ugh, well yeah, why?" Applejack began to look concerned.
"Great!" Sunny's face exploded with joy. "Goldie Delicious told me to find you!"
"Wait" Applejack hesitates. " did ah 'Goldie Delicious' and older mare tell you to find me, or 'Golden Delicious' a younger mare send you here?"
"Goldie, she was a really nice older mare. She gave me this hat and a canteen and told me to find you so you can help me. You see, I've lost my memory and she told me you were the one who could help me."
"Thank you for coming Twilight" Princess Celestia half smiled at her star pupal. "I know this must be hard for you."
"I just don't understand," Twilight began, a worried look on her face. "How could he be back? I thought that he was destroyed with the Crystal heart when it was powered by the light of the crystal ponies... How can he be back?"
"Trouble in paradise, ladies?" That slick voice of Discord echoed, and out of nowhere, the master of Chaos appeared in a white flash on top of twilight's head, no bigger then Gummy. "What's the matter Twilight? Sky's falling?!?!" He chuckled and disappeared, only to reappear floating over the pile of crystal powder. He picked a small bunch of it up in his claw and rubes his claws togeather, the powder falling down and back into the pile. He then licked his claws clean.
"What do you make of it, Discord?" Princess Celestia asked, thinking the Draquis had some insight on the situation. Twilight let her anger annoyance for the half pony half dragon creature die down and was listening for an answer.
He then coughs up a cloud of green powder, acting like he was choking, then took in several breath before swirling his hand around in the air, making a glass of water appeared out of nowhere. He drank it. The cleared his throat. "Such a terrible taste. So delicious."
"And?!" Twilight pushed growing inpatient. "Did you find anything out?"
"And what was I supposed to find out?" He said with a smile. "Other then don't eat the dust?"
Twilight faces hoofed as Celestia let out a huge sigh. "Well by any means" Celestia directed her students attention back to her. "We need to keep an eye out for anything dangerous-"
" a unicorn" Discord interrupted. "A powerful one at that. Maybe a little bit more." He smiled at the two princesses. "Looks like you two will have a fun time looking." He chuckled at the serious looks on their faces before he pulled a out a paint brush, painted a black hole on the wall, then jumped threw it, the hole closing up behind him.
"He's our friend" Twilight began, her tone reflecting her annoyance for the reformed villain. "But sometimes I wonder if he really is here to help."
"Regardless" Celestia continued. "He told us what we were looking for. A unicorn. And ...." She trailed off.
"'A little bit more', right?" Twilight finished her sentence. "What do you think that meant?"
"I don't know. But we'll be on the look out." Her face softened. "You should get home. I have a feeling that trouble will find us in time. You should regroup with your friends. I have one of my best teams guard on the job. There is no doubt in my mind that between all of us, we will find something."
-forest-
"I can't believe we lost the trail!!" Midnight Blossom screeched while Alister examined the fading hoof prints and crystal dust.
"Calm down, Midnight" Cloud Skipper tried to reason with his companion.
"Calm down?! CALM DOWN?! I am calm!" She began to squeak in her high pitched bat pony
"We're in trouble" was all Alister said as he rose from the ground and looked to the sky.
"Well no kidding, Sherlock!" Midnight snapped.
"No" Alister added taking a few more steps forward, in the direction the scorch marked path had lead. "About 24 meters ahead, you said there was a road, right?"
Midnight Blossom began to calm down. "Yeah. One that split into four directions."
"And that's a problem" Alister replied.
"But her highness will have some troops here to aid us momentarily." Cloud Skipper added. "Splitting up shouldn't be a problem."
"More so then you think" Alister told his Pegasus friend. "We work best as a team because of our differences. I'm able to look at the finner details of things. You Midnight Blossom" he motioned to the bat pony "are quick to act and to react, giving me time to plan, and Cloud" he motioned back to the white pegusus with a golden mane. "Help to keep us leveled and balanced. Splitting us up might not be a good idea."
"Then what do we do? Just search the areas one by one?" Midnight Blossom snapped again, getting more annoyed.
"No, I'm afraid that would take far too much time." Alister thought for a moment not liking the cards he's been delt. "Midnight, I want you to take the road leading to Los Pegusus. The city is loud and fast moving, but I trust you can take it better then any of us."
"Bright lights, big city, and shopping malls" the bat pony began to lighten up. "Finally an order I like."
"Stick to the mission." Alister yet turned to Cloud Skipper. "I want you to check the desert and the mountain side. You are just as fast as Midnight, but you work better with other ponies more then her and I put together. See if you can dig up anything."
"Shouldn't you take the Desert area?" Cloud Skipper protested. "I mean, you did grow up near dodge-"
"I will take the small towns and individual houses all on the eastern area." Alister interrupted. "I will be able to spot the houses and homes that you two couldn't see above the trees. Besides that, the forests get to thick to fly threw. When I comes to walking and running, I could leave you two behind."
"Is that a challenge?!" Midnight began to growl.
"Enough Midnight!" now Cloud Skipper snapped. The bat pony recoiled and withdrew, her burning anger subsided. Cloud Skipper turned his attention back to his unicorn friend. "Are you sure you'll be ok?"
Alister nodded. "It's me we're talking about. When have I ever gotten into a scrape I couldn't get out of." He put a hoof on both Cloud's and Midnight's shoulders. "But my friends... I ask you, not as a solider... But as a friend... Please... Please be safe."
Midnight blushed, shocked, as was Cloud. Then both of their expressions softened and the three soldiers of Equeatria joined in for a group hug.
"Just like old times, eh?" Midnight commented as she smiled.
"Just like old times Cloud confirmed. And with that, the team Disbanded. As the two fliers took to the skies, Alister made his way towards the road that lay 24 meters ahead.
"Excuse me!" Alister heard a pony's voice cry out from a short distance away. He looked and saw an Earth pony, brown coat with a lime green mane and tail. "Excuse me, sir! "
"What is it?" Alister asked the panicked earth pony. "I'm busy. What do you need?"
"I need to get to Ponyville! It's an emergency!" The brown stallion frantically told the grey unicorn guard.
"So let me get this straight" Applejack looked Sunny in the eye as she sat on the family couch, surrounded by her brother and sister, while Sunny sat in the easy chair, sipping cider. "You were just sleeping under a tree when 'Goldie', not 'Golden', Delicious, an elderly earth pony came up to ya and told ya to go find me, Applejack, in Ponyville, so ah can help you with gettin' yer memory back."
After swallowing a small sip of the apple based liquid, Sunny smiled, nodded and replied. "Yep! Oh, and she was kind enough to give me this nice had, and a canteen of water."
"That sounds like cousin Goldie to me" Granny commented, carying a plate of cookies into the room and setting it doen on the coffee table. "But why didn't you tell us you needed help when ya first got here?"
"Well it sounded like you needed my help with the harvest more then I needed to get my memory back. Besides Applejack wasn't here, so I would have had to wait for her anyways. At least this way I could do something useful." Sunny explained, twirling the liquid around in his cup as he shifted it in his hooves.
"But it was thanks to him that we got the harvest in as fast as we did!" Apple Bloom shot in to defend the yellow stallion. "And-and he was helping Granny with the baking!"
"That is true" Granny answered. "He has been awful helpful"
Applejack smiled, tipped her hat and looked over at Sunny. "Well Sunny. Until Twilight gets back and we get things sorted out, you can feel free to stay in the guest room. Provided you do help with the chores. After all, you don't work, you don't eat."
Sunny smiled at the decision as Apple Bloom bounced around with glee and Granny let out a 'yea ha!' "Thank you miss Applejack. I... I really appreciate it."
"Don't mention it. You really did save our flanks though. Ah just hope Twilight can help ya out when she gets back from Canterlot" Applejack added shootin the stallion a half smile.
"What did she go there for again, sis?" Apple Bloom stopped bouncing long enough to ask.
"Oh right! Ah left in such a hurry ah forgot to tell y'all." Applejack shifted her hat again. "Well, I need y'all to keep an eye out for somepony or something. Ya remember when ma' friends an I went to the Crystal Enpire for the first time? And had to protect it from some ancient evil?"
"Oh! You mean with that shadowy feller?" Granny asked.
"Shadowy feller?" Sunny asked slightly confused.
"An evil king, turned to shadow by the' princesses over 1000 years ago. " Applejack began to tell the tail. She began with how he enslaved every pony, forced them to do his bidding, used dark magic on them and hide the Crystal heart. And when the princesses tried to seal him away, after turning him into shadow, how he placed a curse on the empire and it went missing for 1000 years. Then when it turned back up, Applejack and her friends went to it and help the crystal ponies as well as Shining Armor and princess Cadence. Ending the story with how Sombra was destroyed by the power of the Crystal heart, blasted into a million pieces, and all the ponies of the Crystal Empire were free.
"But now it seems that that meteor that we saw th' other night might have somethin' ta do with him. We found dark crystals all around the crashed meteor." Applejack concluded, her expresion hard and grim.
"So this Sombra feller might be back!!" Granny asked, on the edge of her rocking chair.
"Ah don't know" Applejack answered honestly. "But we need to be on our guard. It could be..." She looked over at Sunny. "You ok Sunny?"
"Yeah, wh-" he stopped when he felt something wet hit his front leg. He looked at it and it looked like water. When he put his hoof to his face, he felt it was wet, and it just dawned on him that he was crying.
"Sunny?" Apple Bloom asked. "What's the matter?"
"I-I don't know" he answered honestly. "... I must have been upset about the crystal ponies being hurt and mistreated so badly... That was so sad...."
"Oh nothin' ta worry 'bout, partner" Applejack added, smiling at the stallion. "They're doin' great! We just went there not long ago to visit with Shinning Armor and Cadence. Every pony was doing fine." Her smile faded. "But that's why we have to stop whatever came out of that meteor. For their sake. The crystal ponies. For Cadance and Shinning Armor. And for every pony everywhere."
"Ah know ya can do it sis!" Apple Bloom jumped up and tackle hugged her sister.
"It's a team effort sis, but thank ya." Applejack said as she fell over wrestling with her sister, her hat fallen off her head and to the ground.
Sunny half laughed and half yawned. Granny looked at the clock. "It's gettin' late every pony. Best be gettin' ta bed. We have tons of work in the' morning."
Applejack and Apple Bloom got up, brushed themselves off, hugged, and all the Apples went to their respective rooms. Applejack showed Sunny to the guest room which was fully furnished and ready for use whener company dropped by. She grabbed some pillows and blankets from the hall closet and began to make the bed. She looked over at Sunny who was caught staring at the moon.
"Who raised the moon?" He asked, not making eye contact.
"Princess Luna" Applejack answered, finishing up the bed. "She's really nice. And great at games and loves pullin' practical jokes."
"And the sun?" Sunny asked, his facial expression unchanged.
"Princess Celestia" Applejack now took a seat next to the stallion who kept his eyes on the moon. "Ya really don't have ah memory, do ya?"
Sunny forced a half smile as he now looked into the emerald eyes of the orange farm mare. "Nope. Nothing..."
"Ya don't have to do that" Applejack told Sunny, now looking just as sad herself.
Sunny looked back at her, confused. "What do you mean, miss Applejack?"
"Ah mean, don't force a smile" she told the stallion. "Ya hurt more when ya force ah smile, then when you just frown."
Sunny made a real smile as he looked at the mare. "I don't know how... But I think you are the second pony to ever tell me that."
"Ya mean you got some of yer memory back?" Applejack got excited for a moment.
"No" Sunny answered honestly. "But... I just have a feeling. Like you and only one other pony ever told me that... Thank you..."
Applejack smiled back at him as she stood up and went to the bedroom door. "Any time, Sugar cube" As she stood at the doorway, she looked back at the yellow stallion. "If there's anything ya need, ahm just next door, ok?"
Sunny met the gaze of the blond farm pony with his mirroring emerald colored eyes, gave her an honest smile, and replied. "I will, thank you".
And with that, Applejack slowly shut the door. She stood there, on the other side of the door, looking out into nothing as she felt her heart pounding like she had just run a race with Rainbow Dash again, or when she tried to buck an entire orchard by herself in less then a day. She couldnt help but smile to herself as she placed a hoof over her chest, closed her eyes, and became lost in this new feeling.
Sunny as well felt odd. But rather then excited, he felt at peace. He looked out into the night and over the apple orchard. It felt like.... Like a home. Maybe even... His home.
"No matter what" he declared, promising himself. "I won't let anypony or anything hurt this farm or this family..."
As the search raged on, Twilight felt it best to follow her teacher's advice and just head back to Ponyville. She was beginning to feel slightly home sick as well as worried about all of her fiends who lived there. If anything was going to happen, she wanted to be there to help prevent it.
As she flew over head she looked down to see a familiar face belonging to somepony she hadn't seen since she moved to Ponyville. She flew down to the trail just outside of Ponyville and greeted the stallion. "Hey Alister" she then noticed a frantic looking earth pony standing beside him. "Who's your friend."
Alister bowed when Twilight landed. "Greetings, your majesty." He then turned to his... Traveling companion, he would say. Not so much his 'friend'. "His name is Dash O'Lime, a farming friend to a miss Golden Delicious. He was on his way to Ponyville to help with the apple harvest when he got lost along the way."
"P-please, your majesty " the brown earth pony pleased. "I really need to get to sweet apple acres right away! Otherwise we'll lose half of the harvest!"
Twilight put on a determined smirk, then turned to Alister. "If you want, I can fly him there. I was on my way anyway. And I'd e glad to help."
"Are you sure, your highness?" The grey unicorn guard asked.
"It would be my pleasure. Applejack is one of my best friends, and I would hate for anything to happen to her harvest." Twilight explained, then flew over to the brown and green earth pony. Lifting him up tot her front hooves, and taking to the air. But before she was out of ear shot, she called back to the royal guard. "Besides, I think you have something bigger to deal with!"
Once they were out of listening range, Alister sighed. "Indeed... And now I have go back to start without collecting 200 bits..."
-Sweet Apple Acres-
Sunny had risen when he heard a rooster crow. He hopped out of bed, put his Stetson hat back on that he hung on the edge of the bed frame, and grasped when he saw the wonderful sight that lay just beyond the guest room window.
The sun was just raisin over the horizon, coating the entire orchard with a golden light. The dew on the leaves and the apples themselves sparkled like diamonds! The smell! Oh the smell, Sunny thought. It was fresh, clean, as if this was how Equestria was thousands of years ago before stone walls were built. This was how ponies originated. Everything built up from here. And yet, he thought, 'I bet no pony has time to look out and appreciate the simplicity, the complexity, and the wonder of such a place. Where a pony can live their entire lives, work hard, learn well, and exist in piece.'
"Breath taking, ain't it?" Sunny turned around, hoping to see Applejack at the door. But the voice was too deep.
"Oh, ugh, yes it is, Big Mac" Sunny smiled at the big red stallion. Who took a spot next to him and look out the window.
"Ah love it" Big Mac said with an honest grin. Saying more in that moment then he had in all the time Sunny had been there. In spoken words at least. Sunny was beginning to see that the stallion spoke more with his actions and motions, then with words. And there isn't anything wrong with that. "We better get started with th' chores."
"Oh, right!" Sunny tipped his hat. "Better earn our keep, right?"
"Eh'yep" Big Mac answered as he walked with Sunny out of the guest room, down the stairs and into the barn.
The two working Stallions made their way to the barn, where Big Mac gave Sunny the option to either plow the field or to clear the debris from the east orchard. "We're gunna harvest from that one next. Not right away, but we need to have it cleared and ready for when we go down there ta work."
Sunny offered to clear the debris, not because it sounded like less work, but because he was eager to go into the orchard and see more of it, especially after the sight he saw of it this morning. Big Mac then showed him the wagon they use for collecting the debris and told him were to dump the stuff after it was full. There were a few dumpsters behind the main barn were they dumped the debris, and twice a week a few earth ponies went around Ponyville to collect such discarded material, and break it down into mulch. The mulch is then distributed back to farms.
"So nothing is put to waste. That's amazing" Sunny commented as he harnessed the wagon up to himself. Big Mac also gave the yellow stallion a few tools to use incase he needed to break a broken branch off a tree, or needed to scoop up piles of rotten apples. With that, Sunny set out to the orchard Big Mac pointed out to him.
"Breakfast should be ready in about an hour or so!" The muscular red Stallion called out to Sunny, who waved back and smiled.
Sunny went right to work as soon as he arrived at the east orchard, he saw what Big Mac was talking about. There were branches broken from storms most likely, piles of leaves, and molded apples everywhere. Sunny didn't hesitate. He smiled, grabbed the biggest branch, and snapped it into smaller pieces. He scooped up the leaves and rotting apples and leaves with a shovel, plopping them into the wagon, and hummed a happy tune during the whole thing.
But all the wile, something lay hidden in the shadows, watching the yellow stallion who knew not that he was a unicorn playing the part of a farm, earth pony. From the darkest shadow in a hole in an apple tree, watching the young colt was an eye. A single green and red eye emitting a purple flame at it's corner.
Twilight landed not far from the farm house at Sweet Apple Acres, careful to let the brown and lime green earth pony she was carrying, down nice and generally. As soon as he hit the ground he ran up to the house and began knocking vigorously at the front door.
"Applejack!!! Granny Smith!!!" He continued to knock. "I-I'm here! I'm late but I'm here!!!"
Granny opened the door and smiled. "Yes? Can ah help ya, youngyin?"
"Golden Delicious sent me!" He began, Twilight joining him at the front door. "I'm sorry I'm late, but I was on my way here when I got lost and-"
"Oh don't worry 'bout that, child" Granny said with an easy going smile. "Harvest was brought in and the apple products have already been made. Some of them AJ took into town already."
Both the stallion and Twilight looked confused. The stallion was to shocked to talk, but Twilight was able to speak up. "How did you guys do that? I thought you would need extra help to bring it in while Applejack was away?"
"Well, funny story there, Twilight. And I'm gunna need you ta stick around for him when he gets back, if ya don't mind." The elderly earth pony asked.
"Who?" Both Twilight and the brown stallion asked.
Granny quickly told the two ponies about Sunny; How there was a mix up with him and Dash O'Lime, the Apples thinking Golden Delicious had sent Sunny instead. How he and Big Mac had a bit of a competition when it came to harvesting the apples, which it how they were able to harvest it all in such a short time. Then she went on to explain Sunny's situation with his memory loss, and how Applejack said that Twilight knew a memory spell that might help.
Dash O'Lime let out a huge sigh. "I got lost for two days for nothing...."
"Well, yah, ah guess" Granny lightly laughed. "Why don' cha both come on in for some refreshments. Sunny should be back anytime now."
"Thank you miss Smith, but I think I should be heading back to Los pegusus..." Dash O'Lime said.
"Wan' some apple sweets to take with ya?" Granny offered, seeing the stallion's ears perk up at the offer. "Ya did try yer best ta help us out."
"Maybe just a fritter... Or two" The stallion said, perking up a little and walked inside. Twilight followed afterwards, also wanting to have some of the Apple family's famous apple backed goods.
-east orchard-
Sunny looked to be about 3/4th the way done with clearing the orchard, feeling proud of his accomplishment when he thought he heard something. As he looked around, thinking maybe Applejack or Big Mac may have come to see how he was doing, Apple Bloom should still be at school, so it couldn't be her. But as Sunny looked around, he couldn't see anypony. He was ll alone in the orchard. The yellow pony shrugged and went back to work. But not long after he began working again, did he hear something again.
His ears perked up. He knew he heard something. "Is somepony there?" He called out. "Come on out. Don't be afraid."
"...You should be..." A voice worked around him like a calm breeze. He almost thought that he was just hearing the wind blow threw the trees, but something sent a chill down his spine.
"W-who's there?" Sunny stuttered by accident. He quickly regained control of himself and firmly called "Come on out!"
The wind picked up as the dead leaves on the ground began to swirl around the yellow stallion, capturing him in a swirl wind of shifting and changing earth colored leaves. Sunny held onto his had as he tried to look around without getting jabbed in the eye with a leaf or blinded by the kicked up dirt and gravel.
"You should be scared!" The voice was clearer now. It was deep and dark. Like the lowest Keyes on an opera organ.
Sunny forced his eyes open and saw something in the swirling leaves. A shadow. It was just a large blob at first. Then it began to take form. It looked to be a stallion that stood close to Big Mac's hight. Maybe even taller!
"Who... Who are you?!" Sunny yelled over the sound of the rustling leaves as best he could.
The voice began to chuckle evilly, as if it was just toying with Sunny. As Sunny starred more at the shadow of a pony, he saw dark green lights glow where it's eyes should have been. Then it did something that frightened Sunny to his very core. It opened its mouth, smiled with razor sharp teeth and uttered his name it a frozen voice. "Suuuunnnnyyyyy"
Sunny made a mad dash threw the spiraling tornado of leaves, running as fast as he could back to the Apple family home, frightened and shivering as he burst threw the front door of the farm house, nearly giving Twilight and Granny a heart attack. Dash O'Lime had left not long ago, this time taking the train rather then the dirt roads.
"What's the matter Sunny?" Granny asked, shocked at the state the poor stallion was in.
"Th-there's a ghost in the Orchard!!!!" Sunny began, his hooves trembling as he pointed to the east orchard.
"Are you sure?" Twilight asked the new stallion, a little skeptical to believe in 'ghosts' despite all she had dealt with.
"Yes!" He yelled. "It made the leaves go 'swoosh!' All around me! And it sent a chill up my spine! I felt so cold! And-and it called out my name! Like 'Ssssuuuunnnnnyyyy!!!" He explained and gave his best impersonation, not making the two mares believe him. "And- and it had green eyes! Glowing green eyes and sharp teeth! Like a dragons!"
This caught Twilight's attention. "Sombra? Are you sure?"
"I-I don't know! But it sounded horrible!" Sunny was panicked beyond much comprehension. "W-we need to do something! It could be on its way here!" He picked up the couch, the adrenalinpumpung threw his body giving him an extra but if strength, and barricaded the front door.
"I'll get the girls together" Twilight said. "We'll put a stop to that mounter once and for all!"
Before Sunny could ask what a bunch of mares could do against an evil ghost, Granny put a hoof on his shoulder and gave the frightened stallion a reassuring smile. He took a deep breath and began to calm down, but something clicked in his mind.
"Apple Bloom!" He jumped. "She walked right by that orchard this morning to get to school this morning! What if she has to take it back?! She doesn't know what evil lies in wait!!!" He looked at the time and saw he had seven minute to make it to her before she got out of school. "I'm going to go get her!"
He took a deep breath, calmed his nerves, stood up, and readied himself. Granny gave him a hug out of nowhere. "Good luck, Sunny."
"Thank you Granny, but will you be ok?" He asked, just now thinking of the elderly Mare's well being.
He then heard a loud flush come from the upstairs bathroom and saw the big red stallion emerge from it, looking at him, Granny, and the barricaded front door with slight concern.
"Big Mac!" Sunny called out as he straitened his hat. "Look after Granny and the house! I'm going to get Apple Bloom from school! There's an evil king's ghost haunting the east orchard!" Big Mac opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly cut off. "You're stronger then me, but I'm faster at running. I'll get to Apple Bloom sooner. I'm sorry, there is no time to argue!"
With that, the Stetson wearing yellow stallion flew out the back door, circling around the house, and bolted as fast as his legs could carry him in the direction of the school. Big Mac just shrugged and joined Granny down stairs, keeping an eye out the window for trouble while Granny decided to take a nap in her rocker.
-back at the east orchard-
Twilight gathered up all of her friends as fast as she could and arrived at the orchard not long after Sunny intercepted Apple Bloom on her way home from school. The yellow stallion also picked up her two friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell, who were glad to meet the new stallion in town. He took them to Rarity's boutique while the girls dealt with the ghost. The mane six stood at the edge of the easy orchard, the sun was beginning to set, which bothered some of the girls a little bit. More specifically, Fluttershy.
"A-a-are you S-s-sure th-that S-S-Sunny saw a... G-g-ghost?" Poor Fluttershy hid nervously behind Twilight as she stared into the orchard as its shadows began to grow with the setting sun.
"Yeah" Rainbow added. "What if he just think he saw something but it was just his imagination?"
"Ah don't think Sunny would make somethin' up like that." Applejack defended the yellow stallion.
"Beg your pardon, my dear, but we don't really know much about this 'Sunny'" Rarity commented. "For all we know he's a closet case fraidy-cat with an overactive imagination."
"Trust me girls" Twilight stopped them there. "I know he saw something. He was beyond frightened. Was terrified."
This made Applejack tip her hat. She didn't like showing emotions. She had always made sure her and her friends and family were ok. But at that moment, she wanted to make sure that Sunny was ok too. She had worried about him the night before. He seemed like a good stallion, but a little on the sensitive side. What with the tears he shed over the crystal ponies and all. But that just meant he had a good heart. She shook herself and stared into the orchard. "C'mon girls " she took a stand. "Ah ain't 'Fraid no ghost!"
"Yeah!" Rainbow joined in, landing by the orange farm pony.
"I am!" Fluttershy spoke up, still very shaky. "Does that mean I can go home?" Rainbow sighed, then went over and began to push the yellow Pegasus into the darkening apple orchard, following behind their friends.
The sun had almost completely set as the girls approached the site where Sunny was working. Applejack was impressed at how much he had gotten done in a day.
"Well? Where is it?" Rain now asked.
"Oh, no shadow ghost here?!?!" Fluttershy made a joking smile. "Maybe it went back to sleep. Let's come back, maybe in a hundred years, or more?!?!" Before Flutterst could run away, Applejack caught her by the end of her tail, clamping it tightly in her mouth.
"I agree with Fluttershy" Rarity began, lookin around at the seemingly shifting shadows. "This place is just terrifying."
"Come on girls" Twilight pushed her friends. "We have to keep looking, Sunny said-"
"Over heeeeeereeeee...." A deep hollowed voice called it to the mares. A voice they all instantly recognized as the one belonging to the late king Sombra.
"Where are you!" Twilight called out, ready for the shadow king to strike. "Show yourself!"
An eerie green glow began to shine off in the distance, illuminating black and grey smoke that floated on the orchard floor. The glow seemed to pulse, more and more with ever moment that passed.
"Let's get that no good varmint!!!'" Applejack cheered, waving we hat in the air.
"Alright girls!" Twilight said, bravado booming in her voice. "Let's send this ghost back to where he belongs!"
The girls, weather they all wanted to or not, charged into the distance, ready to sent the ghost packing, but noting is ever that simple, or soon they will learn.
The girls pushed threw the black and grey fog unknowing of what lay at the end in the heart of the glowing green light. It didn't take them long to reach it. The light showed the horrible figure of the shadow king himself even threw all the smoke and darkness. The sun had now fully set, but the girls didn't need the rays of the sun to see the monster that stood before them.
"Alright Sombra, it's over!" Twilight called out to him.
But something was wrong. He didn't answer. Didn't reply. He didn't even move. He just stood there, atop of a rock, in a triumphant pose. As if he had already won.
Twilight squinted her eyes at him, then, with a flick of her glowing horn, she pushed the black clouds away with her magic. Revealing a statue of King Sombra, in a triumphant pose over some stallion dressed in Crystal empire armor, the stallion lay defeated under the hooves of the dark king.
"It's just a statue" Rarity said, looking all around it. " a very well done statue, high quality work, very accurate, but just a stone statue."
"Ummm... Girls" Fluttershy began to speak up.
"Is this what Sunny saw?" Rainbow asked. "A statue?! We came rushing I here to fight a statue?!"
"Girls..." Fluttershy tried to speak a little louder.
"But how did it get in here?" Applejack began looking all around the statue. "Ah don't see no trail marks of somepony pullin a cart around or nothin'."
"Girls?" Fluttershy was now at a indoor tone of voice.
Twilight looked the statue up and down. "Where could this have come from? Maybe if I perform a train spell, I could track down the rout that somepony who might have-"
"GIRLS!!!" Fluttershy now shouted. All her friends stopped and looked at the timid young Pegasus.
"Oh? You say something Fluttershy?" Pinkie asked. "I was just reading the message on the statue over and over again. Trying to figure out if there's a secret message encoded in it or maybe some smaller words written in each letter or-"
"What message?" Twilight asked as all the girls gathered around the side of the statue that pinkie was looking at.
There was a message etched into the rock. Twilight looked it over and read the words over and over again. But couldn't make since of it. She looked back at the statue, how Sombra looked, and how the stallion in Crystal empire armor looked laying down in a defeated position under the king's hooves. The stallion's face looked like it had been scratched off, but Sombra only looked violently triumphant.
"I don't understand, why would that be written..." Rarity chimed in after reading the message herself.
"Ah know... Why would that be engraved into such an evil statue?" Applejack pondered.
Twilight muttered the words engraved at the statues base out loud, hoping it would make more sence. "'I'm Sorry. I'm so sorry...'"
"I don't get it!" Pinkie Pie started looking over the statue herself, hooping and pooping out of everywhere.
"But girls, look!" Fluttershy pointed at Sombra's face.
"What is it Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, moving towards her quiet friend, trying to see what she saw.
"It looked like the statue was crying" Fluttershy admitted.
Applejack jumped up and looked into the face king Sombra's statue, saw some white marks trailing from the eyes, like dried water, then licked them. The girls looked disgusted at their overly daring friend. Well, all except Pinkie Pie.
"Oh oh! What does it taste like?! I bet it taste like-" she was about to list off a number of sugary things she hoped they tasted like, but was quickly stopped before she could begin.
"Salt water..." Applejack looked back at the group in horror. The rest of the girls froze just as shocked as the orange farm pony.
"Wait...." Rainbow began to speak with a slight shake in her voice. "Y-you don't mean...."
"Tears..." Twilight finished we sentence. "But that's..."
"Impossible..." Applejack finished this time, jumping down from the statue.
The girls didn't know what to say or do. The statue was a complete mystery, one that just added to the pile of things yet needed to get figured out.
-Carousel boutique-
"So Sunny, what is your cutie mark?" Scootaloo asked as she sat down with her cup of hot cocoa.
"Yeah! How did you get it!?" Sweetie bell smiled as she scooted closer to him, looking up at him with her big light green eyes.
"Sorry ladies," Sunny half smiled. "I don't really remember... And as far as I can tell.... It looks like..." Sunny looked at his flank which had what looked like a grayish blob on it. Almost a perfect circle of one, but missing a small sliver.
"Maybe you used to work on a rock farm!" Apple Bloom suggested as she blew on her cocoa. "And it means yer hard as a rock."
"It doesn't look like he's hard as a rock" Scootaloo commented as she began looking Sunny over, thinking he looked no different then any other stallion from town. No more toned or buff.
"Maybe he's like Maud, and he only looks like a regular pony, but he has really super strength!" Sweetie Bell pumped her front legs, striking several poses, almost knocking her cocoa over.
This just made Sunny laugh a little. "You girls. Are you always like this?"
The three crusaders looked at each other, shrugged, then Apple Bloom looked back at Sunny with a confused look on her face. "Ah guess so. Why? Is it bad?"
Sunny shook his head. "Not at all. I kind of like it. You all seem so... So carefree. Is the whole town like that?"
"Yeah, for the most part" Scootaloo answered before taking a sip of her cooled cocoa.
Sunny looked into his cocoa, blew into it a bit, then took a sip of the sweet, warm, chocolatey beverage. For a moment, he thought he had remembered something. A warm crack along fire, sipping coco, snow falling... And ... And...
"Is something wrong Sunny?" Sweet Bell asked.
Sunny snapped out of it, shook his head and looked at the innocent filly. "Oh, ugh, sorry just thinking..."
"Thinkin' bout what?" Apple Bloom pressed.
"Just how this would be better with marshmellows!" Sunny said, jumping to his hooves, smiling at the fillies who smiled back. "Who wants some?!"
"Me! Me! Me! Me!" They all called out at once, smiling and bouncing up and down.
"I'll be right back! Don't go anywhere or I'll get aaaallll the marsh mellows to myself!" Sunny told them as he went into the kitchen, ignoring the confusion of emotions he felt at that odd moment, the moment he thought about a warm fire with the first fall of snow....
The Cutie Mark Crusaders were going to stay the night at Rarity's after crashing from a sugar high. Sunny helped Applejack and Rarity get them into bed, then Applejack took Sunny to the far edge of Ponyville, to Twilights castle.
"Are ya sure this can't wait till mornin', Sugar cube?" Applejack asked the yellow stallion.
"If you want, you can go ahead and head back to the farm, Applejack" Sunny told her. "But I need to know... Something isn't right. My cutie mark, not knowing my real name, and all these things.... It just doesn't feel right..."
Applejack put a hoof on his shoulder and smiled at him. "Ah ain't about to just leave ya ta fend fer yerself. Yer an honorary Apple now. And we Apples always stick together."
This brought an honest and sincere smile to the stallion's face. It was something that he needed to hear. Even if he didn't know it. It was the first and maybe the only stable thing in his life right now, was Applejack, her family, and the farm. It was the first thing he could call home.
As they reached the tree like castle, Sunny knocked several times on the front door. A little purple and green dragon opened the door. He was wearing a night cap and a stripped pajama top, while holding a pony stuffed animal that looked a little like Rarity.
"Hey AJ" he said with a yawn, wiping some sleep from his eyes. Then looked at the stallion with dazed eyes. "And you..." He yawned again, "Must be ... Sunny. Twilight's in the library. You know where that is, Right AJ?"
"Sure do spike" she said to the baby dragon. "Why don't cha get some rest? We can take it from here."
"Ok" he said without any complaints. "And if anything happens... Let me sleep threw it." With that, the little dragon disappeared down a hallway.
"Who's the dragon?" Sunny asked, still trying to learn about all of Applejack's friends.
"He's Twilight's number one dragon assistant" the farm pony answers as she happily trotted in.
"She has more than one?" Sunny shut the door behind them, then followed behind the orange farm pony.
The two of them walked down a long, dark hallway, kept light by a few glowing, purple crystals, that matched the color of Twilight's cutie mark. After a few minutes of traveling, Applejack stopped at a door on their left, knocked a few times, then her alicorn friend opened the door and greeted them with a friendly smile.
"Hey guys" she also yawned. "Sorry, it's been a long day. Come on in."
Sunny was beginning to feel bad for keeping everypony up so late. "Sorry for pressing the issue so late, miss Twilight, but... I need to know."
"It's ok, Sunny. That's what friends are for." Twilight said as she walked Applejack and Sunny over to the center of the room.
"So... We're friends too?" Sunny asked, kind of taken back by the whole thing still. I seemed that everypony he meets is his friend.
"Any friend of my friends, is a friend to me" she said. "And I hope to get to know you better after you remember everything about yourself. Now, stand right there, Applejack, please stand back..."
Sunny stood perfectly still, waiting for Twilight's further instruction. "Ugh... This won't hurt, will it?"
"It shouldn't" Twilight answered honestly and to the best of her knowledge. "How close your eyes..."
Sunny did as he was instructed. Twilight then lowered her head , having her horn barley touch the stallions's forehead with her magical aura that had grown around it. Suddenly Sunny's eyes opened and images began to flash in his head, black smoke, swirling tornados of leaves, marshmallows, a warm fire, dark laughter, the morning sun. Sunny then stepped away from the princess of friendship and shook his head violently.
"Did... Did it work?" Applejack asked, watching Sunny with interest and concern.
"Sunny?" Twilight asked as the stallion hung his head low, but remained standing. "Sunny, are you ok?"
After his head stopped spinning, he looked up at the girls, straitened his Stetson hat, and released a held breath. "I got.... Bits and pieces..." He began, his eyes darting back and forth, as if trying to look threw his previous memories as if they were pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. "But... I only remember what happened after I woke up and saw Goldie Delicious...." He turned to the purple alicorn princess, slight confusion and concern spread lightly across his face. "Does the spell take time to work? Like, warm up or something?"
"No" Twilight answered, feeling slightly concerned. "There must be something more going on. Maybe you dealt with some past trauma and your suppressing a lot of your past."
"So it's a psychological affliction, not a magical one?" Sunny asked, thinking about what could have been so transfix that it would make him suppress his entire past.
"Maybe even a little bit of both" Twilight told the stallion.
"What do we do now?" Applejack, having taken in all what just happened and the conversation up until now, and was thinking of what to do about the current dilemma.
"Well, it would be best to keep a close eye on him for at least the next couple of days or so." Twilight began, "if you want, he can stay here at the castle. Spike and I can watch him and-"
"Um...." Sunny interjected. "I was actually hoping I could stay with Applejack and her family back at the farm." He cleared his throat and turned to Applejack, their emerald colored eyes locking as he shot her a hopeful smile. "I-if that's ok with you and your family, that is..."
To his surprise she returned the warm smile back. "Sure as shootin' it is!" She yelled it out without thinking, then toned her voice down a bit. "A-after all, yer like part of the family."
With that Sunny and Applejack thanked Twilight for their help, promised to let her know if anything happens, and wished her a goodnight.
As Sunny and Applejack continued their walk back to Sweet Apple Acres, they couldn't help but glance over at each other. But whenever one did, the other looked away. They made it half way home without even saying two words to each other. They just enjoyed the walk.
After they passed town hall, Applejack broke the silence. "Ya did a great job, ya know, clear in' th' east orchard."
"Thanks" he shot her another smile. "I meant to do more but..."
"That's ok. Ah'll go with ya tomorrow ta finish it up." She suggested. "If yer fillin' ok ta do it. Celestia had a couple ah guards come by and take th' statue away already."
"I still don't think it was just a statue that I saw though..." Sunny's face turned grim, his eyes darkened. "That voice.... So cold..."
A hoof landed on his back, startling him a little. He looked over at Applejack who just smiled back at him. "There's nothin' ta worry 'bout. Whatever's goin' on, mah' friends and I will stop it."
"Why is it when I look at you, I feel like I can trust your words more then anything?" Sunny bluntly asked.
"That's cuz' ahm tell in' the' truth" she tipped her hat, taking we hoof off the stallion's shoulder. "Ah' don't represent the element of honesty fer nothin'!"
That's where Sunny became confused. "The what of honesty?"
"A'll explain in th' mornin" she told the Stallion as they reached the arch that lead onto the Apple family farm. "And bah th' way. No more sleepin' in."
"What do you mean 'sleepin' in'?" Sunny asked. "I woke up with the roosters. The sun wasn't even fully up yet. Isn't that when we start?"
"Only the late risers" Applejack continued. "We ah'll wake up before the crack o'dawn, get ready, and start just before the roasters...." The both of them trailed off in conversation up until they reached the front doors of the farm house and quietly went inside.
Meanwhile, on a tree at the very edge of the east orchard that faced the farm house, a black shadow shifted in the knot hole of an apple tree. As it took a new form, an eye opened from the huddle of it. Green and red with a flair of green fire spouting from the edge of it.
Sunny set an alarm clock that Applejack gave him the other day to wake him up before the sun rose so he wasn't late for work. He was greatful to be living in the farm and wanted to show it through his hard work and dedication. Around 5 in the morning the alarm clock went off, Sunny then flew out of bed, rushed over to the bathroom, brushed his mane, tail, teeth and washed the sleep from his face. Though his vision was still slightly blurry from sleep, he grabbed and threw on his Stetson hat and slid down the railing of the stairs, which turned out to be a bad idea. He didn't know how to stop and ended up flying of the edge of the railing and right into the front door. As he picked himself up, he saw Applejack and Big Mac already outside saddling up.
He walked outside and met up with them. "Morning! I'm on time today!" He said with a triumphant grin as he straitened his hat. "So what's the plan for today? Bucking another orchard? Reprinting the barn? ... Finish clearing the east orchard??"
"Ah, go ahead and take the day off" Applejack said with a smile as she finished strapping one of the two apple carts onto herself, and the other to Big Mac.
As they both began to head out in their separate delivery routs, Sunny fell, face first into the dirt, fast asleep.
Sunny found himself wandering around town for the first time since he came to Ponyville searching for Applejack in the first place, only this time, he really was just wandering aimlessly.
"Oh hey there Sunny!" A pink mare with a Cotten candy mane appeared out of nowhere and suddenly beside the yellow stallion, nearly casing the stallion have a heart attack. "What cha up to?"
Then Sunny's heart beat returned to normal and he felt like he wasn't about to go into cardiac arrest, he took a few deep breathes and smiled at the pink party pony. "H-hi pinkie, I was just, well, walking around. Applejack told me I had the day off, so I'm kinda just wandering around. What are you up to? Anything I can help with?"
"Oh, I wish I had known!" Pinkie began to say. "I told Mr. And Mrs. Cake that I'd run an errand for them. There's a potential catering service in Canterlot, and I'm going to meet them. If I had known I would have gotten you a ticket!"
Sunny just smiled and waved a hoof. "That's ok. I think I need to get used to Ponyville first before I begin to broaden my horizons. But what is 'Canterlot'?"
"Oh right!" Pinkie said with a wavered smile as she began to poke at the yellow stallion's head. "You lost your memory. Well Twilight could tell you more about it then I could! She grew up there! And was a student of Princess Celestia herself! I bet Twi's at her castle right now.! Why don't you go and see her? Oh! Maybe she even has some cookies to share with you while she tells you oodles and oodles of awesome stories!"
"That's a great idea, Pinkie!" Sunny said as the pink mare hopped off of his back. "And best of luck in Canterlot." He told the Pinkie as he watched her bounce away, heading for the train station.
Sunny remembered where Twilight's castle was from the other night, he only hopped she got some rest and wouldn't mind seeing him again so soon. He didn't want to bug her. But he also was very curious about the world around him. It was all so new. Even with taking in most of the sights of the town and surrounding area, Sunny still made it to the castle in no time. He hesitated as he stood there at the door, but went ahead and knocked anyway. It must have been a decent time for most ponies to be awake.
After a few moments a white mare with a silky purple mane and blue eyes answered the front door. "Oh, Good morning Sunny, Can I help you?"
"Oh, ugh, is Princess Twilight awake?" Sunny asked, nervously smiling, thinking he might have come when she was still asleep.
"I'm sorry dear" the white mare began. "But Twilight left for Canrerlot early this morning."
"Oh, well..." Sunny started to trail off. "I guess I could come back later."
"Actually" the Rarity caught his attention. "Could I get your help with something?"
"Sure" to this Sunny didn't hesitate, Rarity was a good friend of Applejack's, and he wanted to show the same kindness he had been shown since he first got to town. "What can I help you with?"
The white unicorn lead him inside the castle, down a different hall and into a large room with the door on the outside marked as 'Storage'. There were boxes and boxes of various items packed high to the ceiling in the room. Each one had been marked with what they were. Some 'paintings', 'books', 'scrolls', 'busts', and a few were marked 'other' which naturally intrigued Sunny.
"You see," the unicorn with a delicate accent began to explain. "I offered my assistance to Twilight, promising to have all this organized by the end of the day. But it seems I've become terribly warn out, using so much magic and what not. Would you be a dear and help me out? Even if just for a little bit?"
"Sure, it sounds like fun" plus he wanted to see what was in the boxes. "All I really wanted to to was find out from Twilight about this 'Canterlot' place anyway."
Rarity looked dumbfounded at the stallion who began shuffling around boxes. "Pardon me, darling, but did I hear you correctly when you said you didn't know about 'Canterlot'?!"
"Oh, right, sorry. I don't think we've been properly introduced." Sunny tips his hat as he holds out a hoof. "The name's Sunny. Well, they call me Sunny. I don't really know my 'real' name. I kind of lost my memory."
Rarity smiles and shook his hoof. "Oh, so you're 'the' Sunny that Fluttershy told me about. I'm sorry I didn't bother to ask more the other night when I saw you. Thank you again for looking after Sweetie Bell and her friends." She releases his hoof and circles him a few times getting a better look at him. Sunny just followed her with his head as she did so, his body remaining in place.
"Ugh... I-it was no problem..." He replied, not knowing if he needed to. "Her, Apple Blom and Scootaloo were all really well behaved. Full of energy, but cute."
"Oh she is darling. The bestest little sister a mare could ask for." Rarity added. "Oh, pardon my wandering eyes. I was just thinking what kind of a suit you would look best in. The Grand Galloping Galla is in a few months, and as my gift to you for being new to Ponyville, I insist on making you a suit to wear."
"The grand what?" Sunny asked, his head slightly spinning.
"Oh, don't worry about that, Darling." She waves her hoof elegantly. "Right now, why don't we get to work. And while we work I can tell you aaaallll about Canterlot, the Galla, and all you'll need l know to attend it."
The yellow stallion's ears perked up as a smile broke out across his face. "That would be great, thank you!"
With his new found motivation, Sunny dove head first into the work ahead of him. As he moved and sorted boxes, Rarity organized the boxes into various piles to be taken to certain rooms, or into a pile to be thrown out. Most of the scrolls and books were meant to be taken to the library, along with a few portraits and Busts of famous ponies. But a lot of the portraits were to be hung in the halls, the rest of the busts she explained that she and Twilight would decorate the specific rooms with.
While they worked Rarity spoke of Canterlot and all its shinning glory. The beautifully structured buildings and castle, made of marble, gold and purple stone. The artwork and fashions that were presented in town. The shoppes and restaurants that she and her friends loved to visit. The treater that her and her friends put on the 'Hearths Warming Eve' pageant at, for all of Canterlot and then some, to enjoy. Then she spoke of the castle where the two co-rulers of Equestria resided.
"Right! It's... Princess, ugh, something with an S?...." Sunny paused, pulling a royal guard's helmet out of a box, then instantly began to polish the metal why his foreleg.
"It's astounding, if you don't mind me saying so" Rarity said as she carried a tall glass of iced tea over to Sunny, offering it to him. " I can't believe that you don't even know who princess Celestia or princess Luna are. They've ruled for thousands of years."
Sunny chuckled as he took the glass and enjoyed a small sip of it. "What's even worse is I don't even remember my own mother's face. That's pretty sad."
Rarity's lady like smile fades as it was quickly replaced by a less elegant frown. "I'm so sorry. My heart truly cries for you."
But Sunny just shrugged as he placed the drink down. "I'm sure I'll remember all of that, eventually. Twilight did try a spell to jog my memory... But she said something else might be blocking my memory. Something traumatic, psychological."
"How terrible!" Rarity gasped. "For something to horrible to have happened to such a sweet stallion like you."
This caused Sunny to blush slightly. The only mare he could remember calling him 'sweet' is Granny Smith, and maybe Applejack, when he wasn't around to hear it. But before he could say anything else, a box fell from atop the large pile. It must have shifted when he was moving boxes around. As it hit the ground, a crunch like noise came from it. He approached the box and examined what was hanging half out of it.
It looked like a pony's leg... But it was made of wood and metal. Hinges resided where it was supposed to bend. Sunny carefully straitened the box up and pulled out the rest of the wooden contraption.
"What in Celestia's name is it?" Rarity asked, standing safely behind the yellow stallion.
Sunny didn't answer immediately, but slowly began to pull out of the box and entire thing that's form closely resembled a pony. It's body was a dense but light wood with its limbs attached with metal hinges. It's eye sockets were empty, it had no mane or tail what so ever. It looked to be... Just a base. A giant base pony puppet, ready and waiting to be given a form.
"It's... Beautiful..." Sunny said, amazed by what he held in his hooves. "Amazing really."
"Why would Celestia send Twilight that?" Rarity asked herself more then Sunny. "It's frightening, is what it is, and that's putting it mildly."
"Ugh, hey, was this going to be thrown out?" Sunny asked with a hopeful smile suppressed.
Rarity half smiled. "I'll put it aside for you, and see if Twilight doesn't mind letting you keep it." She winced as she look another look at it. "Although it might be better to use it for fire wood... But I will ask."
Without thinking, Sunny jumped up and gave Rarity a great big hug. Sending all the blood rushing to her head, changing the white unicorn into a bright red one. "You're awesome Rarity!"
After he let her go, the white mare shook herself a bit, trying to gather herself, then cleared her throat. "W-why thank you, dear. B-but why don't we break for lunch? It's about that time, and I know this lovely little place in town that you will just die for!"
Sunny finished the rest of his tea, carefully put the giant pony puppet back into the box, then smiled at the mare. "Sounds good to me. Lead the way?"
And together, the Sunny and Rarity broke for lunch, and went together into town. But something was off. Something stirred in the storage room. It's movements were hasty, antsy, it's wings made a buzzing noise as it flew out of the room as fast as it could. On its way out, it knocked over the box the puppet was in, sending the wooden figure to the floor again. This time, it's head fell out first, and a symbol carved in the wood was revealed. The Symbol was a hammer and chisel.
Fluttershy was busy setting up for yet another picnic with all her critter friends in her back yard, when a friendly and familiar voice called out to her from the other side of her cottage.
"Excuse me, miss Fluttershy!" Sunny called out, hoping the timid pegasus was home as he stood in front of her front door. "Are you home, miss Fluttershy?!"
Just then a beaver approached the yellow stallion and grabbed his attention. Sunny looked down at the furry dam builder, and saw that the little woodland creature was directing him to the back. Sunny followed him to the back, lugging a large apple family cart behind him. It didn't take the farm pony long to see the yellow mare setting up for quite a picnic.
"Howdy, miss Fluttershy" Sunny smiled and tipped his hat to the shy young mare. "I have your order right here..." He then pulls out a check list and a quill as birds, beavers, mice, a raccoon or two, and a bear begin unloading the goods as he went over the list.
"Ok... We have; 3 dozen apple fritters, check. 5 apple crumble pies, check. 2 backers dozen of apple turnovers, check. 10 gallons of milk, check. 2 barrels of red delicious apples, check. And last but not least" Sunny concluded with a smile. "A barrel of Sweet Apple Acres signature apple cider."
Sunny looked down at a white rabbit with a stern look on his face as he checked off on all the products as the other animals carried them off of his cart. The white rabbit then mumbled to Fluttershy, who smiles and nodded in response. "All present and accounted for."
Sunny smiled and tipped his hat back a little. "You must be throwing one heck of a hoedown, miss Fluttershy."
The shy yellow mare with a log flowing pink main grabbed a large bag of bits and passed it to Sunny. "Oh no, no, no. It's just a small gathering of me and a few of my woodland animal friends."
Sunny looked around to see her backyard was now covered in animals that could fly, crawl, and swim. Birds, insects, fish, rodents off all shapes and sizes, and even a bear had joined in. "If you say so..." Was all he replied with, smiling at her 'small group of friends'.
He didn't know what the shy young mare had done to persuade him, but somehow he was dinning with her and all of her animal friends. The yellow stallion sat there, nervously sitting on a mug of the apple cider watching Fluttershy talk to animals that only growled, chattered, squeaked, and tweeted back. It was amazing to him how she could communicate with them.
"Are you sure we can't offer you something to eat, Sunny?" Fluttershy asked in a chummed voice.
"Thank you for the offer, but I had breakfast not that long ago." Sunny told her again, feeling half bad for not at least taking an apple fritter.
"Oh no no, don't worry about that." She began. "I just want you to feel comfortable."
To this, Sunny couldn't help but smile and laugh a bit, which confused the shy pegasus. "Sorry, I don't mean to laugh, it's just... I don't think I've meet such kind ponies in all my life, like you and your friends."
This made the shy pegasus to blush a little, and retreat a little into her pink mane. The white bunny next to her then glared at the yellow unicorn as he clenched his soft white paws onto his apple fritter and took a hard bite into it. His eyes stabbing at the Yellow farm pony.
"But how can you afford feeding all of your..." Sunny paused and motioned to all the critters that had joined them for the picnic. "... Friends? If you don't mind me asking."
The timid mare began to emerge from her mane a slight smile on her face. "Well, I'm really good with animals so I-"
"FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY !!!" A young pink filly with a bright blue ran up to the two ponies at top speed, breathing heavily. "Fluttershy! Come quick! There's more trouble at the construction site!"
"Oh dear!" Fluttershy gasped, then turned to Sunny. "I-I'm sorry, but I'll be right back. I hate to ask you this, and feel free to say no, but would you look after my friends while I'm gone. if you don't mind, that is..."
"No problem, miss Fluttershy" Sunny tipped his hat to her again. "You can count on me."
Before she could give her animal friends a second worried look, the timid mare rushed off with the pink filly off to a construction site. While Sunny watched as Fluttershy and the filly flew off, he reached into the pile of baked Apple family goods without looking. He couldn't help himself, the aroma of the apple based sweets had grown on him living at the farm, and the smell of it was pushing the breakfast in his stomach aside to make room. His hoof found an apple fritter that was laying right in front of the white bunny, known as Angel.
The yellow stallion picked it up, his eyes still glued to the direction that Fluttershy left in, and he took a large bite out of the fritter as the white bunny tried to grab it back. He only took about four, large, stallion sized b bites and the apple fritter was gone, leaving Angel Bunny as red as Big Mac. The enraged bunny then moved over to a small group of brown bunnies and began plotting against the yellow stallion in a Stetson hat.
As Sunny whipped the crumbs off of his lips, a brown bunny jumped up onto his face, distracting the yellow pony, while angel jumped up, snagged the stallion's Stetson hat, then made a mad dash to the other side of the backyard.
"Hey!" Sunny yelled, and eventually was able to fling the brown rabbit off his face. He then noticed his apple family Stetson hat was gone! It didn't take him long to find where it had gone off to. Angle was waving it around, tauntingly about ten yards away from the yellow stallion. "Get back here you thieving varmint!"
As Sunny chased the white bunny, Angel decided to have some fun with him. Angel ran threw a pair of trees, two of the brown bunnies pulled a rope on either sides of the trees, stretching it as tight as they could. Sunny didn't see the rope before he tripped and landed face first in a puddle of soupy mud. He remained there for a long moment before whipping the mud out of his eyes. His sharp gaze taking aim at the smug little white bunny.
"I hope you know, that this. means. war. rodent." he growled threw his teeth.
But the triumphant Angel only waved Sunny's hat in the air, then suck his tongue out at the yellow unicorn.
After getting to his hooves, Sunny wiped the rest of the mud off of his face, then examined the mud closer and got an idea. A devilish grin grew across his muzzle as he looked from the white bunny to the pile of mud that lay before him. Sunny began to gather up globs of mud and form them into some what solid balls. Angel bunny was confused at first, but as the first mud ball flew threw the air and smacked him right in the face, the farm pony's intentions became clear. Angel and the brown bunnies were under attack by Sunny and his seemingly endless supply of mud balls. That is, until Angel looked over and saw the garden hose.
As Sunny began to make more mud balls, he was then hit with a powerful stream of cold water. He looked up and saw that Angel had enlisted the aid of the Beavers so he could control the strong kick back of the garden hose. The fiendish white bunny narrowed his eyes and smirked at Sunny as he gave the signal to the Beavers holding the hose to fire!
Sunny dodged the next shot from the hose and the one after that. After working on the apple farm, a pony grows some strong leg muscles. What with all the tree bucking, heavy lifting, and unearthing that had to be done. But the third shot hit its target, soaking the yellow stallion complexly. Sunny glared at the white bunny and his cohorts, then broke out into a trot across the now muddy back yard. It was hard for Sunny to move, which gave Angel and his pals the upper hand. But Sunny began to intimidate their next moves, and quickly dodge their strikes just moments before they got him. Every now and again Sunny had to take the brutal blow of the garden hose or slam down into the mud to avoid a strike. But once Sunny got within a few yards or so of Angel and the Beavers and other bunnies aiding him, he let them take a close range shot, to which , the yellow stallion easily dodged. But the blast created a large watery puddle.
Sunny anticipated this, and as his hooves stopped sliding in the thicker mud behind him, he jumped and cannon balled as hard as he could into the muddy puddle, creating a giant wave of mud water that covered Angel and his trouble making companions. As the Beavers and other bunnies tried desperately to clear their eyes of the mess, Sunny quickly grabbed Angel, who, was still holding Sunny's now mud soaked hat.
As Sunny grabbed the muddy had and plopped it back on his head, he raised the trouble making white bunny up to his face, the critter the hardest glair that he ever made. As Sunny held the white menace in his hooves, he began thinking what he should do with him to 'repay' Angel for his little 'fun' he had, soaking him and taking his hat. But before he could decide, Sunny heard a quiet grasp come from the far end of the yard.
"What is going on here?!" Fluttershy asked, outraged by what she saw. "Look at this mess!"
Sunny and Angel Bunny then began to look around at the entire back yard that had been completely devastated by their muddy battle. Most of Fluttershy's animal friends were either covered in mud or had run away. The food that Sunny had brought, along with his cart, had also been damaged the scrimmage. At that moment, Sunny and Angel Bunny's anger had died down and guilt filled their hearts.
Fluttershy hovered just barely above the mud soaked ground as she looked at the damage that had been done, before turning to the two who had caused it. Her eyes payed heavily on the two, weighing more than Sunny had ever had to bear.
"What do you two have to say for yourselves?!" She harshly asked, her tone never rising above normal for her.
Angel began to mutter something really fast while pointing at Sunny rapidly. Sunny wanted to fallow, but the bunny was speaking gibberish. Well, gibberish to anypony except Fluttershy, who listened to everything the white bunny had to say. Then she turned to Sunny.
"And what do you have to say to that?" Fluttershy asked Sunny coldly.
"Ugh... Well, I don't really know what he said." The yellow stallion began. "But after you left, I was just relaxing, watching the animals, then this critter comes out of nowhere, snags mah hat, trips me in the mud, then starts spraying me with a guarded hose!"
"And you threw mud at him and his friends?" Fluttershy asked, already guessing the answer.
"But he started it!" Sunny whined. "I don't even know what I did to the critter. He just came out of nowhere and snagged mah hat!"
The white bunny began to make more muttering and squeezing noises as he pointed at Sunny. Fluttershy listened intently, nodding, then turned back to the Stallion. "Angel said you ate his apple fritter right I front of him."
"What?" Sunny was confused. Then he remembered the mortal he consumed after Fluttershy left. "Ah... an apple fritter.... Ugh,yeah-"
"That was on his plate, I front of him, without even turning to look?" She said flatly, her eyes still weighing down on him as she hovered above.
"Well.... Maybe... Ah wasn't really lookin...." Sunny felt two inches tall as he broke eye contact with the yellow Pegasus .
"I think you owe Angel and my friends an apology, Sunny" Fluttershy told the mud covered stallion. The she turned to the white bunny who was sticking his tongue out at Sunny. "And Angel Bunny, you owe Sunny and the others just as much of an apology!"
The bunny looked back at his owner in protest and tried to argue threw squeaks and mutters, but the normally timid mare put her hoof down. "You started this all over a pastry. Yes, granted, I bet it did look really tasty. But now nopony else could enjoy their food either!" She motioned to the ruined picnic.
Angel sighed and hung his head low as he shot a defeated glance at Sunny, who returns a similar look back.
"Now get this place cleaned up!" Fluttershy ordered. "I want every critter not only given a nice bath but apologized to! From both of you!"
"Y-yes ma'am!" Sunny jumped right to work, Angel Bunny apologized in his own language as well and quickly followed suit.
It had taken most of the day, but Sunny and Angel had given all the birds, bunnies, and even the bear a nice bath outside. The Beavers, on the other hand, had more fun helping to clear the mud away, and didn't ask to be bathed afterwards. They simply swam back to their homes in the dams down the stream.
While Fluttershy took Angel Bunny inside to give him a bath and to give him a firm talking to about his actions, Sunny grabbed the hose one last time to wash off his cart. He still felt terrible about ruining not only the food and making a huge mess, but about ruining Fluttershy's picnic with her animal friends. His mind was racing with trying to find a way to make things right.
"The tub is free if you want to wash up now" Fluttershy appeared out of nowhere, half startling the farm pony.
"Oh, ugh, t-thank you miss Fluttershy..." He began, still unable to make eye contact with the timid yellow mare. "But I think it would be best if I just went back to the apple farm to wash up..."
"Well ok, if you would feel more comfortable with that." Fluttershy commented.
Sunny gulped and and tipped his hat to slightly cover his face. "Fluttershy.... I'm really sorry about today. I'll make it up to you." Sunny began and Fluttershy just sat back to let him finish. "I'll cover your bill today, and even throw in the next one on me... Just... Just know I'm really sorry about all of this..."
Se smiled and put a hoof on his shoulder. Their eyes met and she just replied in the softest of tones "it's ok. I forgive you."
"How can you just do that?" Sunny asked, his confusion began to spark a flame in his tone. He looked at the yellow mare, more confused then he had ever been. "How can you just smile at me and offer me and say 'it's ok' when I ruined your picnic? Ruined so much food? Freighted away your animal friends? Made a mess of your yard and house?! How can you be so kind?!?!"
Sunny had taken a deep breath and realized that he was now yelling his question at the mare, who, in turn, shocked Sunny by looking at him, unfazed by his rioting.
"It's what friends do" Fluttyshy simply answered. "I value our friendship more then some pastries or a yard. And I don't want to lose you over it. The same as how I know you wouldn't want to lose me the same way."
Sunny took a deep breath and I looked at all she raid in those few simple words. 'Does friendship really mean so much?.... Did I know that before?... Did I think that before?....'
Fluttershy put her hoof on Sunny again. He turned to her, eyes met again, as she saw the conflict and confusion in his eyes. "It's ok. Just know that i was mad at you and Angel for what you did, but I don't hate either of you. Tell you what" Fluttershy beamed Sunny a smile. "Why don't you come next week to my tea party? I'll order more snacks."
Sunny couldn't help but smile back and lightly laugh again. "That sounds swell. But I insist on two things."
Fluttershy tilted her head in slight confusion. "Oh?"
"1) I insist you allow me to pay for all the snacks and beverages. And that means no order in any less then whatever you and your other..."he looked to the animals that had dried off and were mingling around the yard. "Friends want."
Fluttershy smiled "and the second thing?"
"2) I get to use the hose next time" Sunny chuckled.
Fluttershy couldn't help but laugh. Half because of the relevancy of the comment, and the other because she was so happy to see her newest friend was able to move past the awkwardness of the situation and make a joke.
As Sunny waved goodby and pulled the now clean cart along with him back to the farm, he couldn't help but think more about this concept of 'friendship'. Would Applejack have reacted the same way Fluttershy did? Or Ratity?... Maybe not Rarity. Sunny didn't know her that well. But he could tell from her reaction to the dusty boxes, that she wasn't one for a messy area.
Still, the concept of 'friendship' intrigued the yellow stallion. What were it's limitations? How did it form? It was a mystery.
The sun had gone down quite a while ago. As Sunny put the cart into the shed he ran into Applejack. She had seen him approaching and wondered what had taken him so long... And why he was covered in mud.
"Mud wrestlin?" She asked with a smile on her face, kinda liking the thought of Sunny rolling around in the mud.
"Not exactly..." Sunny said as Applejack lead him around the corner to the farm hose. She didn't want to track mud in the house.
As Sunny washed off most of the mud, he told Applejack about what happened. Se didn't much care for Angel and his gang of carrot stealing buddies, but she was a little disappointed that Sunny let it go that far. She loved to hear that the stallion had fight in him, but it's obvious he needed to learn some restrain. Although she was kinda one to talk.
"... And it's just..." Sunny continued as he turned off the hose. "There's still so much about this 'Friendship' thing that I don't fully grasp.... Maybe I'm looking too deep into this..."
"Well Sunny" Applejack said as they walked up and into the farm house. "Th' best way ta learn about friendship is ta make friends."
"But that's just it" Sunny said as he walked with Applejack up the stairs. "I don't even know how to do that! All my 'friends' just came up to ma wand said that we were friends."
"Well first things first" Applejack said as she and Sunny stood outside the bathroom. "Get cleaned up, and get ta bed. Start I' tomorrow, we'll go and introduce ya to every pony around town. That'll help ya make some friends. Maybe even somepony'll recognize ya and ya'll get yer memory back!"
"That's a brilliant idea Applejack! You're a genius !" Without hesitating, Sunny kissed Applejack on the lips, mud covered al all. After a quick moment, Sunny released her and hopped in the shower, shutting the door behind him. He sung something to himself, soundin happy and cheery from the possibility of the prospects tomorrow promised.
Applejack however just stood there, petrified with shock, but melted on the inside as er heart leaped into her throat. 'Mah first kiss from a stallion....'
Applebloom walked past her sister and eyes her, looking confused. "Hey sis, you didn't eat the mud pies we made, right?"
"Sure Apple Bloom" Applejack replied from cloud 9. "That sounds great. Have fun."
With that, Applejack stumbled back into her own respective room and fell lightly on her bed, hugging her pillow.
"I just don't know, Sunny" Thunder Lane seemed nervous as he confided in his pal. He and Sunny became fast friends after Big Mac introduce the two at a pie eating contest the weekend before. For some reason, the dark grey pegusus always found comfort in talking to the yellow farm pony. "I want to ask her, but what if I do something stupid?! Or what if I have something in my teeth?! Girls hate that!"
It was Sunny's turn to run the apple stand, which he didn't mind in the least. He enjoyed meeting and greeting all of the town's folk. And more often then not, they stopped and would chat for a bit, then decide that they they were hungry, and buy even just a little something from the friendly yellow stallion. Applejack wanted to get Sunny out there and meeting the ponies in town. So having him run the apple stand in town more then harvesting or plowing on the farm was the plan. And the slight increase in apple sales was a bonus.
"Listing, dude" Sunny began as he tossed his friend a plump, red delicious apple. "The best way to talk to a mare is to get her by herself. You know, get her away from pressuring eyes. Then tell her how you honestly feel. But don't pressure her. Mares hate being pushed into a corner. But you know, the best way to win her over, is to spend a lot of time with her. Again, without pressuring her. Do things she likes to do. Offer to help her with stuff."
The pegusus chuckled as he took a bite of the apple. "Yeah, you would know. You're always hanging out with applejack and we friends." He chewed and swallowed. "I bet if you tried, you could date any mare you wanted. I bet they just fall out of the sky for you-"
As Thunder was about to finish his sentence, there was a loud bang, then, from out of nowhere, a blinding light flashed threw all of Ponyville. When he could open his eyes, Sunny looked to the center of town where a sea foam green mare, with a golden mane, stood in the epicenter of a crater that sunk about a good 12 inches into the ground. She stood in a battle ready pose for a few moments, then shot out of the crater as landed in front of the apple stand. As she removed her goggles, she shot a smug smile at Thunder Lane, who looked like he had seen a ghost.
"Sup slow poke" she smirked. He then took an apple from the stand, without paying, took a bite, swallowed, then threw the rest of the apple over her shoulder. "Tell Rainbow Dash that 'Lightning Dust is back in town'"
Sunny had run back to the farm as fast as his hooves could carry him. After finding Applejack and Rainbow Dash locked in a hoof wrestling contest, he skidded to a stop, his heart still racing as he attempted to catch his breath. When he could, Sunny told the girls about the mare called 'Lighning Dust' who landed in the middle of town and wanted to challenge Rainbow and the Wonderbolts cadets to some race.
The three of them then raced back to town to find the egotistical, pegusus mare with the lighting colored mane enjoying some apple juice she snagged from the cart wen Sunny wasn't there. She was joined by two other pegusi, a brown stallion with an onyx mane and a white mare with a teal colored mane and tail.
"Well well well" Rainbow Dash began as she landed and narrowed her eyes at Lightning Dust, her tone a little less then friendly. "Look what blew into town."
Lightning Dust smiled as she glanced over at her old rival, a confident smile spread across her face. "You showed up. That took more guts then I thought you had." Her two accomplices began to chuckle lightly.
"What do you want Lightning Dust?" Rainbow wasn't kidding around any more, her eyes narrowing on her former team mate. "Looking to get some revenge for getting kicked out of the academy?"
"Pfft" she replied to the cyan colored mare. "They did me a favor. That place was just slowing me down. Now I'm with the real winners!" She threw her mug away and stepped into a triangular position with her company, her chest puffed out as she shot a sharp look at Rainbow Dash.
"An' just what 'real winners'? Are ya talkin 'bout?" Applejack asked, taking Rainbow's side.
"We're the team know as 'Thunder Storm'!" The stallion answered, proudly puffing up his chest like his leader, only his eyes were well hidden behind a pair of goggles and his over all look was more serious.
"We're only the fastest, most daring fliers in all of Equestria!" The mare chimed in, her voice screeching like dragon nails on a chalk board. She turned her head and flicked her mane at Rainbow Dash and her friends as she shot them an overconfident look.
"And when we're through here, we're going to head strait for Canterlot to show the princesses that 'we' are the best, then they'll declare 'Thunder Storm' to be the number one fliers, and get rid of those stupid 'wonder dolts'." Lighting Dust stared down Rainbow Dash, their eyes locking, the Sparks between them flying.
"You really think the princesses would ever make you and your goons her personal flying team?" Rainbow took a step towards Lighting Dust.
"Why wouldn't they" Lightning asked, tilting her head up at Rainbow. "We've already bested the wonder bolt cadet teams from Fillydelfia, Manehatten, and yes, Cloudsdale."
This made Rainbow wince as her ego took a hard blow. But she quickly regained her footing. "And you think taking on the cadets will be enough? Why not take on the Wonder bolts themselves? Or are you and your team.just.chicken?" Rainbow's confidence was regained as she smirked at the sea foam colored mare. But lightning dust didn't break. The two former partners were now inches from each other. A fire burning in both of their eyes.
"We'll take them on alright, after we take you and your team down" Lightning Dust spat at Rainbow, never breaking eye contact.
"Hate to break it to ya, but that's not going to happen" Rainbow replied. "Me an my team would never lose to a couple of wimps like you and your 'rain cloud'."
"So we're on?" Lighting Dust asked, her eyes denial narrowing on Rainbow, a slight since of annoyance seeped through the her confidant smirk.
"You bet you are" Rainbow replied. "You and your team are going down!"
While Rainbow took of to get the last member of her team, Flitter, Thunder Lane and Applejack filled Sunny in on the situation. How Rainbow met Lighting Dust at the wonderbolts academy, how they were paired together, how Lighting only cared about being the best and didn't care about who she had to step on to be the best, then how Rainbow indirectly got her booted from the wonderbolts academy after they created a tornado and nearly got Applejack and the others sent flying into next Tuesday.
Thunder Lane added that since the cadets from the academy came from all over Equestria, that teams of 3 or more were made, based on where they came from. And Rainbow was appointed ponyville's team leader. There was her, Thunder Lane, Flitter, and a stallion named Bulk Biceps. But only three at a time we're going to compete.
"Hey, Thunder!" Sunny moved in closer and out a hoof around his grey pegusus friend. "This is the perfect time to tell her how you feel!"
"Really?!" He began to look nervous. "Like, right now? With the competition?"
"Well now is the perfect time to show off your skills as a flyer and impress her with your skills. Then you make your move and ask her to hang out some time!" Sunny smiled and winked again at his grey colored friend. "It's full proof."
Sunny's words bounced around in the grey pegusus stallion's head for a while as he and the others watched the two pegusi who came with Lightning Dust set up the obstacles for the race. Thunder Lane and Sunny watched, studying the different things that Rainbow and her team would have to overcome. Not long after, Rainbow arrived with both Flitter and Bulk.
"What's wrong with your wing, Flitter?" Sunny asked the light purple pegasus.
"I pulled something last week at the weather factory." She moved her wing up and down, it was wrapped in gaze that covered almost all of the wing. "It was pushing it for me to just get down here, but I want to support my team!"
"Yeah, so it's going to be me, Bulk, and you, Thunder" Rainbow Dash began. "We can do this, guys, don't worry! We just have to give out 100- no, 120% in this!!!"
"Yeah!" The overly muscular white pegusus added, screaming and flexing his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
Flitter took a spot next to Sunny at about the same time Applejack, Twilight and the rest of the group arrived. They went to go and grab them while Rainbow got Flitter and Bulk, not wanting to miss their friend go up against her old time rival. But as the girls looked around, they couldn't help but notice that quite a crowd had gathered in their absence. They heard the news of a new flyers team challenging Rainbow and her team to a race and had to be there. Looking around, Sunny saw that almost, if not all, of the entire town had shown up to observe the challenge.
Once Lighting Dust's team was done setting it up all the obsticalls, which were mainly made of clouds, and outlining the start and finish lines, they took their places. Lighting Dust smirked at Rainbow Dash as she placed a pair of goggles over her face.
Rainbow Dash, Thunder lane, and Bulk Biceps all took their place at the starting line. Both teams took their starting positions ready to spring forward at any moment. Mayor Mare, herself, stepped forward and began to make her declaration of the race and what was at stake. Slight whispers began to seep between the ponies that made up the crowd. Sunny listened intently but his attention was interrupted by a bump at his flank.
He turned around and saw a Brown, earth pony stallion with a spiked dark brown mane and an hour glass for a cutie make holding an odd looking metal device. The device had many buttons, nobs, lights, and two rods that looked like TV antenna. It was making a loud and rapid beating noise as the stallion pointed it at Sunny.
"Ugh, can I help you?" Sunny asked the stallion, a little annoyed by the interruption.
But the stallion just looked at his odd instrument, narrowed his eyes at it, then shook his head. "No no no.... This can't be right..."
And that's all the stallion said before he walked away, starting at his metal box, obliviousness to the world around him. Sunny was wondering what that was about when he heard the racers take off and the crowd cheering them on.
He looked to see Lightning Dust's team had taken the lead, each one flying individually, where Rainbow and Thunder lane were helping Bulk, who seemed to be struggling to just remain floating.
"That's not good" Twilight commented worry hanging heavily on her words.
"Oh, poor Bulk" Fluttershy added. "He's really strong, but his poor wings are too small for his muscular body."
"Well he's got spirit" Sunny commented watching the determination on Bulks face.
"He does indeed" Rarity chummed in, "but I'm afraid spirit might not be enough to win this..."
"Hey!" Flitter spoke up. "Why don't we all begin cheering him on! They are a team, and we need to show we believe in them!"
Sunny didn't know what this feeling was that felt like it was bubbling inside of him, like a volcano ready to burst, but he suddenly felt a strong since of bravado grow from inside that he needed to use to cheer his team on. "Yeah! Let's do it!"
With that, Flitter, Sunny, and the rest of the girls began to cheer not only for their team, But for bulk! "You can do it! You got this Bulk!"
Then the entire crowd looked to them, smiled, and began to cheer out the name of the white, muscular pegasus. "BULK! BULK! BULK! BULK!"
As Rainbow's team made it to the first hoop of cloud, several hoops behind Lighting's team, The crowd's cheering reached them. Bulk looked out into the crowd and saw how everypony believed in him. And suddenly he felt he could do anything! He felt their hope, their strength!
A strong gust of wind blew up from beneath team Ponyville and like that the stallion was no longer struggling to fly. His other team members flew now in a strait formation, with Rainbow taking the lead, followed by Thunder Lane, then Bulk carrying the rear. They wee now soaring threw the obstacle course that floated about half a mile above the ground, in no time they would catch up to Lightning Dust and her team.
Lightning Dust and her cohorts made it through the first part of the obstacles course, the rings of clouds, and had begun the second part. A strait shot threw a number of different mini tornados, each one pulling in a different direction, meat I to pull a pegasus off course. Nothing that wasn't kept in control and could easily be stopped in a moment's notice. Lightning of course made it threw without batting an eye. The stallion on her team struggle slightly, but made it through, following right behind Lightning. The mare on her team, though, struggled quite a bit. And before Lightning and her team could move to the next part of the race, all the members of the team had to make it through.
"Come on!" Lightning called out to the struggling mare, annoyed at the delay. "What's taking so long? We've done this a million times already!"
"S-sorry Lightning!" The mare called out panting heavily. "I-i need a little help!"
Lightning let out a frustrated sigh then told the stallion to get in here to help her. As the stallion rushed over to his comrade, Lightning caught sight of Rainbow and her team coming up fast. She knew it would take at least two of the members a while to get threw, but she didn't like taking that kind of chance. Not when she was this close to achieving her goal. She thought for a moment, then her eyes fell on one of the tornados, then onto the crow below. She knew how Rainbow had a soft spot for the weaker ones.
While the sea foam green Pegasus waited for her team mates to catch back up to her, Lighting whistled a little, acting innocent, as she casually moved over to the tornado closest to her, and wig a nudge of her wing, pushed it, sending it slowly over to the crowd down below. Lightning Dust then smirked at Rainbow and her team as they arrived at the tornado obstacle section just to see Lighting's team pass the second obstacle and move on to the next.
Rainbow and her team didn't hesitate. They immediately moved closer together, in a strait line formation, using Rainbow's slip stream in order to move past the field of tornadoes faster and with less effort. All still holding strong, about to reach the end of the second obstacle, when they heard screams come from the town's ponies below.
The small tornado that had casually flooded down had gained momentum and grew to one three times the size it started out as, and was continuing to grow! Rainbow immediately stopped their team.
"We have to help them!" Rainbow called out to the two stallions on her team.
Thunder Lane looked down and saw the mare he was so desperately trying to impress, there, in the crowd, screaming for help. Her wing, being bandaged up, was of no use for her to try and even bear the storm. "Let's go!"
"Yeah!!!" Bulk cried out as he and his two other team members made a B-line for the tornado.
Lightning looked back and smirked at her handy work as they reached halfway threw the third obstacle. That's when the stallion on her team got her attention.
"Shouldn't we go and help them?" He asked, sounding a little more then slightly concerned.
"Yeah" the mare added, sounding even more worried then the stallion. "Like, won't they get hurt?"
But Lightning waved a hoof. "They'll be fine! They have ponies who can stop it immediately if they wanted. Remember? They have that princess down there. Rainbow Dash just wants to be 'theatrical' again. Like when she got me kicked out of the Wonder bolts academy. Let's go finish this!"
With that, the pegasus with the golden mane took off, finishing the third obstacle with ease, her two team members following quickly behind.
Mean while, down in the crowd, Twilight and the rest of her friends were trying their best to keep every pony safe while Rainbow, her team, an a few more pegasi from town tried to disperse the tornado. Twilight had put up a barrier that covered most of the ponies in town, shielding them from the debris that floated in the air, as well as the strong pull of the storm. Applejack, Rarity, Sunny, Flitter and Pinky dashed all around to grab ponies stuck outside the protective barrier and get them to safely inside. Fluttershy went out with a few ponies to collect the animals up in a protective cave not far from the barrier where another unicorn, a grey Stallion by the name of Alister, would put up a similar barrier.
Rainbow Dash and the rest of the pegusi weren't having an easy time trying to break down the tornado. It was now eight times it's starting size and quickly growing stronger. Rainbow had an idea to use a sonic rain boom, but didn't want the shock wave to harm any pony. It was looking like they weren't going to have much of a choice. If she waited any longer, there wouldn't be a Ponyville to protect!
"Guys, listen up!" She called out to her team, catching every pegusi's attention. "I'm going to use a Sonic rainboom to get rid of this, but I need you all to make sure every pony is in that barrier, ok? Otherwise they could get really badly hurt!"
"You can count on us, Rainbow!" Thunder Lane gave her a confidant lol followed by a salute.
"Yeah! We! Can! Do! This!" Bulk declared, flexing his muscles.
"Let's go team!" Rainbow cheered as she dashed off into the sky, a rainbow trail following quickly behind her.
The other pegusi began to skim all around town, looking for any loose ponies to bring over to the barrier. Bulk and a few other pegusi saw some over by the school yard and quickly went there to bring them to safely. Thunder Lane was about to join them when heard the cry of a very familiar mare.
He jerked his head and saw that Flitter had been swept up in the tornado's pull and was now flying threw the air, being pulled higher and higher. He knew what he had to do! He had to get to her! To save her! He couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her! Without a moment's hesitation, he dove strait at the tornado and was instantly sucked inside, struggling as the tornado pulled him inside.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Bulk and the rest had gathered the last of the ponies in town, brining them into the barrier that Twilight had made. Twilight herself was struggling to keep the barrier up. She may have been a princess, with more magical power then any other unicorn, but even an alicorn who did specialize in protective spells couldn't keep this up forever.
"That's everypony!" Mayor Mare told Twilight as she counted everypony in the barrier.
"Wait! Look!" A mare in the crowd called out, pointing to an overturned cart about 25 yards away from the barrier. A white bunny was clinging to the cart for dear life as it shivered from the loud roaring f the tornado.
Sunny recognized the bunny as the loved pet of his friend Fluttershy, and without a second thought, shot out of the barrier making a mad dash to the cart. But the wind made it difficult. With every step, the stallion had to dig his hooves firmly into the ground. His vision was heavily impaired by dirt and wind that blew right into his face. But he still never stopped.
He kept thinking how ironic it was that the same Bunny that he hated with a burning passion, who clashed with him days ago, was the very creature he was risking his life for. But he wasn't just doing it for him. Sunny knew how much the little critter meant to his friend, Fluttershy, who, even after he had destroyed her day and made a huge mess, still wanted to be his friend. And Sunny would stop at nothing to help his friend!
Before he knew it, Sunny had reached the cart. Angel Bunny then looked up at the yellow stallion, shocked that this was the pony to come for him an not his beloved Fluttershy. But still, the frightened critter jumped into Sunny's hooves, and Sunny held him tightly as she hid with the Bunny inside of the cart, using it as a protective shield against the tornado.
Up above the cloud cover, Rainbow looked down and saw the giant, swirling mouth of the tornado, then, as fast as she could fly, the cyan colored pegusus shot strait at the tornado, diving strait into its heart. She quickly gained momentum and speed that was powered by her want to save her friends. Right as she reached the heart of the tornado, Rainbow Dash once again broke the sound barrier, causing a rubble of rainbow colored rings to appear and shoot out threw the entire tornado. In that moment, the tornado went silent as it was destroyed from the inside out as a large rainbow ring spread across the sky, brining the destruction to a halt.
Chapter 20. Aftermath and patience
After Rainbow landed, she quickly ran over to her friends, who were still in Twilight's protective magical barrier. But once Twilight saw that the tornado was gone, she dropped the barrier, but also felt terribly light headed. She would have passed out if Applejack and Rarity weren't there to catch her. It was a lot of strain on the poor alicorn. But Twilight was able to stand after a moment taking slow and easy breaths. She felt a little light headed still, but able to stand.
Not long after Twilight's barrier fell did Fluttershy, Alister and the others return with the animals they protected . The yellow mare frantically looked around, asking every pony if they had seen her precious little white bunny, Angel. It's then that Pinkie pointed Fluttershy out to the overturned cart about 25 yards from where the barrier was. Her heart sank as she few as fast as she could over to cart. She and a few others flipped the cart over only to find Sunny clenching Angel in his hooves, and the bunny holding onto him with all his might.
When they both saw the light of day and the clear image of the other ponies from town looking at them, try quickly pushed each other away, crossed their arms, and turned the other cheek up at each other. the ponies laughed and Fluttershy went immediately and began hugging and kissing her precious pet. He gave her a bit of a fight, pretending that it was no big deal, but he eventually gave in to the soft spoken Pegasus, and returns the affection.
Sunny just looked back at them and smirks as he tipped his hat. Applejack bolted over to him, ta making the yellow stallion to the ground. Landing on top of him with her hooves on his chest as she glared at him, slight tears gathered at the very corners of her eyes. "Don't you ever let me catchin' yah do that again! Do yah Hear me!!!"
Applejack had a look on her face that screamed angry, relieved and scared all at the same time. "What would Ah have done if somethin happened to ya?! Ya dang brave fool!"
"Well, ugh..." Sunny didn't really know how to respond. But he really didn't have to think too hard. Before he could say anything, Applejack pulled him in for another hug, the tears Applejack caught back for a while now have way and ran down the sides of her cheeks and onto the chest shoulder of the yellow stallion. Who was embracing her.
"There she is!" A stallion cried out front he crowd with glee as he pointed to a Rainbow Dash as she landed. "She saved the town! Three cheers for Rainbow Dash!"
"NO!" Rainbow quickly silenced the town before it even had a change to cheer. She smiled as she motioned to all her friends. "We all did it! My friends, the other pegusi, everypony!"
"Rainbow dash is right!" Twilight stepped forward, putting a hoof on her friend and smiling at her. "We did this together! Three cheers for us all!"
The crowd all cheered for themselves, for each other, for every pony. They all had banned together and saved each other ! But before long, Lightning Dust and her team had landed near the towns ponies. Lighting Dust with a triumphant look on her face as she held her head high with pride, but her team members couldn't help but hold their heads in shame as guilt filled their hearts.
"Good job in fixing the 'little' problem, Rainbow Dash" Lightning began. "But we all know that if that hadn't happen, my team still would have won. So I guess we'll go strait to Canterlot with-"
There was a loud click, and the turning of small Metallic parts, as Lighting Dust looked down and to her back to find we hooves and wings were in chains!
"Lightning Dust" a white pegasus stallion, with a yellow mane stood before her and her team, who were now also in chains. The stallion glared at the confused Lightning dust as he lifted a scroll up and began to read from it. "You are here by under arrest for the following; 10 counts of destruction of both public and private property, 6 counts of dodging royal guards, endangering the lives of countless ponies and reckless behavior that has resulted in such counts. You and your 'team' will be taken to Canterlot, alright. But to stand trial for your crimes."
A bat pony mare smirked as she nudged the two other team members along into a large royal cart. After the white royal guard with the yellow mane pushed Lighting into the cart and slammed the door, Lightning looked out the barred window at the crowd. Her eyes fueled by fire of her hate for a very specific rainbow maned mare.
As the bat pony mare signaled for the other Royal guards to take them away, Cloud skipper and her then were approached by Alister. Even though the regal unicorn guard never liked to show much emotion, he couldn't help but smile at his friends, glad that they were safe. It was only after seeing The grey coat of Alister's that Sunny began to panic.
"Where's Thunder lane ?!?!" The yellow stallion with a Stetson hat called out.
-Ponyville town hospital a few days later-
Thunder Lane had been on some heavy pain medication most of his time there. It had been a few days since he had been discovered with Flitter in the remains of a house not long after Lightning Dust and her crew had been carted away. He had been asleep since. It was around noon when he began to wake up. Nurse Red Heart had heard his rustling, and upon seeing him finally awaken, called for the doctor to come in.
"Well well, mister gallant hero" the doctor gave Thunder a smile. "Looks like you made it out of that mess in one piece. Almost every piece is broke, but all still together."
"W-w-what about..." Thunder's throat was extremely dry, but he pushed himself to speak her name. "Flitter?"
"Oh yes. She was in here a few days ago. Insisted on sharing a room with her 'hero'" the doctor told Thunder Lane as Nurse Red Heart checked the machines and took note of Thunder's readings. "But she got to leave after two days. She won't be able to fly for a while, but sooner then you, I'm afraid."
It was then that Thunder Lane realized he was in a full body cast. Just about everything on him was held together in a specific position to help his many broken bones heal correctly. Before Thunder could talk more, a very familiar yellow stallion accompanied by a small group of mares and one baby dragon followed suit.
"Well looks who's awake. Mister 'saves the girl.'" Sunny walked up to the stallion and gave his a soft punch on the shoulder and an easy smile. "You got guts!"
"He's a wonderbolt cadet on 'my' team" Rainbow Dash added. "Of course he has guts!."
Thunder then got a slight since of pride as Twilight and her friends filled him in about everything that happened after the tornado broke up.
Lightning Dunst and her 'team' were taken to Canterlot and were put in prison for what they had done and were waiting to stand trial. It was discovered that Lightning Dust had caused the one of the obstacle tornados to go off course, wanting to distract Rainbow and her team. Apparently, her and her 'team' had pulled similar stunts in Fillydelfia, Manehatren, and cloudsdale which is how they had won. They didn't cause as much damage in the other places as much as Ponyville, but still enough to put themselves on the Royal guards most wanted list.
The ponies in town had begun to rebuild thanks to the financial help from Canterlot, and the combined efforts of every pony avalable. There were only a few ponies who received even minor wounds from the tornado Lightning caused, and Thunder Lane had gotten the brunt of it.
Thunder Lane had just finished several gulps of water that Fluttershy was more then glad to help him drink, given his current status of being in a full cast and unable to move his neck or hooves, when he took a deep breath and looked to the group. "But what about Flitter?"
"I'm right here" the light purple mare with a light blue mane mane and tail spoke up. She had on the biggest smile as she walked over to Thunder Lane with both of her wings now in full casts. "And I'll be here with you to make sure you have a full recovery."
"I-I-I" even though his face was covered by a cast, Sunny was willing to bet that Thunder Lane's face was bright red, lucky for him, it was hidden under his head cast.
"Oh, everypony" Twilight gathered her friends collective attention. "We should probably get back to work. There's still a lot of clean up left."
As the girls, Spike and Sunny began to leave the room, knowing just why they were 'really' leaving, Sunny shot Thunder Lane a wink on his way out. Knowing that, although it wasn't the plan he had originally talked to his friend about, it did work out for him in the end. Now his buddy was going to get a lot of personal time with the girl he liked, and he didn't have to life an awkward hoof to get it.
-on a train back to Canterlot-
Alister sat at the window seat looking out at the scenery of the forest area surrounding the train, disappointed by his fruitless venture. Hit thoughts of his depressing failure were, once again, interrupted by one of his closed friends.
"Quit your sulking!" Midnight Blossom nagged at the Unicorn. "So nothing happened, big deal! Isn't that good?"
"Midnight's right, Alister" Cloud skipper added. "We've been around the crash site for weeks, and still the only thing we did was bring in that deranged mare, Lightning Dust, help a few civilians with local disputes, and enjoy the fresh country air."
"Do you remember that escapade we had with that mare who was haunting the opera house in Manehatten about 6 months back?" Alister asked his comrades, never tearing his gaze from the window.
"You mean the one we investigated, turned nothing up, then about a month after a mare came forward and admired to being the phantom?" Cloud skipper asked, not really seeing the relevancy. "Yeah, why?"
The unicorn closed his eyes and rubbed the bad Ed his muzzle with his left hoof. "I have a feeling that 'this ghost' isn't going to be so kind when it turns up again."
"I thought you said we're looking for a unicorn? A real pony this time?" Midnight asked, her annoyance subtly subsiding.
Alister put his hoof down and looked solemnly at his companions and he clarified his worries. "What we are dealing with is more then just 'a unicorn'. Sombra himself was more then just 'a unicorn.' He was strong enough to rival the princesses. But weather this new entity 'is' or 'is not' Sombra, I have no idea. And that's what worries me...."
"It was inside of the meteor...." Cloud skipper began to think out loud. "A meteor that circled Equestria's skies for almost 1000 years...."
"Well whatever it is" Midnight Blossom spoke up. "We can't do anything about it now, chill and wait. Something that big and bad is bound to turn up eventually. Besides, worse come to worse, Princess Twilight and her friends will deal with it. Thy did the first time Sombra came back. "
No matter how Alister played it out in his mind, he knew that Midnight's words were true. It just bothered him to be so useless in such a situation. He enrolled into the Canterlot royal army, spent countless nights studying and practicing magic, all to help the princesses. Now he was 'chilling' while one was in danger and he could do nothing to help...
After Rainbow landed, she quickly ran over to her friends, who were still in Twilight's protective magical barrier. But once Twilight saw that the tornado was gone, she dropped the barrier, but also felt terribly light headed. She would have passed out if Applejack and Rarity weren't there to catch her. It was a lot of strain on the poor alicorn. But Twilight was able to stand after a moment taking slow and easy breaths. She felt a little light headed still, but able to stand.
Not long after Twilight's barrier fell did Fluttershy, Alister and the others return with the animals they protected . The yellow mare frantically looked around, asking every pony if they had seen her precious little white bunny, Angel. It's then that Pinkie pointed Fluttershy out to the overturned cart about 25 yards from where the barrier was. Her heart sank as she few as fast as she could over to cart. She and a few others flipped the cart over only to find Sunny clenching Angel in his hooves, and the bunny holding onto him with all his might.
When they both saw the light of day and the clear image of the other ponies from town looking at them, try quickly pushed each other away, crossed their arms, and turned the other cheek up at each other. the ponies laughed and Fluttershy went immediately and began hugging and kissing her precious pet. He gave her a bit of a fight, pretending that it was no big deal, but he eventually gave in to the soft spoken Pegasus, and returns the affection.
Sunny just looked back at them and smirks as he tipped his hat. Applejack bolted over to him, ta making the yellow stallion to the ground. Landing on top of him with her hooves on his chest as she glared at him, slight tears gathered at the very corners of her eyes. "Don't you ever let me catchin' yah do that again! Do yah Hear me!!!"
Applejack had a look on her face that screamed angry, relieved and scared all at the same time. "What would Ah have done if somethin happened to ya?! Ya dang brave fool!"
"Well, ugh..." Sunny didn't really know how to respond. But he really didn't have to think too hard. Before he could say anything, Applejack pulled him in for another hug, the tears Applejack caught back for a while now have way and ran down the sides of her cheeks and onto the chest shoulder of the yellow stallion. Who was embracing her.
"There she is!" A stallion cried out front he crowd with glee as he pointed to a Rainbow Dash as she landed. "She saved the town! Three cheers for Rainbow Dash!"
"NO!" Rainbow quickly silenced the town before it even had a change to cheer. She smiled as she motioned to all her friends. "We all did it! My friends, the other pegusi, everypony!"
"Rainbow dash is right!" Twilight stepped forward, putting a hoof on her friend and smiling at her. "We did this together! Three cheers for us all!"
The crowd all cheered for themselves, for each other, for every pony. They all had banned together and saved each other ! But before long, Lightning Dust and her team had landed near the towns ponies. Lighting Dust with a triumphant look on her face as she held her head high with pride, but her team members couldn't help but hold their heads in shame as guilt filled their hearts.
"Good job in fixing the 'little' problem, Rainbow Dash" Lightning began. "But we all know that if that hadn't happen, my team still would have won. So I guess we'll go strait to Canterlot with-"
There was a loud click, and the turning of small Metallic parts, as Lighting Dust looked down and to her back to find we hooves and wings were in chains!
"Lightning Dust" a white pegasus stallion, with a yellow mane stood before her and her team, who were now also in chains. The stallion glared at the confused Lightning dust as he lifted a scroll up and began to read from it. "You are here by under arrest for the following; 10 counts of destruction of both public and private property, 6 counts of dodging royal guards, endangering the lives of countless ponies and reckless behavior that has resulted in such counts. You and your 'team' will be taken to Canterlot, alright. But to stand trial for your crimes."
A bat pony mare smirked as she nudged the two other team members along into a large royal cart. After the white royal guard with the yellow mane pushed Lighting into the cart and slammed the door, Lightning looked out the barred window at the crowd. Her eyes fueled by fire of her hate for a very specific rainbow maned mare.
As the bat pony mare signaled for the other Royal guards to take them away, Cloud skipper and her then were approached by Alister. Even though the regal unicorn guard never liked to show much emotion, he couldn't help but smile at his friends, glad that they were safe. It was only after seeing The grey coat of Alister's that Sunny began to panic.
"Where's Thunder lane ?!?!" The yellow stallion with a Stetson hat called out.
-Ponyville town hospital a few days later-
Thunder Lane had been on some heavy pain medication most of his time there. It had been a few days since he had been discovered with Flitter in the remains of a house not long after Lightning Dust and her crew had been carted away. He had been asleep since. It was around noon when he began to wake up. Nurse Red Heart had heard his rustling, and upon seeing him finally awaken, called for the doctor to come in.
"Well well, mister gallant hero" the doctor gave Thunder a smile. "Looks like you made it out of that mess in one piece. Almost every piece is broke, but all still together."
"W-w-what about..." Thunder's throat was extremely dry, but he pushed himself to speak her name. "Flitter?"
"Oh yes. She was in here a few days ago. Insisted on sharing a room with her 'hero'" the doctor told Thunder Lane as Nurse Red Heart checked the machines and took note of Thunder's readings. "But she got to leave after two days. She won't be able to fly for a while, but sooner then you, I'm afraid."
It was then that Thunder Lane realized he was in a full body cast. Just about everything on him was held together in a specific position to help his many broken bones heal correctly. Before Thunder could talk more, a very familiar yellow stallion accompanied by a small group of mares and one baby dragon followed suit.
"Well looks who's awake. Mister 'saves the girl.'" Sunny walked up to the stallion and gave his a soft punch on the shoulder and an easy smile. "You got guts!"
"He's a wonderbolt cadet on 'my' team" Rainbow Dash added. "Of course he has guts!."
Thunder then got a slight since of pride as Twilight and her friends filled him in about everything that happened after the tornado broke up.
Lightning Dunst and her 'team' were taken to Canterlot and were put in prison for what they had done and were waiting to stand trial. It was discovered that Lightning Dust had caused the one of the obstacle tornados to go off course, wanting to distract Rainbow and her team. Apparently, her and her 'team' had pulled similar stunts in Fillydelfia, Manehatren, and cloudsdale which is how they had won. They didn't cause as much damage in the other places as much as Ponyville, but still enough to put themselves on the Royal guards most wanted list.
The ponies in town had begun to rebuild thanks to the financial help from Canterlot, and the combined efforts of every pony avalable. There were only a few ponies who received even minor wounds from the tornado Lightning caused, and Thunder Lane had gotten the brunt of it.
Thunder Lane had just finished several gulps of water that Fluttershy was more then glad to help him drink, given his current status of being in a full cast and unable to move his neck or hooves, when he took a deep breath and looked to the group. "But what about Flitter?"
"I'm right here" the light purple mare with a light blue mane mane and tail spoke up. She had on the biggest smile as she walked over to Thunder Lane with both of her wings now in full casts. "And I'll be here with you to make sure you have a full recovery."
"I-I-I" even though his face was covered by a cast, Sunny was willing to bet that Thunder Lane's face was bright red, lucky for him, it was hidden under his head cast.
"Oh, everypony" Twilight gathered her friends collective attention. "We should probably get back to work. There's still a lot of clean up left."
As the girls, Spike and Sunny began to leave the room, knowing just why they were 'really' leaving, Sunny shot Thunder Lane a wink on his way out. Knowing that, although it wasn't the plan he had originally talked to his friend about, it did work out for him in the end. Now his buddy was going to get a lot of personal time with the girl he liked, and he didn't have to life an awkward hoof to get it.
-on a train back to Canterlot-
Alister sat at the window seat looking out at the scenery of the forest area surrounding the train, disappointed by his fruitless venture. Hit thoughts of his depressing failure were, once again, interrupted by one of his closed friends.
"Quit your sulking!" Midnight Blossom nagged at the Unicorn. "So nothing happened, big deal! Isn't that good?"
"Midnight's right, Alister" Cloud skipper added. "We've been around the crash site for weeks, and still the only thing we did was bring in that deranged mare, Lightning Dust, help a few civilians with local disputes, and enjoy the fresh country air."
"Do you remember that escapade we had with that mare who was haunting the opera house in Manehatten about 6 months back?" Alister asked his comrades, never tearing his gaze from the window.
"You mean the one we investigated, turned nothing up, then about a month after a mare came forward and admired to being the phantom?" Cloud skipper asked, not really seeing the relevancy. "Yeah, why?"
The unicorn closed his eyes and rubbed the bad Ed his muzzle with his left hoof. "I have a feeling that 'this ghost' isn't going to be so kind when it turns up again."
"I thought you said we're looking for a unicorn? A real pony this time?" Midnight asked, her annoyance subtly subsiding.
Alister put his hoof down and looked solemnly at his companions and he clarified his worries. "What we are dealing with is more then just 'a unicorn'. Sombra himself was more then just 'a unicorn.' He was strong enough to rival the princesses. But weather this new entity 'is' or 'is not' Sombra, I have no idea. And that's what worries me...."
"It was inside of the meteor...." Cloud skipper began to think out loud. "A meteor that circled Equestria's skies for almost 1000 years...."
"Well whatever it is" Midnight Blossom spoke up. "We can't do anything about it now, chill and wait. Something that big and bad is bound to turn up eventually. Besides, worse come to worse, Princess Twilight and her friends will deal with it. Thy did the first time Sombra came back. "
No matter how Alister played it out in his mind, he knew that Midnight's words were true. It just bothered him to be so useless in such a situation. He enrolled into the Canterlot royal army, spent countless nights studying and practicing magic, all to help the princesses. Now he was 'chilling' while one was in danger and he could do nothing to help...
Sunny made his way through town down to the local bakery, Sugar Cube Corner. He was sent to pick up a couple sacks of flour for the next week's worth of Granny's backed goods. As he pulled the cart through town, Sunny watched as the ponies of the town went about their business as usual, all the damage of the tornado had been cleared away and all the homes and shops had been repaired. Distracted by the daily life of the town, Sunny didn't see the Pegasus guard who was patrolling the town, and ran into him.
"Hey, what he where you're going!" The guard grunted.
"Oh, A-ahm terribly sorry, sir" Sunny tipped his hat at the guard with a sheepish look on his face, then he hurried around the guard to Sugar Cube Corner.
The guard watched the yellow farm pony as he rushed away, eyeing him suspiciously. But he shrugged off his suspicion as he remembered that Alister had told him to be on guard for any suspicious 'unicorns' or 'shadows'. Not some dopy looking earth pony farmer. The guard shrugged it off and continued walking around town.
Worried about accidentally bumping into anypony else, Sunny kept his eyes forward and only paused to wave at the occasional waving townsfolk. Not long after his running in with the agitated royal guard did the yellow stallion arrived at Ponyville's famous bakery, Sugar Cube Corner. Sunny raised his hoof to politely knock on the front door, despite the building being open for business to the public he still felt the need to be polite when working with one of Applejack's friends, but a business partner. He knocked once, but before he could deliver a second knock, he was pulled into the shop immediately by a pink flash! The door swinging shit behind him.
"Great! You're here! I need your help! I've been working like crazy all morning! But I can't do this all by myself! Well, most of the time I can, but this time it's different! And I need to make sure everything goes super-d-dooper ok!!!" Pinkie pie began to explain at top speed as she ran around the shop, tying balloons, setting up streamers, draping brightly colored table cloths over the tables, and carefully positioning party hats and noise makers at each seat.
"Ugh.... I was just told to come by and pick up some flour..." Sunny tried to say to the eccentric pink party pony, unsure of what was going on beyond the fact that Pinkie was setting up for a party of some sort.
"I know! And I rushed over to ask Aplejack if you could stay for a while and help out with the party, and she said sure! And that 'it would be great for him to meet more ponies.' So helping me out with Cranky's birthday party would great for both of us!" Pinkie finished off by tossing a splash of confetti at sunny and shoving a noise maker in his mouth.
"Who's 'Cranky'?" Sunny mumbles with the noise maker still in his mouth.
"Oh! He's one of my super-duper-special friends! We met when he first moved to Ponyville! And he's just the sweetest, kindest and most generous guy, ever!" Pinkie explained, the pupils of her eyes growing to almost the size of her whole eye, as she beamed a smile that rivaled the light of the sun.
-Cranky and Matilda's cottage-
As Cranky dragged his hooves to his front door, stretched, and yawned, and scratched both his back and his sagging chin as he looked through half open eye lids into the scenery that separated him from Ponyville. He enjoyed living near the townsfolk, but enjoyed it even more when he could get away from all their loud singing, tomfoolery, and what-nots that took place on a daily basis. He then realized he wasn't alone on his front porch. He looked down to see a young colt with a bright and shinning smile on his muzzle starting back at him. The colt didn't say anything, but held out a can with the word 'donations' on it. From the slight rattling noise it made, Cranky could tell the fella had a few bits in there already.
The wig wearing donkey frowned at the colt and growled. "I gave you a bit last month! What do you think I am, a money tree?! And why are you bothering me so early in the morning?! Don't you have school or something?!"
The colt's smile disappeared as tears appeared at the corner of his eyes as he ran off, half crying, but trying to be brave and hold it in. An unfazed, and very cranky, Cranky Doodle Donkey huffed, grabbed his morning paper and walked back inside.
Sunny actually enjoyed setting up for the party with Pinkie. Every now and again Pinkie would do something outrage that made Sunny burst into a fit of laughter. Like put two balloons over her eyes and making a her mouth blub like a fish, cracking a joke when it got too quiet in shop, or when Sunny least expected it, she's sneak up on him and start a tickle fight. Sunny actually enjoyed her antics, and did his best to fight back on the tickle fights, finding out that Pinkie squeaked when her voice got too high pitched while laughing. Sunny repeated the jokes Pinkie told him in hopes to use them around town. But after Pinkie caught Sunny repeating one of her jokes to himself for the fourth time and she realized what he was doing, she vanished in another pink flash, then returned in a moment holdin a book in her mouth.
"Here! This is one of the best joke books I've ever read! I haven't told all of these jokes yet! Maybe you can get a few laughs out of the ponies in town!" Pinkie told him as she handed the book off to Sunny , 'a million and three jokes for ponies and pony folk'.
Sunny couldn't help but crack the book open and begin reading. A few jokes he did his best to memorize and repeat in hopes to use at the party. After a few moments, he put the book off to the side and continued working. Pinkie couldn't help but smile and shake her head, thinking how the yellow earth pony reminded her so much of her studious friend, Twilight.
'I wonder what he would be like if he was a unicorn?' Pinkie thought to herself. 'Oh! What if I was a unicorn?! Oh! Or maybe a Pegasus! I could work in the weather factory! Maybe even mark clouds that rained confetti! Or pull a Discord and make Cotten candy clouds that rain chocolate milk!' And like that, pinkie day dreamed of her beloved Cotten candy clouds, drooling all over one of the guest's seats.
Not long after the front end of the store was all set up, and Cleaning up the mess pinkie made in her day dream state, did guests begin to arrive. It was odd, there were ponies of all different kinds. Species, ages, colors. It amazes Sunny just how many ponies he hadn't actually seen, even after living in town for so long. 'Applejack was right. I should get off the farm and socialize more...'
As ponies began to mingle, Sunny went to find Pinkie Pie who was busy preparing the snacks in the kitchen. She was just adding dashes of sprinkles onto several dozen cup cakes when he walked in.
"Hey Pinkie, is there anything else I can help with?" Sunny asked, tipping his hat, half wanting to help, but the other half really wanted to start socializing and possible start making new friends.
"Yes! Actually! Would you mind taking that trey out to the guests?" She motioned to a mountain of cupcakes on a tray. The stack reached halfway to the roof, and as Sunny stared at it, his ears dropped, his pupils shrank to the size of needle pins, and he gulped. He knew he was strong, working on the Apple farm would do that for any pony, but balancing something like that?!
"Y-yeah! Sure!..." He gulped again, trying to swallow his fear. "N-no problem..." He then grabbed the plate firmly with his teeth, unsteadily lifted it up, then slowly and carefully begins to take it into the dining area of the shop.
Sunny takes each step very, very carefully, keeping a watchful eye on the mountain of cupcakes. About halfway to the snack table, Sunny felt his legs giving in.
"Here, let me help you" a sincere voice chimed in. The voice was female, but he didn't recognize it as bein any of Applejack's closest friends. Sunny couldn't see who the mare was who offered the help, but he was grateful. She grabbed the opposite end of the tray, and together they both carried the stack of cupcakes over to the snack table and set it down gently without dropping a single cupcake.
"Thank you" Sunny sad before he even got a good look at the mare. "They aren't as light and fluffy when they are grouped together like that."
The mare moved around the corner and came into sight. She smiled and pushed her dark grey mane out of the way and tucked it behind her ear, allowing her bright purple eyes to meet Sunny's. "My pleasure. It would be a shame if Pinkie's hard work were to end up only decorating the floor. My name is Octavia..." She help out her hoof to Sunny.
He smiled and met it with a gentle hoof shake. "A pleasure, miss Octavia."
She smiled back at the yellow stallion. "Aren't you the newest addition to the Apple farm help? Ugh... Sunny, I think I heard Applejack say."
"That's me" Sunny beamed with pride as he tipped his hat and stood up strait.
"I haven't seen much of you around town" Octavia went on to say. "I'm glad you came down to enjoy the festivities. I must say, Pinkie's parties are the best."
"That's what I hear from Applejack. Im trying to socialize a little more. I've run the Apple stand in the market, but I have been meaning to get out more." Sunny continued while pouting himself a glass of punch, then smiled and offered Octavia a glass.
"Oh, well thank you" she happily accepted the first glass, then took a small sip as Sunny poured himself a glass. "So," she began after swallowing her sip. "How do you like living in Ponyville? Enjoy and of the 'excitement' that comes with living here?"
Octavia meant it as a joke, but immediately Sunny's mind shot back to the ghost of Sombra that he saw in the apple orchard. It sent a shiver down his spine.
"I take it you have" Octavia continued to joke. "Trust me, you get used to it. You wouldn't believe what normally goes on in town in a daily basis."
Sunny clears his throat. "He he... Well, ugh,..." He then noticed Octavia's cutie mark and was more the eager to change the subject. "Oh, that's an interesting cutie mark."
Octavia looked at her own flank and smiled, blushing a little. "Yes. My talents lie in the art of music, preferably, classical. But I do remain open minded to all forms of the musical arts."
Sunny then looked back to his own cutie mark, a grayed out, almost circle. He then looked awkwardly back at the musician, half forcing a smile. "I... Still haven't figured mine out. But I'm sure I'll figure it out, one of these days."
"That's the spirit!" Octavia sprang. With slight bravado. "Oh, pardon me, but may I say something?"
"Go right ahead" Sunny answered, heavily enjoying the conversation with the musician, then took a sip of his punch.
"Well, the way you speak, how you walk, the way you carry yourself, and even though you seem to take life in a nearly care free way, you seem... Oh I don't know, to come from a different branch of ponies other then that of a farmer."
This caused Sunny spit his punch out, thankfully away from the snack table and Octavia, and just out into the open air where it fell onto the wooden floor.
"I-if you don't mind me saying so" Octavia began to regret speaking her mind. "I mean, you are free to choose whatever path you wish, but you don't seem like you grew up in a farm. You seem some what highly educated, and well managed. Not that ponies who work on a farm aren't! Oh... I seem to be tripping over my own words...."
Sunny whipped the punch off of his lips and paused for a moment. Then he faced the grey mare with an honest smile. "You might be right about some of that. I don't know if I did come from a farm. But I do really enjoy living and working there. I'm sure somepony told you how I lost my memory before arriving in Ponyville. I don't know where I came from or what I did before. But for now, I'm really happy just living and working on the farm. "
Octavia was glad that Sunny wasn't mad or hurt by her free thinking. "Well, as long as you are happy, that's the most important thing. But I still can't help but think that maybe you came from Canterlot, trottingham, or maybe even the Crystal empire. But I'm glad you don't have to work on finding the answered out all on your own."
"What do you mean?" Sunny asked as he began to wipe up the mess he made on the ground.
Octavia grabbed a few napkins and joined him in the clean up. "Pinkie and her friends have been going all around town, asking if we knew anything about a yellow earth pony with an orange mane, that may or may not go by the name of 'Sunny'."
That made Sunny smile even more. "They really are a nice group of ponies."
Octavia gathered up the dirty napkins and tossed them into a nearby trash can. "Everypony is really nice around here. That's partially the reason why I stay here. All the friends I made hear in town really make it feel, well, like a home."
"So... Are we friends?" Sunny asked, tipping his hat again at the musician, giving her a hopeful look.
"I would have thought that was obvious" she said first with an emotionless look on her face, that quickly gave way to a bright smile. "Of course we are."
The two shared a few laughs as Sunny told a few jokes that he learned from the book pinkie leant him. Octavia, in turn, shared a few that she had picked up and found... Tasteful. But she did feel it acceptable to share a few her room mate had told her, that were for a less formal crowd. Sunny found them hilarious.
The two enjoyed each other's company for a little while longer until a velvet mare with various fruits for a cutie mark called out to everypony as she looked out the window. "He's coming! He's coming!"
With that, Pinkie turned out the lights and everypony his either behind furniture, tables, or anything they could, waiting for the guest of honor. After a few moments that seemed to drag in for hours, the front door opened and two donkeys walked through. The first one being a mare with her hair styled up in a modest way. The second to enter seemed to be a stallion donkey with a bright gold wig resting on his head, who was rather annoyed as he walked into the gingerbread like bakery and saw the lights were out. He assumed the worst.
"Surprise!" Everypony called out as Pinkie flipped in the lights, confetti and balloons fell from the ceiling, and everypony popes out of their respective hiding places. The mare seemed unsurprised by the notion, possibly having been in on the whole thing. But the stallion went from shocked, to even more annoyed, realizing his fear was very well placed. "Happy Birthday Cranky!"
The mare donkey looked as though she had to whisper something to him to keep him from turning around and leaving right there. It was then that Sunny began to think 'maybe he really isn't the 'social' type. Sunny quickly took a mental note; 'Name: Cranky, observation: doesn't appear happy at parties. Possible reason for staying: his wife.'
But Sunny shook it off and though. 'Shame on me! I don't even know the stallion! Maybe he just doesn't socialize like me, and doesn't know anypony from town. I should go over and introduce myself!'
Sunny then casually walked over to the birthday colt, and tipped his hat. "Hello, Sir, my name's Sunny. It's a-"
"Yeah?!" He growled. "What do you want, a metal?" He spat at the yellow stallion as he pushed passed him and made his way to the back end of the shop, pushing his way through more ponies as he did.
"Oh, I'm so sorry" The mare donkey approached Sunny with a very apologetic look. "He's.... Not really one for parties..."
"Then why would you want to throw him one with half of Ponyville here?" Sunny asked, scratching his head a little.
"Well..." She began, but the hostess with a cotten candy like mane popped out from the other side of the table.
"Matilda came to me last week and asked for my advice, since I'm the element of laughter, and asked what she could do to cheer up her poor hubby-hub who's been a little down lately, even when they do his favorite things. Like bird watching, cooking together, listening to music on their record player, or even just talking a walk in the woods."
"Right" Matilda jumped in. "He's just been so... So Cranky lately, but he won't talk about what could be bothering him."
"So it's up to his best friend, Pinkie Pie ! To cheer him up on his most special of special days! Hiiiiiis burthdaaaay!" Pinky exclaimed proudly, blowing into a loud noise maker after she did.
Sunny thought about it for a moment, and realized that this might be good for him to try and help this 'Cranky Donkey'. "Can I help?"
Pinkie bounced over to Cranky, ready to help him enjoy his own birthday party. He was hovering over at the punch bowl, pouring himself a small glass when the pink party pony jumped up beside him, startling him, and casing the punch he just poured to fly threw the air.
"Hey Cranky!" She looked down at the spilled punch. "Oh, here! Let me get you a new one!" She began to pour the crotchety old donkey a new glass of punch. "It sure is a good thing that I waxed the floor with a special coat to prevent it from sticking with punch! After the last party we had, I thought it would be a good idea! So are you enjoying your party so far? I mean, you did just get here, but there's lots, lots, lots to do!"
Cranky cleared his throat. "It's, ugh, very nice" the old donkey stretched the last two words, putting some effort to try and be nice to his friend. "But why so many ponies?"
"Oh! It's not just ponies! Steve Magnum said he would be by later after he finished up at the spa! He said he got you an extra special something!" Pinkie added with a bounce.
That made the old donkey start to smile. Cranky and the sea serpent, Steve Magnum, had been good friends for a long time. Pinkie then handed Cranky the cup of punch, he took a small sip, then he spat the punch out all over the pink mare.
"W-what did you do to this punch?!" Cranky asked, disgusted by the red party drink. "It tastes like pure sugar!"
Pinkie pulled a towel out of nowhere and wiped her face off, cleaning off most of the punch, her cheerful expression slightly diminished. "Well.... It's the same amount of sugar I always use."
The grumpy donkey slammed the cup on the table so hard, that if it weren't plastic it would have shattered into a million pieces. He then grumbles as he walked away from the punch table and the slightly damp pink pony muttering "Taste horrible...sugar water....."
Matilda and Sunny cringed at Cranky's actions, then the donkey mare caught sight of a pile of board games stacked on top of a table and got an idea. She leaned in close to Sunny and whispered "Cranky loves board games! His favorite is shoots and ladders! Would you mind playing with him?"
Sunny caught sight of the game in the table and smiled back as he whispered to Matilda "Do I have to let him win?"
"If you can make it close, that would be best" Matilda winked at the yellow stallion who gave her a wink back as he tipped his hat and happily trotted over to the game table.
Sunny grabbed the box for 'Shoots and ladders' and walked over to the table where Cranky was sitting. The glum donkey was hunched over in his chair, mumbling as he nibbled on a plate of snacks.
"Hey! There's the birthday colt!" Sunny said, tip in his hat back a little. Cranky only looked in his direction slightly, then went back to glaring at the wall. Sunny cleared his throat and continued. "Hey, how about a friendly game?"
As Sunny then placed the board game on the table, he was surprised that the elderly donkey managed to crack a smile as his eyes landed on the box. After setting the game up Sunny offered Cranky to go first. Turn after turn, both players equally landing on shoots and ladders, Cranky only needed to roll a seven to win. The donkey had a triumphant smile across his face as he began to roll the dice in his hooves, Sunny watched as Cranky was about to roll the dice when a conga line began to dance right behind him.
Without meaning to, a mare in the line that stood behind Cranky kicked out and light nudged the old donkey. The dice fell out of his hooves, tumbled around the board for a moment's before finally landing on one and two. That put Crabkey's place holder on a ladder that shot him backwards, half way across the board. Both the yellow stallion and elderly donkey stared at the board for a good long moment, then Sunny sheepishly looked up at Crankey as the old stallion's face began to turn red, veins accenting.
"He he... W-well we can still play out the rest of the game... Or you could have a reroll, I mean-" The yellow pony suggested.
"What's the point?! In two rolls you win!" The donkey certainly lives up to his name. He pushed away from the table, walked angrily I cross the room, shoving several ponies out of his way as he did so, and planed his back side in a chair against the wall and glared at the partying ponies, who were now feeling slightly awkward.
Thinking quickly, not wanting to crew up his chance at making a friend out to the donkey, Sunny's eyes spotted a muffin on the table of treats and thought it might not be too sweet for the old donkey's taste buds. Thinking a snack might help the older stallion relax, Sunny hopped over and grabbed it. Picking it up on a plate Sunny began to walk with it over to Cranky across the room. The old donkey had been watching some ponies dance from afar and seemed to be cooling off. Sunny was almost to Crankey with the muffin when he tripped over something, sending the muffin flying threw the air, until it landed strait on the muzzle of Cranky himself.
Sunny was panicking at this point. But before the birthday boy could lose his temper again, Sunny rushed over and began to apologize to him while he wiped the remains of the treat from Cracky's face. But as Sunny brushed the mashed muffin off, he accidentally flipped the golden toupee Cranky had been wearing off his naturally bald head!
Sunny felt his heart sink as the donkey looked from him to the top of his own head. Shock spread across Crankey's face, but before he could flip to anger, Sunny made a mad dash over to where he saw the hair piece on the ground. Just as the yellow stallion made a jump for it, the kongo line reached it first. Ironically enough, the same mare that kicked Cranky moments ago, made another kick into the air without looking, flipping the toupee up and sent it soaring threw the air once more.
'Somepony needs to tell that mare to look where she kicks!' Sunny thought to himself as he followed the air born wig. He could have used some of that advice himself.
Without looking where he he was going, Sunny ran into a table and hit it so hard that he flipped over it, and landing on the far end of the snack table. Sunny watched in horror as plates, silverware and snacks of all kinds flew threw the air, landing all over the room and hitting several of the party goers. Mares, stallion's and even foals were covered in debris of snacks and dining ware. But the worst part, the punch bowl was sent on a collision course for none other then the birthday boy himself!
Watching in awe, unable to process everything that had happened, Cranky sat in his chair, and watched as a nearly full punch bowl of sugar enriched punch landed on him, dousing him with the sweet red liquid, making him red and sticky from the top of his nails head all the way to his aching hooves.
The entire room fell completely silent. All the party guests were either covered in food or drinks, the dining ware lay bent or broken on the floor, and there stood Sunny with the golden wig in his hooves. It and Sunny had been the only ones undamaged by his little 'accident'. Thinking this to be the only thing to do, not necessary the wisest thing, Sunny went to go give Cranky his toupee back.
The yellow stallion pulled his stetson lower over his face to hide his shame as he walked up to the punch soaked donkey, removed the flipped over punch bowl from his head, saw the best deadpan face Cranky ever made, then he put the toupee back atop his bald head. Sunny then staggered back, feeling two inches tall, not knowing what to say, just started at the floor, afraid to look at any pony.
'So much for making friends.... I'll be lucky if I can ever show my muzzle writhing 10 miles of Ponyville ever again!' Sunny said as he hung his was low and avoided eye contact.
Before anypony 'could' say anything, the entire shop flashed filled with water from nowhere and just as fast as it appeared, the water flooded out. Racing out the front door leaving all the party guests soaked and confused. "I'm here! Now the party can begin!"
There at the door way stood the top half of a purple sea serpent with golden hair similar, if not the same, as Cranky's toupee. As Sunny got up, rinsed out his Stetson and places it back quickly I top of his head, he turned and looked at the late arrival.
"Sorry we're late everypony!" Pinkie Pie added, popping up out of the sea serpent's mane and jumping down. "Steve here wanted to stop by and get some fresh water"
"Oh one does need to freshen one's tank water when one travels." The purple serpent commented. "Don't need to smell like I've been traveling, and what not." He shuttered, then looked to the rest of the group. "So, what did I miss?"
Sunny just hung his head low and mumbled. "Just me destroying the entire party..."
"Psh" Pinkie replied as she waved a hoof. "The party isn't ruined, it's just begun!"
The pink party pony then pulled a light blue cannon out of her main and shot it several times across the crowd. Out of the cannon, instead of cannon balls came party supplies! Ones that landed perfectly as if they were set up by hoof! There were new tables with plates and silverware, a new snack table complete with freah backed goods, and yes, another punch bowl already filled with punch! It even shot out more balloons, confetti, and party supplies!
Sunny stood there, jaw dropped, completely in shock, as he looked at the room. It was like nothing has ever happened! Everypony, even Cranky, who had been hit with the party snacks had been washed clean by the flood. When the water was released from the shop, it carried away all the debris. And now, in a mere matter of seconds, Pinkie managed to bring everything back. Sunny sat there, dumbfounded and amazed as he looked across the room at the ponies who instantly began to go back to partying like it was no big deal.
"Some wild party, eh?" Octavia's voice rang as she approached Sunny.
"It.... But I...." Sunny couldn't form the right words to even begin a sentence.
Octavia just smiled and handed him a slice of birthday cake. "We've all learned to just go with it. With all that's happened here over the years, a ruined party being washed away and remade in a mere thirty seconds is nothing. Trust me."
As the grey cello player began to take small bites of her own slice of cake, Sunny was able to gather his thoughts and form a few sentences. "But, after what I had done..." He looked over at Crankey who's face had remained unchanged and very emotionless, he felt his guilt return to him. ".... What should I do?"
Octavia rolled we eyes and swallowed the small bite she had taken. "If you still feel bad, the just go apologize."
Sunny took another deep sigh and straitened his hat. "Your right. I'll be back. But if for some reason I don't make it back alive, tell the Apple family I love them..."
With that, the Stetson wearing yellow stallion made his way over to Cranky, once again. This time taking great caution with every step he took, making sure not to slip, trip, or crash into the newly reformed Kongo line. Eventually, he made it to the table where Cranky was sitting, his face still deadpanned as his sea serpent friend talked about shopping in one place or another.
The only indication Cranky gave that he was even remotely not made of stone was when Sunny stood about two feet from him and cleared his throat. The donkey's eyes moved for the first time in what seemed like forever, but his face was still expressionless.
"H-hey Cranky" Sunny smiles awkwardly as he nervously waved. But the only thing to happen was the purple sea serpent stopped talking and was now watching Sunny, which made him more nervous. Taking a deep breath Sunny gave up on being nervous and just met Crabkey's stone eyes.
"Listen, I'm really sorry about ruining your party, even if Pinkie did somehow miraculously make it all better in a flash. I did make a mess of things, and I just wanted to say-" Sunny was about to apologize again when he was cut off.
"Yeah yeah, I get it kid, don't repeat yourself" Cranky spat out as his wife Matilda returned with a picture of ice tea and some glasses. "Besides, I half expected as much."
Pinkie Pie then popped up behind Sunny to clarify for him before the yellow stallion became more confused. "See, Cranky and Matilda enjoy their quiet and peaceful loves, but also like watching the ponies run around, have fun, get into trouble, and even get out of it, as long as they don't get dragged into the craziness. But when I throw a party, they kinda guess that means that they will get sucked into the craziness anyway."
"So I just deal with it" the male donkey added in as he took a sip of his tea and smiled at his wife, looking upon her with sweet, gentle eyes. She blew him a kiss back.
"And now we can all be friends!" Pinkie shouted as she patted Sunny on the back. "And that reminds me!" She bent down and whispered in Sunny's ear "you know, Crankey, Matilda and Steve have all traveled far across Equestria, seen all kinds of places, things and met all kinds of creatures and ponies!"
This caused the gears in Sunny's head to begin to turn. Taking another deep breath he took a seat at Cranky's table and joined in on the conversation. Even though Sunny had enjoyed making friends with all the ponies in town who were so loud and full of life and energy, this small and quiet crowd seemed ok to him too. He guessed that maybe it's ok to have many different kinds of friends, at least, he hopped Cranky, Matilda and Steve would consider him a friend as easily as Pinkie and Octavia did.
As the sun went down and the last of the guests went home, Sunny stood by his cart and asked if there was anything Pinkie needed help with, feeling bad that she wanted to deal with the clean up all on her own.
"Nah, I can have it cleaned up in a flash" the party pony replied. "I'm sorry that no pony could help you with your whole 'I-don't-remember-who-I-am-or-where-I-came-from' Memory problem, Sunny."
"That's ok Pinkie" the stallion replied, tipping his Stetson at her. "I did manage to make some new friends instead."
"And that's just as great!" Pinkie commented, the bravado reappeared in her voice.
With that, Sunny began to carry his cart full of flour back to the apple farm, feeling like he was going to sleep like a rock tonight.
The day was young, but Sunny knew he was already going to heavily enjoy it. For three reasons; 1) it was Big Mac's turn to run the apple stand in town. Not that running the stand is bad or anything, but it was the middle of the week, and that meant it would more then likely be a slow day. Unlike his more silent pal, Sunny heavily enjoyed talking with the ponies in town. So the yellow stallion was more then glad to have remained on the farm today. 2) Today Sunny was tasked with helping Granny Smith and Applejack make the fresh baked apple products they both eat and sell. He had spent a lot of time in town, running around, and meeting lots of ponies. Which was great and all, but staying on the Apple farm and being around most of the Apple family made him feel, well, relaxed. At home even. And 3) between the three of them, they would have all the orders done in no time, and that meant Sunny could spend some time with Applejack and her friends, or well.... Maybe just Appejack.
As the yellow stallion was being instructed by Granny on how to work the dough for the pies so they end up light and fluffy, rather then hard and crunchy, the stallion was finding it harder and harder to listen. Every chance he got he shot a quick look over at the Orange mare who was covered in little blotches of flour and dough. He couldn't explain it much himself, but he felt... Something....
"Are you paying attention, Sunny?!" Granny snapped, narrowing her eyes at the stallion as he flipped his head around to meet her frustrated gaze.
He gulped, fearing he had been caught with his hoof in the cookie jar. "Y-yes granny! Miss! A-ah was listenin'!"
But Granny seemed oblivious as to what Sunny was paying more attention to, or to be more accurate, 'who' he was paying more attention to, and just assumed the Stallion was losing interest in her words of wisdom when it came to the Apple family secret methods to baking. "Maybe ya' would prefer ta' be workin' on the filling. Why don't ya' go peal an' cut up some apple slices. Not too thin this time, ok?"
Sunny nodded sheepishly and moved from the table where the dough was being prepared and rolled out, to the table next to Applejack where she was carefully preparing the pie tins. As he grabbed a few apples and began to carefully peal the skins off then, Applejack took note of his work.
"Ya really improved since ya first started" she said as she smiled at him. "Ah remember when ya could barley move the peeler across the ' apple's skin. Now ya really got it down."
Sunny began to beam with pride as a huge smile spread across his face. He could feel his cheeks becoming red as he lowered his head and tried his best to focus on his work. His heart was beating a million milled per hour when the door to the kitchen flew open, slamming against a wall, with Rarity standing there, looking flustered and more frightened then Sunny had ever seen her.
Her entrance was so sudden, it shocked Sunny to where he accidentally sliced threw the apple and the chunk of apple he cut off from the whole flew across the room and landed on the fashionista's face! To every ponie's surprise, the mare who was all about her appearance and her looks simply wiped the sticky and juicy apple chunk off of her face, and ignored the trail of apple juice that it left behind. She instead homed in on Sunny, who was looking just as worried as Applejack and Granny at this point. Rarity flew across the kitchen and landed next to the yellow stallion.
"Sunny! I need your help! I've been summoned to Canterlot for business but I can't go alone!" The white unicorn gave him the biggest and saddest eyes she could. "Please! Please-please-please! Please! Go with me!" She begged as she batted her eyelashes, slight tears gathering at the far edges of her eyes.
Sunny turned to Applejack, looking concerned and unsure of how to answer. But the orange farm pony gave him a weak smile as she shrugged. "Maybe you should go with her. It might help you with your memory. Besides..." She looked down at her friend who was beginning to tear up, her make up beginning to run. "She looks like she really needs yer help. A true friend helps a friend in need, right?"
"Y-yeah..." Sunny replied half heartedly as he liked down at the fashionista on the brink of tears, as she gave him a small and sweet smile. He gave Rarity a half, but honest grin as he told her "if love to help you, Rarity, so what-"
"Splendid! I've already packed for the occasion, even for you, we can't have you going to this meeting without the proper attire, all free of charge and a gift for you help of course, now we have to hurry, don't want to miss out train!" Rarity spoke faster then Pinkie Pie at this point, and like magic, her make up seemed to fall back into place, even the apple residue seemed to have dissipated (or was absorbed into her coat, Sunny wasn't sure.).
Rarity grabbed Sunny around his right front leg and practically dragged him out of the farm house faster then when she arrived. Granny and Applejack just stood there and tried to take all of it in, looked to each other, and wondering just what kind of meeting had that mare all in twist like that.
Sunny looked out the window of the fast moving train, amazed at not only how the landscape seemed to fly by in a blur, but also how beautiful it was. Other then the trees or rocks that lay in the front, closest to the train, the scenery beyond that was amazing. Being further in the background made it seemed to move a lot slower, allowing Sunny to observe it more. He hadn't been out side Ponyville other then when he first met Goldie Delicious. And off in the far far distance he saw the most amazing sight! His pupils doubled in size as his eyes caught the sight of a castle on the side of the tallest mountain! He couldn't believe his eyes, it was huge! A castle of white and gold stone with accents of purple and slight black. It was like a work of magic!
"Amazing isn't it?" Rarity commented, seeing Sunny gawk at Canterlot. "Every pony thinks so. And wait until we get there! You are going to love it! The glamor! The sophistication! Oh...." The white unicorn sighed with a the joy at the mere thought of Canterlot. "We have a few stops to make, then we'll head on to have lunch with my, eh...."
"Clients?" Sunny completed her sentence, knowing that it was common for business partners and clients to often share a meal together to get to know one another. "Mind telling me who we are meeting and why?"
Rarity heavily sighed as she felt guilty and slightly ashamed for tricking the yellow farm pony. "Well... You see... The 'business' aspect of it is... Well, really 'personal' business... We're... Meeting my parents."
Sunny was still confused. "You do business with your parents?"
"Well ... not really, my parents retired young. They owned several small businesses around Canterlot and Manehatten, and are just enjoying their time together. But because of that, they worry about me, being all caught up in my shop and what not. They think I should be settling down, getting married and having foals."
"Ah...." Sunny commented, not really sure of what to say. He can't really remember his own parents, and the only mother figure he has in his life right now is Granny. And the only parental advise she gave him was 'if you own a farm either have lots of kids or make sure you have lots of grand kids.'
"Sooooo.... I need your held to get my parents off my back." Rarity continued, brining Sunny back to the present. "For the past month or so, my parents have been trying to hook me up with all kinds of stallions. Mainly ones who they knew the parents of. And it's been... Annoying lately. I've been getting love notes and proposal letters from stallions I don't even know. "
"Sounds kinda frustrating" Sunny commented, imagining how weird it would be great some random mares to come up to him every couple of days and want him to marry her. "But I still don t se what you need me for...?"
"Well, and I know it's low of me to put you in this position, but..." The mare gulped. "Would you mind pretending to be my Special Some Pony to get my parents off my back?"
"Your.... What?" The phrase confused the yellow stallion.
"'Special Some Pony'" Rarity repeated herself. "It's a phrase meaning 'a pony you have personal feelings for'. You know, somepony you want to be close with, somepony who makes you feel all warm inside, somepony you want to impress and be with all the time, somepony who make your heart feel like it's going to burst, or burst twice."
Sunny didn't even need to think. As the white mare spoke the image of a certain blond mare with a light orange coat, freckles, and emerald green eyes filled his mind. He didn't know how long he was lost in thought before he realized that Rarity was trying to talk to him. But when she finally was able to snap him out of it, he only shook his head and muttered "huh? What did you say?"
Rarity chuckled, "it seems you might have somepony already in mind, darling. Makes me feel a tad bit more guilty for asking your help with this, but also a tad bit envious. Not to pry, but is she somepony I know?" The smile on Rarity grew as she tried to see threw Sunny.
"Huh? I don't know what you are talking about. Know who?" Sunny began to play a little.
"Playing coy, darling? Tsk tsk tsk. That's not polite." The fashionista commented as she continued to smile.
"Oh? And tricking your parents is?" Sunny countered, returning a cocky smile.
"Touché, touché" the white mare replied, her smug smile wavered.
Sunny let out a huge sigh as he turned and took a good look at the fashionista. "Rarity.... I'm not so sure I'm ok with all of this.... Lying to your parents... Maybe it's because I don't remember my own but... Don't they have your best intreats at heart?"
That added weight to the guilt Rarity had already been carrying. "I know, darling, trust me. I already feel absolutely dreadful about this whole ordeal. I know my Mother and Father mean well... But I'm not some old mare. I want to enjoy life in Ponyville, with my work, and have fun with my friends still...." Ratity's ears slightly dropped as she continued. "The last couple of stallion's who wrote to me explained, in great detail, how I would have to be the one to move in with them when the time came. And since their homes or businesses were located in places like Trottingham, Los Pegasus and even Dodge Junction, that would mean I would have to move away from my friends!"
"You can't do that!" Sunny's heart began to beat a million miles per hour at the thought of Applejack losing one of her best friends.
Rarity tossed her forehoof up to her head and rested herself agains the back of her seat. "I never wish to be separated from my friends, not in any way, shape or form... But these suitors Mother and Father keep sending after me are getting more and more persistent...."
"I'll do whatever I can to help you, Rarity" Sunny said with a smile on his face.
Rarity looked up and shinned at the thought that Sunny was now willing to aid her in her hour of need. "You will! Oh Sunny!" She flew over and jumped at the stallion, giving him a great big hug. "I'm ever so greatful! You have no idea what this means to me!"
'It means you won't lose a part of your world...' Sunny thought, the true emotion behind his smile was that of a saddened envy. 'Friends.... Family.... I will help you to keep them both so you don't lose anypony.'
The train ride lasted for a few more hours before they both arrived in Canterlot. They spoke about what they would be doing in Canterlot, other then just meeting Rarity's parents.
"Just a few small stops before we head to the restaurant to meet my parents, which will give us some time to practice." Rarity began as she happily hopped off the train, Sunny carrying her luggage behind her.
"Practice?" Sunny said between breaths. As usual, Rarity seemed to have packed for a while week rather then just one day.
"Well..." Rarity once again gave Sunny a sheepish look. "I never told them you... Worked on a farm. I told them you worked for the mayor. You know, a high end respectable job involved with authority."
Sunny stopped dead in his tracks, a frown and glair glowing on the stallion's face. "Working on the Apple farm 'is' respectable."
Rarity saw the stallion's anger and tried to recover. "I understand, sweetie, trust me, I have nothing but respect for the working pony. Applejack and I are some of the best of friends. But my parents would never believe I would fall for a stallion who works around, eh-yuck, dirt all day...."
Sunny just pushed out some held breath and frustration and tossed the rest of Ratity's luggage on his back. He was greatful for his earth pony like strength, it made carting the heavy cargo easier.
"Now, you work for the mayor" the white unicorn continued as they walked into the shopping area of Canterlot, Sunny getting a sickening feeling in his stomach that this was not going to end well....
Sunny had accompanied Rarity through several shops, some clothing stores that Rarity insisted they drop by to get Sunny something 'decent' to wear for lunch, even though she had brought some cloths with her. She could help but admire Canterlot's newest attire available for stallions. Apparently my her then Spike, she didn't have many stallion friends to dress up, so this was a golden opportunity for her. They also visited several souvenir shops and stands, picking up a few gifts for their friends back home. And what Sunny found odd, Rarity insisted on stopping by a few hardware stores to pick up some pieces. But he didn't mind, Sunny was overcome by the sights of the enriched city. Rarity had told him that Canterlot was the jewel of Equestria, and w believed it. It was more beautiful then he had ever imagined. One thing that Sunny preferred about Ponyville, in comparison to Canterlot, were the ponies attitudes. A lot of the ponies in town seemed to either be too into themselves or act too good to even wave back when Sunny greeted them. But there were a few who seemed to smile and a knowledge Sunny's existence, they were far and few between.
'I guess that's the life of the rich and wealthy' Sunny thought. Ten remembered Rarity said her parents had several businesses that they owned and retired early. He wondered if they were like all of these ponies, walking around in their expensive outfits and thick heavy pockets.
By the end of the shipping portion of their trip, Sunny was surprised that it was just barley noon. He had changed into the suit that Rarity had packed for him. She decided that the one she packed looked to be more like one somepony from Ponyville would wear, which was the impression she wanted to make. Rarity herself self had made several wardrobe changes. She went between a dress she designed, to one se picked up at the first shop they visited, to the most recent one she bought, and back to her first one. Sunny never knew anypony could enjoy changing cloths so often. He was glad most of the time he just ran around naked.
"Black is so you color, dear" se said with a sweet chime as she readjusted his tie. Sunny was stuck wearing a black suit, which he agreed did look good on him with his yellow coat and orange mane. But it didn't allow much movement. He could never run, lift, or do any form of work in it.
"Now, let's not keep Mother and Father waiting. Do you remember what we rehearsed?" Rarity a makes the polished up farm stallion.
Sunny was only able to nod, as an answer. Between the tight suit he was wearing, plus the large amount of bags that he got suckered into carrying, it was a surprise he hadn't passed out yet. The bags, of course, were all Rarity's luggage and souvenirs she aquired.
"Oh wondeful! And again, I really do appreciate your help" Rarity elegantly strode ahead while Sunny barley wobbled several feet behind her.
After about ten minutes of carrying her things, Sunny stopped and set them down in front of a large diner. He looked around and saw many ponies sitting both inside the establishment at booths and small tables, as well as outside at moderately sized tables that sat outside, shaded by large umbrellas. Sunny's attention was caught by a pink unicorn mare who was waving him and Rarity down.
"Over here!" A pink unicorn with a tall purple hair styled mane waved again, sitting beside a white stallion wearing a straw hat. They both wore very bright tropically designed shirts and seemed very easy going. Not at all what Sunny had been expecting, especially looking at Rarity herself.
Sunny cracked a smile at Rarity as she smiled awkwardly back and whispered through her teeth "just relax and let me do most of the talking."
"Deal" was Sunny's only reply as he spoke through his teeth as well, walking casually beside her, picking up her belongings again.
They both walked as casually as they both could over to the table where Rarity's parents sat. Sunny carefully dropped all of Rarity's stuff not far from their table, stretched his back, taking as deep a breath as he could with that suit on, then took a seat with Rarity at their parents table.
"Oh! So this is the colt we've heard so much about, eh?" Rarity's mother began, seeming very interested in Sunny.
"Well he sure is a strong feller, eh?" Her father commented, tipping his hat back. "I like yer Stetson. Very classy. But what's the apple on the front for?"
It was only then that Sunny and Rarity both realized that he was still wearing his apple family Stetson hat. Thinking quickly, Rarity salvaged the situation.
"Oh it was a gift from the Apple family" not technically a lie. "You know, the ponies who run Sweet Apple Acres back in Ponyville? Because Sunny helped them get their financial paperwork in order and sorted out several technical issues, they deemed him an honorary Apple family member." Ok, lying mostly, but Sunny just kept smiling through it all.
"Oh! So you're the mayor's aid and an honorary Apple family member!" Rarity's mother started, then stopped her self with a hoof wave. "Oh, but where are my manners? My name's Cookie Crumbles."
The white unicorn stallion with a mustache then stretched out his hoof to Sunny "And I'm Hondo, Hondo Flanks, but you can call me pop pop if ya want."
Sunny gulped, he raised his hoof, trying not to break through the fabric of the suit, reached over and shook Hondo's hoof. Sunny smiled at the mustache bearing stallion and replied " if it's ok with you, I'd prefer just 'Sir', Sir."
"Oh! What a polite feller you nabbed, eh Rarity?" Cookie complemented.
"Why, that's a mighty firm hoof shake you have there" Hondo commented, "do ya work out?"
"Oh yes!" Rarity answered for Sunny as she wrapped her hooves around him. "Sunny is very strict of physical fitness."
"Oh, good on ya, Sunny" Cookie smiled at him. "So, not to bring up bad times, but Rarity told us you lost your memory a while back, before you started working for the mayor."
"Th-that's right" Sunny stuttered, not thinking Rarity would tell them that. "I actually only go by Sunny because it just kinda feels right. I'm not even sure it's my real name."
"That's so terrible!" Cookie's bright and cheery face began to fade. Without saying anything, she got up and hugged Sunny as hard as she could, which he would have appreciated more if he wasn't already being squeezed to death by his suit.
"We're both very sorry to hear that" Hondo replied. "But lucky for you Rarity came along, eh? Teaching you how to cook, clean, and read again, eh?"
This caused Sunny to stiffen a bit, he kept a forced smiling as he kept his head forward but his eyes fell heavily upon the white mare next to him. Rarity sheepishly took a sip of her water, and looked away from the glaring yellow stallion. He kept his teeth locked as he replied. "Yes. Yes I am very fortunate."
Rarity had the same awkward smile on as she lightly chuckled. "So mother, father, how were the Misty Mountains?"
The couple spoke about the good times they had skiing and drinking hot chocolate in the ski lounge. Sunny chimmed in after they finished and told a few jokes he read in the book Pinky gave him. They earned a few chuckles from Rarity's mother, but had we father in stitches. After several moments, her father began to gather himself from the last joke that Sunny told, and he whipped the tears from his eyes.
"Whahooo, Rarity, you nabbed yourself a real funny one here! Ohhh! He's a keeper!" He commented, still holding his sides.
"To true dear" Cookie smiled at her husband, then turned to Rarity. "So, your father and I had been talking, and in light of everything, we decided to move to Ponyville and get a home not far from your boutique."
This caused Rarity to spit out her ice water. "W-what?! But why?!?! I-I-I mean, there ain't any reason for you to stop your all across Equestria traveling!"
"Oh, your mother and I talked long and hard about it" Hondo added once he had fully stopped laughing. "And we decided that we want to settle down and watch our little girl's love blossom and grow" he grabbed his wife's hoof and nuzzled her cheek.
"Just like ours did" Cookie commented, nuzzling back.
"B-b-but! But you can't!" Rarity began to stutter. "I mean, we are both so busy with our jobs, we wouldn't have time to-"
"Well that's the beauty of it!" Cookie interrupted. "We'll be around for when you to are able to take time off of work. Besides, I want to help my little girl plan for her wedding."
"Wedding?!?!" Both Rariry and Sunny repeated the last word at the same time, both of their hearts sinking into the pits of their stomachs.
"Well of course dear" Rarity's father spoke up this time. "Your mother will help with the decorations, the planning, the dresses, and Sunny and I will get to know each other better. Maybe we can even hit the gym together, eh? Little father-in-law/ son-in-law work outs?"
Sunny then turned and whispered to Rarity "what are we going to do?!?!"
"I'll figure something out, hold on" she replied to the yellow stallion in her whisper voice. Then they both turned back and nervously faced her parents.
"Mother, Father, I don't know that we'll be getting married any time soon..." Rarity began.
"Oh? But your letters made it sound like you two were so ready to elope?" Cookie then pulls out a letter and begins to read a part in it. "'... When I am with him, my heart takes flight, I know I can rest easy knowing he is there for me, and will be by my side. His eyes are two perfect emeralds that outshine the sun, his voice the soothing jazz that calms the storm of my soul. He is my breath, my heart beat, and my morning rays....'"
Sunny begins to turn slightly red as he turns to Rarity who is now a really bright shade of pink and burying her face in her hooves.
"Sound alike true love to me, eh?" Hondo said as he took another sip of his drink.
"W-well, S-sunny is really busy at work! Doing all he can to help the good ponies of Ponyville. E can't take time off of work for that!" Rarity began, pulling herself out of her hooves.
"R-right! The mayor is tasking me with a lot of taxing work! I have a mountain of paperwork just waiting for me back at the office!" Sunny added, trying to help. "Especially with elections coming up, and there are some new taxes that need to be put to a vote..."
Both of Rarity's parents looked at each other, then her mother replied "didn't Ponyville just have their election at the beginning of the year?"
"Oh, ugh...." Sunny was trying to think fast. "I-I mean-"
"Elections for the PTA meetings!" Rarity added. "Have to have a proper school board."
"But isn't there just one school, with one teacher?" Rarity's father asked this time, now both parents becoming confused.
But before Sunny or Rarity could come up with another believable lie, a few very familiar set of voices chimed in.
"Hey look! It's Rarity and Sunny!" Scootaloo said heading towards the group.
"And my mom and dad!" Sweetie Bell followed behind her.
"Hey ya'll!" Apple Bloom followed behind with Rainbow Dash at the rear.
Sunny and Rarity felt like their hearts were going to pop right out of their respective chests as the fillies and their chaperon approached their table, feeling it grow more and more impossible to keep up the charade.
"What are you all doing here?!" Rarity cleared her throat and out in her best smile, desperately trying to remain calm. "I mean, what a pleasant surprise! What brings you all here?"
Rainbow Dash flew up and held out some tickets triumphantly. "We just got tickets to see the first ever showing of the Daring Doo movie! It comes out in a month and we already got our tickets before they sold out!"
"Oh?! That sounds great! Why don't you head back to Ponyville as tell Twilight-" Rarity tries to shoo them all away politely.
"Oh! That reminds me!" Apple Bloom spoke up. "Sunny, when we get back to the farm, Big Mac needs yer help fixing ' the old plow. He got some spare parts but can't do it alone."
Both of Rarity's parents looked confused, but her father spoke up. "Why can't Big Mac get somepony else to help him with that?"
"Yeah" Rarity's mother added. "Sunny has a lot of paperwork to do back at the mayor's office."
All the fillies and Rainbow looked confusingly at each other, then they turned back to Rarity and Sweetie Bells's parents.
"Since when does Sunny do 'paperwork'?" Scootaloo blankly asked.
"Does he help the mayor out too?" Sweetie Bell asked Apple Bloom.
"Ah don' know when he'd have the time" the little earth pony fully answered. "He's always so busy at the farm."
"At the farm.... You mean helping to sort out paperwork for the farm?" Hondo asked.
Apple Bloom shook her head. "Mostly helping with the harvest, but he also helps Granny with the backing. Oh! And he occasionally helps us with our crusading!"
Both of Rarity's parents turn to Rarity and Sunny who where now slouching in their seats. Well, Sunny slouched as much as he could in his seat with that tight suit on.
"Care to explain this one?" Cookie asked her eldest daughter, her gaze now showing a flair of suspicion.
Rarity sat strait up, let out a small sigh, and with a defeated look, fully prepared to explain herself and tell the truth, but something interrupted her.
There was a loud tearing sound that came from Sunny's suit as the back and the top of the sleeves all tore at the same time. After a moment of stillness from everyone, Sunny let out a heals breath as a button flew from the top of his button up shit and shot right between Rarity's parents. Nopony saw where it went, but a loud crashing could be heard from off in the distance followed by the sound of screeching tires. Sunny then cleared his throat to redirect everypony's attention at him.
"The truth is...Rarity and I aren't dating" Sunny flatly answered. Both of Rarity's parents looked shocked, frustrated and insulted. "But she had a good reason."
"What reason could sh have and for lying to us, eh?" Her father spoke up first, anger building up as he narrowed his eyes at the stallion. But Sunny stood his ground.
"You guys were-" Sunny began but felt a gentle hoof on his shoulder. Rarity stopped him.
"Thank you dear, but I should explain this..." She then looked her parents strait in the eye as she spoke calmly And collectively. "For the past couple of months, you two have been sending every single stallion you could after me, trying to get me to find a Special Some Pony. But I don't want to settle down. Well, not yet, at least."
"But you spend so much time working darling" Rarity's mother commented. "How can you ever find a stallion when you stay all day in your shop?"
"But I don't, mother" Rarity countered. "I get out and meet ponies in town. I hang out with my friends. I travel all across Equeatria helping Twilight and my friends to spread the magic of friend ship, and trust me, I meet stallions all the time." Rarity then turned on the charm as she struck an elegant pose, batted her eyelashes, and flipped a Lon purple lock of her mane, "and when I find a decent one, trust me, I'll have no trouble getting him to fall for me. But until then, I want to keep living my life the way I do now, uninterrupted by weird stallions I've never met, who knock on my door and want to marry me on the spot!"
Both of Rarity's parents pause and look at each other, carefully taking in everything their daughter had told them, then they turned to her and smiled.
"Well if you feel that strongly about it honey..." Her father began.
"Then I guess we'll respect your wishes, and stop sending stallions after you." her mother finished up.
With that, a tearful Rarity gave her mother and father a huge hug as she leaned in from across the table. Sweetie Bell joined in as well as the entire family enjoyed a group hug. Scootaloo moved in a few inches closer to Rainbow Dash, who noticed, and pulled the little filly into her hooves and gave her a friendly noogie. Apple Bloom looked to Sunny, who returns a smile and patted her on the head, then gave the little yellow filly a side hug.
It was a warm moment to be sure, one that remained in Sunny's mind as he, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and the Cute Mark Crusaders took the train home after they all enjoyed lunch with Rarity and Sweetie Bell's parents. For some odd reason, as Sunny watched the sun begin to travel across the sky, all he could think about was going back to the Apple farm. Back 'home' to the Apple farm.
Sunny, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and the Cutie Mark Crusaders all arrived back in Ponyville just shortly before dinner time. As the group dispersed, Sunny walked with Apple Bloom back to the farm. As they walked, Apple Bloom expressed her enthusiasm for the up coming 'Daring Doo' movie and how she and the other crusaders were going to work hard to make their own Daring Doo costumes.
"Sure other ponies could just 'buy' their costumes, but where is the fun in that?!" Apple Bloom explained as she happily trotted along side the yellow stallion.
"And let me guess, you might get a cutie mark in 'costume making'?" Sunny half joked, knowing the crusaders turned everything into a project to get their cutie marks.
"Exactly!" Apple Bloom said as she jumped up and down amazingly more excited then she had been a moment ago. "Ya know Sunny, yer a great stallion! It's like yer my long lost brother 'er somethin'."
This made Sunny beam with delight. He always thought Apple Bloom was the perfect little sister figure, and it just made his heart, well, explode when she said that. She was cute, without being too girly. Halfway back to the farm from, the little yellow filly began to yawn, her eyelids began to bounce, wanting to shut fully and allow the little pony to sleep. Without asking, Sunny picked up the yellow filly and began to carry her on his back. By the time they made it back to the farm house, she was out cold.
Both Applejack and Big Mac met them at the door to the barn, both happy to see the safe return of the two yellow farm ponies. Big Mac offered to take his younger sister off Sunny's hooves and put her to bed. Sunny didn't argue. After the day's escapade, not to mention carrying all of Rarity's stuff around, as well as all the shopping she wanted to do, Sunny was a bit worn out. And tomorrow he knew it would be his turn to work in the fields again.
"Have fun?" Applejack asked as Sunny sat at the table with her in the farm house kitchen. She passed him a tall glass of milk as he began telling her all about what happened with Ratity and her parents. Sunny did his best to go over most of the story, but between the glass of milk and the exhausting day, he too was feeling slightly drained. The thought of that comfortable bed sounding more and more inviting by the moment.
"Well.... It was interesting" the yellow stallion then cracked his back. "Ugh... I'm thinking if it's ok with you, I'm going to actually call it a night. Got lots of work tomorrow, bright and early."
Applejack's heart sunk a little, but she never let her face show how disappointed she really was. "Yeah, sounds like a good idea. You sure ya ain't hungry, though? Ah could wipe ya something up really fast. Never good to go to bed on an empty stomach, ya know."
"I'm good, thank you" he said as he hopped out of his seat and stretched again. "But I'll be fine."
With that, the yellow stallion on the farm carried himself upstairs into the guest room where he had been staying the entire time, walked inside, shut the door gently behind him, then jumped and plopped into the bed, his Stetson falling to the ground. And like that, the stallion was out cold.
Applejack watched every step he took. And when he shut the door behind himself, she let out a heavy held sigh, her ears and eyes falling to the floor. She had hoped to spend more time with him today. She didn't know Rarity would have him out for so long. She remembered how this morning she struggled to keep her eyes off of him, not wanting to notice her catching sights of him whenever he wasn't looking. She sighed heavily again.
"Something the matter, Applejack?" Granny asked as she walked into the kitchen, ready to get supper started.
"Granny... Have you ever..." The orange mare began to say, but her words were difficult to spit out.
"What is it, child?" The elderly green mare asked as she began to pull out ingredients.
"Well.... Ah've been sendin' Sunny out an' about, here and there, hoping that somepony, anypony, would help ta jog his memory. Twilight said his memory loss wasn't magical. Something so bad happened to th' feller that his mind suppressed it.... "
"Yep, must have been somethin' really, dang awful ta do that ta a pony" Granny said as she began chopping up some apples.
"Do ya think I'm doing right by him?" Applejack asked, walking up beside her grandmother and helping her prepare the ingredients. "Ah just... Ah want to do what's best fer him.... But... But what if living here with us is what's best? Can he just keep living here with us? Forever? Become one of the family? Ah means, he works well, he's a hard worker! And Big Mac and Apple Bloom seem ta be gettin' along with him, and ah'..."
Granny continued to peel apples but looked up at her grand daughter, who had paused trying to gather her words and feelings. "You, what, Applejack?"
But the pony of honesty couldn't directly say what was bothering her. "Ah just... Ah really want him to stay here. With us... He's like family."
Granny smile and pulled her eldest grand daughter in for a hug. "Applejack, if yer afraid of losin' that wiper snapper, don't be. Ah see the way he looks at you. The way his face lights up when he sees you. How he jumps to yer aid, always tryin' so hard to show you he's good stock."
Applejack was on the verge of tears, but she held an honest smile. "Ah don't know what it is Granny... Ah've never felt this way before, not 'bout any pony before."
Granny released Applejack from her hug and bopped her on her orange nose. "That's called 'love' sweetie. You've been bit by the ol' love bug. And pretty bad to, he he... And you know the best way to ah stallion's heart?"
Applejack's tears clear up as she thinks. "Ugh... Hard work and determination?"
"Through his stomach" Granny corrected her. "And if there's one thing ah think ya've learned 'bout Sunny is his favorite Apple family breakfast is-"
"Apple Fritters!" Applejack then realizes all the ingredients that Granny brought out were for making the breakfast treat! "But how did you..." Applejack began to ask how Granny guessed to make them for the next morning. Did she plan to anyway?
"When you get to be 'bout mah age, sweetie, ya just know things" Granny said, cracking some eggs into a bowl with flour. "Now, are ya gunna help me, or do ah have ta make these mah self?"
Applejack laughed as she put her hat on the rack by the kitchen door and with much bravado, began making the best apple fritters she ever crafted, putting all her tender love and care into them, wanting to impress the stallion that walked into her life and stole her heart.
It seemed to be an average night of work as princess Luna made her way across the dream realm. Most of the ponies slept soundly, a few foals having a nightmare or two, but nothing she couldn't handle. It brought her joy when she entered a foal's dream and helped them to conquer their fears. Weather it was as rational as fearing a bully, creatures of the Everfree forest, or a parent's scolding or as Irrational as fearing monsters under the bed, it was all in a nights work for the princess of the night.
The dream world was a simple one to understand, when one traveled it as often as Luna did. Pony's dreams were held within large spheres that represented the world in which the pony dreamed they were in. When a dream was pure and the pony in it was resting easily, the dream bubble, as Luna had often called them, was clear and she could easily see into it, viewing the pony in their dream. But when the dream turned into a nightmare, the bubble could warp and change violently.
Princess Luna had seen all kinds of ways a nightmare presented itself. It could cloud the bubble like a dark storm, make loud and frightening noises, shake violently, pulse rapidly, even produce large amounts of heat or cold. All of which would attract her attention, to which, se dealt with accordingly.
But on this nightly venture something the princess had never seen before caught her eye. It was a dream bubble, that much was for sure, like most the dreams she dealt with. But this one appeared to be... Hard. Solid. Made of stone. She couldn't enter it. And when she places a hoof on it, it shocked her! Something in the dream world was working against her. Her! The princess of the night! The protector of dreams! How could this be so, she thought.
For a moment, she hesitated. Torn between caution in wanting her sister's advice in such an event, and wanting to deal with it herself this being a matter of her own 'area of expertise'. She started at the dark grey dream orb, wondering what contents it held.
"We've never dealt with the likes of this before" Luna spoke to herself. "It's unheard of... Somepony must either have a great and strong subconscious... Or be under a very strong spell..."
After observing the oddity a bit more, taking in ever inch of the stone colored bubble and obtaining from it little to no information about who could be having the dream, the lunar princess decided it best to speak with her sister and ask for her aid in researching the phenomenon.
-Sweet Apple Acres-
Before the sun rose and the roosters had a chance to crow, Sunny was up and awake, and readying himself for the day. Washing his face, using the restroom, some what brushing his mane (not putting much effort into making it look nice,it's going to be under a hat anyway), he quickly through on his Stetson hat, then took one last glance in the mirror before he made his way down stairs. He gave his reflection a nod as he tipped his hat and quietly moved out the door and down the flight of stairs. As he did, right as he reached the front of the kitchen arch way, a lovely aroma hit him like a tone of bricks!
"Is that...." He smiles as his muzzle rose high into the air, not wanting to miss a single scent of the delicious, fresh baked goods.
"Freshly baked apple fritters" Applejack said as she placed them on the counter to cool. "Just like you like them."
Sunny's mouth was drooling enough to water the entire orchard twice over! It was like a dream! The yellow stallion couldn't help but look at the spread in awe. Mott only Apple fritters, but a tall jug of cool milk, oats, and apple juice to go with it! "What's the occasion?" He asked Applejack as she placed the last of 3 dozen or so of the freshly backed apple goods on the counter.
"Ah just wanted to make you breakfast" Applejack said with a smile, as she felt her nerves began to eat at her, making her more jittery and nervous with the stallion around. "Well, you and Big Mac and Apple Bloom, but mostly you. I mean, they get some too, but I really wanted you to-"
"Thank you, Applejack" Sunny said, interrupting her. Not meaning to be rude, but at the same time, not wanting her to stumble across her words any more. "I really appreciate it, and all you've done for me."
The orange farm mare smile and looked to the ground as she adjusted her own Stetson. "Well shucks, ah just do what any pony would..."
"I don't think so" Sunny commented as he took a seat at the table. "You really have gone out of your way to help me. Both on the farm and with trying to get my memory back. And I want you to know just how much really appreciate it. It means a lot to me."
The made Applejack smile wider then she ever had before. Then the question slid it's way from the back of her mind. She let out a heavy sigh as her smile disappeared. "Say, Sunny... What if... What if ya never get yer memory back? What do you plan to do?"
The yellow stallion's ears dropped. "I... I haven't really thought about it too much... I guess I can't really ask you to put me up forever. That would be rude, and I don't want to be too much of an inconvenience-"
"No!" Applejack yelled accidently, then covered her mouth. "Ah mean, if ya want, yet free ta stay here 'slong as ya like." She began to smile again as she lay here eyes upon his. "We, ah mean, the ' family would love ya have ya here as long as ya like."
Time seemed to freeze as the two pair of emerald green eyes began to grow closer and closer together as the space between the two ponies in the kitchen began to shrink. Their muzzles just inches from each other. Their respective heart beats causing their bodies to tremble, the temperature in the entire room to rise, as they both leaned in and-
There came a knocking at the door!
Sunny slipped and fell to the ground as Applejack herself fell on top of the table. Both of them sat there for a moment as Granny trotted down stairs, yawning. "Now who could that be at this time of day?"
As she opened the door a tall yellow mare. She had a bright orange mane that flowed behind her head. She was an earth pony, who stood maybe a few inches taller then Big Mac, had perfectly white teeth, and grassy green eyes. She looked down at Granny with sorrow filled eyes. "Excuse me miss, I don't mean to intrude, but is this 'Sweet Apple Acres?'"
Granny smiled at the well mannered mare and nodded. "That it is miss, ugh, can we help you?"
"Oh I do hope so" she began as she dug around in her purse. "You see, I've lost my son and I was told there was a stallion who lived here who he resembled ... Ah here it is!"
The mare pulled out a photo and showed it to Granny. The elderly green mare pulled out her glasses and peered at the picture. Her jaw dropped almost immediately. "Well ah'll be! Sunny! Take a look at this!"
Sunny and Applejack stuck their heads out of the kitchen for a moment to see what all the fuss was about. The moment they did, the yellow mare's frown blew into a full smile, reaching from ear to ear as she ran into the house and up to the yellow stallion, wrapping him in a bear hug that knocked the wind out of him. "Oh my baby boy! There you are! I've missed you so so so much!"
Granny dropped the picture that the mare had handed to her and ran over to the mare who now had Sunny in a death grip hug. Applejack couldn't help herself but pick up the photo that Granny dropped. She looked it over and gasped. In it was a buff looking brown stallion standing next to the yellow mare with an orange mane and tail that came to the door, along with several smaller fillies and colts, all different colors of the rainbow. All happy and smiling, with Sunny right in the middle, beaming with joy.
It seemed to be one of the largest gatherings since the Apple family reunion. All of Sunny's little bothers, sisters, cousins, a few aunts and uncles and his mother had gathered at Sweet Apple Acres when they heard the news that he had been found. She had sent word and fast to call off the search for him as soon as she released him from her death lock hug. They all couldn't wait to come down and see that he was ok. Applejack and the rest of the Apple were more then happy to host a reunion party for Sunny and his family.
"So... My name isn't 'Sunny'?" The yellow stallion said, readjusting his Stetson hat nervously. He was sitting at the picnic table outside with his mother and Applejack,while all the little ones played with Apple Bloom near by.
"I'm afraid not" his mother replied, tucking a lock her mane behind her ear as she held out a family photo album. "We named you 'Custard Glaze' after your great grandfather 'general Custard Glaze IV', my grandfather, who fought in the Griffin wars..." She then pointed to a worn and torn photo on an open page of the album.
AJ peeked over and looked at the photo, slightly annoying Sunny's, or Custard's , mother. "Wow wee, Sunny! Never knew ya wer' related ta' a war hero! He even has yer strong chin!"
Custard's mother pulled the album away from Applejack's sight and began pointing out more picture's of their family out to Custard. Some of her and her mother, some of Custard's father when they first met. "Oh I do wish your father would just ask his mother for some of their family photos, he was such a good looking colt" she smiled at her son "you look just like him when he was your age."
The complement made Custard beam a little, but the joy was short lived. He looked at several of the photos on the open pages of the album, then at all his cousins, sisters, brothers and elder family members that had gathered at the farm who were celebrating, laughing, enjoying the food provided and seemed to be happy. 'A family... My family.... Why... Why am I not happier?... This is what I wanted... Right?...' Sunny, or Custard, gave his mother a half smile when Applejack spoke up and tore him from his thoughts.
"How about a big ol' family dinner tonight! Sunny, er, Custard's family and the Apples! One big happy family dinner!" Applejack suggested.
"Why that sounds just lovely" Custards mother commented, narrowing her eyes at Applejack, speaking through her teeth. But her face relaxes as she turned back to Custard. "Then after dinner, we'll head back to Boltimare, your father has been worried sick, and your grandmother-"
"Wait, what?!" Custard spoke up, his ears dropping down to the side of his head. "W-we're leaving Ponyville ?"
(Insert mlp fim opening theme song)
Twilight was walking with Fluttershy down the dirt road leading to Sweet Apple Acres, excited by the news that Rainbow Dash had told them.
"I still can't believe Sunny's family found him!" Fluttershy said in her quiet tone of voice. "He must be so happy!"
"I know, after months of wondering, he now has his answers" Twilight added, smiling at her timid friend. "Kinda supposed by his real name though..."
"I know, right!" Rainbow Dash joined them, zooming up beside them, still slightly hovering above the ground. "'Custard Glaze'? I mean, it's better then some names, but if I were him, I'd change it to Sunny."
Rarity came trotting up, almost completely out of breath as she was huffing and puffing when she finally rejoined her group of friends. "Really... He he....Rainbow Dash....you .... You could have waited ...up for me!"
"Eh, you were taking too long!" The cyan colored Pegasus said nonchalantly as she flew backwards casually in her back to face her friends as she took the lead. "Besides, you caught up."
"Yes, but just look at me!" The white unicorn mare pulled out a compact mirror and glanced at her reflection. "I'm sweating! Oh! Sunny's mother is going to think I'm some kind of a slob!"
Rainbow dash just rolled her eyes as the other girls lightly laughed. Then twilight noticed something about her group. "Hey girls, where's Pinkie pie?"
Rainbow dash did a slight flip and landed on the ground. "She's already at the farm, probably playing some games with 'Custard''s little brothers and sisters"
Rarity shuttered half as badly as Rainbow dash did at Sunny's real name. "My gosh, that name still isn't sitting right with me."
"I know" Twilight commented as she and her group of friends reached the opening arch for the apple farm. "But we need to use it. Apparently it's a name passed down in their family. Let's respect it and try and be supportive of him and his family..."
It took the girls no time at all to find Sunny, er, Custard and his mother, along with Granny, Big Mac and Apple Bloom around the field, where a giant table was set up with food of all kinds. Pinkie was setting up a bouncy castle that Custard's younger family members looked like they couldn't wait to play in. The girls quickly joined Applejack and Custard at the table in the field.
Custard's ears were dropping, and his normal sun colored coat had some what dimmed from its usual glow, but he was smiling, kind of. It was a hollow smile, he trying to be as happy as he could. But the girls could see he honestly wasn't happy about something. Still, they all tried their best to brighten up his mood.
"Hey S- ugh, Cuatard!" Rainbow was the first to approach the yellow stallion.
For a moment, the Stetson wearing stallion brightens up, but when he heard his name spoken, she light vanished, but the shadow of a real smile remained. "Hey girls, glad you could make it."
"Oh!" Fluttershy spoke up. "Thunder Lane wanted me to tell you he said congratulations on finding your family! He really wanted to be here, but he's still stuck in bed."
"Yeah, and don't worry about him" Rainbow commented. "Flitter has been taking care of him. I think she even moved into his place just to be with him around the clock."
This made Sun-, ugh, Custard truly happy. He knew his good friend must have been on cloud nine with that. Maybe Thunder could finally gather up the nerve to just ask her out in a date... When he gets out of his casts, that is.
"Oh, Custard!" His mother spoke up in a screeching way, pushing herself into the group. "Are these your friends? You must introduce me to them!"
"Oh, r-right, girls, this is my mother, Lemon Marmalade " Custard motioned to the rather tall earth pony mare who's mane and coat color almost fully resembled his own. She shot them a smile and tucked her mane behind her hear.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you" she said, holding out her hoof. Her words and physical actions seemed to scream two entirely different things. Perhaps even it was all the stress she had been under. But the mare seemed to grow more annoyed at the arrival of Su-Custards friends.
All the girls went around shaking her hoof, introducing thenselves. Well, all except Rainbow Dash who met Lemon'a hoof with a hoof bump rather then a hoof shake. But Lemon just forced a smile, gritted her teeth, and laughed lightly.
"It truly has been wonderful meeting all of you" Lemon began. "And it does break my heart to have to take Custard back home with us, but-"
All the girl's eyes go wide as a bolt of shock ran threw them. They then realized that's why S- er, Custard looked to grim, and why when she said that he ducked his head away.
"What do you mean?!" Pinkie Pie was the first of the girls to speak up. "He live here, in ponyville!"
"I'm afraid not" Lemon sad as she ran a hoof over the family album. "Custard is the soul Eire to a multi-million bit company, and now that his father is too injured to run it, the responsibility fall in him."
"What? Injured?" Custard's ears picked up a little, fueled by worry.
"Yes" Lemon spoke. "You see, we all had taken a Zeppelin cruse together, as a family. Your father, Fudge Brownie, felt as though he hadn't been spending enough time with you and his other children, so he arranged for a week long cruse aboard his best Zeppelin."
"Oh you lucky stallion" Rarity commented with a smiling sigh. "What I wouldn't give to go on such a cruse..."
Lemon cleared her throat as she angrily shot a look at the white unicorn. "As I was saying; but our ship was attacked by a few dragons. We must have interrupted their mating ritual, and they blew a hole right through the balloon!" All the girls gasped.
"Most of us were fine, my husband received most of the blow, but our eldest son..." Lemon pulled out a white cotton tissue from the family album. "He... He was no where to be seen! We assumed he had been blasted away!" She then began to wipe away fake tears.
"That musta been when Goldie found ya over on that side of the road!" Applejack finally spoke up and put a hoof on Custard's back.
"We've been searching this whole time! We looked back in Boltimare, Vanhoofer, Manehatten, Los Pegusus, and just last week, Canterlot!"
"Oh my! We where just there!" Rarity commented.
"You must have just missed them" Fluttershy added.
"But now our family is back togeather and we can all go home! You our big, wonderful mansion in Baltimare!" Lemon said with a faint smile as she placed the tissue back in the album.
"I think I need to use the restroom" Custard commented, then rushed off to the farm house.
Lemon marmalade and the girls watched as the yellow stallion rushed into the Apple family farm house, the front door slamming behind him. There was a still silance that lingered in the air for a moment before somepony spoke up.
Applejack chuckled lightly and told Lemon "jitters. This is a lot for him to take in. Ah'll go and see that th' feller's ok."
"Oh please" Lemon stood up and set the family Album on the table. "Allow me... I, ugh, need to show him a mother's love and tender care..."
With that, the tall yellow mare followed quickly, but not too quickly, behind her son, leading up to the farm house. All the girls watched as she entered the farm house after him.
"So... He's really leaving?" Fluttershy out of all the girls was the first one to break the silence.
"I guess" Rainbow commented, playing it off like it was nothing.
Twilight went up to Applejack and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Are you going to be ok?"
"Of course Ah am" Applejack said with a huge smile. "After all, the' feller has family. Real family. A mansion. All the bits he'll ever need. What more could a pony ask for?..." With those last words, Applejack turned away as tears began to glaze over her eyes.
"Awww! Isn't Sunny so cute as a little baby!" Pinkie interrupted the moment , holding open the family photo album. "Just took at that cute little smile!"
All the girls, Granny, and even Big Mac and Apple bloom gathered around and peered inside the album. There were tons of pictures of Sunny as a little foal, with his messy mop of orange hair. Some of just him walking around with a big smile, some with him and his parents, a few with him going to what looks like a private school, one of him with his hair all combed properly, a school photo maybe.
"Indeed" Rarity commented. "He is one fine stallion of pedigree."
" With one large Earth pony family" Fluttershy added as she looked at all the goals playing in the field, bouncing on the bouncy castle, and snacking at the table.
Just then, Lemon began walking back to the group of girls with S-Custard trailing behind. His eyes heavily glades over, almost making his eyes look completely green.
"Custard and I had a little talk" Lemon said, walking into the middle of the group, snatching the album out of Pinkie's hooves. "And we think it's best to cut this little party short, and head home."
All the girls and the Apple family turned to the stallion in question who just glumly nodded. "It would be for the best."
"Well... If ya think its best..." Granny said with a heavy sigh.
"Ee'yep..." Big Mac added with a heavy sigh.
"Ah guess..." Apple Bloom whimpered, holding back her tears.
Applejack remained silent as she walked up to Custard, and without hesitation, gave him a huge hug, one that opened up the flood gates on both of them. As tears pored from both sets of emerald green eyes, Applejack told Cu-... Told Sunny "no matter what, we'll always be here fer ya. We're family too. No matter what...." As she released him from hug she smiled at him and held his gaze.
Sunny smiled honestly at Applejack as his coat's color began to return to normal and his ears returned to their regular position. Then the green glaze over his saddened eyes cleared up. He looked up and readjusted his hat one last time. "Applejack, I want you to have this. Keep it, and remember me by."
As he said that, he took off his Stetson hat hand handed it to the orange freckled mare. "I want you to know that you'll always be in my heart and I'll always treasure this place, our friends, and all the adventure's we've shared. And that-" Sunny stopped when he noticed every pony looking at the top of his head, jaws dropped. Even his own mother began to look nervous, as her body stiffened. Then his heart hoped into his throat and he spoke softly "please tell me there isn't a spider on my head..."
No pony moved for the longest time. Then after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Rarity pulled out her compact mirror and flashed Sunny's reflection at him. Sunny studied his image for a moment before realizing what they saw. He turned his head from side to side, then poked it with his hoof to make sure it was real. It felt kind of sensitive, but it was real.
"Sunny... Y-yer ah..." Appejack began to say, but was still heavily confused.
"I'm a unicorn?!?!" Sunny finished her sentance. As he looked back at his own reflection in the company's mirror to see that a yellow horn, matching his own coat, standing tall amd proud in the middle of his forehead!
Everypony remained still, frozen in shock at Sunny's revolution. He stepped forward and kept looking in Rarity's compact mirror as e poked his horn over and over. "It... It feels real, I guess..."
"How long grave you been a unicorn?" Twilight spoke up, taking a closer look at the yellow stallion's newly revealed forehead
"Have you always been a unicorn?" Rainbow asked, half shocked and half annoyed.
"I don't think we had a chapter about Sunny becoming a unicorn, did we?" Pinkie asked, flipping through the printed out pages of Fimfic that discord had sent her for her scrap book. "Nope! None that I can see!"
But the stallion just shrugged. "I have no idea.... I've just always kept the hat on and never noticed."
"What about when you went to go bathe or brushed your mane?" Rarity chimed in. "Surely you would have noticed that?!"
The stallion turned a little red with embarrassment. "I guess I should have spent more time washing my Mane and brushing it then I really did, he he..." He nervously chuckled.
"But that doesn't make since..." Twilight redirected every pony's attention. levitating the photo album over to her, she began to flip threw the pages, looking at all the photos. "All of these have Sunny as an earth pony, look! Even here with his mane styled back, he had no horn!"
"You know what else's is weird?" Pinkie popped up behind twilight. "See all his brothers and sisters? Here Sunny is really young and cute, but here he's older, but his siblings are the same age! Look! Look! Look!" Pinkie grabbed Twilight's head and began moving it from the photos in the album to the fillies who had stopped playing and began to circle Twilight and her friends.
All eyes fell upon Lemon Marmalade, even Sunny's, the mare's expression was hard to read. Sunny moved away from his 'mother' never taking his eyes off of her as he moved closer to Applejack. His eyes narrowed at the tall mare who seemed to look a lot like him. "Who are you? really?"
"There's only one pony that could be" Twilight said as she slammed the album shut.
The tall yellow mare began to chuckle as a green flame covered her, changing her coat to a dark onyx, opening holes in her hooves, releasing a pair of thin insect like wings on her exoskeleton back, then when the fire reached the end of her long neck, a mane of torn green hair flung down. A long and crocked horn grew from her forehead, standing tall and proud. When the mare opened her eyes, they were green as envy itself, and as she opened her jaws which contained two rows of sharp teeth, she let out a wicked laugh that echoed in through the entire farm. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle! It is I! Queen Chrysalis! The queen of the changlings!!!!"
The so called 'family members' of Sunny's then began to flow and in a bright green flash, took their original forms. They shot glares at the small group of ponies as they began to close in, circling all around them.
"Who, or what, is she?!" Sunny asked, backing up to his group of friends.
"Oh, where are my manners?" The Queen of the changelings taunted as she took prideful strides towards the small group. "Allow me to 'really' introduce myself. I am Queen Chrysalis, Queen of the changelings, devourer of love, and soon to be fueled of all of Equestria!"
"I was wondering when you would show up again" Twilight shot at her. "You're not going to escape this time, Chrysalis!"
"Oh? But why would I want to escape when I can set up a new colony right here?! " the evil Queen flashed a hoof over the Apple farm. "A great location, don't you think? We'll set up in this small town, drain all the ponies of their love, then slowly make out way across all the land!"
"But what does that have to do with me?!" Sunny spat at her. "Why did you have to use 'me' as a part in your plan?!"
The queen chucked lightly. "Well well well, don't you think so much of yourself. Trust me, you aren't anything special. You just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I wanted to get close to somepony who was close to her!" She pointed at Twilight who glared back at her.
"The photos, the names, the entire stage..." Twilight said under her breath.
"Those pictures were my subjects and I. But it seems I should have payed more attention to detail. Who would have guessed that pathetic farm pony would have been a unicorn. Probably doesn't even know a single spell..." She chuckled. " 'oh poor me! Poor me! I can't remember who I am! Are you my mommy? I don't know where my mommy is! Poor me! I don't even know I'm a unicorn!'"
All the changlings began to snicker, but never took their eyes off of the girls, the Apple family, or Sunny. But the more Chrysalis mocked him, the harder it was for Sunny to hold back the tears.
"Ya ain't gunna get away with this ya varmit!!" Applejack yelled over their sinister laughing.
"Oh? Oh I'm not?" The changeling Queen commented. "I'm sorry, I forgot, all I have is a entire changeling army. What do you have?"
"We have each other, and the power of friendship!" Twilight declared at she, Applejack, Pinkie Pie,Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity all began to glow and float into the air. Their manes began to glow and alter as markings resembling their respective cutie marks began to spread to their hooves, upper bodies, and even as the iris of their eyes!
Sunny watched in amazement as the girls he had hung out with began to gather a large amount of magical energy that flowed around them! His own horn began to tremble as he retreated and stood between the changing queen and the rest of the Apple family, remembering the vow he made when he first arrived. 'I won't let anypony or anything hurt this farm or this family.' His words give him the strength to stand tall and face the army with all he had and then some.
Chrysalis began to panic and ordered her subjects to brace for impact! She then threw up a shield that coved 1/5 of her subjects and herself, but could not stretch it further. As the girls released a rainbow like blast, the changelings that weren't covered were pushed out to the farthest corners of Equestria, soaring thew the air like the fluffy seeds from a dandelion!
Eventually the shield the changeling Queen had cast began to crack and give way. But the deviant Queen refused to give in! She gritted her teeth and glared at the blinding rainbow light, her hatred for the purple alicorn princess fueled her magical drive, allowing her shield to hold up slightly more against the rainbow blast. By the end of it, only the queen and a few tired subjects survived the blast. The remaining changelings, say for one wearing some type of armor, were struggling to remain standing. The one wearing some kind of armor had forced himself to remain standing next to his Queen.
"Is that all you girls have?! Ha! It will take more then a few 'rainbows' to beat me!" The changing Queen growled, but even she was battle warn. Her body was covered in scratches, her breathing was hard, the only thing that had remained constant was the loathing anger in her eyes.
"Leave now, chrysalis!" Twilight said, her and the girls still empowered by the magic of friendship. "Leave, and never return to Ponyville!"
"Oh, I'll leave...." She said, her smile remaining as cocky. "But not without a few parting gifts!"
She then began to charge at Sunny, Granny, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom! The girls started to charge up again, but the armored changeling ordered the remaining changelings to charge at the mane six! With the last of their strength, the remaining changlings swarmed at the girls! With their hooves full, dealing with the remaining changlings, and the queen changeling at the Apple family, fangs barred, it looked grim.
'Don't hesitate' a deep and kind voice rand in Sunny's head. 'They are depending on you to protect them. Don't hesitate.' The seconds seemed to stretch on forever as the yellow unicorn starred down the charging rabid Queen. He took a slow and deep breath. 'I won't let anypony or anything hurt this farm or this family.'
Pressure began to build up as his horn began to glow with an emerald green aura as he focused on protecting the Apple family, his friends, and his home. "This place is my home..." He began to say, "these ponies are my friends and my family..." He shot up a hard glair at the queen who had now lunged at them and yelled "and no pony will take them away from me!!!!"
With that statement, Sunny released the flood gates and let the magic flow! A large green magical blast shot at the changlings Queen, catching her subjects in the cross fire, and with the force of 1000 rampaging manticores, sent them farther then the previous changlings had flown! The last thing the changlings Queen saw were the eyes of a very determined, and average looking unicorn. One who had something precious to him that he wanted to protect with all his might. She saw the will of a single individual who fought for those he saw to protect. She saw a sliver of herself in that ordinary looking pony.
'What makes you so different from me?...' Was the last thing she thought about as the image of the yellow unicorn stallion with the two toned, orange colored mane began to shrink and disappear from her sight....
Back at the Apple farm, the girls began to power down as Sunny stood triumphant and proud for a moment, watching the skies as Queen Chrisalis and the remaining changlings cut across the sky like a set of fly balls. But as they began to disappear and his attention returned to the Apple family members who were cheering behind him. Then to the group of girls running towards him, smiles on all of their faces, with Applejack at the lead, the world began to go black as all sound disappeared. Then his body when numb as the yellow unicorn fell to the ground.
The girls all ran over to make sure he was ok, but nopony noticed that the mark on the yellow unicorn's flank had grown darker and taken most of it's original shape of a black circle, minus a 15% sliver that remained yellow...
Applejack never left Sunny's side as he slept. She kept looking down at the stallion, thinking he looked so peaceful. She had been so lost in thought that she nearly jumped out of her skin when Twilight entered the room and put a hoof on her shoulder.
"You ok, Applejack?" Twilight asked, very concerned about her friend. Sunny had been asleep for almost 24 hours after the incident with Chrysalis, and Applejack had insisted on staying by his side.
"Oh, Ah'm right as rain, sugar cube" Applejack replied, but her looks said other wise. She hadn't eaten much or even stepped outside and it was starting to show. "Ah... Ah'm just worried s'all."
"He will be fine, AJ" Twilight shot her a reassuring smile. "He just used up too much energy in that one blast. It's like running a marathon you didn't prepare for, but for your mind. It happens with unicorns. He'll sleep it off and be ok."
Both the mares look down at the sleeping stallion as he mumbled something in his sleep. It sounded a little like 'apple fritters'. That made the girls laugh a little.
"Stallions" Applejack commented, smiling at the sleeping yellow pony.
"Stallions" Twilight agreed.
"Hey sugar cube" Applejack turned her attention away from Sunny to her alicorn friend. "Ah hate ta ask ya, but when he wakes up and gets better... Do ya think ya could teach him to use magic?"
Twilight was a little shocked by the request, but nodded. "I would be honored."
Applejack half smiled as she looked back to Sunny. "Ah ask cuz, well, knowin' him, he's gunna want ya learn all 'bout magic and what not. And ah'd prefer if he learn it from ya. After all, who better ta teach him then the princess who learned from ah princess herself?"
Twilight blushed a little, "well, I'll do my very best to teach him all I know."
Applejack smiled easily at the oranges haired unicorn as she brushed some of his mane aside. "Ya hear that? Ah already got ya ah teacher. So ya better rest up. Get yer strength back... He protected them."
Twilight was caught off guard. "Huh?"
"Mah.... Our family" Applejack corrected herself. "He didn' hesitate ta jump in front ah' them and protect them from Chrysalis .... He's th' perfect stallion."
Twilight smiled easily at her friend as se put a hoof on her shoulder. "I don't think it really matters where he came from any more, does it. He's found himself a good home."
Applejack nodded and touch Twilight's hoof, never looking away from the sleeping yellow stallion.
-Canterlot castle, Celestia's chambers-
Princess Celestia had stepped away from her desk but for a short moment, her sister needed her help with some dream related research, and it caught the sun princes's sudden interest. She didn't really know what to expect, but ever since the incident with Gazer's comet, she's looked into every little off thing, fearing it might have a connection.
Meanwhile, the master of chaos, Disord himself, relaxed by floating in the air, reading some of the scrolls Twilight has sent to Celestia before she became a princess herself. After reading them, he tossed them over to another him who placed the scroll on a computer scanner, scanned it, and uploaded it into a desk top computer.
"Just about done!" The floating Discord said tossing the second discord another scroll.
"Shall I also add the parts after Twilight became a princess and got her own castle?" The Discord at the computer desk asked as he grabbed the newest scroll and scanned it.
A third Discord walked over, carrying several more scrolls in his paw and claw. "Oh! Don't forget these! All the 'lessons'" he used his fingers to make the movements for quotation marks, "from her friends."
The floating Diacord sighed and landed on Celestia's bed. "It would be so much easier if we could just get the season DVDs and show him!"
"Especially since they're all on Netflix" the third Discord chimed in.
The other two paused, then the first grew a cocky smirk on his face. "Well why don't we?" The first Discord pushed the second Discord out of the way of the computer and opened up Netflix. With a snap of his fingers, the images started flashing at light speed on the screen. Then the printer spit out an entire book, leather bound and all, at the second Discord who caught it and wrapped it in a light purple baby blanket.
"Awwww" the second Discord said as the third approached the freshly made book. "It's got it's mother's bindings...."
With a snap of his fingers, all three Discord's reformed into one, the computer disappeared, and the scrolls sent to Celestia returned to their proper shelves. Discord held up the book triumphantly. "The elements of harmony; a reference guide.... and then some" he chuckled.
As he held the boom in his paw, relishing in his victory, a scroll appeared out of mid air, forming from green dragon fire. The draquis looked over at it with a mischievous grin. He levitated it over to him and read it quickly. "What do we have here?...Another message to Tia from Little Twilight..."
Discord read through all the letter, but enjoyed the part about 'Sunny' the best. "Oh I wish I could have been there to see the look on old Chrissy's face! I bet it was priceless! And it taking them all this long to just realize he was a unicorn?! Hilarious!!! Oh! But we can't have that last part in there. Tia can't know about 'him' yet...."
With a snap of his fingers, all the parts of Twilight's letter involving A stallion named 'Sunny' were removed, and the letter shifted to make since without it. "There! All done!"
"What's all done, Discord?" Princess Celestia asked as she reentered her chambers, not to suspicious of the former trouble maker. She already guessed he was up to no good, but found it to be more entertaining then troubling.
"Oh, ugh, I just..." He pulled out the book he just made and presented it to the princess of the sun as he slipped the new scrol back to the top of her desk. "Made this! It's a new edition to add to Twilight's collection! All the adventures she and her friends have had since they met, in great detail!"
Celestia levitated the book up to her self and began to read it over. "Wow, great work Discord. But..." Celestia looked up at the master of chaos. "Why would you do that? What would provoke you to make such a , well, considerate thing?"
"Oh Tia, who knows when somepony might need to do a little research, who has no clue about Twilight and her friends, and will need to learn all about their adventures and issues, in order to progress themselves?" Discord replied as he snapped his fingers, and a large chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and strawberry garnishes appeared. "Now, how about a little treat, you've been working so hard."
Celestia knew Discord was up to something, but she was going to let it slide until the dominos began to fall. After all, he did know her favorite sweet treat. As Celestia began to cut her self a modest slice of the delectable cake, the master of chaos snapped the fingers he made from his bristly tail, and sent the book he just made to Ponyville. More specifically, to Twilight's library, placed neatly on a shelf, where he knew a certain yellow stallion would be sure to find it.
It had been a few days since the incident and Sunny was up and about, feeling like his old self again. Well, almost. He performed his chores around the farm like normal, and the entire Apple family treated him the same, despite his recent self discovery. He was the still same stallion they knew, but now he had a horn on his head. As he walked through town, though, he couldn't help but notice he had attracted more then a few shocked gazes. He kept his gaze at the ground to avoid their eyes, but he heard them whispering. It's not like it was a bad thing, but having all these ponies paying attention to him all of a sudden was making the yellow stallion uncomfortable.
Applejack had told Sunny the other day after breakfast that Twilight offered to teach him how to use magic when he was ready. Sunny didn't know how he felt on the topic. He had gotten along fine without it thus far. But he began to think that learning a little about magic might be a good idea. He had seen other ponies use it around town to levitate stuff, open doors, or even teleport themselves around. It did help Sunny to protect the Apples when that psycho Queen attacked. He had gotten lucky with that magical blast he fired, sending her fatter then the eye could see. But who knows, maybe next time he won't get so lucky. He had planned to meet Twilight after the morning chores were done on the farm, and was now walking through town to the far edge of Ponyville, where Twilight's castle was located.
But as he did, he couldn't help but notice the wide eyes that starred at him, the whispered he tried to ignore. He had pulled his Stetson back a little, revealing his unicorn horn. But it was beginning to make folk uncomfortable. Applejack told Sunny that the Appel family was mainly made up of earth ponies, but had the occasional pegusus or unicorn pop up every now and again. Sunny could guess folks in town weren't used to seeing a stallion they all knew and thought to be an earth pony suddenly with a real unicorn's horn on the top of his head.
Nervous, Sunny pulled his Stetson back over his horn and even over his eyes as he continued to press on, heading in the direction of Twilight's castle. He had been so focused on hurrying himself that he didn't notice the loud beeping or the brown earth pony heading in his direction, and they both ended up colliding.
"Oh, I-I'm sorry" Sunny apologized, shifting his Stetson so it covered his horn still, but not his eyes.
"Oh no no, I'm sorry" the brown stallion had replied. He picked up a metal box with buttons and light bulbs all over it, checked it over once or twice, then flipped switch and pressed a button on it. The device in the brown stallion's hooves began to make a large beeping noise as he pointed it at Sunny, and make less beeping as he moved it away. "Odd..."
That was the last thing the brown earth pony said as he straitened his neck tie and walked away. Shortly following after him was a grey, Pegasus mare with a walleyed pair of yellow eyes and a sweet and innocent smile.
"That was weird" Sunny commented as he pressed forward towards Twilight's castle. " I know I've seen those two somewhere before...." But he shrugged off the feeling, thinking only of getting to Twilight's castle. He was already out of the town now, and making his way quickly up to the castle. As he began to relax, he repositioned his hat to allow his horn to get some fresh air. When he arrived at Twilight's castle, he knocked on the front door again, only this time, Twilight herself answered instead of Spike.
"Hey Sunny" Twilight smiled at her guest. "I was wondering when you were going to come by. Come on in."
As the princess of friendship stepped aside, the yellow unicorn hesitated. He was still nervous about learning magic, and for what reason, he still wasn't sure. But he took a deep breath and walked inside. Twilight began to lead him down a hallway and to one of her favorite rooms of the castle, the library. From what Applejack told him, Twilight was a really big book worm, which he found kinda funny. When he thought of 'princes' he kinda thought more along the lines of Rarity, who was all about appearances, looking nice, dressing in the finest things and what not. Not spending hours reading in a library. But then again, Sunny didn't really know much about princesses to base that on.
"So how are you feeling?" Twilight asked, breaking Sunny from his thoughts. "I don't think we should do much if you aren't feeling back at 100%, but at the very least I could lend you some books to get you started. Maybe give you something to practice with back at the farm."
Sunny paused as they entered the library, and released a held breath. "To be honest, Twilight. I'm nervous, and I feel... Awkward."
Twilight looked to the stallion with slight concern, then she gave him a relaxing smile. "I know... It's not easy going from one thing to another, is it?"
"Well... I guess you could say that..." Sunny was feeling an odd stay of emotions and he couldn't really pinpoint their origin. But going from earth pony to unicorn was probably adding to the pot.
Twilight offered Sunny a seat at a table as she took one across from him. "I wasn't always an alicorn princess, ya know. I was originally just a unicorn, from an entire unicorn family. But once I reached a certain point, and realized my destiny, i I became an alicorn, a princess. It was my destiny to learn all I could about the magic of friendship and to teach others its power too."
"But..." Sunny asked as he removed his hat, placing it on his lap. "Did... Did ponies look at you differently? And treat you differently? How did your family take it? Your friends? The ponies in town?!"
"Well" Twilight smiled as she looked back on her fond memories of her coronation. "My mom and dad were both very proud, my bother was so happy he was actually crying. He said it was 'liquid pride', but still. And my sister in law, Cadence, knew I could do it. As for the ponies around town well and my friends ..."
Twilight told Sunny all about the different treatment she received first from her friends wanting to put her above them to keep her out of harm's way, about how the kids in town wanted to spend time with her just to spend time with somepony famous, or about how she at first, wasn't even sure of what she was supposed to do as a princess.
"When I first became a princess, I wasn't even sure what my role in everything was" Twilight admitted. "I lived in the Ponyville library still, like I did when I first came to Ponyville, not a castle, and I had no official title. Heck, not long after my coronation, I began to question weather or not I was even supposed to be a princess. I didn't know what made me so special."
Sunny had been listening intently to every word Twilight had said. He had no idea she had dealt with so much, had carried such burdens, and made it out on top. Out of all of Applejack's friends, he had spent the least amount of time with Twilight. And now, it seems that everything was coming together. Maybe he was meant to get to know her only after he found out what he really was. "So what did make you special? I mean, outside the obvious."
Twilight smiled at Sunny, "my friends. My friends helped me to become a better pony. They helped me learn so many things. About myself, about how to see the world... You know, we all began writing a book, a journal really, about the lessons we all learned after I became a princess. That way, it could help some pony in the future. Just like the journal of the two pony sisters helped me...."
Twilight got up and walked over to a shelf and began pulling out a few books. "These don't technically have to do with unicorn magic, but the magic of friendship can be more powerful then any unicorn, or even alicorn, spell..."
The purple alicorn princess places three books in front of Sunny. He picked them up and read their titles out loud. "'The Journal or the two Pony Sisters', 'the Friendship Journal', and 'the Elements of Harmony; a reference guide, and-'"
"Before I came to Ponyville " Twilight interrupted and pointed to the last book Sunny was holding. "I read about the elements of harmony in a book back in Canterlot. It was the thing that kinda brought me to Ponyville. See, when I was younger, I didn't think making friends would ever save Equestria."
That made Sunny chuckle. "Says the 'princess of friendship'."
Twilight laughed too, "I know, right? I wasn't big on making friends back then. It wasn't until I met Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, and they joined me on a mission to save Equestria that I learned how much friends meant to me. They showed me the power of honestly, loyalty, kindness, laughter, and generosity. And in doing so, helped me to realize the magic of friendship..."
Twilight stopped and looked at the yellow unicorn its slight concern. "Ugh, Sunny, are you ok?"
"Yeah, wh-" it was then something wet hit Sunny's hoof. He looked from Where his hoof was positioned, then trailered it up to his cheek. He didn't know when, but it seemed he was releasing some of that 'liquid pride'. "I-I'm sorry. I just... I guess it was such a touching story... I hope I can have good friends like you do one day. Friends I can be that close to. Friends I can trust no matter what."
Twilight didn't hesitate when she pulled Sunny in for a hug. "Sunny, you already do. The girls and I, the Apple family, Thunder Lane, Flitter, we all are here for you."
The 'liquid pride began to flow harder. "Is this how you felt when you questioned why you were a princess?"
Twilight shook her head. "No, it's how happy I was when I realized I had friends. When I realized that they made me a better pony. And how happy I was that I had them in my life."
Sunny smiled as he returned the hug now, feeling like he was glowing and could never be happier. He knew his home. He had friends. He had a family. It didn't matter 'what' he was or 'where' he came from. All that mattered was he was here, and he had ponies who cared about him.
"Ok, now relax, focus, but relax" Twilight instructed, bracing for the worst to happen, ready to throw up a protective shield or even catch the spell in her own magical aura, if need be. "And don't forget to breath."
The sweat was trickling heavily down the sides of Sunny's muzzle as he tried to focus on the task at hand. "How can somepony 'focus' and 'relax' at the same time?!" He took a deep breath and held it as he tried harder to focus.
The task was relatively simple. Twilight had placed a small plastic ball about two feet from Sunny and had told him all he had to do was simply lift the ball as high into the air as he possibly could. A simple levitation spell. Even most foals could do it. And one would think after Sunny blasted Queen Chrysalis into next week, that this task would be a piece of cake. But it was proving to be more taxing on the young stallion then Twilight had originally thought.
"Breath!" Twilight shouted accidentally when she realized Sunny was holding his breath and the yellow stallion had began to turn blue.
Sunny let out the held breath and fell to the floor, taking in heavy breaths of air. "How.... How does .... Anypony.... Anypony do.... This... Ugh...."
"I'm sorry, Sunny" Twilight said, taking a step towards him, patting him on the back. "I know you're tryin really hard, but you don't need to try 'so' hard. It's not like lifting heavy baskets of apples around. You just need to-"
"Visualize, focus, relax, and breath..." Twilight said along side Sunny, who repeated the words Twilight said to him so many times in the past hour or so.
"I know, I know" Sunny commented, feeling very frustrated. "Ugh! Why it this hard?! When I shot off Chrysalis, it seemed so easy!"
Twilight thought for a moment as she hit her hoof against her chin, remembering what happened at that moment. "Hey Sunny, do you remember what you were thinking and feeling when that happened?"
Sunny took another deep breath and stood up. "Yeah. I .... Well..." His cheeks began to turn red. He guessed be could trust Twilight with his little secret promise. " I....remembered a vow I made to protect the farm and the Apple family... I said I wasn't going to let anypony or anything harm them."
The gears in the purple alicorn's head began to turn. "Interesting... Maybe we should try a different approach..." She then walked over and cast her own magical aura around the ball, and after levitating it in the air, threw it without much warning at the yellow unicorn. "Think fast!"
But rather then try and stop the ball with magic, Sunny just simply dodged without thinking. The ball rolled down the hallway, disappearing from sight. Sunny turned back to face Twilight, kind of confused. "Was.... Was I supposed to catch that using magic?"
"Yeah... Or deflect it, or shoot at it..." Twilight answered then half laughed. "Why don't we take a break, have some lunch, and relax. Maybe we need to try another approach."
The two ponies made their way out of the library and into the kitchen. Twilight offered to cook something for bother of them, but Sunny insisted on helping. "I've been cooking as long as I've been bucking apple trees." He told the alicorn princess with a smile. "And I'm not about to have a friend cook alone. Besides, it's more fun to cook together."
As they worked, Twilight couldn't help but strike up a conversation. "That reminds me, have you had any break throughs? You know, memories come back to you?"
Sunny just shook his head and continued working. "I know you said that me forgetting everything about my past life might have been from past trauma and not magic, but wouldn't that just mean I shouldn't remember it. I mean, if it was 'that' bad?"
"I can understand how you feel that way, but wouldn't you-" Twilight began to say, but her little purple dragon assistant rushed into the kitchen, a scroll in his claws.
"Twilight! I got a message for you from the Crystal Empire!" Spike said as he handed it to Twilight, who just wrapped it in her magical aura and opened it.
After reading it for a few moments, the princess of magic let out a squee of happiness. "Cadence and Shinning Armor are going to be coming to Ponyville for a week next month! This will be so much fun! Oh! We can stay up late at night talking telling scary stories! Have pillow fights! Play games! Drink hot chocolate!"
Sunny chuckled lightly at Twilights excitement, never seeing her, or any pony for that matter, like this before. It was kind of up lifting. "so a week long sleep over?"
Spike just rolled his eyes. "Great. I'll stalk up on comic books and gems."
"Oh come on Spike! You're invited too!" Twilight tried to coax her assistant. "Shinning Armor will be there."
Before Spike could give a second thought, Applejack and Pinkie Pie rushed into the kitchen, saddle bags on their backs.
"Hey ya'll" Applejack said as she and Pinkie began packing some food super fast.
"Hey Applejack, Pinkie, what's the rush?" Twilight asked as she finished preparing her salad.
"The map's called AJ and I to Apaloosa! Oh! I wonder if it's trouble with the buffalos again! This time I have a song that will just knock them dead!" Pinkie Pie looked as though she was about to break into a song when Applejack put her hoof to Pinkie's mouth.
"Let's just stick ta findin' out what the 'friendship problem' is, ok sugar cube?" Applejack looked slightly worried, remembering what happened in the past when Pinkie sang in Appaloosa.
To which, Pinkie just nodded. As Applejack removed her hoof from the pink pony's mouth, she began to speak again. "But we're just going to make us some snacks to take with us on the train!"
"Hope ya don't mind, Twilight" Applejack adjusted her hat. "Ah'd just sooner go home and not raid yer kitchen, but we' we're in th' area, and-"
"Don't worry about it Applejack" Twilight smiled and waved a hoof. "The kitchens always full for anypony who wants something to eat."
Both of the earth pony mares made themselves a couple of sandwiches and stuffed a few bottles of sparkling cider into their respective saddle bags. As they said their farewells Applejack told Sunny that she might be staying the night in Appaloosa and to let Granny and the rest of the family know that.
"Not to worry, Applejack" Sunny told the orange farm pony. "We'll hold down the fort." Sunny then playfully saluted her.
"Ya better" she joked with him. "Take care of them while we're gone!"
As Applejack opened the door leading to the main hallway, two owls flew into the kitchen, carrying with them a strong enough gust to blow Applejack's hat right off her head. One owl, the one being chased, was Owlowisious, Twilight's pet. But the other was a larger, older, and obviously meaner, owl. For some odd reason, unknown to every pony and even Owluwishus, the elderly bird was furious with the younger one and found it appropriate to go after him.
As the two spun around the room, the gale they created tore Applejack's hat from her head, sending it flying around and around in the air. After a moment, the kitchen window flew open and the deranged, elderly Owl few out it, forgetting what he was originally doing. But as he did, the wind began to pull Apllejack's hat along with it!
Without hesitating, Sunny dove for the hat, but came up short! Thinking only to save Applejack's Stetson hat, he focused and thought about just grabbing it. And like that, a magical green magical aura, like the one he used before on the changeling Queen, carefully wrapped itself around the hat, held it in place for a moment, then began to levitate it back into the kitchen and safely back on top of its owner's head.
Applejack smiles and adjusted it back into place. She then turned to Sunny and shot her a grateful smile. "Thank ya' fer the save there, partner. Yer gettin' pretty good with usin magic." She then turned to Twilight as she and Pinkie began to leave the room and shouted back "keep up the ' good work ya two!"
As the doors closed, Sunny turned to Twilight who was once again thinking. But this time as the gears began to turn in the alicorn princess's head, it made Sunny slightly nervous. "I think I see what 'triggers' your magic now. Come one! We have a lot of work to do!"
As she trotted happily out of the kitchen, recharged by the recent breakthrough, Sunny sighed as he could only imagine the trials that await him with what Twilight wanted to do next....
The day had begun to stretch on longer then expected. Sunny had trained long and hard with Twilight, working to develop his magical abilities. Knowing that the yellow unicorn's magic came out the easiest when somepony he cared about was involved and would need immediate action, Twilight involved the aid of the three ponies who she knew could help him out the best, with her supervision of course.
"Thanks you again, girls" twilight told Applebloom, Sweetie bell, and Scootaloo with a modest grin. "You three are the only ponies who can help right now"
"Awe shucks, Twilight. Anything to help " Apple bloom said waving a hoof.
"Yeah! And Sunny!" Sweetie bell chummed in.
"But what is it we have to do?" Scootaloo asked, still slightly confused.
"You know all those things you wanted to try but your sisters and I told you all it was a really bad idea?" Twilight asked the three crusaders with a more deviant grin this time.
"Yeah!" All three of them said at the exact same time with quite a bit of anxious enthusiasm.
"I want you to do all of them, but with me and Sunny supervising" Twilight answered. "Think you can do that?"
"So I can juggle chain saws?!" Apple bloom beamed.
"I can try my hoof at riding wild hydra?" Scootaloo asked, her eyes craving the dangerous adventure.
"I can taming toads?!" Sweetie bell asked. Both of her companions just looked at her, questioning how that could be dangerous. Reading their faces, the sweet little unicorn filly added. "Rarity said it was unlady like to play around with muddy old frogs."
Twilight cleared her throat. "Well, yes, all of that. You girls ready?"
"Yeah!!!" Try all cheered again as twilight signaled for Sunny to join them. He was asked to stand a couple of yards away while she talked to the girls. He gulped as each of the girls spread out in separate directions and began gathering their necessary items.
"Ugh, Twilight?" Sunny asked, readjusting his hat. "What are we doing?"
"Oh, don't worry Sunny" Twilight said, unfolding a blanket and spreading it out underneath a tree. "You're just going to help the Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Bell with some crusading."
Just as Sunny was brining to relax, remembering him seeing the girls try and get their cutie marks in stamp collection, painting, animal bathing, and even balloon blowing while he was working on the farm. His relaxing mood quickly gave way to fear when he saw Scootaloo being chased by a giant reptile with multiple snake like heads!
And so the day dragged on like so. One at a time, Sunny would watch the Crusaders attempt one thing after another trying to earn their cutie marks. One 'dangerous' thing after another. And each time he had to act fast and ended up running in and using his magic without a chance to think much about it! Eventually using magic to save the three little fillies made using magic second nature to the yellow unicorn in no time at all. As the sun began to set and the three fillies began to give in to their exhaustion.
Apple Bloom yawned as she checked her flank for the 23rd time today. "We worked all day and don't get one single cutie mark."
"Yeah..." Scootaloo stretched, casting a quick glance at her own still blank flank. "And I even got all those snakes from Fluttershy for nothing."
"Snakes" Sunny echoed, more exhausted then the three fillies combined, bairly able to stand. "I can handle snakes, but why did you go back for the-" he shuttered at the thought "SPIDERS..."
"Ah read it in a book once!" Apple Bloom explained.
"Yeah, this guy who worked in a circus trained a spider to spin a web in his mouth and all kinds of other cools stuff!" Scootaloo threw in there.
"But wasn't he a vampire?" Apple Bloom asked the Orange Pegasus
"Well..." Scootaloo smiled sheepishly, then redirected every pony's attention. "Hey! W-where's Sweetie Bell?"
"I have her right here" Twilight said as she walked up with the tuckered out filly draped across her back, sleeping soundly. "I think it's time to pack it up girls. You three have school in the morning" the purple alicorn then turned to the yellow stallion who shakily stood up and readjusted his hat. "Besides, it looks like you wore somepony out."
Twilight took Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo into town as Sunny levitated a tuckered out Apple Bloom onto his back and made his way back to Sweet Apple Acres. He actually found it easier to use magic then to try and move his hooves around at this point. Apple Bloom was so quiet the entire way home, Sunny had thought that she fell asleep like Sweetie Bell.
"Hey Sunny" she finally spoke up, slightly star talking the yellow unicorn.
"Yeah Apple Bloom? Are you ok?" He asked, nervously looking over his shoulder at her.
"Ah'm fine" she told him. "Ah was just wonderin, tomorrow after we get outa' school, could you help Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo and me get ready for the talent show?"
A shiver ran down Sunny's spine as he thought about going thru another day like today, all the running around and stress. But then he looked at the little yellow filly on his back, her eyes showing only innocence, never meaning to cause him any personal trouble. He smiled at her and told her "We'll see. I still have some chores to do, maybe a few more since your sister's gone on some adventure."
That thought caused Sunny to daze off in thought for a moment. He began to wonder if Applejack would be ok. Then horrible thoughts of these 'buffalo' capturing her and hurting her, or something else putting her and her friend in harm's way.
But then a small pat on his back redirected the yellow unicorn's attention. He looked back at Apple Bloom who was smiling at him. "Don't ya worry one bit about mah big sis, Sunny. She can take care of herself and anypony she's with."
Sunny smiled and chuckled lightly. "I believe it. She's a very strong mare, your sister...." Then he thought about that fight with Chrysalis. How she was wrapped up with the changelings that had distracted her and her friends. "But I don't want her to have to do it alone. I want to be able to help her..."
The little filly yawned again. "Is that why yer tryin' so hard ta learn magic? Ta protect us?"
That struck him. Sunny remembered Granny saying something to the effect of 'out of the mouths of foals', but never really understood what she meant until now. "Yeah... I want to protect everypony."
"Ah know.... Ya can..." Apple Bloom was loosing the fight against sleep. "Yer a good stallion... Sunny..."
Those words that that little filly spoke just then touched Sunny's heart. Something about them made him feel like he could forgive himself for... For something. But what was it? Had he done something wrong? He couldn't remember. But still.... He felt like a great weight had begun to lesson from his shoulders.
After arriving back at the farm, he handed Apple Bloom off to Big Mac who carried her up to her bedroom, then he told Granny about Applejack and how she and Pinkie went off to Appaloosa. Sunny wasn't 100% sure what that meant or what a 'map told them', but right now he was so tired he thought he could sleep for a week. After polishing off several tall glasses of water(Twilight insisted on him staying hydrated after using so much magic), the yellow stallion used the restroom then crawled into his bedroom, almost not making it to his bed. As he began to fade of into sleep, he saw something in a momentary dream. A crack of blinding light. And a voice. No. Two voices. They sounded female. And one more, male this time. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he was too tired to care.
It had taken some works, but Luna and Celestia were able to emerge the princess of the sun into the dream realm just like her sister. They had found a method that unicorns ,who worked under Star-Swirl the bearded, used back before Luna took control of Equestria's dreams. It was a form of mediation that allowed Princess Luna to draw out Princess Celestia's mind and submerge her into the dream realm. Needless to say, Celestia was in awe at the world that her sister visited so often. She viewed all the different bubbles that held every pony's dreams, even recognizing a few of them herself.
The princess of the sun followed close behind her her sister, but could not stop her wandering eyes from darting around to familiar ponies. She saw Twiligt dreaming about opening up a school for teaching unicorns, which made Celeatia beam with pride that her pupil would want to continue her work. She then viewed Applejack dreaming of being in another rodeo, winning all kinds of 1st place ribbons. Fluttershy playing with giant bunnies while ridding a giant butterfly. Rainbow Dash, Celestia could have easily guess, was dreaming of flying with the Wonderbolts. Rarity was being admired by a large group of ponies for some fascinating new dress she was wearing. And Pinkie Pie was swimming in a bowl of chocolate pudding while cupcakes rained down from the sky. It brought a smile to Celestia's face, she had almost forget her purpose for coming into her sister's domaine. That was, until she saw it.
Her sister stopped about 3 feet away from a bubble the same size as the other dream bubbles, but unlike the others that allowed outsiders to view its entire contents, this bubble was dark shade of stone, and the feel coming from it just as cold. Celestia saw what her sister meant by strange and troubling. As she stretched her hoof out to it, the solar princess was shocked by some electricity the dream was emitting.
"Do you see what we mean, dearest sister?" Luna asked, taking her spot by her elder sister's side. "We have never seen anything like this before, not in all the years we have spent protecting the realm of dreams."
"And you have no idea 'who' could be having this dream?" Celestia asked, her eyes looking over the orb, taking in every detail as Luna had done when she first came across the oddity.
Before Luna could answer, though, a crack began to grow from one side of the dream, and threw it a two voices could be heard. Celestia and Luna where still and silent as they tried to pear in through the crank and listened intently.
"Yeah... I want to protect everypony..." A stallion's voice spoke out, the voice was muffled.
"Ah know.... Ya can.... Yer a good stallion.... Good stallion.... Good stallion..." A filly's voice echoed after the stallion. It was one the two sisters swore they had heard before, but it too was muffled, making it hard to recognize.
Taking a deep breath, Celestia began to approach the crack, hoping to get a better look. From where she and Luna stood, all they could see where shifting shadow. But as she approached the crack, a chilling voice began to chuckle, one that belonged to a stallion Celestia thought was long since gone.
"My my, how are you, dearest Celestia?" The deep stallion voice echoed, sending a chill down both of the princesse's spines.
The sun princess moved back quickly, flapping her mighty wings to retreat to a safe distance. "No.... No it can't be!"
Moving through dream, looking through the crack was a single green eye, with a red iris, and at the edge of the eye burned a small purple flame. The voice chuckled as the single eye darted between the two alicorn sisters.
"Sombra?!" Luna growled. "But how?! You were destroyed at the Crystal Empire when Cadence used the power of the Crystal Heart!"
Sombra chuckled "Put out of commission, broken into a million pieces, but not gone. What's the matter?..." The eye focused on Celestia. "You aren't happy to see me? Aren't you glad I'm alive?"
"Where are you hiding? Why don't you reveal yourself!" Celestia yelled, her heart racing, never expecting to come face to face with the tyrant unicorn ever again. At least, she had hoped she never would.
"All in due time. But for now, a parting gift;
The Sun did rise, The Sun did fall, The Sun will rise again, Bring with it the shadows long concealed, The king will rise at the prince's fall, True intentions be revealed, Ponies gather at twilight's hour, Not Sun nor Moon not Heart of Gem can save, The pony of power, From the path that destiny had cast, His ship now sails, Never slowing, ever fast, Amongst a land or red and green, Sweet and warm as honey and tea, Under your watchful eye, dearest Celestia, The pony in question is never seen.
The two sisters listened to the shadow king's words, repeating them over and over in their heads, but nothing about it made since.
"You truly have gone mad, haven't you?" Celestia finally said, looking down on the single eye of the former ruler of the crystal empire.
Sombra just chuckles in response. "If that is what you wish to believe. It is too soon for you to do anything anyways. I wonder... Will you be too late this time as well?"
As princess Celestia was about to ask him more about what he meant, the stone like bubble he was trapped in became transparent, it continued to do so until the stone bubble disappeared altogether. Celestia was slightly stunned. As she looked around, she saw that the other bubbles were disappearing as well.
"They are waking up" Luna explained, knowing how this realm worked, more so then her dumbstruck sister. "Sombra must have woken up as well."
Celestia thought for a moment, then sighed. "We need to put the guards in the look out. Both in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire. Keep an eye out for Sombra. If he makes a move, I want to know."
"We agree, sister" Luna said as she turned around and watched the other dream bubbles begin to disappear. "We should head back, it's time for us to lower the moon and raise the sun."
Celestia paused. 'Pony's will gather at twilight's hour...' She repeated his mad words over again. "Luna... What if he wasn't just speaking nonsense?"
"You think his poorly written poem might hold some truth to it, sister?" Luna asked, turning back and facing her older sister, concern spread heavily across her muzzle.
"I believe it might be worth looking into. When we get back I want to send a message to Twilight Sparkle, if anypony other then us can decider it, she can" Celestia walked up to her younger sister. "I'm sorry... But I'll have to ask you for your help on this once more..."
Luna smiled and put a hoof on her sister's shoulder. "We are always here for you sister. We know.... Facing Sombra won't be easy for you... But you will always have us by your side, dearest sister. "
The lunar princess proceeded to give her older sister a hug, which Celestia gladly accepted. A sharp and ancient pain burning in the solar princess's heart felt like it was reopening. The two stayed like that until Luna broke the meditation spell that held them both in the dream realm. In a flash, both Luna and Celestia returned from the realm of dreams. But the pain still lingered in Celestia's heart. One that she had done her best to forget about for 1000 years, with little to no success.
The next morning Sunny dragged himself out of bed and flopped down the stairs, any indication that he was in pain was numbed by the yellow stallion's lack of energy. As he pulled himself up to the breakfast table, Granny, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom all looked at the yellow unicorn, concerned about his half dead state.
"You ok there, Sunny?" Granny spoke up, passing him a tall plate of fresh pancakes.
He hated himself for not being hungry, he loved Granny's pancakes. But this morning, as his blood shot eyes fell upon the delicious breakfast plate, Sunny felt like eating them would do more harm then good right now. "Ugh.... Am I awake?"
"Eh'yep" Big Mac answered with his signature phrase, as he shoved the last bite of his own pancakes into his mouth, savoring their rich, fluffy goodness.
"Then I don't think so..." Sunny forced himself to sit up, but his head began to throb. "Ugh.... My head is killing me..."
Apple bloom lowered her head. "It wasn' all the crusading you helped us with yesterday, was it?"
Sunny shook his head, only half believing it. "I had a hard time sleeping last night."
"Bad dreams?" Apple Bloom asked after swallowing a bite of her breakfast. "Luna normally deals with that."
"No, well I did have a dream but....It was... Weird. Like I wasn't even there, I don't even remember much about it. I remember a poorly written poem being, but that's it." The yellow stallion said with a sigh. He then got up from the table. "I think I'm just going to get started on the chores. Maybe a little physical work will help clear me up."
Granny was about to tell Sunny she'll wrap his stack of pancakes up to go for him, when Big Mac grabbed them and took a huge bite out of them before she could get a word out. This earned the big red stallion a shamed look with narrow eyes from his grandmother, and a giggle from his younger sister.
Sunny started harvesting the apples from one of the southern orchards. It was funny, he thought, how a unicorn could learn to buck apple trees, plant new ones, haul around heavy farming equipment and even help out with the cooking and food preparation. Normally that was specifically meant to be earth-pony abilities. Sunny paused to look up at his own horn, he touched it, and even flicked it. It felt real, and even flicking it caused an odd sensation to vibrate down his back. It was real alright. ''Maybe I'm part earth pony" he said to him self as he got back to work.
As the sun began to rise in the east, Sunny watched as Apple Bloom met with her friends, Sweety Bell and Scootaloo, half way down the road, and they walk to school together. Seeing Apple Bloom smile and laugh with er friends made him think about Thunder Lane. "Maybe I should go see him later today" Sunny said to himself again, then chuckled. "I'd love to see the look on his face when I show him my horn!"
"Eh'yep!" Big Mac commented as he sneaked up from behind the yellow stallion.
Sunny nearly jumped out of his skin. "Big Mac! Geeze! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
The red stallion chuckled and began picking up the spare apples that missed the basket. Sunny shook off his shock with a smile and slight laugh, then started to pick up the stray apples as well. He paused, then thought maybe it would be a good idea to test and stretch his magic.
As the red stallion placed another stray apple in a basket, it was followed by another one, coated in a green magical aura. Big Mac saw it drop gently into the basket, then looked over at his harvesting buddy. The same green magical aura that coated the stray apple was also wrapped around his horn.
"He he, just thought I'd practice" Sunny explained. "No harm in just doing the stray ones, right?"
"Eh'nope" Big Mac answered, smiling at the yellow unicorn.
As the two continued to work into the day, a tan Pegasus with a brown, messy mane and a crescent moon for a cutie mark flew up to Sunny from down the road. The yellow unicorn stopped working and tipped his hat, greeting the familiar pony he recognized from town.
"How's it going, Crescent? What brings you around these parts?" Sunny asked the Pegasus.
"Hey Sunny!" the pegusus' eyes continued to stair at the yellow stallion's horn as he talked. " Ugh, well, Thunder Lane is getting out of his casts today. Well, at least the ones around his legs. So me and some of the other guys from the weather factory were planning to throw him a party this week end, and being one of his best pals and all, wanted to know if you would come. You and Big Mac, that is." Crescent added, not wanting to single out one of Ponyville's most popular stallions.
Sunny then turned to the big red farm pony and asked "think we'll be free that night?"
To which, Big Mac paused one moment, half way threw bucking a tree, smiled and replied "Eh'yep "
"Sweet! We have a party!" Crescent cheered, pumping his hooves in victory. After a moment, he stopped his victory dance and turned his attention back to the yellow farm pony. "So, ugh, how's it feel? Being a unicorn and all?"
Sunny shrugged. " kinda weird. You know, moving stuff with my mind and all. But Twilight's a really good teacher. She's taught me how to do a few spells. Like levitation or a small shield, but I still have a ways to go."
"Couldn't ask for a better teacher, but how does Applejack feel about it?" Crescent asked, picking up a stray apple and tossing it into a basket. "You know. You spending so much time with another mare?"
"Well Applejack was the one who asked Twilight to tutor me, and I get all my chores done before hand, so it doesn't interrupt-" Sunny went on to say but was interrupted.
"No!" Crescent stopped his friend mid-sentence. "I mean how does your Special Some Pony feel about you spending so much time with another mare?"
Even though Big Mac had been focusing on his work through most of Sunny and Crescent's conversation, he couldn't help but pause and listen when he heard the phrase 'Spacial Some Pony'. He pretended to still be working, but his ears were the ones that were really putting in over time as he homed in on the conversation.
"Oh? You think AJ might be getting jealous?" Sunny asked then it hit him, Crescent was kidding with him about Applejack. Even though they weren't really a couple, it was plane to see that the town's folk thought that. And most of the time the other guys would call them 'a couple'.
"Yeah, heck I would" Crescent continued. "And the last thing I want to see is you breaking the heart of sweet, sweet Applejack because you fall head over heels for the princess."
Sunny playfully punched Crescent on the shoulder. He knew how the other stallions and even some mares joked about such things up in the weather factory, having delivered some supplies to them a few times, which was how he met Thunder lane in the fest place. Not many ponies got their humor, but being exposed to it, Sunny knew how to joke back.
"You just wish you had a mare beating down your door" the yellow unicorn said. "And I don't mean your sister when you forget to do the dishes!"
"Oh whatever!" Crescent said as he began to fly away. "I'll see you and Big Mac at the party ok?! See you later lover boy!"
"Yeah yeah! Quit your yakin' and get to vacuuming! Ya lazy bone! Or Ah'll tell yer sister!" Sunny called out, and slightly chuckled to himself, realizing he's starting to get that accent back. That notion made him smile. It meant he was spending so much time with the Apples that he was ping up on the way they talked. With that happy thought, he went back to work.
As he went back to bucking the Appel trees, thinking about the party and wondering who else was going, a certain over protective older brother was hiding near by. If he wasn't already red before, he sure was now. Unlike the pegusi or other ponies who worked at the rainbow factory, the strong farm stallion wasn't used to hearing, much less understanding, such humor. Jokes like saying one was married to another, or was a play boy were over his head and thus were taken literally. With the thought of Sunny acting as a womanizing stallion, and even worse, as a womanizing stallion playing with his kind and loving sister's heart, made his blood boil.
Images of Sunny going out and charming mares all around town, leading them on, then breaking their hearts, filled Big Mac's head. He didn't know much more about Sunny then what he saw on the farm and at home. For all Big Mac knew, he could really be a play boy, a heart breaker, and they let him into their own home?! Maybe he knew the entire time that he was a unicorn, and wanted to just make fools out of him and his family! Maybe he never really lost his memory at all! Maybe he's using Big Mac and his family to hide out or something!
All week Sunny had gone about his usual routine; waking up before the sun rose, cleaning himself up, doing chores, deliveries, maybe talking to a friend or two, then studying with Twilight until dinner time when he went back to the farm, ate, helped with the clean up, then went to bed to rest before he did it all again. All the while, Big Mac kept a close eye on him.
The red farm stallion woke up extra early to finish his chores, so when Sunny went off, he could fallow behind, but this only added to the Big Mac's anxiety. He watched as Sunny delivered the shipments, how Sunny paled around half the time when he could be working harder and faster to make the deliveries. He saw how Sunny talked to a lot of the mares in town, specifically one grey one who played a giant fiddle, and her blue maned, mute, friend. 'More of his 'mare friends' ah bet.'
Big Mac even watched Sunny and Twilight practice their magic threw one of the castle Windows. Of course, the way the castle was structured, he had to climb up one side of it, like a tree. He fell quite a bit doing so, but Big Mac eventually worked out a system to keep him locked in place long enough to watch Sunny and Twilight. He carefully observed how the yellow unicorn was acting, and oh he was good, Big Mac thought. 'Has even somepony smart as Twilight convinces he ain't good with magic. But not me! Ah' see right through the varmint!'
The week was long, and even longer for Big Mac who, even though he didn't see it, he was suffering from the effects of his doubled work load he put on himself, the loss of sleep it all required, and the amount of effort that went into spying on Sunny day after day. But still, his drive to protect his sister's heart and his whole family was worth it.
Well the night came, Sunny had just finished his chores and was carrying in a few barrels full of apples, using his magic to levitate them in the air, rather then use up his strength pulling the cart loaded with them. Apple Bloom and her friends watched from the side of the barn, and were amazed at how much weight Sunny could hold at one time.
"That's so cool!" Scootaloo commented, watching in awe, thinking how Rainbow Dash could probably lift that my of not more, if she where a unicorn.
"Yeah! Even Rarity has a hard time with half of that!" Sweetie bell chimed in, hypnotized by how little effort Sunny seemed to be exerting.
"Yep! Sunny's been practicin' with Twilight for th' past two weeks now!" Applebloom told her friends proudly, to which they awed at.
"Hey Sunny! Did Twilight teach you and other spells yet?! Like, can you turn into a dragon or something?!" Scootaloo asked as she made growling noises and claw swiping motions with her hooves.
"Oh! Or can you make a whole field of flowers bloom on command?!" Sweetie Bell asked as her eyes lit up with the thought of playing in a whole freshly bloomed field of flowers.
Sunny just paused and looked at the fillies with a raised eye brow. "Ugh.... Not really. She taught me how to teleport, make a mustache grow on anypony of any age, and how to turn an apple into an orange. We were going to cover a time traveling spell, but but Twilight said it would just cause more issues, whatever that was supposed to mean."
After pulling in the rest of the load in for the day, and watching the crusaders run off to their club house for a sleep over Sunny ran off to the farm house to see if Granny needed anything before he went off into town for Thunder Lane's party.
"You two fellers go on and have yer selves a good ol' time now!" The elderly green mare told Sunny and Big Mac. Apparently Applejack and the girls were throwing a party for Flitter as well, and she left not long before Sunny and Big Mac came inside. Sunny knew Flitter stood by Thunder Lane's side this whole time, and was happy Applejack and the others where going to help her unwind. He could only guess how stressful it must be taking care of some pony, even a pony you care about, all the time.
The sun was just beginning to set as Big Mac and Sunny arrived in town. After a long and awkward walk, Sunny turned to his pal with great concern and asked him "is everything ok Big Mac? You seem like.... Something's bothering you. If you don't want to stay and party all night, we don't have to, but I do have a gift to give Thunder..." He then patted the top of his hat, indicating he was hiding something.
'Ah ain't gunna leave until I show all of Ponyville what kinda snake you are' Big Mac thought as he forced a smile, looked Sunny in the eye, and simply said "eh'nope".
Sunny was unconvinced but figured the red stoic stallion would talk when he wanted to, and didn't pester him. All week Big Mac looked like he got worse sleep then he did that night he had that weird poetry reading dream. But didn't want to say anything. He had never seen Big Mac mad, but didn't want to be one to push the red farm pony to lose his temper.
The party was held at a club ran by a mare named Berry Punch. Sunny had talked with Octavia about it previously because her best friend Vynal Scratch, or as the crowds call her, DJ Pon3, dj's the music there. The famous DJ Pon3 was really good from what he had heard from the ponies in town. And Sunny was eager to see what everypony in town talks about, but more importantly, he wanted to go and see his good friend, Thunder Lane.
As he and Big Mac entered the club, the yellow unicorn's eyes homed in on a corner of the club that was decorated with balloons and a large colorful banister with Thunder Lane's name on it. Sunny straitened his Stetson hat, making sure his horn was showing, and happily trotted over. Big Mac, who entered the club right behind Sunny, had looked around the entire club, then followed behind Sunny, making sure to give him room so the yellow unicorn wouldn't feel like Big Mac was shadowing him. 'Wanna catch him in the act. And he won' if a'm hoverin.'
But as the sun colored unicorn stallion joined the group of stallions, every pony cheered, both happy at the sight of the yellow stallion, and in awe at his horn. Sunny had gotten used to the attention his reviled appendage had brought him, and even was starting to enjoy and roll with the little jokes, like "so did Twilight use a spell on you?" or "did it just pop up over night?" To be honest, if either of those were true, Sunny wouldn't really be able to tell the difference. But he didn't much care. It was there, and he wanted to learn to use it.
As Sunny joked with friends he made from town, Big Mac stood in the corner, glaring at the suspiciously friendly stallion. But before he could over think anything else, a familiar mare approached Big Mac.
"Hey Big Mac" Cheerilee said as she happily trotted up, her pink mane bouncing slightly. "Fun party, isn't it?"
"Yep" the red stallion said, his full focus on Sunny, who was now playing a round of darts with Thunder Lane, the party devided between some rooting for Sunny, and the others rooting for Thunder.
"Sunny's a nice guy, isn't he?" The school teacher pressed, stepping slightly closer to the red farm pony.
"Seems so." Big Mac snapped, the thought of sweet Cheerilee being fooled by a snake like Sunny made his blood boil.
By this time, Cheerilee noticed the stallion's frustration and didn't wish to keep quiet. "What's bothering you Big Mac?"
The stallion couldn't hold his anger and speak to the school teacher at the same time. He looked into her gentle eyes and the anger began to wither. He released is held frustration and angst in a heavy breath. "Ah'm just...."
The school teacher looked over at the yellow unicorn chugging a pint of apple cider with the group. "Is it Sunny?"
"Eh'yep...." The big red stallion admitted, shooting a sharp look at Sunny.
"Do he do something wrong?" Cheerily asked, not really sure what the stallion could have done to enrage Big Mac so much. She had always seen Big Mac as the gentle, hard working, timid stallion of most mare's dreams. But seeing him like this was unreal to her.
"Ah think he's gunna" big Mac's rage began to boil up again. "We don't know much about him. He could be trouble."
"That's true" Cheerilee admitted, looking over at Sunny again. "But he hasn't yet?"
"For all we know, he could be running from the law, pretending to have lost his memory to make the trail grow cold. Then when we least expect It, he'll stab us in the back, robbing us blind or using us all up, then throw us out." The stallion's tone has as hard and cold as winter in the orchard.
"Wow, I never thought of it that way." The maroon school teacher admitted looking over at the group of stallions. "What brought this up?"
The stallion now wanted to return to his stoic ways, not wanting to tell Cheerilee what he over heard a week ago about Sunny being a play boy. But his thoughts were interrupted by Sunny's voice cutting through the club, even breaking through the music.
"Take. That. Back." The yellow unicorn huffed, anger clearly in his voice. He was glaring at three pegusi who Big Mac had recognized as members of the back up weather team for Ponyville. Hoops, Score, and Dumb-Bell were well known for causing trouble and making fun of other ponies, especially ones who where earth bound.
"What's the matter, candy corn?" Hoops asked, a slick grin on his muzzle. "Can't take a joke?"
"Yeah!" Dumb-bell echoed. "Can't take a joke?"
"You crossed the line with that one" Sunny pressed, the music stopped now, with more and more eyes falling on the yellow stallion, wondering what had gotten him so upset. Sunny was angry, but he kept his voice even as he shot his eyes like daggers at the trio "Take. It. Back. It wasn't funny."
"Oh? Or what?" Score asked, chuckling.
"Are you gunna bake us a pie? Or just kick trees?" Hoops added, which got some more laughs from his other two companions, but nopony else.
"Yeah! How about a pie!" Dumb-Bell commented, making himself laugh.
Now everypony in the club, DJ included, had turned their attention to the chuckling trio, feeling awkward from the atmosphere created by the group and Sunny.
"What's going on here?" Berry Punch now walked up, wondering what all the commotion was about.
"Just this guy doesn't know how to take a joke" Score said, done laughing, acting annoyed, realizing the amount of attention he and his pals were gathering.
"I didn't think that was funny. And no pony else is laughing." Sunny flared, anger clear in his voice. "It was really insulting. So I'll ask you once again. Take. It. Back."
"You think you're tough becouse you have a horn now, don't cha?" Score spat, narrowing his eyes at the yellow unicorn.
Hoops leaned in closer to the angered yellow unicorn, narrowed his eyes like Score did, and grinned at him. "Why don't you make me? Farm. Pony. Or would you rather go play in the dirt?"
"You have something against ponies who work hard?" Sunny asked, his tone remaining leveled.
"Pft, please" Score commented. "I didn't know playing in the dirt and baking with grandma counted as 'hard work', did you Dumb-Bell?"
The dark brown pegusus laughed with his group. "Can I bake cookies with you and grandma, too?" He joked, nudging his pall in the side.
"Why don't you and your Apple hick family go back to your little farm and play in the dirt some more" Score repeated his earlier statement. "It's what you're good at, right?"
Sunny up until then had kept his temper under control, but he was losing his control and fast. "Do you want to take this outside, and I'll show you just what a 'farm pony' can really do?!"
"You talk big, candy corn" Hoops commented, lead in forward again. "You think you can take us on all by your self? We'll throw you way with the rest of the dirt."
"We'll see" Sunny replied, looking like he was ready to duke it out with the three pegusi right there, but Thunder Lane stopped him, putting a reassuring hoof in his yellow friend.
Thunder still had casts around his wings and bandages around his forehead, and but his hooves were free. And his best one was now stopping his friend from starting, or finish, a fight with those three goons. The injured stallion looked to the trouble making trio and narrowed his eyes at them. "I think it's time for you three to leave."
Hoops rolled his eyes signaled for his pals to move out of their booth and leave. "Whatever" he said in an exhausted and annoyed tone. "This party was lame anyways. We're gunna hit the club in Cloudsdale, when you guys are done playing in the dirt and really want to party, we'll be there..."
With that the three trouble makers made their way out of the club, they received dirty looks from everypony in the club, even the other pegusi from cloudsdale. Once they where gone, Octavia can over and grabbed Sunny's attention and pulled him over to the counter where she ordered him and drink and began to calm him down.
Confused, Big Mac made his way over to the party group and tapped on Thunder's shoulder. He didn't need to speak, Thunder could guess what the red earth pony was going to ask.
"Those guys are jerks" Thunder said flatly. "And it just bugged them how everypony was having more fun when Sunny got here, so they hit him where it hurts."
But Big Mac was still confused, so Crescent stepped forward and clarified.
"They started making fun of the Apple family being 'farm ponies', saying they were 'simpletons', 'yahoos' and what not" the tannish pegusus told Big Mac.
"And they just kept hitting that nerve, knowing that would make him lose his cool." Thunder added.
"Every pony in town knows how much you guys mean to him." Crescent put a hoof on big Mac's shoulder. "He's always talking about you guys. About how hard you guys work during the day, how you and him compete to see who can harvest the most apples, about what Granny taught him to make, about something new Applejack taught him about harvesting,planting, or preparing for winter."
"And he told me that his most prized possession is that Apple family hat" Thunder Lane added. "He only takes it off when he baths and when he goes to bed at night. He said it makes him feel like one of you. A real Apple."
"You guys are the only family he's got" Crescent solemnly commented. "We may joke around, but no pony, well, maybe no pony with any shred of respect, would dare say anything bad about you guys. Especially not to him."
Big Mac looked over at Sunny, who was taking a few deep breaths and talking to Octavia while he sipped on something else to drink. Suddenly Big Mac felt his heart sink as he began to feel that he was wrong about the yellow unicorn. He held his breath as he scratched his head and walked off from the group and back to Cheerilee. She had been off to the side watching everything happen. Her face remained emotionless as Big Mac approached her.
"So, still think he's trouble and waiting to strike when you least expect it?" She asked Big Mac in an even tone.
Big Mac then released his held breath, his head hanging low, ears dropped. He couldn't find the strength to look at Cheerilee. "Eh'nope".
"Maybe you should go and join the party" the school teacher suggested. "Then talk to Sunny when you feel ready."
The big red stallion raised his head and smiled at the teacher with easy eyes, then gave her a hug. She returned his hug and he whispered "thank you" into her ear.
At the same time, Sunny and Big Mac rejoined the party group, both bouncing back from the aftershock. Almost immediately the group cheered back up and the party resumed.
For the rest of the night, the stallion's drank Cider, hoof wrestles, played games, told stupid jokes, told stories, laughed, and just plain had a fun time. And for some odd reason, the light brown stallion with an hour glass as a cutie mark was wandering around with his metal box, it beeping every now and again. But the group just ignored him. It was late by the time the stallion's left the club that was closing. Sunny bid Thunder Lane and Crescent Moon goodbye and began to walk with Big Mac back to Sweet Apple Acres.
The walk home was a quiet one, despite both the stallion's leaving the party with better feelings. Something was bothering Sunny. But as one could guess, the yellow stallion broke the silence before the red one.
"I'm sorry about that Big Mac" Sunny said as he walked, not turning to look at the big red farm pony. "About getting that angry back there. I almost lost my temper and would have made the Apple family look bad."
"Ah heard what them fellers wer' sayin" Big Mac plainly said in a monotone voice. "It's best to ignore that stuff."
"I could if they were just messing with, or even directing their jokes 'at' just me" Sunny added, still unable I face Big Mac. "But when they say stuff like that about you and the others, it burns me up. You all work harder in one day then those three ever have in their entire lives. So what if you all don't have wings. You do more without them than any pony could with them! Wings and horns don't matter, it's what you do with or without them that do..."
Big Mac had kept at a pace to stay slightly behind Sunny up until this point, it was easier to keep an eye on him, that, and Big Mac still felt guilty about earlier. That, and he wanted to avoid eye contact, guilt for earlier still lingering. But now he had grown curious of what Sunny's facial expression might be. As he reached just ahead enough of Sunny to catch a glimpse of his face, Sunny pulled his hat over his horn and covered most of his face as he hung his head low. But for a quick moment, Big Mac saw the hurt in Sunny's eyes.
"You and your family took me in, Big Mac, gave me a home, fed me, cared for me... I could never repay you. But I'll be hog tied and thrown in the mud before I let three feather brained baboons, like those guys, talk bad about you and the family!" Sunny's rage mixed with his pain, and he released it with a heavy sigh.
"Sunny" Big Mac began. "Ahm sorry." The yellow stallion looked up and at the big red stallion who now looked down in shame. "Ah've been suspiciously of you fer a week or so. After ah heard you and Crescent talkin' in the orchard 'bout you and Applejack or Twilight and.... Ah guess mah mind just ran away with itself."
"Well... That explains the cold shoulder I've ben getting from you for the past week" Sunny awkwardly admitted noticing a change in he normally silent stallion. "But I'm glad."
Big Mac stumbled a bit, Confused. "Er.... What?"
"You were concerned about your sister" Sunny began again. "I know she's a strong mare, and she thinks she can take on anypony or anything that comes her way, but we all need somepony to look out for our backs... And well... As much as I want that to be me who helps to look after her, Apple Bloom, Granny, and, well...you... I kinda know I'm not strong enough yet."
"Ya protected us from That evil queen" Big Mac reminded him, then it struck him. If Sunny really was some con artist or play boy, there would have been no way he would have stood his ground against that evil witch! This made the red stallion's heart sink. 'How could ah have been so blind.'
"I'll let you in on a secret Big Mac " Sunny snapped the red stallion back to reality. "I really do care about your sister... But right now, I can't do anything about it.."
They both arrived at the arch of the apple farm when Sunny paused, leaned up agains the white fence and looked solemnly out onto the apple orchard. "I have no idea who I am. Or rather, who I was. I just recently even found out what race of pony I am. I'm doing my best to learn what magic I can so that when more trouble rears its ugly head, I can fight it back.... But until I have all my questions answered, I don't want anypony to get too close to me." A shadow fell over Sunny as his eyes fell to the dirt.
"What if it turns out I was a really bad pony, and that's why my memories are repressed? Or what if I failed to help others, maybe even my own 'real' family and what happened to them horrible I couldn't forgive my self and locked those memories away... I just don't know...."
Big Mac began to felt even worse as his heart fell to the floor. All of what he had been angry with Sunny about, his fears and suspicions, we thoughts the Yellow stallion had suppressed and feared as well! But worse, he was afraid for the apple family, not himself. 'All this time... Ah had been a darn fool.'
The big red stallion threw on his casual and easy smile and walked over to Sunny and put a hoof on his shoulder. "Listen, if you ever wan' ta' be with Applejack, that's between you two. Ah've never seen her fancy a stallion before, so ya'll would be the first. But if ya do one day get togeather, and ya break her heart, ah will break yer legs. Same as I would any other stallion."
Sunny nodded and readjusted his Stetson, trying to hide a smile, but failed at it. "That's respectable and understandable."
"But more importantly, Sunny" Big Mac continued. "No matter what, weather you find yer blood family or not, th' Apples will always be real family to you. And you to us."
A happy tear, or rather, a drop of liquid pride fell from Sunny's cheek. "Thanks Big Mac... It... It means a lot to hear that from you."
"Yer a great guy, Sunny" Big Mac continued. "Ah'll always consider you an Apple and, well... A brother."
Sunny looked at Big Mac, his eyes glazing over with liquid pride that was ready to burst through. But he took a deep breath, released it slowly, then held up his yellow hoof. To which, the big red stallion met with his own hoof, bumping together.
"It's late" Big Mac said with a smile. "Why don' we hit th' hay? Lots of work tomorrow."
Sunny nodded and followed Big Mac up into the farm house, walked in the front door, and got ready for bed quietly, knowing the others were fast asleep.
But one souls was still stirring. As the shadows shifted that the arch of the apple farm cast with the moon light, they took a familiar form of a stallion. A tall, proud and powerful one, with a mane of burning black fire, who's green and red eyes pierced through the darkness and watched as the yellow stallion turned in for the night.
"Sooooon" the deep voice echoed in the night like a harsh winter breeze threw the apple tree leaves. Then the shadows reverted, taking their regularly cast form back of the arch. And like that, the night resumed its peace.
Twilight had been up earlier then normal, doing quite a bit of research to help out princess Celestia and Princess Luna. It was rare that she was called upon for assistance that required her talent for magical research, especially from her mentor and her sister. But apparently this was an urgent matter.
Celestia had written her the other night, telling the newest alicorn princess about a venture she had shared with her sister in the dream realm, and what they came across with King Sombra. Although Celestia was leaning that it might have been the real king Sombra returning from the shadows, Luna felt unconvinced. Luna had seen many things in the dream realm, both freighting and wonderful. And Sombra was one figure she had seen in the nightmares of many crystal ponies.
Twilight remembered Celestia telling her how Luna had spent almost an entire month's worth of work just dealing with the nightmares of the crystal ponies after the Crystal Empire returned. Twilight felt bad for Luna, but worse for the crystal ponies. To think, one day their king went mad with power and put them in chains. Forcing them to work agains their will in the crystal mins.
Twilight yawned at that notion, then levitated a cup of tea over to her. The warm liquid's sweet scent quickly filled Twilight's mistrals with a rejuvenating sensation. The sensation was doubled as she took small little sips of it, making sure not to burn her tongue. After a few sips, Twilight released a small breath and went back to work.
"Dream spells aren't my forte, but I can't give up" The purple alicorn told herself as she set her cup gently down and cracked open a new book. This one she had received with quite a few others from Cadence and Shinning Armor from the archives of the Crystal Empire. They knew Twilight would treasure them, the books themselves being from one thousand years or later ago.
As Twilight skimmed the book at her top speed, feeling rejuvenated by a since of duty and the caffein from her tea. She stumbled upon something interesting. It was a spell that was based around the manipulation of... Pony sized wooden marionettes. After carefully reading the couple of pages dedicated to the art of puppet manipulation that was specifically made for the wooden figures, Twilight turned and looked to the giant box Rarity had dropped off for Sunny.
She had reconstructed a duplicate of an artifact from the Crystal Empire, a giant pony sized wooden puppet. "That explains what that was for... But to do that would take a great amount of control and focus..."
For a moment, Twilight thought about opening Rairty's gift to Sunny and trying the spell out herself. The idea of such a spell, one she'd never tried before or even heard of, made the princess of friendship gitty. Just like when she was a foal and it was Hearths Warming day morning, or the first day of school! But Twilight paused and regained her composure. "Get ahold of yourself, Twilight..."
She then levitates a book mark over to her and placed it on the first page of the book that talked about the puppet manipulation spell. "I'll show Sunny tomorrow when we meet up for his study session..."
That notion made her turn and look at the clock. It was still really early. Earlier then even Applejack woke up. In her excitement she had decided to forgo most of her needed sleep in hopes of finding an answer for the princesses. But as she yawned and rubbed her eyes, she felt her body fighting heavily against the work of the tea. She knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate or work half as well if she sacrificed so much sleep. With a heavy heart, she closed the book she had been reading, blew out the candles she had on her table, and made her way to bed for some well deserved sleep, feeling now she could actually rest.
-Sweet Apple acres-
Sunny had found it very hard to sleep that night. The words of those jerks from the club still echoing in his ears, brining his blood to a boil yet again. After about an hour or two of tossing and turning in his bed, he gave up and decided to do something to take his mind off of those 3 jerks. He looked over at the stack of books Twilight had sent him home with, and guessed now was as good of time as any. He had fallen behind with his reading, beening busy with so much work on the farm, deliveries, backing, and the adventures around town and making friends, he shamefully admits to have neglected his studies.
'If I'm ever going to get strong enough to protect the Apple family and their home, I have to work harder!' Sunny admitted to himself. With that he walked over to the stack of books, turned on a small lamp, cracked a book open and began to read. He had just grabbed the top book on the stack and began to read the title out loud.
"The elements of harmony...." The name sounded childish. He thew it aside and grabbed another book. "I need to learn offensive and defensive spells. Not how to balance out my soul, or whatever-"
Before he could continue his sentence, the book, "The Elements of Harmony; and then some" flew back and landed in front of him, open to the first page. In any other volume of 'The Elements of Harmony, a reference guide', the first page would just be dedicated to the title of the book and the author, maybe even the publish date. But with this edition, the addition to the title made it clear that there was more to this book then the others. And on this page, it proved just that. All over the inside cover and the fort page were quotes in Orange, purple, blue, yellow, pink, and all colors of the rainbow.
This peaked the interest of the yellow stallion and he quickly skimmed over the multicolor words. The quotes didn't make much since, so he pressed forward, seeking an explanation. The first part of the book played out like a children's story book, telling a story of two alicorn sisters who were in charge of raising and lowering the sun and moon. Sunny realized this must have been the tale of princess Celestia and Luna. He had hears some of the story from Applejack, but didn't know the full story. It shocked and hurt him some how when he read of Luna's transformation into 'Nightmare Moon', but he read on, something from the story caught his attention. The 'elements of harmony'.
After the first part, the children's story part, the rest of the book... Well, was rather odd. It read like many summary parts of a book (or television) series. The first chapters being a story of ... "Twilight Sparkle?!"
As Sunny read on, he found himself lost within the book, engulfed in the tale of a unicorn mare and her friends coming together and overcoming the odds, finding power within themselves and their strongest virtues, and vanquishing the darkness that overtook Princess Luna. "... From this moment on, the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle will study the magic of friendship, and report back to me from her new home, in Ponyville...."
Something sparked inside of Sunny. A beam of light that seemed to make his heart rise and a feeling he had never known had begun to take him over. He was wide awake and couldn't stop. He had to keep reading! The next chapter was titled 'the ticket master'...
As the night pressed on, Sunny became more and more fascinated with the book, and was complexly enthralled with it. Could it all have been true?! Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and Spike? Everypony?! Could this all have been true?! All of these adventures they shared, the elements of harmony, the villains they faced, could they really have done all of this?!
At the end of each chapter seemed to be a note to princess Celestia from either Twilight or one of her friends about a lesson they learned from the days adventure. And as Sunny finished each chapter and read the letter section to the Princess, his heart exploded, again and again and again! Each lesson they learned seemed to bring them all closer together. They learned and seemed to grow as individuals as well as a group. It was.... Magical!
"I have to find out if all of this is true!!!" Sunny said to himself, now bouncing around the room like a mad pony. Just then the farm rooster crowded, signaling for the day of work to begin. "Oh my gosh! I'm late!"
Sunny then flew out of the room, making sure to grab his Stetson hat, and made a mad dash down the stairs to meet the others for their day of work, but keeping in mind to ask them about the 'elements of harmony' and all of their possible adventures Applejack and her friends have had!
"And is it true that you and the others really took on Princess Luna, when she was corrupted by darkness and turned into Nightmare Moon, using the power of 'The Elements of Harmony'?!" Sunny said as he levitated stray apples into a near by basket while Applejack bucked the trees.
"Eh'yep" Applejack answered another one of Sunny's questions, this being the 25th or 26th one he had for her this morning. And it was easy to say that the orange mare was starting to get annoyed. 'Why in the name of sweet Celestia does Twi think ta lend him a book 'bout all our ventures and what not?!'
The eager yellow stallion had already asked about the more believable stories, like the sleep over Applejack had with Rarity and Twilight, their part in the Hearths Warming Eve pageant she and all er friends took part in, their dealings with the Parasprites, how they helped to have the Equestria games held in the Crystal Empire, and he even asked about the time when Applejack and her friends went to Appaloosa and settle an argument between the settlers and the native buffalo. Then of course he went on to ask about the bigger adventured like when they fought Queen Chrysalis and Discord. Two events that Applejack hated to admit were not her best moments. They were times when she and the others turned their backs on their friendship. She either became a lier or believed the lies of a fake princess when she became all caught up in a royal wedding. But they worked things out eventually and she and her friends all grew from it. But then one instance that she was ashamed of still was the issue they had with the vampire fruit bats.
"So was it true that you tried to force the bats out of liking their favorite food, apples, and inadvertently turned the most timid friend of yours into an apple hungery creature of the night?!" Sunny asked, not really aware of how tactless he was being. His curiosity and excitement overshadowing his better judgment.
"Ya know!" Applejack stopped bucking and gave her full attention to the yellow stallion who was blind to her obvious annoyed state. She was about to tell him off, but claimed herself down a little. He may be acting tactless, but he wasn't a bad stallion. Just curious. "Maybe ya should go ask Twilight 'bout all of this. Since 'she' did give ya th' book and all."
"That's a great idea!" Sunny jumped for joy, but paused. "But what about this morning's chores. I don't want to-"
"It's alright. Go on ahead" Appeljack said as she picked up a torn and rotten apple. It was then that Sunny took a good look around. Some of the apple trees looked as though they had been attacked. Their trunks had deep claw like markings, large branches snapped off, and the apples themselves were torn to shreds and left to rot. Not like they were being eaten, but more like they were being chewed and spat out.
"What happened here?" Sunny asked, poking at a rotten apple with his hoof.
"Darn Timberwolves" Applejack said, angrily scowling at the broken up part of the orchard. "Don't know what's gotten' into them. But they've been causin' trouble all around th' orchards."
"Is there anything we can do?" Sunny asked, temporarily forgetting all about his questions involving his reading for now.
"Why don't you go ask Twilight if she has a spell er somethin' ta use ta keep them' varmints out of here. They usually hunt around them' ever free forest. Don't know why they came here." Applejack suggested, still wanting the yellow stallion to pay a visit to Twilight, hoping he's both find a solution to the Timberwolf problem, as well as get out any and all questions he still had involving their friendship adventures.
Sunny nodded, a somber look on his face as he secured his Stetson on his head and told Applejack. "Alright. Hold down the fort. I'll talk to Twilight. I'm sure we'll figure something out."
With that, the yellow stallion made a mad dash from the orchard Applejack was cleaning up, through town, and down the the quickest rout to Twilight's castle. As Applejack watched him run, she couldn't help but smile. His determination was one to be admired, he really wanted to keep the apple farm safe. That, and when he got serious he was really cute. That image made the job of cleaning up the mess in the orchard a little more bearable for The freckled, orange farm pony.
(Insert mlp fim opening theme)
Twilight had just finished reading one of the books Her brother and Princess Cadence sent her from the library in the Crystal Empire and slammed her face literally into the book. After the other night when she had learned about that new spell involving that giant pony puppet, all the history and economics of the Crystal Empire seemed so... Boring. She looked over at the clock and saw that it would be hours before Sunny's lesson. With a heavy sigh, the purple alicorn decided it might be best for her to stretch her legs and get some fresh air with a short walk. Maybe she could go down and see her friend Fluttershy. Twilight knew she would have her hooves full for the next few weeks.
Fluttershy told everypony at their last get together that the animal shelter would be having a fundraiser/adopt-a-thon in two months. The fundraiser would consist of both a bake sale that Applejack and Pinkie offered to help with, as well as a talent show that Rarity and Rainbow Dash offered to help advertise and gather participants. Twilight guessed she could help out in some way.
But as the princess of friendship placed her hoof on the door nob, a familiar yellow stallion stood there, looking like he was about to knock on the door.
"Oh, hey Sunny" Twilight greeted her magical pupil. "A little early today, aren't you?"
Sunny kept a serious look, despite him being out of breath from the long run. Unicorns weren't meant for running or hard labor. And although he kept up on the farm pretty well, bucking trees and pulling in the harvest, that didn't mean that the stallion was very good, or fast, at running. "Twilight... We need... Need your help..."
Twilight saw the seriousness in the stallion's voice and on his muzzle. She invited him in and offered him a drink. Sunny was able to calm down enough to explain the situation about the Timberwolves attacking the orchard. As Sunny polished off his 4th glass of water, Twilight had gathered several books on spells that might help.
"Well there's only on thing to do" Twilight beamed. "Research!"
Sunny paused and looked questioningly at the princess of friendship, who went right to work with an open book in front of her, she began reading at top speed, gathering all she could that might help. "Ugh Twilight?"
But the the purple alicorn was already lost in the pages of the book, her drive to help one of her very best friends helped her to focus completely on the page's written words. Her eyes flew across the pages faster than anypony Sunny knew.
"Twilight" Sunny called out again. This time, a little louder. But she still just continued to read. For the third time, Sunny moved over to her and shook her back and forth "TWILIGHT!"
This time the princess of friendship was broken free from her trance and looked over at the yellow stallion. "Is everything alright Sunny? Do you want to help?" She asked as she levitates a book over to him.
"I want to help Twilight," he said as he pushed the book away from him. "But don't you think we should do some investigating? See if there is something stirring the Timberwolves up? Causing them to act this way?"
Twilight thinks for a moment, then an an idea poped into her head. "We don't know much about the Timberwolves, themselves. Why don't you go ask Zecora in the Everfree forest about them. I'm sure living in the same forest as them she's ran into them once or twice. Maybe she knows something we don't."
"That's a great idea Twilight! I bet I can get Apple Bloom to show me the way! You keep researching, I'll go see what I can gather. Ok?" And before Twilight could object, the yellow stallion with an orange mane was out the door.
Twilight shrugged and went back to her reading, only to abruptly pause and shutter for a moment, dumbstruck by something. "Wait.... How did Sunny know about Apple Bloom knowing the way to Zecora's... Maybe Applejack told him...anyway, back to research." And with that, Twilight picked back up where she left off in the open book.
-Edge of the Everfree Forest-
On his way through town, Sunny luckily came across Apple Bloom and her friends. They were practicing an act for the upcoming talent show, but were about to call it a day anyway after Scootaloo popped their ball with one of their darts and Sweetie Bell lost two of their bowling pins in a tree. What kind of a routine they were attempting, Sunny really couldn't say. It looked.... Interesting?... But Apple Bloom was more then happy to take Sunny to see her good friend Zecora.
On their venture to see the shaman like zebra, Sunny decided to confirm a few things with Apple Bloom about what he read in 'the Elements of Harmony; a reference guided'. He asked Apple Bloom about the first time Applejack and her friends met Zecora, back when the whole town was afraid of her, of how she met Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo, and about when she caught the Cutie Pox. To which, Apple Bloom confirmed that it was all true, reluctantly. She really didn't like hearing about how somepony put in a book her incident involving the Cutie Pox. It wasn't her proudest moment.
"It's amazing!" Sunny continued to say. "All these amazing things happened around such a small town!"
"Yeah... Amazing" The little yellow filly commented, still bummed about Sunny finding out about her Cutie Pox incident, worry began to build up as she began to wonder what other mistakes she's made that were now bound in a book.
Sunny noticed the troubled filly's lack of enthusiasm and bunted her with his head a little. "Hey, good job with going to face Zecora for the first time, by the way. From what I read, even your sister was too afraid to face her at first. And she's one of the bravest ponies I know."
This brightened up the little filly's mood as she began to beam with pride once again. But the happy moment was short lived when a foul stench entered into the pony's breathing space. Apple Bloom coughed several times then cleared her throat. "Ugh, what's that.... Smell?..."
As if to answer the little filly's question, several large creatures emerged from behind the surrounding trees. They looked to be made completely out of sticks, branches, logs and leaves, forcibly held together in a beast like form. A pair of glowing green eyes rested at the end of a long muzzle filled with razor sharp teeth. A thick green slime trailed down from their jaws as they began to close in on the two ponies.
Sunny narrowed his eyes and stepped in front of Apple Bloom. The little yellow filly was frozen in fear. She had never actually 'seen' a real live Timberwolf. But Granny told her stories about the horrible things. Looking at the wolves now, Apple Bloom could see why her granny shivered whenever she told a tale about them. She couldn't do anything but watch as the odd predictors made of wood began to circle them.
"Stay calm, Apple Bloom" Sunny told her, never taking his eyes off of the wolves. "I won't let anything happen to you..."
While Sunny's attention was focused on the little filly behind him, a Timberwolf positioned right behind the ponies saw its opportunity, and lunged at them. Out of the corner of his eye, Sunny say the lone wolf flying threw the air, claws extended, inches from clawing the mane of Apple Bloom. As much as he had wished, the yellow unicorn had no time to react, no time to throw up a barrier or fire a shot of magic, the wolf was too close. It was going to strike her!....
Just then the beast burst into a pile of sticks and twigs that fell to the ground. And there, holding a long staff decorated with odd white tribal designs and feathers was a hooded pony shaped figure. It had struck the beast at a pressure point, causing the Timberwolf to fall to pieces.
"There is no reason to fret. Our chances of survival are better yet." A female voice called out from underneath the dark brown, hooded cloak as she retracted her staff. "If we stick together, fight as one, there is no storm we can not wether."
Apple Bloom began to relax as she smiled and called it the name of her dear friend. "Zecora!"
The hood fell and received not a pony beneath its shadowy veil, but a zebra. The very zebra Sunny and Apple Bloom ventured into the dangerous forest to find!
The trio of equine, made up of Zecora, Sunny and Apple Bloom, raced through the woods at top speed, never looking back at the Timberwolves that were hot on their trail. Zecora was leading the team with Sunny following quickly behind, carrying little Apple Bloom on his back. Apple Bloom held tightly onto the yellow stallion's neck with all her might, fighting with herself to not look back. She could still smell the horrible stench of the Timberwolve's breath even with as fast as they were running, and didn't want to see just how close the monsters actually were to her. Sunny's legs were on fire, the unicorn never having to run this much in his life, well, as much as he knew he hadn't. But he refused to give into exhaustion. It was more then his own life he was struggling to protect. It was Apple Bloom's as well.
There were six more Timberwolves quickly on the trio's tail, and closing in. Never before had the beasts ever been so driven, so aggressive. But that just meant that they were losing their wit as well, whatever little amount of wit such creatures had.
Just as Zecora reached a clearing where a great muddy lack resided, she grabbed a long, low hanging branch, pulled it back, and waited for Sunny and Apple Bloom to make it safely past her before releasing it. The branch wiped back as Zecora released it, and smacked the next Timberwolf in the face, hard enough to where it burst into sticks and twigs. The wolf that was right behind that one,rear-ended the first one, and also burst to wood debris, and created a small cloud of dirt and dust.
In the moment of confusion, Zecora grabbed Sunny and Apple Bloom and pulled them down into a thick bush that was close by. As they lay hidden the shrubbery, Zecora grabbed a decent sized stone and tossed it into a dark part of the muddy water. Just as the rest of the Timberwolves began to arrive and the broken ones began to regenerate and reform, something came bubbling up from the lake.
A few bubbles started to pop up at first, catching the attention of the wolves, then more and more until the lake seemed to be boiling. The Timberwolves all gathered around the edge of the lake and watched, waiting to something to emerge. The delicious looking ponies, they hoped.They didn't have to wait to long to find out. Not a moment after the bubbles stopped, out of the lake popped a long, reptilian head attached to a neck that must have stretched for at least ten yards and been as thick as a tree trunk! Then another head popped out, followed by another, and another! By the end of it, seven heads in total popped from the muddy water, all growling and looking around for what had disturbed them. Their green reptilian eyes fell upon the wolves made of wood. As the hydra roared, so did the wolves howl. That was the start of an mighty clash between the creatures. A fight that was perfect enough to distract the Timberwolves while certain equine beings to escape.
The three moved swiftly and quietly through the forest, well aware that many creatures just as dangerous, if not more so, then the Timberwolves, lay and waited for such pray to enter into their sights. Zecora, though, knew every stone, every twist, every turn, every trick, and knew how to play off her surroundings to survive. And in no time, lead the two ponies to her tree like home in the heart of the wild forest.
As the two yellow ponies entered the zebra's home, they collapsed to the ground, their breathing heavy, Sunny's legs could barley to keep him standing any longer. They had been pushed way past their limits, and he collapsed to the floor. Zecora just casually took her cloak off, hanging it nearly by the door, and placed her staff neatly by that. She then went over and began to pour some drinks for her guests.
"Apple Bloom, I always happy to see you, and to have you come over for a spell. Now drink this, it will relax and rejuvenate and soon you will once again feel well." The Zebra instructed and Apple Bloom obeyed. She offered Sunny a drink as well, to which, he happily took it and began to chug it. The drink tasted strongly of wild berries and tea. It was odd, but indeed refreshing.
The zebra looked at the two, half smiled and shook her head. "Now what could possess you two to come down and see me, here in the ever growing dangerous Everfree?"
Sunny was the first to speak up. He took several deep breaths to regain his composure before looking to Zecora. "Well, ugh, miss Zecora... My name is Sunny, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine, but please speak fast, we haven't got the time. Soon the night will fall. And the beasts will be out, Timberwolves, Hyras and all." The rhyming zebra explained, worry clear in her voice.
"Right, sorry" Sunny continued and cleared his voice. "Well that's why we came. The Timberwolves are on a rampage, attacking the orchard and we were wondering if you could tell us why. Or maybe even give us some information about them. We-"
But Zecora put up a hoof to silence the yellow unicorn. "I don't know much, about the wolves of wood. But tell you all I know, that I could."
The shaman then walked over to her book shelf and grabbed a book bound in thick tree teaves, and tossed it over to the unicorn who caught it with his magic. "I have watched all these creatures, took down in inc what I saw. Wrote down every detail from their muzzle down to their paw. I wish i could do more, but anything else of the Timberwolves lays simply in ponytales and lore."
Sunny skimmed the book quickly, and found the information on the Timberwolves half way through the book. It was only about two or three pages worth, but the information might just be the advantage they needed. But he still thought to ask more. "Thank you for the book. But do you have anything that might drive them away?"
The zebra walked over to a shelf of hers that held many vials, jars and bottles. She looked around carefully then grabbed two jars; one that held a green liquid and a white. "The green is hydra waste, dab some on your hooves and muzzle. But trust me, you do not want to taste. It will cast off the wolves until you get home, but as for protection the apple orchard, I'm afraid you are on your own."
Sunny looked at the second jar, the one with the white liquid. "What's this one then?"
The shaman's face grew grim, and she stared from the vile back to the yellow unicorn. "I know of you, the one called Sunny. Lost his memory, but still remains pure hearted, kind and funny. But history repeats itself, of that I am sure. And many trials you soon will face and endure. My heart cries for you, for all you will see and remember too."
Sunny narrowed his eyes at Zecora, his curiosity peaked. "Do you.... Do you know who I am? Where I come from? Do you know why I lost my memory?! Could you tell me?"
But the zebra only walked over to her cauldron, took a deep breath, then grabbed a hoof full green magical powder from a cloth sack,and threw it into the brew. The mixture produced a creepy dark green smoke, to which, Zecora spoke through. As she spoke, the smoke took new shape.
"I have seen shadows of the past, shifting and rising at long last. A terrible fate that you have met, many suffered, a lover and mother that wept." There in the smoke, shapes began to take form of what seemed to be two unicorns, one black and one white. The black was male, the white seemed to be a tall female. But then a third appeared, a little yellow one. It seemed to jump around both of the two parents. Only, the black one seemed to fade away, along with the yellow one. No... Sunny squinted his eyes. It seemed more like the yellow one was being dragged away by the black one as it faded. And the white one was reaching out with a hoof to save the yellow one. Only.... She was too late. And the mare cried. The tears fell back into the misting brew.
"To the castles of white and crystal you shall go, and find out the truth only two others now know." The white mare then began to swirl around then split in two, forming a castle that Sunny quickly recognized as Canterlot, but the other, the one made of crystal, he had to assume was the Crystal Empire.
In a moment, the smoke cleared leaving the witchdoctor zebra looking at Sunny with forlorn eyes. "I wish I could tell you more, but even my knowledge of you and your past is very poor. This part of the past that you once knew, will soon be revealed to you. But let not the shadows of the past cloud your heart" she smiled at the stallion. "You aren't a bad stallion, but you must play your part. Into two roads, your path will break. Make the wise decision to the path that you will take."
All of it was still over Sunny's head. But he looked down at the vile of white liquid, then back to Zecora. "I guess I should take this when we're out of harm's way?"
Zecora smiled and nodded. "And best before bed, less you grow dizzy, fall and hit your head."
Sunny out the vile with the white liquid under his hat, followed quickly by the book. Zecora suggested that he and Apple Bloom apply the 'hydra waste' right outside her door, for two reasons. One, the scent will Linder from her door way and keep the wolves away from the very start of their journey home up until they actually get back. And two, she didn't want her whole home to smell like waste.
After applying the strong smelling liquid, the two yellow ponies bid farewell to their zebra friend, and began their venture home. As confused as Sunny was about Zecora's fortune telling, Apple Blooom even more. She wanted to tell her sister all about it, but could barely figure out what Zecora was even talking about. But the little filly just shrugged and figured Sunny would tell her. The little filly guessed that Sunny didn't really keep secrets, especially from Applejack.
Applejack kept pacing back and forth in the living room, beads of nervous sweat dripping from her forehead. The sun hadn't gone down quite a while ago, but Apple Bloom and Sunny still weren't home. But she didn't take that long to wonder and start to worry about the yellow stallion.
Not long after lunch, Applejack made her way over to Twilight's castle to see if they had made any headway with the Timberwolf problem. If she knew Twilight, the alicorn was more then likely surrounded by a mountain of her books, searching for an answer at that very moment. She probably even ranggled Sunny into researching with her as well. It thought of Sunny sitting there m, trying to keep up with Twilight as she zoomed through her books made the farm mare chuckle to herself. Sunny was smart and a really fast learner. But a pile of untouched books on his desk that Twilight leant him a while ago told her that he wasn't much for reading.
As Applejack arrived at Twilight's castle, though, she was suprised to find Sunny was nowhere to be seen. She made her way to the library only to find Twilight hypnotized by a book she was reading and Spike just as lost in his comic book. After several attempts, the orange farm mare was able to tare Twilight way from her book. After that, it was all down hill. Twilight told Applejack how Sunny wanted to gather information first hoof, rather then spend time searching through books. Applejack wasn't surprised. But her fears grew when Twilight told her about how he went to find Apple Bloom to lead him to Zecora, in an attempt to get information they might not have had.
It was then that Appeljack began to panic. With what the Timber wolves had done to the orchard, the thought of what they could do to Sunny and her little sister almost caused the sturdy farm pony to faint. Twilight apologized for being so thoughtless. If she hadn't been so engulfed in her studying, she would have realized how bad of an idea that sounded. Sunny taking Apple Bloom into the Everfree Forest. What was she thinking.
Togeather, Applejack and Twilight shot through town, hoping that Sunny and Apple Bloom made it back already, without any trouble. But no pony had seen ether of them. Applejack's fears only grew as she overheard a few pegusi from the weather team talking about how hey saw a hydra fighting with some Timberwolves around the forest not long ago. Word began to spread fast through the town, causing some ponies to panic.
It was then that Twilight went and enlisted the help of her fastest friend, Rainbow Dash, who she found just napping on a cloud. She asked her to fly as fast as she could to the house of their zebra friend, and see if they had made it there ok. Twilight ten told Applejack to go home and patrol with Big Mac around the farm. If Sunny or Apple Bloom were to make it back, they might take a short cut through the orchard, especially if Timberwolves were hot on their trail. Twilight herself was going to patrol from the sky above the Everfree Forest. If she spotted anything suspicious or dangerous, she would investigate and jump in.
Applejack reluctantly agreed and went back home. She found Big Mac putting up some farming equipment and filled him and Granny in on the situation. Granny then hopped on top of the farm house with an old pair of binoculars and began scouring the farm land as best she could. While Big Mac and Applejacksolo up and began running through the orchard as best they could, each calling out the names of their missing family members. It seemed that they were only at it for a few moments, adrenalin still pumping hard in their veins. But as the sun began to go down, and it became harder to see in the orchard, Granny, Big Mac and Applejack returned to the farm house, hopeing for some good news to come their way.
Applejack almost walked a hole in the wood floor, pacing back and forth as much as she did. Then the front door burst open and the most disgusting smell quickly filled the entire house. Granny, who had been flipping through a family album with Big Mac up until that point, almost gagged. Big Mac himself turned a dark shade of green and ran quickly to the restroom. But Applejack held down her stomach as she covered her nose and looked to the front door. She found her self feelin an array of different emotions. Relief to see her sister and Sunny safely back home with only a few scratches, anger towards Sunny for taking her sister into harm's way, and confusion as to why they smelled like an out house in the middle of the hottest day in summer.
After a good scrub in the wash tub outside (Applejack didn't want the stink to linger in the bathroom, and the smell might keep the Timber wolves away), Sunny and Apple Bloom were allowed back into the house for a good scolding from the entire Apple family. Sunny tried to take all the blame, Apple Bloom having no way of knowing about the Timberwolve's recent change of character. But Twilight insisted that she was also partly to blame, not stopping Sunny or even going with him.
Applejack gave all 3 ponies a firm lecture on putting others in danger, the one it hit the most was Sunny. He hadn't mentioned it to Applejack, and was sure Apple Bloom wasn't aware of it, but she had been in danger wen she and Sunny were cornered y the Timberwolves. The image of the sweet little yellow filly almost being clawed by that vicious beast ran threw Sunny's head over and over. His heart sank deep into the pit of his stomach, making him feel even sicker then Big Mac had when he and Apple Bloom arrived back home. But after the lecture, Applejack face then all a big hug, she was truly happy that they all were safe, and she's said so.
But that sickening feeling never left Sunny. Apple Bloom went off to bed, quickly fallowed by Sunny, who claimed that the excitement of the day really tuckered him out too. Before he got to his bedroom, though, Twilight told him Rarity left a gift for him back at her castle and he could come by and pick it tomorrow when they had their magic lesson. That reminded the yellow stallion of the whole reason for the trip.
He then dug a hoof into his Stetson hat and pulled out the leather bound book Zecora gave him. He levitated it over to Twilight, who's grin grew three sized at the thought of a new book with new information. While Twilight and Applejack took a better look at the book, Sunny slipped away into his room, ready for the day to just be over. As he removed his hat, ready to just toss it aside, he caught the vile of white liquid.
He stared at it for a moment, then shook his head and placed it in a drawer in his desk and shut it. The day really did eat away at him quite a bit. Last thing he needed was to be overwhelmed with anything else. He was honestly in no hurry. He would drink it tomorrow night. But for now, he fell onto his bead, and went right to sleep. Hoping his dreams would push the events of the day aside.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing" Sunny commented, stared wide eyed at the unwrapped gift from Rarity, frozen in place from shock and awe.
"I know" Twilight commented, walking all around it to get a better view. "Rarity really outdid herself with this one. I mean, she mades the mannequins in her shop, but this.... This is like, amazing!"
Twilight and Sunny were idolizing Rarity's gift to Sunny that he had just unwrapped. Before the two magic users stood a life sized, wooden, pony marionette. It was a complete duplicate of the one that was sent to Twilight from Canterlot, but Rarity had made this one herself. All joints had 360 degree flexibility, hinged jaws, the wood was sturdy, and the metal hinges Sunny recognized from the hardware stores in Canterlot.
"That explains why we went inside the hardware stores when we went to Canterlot" Sunny commented, lifting up one of it's legs and putting it back down.
Twilight levitated a spell book over to Sunny, with the pages opened up to a section she marked with a sticky note. "I came across a spell a while back that was originally meant for it."
Deviant grins spread across both of their muzzles, but Sunny was the first to speak. "Think we'll have enough time to learn and practice it before Nightmare night?"
"I think we just might" Twilight replied, the gears in her head beginning to turn. "Would you mind if I used it to prank Rainbow Dash? I owe her after what she pulled last year."
Sunny smiled and bowed, motioning to the wooden pony with a hoof. "Be my guest. Just so long as I get to use him to get Applejack and Big Mac. I've never seen those two scared from a prank before."
"That will be a first for me too. Oh! I have just the perfect costume for it too!" Twilight then galloped over to her closet and pulled out a black cloak with purple trimming. "This was accidentally sent over in a box from my brother. I think it was his. This would be perfect!"
"Hey, speaking of costumes, what are you going as this year?" Sunny asked, trying to get an idea from Twilight for his own costume.
"Well I was planning on going as Queen Chrysalis...." Twilight trailed off, feeling slightly awkward. She planned the costume long before Sunny and her friends had another run in with the Changeling queen. But now it seemed in bad taste.
"Really?" Sunny sounded surprised and intrigued. "Holes in hooves and all?"
Twilight began to lighten up a bit. "The hard part wasn't the holes in her hooves and wings" se began. "It was the voice changing spell I had a hard time with. But... It won't bother you will it?"
"No, why?" Sunny asked, positioning the black cloak on the puppet, happy that it seemed to fit like a glove.
"Well.... You know, with the whole 'Custard' thing...." Twilight gradually lead into it.
"Oh don't worry about that, Twilight" Sunny smiled at his alicorn friend. "Just as long as you don't dress up as King-"
"Da-da-da da-da!" Spike called out and burst through the library doors, he had put on his Nightmare night costume early to show off to Sunny. "All will fear the wrath of there frightening King Sombra!"
Sunny and Twilight started at the little dragon as he stood there, like a miniature version of the evil shadow King. They both were very surprised at how accurate his costume was to the real thing. The grey face paint and crazy black wig really pulled the whole thing together. If it had been any other pony, Sunny would have felt uncomfortable. But seeing Spike as a bipedal, mini version of the villainous King, was priceless.
"So what do you think?" Spike asked the two ponies, a little confused by their silence. To his surprise Sunny replied first.
"Best King Sombra costume. Ever. Of all time." He smiled at the little dragon and held out a hoof for a hoof bump, to which the little King lookalike met with a dragon fist.
Although Nightmare night was just tomorrow night, and Applejack couldn't wait to have ton of fun with her friends, and even Sunny, her mind was fare from being at ease. She stood at one end of an orchard looking at another thrashed area. She ran her hoof over a tree that had been clawed and maimed.
"Them wolves are back, eh?" Granny commented, breaking Applejack out of her trance.
"Yeah, it seems like it" Applejack replied, worry hanging heavily in her tone. "It's gotten so bad, ah started havin' horrible nightmares 'bout them destroying th' orchard... Has this ever happen befor' Granny?"
Granny Smith approached a destroyed apple tree and put her hoof to it, a forlorn look washed over her muzzle. "Ah've never seen anything like this before. And ah was th' first ta ever run into them wolves."
"Ah wonder was caused them to act like this?" Applejack asked, stepping beside her grandmother. "Granted, for the past week, it seems th' damages has just been done bah' one lone feller, but still..."
"How do ya figure just one of them varmints be doin this?" Granny asked, raising a brow to her eldest granddaughter as she rubbed her chin.
Applejack then motioned to the ground. "One set of prints, darting from tree ta tree. Then they disappear. We placed ah spell that Twilight was able ta cook up, not one of them wolves should be able ta get into th' orchard..."
"Well, we'll deal with it later" Granny commented. "But right now, we still need ta get ready fer Nightmare night. Do ya have a costume yet, Applejack?"
The change of subject seemed to take Applejack's mind of things a little. "Sure do! Wait till ya see it! Ah wonder what Sunny's goin' as..."
-Rarity's boutique-
"Marvelous! Simply magnificent!" Rarity commented as she circled Sunny, who stood on a small podium surrounded by mirrors. "Rarity, you are a genius."
"Ugh, not to sound ungrateful, Rarity..." Sunny ask looking back at the mare who was gawking at her own work. "But... What am I supposed to be again?"
"Why darling, don't tell me you haven't heard of the play 'the Phantom of the opera'!" The fashionista gasped. "It's only one of the most popular plays in both Canterlot and Manehatten! I even hear that it's one of Princess Luna's personal favorites."
Sunny had been dressed in what looked like former attire from a hundred years or so ago. A button up shirt, with long frilly sleeves and collar. A red silk vest over that, but most of it was covered by a black silk cloak with silver trimming. And the piece that separated It from being a vampony costume (other then the missing fangs ) was a white, half mask that seemed to mold to Sunny's muzzle. To be honest, Sunny kinda liked the mask itself. He just wished he knew more about the character he was portraying. Maybe Twilight had a copy of the play in her library.
"Do you not like it?" Rarity nervously asked as she began running other possible outfits through her mind.
"No no, i love it" Sunny honestly told his white unicorn friend. "Especially the mask and cape."
The yellow unicorn then pulled the cape over, converting the lower half of his muzzle as he glared over his cape covered leg at the mirror. To Rarity's surprise, the stallion did truly look evil and deviant, much like the actual Phntom from the play. "I'm so glad you like it! Truly! It seems to really suit you! Not that you are some evil mastermind, but still, you play the part well."
"Well when I heard that you were the one who helped Spike with his costume, I had to come and see what you might have for a stallion like me." Sunny commented, hopping down from the protium.
"Oh it's my pleasure, Darling" Rarity sang. "Now, would you care for a preview of my own costume?"
"I would love to!" Sunny said enthusiastically as Rarity entered into one of her changing rooms. Sunny spoke to rarity through the door, hoping it wouldn't bother the fashionista or distract her too much. "This whole night sounds like a lot of fun! Dressing up in costumes, passing out candy, eating some yourself, games, music, a costume contest, and staying out most of the night. It just sounds like so much fun!"
"Oh it is, darling!" Rarity chimed in from behind the changing room door.
"I read about the first time Princess Luna attended the year after she returned" Sunny commented. "It was... Touching."
"It was indeed" Rarity commented, not thinking about where the stallion had read about such an event. It wasn't recent enough to be in the paper, but not so momentous as to be added to a history book, as of yet anyway. But she was more preoccupied with making her costume obey her will. And a moment later she was ready. "What do you think, darling?"
Sunny turned his head to the dressing room door as Rarity stepped out, and struck a pose in her costume. Sunny, was honestly speechless. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. "What...."
"I was inspired by a book Twilight leant me" the fashionista said as she began to do a catwalk. Her costume seemed to be a type of light weight armor that covered almost everything on Rarity, say for her face. She looked like she was made of tin or something. "The book was about something called an 'android', a robot in pony form. She was made to sit upon a thrown that stood above the clouds of a great city of lights, glamor, and elegance. Oh! And watch this!"
Rarity's horn began to glow with a light blue aura as she began to cast a spell. Whatever she did, Sunny wanted to learn it. Her outfit began to glow the same color of light blue in the sections where her joints were, even after she stopped channeling magic from her horn, giving Rarity more of an 'elegant' machine feel.
"Wow Rarity, I don't know what you were last year, but I'm willing to guess this one blows it out of the water!" Sunny complemented the fashionista.
She lightly laughed at his competent, "why thank you dear. So do you know what Applejack is going as this year?"
-Applejack's bedroom-
Applejack struck a pose in front of her mirror, feeling proud and confident about her costume. She had talked to Twilight about what she should go as, wanting to go as somepony or something that would impress Sunny. From a small list Twilight compiled, Applejack liked the idea of this one the best. Swif-Strike the Bold! Who was a worrier mare from the early days of Equestria. The farm pony was dressed in a half suit of armor, mainly consisting of leg guards, a long sword (replica) that she wore on her back, and her mane and tail tied nearly up in a braided ponytail.
From what Twilight told her, when she was teaching Sunny about the history of the first great Gryffin war, he seemed highly interested in this mare. Saying that she must have been increasingly brave to have seen it fit to only wear hoof guards. Twilight explained that the mare wasn't afraid of minor scratched received in battle, and that she actually presented her battle scares with pride. The yellow stallion found it very interesting. Which is why Applejack went to Twilight not only to get the costume just right, but also for help on what to do about the scars. Twilight helped Applejack make a putty like mixture that when applied to one's coat, would look and reflect just like a scar. Just as Applejack began to apply the putty, an oh too familiar mare burst through her bedroom window.
"Hey AJ! You ready yet?" Rainbow asked, appearing to be glowing bright green all over. Applejack paused to get a good look at her normally colorful friend. She didn't know what the daredevil pegasus was planning, but she had covered up all of her natural coloring with some kind of green, glowing paint. The only things that weren't glowing green on her were her white eyes, teeth, and her irises, which were now recolored by red contact lenses.
"Yeah, pretty cold, right?" Rainbow asked, feeling more and more confident about her work. "Bet ya can't wait for the show! I'm going to knock the crowd dead!"
That was right, Applejack almost forgot that Rainbow along with Twilight and Pinkie were going to put on a show tonight after the fillies and colts returned from making their offering. Applejack smiled at her glowing friend. "It'll be a real show stopper, ah bet."
"You bet right!" Rainbow smirked. "Now hurry up! The rest of the gang is on their way to town square!" With that, the normally cyan colored mare zoomed back out the window and into the night, leaving a slight glowing mist behind.
Applejack was taking one last look in the mirror to make sure everything looked right. She normally didn't prep this much, but she really wanted to catch the eye of a certain yellow unicorn. The farm pony was so distracted, that she didn't notice the green smoke that traveled from the waterhole to her bedroom so many nights ago had begun to fill the room again.
The green mist had traveled far in search of the one that it marked back when it still had claws of wood. The plan was to infect him, to take him over. But something prevented the green mist from doing so. As if the stallion was protected by an invisible barrier. Rather then dissipate into nothing, the mist found another suitable host occupying the room next door. One that could cause just as much pain to the yellow unicorn, if not more.
As Applejack smiled once more in the mirror and was about to leave her room, when she fell to the ground, a pain shooting throughout her entire body. One that she had been experiencing night after night as she slept, as the moon rose into position. The room seemed to darken as Applejack's body began to shift. Her teeth began to grow long and sharp, her mane flung out into a wild bunch, wooden claws began to grow from the ends of her hooves, her normally bright orange coat began to grow darker and darker, and finally, as the freckled farm pony looked back into the mirror, the pupal of her eyes changed to that of a predator, her green eyes glowing bright in the dark. Applejack's conscious mind now being suppressed by a primal instinct unfamiliar to the average pony. She then arched her back and howled loud enough to echo through all of Ponyville, sending a chill down everypony's back.
Applejack, or Applewolf, the leaped from her bedroom windowsill on the second story of the farm house, down safely to the ground where she immediately broke into a sprint across the apple orchard and went strait for town square where it knew 'he' would be there. The cause of the whole mess.
Tonight was going to be a night Sunny never forgot. All the town was decorated with images of Nightmare Moon, bats, spiders, Jack-o-lanterns, spider webs, and all kinds of creepy and spooky decorations. There were booths for games, stands for food and candy, and a stage set right up by town hall for the Nightmare night show and costume contest.
Sunny watched as everypony in town ran around dressed in costumes of every shape, size and color. Some generic like a pirate, a firefighter, or a doctor. Then there were some that were slightly more elaborate. He couldn't help but laugh at the image of little Twilight Sparkles running around. Rarity had offered to take Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo door to door for their candy. She wanted to spend some quality time with her little sister, as well as show off her amazing costume to everypony as they went door to door.
Sunny looked back at Twilight and was amazed at how accurate her costume was to the actual Queen Chrysalis. She was about half the size of the real changeling queen. Which made her and the bite sized King Sombra who stood right next to her quite the pair. Rainbow Dash had shown up a moment ago, nearly giving Sunny a heart attack.
The mare was glowing green with red eyes, it made her look like some sort of pegasus ghost. And apparently he wasn't her first, or only, victim tonight. After helping Pinkie and Twilight set up for the Nightmare Night show, Rainbow apparently went around popping out of nowhere, and scaring the daylights out of ponies. Pinkie would have joined in, but her costume made her... Stand out a bit. And not in a 'scary' sort of way.
"What do you think of my costume, Sunny?" Pinkie asked as she bounced up to him, which he was amazed she could even do that.
She had decided to dress as 'one of her most favoritest things in all of Equestria!' Pinkie was a giant cupcake, complete with pink and white swirled frosting, giant sprinkles, glitter, a bowling ball sized cherry on top, and some how, she was able to replicate that smell of freshly backed cup cakes. He didn't know how she did it, but Sunny was really impressed. "I'll give it to ya, Pinkie. I don't think anypony else could pull it off but you."
"Thanks Sunny!" The pink party planning pony said as she bounced around. Then upon seeing a table of snacks, she zoomed over to it, helping herself to the seemingly endless buffet of sweets.
"Hey, has anypony seen Applejack or Fluttershy?" Sunny asked the group.
"Fluttershy normally spends Nightmare night locked up in her cabin" Rainbow answered, having just scared another unsuspecting victim, sending them running and screaming into the night. "But AJ should be here any-"
"AaaaaRoooooooo!" A loud and ear piercing howl rang throughout the entire town as everypony turned to face a shadow outlined in the moonlight, of a pony with glowing green eyes. Fillies and Colts screamed both in fear and delight as they ran to their parents who began to recognize the howling beast as Applejack.
Applewolf began to slowly step into the decorated town and all its festivities, having almost everypony believing that this was an act, part of her costume for the night. All except for the mare who helped Applejack pick out a meaningful costume and the stallion who knew what happened to the Timberwolves.
"What happened to her?" Twilight muttered to herself.
"Apple.... Applejack" Sunny also whispering under his breath as he stared at Applewolf in horror. "No, that's not possible..."
"Hey Applejack! Great costume! Did you make it? Because I made mine! What do you think?" Pinkie Pie began to greet her friend and possible family member when Applewolf lunged at her. The wolf like pony landed on top of Pinkie's costume and began to claw at and bite down on the fluffy frosting part, tearing into it. To this, Pinky only giggled, thinking that Applewolf meant no harm. "That's not 'real' frosting, silly! Here, have this!"
The pink party pony then held out a Nightmare night cupcake, with orange frosting and chocolate sprinkles, to the ravenous wolf pony. But Applewolf only paused her attack on the costume for a moment to swipe the cupcake out of Pinkie's hoof, with her wood like claw.
"Hey! If you don't want one, just say so!" Pinkie said, outraged that her possible cousin would act that way. Even worse that she would waste a delicious treat.
But Applewolf just growled at the pink mare, casing Pinkie to pop out of her cupcake costume and flash over and hide behind Twilight.
"What's gotten into her?" Rainbow Dash asked, half concerned half annoyed. "It's like she's a wild animal, or something."
"She looks like a Timberwolf" Twilight stated. "But how did this happen?"
Sunny was thinking back to when Twilight used that spell on the vampire fruit bats, the same one he had used on the giant Timberwolf not long ago. He remembered that Twilight reversed the spell and changed Fluttershy back when she began to change into 'Flutterbat'. Whatever happened to Applejack, it must be linked. Sunny didn't think something like this could happen, since he was alone with the Timberwolves when it happened, but what other explanation could there be. With a heavy sigh, Sunny turned to his mentor and friend, knowing what he had to do to set things right.
"Twilight" he began, catching the alicorn princess's attention. "You know that spell you used on Fluttershy when she went all 'Vampire fruit batty'?"
"Yeah... Why?" Twilight turned to him, sounding slightly concerned and confused as to how he knew about that incident.
"No time to explain" Sunny said as e watched Applewolf attack the spider toss game stand, tearing the web to shreds and clawing up the spiders. The town ponies began to look worried as their once well respected apple farmer began her rampage, thinking this might not be an 'act' after all. "I need you to use it on Applejack. Now."
"What did you do?!" Twilight asked, annoyed and angered with the yellow unicorn.
"I used that same spell on the Timberwolves weeks ago. And some how, I think it's effecting Apllejack." Sunny saw that this was no time to beat around the bush, he would deal with the consequences later. Right now he needed to make things right. Not just because if was the right thing to do, but because Applejack was in trouble. 0You can do it, right?"
Thinking about the spell, Twilight recoiled a bit. "I can't. I need something for the wolf's instincts to go back to. When I used it with Fluttershy, the vampire fruit bat instincts quickly returned to the bats still in the orchard, a short distance away. Do you know where the wolves went to?"
Sunny's heart sank. "They fell to pieces after I used the spell.... Isn't there something else we can use?"
"Well...." Twilight pondered the thought a moment as Applewolf made her way to the food stands, choking down on anything and everything, half just making a mess. "If we had something similar to a Timberwolf's body, I believe I could transfer its restless spirit over to it. But we would need-"
"I got something" Sunny interrupted his magical mentor, the. Turning to Rainbow Dash. "Think you can distract her for a few minutes and stop her from hurting anypony?"
"No prob!" The Aerodynamic daredevil said with a salute and like that, shot off towards Applewolf, leaving a glowing green streak behind. Rainbow then began zooming all around, casting a bright and annoying light that caught the attention of the wolf like pony. Applewolf seated at the green glowing pony a few times, but Rainbow Dash was more then a match for her speed, and dodged the wooden claws every time.
Sunny disappeared for a moment, running off to get something as Twilight ducked behind the show stage, ready to cast the spell when Sunny arrived. But before he returned, Applewolf became wise to Rainbow Dash's distracting moves and managed to strike out with a bucking motion at just the right moment to send her flying off, crashing right into the filly's and colt's ball pit.
Applewolf grinned my let out a triumphant howl, causing all the town ponies that were now hiding, to shake and shiver, guessing that this might not be an 'act' and wanting to take precautions. Applewolf then sniffed the air, catching a familiar scent. The wolf pony turned to the pumpkin launch game where a frightened little yellow filly was hiding underneath a catapult. Applewolf grinned, bearing two rows of razor sharp teeth, as she took slow, drawn out steps towards where Apple Bloom was. With every claw made step, Apple Bloom's heart beat seemed to growl louder and louder in her ears. Until the steps finally stopped. But as the little filly gathered the courage to open her eyes, the entire catapult she was hiding under,flung over and a very vicious Applewolf stood looming over her little sister.
"Applejack!" Sunny called out to the wolf pony hybrid as he stood on the town's stage, his mask removed to show Applewolf that it was really him. "It's me you want, not her! Come and get me!"
The image of the yellow unicorn and his stern green eyes filled the wolf spirit inside of Applejack with anger. They were the same eyes he had when they last met! Forgetting all about Apple Bloom, Applewolf began to charge Sunny with full force. Just as she reached the end of the stage and lunged into the air, Spike pulled back the curtain behind Sunny, revealing a charged up Twilight Sparkle, her horn glowing bright purple. As Applewolf realized that it was a trap, Twilight and Sunny put their plan into action.
Twilight shot the spell at Applewolf, who's attention was now fully on her. As the spell soured threw the air, Sunny's horn began to glow with his own green magical aura, bringing up a cloak covered form from underneath the stage, and moving it to stand directly behind the wolf pony. The cloak fell to reveal it to be Sunny's life sized, pony puppet. As the spell made contact with Applewolf, it shot out the green mist that possessed the sweet farm pony, and forced it into the wooden pony body nearest to it.
The wolf like features that applejack had acquired had began to break apart as she began to revert to her normal state. Unconscious, Applejack fell down towards the ground. But before she made contact, Sunny dove and caught her, holding her against his own body as he landed on his back, taking the brunt of the blow. After landing ontop of him, Applejack's eyes began to flicker and open.
"W-what in the hay just happened?" The orange farm pony asked, feeling slightly light headed.
But before anypony could answer her, a loud clicking noise began to fill the air. Everypony, even the ones brave enough to peer out of hiding, looked to the life sized pony puppet. It's eyes were glowing with the same green color that Applewolf's had. The puppet's body twitched and jerked randomly as it began to get used to the body. But slowly as the clicks began to subside, the puppets eyes began to change from bright green to bright red. It looked up, down, left, right, then strait ahead at Sunny. It's expression was unreadable, and it's eyes revealed no emotion either. Instead it clicked three more times before it made a mad dash out of town and to the Everfree forest.
Rainbow Dash had just gotten up and out of the ball pit, rubbing her head as the pony puppet ran past her, causing her to freak out, and dive back into the ball pit, shivering and scared. As everypony began to come out, and Applejack began to regain her composure, she turned to Sunny and asked. "Is somepony gunna fill me in?"
Amazingly the rest of the night went on fairly well. Everypony in town, say for Sunny, Twilight, Applejack and their friends all assumed that the 'Applewolf' was part of the show. They loved the theatrics and great lengths Twilight and her friends went to in order to give them all a good fright. And as Zecora and Rarity took the fillies and colts to leave an offering at the Nightmare Moon statue, Sunny sat down as explained to Apllejack and the rest what happened. After he explained that he used the same spell that was in 'the Elements of Harmony' book on the pages involving the vampire fruit bats, and how he used it when he confronted the Timberwolves, Twilight began to piece everything together.
"Just like when Fluttershy took on the instincts of the vampire fruit bats, Applejack must have done the same with the Timberwolves" the purple alicorn theorized.
"But then why didn't they just infect me?" Sunny asked, unable to make direct eye contact with anypony. "No pony else was around when I cast the spell, I made sure of it."
"I don't know, Timberwolves are still a bit of a mystery. Even Zecora doesn't know where they came from or why they were attacking the orchards" Twilight answered. "But if you don't mind, id like to take a look at that book you got here spell from."
"Of course..."Sunny sighed heavily "everypony.... I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for almost ruining Nightmare Night, for putting you all in harm's way, and most importantly, I'm sorry for hurting you, Applejack..."
"You don't need to worry about me sugar cube" the freckled farm pony began to say, smiling easy at the yellow stallion as he tossed the half mask over him his hooves.
"Applejack, I turned you into a monster because I went off and tried to take matters into my own hooves" Sunny replied, feeling more and more down with every word.
"But ya'll did it ta help th' farm" Applejack tried to comfort him, patting him on the back. "Mistakes happen. And if ya really read that darn book, ya must have found th' parts 'bout all us when we messed up and learned a little something. Like when ah tried to pull in th' whole harvest mah' self? Or the time I refused to come home after not winnin' bi at the Roadieo?"
Sunny looked up at Applejack, still feeling lower then the dirt under his hooves.
"The point isn't what you did, Sunny" Twilight spoke up, causing the yellow stallion's eyes to shift to her. "It's what you learned from it, and how you plan to make it right, if you can. We fall so we can learn to pick ourselves up."
"So what did ya'll learn from this?" Applejack asked as she helped him to sit up.
The yellow unicorn took a deep breath s looked around the table at everypony, from Pinkie to Rainbow Dash, back to Applejack, then to Twilight. "Well.... I guess I learned you should always consult your friends about really big problems you have, rather then try and take all the burden on by yourself... If I had done that, none of this would have happened."
"But it's a lesson well learned" Twilight noted, smiling happily at her friend and pupil.
"Yeah, but now we have that creepy thing running around here!" Rainbow Dash added, eyes darting around from one corner of the town to the other.
"What do you mean, Dashie?" Pinkie asked, wearing her half eaten cupcake costume. "He's right behind you and his name is Gorge!"
Rainbow jumped up, landing on a cloud, cowering behind it as she peeked over it at the ground below, looki around for the life sized wooden puppet. Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie and Sunny all broke out into a fit of laughter at Pinke's well played prank. Sunny couldn't help but feel that it felt so good to laugh. And even better, to laugh with friends as great as the ones he had.
"Oh thank you so much for helping me set up, Sunny" Fluttershy said as she poured food into several pet food bowls, each one a different color and size with different animal's faces on them to symbolize who they are for. "Everypony else has been so busy with the talent show and the bake sale, i just wouldn't feel right to ask for help with all try have to do."
Fluttershy had worked super hard setting things up with Mayor Mare and the Cakes to set up a fundraiser event for the animal shelter. The plan was to not only raise money to care for the unadapted or abandoned animals at in the shelter, but also to raise awareness and hopefully adopt some out to some food homes. Everypony was onboard since it would also help out Sugar Cube Corner and hopefully bring in time more business for the town. Twilight and the others had been working all week to get things ready.
"It's no problem, Fluttershy" Sunny said with a smile as he levitated some large bubbles of fresh water into some group water bowls. "Besides, I was actually thinking of adopting a pet as well."
A light turned on, bringing a twinkle to the timid pony's eyes as she hopped into the air, lightly hovering with her hooves pressed to her cheeks in sheer joy as her eyes sparkled like stars. "You were?!?! Oh that is just so great, Sunny!"
"Yeah, well I talked it over with Applejack" the yellow stallion began to say, as a small group of adoptable animals came out of their respective cages to get something to eat and drunk. "She thinks a little critter pal might be a good idea. You, her and all your friends have pets, so she thought it might be good for me to have one too."
"I'm so happy for you!" Fluttershy said again as she closed the space between her and Sunny. "Any idea what kind of sweet, lovable, kind, and caring animal you might want as a pet?"
"Well..." Sunny's gaze drifted off as he looked around at the various animals. "Something that might work well on a farm, like Wanona."
"Oh! How about a beaver?" Fluttershy suggested, motioning to the furry creature who was enjoying a nice mouthful of food all at once. "He could help you clear away all the brush and fallen branches from the orchard, and use it to make a warm and comfy home!"
"That's true. But I know Applejack and beavers haven't gotten along well in the past." Sunny said, readjusting his Stetson as he eyes the dam building creature. "Especially after that incident where Discord made them go nuts and flood the orchard."
The mention of the incident caused Fluttershy to stutter. She didn't know Appeljack still talked about that. Granted the Beavers and Appeljack still had their differences, but Fluttershy thought they had at least moved past that incident. "W-well... H-how about a sweet little bunny?"
The yellow pegusus swooped up a brown bunny and promptly presented it to Sunny. The creature smiled at the yellow stallion as its whiskers moved up and down. "It's cute, Fluttershy, but not really my thing. I don't think...."
Something caught Sunny's eye. It looked like a large bird cage that was covered by a sheet. The first thing that came to Sunny's mind was maybe some exotic bird, like a parrot or a cockatoo. But he looked over and saw such birds dining in large perches with several other very colorful birds of all sizes, so that couldn't have been it. Sunny's curiosity had gotten the better of him, and as Fluttershy looked around for another animal to try and show to her unicorn friend, he walked over to the cage and lifted the cloth slightly, allowing him to catch a glimpse at who or what was inside the cage.
Only after he did, Fluttershy noticed what he was doing, grasped and cried out "No! Sunny! That's Toast!"
"Toast? But why would you keep toast in a bird-" Sunny had looked away from the dark inside part of the covered bird cage to shoot Fluttershy a confused look. When he did, something flew out of the cage without warning. The creature was large and covered in feathers, but that was as much as sunny could describe of the thing as it tacked him. It let out glass breaking screeches while it clawed up Sunny's face, causing the stallion to fall flat on his flank as he tried desperately to get the vile bird off of him. When the creature known as 'Toast' lost interest or perhaps forgot what he was doing, it flew off to find a nice dark tree to sleep in until nightfall. As the feathered fiend flew off, Sunny caught a glimpse of 'Toast'.
Sunny recognized 'Toast' as that violent old owl that was Chasing Owlowiscious in Twilight's library the other day. Sunny had assumed it was a wild owl from the Everfree Forest or something to have been that mean.
"Sorry, that's just Toast" Fluttershy said as she approached Sunny, concerned about the wounds he received from the bird of prey.
But all Sunny did was plop down on his back, his chest quickly rising and falling with his heavy breathing, his heart still racing as he thought about how that bird was a menace to society.
"Ah'm surprised that ya'll ain't participatin' in the show tonight." Applejack said as she walked beside Rainbow Dash, both of them Heading towards the stage at the center of town. The talent show was tonight, and Applejack wanted to have one last rehearsal before then.
"Eh" Rainbow commented, hovering beside Applejack at a slow rate. "Judges can't compete. And who better to judge who's talent is more awesome then me?! Besides, everypony already knows how awesome I am, I figure I'll let hem have a night to shine."
Applejack just smiled and rolled her eyes as she and Rainbow approached Twilight who was talking with the other two judges. Twilight had been made the event's head organizer. With three events all going at once, the timing, scheduling, and budgeting needed to be handled by the most organized pony in town. None other then Princess Twilight Sparkle herself. As Twilight levitated a clipboard in front of her, and checked another thing off her list, she looked up to see two of her best friends.
"Hey Applejack, Rainbow, you two ready for the competition tonight?" The purple princess asked.
"Sure as sugar are!" Applejack replied, pulling her acoustic guitar off her back and strumming a few cords. The sound vibrated and created an angelic ring. "Me and ol' Betsy here are more then ready. But we're wonderin' if there was time before the show to get one last practice in."
"Let me see...." Twilight flipped to the second to last page on her clipboard. The one with the line up for the evening. "Well... It seems that Rarity and the Ponytones scheduled a practice session right before the guests arrive..."
Twilight then looked up from her clipboard and skimmed the area, along with Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Rainbow was the first to speak up. "Where are they? Doesn't the show start in, like, an hour?"
"TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT!!!" Spike screamed as he ran down as fast as his little legs could carry him, sprinting the whole way from across town. When he arrived, the little purple and green dragon was completely out of breath, but fought against his collapsing lungs to inform Twilight and the girls of the terrible news.
-at the adoption area of town square-
"Ouch! Ow!" Sunny whimpered as Fluttershy proceeded to clean up the wounds the yellow stallion received from the deranged owl known as 'Toast'. "Ah! Ah!!! That really stings!"
"Oh, I'm so very sorry, Sunny" Fluttershy apologized again. "But we really need to clean your wounds up. Otherwise they could leave scars or worse, get infected!"
As the timid, yellow pegusus continues to pour what felt like acid on Sunny's wounds, the yellow unicorn decided to take his mind off the burnin pain with some conversation. "What is with that bird anyway? Why did he attack me like that?"
"I'm sorry, I should have said something earlier" Fluttershy began to say as she continued to dress Sunny's wounds. "His name is 'Toast', or that's what the others call him. He comes and goes, and I've had to stop him from attacking some of the other critters. But for the most part he keeps to himself. He's never attacked me, but he does tend to act out randomly."
"Like attacking somepony who takes a look into his cage?" Sunny spat with a bit of venom. "That bird is crazy with a capital 'C'!"
"What in tarnation happened to you?!" Applejack's voice tore Fluttershy and Sunny from their own conversation to look over at Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow who were a little shocked by what they saw.
Rainbow was holding back a fit of laughter. "Gee Sunny, what did you do? Pick a fight with a lawn mower?"
"No!" Sunny grumbled. "That stupid owl that attacked Owluwiscious the other day went nuts and attacked me!"
"Are ya ok?" Applejack asked, concerned as she took a few steps closer to the yellow unicorn and got a better look at him.
"I'm fine, Applejack. I should be fine in no time." Sunny reassured her, meeting her nervous gaze with his emerald green eyes and throwing her his happy go lucky smile.
"That's good to hear, but we have a really big problem" Twilight said, some panic in her voice. "Some of the acts for tonight canceled. The Ponytones who were supposed to open up in the second half of the show, all caught the flu and can't perform. Snips and Snails who were supposed to, ugh, well, rap sing I guess, had been pulled out by their mothers. They had been practicing so much, they let their grades slip. No pony has seen Zecora in a week, and she needed to sign in the other day. She was going to do a poetry reading and tribal dance of her people tonight to finish off the first half. Then well..."
"Ya'll signed up to a do yer puppet show" Applejack said to Sunny.
"Oh buck! That's right!" Sunny remembered. "I signed up not long after Twilight gave me the puppet and told me about the spell!"
"If I had known that, I would have kept the original one" Twilight added. "But I sent it to Princess Celestia in Canterlot to use at her school."
"So we have to fill 4 acts within the next hour or the whole thing will have to be canceled" Rainbow said flatly.
"Oh no! But what about the animals who were looking forward to getting adopted?!" Fluttershy's eyes went wide with horror.
"What about all the cupcakes I backed?!" Pinkie Pie said as she popped out of a near by animal food bowl, bits of the food still stuck in her fluffy pink mane. "We backed 325 cupcakes, 4 triple layer cakes and I even ordered in a chocolate fountain! A! Chocolate! Fountain!"
"The best bet we have is to find some ponies to fill in" Twilight began. "Anypony know anypony who might be able to help us out?"
The girls and Sunny thought for a moment, then some light bulbs flash on.
"I think I have an idea..." Rainbow said as she stroked her chin. "I'll be back in a flash!" With that the cyan colored mare with a rainbow mane and tail zoomed off before explaining her plan.
"I think I have a few ideas too" Twilight said after a moment. "Pinkie, I'll need your help to gather a few supplies. Can you spare 20 minutes or so?"
"Sure thing, Twi!" Pinkie said with a salute. "Anything for a friend and a chocolate fountain!"
"Great. And Sunny" Twilight turned to her newest friend and pupil. "Do you think you can come up with a new act by tonight? I can put you in the last slot to give you time to prep. If not, I need to know now."
Sunny's heart pounded so loud in his ears he couldn't think. He didn't want to disappoint his friends, but he wasn't entirely sure he could come up with something. Unfortunately for him, the yellow unicorns lips spoke before his brain could catch up. "No problem, Twilight. Tonight. Last part of the show. You got it!"
"Excellent, let's go Pinkie!" And with that, the purple alicorn princess dashed into town with the pink party pony quickly behind her.
"Ah'll leave ya ta prepare, Sugar cube" Applejack said as she gave him her quick smile this time. "Ah have ta go and get one last practice session in before the show. Are ya sure ya will be alright?"
"Y-yeah" Sunny's voice shook as his brain began to catch up with him. "I-I'll be alright. Go ahead and practice."
"Ah'll right, see ya at them' show, Sugar cube" Applejack said as she trotted of towards the stage.
Fluttershy remained silent for a moment, just watching Applejack cross the field towards the stage at the heart of the town square. After a few moments of silance, Fluttershy turned to Sunny and asked him "so... Um... What is your plan, if you don't mind me asking?"
That's when Sunny gulped and the beads of sweat began to flow down the sides of his head. "Honesty, I have no idea.... Oh what am I going to do?! What was I thinking?!"
At this point, Sunny was more or less talking to himself then to Fluttershy as he began pacing back and forth, reminding the timid yellow mare more of Twilight when she went into her 'panic and thinking' mode.
Just then Sunny tripped over something, sending him to fall over with his face landing in a water dish, causing several of Fluttershy's animal critter friends scattering. Sunny just sighed, his face still under water in the dish, which created several large bubbles. He slowly pulled his muzzle out of the water dish and wiped it clear of the water. "Can this day get and worse?"
Just then a long, skinny scarf like creature bounced up to him and licked his nose. The creature looked almost like a weasel but had the markings similar to a raccoon. It then proceeded to yawn and crawled up under Sunny's hat that had remained atop of his head. The creature circled around the hat until it found a comfortable position then yawned and fell asleep.
"Awww he likes you" Fluttershy commented with a small smile. "Well, at least you found an animal that likes you."
Twilight nervously paced back and forth as she went over the new line up for the talent show, again and again, double, triple, and quadruple checking that the ponies for the acts were presently backstage and getting ready to perform.
"You ok, Twilight?" Spike asked as he appeared right behind the distracted alicorn princess, causing her to nearly jump out of her fur.
"O-oh it's just you Spike" Twilight commented as she began her deep breathing exersizes, in an attempt to calm herself down. "How's Rarity doing?"
"She's resting now" the little dragon reported. "From what the doctor said, if she gets bed rest and plenty of fluids, she should be fine in a day or two. I wanted to stop by really fast to see how things were going."
"Well, we found some replacements for the acts, but...." Twilight began to flip through the pages on her clip board again, nervously checking the line up for a fifth time.
"Hey, it'll be ok, Twilight" Spike reassured her, putting a claw on her shoulder.
Twilight looked to her number one assistant and smiled. Spike was always there for her to help keep things together. "Thanks Spike. You're right. We've done all we can, and if something happens, we'll work with it."
"Yeah, that's always worked out for us before" Spike said as he peaked through the curtains at the crowd. It looked like all of Ponyville and then some had turned out for the show. "Wow, full house."
The judges sat at a small table in the front; Rainbow Dash was at the far left, Mayor Mare was at the center, and the surprise guest from Canterlot, Hoity Toity, was at the far right. Part of the reason for the large crowd was due to Hoity's appearance. When ponies in Canterlot heard he would be here tonight, they felt 'they just simply had to be here'. Which was good. That meant more to buy baked goods and adopt pets (hopefully).
Twilight turned her attention away from the slit in the curtain that she peaked through to the ponies in the back. She cleared her throat and caught the performer's attention. "Ok everypony, it's just about time to start. Places everypony!" She then turned to a certain grey mare who held up a cello. "Are you ready, Octavia?"
"Of course, Twilight" she said with a smirk. "But any news on Sunny?"
"Not yet" the worry returned to Twilight's mind. Thinking back now, maybe Sunny only said he had a back up act ready because he felt pressured and was scrambling to get one ready. "B-but I'm sure he'll be here. At least by the time he needs to perform."
"Oh... That's a shame" Octavia commented as he picked up the heavy instrument with ease. "I had hoped that he would catch my act. Maybe I'll have to give him a private show later."
With that, Twilight walked through the curtains and onto the front part of the stage, leaving her worries back stage. As the lights landed in her, she smiled and cleared her throat. The chatter in the crowd began to die down as she spoke. "Thank you everypony, for coming to our fundraising talent show. We hope you enjoy some of the best entertainment that Ponyville has to offer. Between the acts, please feel free to visit our bake sale and our pet adoption center. The whole reason for the talent show today is to help some of our furry friends find new, loving homes. Now, without further delay, please enjoy the musical works of Equestria's best celloist, miss Octavia!"
The curtains began to part as Twilight stepped aside to allow the view of the grey, earth pony, mare. The lights dimmed down as a piano played in the background. Octavia peaked open her eyes but for a moment to look out into the crowd, hoping to see a certain yellow stallion. But he was no where to be found. Atleast, not as far as se could see. After taking a deep breath, Octavia began to play a song from the heart.
As Octavia finished her song, the crowd erupted into a sea of applause and cheers. The musical earth pony smiled and bowed elegantly to them, but a real frown remained hidden behind a forced smile. As the curtains closed and Octavia made her way back stage to put her cello back in its case, she caught a glimpse of her best friend and roommate, Vynal Scratch, causing her to give an honest half smile.
"Enjoy the show, Vynal?" Octavia asked approaching her friend. To which the white unicorn mare with an electric blue mane smiled and nodded, never speaking a word. But instead held out two things for her best friend.
One was a box of chocolates, Vynal knew which ones Octavia really liked. As Octavia took the box from her mute friend and opened it, she found that several of the delicious chocolates had already been removed from their wrapping and eaten. She raised a brow at Vynal who blushed slightly and gave her an awkward smile that said 'don't be mad at me, they were coconut anyway. Well... Some of them were.'
Octavia then pulled her attention away from the chocolates and started at the second gift. A single rose with a small tag on it. A bit romantic for Vynal's taste. Curious, Octavia flipped the tag over and read the note;
'Great job, Octavia. I'm glad I could finally hear you play. Can't wait for your next concert.
-Sunny'
It brought a tear to the Octavia's eye to know that her friend really was there. From the moment they had met at Cranky's party, she knew he was a kind stallion, and one she could become good friends with. Now she knew that he would not let her down, no matter what. Even if he didn't appear to be out in the crowd, he was. She needed to have more faith in him. She won't soon forget that.
The crowd chatted for a bit, talking about how Octavia's act went while the judges talked amongst themselves and took down a score for her. This was a competition, and they still had to give the acts a score, no matter how wonderful the opening act was. Moments later, after a short break to allow ponies to get some refreshments and use the restroom, Twilight appeared on stage again, smiling at the crowd.
"This next act I really want you to put your hooves together for. They came in at the last moment and offered to fill in when one of our acts couldn't make it. So give a big, Ponyville thank you to Derpy and Doctor Hooves!"
As Twilight stepped aside and the curtain slowly pulled back to reveal The grey pegusus with the wall-eyes stare sitting on a stool, the crowd gasped and whispered nervously amongst themselves. Although Derpy wasn't a bad pony, she was heavily connected to two things. One being her love of muffins, and the second being her connection to most of the town's repair problems. Although the sweet mare never means to, she has been known to break a pillar or two, crash into something while delivering mail (often enough the wrong mail to the wrong house), some how lighting cereal on fire, or accidentally causing a lighting cloud to form from a regular white puffy one when she decided to bounce on it, causing it to shoot out bolts of lightning or rain.
Derpy gulped as she stared out into the crowd, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. She didn't need to hear what everypony said to say to know what they were talking about. But at the last moment, a familiar stallion appeared out of the corner of her right eye, pulling behind him a table with a bottle of bubbles.
"Doctor?" Derpy asked with a slight sniffle.
"You know what to do, Derpy" Doctor Whooves said as he positioned the table right beside the grey mare. He shot her a smile, readjusted his tie and told her "I'll be right here to do my part. Just do what you do best. Trust me. You'll be brilliant."
With the Doctor's reassured confidence, Derpy faced the crowd again, this time with dry eyes and her usual innocent smile. She looked back at the table the Doctor brought, noticed the open bottle of bubbles and bubble wand, and knew exactly what to do. She dipped the wand in the bubble container and swiveled it around for a brief moment. Then, after she pulled the wand out of the soapy substance and held it close to her lips, she gently blew.
Normally a pony could maybe get 2-10 bubbles max out of a wand coated in such bubble soap, but Derpy was special. And not in the way ponies normally thought of her, either. As she gently blew into the wand, a seemingly endless flow of bubbles flew from it, shooting into the crowd. Enough bubbles to cover the darkening sky. Light gently reflected off of the bubbles as they spread over the crowd. Ponies who had whispered their criticisms about the grey mare had been long since silenced. From the stage, it seemed that the entire crowd had been coated in a sea of bubbles. Even the judges were in awe at the sight.
Just when ponies thought that was it, they saw a flash of light. On stage, Doctor Whooves had brought a machine into view. It was a large box, about the size of one of Derpy's basket of muffins, with several buttons on top of it, two light bulbs on the side, and a small but focused lens on the front. As the Doctor pressed a button on the machine, a small laser light hit one of Derpy's bubbles. The bubble flashed red and blue, then refracted the light to several other bubbles that in turn, also flashed with red and blue light. The sea of bubbles became part of a large laser light show!
As Derpy began to blow more bubbles, the Doctor changed the color combinations of his machine and altered the colors of the bubbles. If the crowd and judges weren't amazed before, they sure were now. The bibles began to change from one solid color at a time to a shifting, bubbling rainbow. Filly's and colts played and running around them, as if it was their own personal rainbow playground. The adults watched, feeling as though they had soared high into the sky and were between a fluffy white cloud and a rainbow themselves. As the last of the bubbles popped, and Doctor Whooves powered down his machine, the crowd roared into applause. When the curtain closed and Derpy and the Doctor gathered their things allowing for the next part of the show to set up, Twilight approached them.
"That was amazing, you two!" She complemented the odd couple. "Thank you again for helping us out."
"No problem, Twilight, it was our pleasure" Doctor Whooves said as he moved his laser light machine out of the way.
"Yeah! It was fun!" Derpy said as she flung her hooves into the air, expressing her enthusiasm.
As she did, she caught her hoof on one of the ropes attached to the stage curtain. Before Twilight or the Doctor could untie her hoof, Derpy tried to wiggle it free, then gave it one good tug. But when she did, she pulled loose the pulley and rope that held the curtains in place and closed. Causing the curtains on the front stage to fall and the next act to be prematurely revealed.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were half way through setting up their magic act, which involved hiding Diamond Tiara's poor elderly butler out of sight to provide the 'magical' effects without anypony noticing. Such as a cage of doves that would fly out behind Diamond Tiara's cape when she signaled, pushing a white bunny up through a hole in Silver Spoon's hat, as well as anything else the girls needed. But as the crowd gasped at the sight of the filly's preparation for their act, any and all 'magic' in their tricks had thus been revealed. Angry and flustered, Diamond Tiara threw down her magician's hat and wand and stomped off stage, quickly fallowed by her best friend. Dealing with damage control, Twilight quickly levitated the curtains back up while several of the stage crew ponies tied it all back into place.
Twilight faced the crowd and gave an awkward chuckle and smile. "Well, ugh.... That was entertaining. Please give us one movement to, ugh, collect ourselves. Please feel free to visit the bake sale and the adoption stands."
With that, Twilight zoomed to the left of the stage, hoping to figure something out. As she reached the far end of the stage, she caught the sight of Diamond Tiara yelling at Derpy.
"... Our act is ruined, and it's all your fault! You clumsy, goofy looking-!" Diamond spat, her face red from obvious embarrassment.
"I-I didn't mean to-" Derpy began, but Doctor Whooves stepped in.
"It was an honest accident" he began. "Besides, your 'act' wasn't set up properly. Ponies would have seen your butler helping you from the crowd."
"What would you know about 'magic'?" Silver spoon stepped in. "You smell like old celery!"
"How is that relevant?!" Doctor Whooves was getting annoyed and losing his temper fast as his voice rose.
"I like celery" Derpy said with a smile.
"Ok everypony, we need to calm down" Twilight interrupted. "Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon going out there and doing their magic act now would be a bad idea. Do you two have anything else you can do?"
As the three older ponies turned their attention to Diamond Tiara and her best friend, the little pink filly turned her nose up and huffed. "We didn't plan to have our act ruined before it began. So 'NO'. We don't have a back up plan."
"What me to go on early, Sugar Cube?" Applejack offered, trotting up to the group after hearing the commotion. "That'll give ya some time ta figure things out."
"Or I could offer a hoof" a stallion spoke, stepping out from the shadows. No pony recognize recognized the grey stallion with the dark green mane, well, except for Derpy, who smiled at her old friend.
The crowd was still alive with the sound of chuckles and light conversation involving the crash and burn of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's magic show when Twilight Sparkle reappeared on stage. She cleared her throat catching the attention of most of the crowd, with still a few light chuckles here and there.
"Hello again, everypony" she began damage control. "There's been a slight change in tonight's line up. We have a surprise guest who would like to introduce himself. Please stomp your hooves for Forest Rain!"
As Twilight stepped off the stage to the right side, a grey pegusus stallion with a dark green mane took the stage, entering from the left. Me smiled at the crowd as he set a guitar case on the ground and picked a microphone. "Good evening, Ponyville. How are you all doing?"
"Good!" The crowd of ponies all said some what as the same time.
"Glad to hear it" Forest said as he unpacked his guitar, but rather then sit on the stool provided, he took to the front of the stage and dangled his back hooves over the edge while he sat down and turned his guitar. "Now a lot of you ponies might not remember me, but I actually lived in Ponyville for years. I grew up here. Had my first kiss here. And most importantly, I learned a very important lesson. One that's really kept me going, picked me up when I was down, and helped me to live my life the way I want to. By now I'm sure you've all noticed that I don't have a cutie mark..."
The crowd seemed a little shocked as the grey pegusus turned his flanks to the audience to prove he was telling the truth. It was incredibly odd that a pony his age didn't have a cutie mark.
"But that's ok" he recollected the crowd's attention. "It makes me different, and the lesson a very sweet, wonderful mare taught me a long time ago is... Well, why don't I just sing it for you...." The crowd fell silent as the cutie markless stallion began to strum his guitar.
By the middle of the song everypony was singing along with the lyrics, holding hooves, smiling, some even needing to wipe away a few heartfelt tears. The judges themselves who did their best to remain neutral couldn't help but join in with singing along. Back stage, Derpy smiled as her friend sang about the lessons that they shared. Doctor Whooves, moved by Forest Rain's words nuzzled Derpy in the cheek, who in turn, smiled and nuzzled him back.
When the song finally ended, the crowd erupted into cheers and hoof stomps. Forest Rain smiled and waved to them as he got up and placed his guitar back in the case. "You all have been a wonderful audience. I'm really glad I came, and I hope you all take that lesson to heart. I sure did. And now, Princess..."
As Twilight came into view again, ready to call for a short break, Forest Rain bowed, left the stage and went over to Derpy and Doctor Whooves.
"That was amazing, Forest!" Derpy said, hugging him with a smile.
"I do say, you were brilliant! Fantasic even!" Doctor Whooves said, walking up to him. "Derpy had told me about you, and how you were a traveling musician, but I never knew you had such talent!"
"Thank you" Forest Rain released Derpy from their hug and shook hooves with the Doctor. "Do me a favor, Doctor Whooves was it?"
"Yes? What can I do for you?" The Doctor asked.
"Take care of Derpy" Forest smiled at the grey mare. "She's very special, but needs somepony there for her."
Doctor Whooves just smiled and nodded. "Well you don't have to worry about that. We're there for each other. We, well.... Kinda..."
"Complete each other?" Derpy sprang up, giving Doctor Whooves a smile, earning a smile in return.
"You have no idea how happy that makes me" Forest said, a gently smile upon his face. His attention was then pulled away as a bear ridding a unicycle, carrying with him several bowling pins walked past the group onto the stage. "Let's catch the next act. I can't wait to see what else Ponyville has to offer for entertainment."
Doctor Whooves, Derpy, and Forest Rain all stood back stage and watched as the next act, a Fluttershy's bear friend, began to juggle the bowling pins. Not only that, but moments after he began to juggle, a little white bunny hopped onto the stage. The little creature then pulled out a match, flicked it to life by running it on the ground, then used it to light all the bowling pins on fire as he juggled them! The entire crowd emitted awes of every tone, some in shuttle surprise, others in slight fear. Either way, Twilight stood by with Spike and a fire extinguisher, ready incase anything went wrong. Amazingly, nothing did. To end his routine, the bear began to blow out the burning bowling pins and catch them. Once the last one was out out and the bear smiled at the crowd, the ponies in the audience cheered and applauded.
As Twilight went back onto the stage and began to talk about the pet shelter and how many of the critters available were just as talented as the bear, although she didn't think any of them had his same talent, Applejack was running around frantically looking for Sunny.
"Has anypony seen Sunny?" Applejack asked the stage ponies who operated the curtains and lights. But nopony had seen him.
The orange farm pony then went over to Octavia who was brushing her mane in front of a mirror while talking to Vynal. "Octavia, have ya seen Sunny?"
The grey mare turned to Applejack, slightly concerned. "No, I believe he was here during my act, but I haven't seen him. Is everything ok, Applejack?"
"Ah haven't seen hide nor hair of that yellow feller" Applejack answered, growing more and more worried by the moment.
"Don't worry, Applejack" Octavia said with a smile as she put a reassuring hoof on the orange mare's shoulder. "He wouldn't miss your act for the world."
"Ah sure hope so..." Applejack commented with a weak smile. Then shook it off as she congratulated the cello player. "Way ta go out there, by the way. Ya'll were great!"
"Thank you" Octavia smiled back. "I know you will be just as great, if not better."
"Ah sure hope so... Ah..." Applejack hesitated, thinking of her words carefully. "Ah want ta kinda inspire somepony out there, if ya know what ah mean."
"I think i do" Octavia's smile grew. "And I think you'll do just that. Aren't you on next after this... Act?" Octavia wasn't sure what to call the act that went on after the juggling bear.
"No, I asked you who's on first!" A short and stubby stallion began to yell, flustered by the conversation.
"That's what I just said! Who's on first!" The taller, thinner stallion replied in just as much of a frustrated and annoyed tone.
"Ah think 'Who' is the feller's name" Appeljack whispered to Octavia. The grey mare then repeated the banter between the two Comedians over again in her head, then chuckled lightly once she realized the act was a play on words. Humor she found uplifting and witty. "But yeah, ah better get ready. And... Thanks Octavia."
"It's my pleasure, Applejack" Octavia replied, going back to brushing her mane.
"Not for letting me know about Sunny" Applejack said with a smile still on her face. "For being a good friend to him. He talks about you just as much as he does about Thunder Lane... Thanks fer bein' good ta him."
The grey mare was taken back a little by this. She looked away, blushed a little, slightly embarrassed. She didn't know what to say, so she just pushed out of her mouth the fest thing that popped into her head. "Y-you better get ready. You're almost up."
"Oh, right! Wish me luck" Applejack said as she swiped up her guitar and booked it across to the side of the stage where she met up with her little sister and grandmother who were joining her in her act.
"B-break a leg!" Octavia called out, then heavily sighed and looked back into the mirror, then at the single rose Sunny left for her. Now really not knowing what to do.
Back on stage, as the two polar opposite comedians left, Princess Twilight reappeared on the stage enjoying the sight of the laughing audience. It was nice to see everypony enjoying themselves every now and again. It made Twilight want to brainstorm other fun event ideas for Ponyville in the near future.
'Maybe later I should get together with Mayor Mare and talk about more ideas' Twilight thought to herself as the audience calmed down. She then cleared her throat and caught their attention. "Next up we have one of my best friends, and a pony you all know, playing a song with her family. Let's give a warm welcome to The Apple Family!"
As Twilight stepped off stage, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith all took center stage. Applejack readjusted a mic stand confront of her and spoke out to the crowd. "Ah'd like ta thank ya'll for comin' out and supportin' th' animal shelter, as well as taking part in our great community. Ah've lived in Ponyville mah whole life and ah can honestly say that I'm proud to call it mah home. Mah big brother, Big Macintosh, couldn't be here. He'a a little under th' weather. So ah'd like to give a shout out to him and one other member of the family who seems ta be around here somewhere..." Appeljack then strummed her guitar, the cords vibrating the instrument to life. "This is what it means to be family..."
And altogether the Applefamily began to sing, with a surprise guest popping in from out of nowhere. Pinkie Pie had a friend take over the bake sale while she sang with her distant family in a song that was as close to heart as it was to theirs. When it came to Big Mac's part, Pinkie would copy his 'Eh' yep' with her forehoof hiding her mouth to keep the realism.
By the end of the song the crowd cheered and stomped their hooves, applauding the Apples as each family member stood up and took a bow. Applejack letting out a 'yeehaw!' As she tossed her hat into the air and caught it. As the Apple family made their way off stage, Pinkie zipped back to the bake sale and relieved her friend as ponies piles up to buy both Apple family and Sugar Cube corner based goods. Granny let out a wide yawn as she took a seat in a very comfy couch provided for the cast of the talent show. Apple Bloom ran off to find her best friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell, while Applejack looked frantically around the back stage for Sunny.
She knew he was going to be the last act of the show, and there were two more acts to go on between her act and his. But she was still nervously looking around for that yellow stallion, hoping he wasn't going to be a 'no-show'. While the twins from the spa performed their acrobatic act, Applejack kept a look out for Sunny back stage and in the audience. Unforyunatly, she didn't see one single orange hair from that unicorn's head. She began to get nervous when the act after the spa twins took the stage.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders had tried their hooves at getting their cutie marks at double-dutch jump rope after singing with Pinkie Pie about smiling some months back. Although they didn't receive cutie marks for their effort, they did find it to be very enjoyable and that they were really quite good at it. Even going as far as making up songs, rhymes and tricks of their own to go along with it. The crowd seemed to think it was cute and enjoyable to say the least. But as the three fillies finished their act and began to file off stage, and Twilight began to speak, Applejack realized that Sunny was still nowhere to be seen.
"Thank you girls" Twilight said with a smile as she reached center stage. She nervously looked over to Applejack who was looking even more shaky then when she first saw Zecora and thought she was an evil witch. 'Sunny still isn't here yet?!' Twilight thought as she gulped. 'Well.... Maybe I can stall them.'
Just as Twilight was about to tell a few book related jokes that Shinning made up for her back in the day, a familiar yellow stallion pushed his way onto the side stage, carrying with him several various items. The purple alicorn princess was relieved to see him and released a held breath. She then turned to the crowd and and introduced the final act. "And now, without further a due, please give a warm Ponyville welcome to one of our newest citizens, Sunny !"
As the crowd stomped and cheered Sunny made his way awkwardly into the stage. He shuffled the items around in his hooves and mouth before accidentally dropping them into the floor. The crowd went silent as he smiled at them and cleared his throat, pushing all the fallen items off to the side in a giant pile, and smiling nervously at the crowd as she approached the microphone.
"H-hey everypony!" He began, trying to collect himself as the sea of eyes focused on him. "S-s-sorry I'm a little late." Sunny cleared his throat again. "You see, I planned to do an act with another partner of mine. But he decided he could work better as a solo act, and hit the road. Also, if anypony sees a giant, pony puppet, possibly lingering around the Everfree Forest, please let him know I have his last paycheck."
Some of the crowd lightly chuckled at the joke, remembering what happened on Nightmare Night. Rainbow Dash herself, shuttered and gulped as she had just gotten the frightening image out of her head.
"But luckily, thanks to my good friend, Fluttershy...." Sunny spoke now with a humble confidence as he motioned to the adoption center where a timid yellow Pegasus sunk in her seat. "I met a new companion. Hopefully this one won't go running off on me. And now without further delay, meet Crackers...."
As Sunny slightly bowed, he removes his hat and presented the top of his head as if something else other then his mop of orange mane was supposed to be there. The crowd looked from the top of the stallion's head to all around the stage, confused by the yellow unicorn's actions. After a quick moment, Sunny then felt around the top of his own head, and flashed a shocked look from his muzzle. "Where did that little critter go now?!"
Sunny then playfully looked to the left of the stage, a hoof over his brow to help block out the light. He then did the same thing to the right. And by the time he turned to the left again, a furry little creature popped up behind his back, just out of the yellow stallion's field of vision. It was a ferret, with markings of brown that gave him a little brown mask over his tiny black eyes. The crowd chucked lightly as some of the foals in the crowd pointed and yelled to Sunny where the little critter was hiding.
"Where now?" Sunny then turned to his right, and as he did the ferret then scurried over to the stallion's left side and snickered. The crowd began to laugh a little more at it. "I don't see him. Where could that little varmint have wondered off to?"
As Sunny pretended to ponder, he lifted up his Stetson once more and raised a hoof to scratch his head. But as he did, the ferret quickly climbed to the top of the stallion's head and laid down on his belly. Instead of the stallion scratching his own head, he ended up scratching the ferret's back. The critter let out a relaxed sigh as a smile grew across his face.
"Oh well" Sunny said to the snickering crowd. "If Crackers doesn't show up, guess I'll have to eat these myself!" Sunny then pulled out a full sheath of crackers from the pile of items he had dropped on stage and kicked away.
The ferret's head shot up as his eyes locked onto the delicious looking snack that he was named after. Crackers then hopped down from the top of Sunny's head and stood at attention like a dog waiting for a biscuit, tail wagging and all. Sunny then smugly looked down, pretending to be surprised by the ferret's sudden appearance. "Oh there you are! Are you ready for the show?"
Crackers then nodded his head vigorously, his eyes still glued to the crackers Sunny had levitating with his green magical aura.
"Well let's begin" Sunny then tossed the ferret a cracker, to which the little critter caught and devoured in seconds.
The crowd watched as Sunny next levitated several metal hoops into the air at various heights. Crackers then saw a cracker hovering at the first hoop and knew what that meant. The ferret then hopped up to the first hoop in an attempt to snag the deciduous morsel, bust as his little paw reached for it, the cracked levitated away, just bairly out of his grasp. The food driven ferret then hopped through the other seven hoops, chasing the cracker. The crowd applauded as Crackers reached the end of the hoops and finally caught his prize. As he stood there, looped over one of the hoops, finishing his snack. Sunny caught the crowd's attention.
"I'm afraid that is all we have for today, ladies and gentle colts" Sunny said with a bow, removing his Stetson hat again. As he did, Crackers quickly finished his snack, looked over at his comfy looking head and made a mad dash over, landing right on top of Sunny's head right as he placed his Stetson securely back where it belonged. "But I want to thank you all for coming and supporting the good businesses of Ponyville. And now I'll turn the stage back over to princess Twilight Sparkle. Good night everypony!"
As Sunny moved off stage and Twilight made her way up to the stage mic again, Applejack flew across to Sunny. He smiled as she approached him and gave him a playful push with her muzzle. "Better late then never. Good job out there!"
"Thanks, it wasn't easy until I found out this little guy is food orientated" Sunny said as he pulled his Stetson off, revealing a curled up ferret that was fast asleep. "He wasn't what I had in mind when I went looking for a pet, but he and I just sorta..."
"Clicked?" Applejack finished Sunny's sentence, shooting him a humble half smile.
"Exactly" Sunny commented, then looked half nervous. "I hope it's ok that he comes home with us. I mean, I talked with Fluttershy, and she said they sleep 23 hours a day, and that wouldn't really help the farm but I-"
"Come on!" Scootaloo brushed past Sunny and Applejack, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell quickly following behind her. "They're announcing the winners!"
"Best be getting ' up there." Applejack smiled as she motioned for Sunny to follow her onto the side stage that was just outside the crowd's field of vision. As the yellow stallion bowed and tipped his hat to the audience as he stepped into their view, he walked up with Applejack and the rest of the performers, who stood on stage, wanting eagerly to see who the top 3 winners were.
"Judges, have you made your decision?" Twilight loudly for everypony in the crowd and back stage hear.
"Indeed we have, Princess" Mayor Mare spoke first into her mic. She cleared her throat and read off of a paper she and the other judges had written on. "But before we start, we would like to thank everypony for coming out and supporting our community. The results of tonight's turn out will further support future events just like this. Now, in third place we have the Applejack and the Apple family, for their loving and heart warming family sing along!"
As the mayor spoke, Applejack , Apple Bloom and Granny (who was still half asleep by this time) made their way onto the stage, smiling and waving at the crowd. The next pony to speak was the guest judge, Hoity Touty.
"Before we announce the second place winner, we would like to give a special mention to a last minute entry" the purplish grey stallion said as he adjusted his sunglasses. "Thank you, Forest Rain for your touching and moving song. I wish we could have placed you in the top 3, but you are, I'm afraid, not technically a resident of Ponyville. But thank you for performing."
Forest Rain then stepped up on stage with his guitar strapped across his back. He smiled and waved as he took a spot at the end near Granny Smith. He turned to the judges and smiled "That's more then ok. Thank you for the mention."
The judges smiled back and nodded. Hoity continued to read from their list. "Well that being the case, we feel the second slot goes to none other then miss Octavia, for her elegant and heartfelt performance."
Octavia smile as she walked onto the stage, smiling at Sunny as she walked past him. As she reached the stage, she gave a slight elegant bow. Rainbow Dash then grabbed the mic from Hoity, not even looking at the paper they had, already knowing who won the competition.
"And first prize, and the prize of a basket of sweets from Sugar Cube Corner of their choosing, goes to none other then Ponyville's own mail mare and mad doctor," Rainbow flew from her seat and hovered in the air for a moment, the mic still in her hooves as she called out "Derpy and Doctor Whooves! Congratulations you guys!"
As she said that Derpy and Doctor Whooves crashed into the stage's curtain again, this time though, they only tore half of the curtain down with them. Derpy crawled through the pile of cloth and poked her head out with a huge smile on her face. "We won?!"
Every pony smiled at her and nodded as Doctor Whooves quickly joined her side, mumbling about how Rainbow Dash announced him as being the town's 'mad doctor'.
"Yeah! We won Doctor! We won!" Derpy could bairly contain her joy and excitement as she gave Doctor Whooves the biggest and tightest bear hug she had ever given him. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as his face turned red and ten blue from lack of oxygen. "Do you know what this means?!"
The Doctor couldn't really answer, all the air in his lungs had left his body. But he was able to make a slight whimpering noise which he meant to be 'you'll let me go?'
"That right Doctor! " Derpy said as she released him. "A basket of all kinds of muffins!!!"
The Doctor grasped for air but only smiled at his mare friend as she seemed to glow and beam with joy and pride. She was a star to the crowd tonight, but she would always be that way to him. She would always shine brightly in his eyes.
"Now are ya sure you'll be ok?" Applejack asked Sunny for, what must have been, the 100th time as she finished securing the straps on her cart one last time, still a little nervous to be leaving.
"Applejack. I'll be fine" Sunny said as he finished double checking the load on Applejack's cart. Making sure everything was neatly and securely tucked away. "Besides, Granny's here with me. What could go wrong?"
"That's what I keep telling myself..." Applejack said with a worryful sigh. "It's gunna be a long 3 day week end, and it's just you and Granny running the farm while I'm making deliveries from here ya Canterlot, Big Mac's visiting Braeburn in Appaloosa, helming with the Rodeo preparations and Apple Bloom is away visiting Babs and her folks in Manehatten, so ya won't really have anypony ta help much with the' farmin'."
"We'll be fine, Applejack" Sunny reassured her, again, number 101. "It's not like there's much to do. Harvest a small orchard, do some planting, and maybe if we get to it, start backing and clean around the farm. What could go wrong?"
With another heavy sigh, Applejack straitened her Stetson hat and looked back at the yellow stallion with a smile. "Ah know ya really have learned a lot 'bout the farm since coming here and ya can handle yerself and them' chores. But Granny can sometimes be a hooffull to handle too."
"We'll be ok, Applejack" Sunny reassured her again with a hoof on her shoulder and his relaxed smile. "Now you better get going. You don't want to waste all your sunlight."
Applejack sighed heavily again, heading down the dirt road, waving back at the yellow stallion. Sunny waved back as she began to disappear in the distance. But as the last tiny image of Applejack vanished, a puff of black smoke blew out of the kitchen window of the farm house! Sunny raced inside, fighting through wave after wave of black smoke to get to its source. He was half worried it might have been the fiendish shadow king, Sombra, again. But to his relief, it was actually the oven. As Sunny opened it up, a darker cloud of searing hot, black smoke blew into his face, causing the stallion to cough uncontrollably as his eyes began to water.
"What's all the commotion?" Granny asked as she entered the kitchen, her eyes narrowing at the image of the smoke filled room. "What in tarnation is goin on in here?!"
Sunny then levitated a very burn pie out of the oven. It looked more like a charcoal covered cookie. Granny looked closer at the 'pie' and thought for a moment. "Hmmmm was I backing a pie? Oh well. No harm done.
It didn't take long for Sunny to clear out the smoke with a little help from a spell Twilight taught him a few weeks ago, called 'fresh breeze'. He thought maybe it would come in handy when he was laying down fresh manure in the fields, but it also came in handy in the kitchen apparently. Sunny sighed and wiped the sweat from his forhead as he began to relax for a moment when he heard a loud scream coming from the other room. He bolted in there to find Granny chasing his new pet ferret, Crackers, around, trying to smack him with an old broom!
"Granny! What are you doing?!" Sunny panicked and with a flash of his magic, the little frightened ferret disappeared from the elderly mare's sight, only to be teleported safely under the stallion's Stetson hat, safely out of sight. Since Sunny adopted crackers, the ferret spent quite a deal of time sleeping underneath his hat. Luckily, Granny didn't think about that.
"Found a thevin' weasel runnin' around, waiting ta steal some eggs!" Granny said as her eyes darted around, looking for the creature who got away.
"Granny, that's Crackers, my pet" Sunny tried to calm her down.
She eyes the yellow stallion, sizing him up. "Why would ya want a weasel for a pet?"
"He's a ferret" Sunny began. "And it's a long story."
"Well ain't got time for story telling yet. Save that fun for tonight" the elderly green mare began to say as she put the broom up in the closet, then paused, looking at the broom with a slight since of confusion. "Don't know why I brought that out, was I cleaning something?"
"No, ugh... You were chasing my pet ferret" Sunny answered uneasily.
"Why would I go and do a thing like that?!" Granny asked again.
" You thought he was a weasel" Sunny answered again and pulled his Stetson off to reveal Crackers, who was happily asleep and curled up in a nice little ball.
"Ah! A weasel! Get him before he eates the eggs!" Granny called out and grabbed the broom again.
Crackers lazily woke up but quickly realized the danger he was in when he saw the raised broom coming down fast on him. Before it could make contact, Crackers jumped off of Sunny's head and made a mad dash out the door. Sunny, however got the full brunt of Granny's mighty broom smack.
"Ow! G-G-Granny! He's not a weasel! He's a ferret!" The yellow unicorn cried out as Granny smacked him a few more times before she stopped and realized the 'weasel' was gone.
"The what?" Granny replied as she went to put the broom up again, completely forgetting about Crackers, again. "No time for playing with brooms. We got work to do. We need ta go inta town fer supplies ."
Sunny stood there for a moment, slightly confused, before he brushed the broom straw from his face from the broom, and readjusted his Stetson. He knew Crackers probably found a nice, safe place to take a nap, he always did. Sunny just hoped it would be out of the sight of Granny.
Sunny walked along side Granny cautiously, his empty saddle bags hung by his sides, ready to haul back anything and everything Granny needed to pick up. She acted strangely from time to time. Like when she woke up and thought she slept through Hearthswarming day, or the time when she forgot Applejack and Big Mac harvested all the apples in the north orchard and thought bandits from town robbed them, or the time when she thought the farm was being taken over by spiders just because one made a web in the corner of the kitchen. Granny was old, forgetful, and may over exaggerate, but she never meant anypony any harm. She had been nothing but kin and sweet to the yellow unicorn since the day he arrived on the farm. Sunny knew that, and tried to keep it in mind as she rambled off different uses for backing powder, some of which he really, really, really didn't want to know.
".... Oh that was one the doctors at the Ponyville hospital took down in their books that day. Who knew backing powder could be used for that?" Granny said with a chuckle as they approached the market area of Ponyville.
"So what in all do we need from here" Sunny asked, trying desperately to get that story out of his mind.
"Oh just a few things for some projects I wanted to try while the others are away" Granny replied, smiling at the young unicorn. "You can by my little assistant and if yer good a good little colt. Ya might even get to a be mah official taste tester."
Granny laughed out loud to herself while Sunny awkwardly chuckled along with her, feeling more then slightly nervous as to what Granny was planing to make. Just then, as Granny walked up to a stand to purchase some honey from the bee keeper of the town, Two light yellow unicorns stepped in front of her, slick and conniving smiles on their muzzles. They each had on matching blue and white stripped shirts, matching straw hats, and looked almost identical say for one of them having a mustache.
"Why if it isn't sweat, little Granny Smith" the one without a mustache stated as he tipped his hat to her.
"Indeed it is, brother of mine" the one with a mustache added, mimicking his brother.
Granny seemed unmoved by their chivalrous notions and glared down at them. "The Flim Flam brothers. What do you two want?!"
"Why Granny, we're hurt" Flam said as he pushed his hat back on top of his head and plastered a relaxed smile across his face.
"Indeed, all we want is to spend a little time with our 'family'" Flim continued speaking where his brother left off.
Before Granny could shoo them away, Flam pulled out a rather long and warn scroll from under his hat. He and his brother began to unravel it and came to almost the very end.
"See, my brother and I wanted to look back in our family's rich roots" Flam began to explain as he smiled at the elderly green mare.
"And to our suprise" Flim continued where his brother left off. "When we went back, oh, sixt or seven generations or so...."
"On our great grand mother's side" Flam popped in, his hoof trailing up a line of names and pictures of various ponies in their family tree.
"That we are actually..." Flim spoke up, adding pressure to the anticipation.
"...Distantly...." Flam added, smiling now at his brother who smiled back with the same mischievous grin.
And together they announced the surprise "related to you and the Apple family!"
This came as a shock to Ganny and Sunny, as well as some of the ponies who had been walking near by. Granny pulled out a pair of large lensed reading glasses and began to fallow along the Flim Flam brother's family tree. As she got the the part where they were actually linked, she was shocked by the image of the pony at one end of the link.
"Why, that's my great great uncle, Dutch Apple Pie!" Granny said, looking to who it said he was married to. "Married to Swindler, a unicorn mare from the settlement in Vanhoover. Oh my! You are actually related."
"Now I remember you!" Sunny spoke up. This whole time he had been running the names Flim and Flam over in his head. He knew he had heard about them from somewhere. But it took him this long to remember that he had read about Applejack's issues involving them. "You two tried to take the Apple farm from Applejack and the family about a year ago! And then you sold a fake magical elixir to everypony in town!"
It wasn't until Sunny finished speaking that he realized just how loud he was, and how many ponies had gathered around, and shot angered looks at the Flim Flam brothers. The brothers themselves just forced a pair smiles as beads of sweat rolled down the sides of their heads.
"Well, that's the thing" Flim spoke up, trying desperately to ignore the hateful looks he and his brother were getting.
"We've traveled all across Equestria, but have never really been able to call a place 'home'" Flam continued, after loosening his collar.
"And, well, we were wondering if you could find it in your hearts to forgive my brother and I and maybe..." Flim trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.
"... Give us a place to stay on the farm?" Flam finished the sentance, and both the brothers smiled at Granny, awaiting a verdict.
"You think Granny's just going to let some trouble makers like you live on the farm after-" Sunny now glared at the two brothers as he spit venom filled words, but was quickly interrupted by Granny.
"Well sure" she said with a smile which through everypony in town off, especially Sunny. "After all, family is family. And who would I be if I turned away family? Especially in their time of need"
"Oh thank you Granny!" Flim said as he dove into his knees at her front hooves, looking up at her with a grateful smile.
"You are so kind, Granny" Flam joined his brother, copying his actions movement for movement.
Meanwhile the surrounding ponies, although shocked by this change of heart, began to dissipate back into the crowd. All except for Sunny, who stood there with his mouth hanging open, frozen in shock. Unable to process what just happen.
Back at the Apple family farm, Sunny and Granny were joined for dinner by Flim and Flam. While Granny served up some helpings of her family's recipe for Apple cobbler, Flim and Flam told her all about their adventures around Equestria. Meanwhile Sunny glared angrily at them from across the table. His gaze was so sharp, Granny looked over and almost thought his eyes were turning red.
"You ok there, Sunny?" Granny asked him as she dished Flam up his third helping of cobbler. "Ya haven't even touched yet first helpin'. "
"Granny, I'm sorry, but after what they did, all they put you and Applejack and Big Mac and Apple Bloom through, you just forgive them because they 'apologized'?! " Sunny's emotions just burst out.
"I'm sorry, have we met?" Flim asked, raising a brow in his unamused muzzle.
"Yes, I don't recall seeing you anywhere on the family tree" Flam noted, now both brothers narrowing their eyes at Sunny.
"The name's Sunny" Sunny declared. "And I've been living with the apples for quite some time. While you two were 'traveling' and scamming ponies left and right, I've been working hard on the family farm, urning an honest bit."
"But you're not a 'real' Apple" Flim said with a smug grin.
"So that bit you work so hard for doesn't even belong to you" Flam added, growing equally smug.
"Now hold on there, fellers" Granny banged on a pot with a wooden spoon, trying to clear some of the testosterone from the room. "If ya work the farm and do as much as Sunny has, yer as good as blood ta the Apples."
Sunny shot a smug look right back at the Flim Flam brothers, who recoiled slightly, but didn't break. But the yellow unicorn's victory was short lived.
"But Flim and Flam are blood, and as such, will be treated like any other Apple, ya hear" Granny shot a look at Sunny.
Sunny ignored the triumphant looks the Flim Flam brothers shared as he turned to Granny, a desperate and concerned look thrown at her. But Sunny's concern was over looked as Granny placed a now empty pan in the kitchen sink. Sunny's eyes then looked over to the twin brothers who were chowing down on their meals. Sunny sighed heavily, feeling defeated, a bitter taste lingered in his mouth before he even took his first bite of food.
Sunny could barely sleep with all that had happened in the last 24 hours. In less then a day his entire world had been turned upside down. He sat there in bed staring up at the ceiling, thinking about the Flim Flam brothers. 'Of all the ponies in Equestria, why did 'they' have to be blood related?!....'
Sunny then turned over and looked out his window at the starry night sky. He sighed heavily again. 'Why couldn't it have been me?... Why couldn't we have found part of the Apple family tree that said I was an Apple?!'
Then an idea popped into Sunny's head. Flim and Flam had that old scroll with the Apple family on it, and maybe, just maybe, Sunny could sneak a peak at it and find somepony who looked enough like him who was an Apple family member. Maybe he could even go in search of them and confirm it! Sunny jumped up out of bed, full of gusto and a fire burning inside, rekindled by a possibility that his family, his real family, was the family he was already living with. Maybe he was an Apple after all!
Not wanting to wake anypony, Sunny crept out of his room slowly, and made his way out to the living room. Flim and Flam had to sleep in sleeping bags temporarily until more permanent arrangements could be made. And of course they had been spread out across the living room floor. Sunny shuttered at the thought. He didn't know them personally, but from what he read and the stories he's heard from Applejack about them, the Flim Flam brothers weren't ponies you could trust.
Sunny quietly made his way across the way to the hight of the stairs and began to defend down them. With each step he took, the wood of the stairs creaked and gowned, almost as if they were working against him. Sunny needed to be sneaky, not wanting Flim or Flam to wake up as he looked through their personal belongings. Once Sunny finally reached the bottom step and hopped quietly off the stairs, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Before he could walk over to were Flim and Flam slept, he heard a rumbling noise coming from the kitchen. His sudden curiosity got the better of him, fearing the worst as he slowly approached the kitchen's opening, his back pressed up against the wall. Before he looked over and glanced at who was making such a racket in the kitchen, three different possibilities came to mind as to who it could be. Sunny thought the intruder would be king Sombra, the rouge pony puppet that ran off on nightmare night, or even just a burglar. With one last deep breath, he peered over the corner and got his answer.
Flim and Flam seemed to be up and fully awake, rummaging through the cabinets looking for something. Several books and sheets of paper lay scattered across the kitchen table and floor. 'What are those two trouble makers up to?'
Just as Sunny was about to pop out and confront the two trouble making twins, a familiar voice sprang out from behind him. "What in Zap apple season is going on in here?!"
The Flim Flam brothers and Sunny all jumped when Granny Smith appeared out of nowhere, still in her night gown, looking more sleepy then normal.
"We were just, ugh..." Flim began to explain, ignoring Sunny for the moment.
"Re-organizing the pantry for you, Granny" Flam swooped in for the save.
"Yes, that's it!" Flim declared.
"You know, to show how grateful we are that you took us it" Flam continued.
"Well ah wouldn't worry about that" Granny said with a wave of her hoof. "You three have some work to do. And since y'all are awake now, why don't cha hop to it?"
"Ugh, work?" Flim repeated, looking confused.
"What work?" Flam asked curiously.
"Well the day's work, silly!" Granny continued on innocently. "First you two will need to clean the pig pen, Sunny will work with the chickens. Then you all can hit the field that needs plowing. We'll start with that. After that, breakfast should be ready. Then the real work begins." Granny then let out a yawn and stretched a little. "While you strong, strapping stallions get to work, this old mare's going to get some more shit eye. Have fun."
With that Granny went back up stairs, entered her room, and casually locked the door behind her. A moment later, it looked like Flim and Flam were about to dive back into whatever they were really doing, but luckily Twilight taught Sunny a very handy spell. His horn glowed green as a similar magical aura was cast over all the books and papers the twin brothers had spread out across the kitchen. Immediately the papers came to life and moved back into place where they originally were before the two brothers got their hooves on them. The twins watched the mess clean itself up, then shot an angry glance over at the yellow unicorn who was now wearing his signature Stetson hat, smiling smugly at the two, then tipped his hat to them.
"Shall we get to work boys?" The Stetson wearing unicorn asked.
Sunny went right to work clearing out the chicken coop, collecting the eggs for the day as well as placing new straw in for the still sleeping chickens. He slightly envied them, wanting to get some more sleep himself now, feeling the full effects of his restless night. Every now and again he would stick his head out of the coop at the Flim Flam brothers, who were either trying to sneak away from the pig pen and get back to the farm house, or were pretending to actually do the job they were assigned to do. Once Sunny was done collecting he eggs and brought them inside, he met up with Flim and Flam who claimed they had finished with the pig pen. Sunny then directed them outside to the field that needed plowing.
"Oh brother of mine, do you know what Thought has crossed my mind?" Flim began to say as he leaned against the plow with a sly look on his face.
"Why, no. What is that, brother?" Flam asked as he stood on one side of Sunny.
"That this is a Two pony job" Flim answered.
"You're right, brother of mine. And it seems we have one pony too many with us" Flam commented, now both brothers looking over at Sunny, seemingly innocent smiles painted across their muzzles.
"Why don't you go and see if Granny needs anything else while my brother and I deal with..." Flim started to suggest.
"This messy business of plowing the field?" Flam finished his suggestion.
"Oh no you don't" Sunny put his hoof down. He looked between the two brothers who seemed to taken off guard by his reaction, then locked onto the one with the mustache. "Why don't 'you' go and see if Granny needs any help. 'I' will stay here and work with your brother."
Flim shrugged and turned to his brother "we best do what he says, brother."
"So true brother" Flam agreed. "After all, he has worked the farm mores hen either of us, and surely knows what he is doing."
"Indeed he must know more the either of us put together" Flim stated, then both of the brothers shot each other a quick wink to each other when Sunny wasn't looking.
And with that, Flam walked over to the farm house, leaving Sunny with his brother. Watching those two made Sunny sick. He knew they were up to something, but he didn't know what just yet. Until they made their move, he would keep an eye on them. And if they tried anything funny, he kept a few spell's up his sleeve that Twilight taught him incase of an emergency.
Sunny decided it was best to just do the work and keep an eye on the two as best he could, for now. While Flim helped push the plow, Sunny pulled it as best he could. Big Mac and him could do the job without much effort. Sunny was willing to bet that Flim was just barley pushing, which would explain why Sunny felt like he was doing the work of two ponies. Flam never came back until most of the work was done with the feild, in which he and his brother traded off. Claiming that they weren't used to the heavy labor yet, and wouldn't be able to pull the heavy plow.
"Granny said the next thing she wanted us to do was clear out the old straw in the barn and give the place a good dusting" Flam told the other two unicorns as he twirled his mustache.
"Alright" Sunny flatly said, knowing that that was actually a chore Applejack had planned for him while she was gone. It normally only required one or two ponies to do it, so three should really help get it done faster. If these two clowns would actually put forth an effort. Even if they didn't, the job wouldn't be too hard for Sunny to do alone. That, and in the barn, Sunny could keep a closer eye on the two. "Let's go and get this done."
"Granny also said that if we want, one of us can go inside and help her with the backing" Flam added, a toothy smile on his muzzle.
"Maybe you should go and take a break Sunny" Flim added. "You have been working awfully hard out here."
"Harder then the both of us put together" Flam admitted.
'Ain't that the truth' Sunny thought, but still didn't like the idea of leaving those two alone together. "It's alright. Flam, why don't you go help Granny?"
"Well alright, if you insist" Flam said, almost half heartedly. Then left his brother and Sunny in the field while he went to go help Granny in the kitchen.
Sunny didn't say much to Flim as they cleared the straw out of the barn. Well, it was more like Sunny cleared the straw out of the barn and Flim pretended to help. But Sunny caught small glances of the swindling unicorn as he worked. Flim was just casually whistling while trails of sweat ran down Sunny's face.
Not long after Sunny finished clearing out the straw and was about to tackle clearing out the cob webs and debris on the ceiling of the barn, did Flam show back up with two tall glasses of lemonade. To which, he shared with his brother, both of them downing the entire glass in one gulp. Sunny watched, dying a little inside as the refreshing, cool lemon aid disappeared before his very eyes.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, old fellow" Flam said with his sly grin. "Did you want some? Granny has more in the kitchen if you want to grab a glass."
Sunny was dying of thirst, and he felt exhausted from pulling more then his fair share of work. If the Flim Flam brothers were planning anything, surely it wouldn't involve a nearly empty barn, what trouble coils they cause out there? "That actually sounds good to me. Why don't you and your brother finish cleaning up the barn here. I'll be back before you even put the new straw down. Ok? "
"You got it!" Flim said, saluting with a pleased smile.
"As you wish!" Flam added, saluting and smiling like his brother.
Sunny still didn't like leaving them alone, but his throat felt like that pie Granny was backing this morning. And lemonade sounded like just what he needed to fix that. The yellow unicorn left the two trouble making twins in the barn as he made his way across the way to the farm house. Once he reached the kitchen, he found Granny happily making breakfast, humming to herself until she saw Sunny, who broke her concentration. She didn't mind though. She honestly forgot what song she was even humming. So she felt no real loss.
"Bout time ya took a break" Granny said, pouring Sunny a tall glass of fresh lemonade. "Was starting to think ah'd have ta drag ya away from work. Yer just like Aj and Big Mac, in that since."
Sunny's ears perked right up at the complement. He knew he had to work extra hard to be able to keep up with Applejack and Big Mac when it came to work in the farm, since unicorn bodies weren't really meant for hard labor. But to hear Granny complement him like that, was more rejuvenating then the lemonade itself.... But as the yellow stallion looked at the freshly made lemonade, he couldn't help but feel that it couldn't hurt to take just a sip. Or two. Don't want Granny's hard work to go to waste.
After Sunny downed the whole glass, Granny refilled it and watched the stallion get through half of his second glass before stoping, hesitating and looking out the window towards the barn.
"Granny, how can you trust those two?" Sunny tried to tread lightly, knowing they were still technically Apple family members. "You know they're up to something."
"Maybe" Granny said as she opened the oven and took a long wiff, smiling at the pleasant aroma. "But ya can't harvest an apple before its ripe. You know what you get if ya do?"
"Ugh... Terrible tasting apple pies?" Sunny guessed, kind of confused by the metaphor.
"More then that!" Granny began to explain. "Nothing good. You try and make a pie with apples that aren't ready, the pie will taste terrible. You try an' make apples sauce, terrible. Apple cobbler, terrible. Candy apples, terrible. Nothing good comes from jumping the gun."
Granny took a seat next to Sunny as she took a sip of lemonade to wet her own whistle. "Ya have ta give ponies a chance to do good. They might have done some bad things in th' past, but if they wanna make things better, ya need ta give them that chance. It's not easy findin' it within yerself ta give them another chance, and too many second chances makes ya a danged fool, but one more chance might just be what they need."
Sunny smiled at the elderly mare and nodded. "I think I see what you mean, Granny."
Just then the two brothers walked inside the dinning room, without a bead of sweat on them. Sunny glared at them, half guessing that they didn't really do anything with the barn , like they were instructed to do.
"Breakfast ready, Granny" Flim asked as he shot her a slick smile, sniffing the air.
"We worked quite the apatite up" Flam added, whipping imaginary sweat from his brow.
"Just about ready, boys" Granny replied. "Did ya finish the work with the barn?"
"Naturally" Flim answered, puffing out his chest and stretching.
"Easy work for any real Apple" Flam chimed in, standing beside his brother, mimicking his puffed out chest.
"We'll have a seat, then" Granny told them as she began putting the finishing touches on breakfast.
"Oh, there was something we wanted to talk to you about, Granny" Flim said as he took a seat between Granny and Sunny,his back blocking Sunny's view of her.
"Oh?" Granny replied with a smile as she pulled a quiche out of the oven and let it cool. "And what would that be?"
"You see, my brother and I couldn't help but noticed how long and difficult the work around the farm is." Flim continued.
"And we, being gifted both with magic and the know how to create, construct and build machines to help further the progress of pony advancement...." Flam joined in, supporting his brother.
"Would like to offer our hooves in creating new machines and ways of helping the Apple farm produce more, high quality Apple family products, so as to not only better our- I mean, your sales, but to also meet the high demands of Equestria!" Flim put a hoof around Granny as he spoke.
Flam mimicked Flim by also putting a hoof around her, now both brothers we on either side of Granny. "There are places all around Equeatia who would love to have Apple family products easily available to them, but live too far away to have such high quality, and delicious products."
"Well it does sound nice" Granny said, thinking it over in her head.
"We're glad you are taking this seriously" Flim smiled at her.
"Now, we've taken the liberty of drawing up a contract..." Flam began to say.
"A contract? For what?" Sunny finally spoke up, trying desperately to keep his mouth shut this whole time, but found he couldn't do it anymore.
Flim and Flam shot an annoyed look at the yellow unicorn, but Flim spoken first, putting on his signature sly grin. "Why, it's just legal documentation, you know giving us Granny's permission to build on Apple family land, and what not."
"In case any other Apple family members have a problem with it" Flam added. "Don't want any family disputes. And of course there's the raw materials we'll need from the farm to build the equipment.
"And a small sum of bits we'll need to barrow to jump start the objects, gotta spend money to make money, you know." Flim added, pulling out a rather long scroll.
"All of which will be payed back with interest, of course." Flam added as he levitated a quill from underneath his straw hat.
"So what do you say Granny?" Flim asked as he and his brother moved in closer to the elderly green mare.
"Well..." Granny trailed off, looking at the long scroll. "Ah say it's time for breakfast."
This broke the high tension between the ponies in the kitchen, Sunny feeling slightly relieved that Granny didn't do something she might regret later.
"B-but Granny" Flim began to say.
"We need to have this signed by the end of the day if we are going to start construction" Flam continued.
"Oh horse feathers" Granny said as she dished up 4 equally large sliced of queshe. "You boys can build later. Today we have a lot of work to do. Work that won't get done by any machines that aren't build in the next five minutes. So eat up and ah'll look over this long, wordy contract while you three work in the north orchard."
Flim and Flam shot each other worried looks, and gulped but put on forced smiles as they faced Granny. "Sounds like a plan" they both said at the same time.
Sunny took a few bites of his breakfast and looked over at Granny, who just smiled as she ate. 'Maybe she does now what she's doing...'
After breakfast Flim, Flam, and Sunny all went strait to the north field, since Flim and Flam supposedly finished the work in the barn. Sunny told himself he would check it out later after the north fields were done. He pulled the cart carrying the baskets and barrels behind him while keeping an eye on the two shifty twin unicorns ahead of him. Sunny was a little more relaxed after talking with Granny and getting something in his belly, but he still couldn't shake the feeling he had.
He stopped for a moment, took a deep breath and looked ahead at Flim and Flam, who kept walking ahead, lost in their own conversation. "Granny is right. I need to just give them a chance. After all, they are Apples. And from what I've seen, all the Apples are good, hard working, honest ponies. Maybe they just need a chance... At least until they actually do something wrong."
"Oh Sunny" Flim broke Sunny from his train of though, calling from the edge of the north feild.
Sunny went into overdrive to catch up to the twins, the cart rattling behind him. He caught up to Flim and Flam in no time. "Hey guys, sorry. I, ugh... Was lost in thought."
"Oh no worries, pal" Flam said smoothly.
"A smart fellow like you must have a lot on his mind" Flim added, even smoother then his brother.
"Yeah..." Sunny said, not wanting to go into everything in his mind. "Anywho, let's get started. I'll place the baskets under the trees that we meet to hit. Most of them should be ready to be harvested by now, but there are always a few-"
"Actually..." Flam interrupted the yellow, Stetson wearing unicorn.
"We need to use the restroom really fast, if you don't mind." Flim continued, shaking his back legs.
"That delicious breakfast seems to just be going right through us, if you know what I mean." Flam added to the awkwardness with more information then Sunny really needed to know.
"Oh, ugh, go right ahead" Sunny told the two, not wanting to make eye contact. "There's an out house behind the barn, and the regular bathroom in the farm house. I'll get us started."
"Thanks" both of the brother said then ran off to words the farm, leaving Sunny to start the harvesting.
After placing the baskets underneath the selected trees, Sunny arched up his hind legs and kicked the first tree. Several apples fell and landed almost perfectly into the designated baskets. But something else fell. It was large, full of feathers, and seemed to... Growl.
By the time Sunny realize what the feathery creature was, it was up right, it's talons fully extended, ready to rip flesh, and it's flaming red and yellow eyes had locked onto the yellow unicorn. Sunny began to run faster then he ever had in his entire life as the infamous owl, known as Toast, chased him throughout the orchard.
About 15 minute later, after teleporting away several times and hiding behind various trees and the barn, and attempting to drive Toast into the west orchard where fruit bats often resided, Sunny was able to shake off the owl. He stood there, behind an apple tree for a moment, his lungs on fire as his chest rose and sank, heart pounding a million miles an hour.
'That bird is a menace!' He said to himself as he began to fan himself with his own hat, desperately trying to cool himself off.
After losing the deranged owl, Sunny caught glimpse of something moving down the dirt road that lead to the farm. Several things actually. He didn't recognize what they were. They appeared to be large and made of metal, with long metal pipes that expelled steam, large wheels that moved belts propelling them across rocky terrane and what appeared to be large metal mouths or claws in front of them. He made another mad dash to the farm, ignoring his tired and ache hooves, growing more and more concerned about the farm.
In front of the farm house that the dirt road fed into, stood Granny, who starred down these mechanical monsters, displeased with their presents on the farm.
As Sunny made his way down the road, galloping beside the giant, mechanical monsters, he couldn't help but notice on their backs, or maybe at top of their heads, were ponies. Curious, Sunny teleported himself up ontop of one of the mechanical beasts where a pony appeared to be ridding it. An earth pony mare was operating it, was surprised to see him magically appear there.
"Hey! What are ya doin'?" She asked as Sunny's eyes grew wide at the many tiny controls before him having never seen anything like it before. "Get outa' here! I got work ta do!"
"Huh?" Was all the yellow stallion could say as his eyes darted across the machine's controls, only half paying attention to the mare. There were so many leavers, switches and buttons with odd markings that Sunny couldn't recognize.
"We've been hired to bulldoze half of this farm, Now get off!" The mare's patience was growing thinner.
That shocked Sunny away from his new found interest and gave her his 100 percent attention. "What did you say?"
"Ugh! Just get off! I have work ta do!" The mare was fuming now as she tried her best to push Sunny off of her bulldozer.
Looking around, Sunny saw another pony, who appeared to be in a better mood then this mare, ridding a similar beast following behind. He closed his eyes and focused, and in a flash, disappeared and reappeared on the mahanical monster he was focusing on.
"Hey, what gives?" The mare asked, her tone still sounding more pleasant then the previous machine rider Sunny just felt with.
"I'm sorry to intrude, but who hired you? And when?" Sunny's voice was stern but sincere, not wanting to agitate this metal monster's rider.
"Two fellas in stripped shirts and straw hats, think they were twins. As for when..." The mare looked as though she was thinking and almost ran into the bulldozer ahead of her. When things were clear, and she was not about to rear end the already agitated driver ahead of her, she was able to recall. "I think it was a few days ago. Wednesday I think."
"Thank you" Sunny said as he closed his eyes and concentrated again, this time, focusing on Granny and where she stood. In a flash he was gone from the bulldozer driving mare's side and in a flash, reappeared beside Granny. He felt slightly light headed from the long distance teleportation. Twilight had warned him about the fatigue that could come from either teleporting too far a distance or too often in a short amount of time, and that he would have to get used to it, but this was a little urgent.
"What's the word, Sunny?" Granny asked as the unicorn gathered himself and the world stopped spinning.
"From what they said..." The stallion began to report. "It sounded like Flim and Flam hired them on Wednesday to bull-doz r the half the farm. Ugh Granny, what does Bull-doz mean?"
"It means those two want to destroy half the farm" Granny's gaze grew harder as shock spread all across Sunny's face. "And those rats had been planning this before Applejack ad Big Mac even left."
"So... They had planned this whole thing?!" Sunny felt his heart do a 360. He had spent the last few days trying to let go of his personal feelings for the two trouble makers. Now that they show their true colors, Sunny felt slightly sick for having pushed himself into believing they were anything but con ponies.
"I'm afraid so" Granny's words fell hard. "But they won't lay one hoof on a single leaf here. Not if I have anything to say about it."
"Ah, there you are Granny!" Flim said, trotting up to her.
"We've been looking everywhere for y-" Flam began to say before he saw the metal beasts that were making their way up the dirt road.
Panic broke out across the brothers faces for a moment. But as they whispered back and forth between each other, the fear began to slide off their muzzles revealing a relaxed and casual smile. They both calmly trotted up to Granny and Sunny, who looked down at them as they strutted their true colors with pride. More then likely trying to play it off as something other then what it truly was.
"Care to explain this, boys?" Granny asked as she motioned her hoof at the bulldozers.
"Well we just wanted to get a jump start on our projects to make the farm run more efficiently" Flam began to say.
"They must be really short on work to have arrived here so early, I could ask them to come back after you thought about our-" Flim began to continue where his brother left off, but Granny cut him off.
"Don't bother" se said, putting her hoof down. "I'd never sign that contract of yours even if I could."
The brothers were dumbstruck, but Flim went in to try and recover the situation. "G-granny, think about what you are saying."
"Yes!" Flam jumped in as well. "We're only trying to help the family farm, you know, progression? Spreading Apple family products around all of Equestria?"
"You two can stop acting like yer part of th' Apple Family" Granny said as se reached up into her bandana and pulled out a small journal. "Ah' went inta th' family storage and found this. It's Dutch Apple Pie's journal. See, ah knew old Dutch Apple was ah writer, and had a way with words. He would write poems and what not to his mare friends, and also keep a separate copy for himself and future generations."
As Granny began flipping through the book, Fim and Flam began to look nervous again, actual beads of sweat trickling down their faces as they watched the elderly mare skim the book. "Ah ha! Here we go!"
"What is it Granny?" Sunny asked as the giant machines arrived just at the farm, and the driver at the head of the heard called out to Flim and Flam, who ignored him.
"See here, Ol' Dutch Apple began writing poems first about Swindler in a very sweet tone" she began pointing to a page with red hearts on it, then flipped to one that had broken hearts and angry faces in their absence. "And here, he seems ta have ah change of heart. Saying how she only wanted him for his money, an' left him high and dry when she found a stallion who had some bits to burn."
Granny then closed the journal and turned to the Flim Flam brothers with a smirk. They sheepishly gulped and tried to wipe the rivers of sweat from their heads. Stress building up from both the Bulldozer diver yelling at them and from their scam being revealed.
"So... They aren't really Apples?" Sunny asked slowly, looking from Granny to the brothers.
"Less then the dirt yer standing' on, Sunny" Granny replied as she took several steps towards the twins. "If ah had ya guess, ah'm willin' ta bet these two were actually lookin fer Dutch Apple's Journal or anything else he may have written involvin' Swindler, so they could hide it and continue acting like they's family."
"That's why they were looking through all the papers in the kitchen!" Sunny finally understood what they were up to.
"Say brother!" Flim yelled out, looking at his wrist watch. "Look at the time!"
"Oh yes, brother!" Flam joined in. "Better not miss out train! Well it's been fun Granny, Sparky!"
"That's Sunny!" Sunny said as his anger began to build up, eyes falling heavier on the twins.
"Right, well, till the next family reunion!" Flim interrupted. And as the bulldozer driver gave up and hopped down off his mechanical machine, frustrated from being ignored, the the horns belonging to the twins began to glow. And in a flash, they disappeared.
"Hey! Where'd they go?!" The driver asked as he scratched the top of his head. "We got work schedules for today! Ain't got no time ta be hoarsin' around!"
Granny went on to explain the situation to the mare in charge of the construction crew as Sunny found himself atop if one of the Bull-doz-rs, playing and fiddling with the controls. Amazed at how pressing a few buttons and pulling a leaver could cause the giant machine to lift what looked like an open mouth and rows of large teeth. After a few moments of Granny explaining the situation, the construction mare boss cursed and called out to her team, signaling them to head back to town. Reluctantly, Sunny got off the machine and watched in awe as it moved away.
The rest of that day, Sunny spent his hours of sunlight finishing the work that Flim and Flam supposedly did. All of it was either pushed aside to look clean and done, or completely ignored. After that hard day's work, Sunny enjoyed sitting down to dinner with Granny. She had made his favorite, and for desert, she made small, personalized Dutch apple pies. But something still didn't sit right with Sunny, making eating harder then it should have.
Granny noticed this and decided it was best to clear the air. "Somethin' wrong, Sunny?"
"Granny" Sunny looked up from his plate and over at the elderly mare. "you wanted me to give those two a chance, and I was right all along about them. If I had just stuck with my gut, we could have avoided this whole thing."
"That's true, but tell me, are the trees in the orchard still standing?" Granny asked, smiling as she and Sunny looked out the window.
"Well... Yes" Sunny replied.
"And the house? Is it still standing?" Granny asked again.
"Yeah, but..." Sunny's words slowly trickled out.
"Then where's th' harm?" Granny asked. "Sometimes it's better to give ponies the benefit of the doubt then to jump to conclusions, especially when you take precautions."
"What do you mean, Granny" Sunny asked, feeling more confused then before.
"Ah was curious and wonderin' bout their family tree mah self" the began to explain. "So ah went up into th' family records and looked up Uncle Dutch Apple, and found his journal. Ah wasn't gunna bring it up to anypony unless ah needed to. Ah still hoped them fellers might have wanted to turn themselves around, but ah was wrong. But thanks ta my cautious side, no bad came of it."
Sunny nodded, thinking back to the confrontation with the Flim Flam brothers, something sticking out in his head. "Granny... What did you mean when you told those two that you wouldn't sign the contract even if you could?"
The elderly mare smiled up at the young wipper snapper. "Ya see, Sunny, ah don't own th' farm. Ah signed it'a ownership away ta Applejack and Big Mac when they both came of age, though, ah think Big Mac would let Applejack run th' farm while he works it."
"Wow" Sunny said, eyes growing a little wide. "So they couldn't get the farm from you if they wanted."
"Nope" Granny chuckled. "Them fellers was barkin' up th' wrong apple tree. But a darn good thing they were. Ol' Granny's got a few tricks up her sleeves. Now do ya feel better?"
Sunny smiled as he took a few bites of his meal, Granny began to do the same. Not long after they finished dinner and were relaxing before desert, did something else come across Sunny's mind.
"Hey Granny, " Sunny caught the elderly mare's attention. "When I came to live on the farm.... Were you as cautious with me as you were them?... Anything about a 'Sunny' or anypony who looked like me in the family records."
Granny could see the hope in the stallion's eyes, it pained her to shatter his hopes. "Ah'm 'fraid nothin' in the family's records about anypony like ya, Sunny. Yer one of a kind. But then again, ah didn't look too hard."
Sunny was more confused then disheartened. "Wait.... Why?"
"Cause, ya didn't really see me the trouble making kind" Granny said with a smile. "When ah first saw ya, ya just seemed ta glow. But if ya want, ah can look again for ya. Maybe ya are an Apple."
"Maybe we can look together?" Sunny suggested, a smile returning to his face. "And you could tell me all about the Apple family."
"Sounds wonderful to me, Sunny" Granny said, then whispered to herself. "And ah need ta know if ya are family before ah help AJ pick out a weddin' dress..."
"What was that Granny?" Sunny asked, curious as to what she mumbled to herself.
"Oh just saying ' how the pies should taste delicious! Let's dig in!" Granny chuckled and passed Sunny his as she sat down with her own personalized apple pie.
Sunny could hardly contain himself as he walked through town. Everywhere he looked, street corners, shops, ponie's houses, even the ponies themselve's were all decked out for the holiday they called 'Hearths warming' day. Decorations of red and green, maroon and velvet ribbons and bows hung elegantly. And the part that Sunny was most touched by was the white powdery stuff that had hit the ground just last week.
The yellow stallion remembered when the weather team was working on setting up for winter, placing clouds specifically in certain areas, filling them to the brim with a heavy load of snow flakes. He had never seen so many pegusi working together on the weather in one place. And then, the morning after that, when he had awoken, he saw the trees and fields coated in that beautiful white stuff. That day he had spent playing with Applejack, Big Mac, Twilight and the rest in the snow. Even Spike had gotten in on it when they built forts out of snow for the snowball fights. Then Applejack shows Sunny something new, sledding!
Rushing down the snow covered mountain side, that was just on the boarder of Ponyville, was absolutely amazing! The first time he had done it, Sunny was a little less then eager to try it, and ended up holding onto Applejack for dear life as they both zoomed down the steep mountain. But by the time the two had reached the bottom, Sunny's nerves had began to relax and he was ready to go up and do it again. Applejack was really eager too, with her cheeks bright red and a small smile on her face. And they weren't alone. Thunder Lane, now fully recovered, and Flitter had grabbed their own respective boards, and were sliding down together as Rainbow Dash slid past them, standing up in her sled like a surf board, creating waves of snow as she showed off some tricks. Even Octavia and her DJ friend had down up and got in on the fun. She asked to join Sunny in a few rides down the mountain, and Sunny couldn't be more then happy to share that with his friend. Although she had wished he had clung to her the way he had with Applejack. But still, Octavia would cherish the thrill and rush she received from the sled ride that she got to share with Sunny. After a full day of fun in the snow, the entire Apple family, accompanied by Pinkie Pie and Sunny, had sat down in the farm house with large mugs of hot chocolate and warmed up.
"This has been the most fun I've had in a long time" Sunny said as he took another sip of his hot chocolate.
"Even more then the birthday we've had for the twins a month ago?!" Pinkie asked, exasperated. "Because we did have pin the tail on the pony and some really, really good cake!"
Sunny chuckled and he put a hoof on the slightly upset pink party pony. "It's not that Pinkie.... It's something different.... Like... Like I remember something..."
This sent a chill down Applejack's spine. She had been working with her friends to try and find out who Sunny actually was and where he came from, but after a while, he had just become a part of the family. Applejack remembered how she felt about almost losing him when Chrysalis came and posed as his 'mother'. She felt like she was going to lose him, and although Applejack felt guilty for feeling that way, she still didn't want to lose him. She gulped and asked the yellow stallion "you, ugh... Rememberin somethin', sugar cube?"
Sunny stared out the window at the light falling snow, as if trying to see through the storm inside of his own mind. Something seemed so familiar about the cold, white substance. "I remember.... Feelings."
Everypony seemed confused by his statement, looking around at each other for answers as the yellow unicorn continued to stair out the window. Apple Bloom broke the silence when she repeated the last word Sunny spoke " ugh... Feelings?"
"What kinda feelings, sugar cube?" Applejack extended the question.
"A mixture...." Sunny replied, closing his eyes trying to concentrate. As he did a smile grew on his face. "Joy, happiness, content, comfort.... And..."
Everypony remained silent, waiting for him to finish. Well, one pony didn't like waiting and grabbed the yellow stallion by his muzzle and tore him away from the window to stair him in the eye as her muzzle was inches from his.
"What feelings?!" Pinkie Pie screamed at the now frightened stallion that she had in her hooves. "Are you nervous? Excited? Nervicited?!"
"I-I-I don't know! I've never felt this way before" Sunny answered honestly, any and all connections he was feeling from the snow was then overtaken by the mare who was still inches from him.
"Let him go, Pinkie" Applejack asked, her tone low and forlorn.
"Oh! Sorry!" Pinkie awkwardly chuckled, realizing she was over doing it. She brushed him off as she shot him a smile and hopped back into her spot beside Apple Bloom, filling up her mug and taking another up of her hot chocolate.
"Well, sugar cube" Applejack said as she put on a small grin and locked eyes with the shaken yellow stallion. "Maybe you'll remember more when we go visit Pinkie's family tammarow."
"I am sooooo excited!" Pinkie began, a huge smile on her face as her eyes nearly doubled in size. "The Apples and the Pies! Together! Under one roof! For a Hearths warming celebration!"
The idea actually had Sunny feeling nervous, but he still smiled as Pinkie and Applejack talked back and forth about the holiday. Sunny had never met any of Pinkie's relatives before. He read in his copy of 'the elements of harmony' that Pinkie came from a rock farm, that she had 3 other sisters and her two parents, one of the sisters being a monotone mare named Maud. But other then that, and reading about when Maud came to town, Sunny had no idea what to expect.
By the next morning, Sunny had packed his saddle bags for the occasion, gathering a scarf, a few spell books to read if he had the moment (Twilight kept him on a strict schedule), and his basic toilet treats. As he finished packing he turned and saw a familiar red stallion standing at the door way.
"Hey" was all Big Mac said as he looked over at Sunny.
"Hey Big Mac" Sunny returned the greeting. "What's up?"
"You ok?" He asked, cutting strait to the point. That was Big Mac for you.
Sunny was about to answer immediately but stopped and sighed, adjusting his Stetson had again. "I'm just a little worried.... What if Pinkie's family doesn't like me?"
"That all?" Big Mac sounded surprised as he entered Sunny's room.
"Is there more to be worried about?!" Sunny asked, worry thick in his voice as his heart began to race.
"Eh'nope" Big Mac replied with a smile as he put a hoof on Sunny's shoulder. "If that's all yer worried about, ya'll be just fine. Have ya ever met anypony who didn't like ya?"
Sunny thought for a moment. "Those three jerks from the weather factory?"
"An' no pony likes them either" Big Mac countered. "Ya'll do just fine. Just be yerself."
Sunny smiled at that, feeling glad that Big Mac was such a cool guy, always calm and collected. Sunny happily held out a hoof to the red stallion, who met it with his own hoof for a hoof bump.
"Thanks Big Mac" Sunny said to the muscular farm stallion.
"Anytime, Sunny" the big red stallion smiled back with his reply, then casually left to do how own packing.
Sunny, Apple Bloom, Granny and Big Mac made their was through town, planing to meet Applejack and Pinkie at the train station. The two best friends had gone to wish their other friends a happy Hearths Warming before they left, since they wouldn't be around until after the holidays. After purchasing their tickets, the Apple family an Sunny waited at the station for several moments for Applejack and Pinkie.
After several minutes, Sunny turned to the rest of the group "if ya'll want, ah can wait here for them. Ya can all get situated and warm inside."
"Oh! An' we can all get snacks too!" Apple Bloom added, jumping up and down, eager to taste the savory sweets Hearths Warming had to offer.
"If yer sure" Granny said as she and her two grandchildren boarded the train.
Sunny stood there, looking around at all the decorations, the ponies dressed up for the holiday and most importantly, all the white, soft snow. Something else began to seep inside of Sunny as he stood there looking at the fluffy, white snow. He ran his hoof through a small pile of it and held it in the cup of his hoof, starring at it for a moment. Then it happened. A memory!
He remembered being cold, but being warmed up by a fire, surrounded by a lot of huge, fluffy pillows. He was young, the world around was so much bigger then him. It was cold outside. He had played in the snow that day, all day. And, and.... There was a voice... A soothing, motherly voice. It was singing to him... The words were muffled... But he could just barley make out a rhythm.
"Oh no! My glasses!" A filly's voice broke Sunny from his memory.
He then peered over at a little grey filly, with a light grey, braided mane and tail, looking down with teary eyes at a pair of glasses that rested on the ground, broken at the base where it rested on the muzzle.
The yellow stallion walked over to the almost crying fully and looked at the broken glasses. "What happened?"
She sniffles, but never looked away from her glasses. "My mommy got me these designer glasses as an early Hearthswarming gift, she had saved up forever to get them, and I tripped and... And..."
As the little fully was on the verge of tears, Sunny levitated the broken pieces up. Twilight had taught him a spell that could repair such small things as long as all the pieces were there, but he had never attempted it before. Something deep down inside told him to do it now, not basing this off of knowledge or experience. More like, he felt he could do it because he could 'feel' he could do it. He closed his eyes and focused, not only thinking about repairing the glasses as the magical force flowed through his horn, but also the love and meaning that went into the gift. The heart warming image of a mother working hard to get her daughter the perfect gift filled the yellow unicorn with strength he never imagined. There was a flash of green light, and there, floating between Sunny and the little grey filly were the glasses, sparkling and whole like they were new!
Sunny smiled as he gently places the glasses back on the muzzle of the little filly who's eyes were almost as wide as her smile, she seemed to almost glow herself. "There you go, now be a little more-"
The yellow stallion was interrupted by a warm hug as the little filly jumped at him, her hooves trying desperately to wrap around him as she repeated "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Sunny was slightly taken back by the filly's actions, but smiled happy as he out a hoof on the little filly's head. "You are very welcome, young one."
As the grey filly with the braided mane waved back to Sunny as she dashed off home, Applejack and Pinkie were just coming into view. Sunny smiled and waved then down as the train's whistle screamed, signaling that all passengers needed to board. As all three of them boarded the train, Sunny took one last glance back at Ponyville, eager and excited to be meeting new possible friends. The Pie family.
The train ride was pleasant enough, Sunny thought as he watched Applejack finish her 'big sister lecture' to Apple Bloom about what Hearths Warming is really all about. Although it was a lecture, Sunny didn't think Apple Bloom loathed it as much as she lead on. Hearing the story of how the three tribes came together was a story everypony enjoyed, Sunny could gather from the smile on all the Apple's faces as well as the faces of several ponies who were within ear shot. Not five minute after they all got settled on the train, did Granny fall fast asleep. Still, Sunny couldn't help but smile from the warm feeling that he got from the group of ponies he was travailing with. A holiday that brought ponies together to celebrate ponies coming together, if that didn't sound warm and friendly he didn't know what did. And his feelings became justified as he watched Applejack and Pinkie go back and forth with their playful banter, saying the exact same thing together at the same time, hoof motions, words, and expressions alike.
"Of course! We might be related!" Both of the best friends began speaking simultaneously. "Hey, I was gonna say that! Stop sayin' what I'm sayin'! You stop it first!" They both continued, then broke out into laughter as they both slid off out of their seats and onto the floor. Just then the train's whistle blew again as the wheeled came to a screeching halt, signaling that they had arrived at their destination. Sunny took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, then he grabbed his saddle bag and joined the others as they exited the train. He was the last one off the train, and for some reason unknown to him, the yellow stallion heard the word 'rooftastic!' Being yelled from above. Just as he looked up a wave of snow hit him, leaving him and the Apples covered in a thick coating of powdery snow. He dusted himself off, but before he could ask what just happened, Applejack's worried voice cut him off. "Ah don't know, what if our families don't like each other?" "Applejack" Pinkie jumped in to reassure her friend. "We are best friends. And after tonight, our families are going to be best friends too..." Sunny couldn't help but slightly zone out as Pinkie went off on one of her elaborate 'Pinkie' explanations, that often lead everypony questioning the bounds of reality. As terrible as it might be, Sunny took a little comfort in knowing that he wasn't the only pony worrying about the two family's getting along. But as he turned his attention back to the orange farm pony, his heart slightly sank. He had been so preoccupied with weather or not the Pies were going to like him, that he didn't see Applejack's own fear that the Apples and the Pies might not get along. Now, looking back over at Applejack, and seeing the slight worry on her face, he knew what he had to do. 'That's it' Sunny said to himself inside his head. 'I'm going to do my best to get along with everypony and help everypony get along! I'll help the Apples and the Pies become one big, happy family!' Sunny's gusto filled thoughts were interrupted when he heard the name 'Maud' uttered, well, more like squeaked since it was Pinkie doing it. He looked over and saw Pinkie hugging a very expressionless, grey mare with a purple mane, wearing some average looking clothing that would have given Rarity a heart attack. "I'm very happy to see you, Pinkie Pie" the grey mare said, her tone as expressionless as her face. Se the. Looked over at Applejack. "You too Applejack. I hope you had fun sledding the other day." "How'd ya know that?" Applejack asked, confused at Maud's insight. "Isn't it obvious?" The emotionless mare asked as she raised Applejack's hoof and shows it to her. " There are specks of extrusive andesite on your hoof. It's a mountain rock." Sunny's eyes went as wide as Applejack's when he heard her explanation. Sunny had read in his copy of 'the Elements of Harmony' that Maud went off to school to learn more about rocks, but he never knew she was so... So good! He was impressed, thinking maybe she could be like a forensic pony scientist or something. "Oh, she's good" Granny commented, Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Sunny all nodding in agreement. "How is school going?" Pinkie asked her sister enthusiastically. Maud began to lead the group away from the train station and down the path that would eventually lead to the Pie family farm. "If you thought quartz was high on the Mohs hardness scale, wait 'til I tell you about corundum." "I missed you so much!" Pinkie exclaimed with a huge smile on her face as she bounced behind her sister. All the Apples replied, following behind the excited bouncing mare, with the same tone of "mm-hmmm". A short trip down the road and the Apples, Pinkie, Sunny and Maud all arrived at the edge of the rock farm where they were greeted by the most beautiful sight. The farm was coated in a thick layer of snow, much like everywhere else in Equestria, but something else caught the eyes of the Apple Family and Sunny. All around the farm were the most beautiful crystals that appeared to pull in a reflect within themselves an array of colors powered by the sunlight. Sunny was amazed as he passed by them and they seemed to shine. "This place looks amazin'" Applejack commented as she looked around. "Come on, everypony! Meet my super-mega-fun-derful family!" Pinkie exclaimed as her older sister, Maud, opened the front door. The first ponies to file out were a pair old older looking ponies, a stallion donning a tie and hat, with a pair of long grey sideburns running down the side of his face. The older mare had her grey mane tied back in a bun ontop of her head with a pair of glasses resting on the tip of her muzzle. The next pony to emerge from the house was a mare with a pair of very sharp eyes that seemed on high alert with the sight of newcomers. The last pony to exit the house Pinkie practically had to force out. She was a shy and rather timid looking mare who reminded Sunny very heavily of Fluttershy, especially with the way she seemed to cover half of her face with her mane. "Everypony, meet everypony" Pinkie cheered with much enthusiasm. But the meshing was not as smooth as she had hopped. As Granny broke the ice by walking up and greeting Pinkie's parents, the older ponies discovered some sort of a language barrier. Pinkie then tried her best to introduce her younger sister Marble Pie to Big Mac, while she forced her younger sister to converse with the most stoic stallion from Ponyville, Sunny caught sight of the sharp eyed sister leering down Apple Bloom. "Gaze into the eyes of Limestone Pie. Ma and Pa may own this rock farm, but I keep it running. Cross me and—" the grey mare began to harshly say, causing Apple Bloom to panic and back up away from the aggressive rock farm pony. "Well it is a pleasure to be here, miss Limestone pie" Sunny stepped between the frightened Apple Bloom and the hard gaze that belonged to Pinkie's other sister. "Thank you for having us on your farm. We're all excited to spend Hearths Warming with you and your-" "Don't try and sweet talk me!" She snapped at Sunny. "Stay away from our mines and Holder's Bolder!" Sunny was taken off guard a little by the sharp tongue that the sister of sweet, non aggressive Pinkie Pie had. Before more could be said, Pinkie jumped on top of a large egg shaped bolder. "Attention everypony!" She called out proudly, collecting the attention of everypony on the farm. "Get off of Holder's Bolder!" Limestone growled as she narrowed her eyes at her sister. "I'll only be a second, sheesh" Pinkie pie answered her sister then cleared her throat to continue, her smile returning. "Everypony go ahead and get settled in, there's plenty of room upstairs. And then it's in to the Hearths Warming eve dinner!" At the end if her speach, Pinkie threw up a cloud of confetti into the chord she had gathered. As the two families began to file into the house, Pinkie jumped off Holder's boulder and began talking with Applejack, both of them smiling at one another as they watched their families file through the door to the Pie family house. As the Apples and Sunny got settled in upstairs, the yellow stallion couldn't help but enjoy the conversation the Apple family was having. Apple Bloom bouncing on a top bunk taking about sweet rolls and Granny saying how she prefers 6 layer bean dip. Sunny remembered such treats being available on the Apple farm for various occasions, and did enjoy them himself. He can't quite say that he recalled ever having them before e came to the Apple farm, but that wasn't uncommon for him. Before much more could be said, Pinkie Pie called them all down for dinner. A little nervous, Sunny waited to leave their room until everypony else had. He felt slightly out of place, only being an 'honorary Apple family member' and all, but wasn't going to let that stop him. He wanted this to be great, not for his own sake, but for Applejack and Pinkie, and for their families as well. As he reached the entryway to the dining room, his eyes fell heavy on the spread that the Pies had presented. It wasn't anything like the meal that Applejack, Apple Bloom or even Granny talked about. From what Sunny and the rest of the Apples could tell, the meal consisted of a bowl of soup with a rock in the middle. Applejack stepped forward out of the group as se looked at all the bowls sittin fin the table. "What about hot rolls and mulled cider and double-baked pot pie?" "Or the seven layered bean dip?" Granny asked, looking at a bowl that was set in front of her. "We have rock soup" Maud said flatly, looking at the Apples, still emotionless. "Potato, po-tah-to. Double-baked pot pie, rock soup! Dinner is dinner. Am I right or am I right?" Pinkie said as she popped up and put a hoof around Applejack and Sunny. Sunny looks over at the bowl closest to him, took a wiff and smiled weakly at Applejack. "Hmmmm. I've never had rock soup before that I could remember." Applejack weakly smiled back and shook off the feeling of disappointment from the meal. This was a home cooked meal the family of her best friend made. She should enjoy it. "Yeah, um, you know what? This 'is' what we were expectin'! Right, everypony?" The other Apple family members forced smiles on their faces and took seats opposite of the Pie family members. Applejack locked eyes with Sunny as they both picked up spoonfuls of the 'rock soup' and held it to their mouths. They both could feel the eyes of everypony else weighing down heavily on them as they both took their first bite. Two different reactions resulted from the two ponies who took the first spoonfuls of the meal. Applejack's face changed into an off shade of crab apple green as the spoonful seemed to slide slowly down her throat. Once it reaches her belly and she was able to breath again, Pinkie leaned in and asked "everything ok, Applejack?" "O' course, Ah'm just being a rusty fiddle. Tune me up and let's get back to dinner." But despite her words, she still had a hard time stomaching the food. Sunny on the other hoof dove right in, thinking the soup tasted a little salty, but figured that was from the rock. He watched as Pinkie's father, Igneous, took a bite of the rock that was in the soup, and went to do the same. Only when he bit into it, he felt like he almost broke his teeth. Leaving the rock in the dish alone and going back to the actual soup itself, he had his bowl finished in no time. As he whipped his mouth politely with his napkin, feeling slightly embarrassed that he just dove in like a pig, and feeling the eyes all around the table falling upon him, Sunny chuckled lightly as Pinkie more then eagerly refilled his bowl. "The soups is delicious, Miss Quartz." "I thankith thee, one known as Sunny" the elderly mare replied, her face still refined. "But the honor of the meal dost fall with my most responsible daughter, Limestone." Sunny then looked across the table to the Pie family member who was giving him the stink eye, about to complement her on her cooking, when she opened her mouth and spat out "How are you related to the Apples again? Or are you just hired help along for the ride and a free meal?" This made Sunny feel like he had swallowed a rock and it was caught in his throat. His eyes darted from Limestone to her soup, then to Applejack who looked like she was about to speak up when Pinkie jumped in. "Everypony hurry up and eat! After dinner we're going to get to out Hearthswarming dolls!" The pink party pony said with glee. A sudden fear shocked thought Applejack though as she looked over at Sunny who nervously sipped his second bowl of rock soup, avoiding eye contact with Limestone. 'He doesn't have a Hearths Warming doll!' She leaned in and whispered into Pinkie's ear her troubling realization, but Pinkie just waved her hoof and told Applejack not to worry. After Hearths Warming dinner was over, the Pie family, Apple family and Sunny made their way out of the house and into an excavation area of the rock farm. The Apples were all confused, well, all except Sunny who ran off into the bushes to meet his Hearths Warming dinner, again, only this time it wasn't as enjoyable. He eventually caught up with the group after he was able to walk strait again. As he rejoined them, Sunny noticed they all had tiny pick axes and were chiseling away at tiny rocks placed atop of big rocks. Well, the Pie family members were, it seemed like the Apples were having a slightly harder time. Sunny steadily walked over to Pinkie and asked "what are we doing? I thought we had to do something with 'dolls'?" "We're making them, silly! Here!" Pinkie said as she set Sunny up with his own tiny pickax and a tiny rock, explaining that he was to carve it into a doll. Needless to say, the yellow unicorn was little confused at first, but shrugged it off, wanting to be fully supportive of the Pie's family traditions. He looked over at the shy little mare Pinkie introduced earlier as 'Marble Pie', and watched how she was carefully chiseling away at her own 'doll', forming it into a pony shaped figure. He took a deep breath and levitated the tiny pickax, coating it with his green magical aura, and made the first nick in his 'doll'. But one little nick turned his 'doll' into a huge pile of rock dust. He nervously looked around to see how the others were doing. The Apples were still struggling, Applejack being the only one to have made some form of a doll (even if it did look like a sad potato). While Sunny had his head turned, somepony blew away the pile of rock dust and set another rock in front of him. He looked over and met the deadpan face of non either then Maud. "Try not to use magic" she said in a flat tone. "Unicorn magical energy disrupts the flow of energy in most rock formations, and will turn it to dust." Sunny awkwardly laughed and readjusted his hat. "My bad, I guess I'll just use my mouth to-" Before he could finish his sentence, Maud pushed Sunny's head down and moved his Stetson hat aside, then she began looking through his mane. As she did she made a few 'mhm's. "Ugh, is everything ok up there?" The unicorn asked, feeling a little awkward. "I don't have lice, do I?" "No" Maud replied as she released the unicorn's head and calmly walked away, looking like she had something very small in her hoof, but Sunny really couldn't tell what it was. Sunny looked at her for a moment, feeling really, really confused. He was greatful that Maud had helped him out, but he didn't know how to feel about her invading his personal space like that and not giving a reason. In the end, though, he shook it off and decided to write it off as 'Maud being Maud', and went to work on his 'doll' again, this time using his mouth to lift the tiny pickax. After the rock 'dolls' were made and placed safely stop of the fireplace in the Pie family house, everypony gathered at Holder's Boulder for what Pinkie was calling 'the flag finding mission'. Sunny had to make another trip to the bathroom before they began, the rock soup was wanting to say hi again, hopefully for the last time. After about ten minutes or so of saying his final farewells to the rock soup, Sunny was able to leave the bathroom and made his way to meet everypony. As the yellow unicorn straitened his Stetson hat and wabbaly walked out of the farm house, the only pony in sight was an unamused Limestone Pie, who stood at attention in front of Holder's Boulder. "Ugh, where did everypony go?" Sunny uneasily asked as he trotted up to Limestone, not really wanting to make much conversation with her. "They all went into teams to find the flag" Limestone huffed. "If you weren't such a hog earlier, scarfing down all of the rock soup, you would have been here and heard that instead of throwing up." Sunny took a deep breath and released it, he was still feeling queazy, and arguing wouldn't help him. So he tried to focus on the task at hand. "So where am 'I' supposed to go?" Limestone rolled her eyes, annoyed by her sister's instructions. "Pinkie said if you ever made it out of the bathroom to take it easy and Judge the competition with me. But keep this in mind, 'I'm' the main judge, my word out weighs yours. Got it?!" Sunny sighed again as he took a seat next to Limestone, thinking to himself 'this is going to be a long holiday... Maybe we can skip it next year...'
The silance was so great you could hear a pin drop. The two ponies, Sunny Knight and Limestone Pie, stood at attention by Holder's Boulder for what seemed like hours, when in reality it had only been about five minutes or so. They had both remained silent as the rest of their families hunted for the flag. While Sunny went back and forth with himself on weather to try and strike up a conversation or to just let the silence continue, Limestone actually shattered the awkward silence between the two.
"What's with your cutie mark?" She asked, curiosity more present in her voice then her usual venom, but still hidden deep beneath her jagged tone.
Sunny then looked at the grey, almost circular mark in his flank, ten awkwardly laughed as his eyes darted up to Limestone. "I... Don't really know."
"And that's funny, how?" Her frozen words sent a chill into Sunny. The ice queen was no long curious.
"Well I wouldn't say 'funny' like a joke, more like, funny like an awkward situation." The yellow stallion admitted.
"Like you puking up my signature rock soup?" Limestone snapped. Which made the awkward situation even more awkward.
Sunny cleared his throat again, "well, ya see, it all began a couple of months ago, on a road that would eventually lead to Ponyville..."
Sunny began to tell Limestone Pie about how he met Goldie Delicious, how she suggested he go to Ponyville to find her grandniece, Applejack, who might have been able to help him. Then he began talking about all his adventures in Ponyville, including the race challenge Rainbow Dash faced with Lighting Dust, the party Pinkie three for Cranky, and everything leading up to him and the Apples coming to the Pie family farm for Hearths Warming.
The expression on Limestone Pie didn't change though. Her muzzle remained as judgmental and cold as ever as she replied with "hmmm."
Needless to say, that caused Sunny to recoil inside a little. He had such grand adventures just from living in a small town for a few months, and all Limestone could say was 'hmmm'?! The yellow unicorn sighed and returned his attention to the rocky area surrounding them, wondering who would be the first ones back.
It nearly spooked him out of his fur when Limestone actually spoke and broke the silence again. Maybe she waited for just that moment to do so. "So you have no idea who you are? Or where your family is?"
After collecting himself, Sunny turned to the normally very cold mare, half expecting to see a more relaxed look on her face, maybe a warmer, kinder one. But he was wrong. Her eyes were as sharp as ever as she glared at him with a questioning gaze. He sighed and answered her. "No idea... I do have a potion at home I got from a shaman in the Everfree Forest. She said it would unlock whatever memories I'm suppressing, but i haven't taken it yet. Partly because it knocks me out cold, and I don't want to sleep in when there is work to be done... But mostly.... I'm kinda afraid..."
"Afraid of what?" Limestone's tone lightened up a little with her curiosity overlapping her harsh coldness.
"Well.... To be honest..." Sunny began to say, but found the words were harder to spit out then they were to say in his head.
"Come on!" Line stone snapped, anger flaring up. "Out with it already!"
"I'm afraid I'll lose them!" Sunny yelled out loud, then paused when he realized it echoed and carried more then he had hopped, his face turning red. As he hung his head slightly he explained a little further. "When Chrysalis came to the farm and posed as my mother, she wanted to take me away, and bring me back to my 'old life'. Yeah, she was lying, but..."
"You're worried you'll have to say good bye to Applejack and her family" Limestone got annoyed with the stallion's dramatic pausing and finished his sentence at a much faster pace, that made it more then obvious that her heart wasn't in it.
Sunny couldn't take it anymore, he now snapped as his eyes shot back at Limestone. "Yes! I'm worried that I will have to leave them! I'm scared that my entire world will be flipped upside down! I'm worried that I'll have to say good bye to the ponies who have become family to me, as well as all my friends in Ponyville! Yes! I'm scared! Happy?!"
But the mare's expression never faded, her inner flame still burned as she shot a hard glance right back at the yellow stallion. "Are you done?"
Sunny releases his anger and frustration in a huff as he exhaled so much he became light headed. As he sat down and looked away at the rocky setting, not even wanting to so much glance at Limestone right now, he eventually replied to her. "Yeah. I'm done. In more ways then one."
"Good" she simply replied. "Feel better?"
"About?" He answered her question with a question, a harsh tone in his voice.
"Now that you know what's stopping you, and how stupid it actually is" she explained. "When you go home and drink that stuff and get your memory back."
Sunny was more then confused as he turned to face the butter and over cautious mare. "What?!"
"You're really dumb if you think that finding out who you are, or who your parents even are, would tear you from the Apples or your friends" she began to explain. "If you're like this with them, minus the temper tantrum, then they all must really like you. Especially that orange one with the freckles."
"Applejack?" Sunny asked, his anger now dissipated completely at the thought of her missing him. "W-what makes you think she's miss me the most?"
Limestone sighed heavily as she rolled her eyes. "Ma always told me stallion's heads were as thick as rocks, but I never knew their heads were full of them too." She turned to Sunny, still glaring. "Haven't you noticed whenever she hesitates, she looks over at you for support? How she always seems to keep you in her sights? And when you were puking up my rock soup, all she did was mutter to herself 'ah hope he's ok in there...'. Seriously, it's like her whole world revolves around you."
Sunny's muzzle turned a bright red, redder then it raver had before as he turned his eyes to the ground. "Y-you really think so?"
"Don't let it go to your head" Limestone then snapped. "You still are a doofus, a pig, and a puke machine."
But sill, the smile remained on Sunny's muzzle for quite some time. The silence Limestone could deal with, but the stupid grin on the stallion's face as bothering her. Her mind quickly jumped to something that might make the atmosphere a little more tolerable.
"So you know how ponies give gifts on Hearths Warming day?" She asked Sunny, pulling him out of his daze.
"Oh, ugh, yeah. I think Applejack said something about that" Sunny said, thinking back to the train ride over and the lecture Applejack had to give Apple Bloom.
"Well, we Pies have our own tradition about that" Limestone smirked. "We hide our gifts. But nopony's ever found one. Pinkie's really good at hiding them."
"Really?" Sunny said surprised, wrapping his mind around the concept.
"Yep" Limestone confirmed as she smugly smiled at the stallion. "Not ever."
"Well that kinda stinks" Sunny replies, sounding sympathetic. "But the holiday is mainly about being together right? That's what I've really been looking forward to, ever since I read about how Applejack and Pinkie might be related."
"Yeah, yeah, I heard all about that" Limestone snapped. "Just don't think you can weasel in on our farm or anything."
"Your rock farm is nice" Sunny stated, looking around at the snow coated terrane. "But the only place I think I could call home is Sweet Apple acres."
Limestone just rolled her eyes and started off into the distance, hopping somepony would find that stupid drawing of a rock that Pinkie had her make and hide. Being around Sunny was making her sick. He was really sickeningly sweet, and she felt on the verge of gagging.
"You know Limestone" Sunny broke the silence. "If Pinkie and Applejack are distant cousins, that also means you and The rest of the Pies are also members of the Apple family."
"Ok, yeah, so? What's so special about that?" She snapped, getting that sickening feeling again, guessing he was going to say something stupid like 'we should get together for another holiday' or 'we should have a family reunion' or something to that effects. 'Ugh!!!' She thought. 'What is this guy's deal?!'
"Well, that means if you ever need anything, I'll be there" he plainly said. "The Pies and Apples do things differently, but that doesn't make it bad. Pinkie was the first friend I ever made in Ponyville, and without her, I might not have ever met Applejack and her family. "
"Yeah yeah, mushy, feel good stuff and whatever" Limestone spat out, then looked away from the yellow stallion, the sight of him was making her want to hurl.
Sunny sighed and just looked away, feeling as though he might never be able to thaw the ice queen's frozen heart.
Pinkie and Applejack were the first group to return, carrying with them the picture of a rock. Why a picture and not an actual rock, confused both Applejack and Sunny. The rest of the groups were informed that Pinkie and Applejack had found the 'rock' and Pinkie would be the one to place the flag on holder's Boulder tomorrow.
That night, as everypony was turning in for the night, Sunny once again hound himself muzzle first in the toilet that was down the hall from where the Apple family was sleeping, wishing that he didn't try and eat so much rock soup at dinner. After he felt his stomach had been emptied and he finished cleaning himself up, the yellow stallion left the bathroom only to run into Marble Pie, who stood awkwardly at the door.
"Oh, ugh, s-sorry Marble" Sunny apologized to the timid, grey earth pony. "Bathroom is free."
But before he could walk back to the bedroom and plop down into bed, he felt a tug on his tail. Looking back he saw Marble had stopped him and moved aside, revealing some stomach medicine and a glass of water. Sunny was shocked. He looked from the shy mare, to the medicine and back. Then he gave Marble a small smile, to which she returned with a small smile of her own, still half hidden behind her mane.
Sunny had been around Big Mac and Fluttershy enough to know a pony's body language. And what Marble Pie had told him was something to the effect of 'here... I hope you feel better... Sorry the soup doesn't agree with you.'
"Thank you, Marble" Sunny said as he downed the medicine and followed it up with the full glass of water. As soon as he placed the glass down, Marble took it without another word and went down stairs.
Sunny then rejoined the Apples in the room try all shared. Everypony had already gone to sleep. Well, almost everypony. Applejack was still awake, looking very worried. Sunny quietly walked across the room, not wanting to wake anypony up, and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Everything ok Applejack?"
She nearly jumped from his touch, but after she saw who it was, Applejack began to relax. "Ah'm just.... Ah feel bad for them' Pies, Sunny." She began, looking out the window. "They ain't ever had a real Hearths Warming. They eat rock soup, their Hearths Warming dolls are rocks, they don't let the youngest family member raise the flag, they don't even raise the flag at all! And on top of all that, they don't even get their presents of Hearths Warming! They hide them but never find them!"
"Yeah that's what Limestone said" Sunny admitted. "You would think after a few years they would come across at least one. Or maybe around winter wrap up or something. But still..."
"Ah just want them to have a good Hearths Warming, like the ones we have back at the farm" Appljack admitted, worry and strife coated in her voice.
"Their Hearths Warming is a bit different" Sunny admitted, but smiles as he looked Applejack in the eye. "But remember the point of Hearths Warming, Applejack...Maybe you'll feel better after a night of rest."
"Ah'll turn in shortly, ya go on ahead" Applejack replied as the yellow stallion gave her one final glance before climbing into bed.
Applejack just stood there, looking out onto the snow covered rock farm, her heart strings still being pulled. "I know they have their traditions and we have ours, but I just want them to see how much better theirs could be..."
The next morning, as Celestia rose the sun on that Hearths Warming day, right as soon as a glimmer of light hit the sleeping eyes of Pinkie Pie, her eye lids flew open and a smile broke out across her face. For the day she had been waiting for had finally arrived!
"It's Hearths Warming !" She jumped up and began running around screaming. Her sisters were the first ones to wake up to her enthusiasm, having shared the same bed as her. Next, she popped up inside her parents room and woke them from their gentle night's slumber, scaring them nearly out of their fur. She then popped upstairs to the room where the Apple family and Sunny were staying, and greeted them in the same fashion.
Apple Bloom hopped out of her bed and joined Pinkie in bouncing down the stairs. Granny, Big Mac, Sunny, and the rest of the Pies quickly followed. The Hearthswarming cheer quickly spreading to every corner of the house, breathing new life into the Pie family home. But once Pinkie opened the door and saw the farm's landscape, her heart shook. So did the hearts belonging to the rest of the ponies once they all filed out of the house, taken back by the newly transformed rock farm.
The farm had been redecorated with traditional Hearths Warming decorations, ribbons, wreaths, bows, and a tall flagpole. Standing proudly, and very tired looking, was Applejack who had a huge grin on her face. But before Applejack could say anything, Limestone Pie pushed her way between her parents, looked around and cried out in her burning outrage.
"What! Happened! To! My! Faaaarm?!?!" Her words rang far enough to be heard from the train station, leaving several ponies questioning what 'did' actually happen to some pony's farm on this joyous holiday.
"Happy Hearths Warming, Apple style" Applejack proudly declared. "We've been doing everything your way, ah thought we could mix it up a bit."
Everypony, both members of the Apple family and the Pie family looked... Uneasy to say the least. Applejack then entered the group and began to push Marble pie from behind towards a flagpole that was covered in lights and held an equestrian flag that stood at less then half mass.
"Marble, you get to raise the flag since you are the youngest" Applejack began, then dashed over to Pinkie's parents. "Ma and Pa Pie, we'll cook you up a meal you'll never forget! And look! We all get presents!"
Apple Bloom then pointed out a pile of presents that had been placed about 10 yards from the house in a delicate pile. The little yellow filly zoomed over to the pile of presents, picked up a small one, and shook it lightly. But before she could open it, Granny put a hoof on her shoulder and shook her head. Apple Bloom immediately caught onto what her grandmother was saying, and reluctantly put the present back in the pile.
"This is... Great, isn't it?" Pinkie nervously stated as she put in a shaky smile and looked to her best friend.
"Pinkamena Diane Pie!" Igneous's firm voice when speaking Pinkie's full name, presented his dissatisfaction with the situation. "Truly thou cannot favor this madness!"
Pinkie nervously looked between her family and Apples, on the verge of tears. "Well.... I.... I just want everypony to get along..."
"Well, it's not so bad" Sunny then stepped forward, taking a place beside both Pinkie and Applejack. "I mean, it is different. But isn't the point of today to spend time together? As family? Does it really matter what we decorate with, or what feels we eat?"
"Can it you sucking sweet candy corn!" Maud snapped, hissing at Sunny, who gulped and withdrew slightly.
Maud's monotone voice collected everypony's attention, tearing it away from a possible fight. "Excuse me, Applejack. But you planted your pole on a fault line..."
As if on cue, the ground at the base of the flagpole began to crash. Everypony watched in silent anticipation as the cracks branched out slightly across the ground, then stopped. Well, all except for one. One crack kept going, and going, until it ran directly under Holder's Boulder. Everypony held their breath as they watched the large oval shaped rock roll and fall directly into the rock canyon below. The Pies one by one looked over the edge at the large, egg shaped boarder that landed on its side at the deepest part of the canyon.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!" Limestone cried out as soon as she was able to find her voice.
The flagpole that had remained standing up until that point some how snapped in half from the pressure and feel. At the same time, Applejack's ears folded down and heart sank as she, the rest of the Apple family, and Sunny felt horribly, horribly out of place and very much unwanted.
Although Limestone Pie did tell the Apples and Sunny to leave, they were all too willing. The Apples had their stuff packed and were on the next train back to Ponyville. Sunny had helped the Apple family pack and clean up, but couldn't find Applejack. As he finished packing the last but of luggage, he looked over and saw the pain on everypony's face, and whisked there was something he could do. All he wanted was for the Apples and the Pies to get along and enjoy this holiday together. If only he could just magically lift the Boulder up out of the canyon and put it back into place, things would be ok. But Holders' Boulder is way too heavy, and the cliff way too steep.
'If only Twilight were here, she could lift it with ease...' he thought with a sigh, clipping his saddle bag shut.
Applejack met the rest of the Apple family and Sunny at the station, eyes slightly red and puffy, possibly from crying on the way. Sunny and Big Mac packed their things safely away as they boarded the train. The train cart was almost empty, say for the Apple family and Sunny. No pony said a word, their spirits to low and broken from the experience. The one feeling the lowest was Applejack.
Sunny looked over at her and his heart crumbled. He had never seen the orange farm mare so down, so broken. He put a hoof on her shoulder in an attempt to ease her pain. If nothing else, it would let her know that he was still there for her. She smiled slightly as she turned to face him and put her hoof over his. But the warm feeling as short lived. She felt as though she had ruined everything.
"Ya wanna know why Holder's Boulder is so dang-diggedy important?" Granny said with a grin as she exhaled on the train window, she drew a crude picture of a pony and a large oval shaped rock in the condensation. "Well, now their great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Holder Cobblestone, he found that boulder in a dragon's nest, older than time itself! He built the family farm around it, even though it was just an ordinary rock. It always brought them good luck."
"Wow... So Holder's Boulder was really important" Sunny stated the obvious. "Maybe that's why all their traditions seemed to be rock based."
"Oh crickets! I got so caught up in the things they were doin', I never asked why they did 'em-" Applejack said, then was interrupted at the end when a large object smacked into her from above. She rubbed her head then looked over at the object. It was a wrapped gift. A gift from Pinkie pie. Applejack read the tag to herself, leaving the rest of the group slight confused and in the dark.
"Hey sis!" Apple Bloom spoke up, beaming with excitement. "You just found your first Pie Hearths Warming present, ever!"
The blond farm mare smiled and shook her head as she looked at her gift. "Only Pinkie pie would think ta hide a gift on a moving train..." She then paused as the gears in her head began to turn. "What a great tradition."
Applejack stood up and ran for the front of the train yelling "Stop the train!"
Back on the rock farm, every member of the Pie family pushed with all their might to get Holder's Boulder back to the top of the canyon. But try as they might, it wouldn't budge.
"Need a little help?" Applejack asked, catching every Pie member's attention as she, the rest of the Appel family and Sunny stood there, ready to help.
"Apples!!!" Pinkie cheered with joy.
"What do you want?" Limestone snapped, her sharp eyes pointed at the Apples and Sunny.
Applejack then removed her hat and places it over her heart as she spoke. "Ah wan to apologize. I wasn't tryin' to take your traditions away. I was tryin' to share ours. I was so focused on us bein' one big oh' happy family, I thought we needed the same traditions right away. What I should've done was learn about yours and teach you about ours. And over time, we'd make new traditions together. I'm sorry, y'all."
The anger and hostility in the air dissipated as every pony, Apple and Pie turned to Limestone, as if waiting for her approval. To everypony's surprise, the normally very cold and harsh mare cracked a smile. "Well don't just stand there, we got a bolder to move!"
As the Apples and Sunny joined in pushing the bolder up hill, Limestone turned to Sunny who was pushing the Boulder right beside her. "Don't think this is some mushy, family moment right now."
He smiled and the burned to her. "No, of course not. But when we get back to the top with the bolder, can we continue Hearths Warming?"
Limestone smirked as she told him. "Only if we get it up there before sundown. Put some muscle into it."
Just then an idea popped into Sunny's head. His horn began to glow as his magical aura wrapped itself around his body, encasing him in a thin layer of glowing green light. The Boulder then felt lighter to him as he pushed harder and harder with the rest of the ponies. Some like Apple Bloom and Marble paused for a moment and stood in awe at the green glowing pony. Others watch while they pushed. Sunny was for the most part unaware of what he was doing. Unknowing to him, he was casting a spell that focused his magical energies on strengthening his muscle's as well as rejuvenating them. He didn't notice, and to be honest, e could care less at the moment. All he thought about was getting Holder's Boulder up and out of the canyon, putting it back where it belongs, and continuing Hearths Warming.
"Just remember, I'm in charge!" Limestone said as she began to push harder to try and keep up with Sunny's new found strength.
Not long after Sunny unknowingly cast his spell to give him enhanced earth pony strength did the group reach the top of the canyon and were able to reposition Holder's bolder back where it belonged. Pinkie and Maud had filled in the fault line and strengthened it with some rocks and concrete.
The rest of the day was spent in the comfy warm living room of the Pie farm house. As Applejack place her funny looking rock doll on the manual place with the rest of the rock dolls, Sunny sat back and watched how everypony interacted with one another. Limestone brought out cinnamon rolls for everypony, while Apple Bloom played with Maid and her pet rock, Boulder. Granny and Pinkie's parents say at a table at the far end of the room and went back and forth with each other, sharing and teaching each other their different ways of speaking. Big Mac and Marble Pie sat and smiled at everypony, keeping mainly I themselves over by the warm fireplace. Sunny couldn't help but try and read them by their slight body movements.
As he tried to focus on their body language, a warm, fresh, sweet smelling cinnamon roll on a plate was put in front of him. It appeared to have more frosting it then the rest of them did. Sunny looked up and was surprised to see the mare who delivered it was none other then Limestone Pie.
"I know how you like stuff to be sickeningly sweet, so I saved this one for you" she said as she took a seat next to him. They both looked at the bunch of ponies that consisted of both Apple and Pie family members, and amazingly getting along perfectly.
"Yes, yes I do. Thank you Limestone" Sunny said as he took a bite, trying not to hesitate. His stomach had gone back to normal, and was hesitant to let him eat anymore food that was cooked by Limestone. But he pushed his stomach's feelings aside and enjoyed the cinnamon roll.
Nothing really needed to be said, mushy or bitter. Both Sunny and Limestone just enjoyed the warm atmosphere produced by the good company the Pie family home held. About half way through his cinnamon roll Apple Bloom called for everypony's attention. Everypony then gathered around and listened as Maud sang some Hearths Warming chorals she wrote. All of them about rocks. But that was ok. It was the feeling they all got from it that mattered.
The day after Hearthswarming, the Pies escorted the Apples and Sunny to the train station to give them a proper send off. Sunny was happy to see that Applejack and Pinkie Pie's wishes came true. Their families had become closer, even if there were a few hiccups along the way. As he idly stood and watched them all say good bye, Maud approached Sunny with an envelope.
He looked down at it as she handed it off to him. "What's this?"
"The rock I found on your scalp is a rare, obsidian chrysalis formation fragment." She began in her monotone voice. "I actually had to go into my newest text books from school to find its origins. I made you a copy of all the information I could find of it. It's not found anywhere near Ponyville. Pinkie told me you lost your memory, and have no idea where you came from. Maybe this could help you get some answers."
Sunny's eyes opened wide, as he looked at the letter. He then carefully placed the envelop in the rim of his hat. He smiled as he tipped his hat to maud. "Thank you Maud, that means a lot you did all that for me."
"No problem" she flatly said. "Can I keep the sample?"
"Oh, yeah, of course" Sunny said, with an awkward half smile.
Sunny then joined the rest of the Apples and Pinkie aboard the train, and all together they waved to the Pie family as the train began its journey back to Ponyville. Sunny felt like, even though he wasn't a 'real' Apple family member, that he didn't need to be. The Apples and now the Pies, seemed like family to him. And that was the greatest Hearths Warming gift he could ever have received. Maybe even one day, when he finds his real family, maybe they can join the Apples and Pies for Hearths Warming too! One can always dream.
Sunny and the Apple family had returned to Sweet Apple Acres about four days ago, after spending Hearths Warming with Pinkie's family. Pinkie herself planned to stay with her family on the farm until after the New Years. She felt she didn't visit often enough, and it would be a while before Maud would get time off of school again for them all to be together. Applejack offered to the Pies some of the apple cider they had stored for the New Years party, but the Pies apparently had their own celebratory traditions, and humbly declined. Applejack knew that Rainbow Dash would be overjoyed. Sunny also found he also heavily enjoyed the sweet taste of the apple based beverage.
Sunny was more then happy to help Granny and Apple Bloom in the kitchen while Applejack and Big Mac set up an eating area in one of the fields. He actually wanted to help Applejack, but she told him that they could handle it.
"Besides, ah like the way th' pies taste when ya make them, Sugar cube." The orange farm mare told Sunny as she shot him a wink, then she stepped out of the kitchen and made her way over to the barn for he supplies with her older brother.
Granny laughed a little as Sunny's face turned as red as Big Mac's. "Yep, regular Apple to th' core!"
The complement made Sunny smile down at Granny who went back to mixing ingredients in a bowl. But just as Sunny took his eyes off of her, something else caught his attention, something lurking just at the far corner of his peripheral. He shot his head around to face the direction the movement came from, but he made the mistake to blink. In that split second, whatever was lurking in the shadows was gone. He knew he saw somepony or something. But whoever or whatever it was, it had vanished.
"Ya ok, Sunny?" Apple Bloom asked, her face covered with blotches of flour.
The yellow stallion shook his head lightly, clearing the thoughts and images from his mind, then smiled down at the little yellow filly. "I'm sure as sugar, Apple Bloom. Now, let's get back to those pies! Gatta have em' ready by tonight!"
"That's the spirit!" Granny smiles at Sunny. "We have plenty more to to after th' pies! Apple turnovers, apple fritters, an' more!"
The yellow unicorn flexed a little then shot Granny a confident smirk. "Mighty tall order, but ah' know we can do it."
"You bet!" Apple Bloom cheered as she began working harder and faster, becoming more and more coated in flower and batter.
"Sssssuuuuunnnnnyyyyyyy...." A weak voice called out, slithering it's wait into the yellow unicorn's ear.
Sunny's head then jerked up and looked around again. The voice didn't sound like Granny or Appel Bloom. It sounded masculine, but faded and weak. His heart was racing and he didn't know why, but something about that voice, the image lurking just outside of his field of vision, it all was was frightening him more then it possibly should. But why? Luckily Granny and Apple Bloom we're too focused to notice the stallion's panic. He shook it off once again and went right back to work.
That night, Twilight and the rest of Applejack's friends, minus Pinkie, along with the cutie mark crusaders, and even Thunder Lane and Flitter, had gathered with Applejack, Sunny and the rest of the Apple family up on a hill at the far end of the orchard, facing the mountain that Canterlot itself rested on. Everypony enjoyed the food and drinks that were provided while casually making conversation. But when the fire works started, everypony went silent as their gaze turned to the sky.
Like flowers of fire and light, the fireworks shot up and burst into the sky in the most beautiful colors. Some, Twilight commented, resembles exploding super novas. She went on to explain what ingredients made the colors different for each firework different, but was quickly silenced by Rainbow, who simply put a hoof to the purple alicorn's mouth. Twilight didn't take offense to it, and took it as a hint to just sit back and enjoy the show.
Halfway into the show, a cold chill ran up Sunny's back, thinning the air, and making the stallion gasp, feeling short of breath. Something then caught his eye again. He looked around and saw a pair of green, glowing orbs in a thick and dark part of the orchard. But again, as he looked over, the presence vanished. As if to confirm, a bright yellow firework light up almost all of the night sky up ahead, illuminating the shadowy part of the orchard. Sunny shook his head again and sighed. Nothing was there except the apple trees.
'I need more sleep' Sunny said as he drew his attention back to night sky as a few more fire works shot up and illuminated it. 'Maybe I should take that potion Zecora gave me. It is about time I remembered, anyway. I've been putting it off for far too long.'
Sunny then looked over at Applejack who's pupils grew as another fire work exploded, lighting up the sky this time with a bright red color. Sunny smiled as he readjusted his Stetson. 'I know now, no matter what, I won't lose them. Even if I do have family far far away, I'll still stay here, where I belong.'
While Sunny turned his gaze back to the fireworks show, the dark image reappeared again. Eyes glowing green with determination, fueled by the same purple fire that has burned for over 1000 years. The shadow watched as the yellow unicorn sat amongst the farm pony family and their friends. He had remained hidden in the shadows, waiting, waiting, waiting for his time to strike. And he felt the time to act was near. He would not miss this fruitful opportunity....
After the fireworks ended, and everypony decided to call it a night and head back to their respective homes, Sunny was more then happy to use a spell to help with the clean up. Although he hadn't mastered the spell to cast on the dishes to clean themselves, he was able to levitate all the dishes, left overs, and table cloths, back into the kitchen and have them safely put where they belonged. The dishes went neatly and gently into the sink, the food wrapped and put in the refrigerator, and the table cloths and blankets floated gently into the dirty laundry. As the yellow stallion picked up a sponge to begin cleaning the dishes, Appeljack put a hoof on his shoulder.
"Those can wait till tomorrow" She told the yellow stallion. "Get some rest. Ya worked hard today."
Sunny was about to put up a fight, believing that it wouldn't take long to get the dishes washed, but as he opened his mouth to say so, a mighty yawn escaped. Sunny then realized just how tired he actually was. Working all day then using that much magic must have really taken it out of him. His emerald eyes looked into Applejack's, he smiled, shrugged, and nodded. "Ok, ok. You win. But don't wake up early and do them for me tomorrow, ok?"
"If ah do, I'll have ya help me work on the snow plows" Applejack said. "Sound fair?"
"Deal" Sunny said as he tipped his hat to her. "Good night Applejack."
" 'night Sunny" She said as he shot him a small grin, watching him ascend the stairs and rabble into his room, thinking that he works too hard. But at the same time, she admired him for that. Not only that, he worked hard while keeping a smile on his face.
As Sunny put his Stetson on one of the bedposts on his bed, where he normally hung it, his eyes drifted over to the potion that Zecora gave him. It had been sitting on his desk collecting dust this whole time, half forgotten about. But Sunny was ready? He wasn't afraid to find out about his past anymore. With a deep breath, he levitated the bottle over to him, blew the thin layer of dust off of it, popped the top off, and took two large swigs. It tasted awful! Like old sweat socks mixed with warm lemon juice! Right as Sunny begun to think that maybe waiting this long made the potion go stale or even bad, the world around him began to spin. His thoughts became blurred, gravity began to increase and his muscles went numb as he passed out, safely landing on the bed. The bottle that still had more then half of the potion in it had fallen and shattered on the wood floor. Every drop of the potion that wasn't drunken by Sunny had now been absorbed into the floor....
-within the dream-
Sunny's world was black at first. He was floating around, unable to make out which direction was even up or down. Then some light burst into his world, and he broke out into a gallop, wanting nothing more then to reach the light. As he began to pick up speed, he felt something was weighing him down. Still moving towards the light, he shot a glance back and found he was wearing a suit of armor! Not like the gold ones he had seen the Canterlot royal guards wearing, but something that looked similar. The Armor was silver and heavy, making clanking sounds as he moved faster and faster towards the light. The light grew slowly larger and larger until it stared him right in the face. Bursting through what felt like the exit to an endless dark tunnel, Sunny found himself in a foreign land.
He paused for a moment, not really sure of what he was doing there. Then it hit him. He was in a dream! That's right! This place must have been some part of his memory. His past. Maybe he grew up here. Maybe this place was his home. But as he took a better looks around, he had hoped that it really wasn't.
The land was dead, rocky and dry. Buildings stood, but were dull and seemed to just blend into the dry and rocky terrain. The most horrifying thing about the place was some dark tour that stood in the heart of this horrible place. No. It was too big to just be a tower. It was a castle! One made of dark red and black crystals, sharp and jagged, threatening to all who stood before it. Lamp posts that stood all around the town were all lite with a terrible purple and green flame that seemed to give off no neat, only dim light. Sunny wished to examine the fire further, but found his hooves had a mind of their own, and began to rush him through this ghost town.
As he made his way deeper and deeper into the town, his heart sank when he saw all the plant life, bushes trees and even flowers, had all died and dried up, leaving black sticks in their place. Carts and concession stands, much like the ones in the Ponyville market, lay broken and empty in the dirt ground. He slowly continued through town, taking in the horror of it all, as he made his was to the dark castle. That was when he heard them.
Rattling chains filled the air as Sunny made his way closer to the castle. Before him must have been the all the ponies in the entire town! All in chains, their coats as dull and deprived of life as if a reflection of the town itself. Some were pulling large carts of gems, no, of crystals, while others appeared to be excavating at a dog site close to the base of the castle.
"What is going on here?" Sunny asked himself in a low tone, not really sure of what else to do. Had something come and imprisoned these poor ponies? Was there a hostile invasion and take over? Where were the princesses, Celestia and Luna ? Shouldn't they be doing something about this? Or even Applejack and her friends? Haven't they dealt with something like-
"It's him!" A mare in chains called out, catching the attention of surrounding ponies who were in chains.
"It is!" Another called out, smiles and faces filled with hope began to break out in the sea of enslaved ponies. "It's the Captain!"
"Captain Sunny Knight!" A stallion cheered, stomping his chained hooves.
"Help us, please!" Another mare begged as she dropped her pick ax.
"You're our only hope!" A second stallion pleaded as he stopped pulling a cart full of crystals as he desperately looked to the armor clad yellow unicorn.
Sunny was at a loss for words, but outside his control his lips began to move and speak on their own. "I'll get to the bottom of this! Hold on. I'll speak to the king!"
Sunny was amazed at how strong and commanding his voice was. He sounded completely different then he normally did. And 'king'? He didn't know a 'king'. And wait! Did somepony just call him 'captain'? As in a royal guard 'captain'? Before he could brood more in all of this, his hooves began to move on their own again. This time, leading him up to the dark crystal castle. He had no idea what was going on, but he had a feeling that he was going to find out.
-the dream realm-
It seemed to be an average night of work for Princess Luna as she soared across the Dream realm. The occasional nightmare or two slipped through, and she aided the pony in concurring their fear, no matter how big or small it seemed. Just as she was about to land in another nightmare belonging to some filly with a rather irrational fear of earth worms, something else caught her eye.
It was Sombra's dream bubble! The concrete shell that seemed to coat it was breaking away in tiny shards! The electric barrier that would shock and repelled even her was dissipating as well! Luna was torn. She knew her duty was to aid ponies in their nights rest, and to help them work through their problems, but Sombra was a threat to the peace of all Equestria, and needed to be stopped. If she could peer into his dream, undetected, maybe, just maybe she could find a clue as to his whereabouts.
Reluctantly, Luna turned away from the little filly's dream and moved into Sombra's now open dream bubble. As Luna entered the dream, she came face to face with the all too familiar setting. It was the Crystal empire, 1000 years ago. The day she and her sister Celestia defeated Sombra and sealed him away, but with him, the empire and the crystal ponies as well.
"Of course he would dream of this..." Luna said to herself as she soared across the town, her heart sinking as she saw the ponies of the Crystal Empire once again in chains. "What madness...."
Sunny then made his way to the center of the castle, in front of him stood a long and winding staircase. Before Sunny could object, his hooves began dragging him up the stairs, pushing to go faster and faster. Despite all the hard work he did on the farm, Sunny suddenly found the armor to be quite heavy for him, but he was able to numb the exhaustion by pushing it out of his thoughts. A million questions were still running through his head as he made his way steadily up the staircase. Before he could think to answer any of them, he reached the top, where a shadowy figure stood. One that sent a chill up the yellow stallion's back and made his blood run cold.
"There you are, Sunny" a horrid and heavy voice slithered into Sunny's ears. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up...." There, with his back still to Sunny, stood a stallion. Not a dragon. Not a horrible monster. Just a stallion. But some part of Sunny felt that a dragon or horrific monster would have put him more at ease then this. The stallion's body was covered in a red royal cloak, a midnight black mane covered his head, flowing like black fire.
"Who are you?! What have you done with the king?" Sunny called out to the stallion, the words escaping his lips again. It was then Sunny realized he had no control over his actions or words. That this was all a part of the 'dream' or 'memory'!
"Why, I'm hurt, you don't recognize me?" As the stallion turned around, Sunny's heart sank, but this time, it felt like it had been split in two. Fear and sorrow filled Sunny as glowing red and green eyes burned him at his very core. The power that emitted from them shook the yellow unicorn. He had never faced something like that before. At least, not in 1000 years. He was afraid, but at the same time, he was .... Hurt. It was without a doubt that this was the infamous King Sombra. The one he read about in the book about Applejack's adventures! But... But what was going on?!
"King... Sombra?...." The name escaped Sunny's lips with a great deal of confusion.
"Come here" he called out, a smile made of razor sharp teeth broke out on the dark stallion's face as he looked down on the empire. "Look at my beautiful empire."
Going with the flow, Sunny made his way over to the king, his heart racing now as fear began to build up with ever step he took, getting closer and closer to the shadow king. As Sunny made his way over, he had begun to remove his armor, piece by piece. Until he had removed it all and finally stood by King Sombra's side, peering over at the kingdom Sunny now realized must have been the Crystal empire. The sight of the crystal ponies in chains, the dead land, the once beautiful kingdom now a worn down rock, made even the delicious apple pie in Sunny's stomach churn. "What... What have you done?"
"I have taken what is mine!" Sombra called out, purple flames emerging from his glowing red and green eyes. "This is the way my empire is to be run! With my loyal guards by my side, and my crystal slaves working day and night to serve me!"
Sunny stumbled away from the platform and shook his head. "No! No! This isn't right!"
Sombra's eyes weighed heavily on Sunny. "I want you by my side. Your potential and skill in the unicorn arts could help to expand the empire! Think of it!" His words tried to sway Sunny. "All of Equestria could bow before us! No pony could stop us!"
That struck a nerve with Sunny, and his sickness quickly burned into rage, but the yellow farm stallion had no idea why. "And what of the Princesses in Canterlot?"
Sombra chuckled. "I have a special spot in the Dungeon just for them. I thought about turning them to stone, but I want them to see me in all my glory when I rule all of Equeatria!"
As the dark tyrant chuckled to himself at his premature victory, Sunny unknowingly cast a spell 'he' didn't even know he knew. In a flash of green light, three figures appeared, ones Sunny recognized instantly! They were life sized pony puppets! Three different kinds too! The ones to his side appeared to be modeled after a unicorn and a pegusus pony, but the one directly in front of him was an earth pony, one that looked just like the one Rarity had made for him! Again going with the flow, Sunny began to cast a spell, but this one he knew. It was the puppet manipulation spell that he and Twilight practiced for a short time together! As Sunny cast the spell, all three puppets jerked to life, clicking and shaking. He was controlling all three puppets at once! But the awe was cut short.
Sombra looked down at them with disgust, the fire in his eyes growing as he turned his attention to the yellow unicorn who summoned them. "What is this?"
"I'm not going to let you do that. This is your one and only chance, Sombra. Stop this madness. Change things back to the way they were. Free the 'citizens' and the royal guards. If you end this now, we can go back to the way thing were." Sunny swallowed his rage, anger and outrage giving way to empathy and kindness, then looked into the king's eyes one last time, pleading for him to stop. But... Why?
Was Sunny really this loyal of a guard that he felt such comparison, such devotion to the king? Was this who Sunny really was?... No. Sunny could feel it. There was something else going on here...
For a moment, it seemed like King Sombra was considering the idea. But he quickly stood up on his hind legs then slammed his front ones down, materializing dark jagged crystals from the ground. They shot up like flames themselves and struck at Sunny. Thinking fast, Sunny used the manipulation spell on the puppets to move them in front of him. The one that took the most damage was the earth pony puppet, having been skewered by several dark crystals. As Sombra's crystals sank into it, they started to grew and expanded, destroying the puppet from the inside out. The other two, the unicorn and the pegusus, seemed fine, give or take a few scratches.
"You think a few 'toys' can stop me?! ME!!!" The mad king chuckled, his eyes now fully engulfed in green light, a black and purple bubbling magic aura began to coat his sharpened horn. With a flick of his own horn, Sunny sent the remaining puppets out for attack! On the right side, the pegusus took to the sky, the feathers on its wings began to thin and sharpen to knives! While the unicorn charged, the tip of its horn twisted and popped off, becoming a log metal cord with a three pronged claw at the end! Together the puppets charged. But the bravado was in vein! With one mighty blast of dark magic, Sombra blinded Sunny and sent him and his 'toys' flying. The puppets were impaired to the tower's walls with sharp black crystals, just like their earth pony brother. Sunny, however, only received minimal damage from the blast. After a moment, the yellow unicorn opened his eyes and looked up, only like to be greeted by the shadow king and his dominating gaze. "Play time is over" the king spoke again as he calmly walked closer to Sunny. "I think you need to be taught a lesson!" The king declared. Before Sunny could cast a protective spell over himself, Sombra blasted a curse that blinded the young unicorn. It was a curse that the king had become quite fond of. One that showed a pony their worst fears. The nightmares of one's heart. Sunny's pulse kicked into overdrive as his world once again turned black. Only this time, his heart, his fears left him with new nightmares...
It was then that Luna, not the memory of Luna, but the actual Luna investigating the dream, had perched herself atop a jagged tower of the Crystal Empire, she was able to view something she hadn't in the past. It was Sunny! The Sunny Knight! The stallion she had seen grow up from a colt, and climb the ranks of the Crystal Empire royal guard! The one others call a genius! The Legendary Black Knight! A jack of many trades!
The Lunar princess's eyes went wide in horror as she saw him fighting with King Sombra! It was bad enough to see the empire in this condition once more, but too know that Sunny had to fight Sombra? Luna's heart cried out for the poor stallion. Sunny had called out some of his ace cards, his pony puppets. Luna was sure Celestia still kept some in Canterlot's archives, but she had not seen them in action in over 1000 years! 'So this is what happened 1000 years ago. Is this what Sombra dreams about?'
She sighed heavily. 'This will be hard to report to our sister, but Celestia deserves to know what happened on this day. The day Sunny Knight was wiped from the face of Equestria....'
And as if on cue, there was a large flash of purple light, cause by the shadow king himself. Luna averted her gaze for the moment, and when she looked again, the last thing she saw was Sombra, standing over Sunny. And with one mighty blast, not only wiping out Sunny.... But the dream entirely. It cased the dream in complete darkness. Where the only thing Luna could hear was the sound of Sombra's sick laughter echoing in the emptiness.
Sunny didn't know what to do. Darkness surrounded him with the only things keeping him company being the most frightening images he could think of. Ponies he didn't know we're blaming him for their suffering, their pain. What made matters worse was when the images of the unfamiliar ponies shifted and became his friends. The entire Apple family, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Octavia, Thunder Lane, Flitter, even Cranky, Matilda and Steve Magnum were there.
"I can't believe you did this to us" Twilight sneered at the yellow unicorn.
"I thought we were your friends" Fluttershy cringed, eyes full of tears.
"I knew we should have never trusted you!" Rainbow dash snapped.
Pinkie couldn't bring herself to say anything, just stick her young out and glared at Sunny.
"To think I let you meet my parents!" Rarity huffed, then turned away from him.
"I thought we were friends, bro" Thunder winced at Sunny, then turned his back on him as Flitter comforted her Special Some Pony, then shot a hate filled glance over her shoulder at Sunny.
"Yer just rotten to the core!" Granny said, glaring at him.
"Eh'yep" Big Mac backed her up, narrowing his eyes in disgust at Sunny.
"Yer just no good!" Apple Bloom exploded, tears in the corners of her eyes.
"Ah thought we could be family..." Applejack's words stung the most, hitting Sunny right where he felt the surest and safest. "But ah was wrong. Ah was wrong about you Sunny... Yer just as terrible as him! Yer gunna grow up and be just like him! A monster!"
Sunny began to panic, finding it hard to form words. "A-A-Applejack, w-why would you say that?! I-it's m-m-me! Sunny!"
"We know who you are" Limestone Pie appeared. Her cold and hard gaze intensified then full and se turned him around.
As Sunny was flipped around, his eyes locked on an image that haunted him since he arrived in Ponyville, he lurked in every shadow, he watched Sunny while he slept, and waited in the darkness for his time to strike. Made of shifting shadows like black fire, eyes burning red and green, teeth like white knives, and a chuckle that could strike fear in all of Equestria, was the former ruler of the Crystal Empire. The Shadow king himself smiled as he spoke words that would burn in Sunny's mind. "Hello, my son!"
With the nights being longer and most of the ground still covered in a thick layer of snow, Applejack's bed seemed more comfortable and relaxing. She and the rest of her family enjoyed sleeping in to a time that most ponies did during these winter days, what with not being able to harvest crops. Most of the chores consisted of routine maintenance on the house, barn, or various farming equipment. More then enough food or bits had been put aside to keep them well stocked for the long winter. This was the only time of year that Applejack got what her friend Rarity called 'beauty sleep'. To be honest, it was hard for Applejack to actually sleep in during the first part of winter, having been so used to her early morning routine, wake up before the rooster crows, kinda bit. But once she was able to relax, she found getting a little extra shut eye was rather enjoyable.
She was having a wonderful dream about her challenging Rainbow Dash to a game of tug-of-war. While the cyan colored Pegasus pulled with all her might, Applejack just casually held onto the rope with ease and looked to the crowd. All her friends, her family, and a certain special yellow unicorn stallion sat on the side lines and cheered her on. When she shot Sunny a wink, his face turned that cute shade of bright red that Applejack just loved to see on him, she decided it was time to go ahead and finish the challenge she had started with her athletic friend. With one mighty tug, Applejack sent the struggling Pegasus flying right over the designated halfway line and right into a huge stack of hay about ten yards away. As the defeated rainbow maned Pegasus stuck her head out of the hay and spat some out of her mouth, Sunny ran up and tacked hugged Applejack, sending them both tumbling to the ground. They collected bits of grass and messed up their manes up so much that it would have made Rarity faint.
But Appeljack didn't care. Her dreams were coming true. There, standing above her, with his muzzle just inches from hers was the stallion of her dreams. As she gazed into his emerald colored eyes that mirrored her own, she found herself lost in a sea of directionless wonder. How had this stallion without a past just appear out of nowhere and make his way into her heart? To be honest, Applejack didn't know and she could care less. As she began to close the space between him and her, their lips almost touching, she realized all she cared about was that he was here. And he would always be here, in her heart. She wouldn't let anything come between them. And at that exact moment, the very moment in a dream when somepony would hate for it to end, having enjoyed the dream so much, never wanting it to end, it abruptly did.
The sound of somepony slamming into the front door then throwing it open and running off the porch and out of the house as fast as they could, was what woke Applejack from her most pleasant of dreams. As she reluctantly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned, forcefully waking herself up, she wondered what all the ruckus was about. The only way she recognized the sounds relating to those specific actions were due to hearing them through two other past instances. 1) when Big Mac woke up and saw a spider laying next to him on his pillow, and 2) when Apple Bloom was in a rush to meet her crusader friends before school and had slept in.
After stretching and crawling out of bed, Applejack stuck her head out of her room and looked around. She wasn't alone. Her siblings had also been woken up by the noise. She turned to her older brother, who looked as though he might head right back to bed. "Hey Big Mac, any idea what that ruckus was all about?"
"Eh'nope" was all the big red stallion said before retreating back into his bedroom. He was too tired to sense any immediate danger, and thought he could still get back to that dream he was having.
"Ah think it was Sunny" Apple Bloom answered as she walked over to her older sister, yawning as she did so.
Applejack then looked over to the spare room Sunny had been staying in for the last couple of months. She and Apple Bloom casually walked over and peaked inside, wondering what might have happened. All they saw was the same spare room that had always been there. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. A pile of books Twilight had lent Sunny stood in two piles on a desk against the far wall, one being books he had already red and the other the ones he didn't get to yet. And on the desk chair, happily still asleep in a ball was Sunny's pet ferret, Crackers. But as Applejack stepped further into the room, her hoof hit something. As she peered down at the floor, she was glad she went into Sunny's room first before her younger sister, and that she was lucky enough to have just kicked it lightly with her hoof rather then step on it. Across the floor by Sunny's bed were shards of broken glass.
"Apple Bloom, could ya get me th' broom and dust pan?" Appeljack asked, turning to her younger sister.
"Sure thing sis!" Apple Bloom said as she raced out of the room only to return in a moment with both cleaning tools in hoof. "Hey sis, ya don't think Sunny's hurt do ya?"
That thought rattled Applejack and kick started her heart with worry. But being the smart, sensible mare she was, Applejack looked around the floor. There wasn't a single drop of blood or sign that anypony other then her had actually touched any of the glass fragments. "Ah don't think so, sis."
"'Wonder why' he ran outta here so fast, then" the little yellow filly continued as her sister began to sweep up the shards of broken glass. "Look, he even forgot his hat!"
Halfway through the clean up, Applejack looked over and saw Sunny's Apple family, Stetsonhat just hanging on one of the bed posts as it normally did when he slept. "That's not like him..."
"Maybe he had a really, really, really bad dream" Apple Bloom guessed as she looked over at all the different books Twilight was having him read.
"Yeah... That must be it..." Applejack replied half heartedly as she finished cleaning up the mess.
"Should we go and find him?" Apple Bloom asked, tearing her eyes away from Sunny's pile of books and looking to her older sister.
"Nah" Applejack replied, waving a hoof. "Betcha he'll be back in time for breakfast. Ah'm planin' on making flapjacks. Ain't never been a stallion who could resist them' smell of mah flapjacks. Might even get Big Mac's lazy rump outta bed."
"Yeah! Flapjacks!" Apple Bloom happily bounced around for joy at the thought of her sister's mouthwatering breakfast specialty.
While the two sisters went down into the kitchen to prepare the delicious meal, Sunny was halfway into the dangerous Everfree.
He had dashed out of bed, flew down the stairs, zoomed through the entire orchard and entered the dark woods of the Everfree Forest without even stopping to catch his breath. To say he was desperately trying to outrun his horrible dream would be an understatement. He knew there was no way he could get those horrible images out of his head, those supposed memories that had been repressed. But somehow putting as much distance as he could between him and the room where he had the dream made him think it would work. But as his legs collapsed and he fell into a thick blanket of snow, he quickly realized how futile his efforts were. He was thankful that he had a coat of fur to protect him from most of the chill, but as he sat there, snow now covering him from head to tail, the cold winter began to take its effect on him.
He emerged from the snow, teeth chattering as he took a good look around, realizing quickly just how far he had run. He didn't plan to run right into the most wild and dangerous place in all of Equestria, but he did. He rubbed his hooves together in an attempt to warm himself up. As he did, something caught his attention. It was familiar, but not to him. He forgot for a moment how cold he was and ignored the sound of his chattering teeth as he calmly walked over to a pair of wooden posts. As Sunny got closer, and a sheet of fog began to lift from the background, he realized just where in Equestria he had blindly run to.
Across a rickety bridge, surrounded by a seemingly bottomless gorge, stood the once proud and beautiful castle of the two pony sisters. Sunny had never seen it with his own two eyes, only read about it in the book Twilight had lent him. And yet... It seemed so familiar... That's when something caught the yellow stallion's attention. There was a light that flickered in one broken tower. There must have been somepony in there. Or maybe something that lived in the Everfree that had made a home in the castle! Maybe even that rouge pony puppet that ran off on nightmare night. Ether way, Sunny felt the urge to investigate.
Cautiously, he walked across the bridge of rotten wood planks, and some how, made it safely across to the other side. Gazing up at the broken and shattered castle, a since or sorrow seeped out from the bottom of the unicorn's heart. But again, he had no idea why. He just continued to press forward, hoping things would make since soon enough.
Walking through what was left of the front arch leading into the castle, a chill ran down Sunny's spine. As though somepony were watching him, he could feel eyes weighing down on him. He quickly looked around, wondering if some sort of beast of the Everfree or some other danger lay waiting in the shadows, ready to strike. But as his eyes scanned the castle, all he could see were shadows, debris, and walls of a broken castle. Shaking off the uneasy feelings he had, Sunny pressed forward, delving deeper and deeper into the castle.
The walls, broken and worn by the hands of time, still managed to hold on and present some tapestries. The tapestries themselves were also in some pretty poor states themselves, but although their images were faded, they still presented themselves proudly. Portraits and crests representing royalty from all across Equestria were woven magnificently on them. It was then that one piece in particular caught Sunny's eye. It was one of purple and blue that held at its center a diamond like heart. No. A crystal heart.
Images flashed in Sunny's mind, stinging and glaring, bringing back to the surface images of his past. Memories that had long since been buried were now bubbling to the surface. The yellow unicorn felt like his mind was being torn in two as he writhed in pain, collapsing to the cold floor of the abandoned castle. For a good long while the writhing yellow unicorn suffered, his breathing fast and short as he tried desperately to regain control over his own mind.
"Suuuuunnnnnyyyyyy...." A weak and deep voice echoed through the castle halls, tearing the yellow unicorn away from the voices and images in his head and forcing one eye open to pear down the hallway. There was nopony there, no pony at all. But there was something, something flickering at the end of the very long hallway. A light. A single light that gave off the slightest feeling of warmth.
As Twilight stepped out of the train and looked onto the beautiful Crystal Empire, she still could still hardly believe that a few years ago all that had been here was just arctic tundra, with no sign of pony life anywhere. But magic, even a curse by a mad unicorn King, can make wonderful things pop up out of nowhere. It seemed like only yesterday that she and her friends had been sent here from Canterlot at Princess Celestia's orders. Twilight couldn't help but laugh a little, thinking about the past adventures her and her friends have been on. Maybe the girls could do something to preserve the memories of their past adventures at the slumber party. Like scrap booking! They can leave spots for some pictures, flowers, and other things that they can remember from their past adventures.
Thinking of their past adventures made Twilight think of that book that Sunny read, 'the Elements of Harmony: a reference guid, and then some', which also made Twilight look back at her travailing companion. He had been acting more and more out of his usual character the closer they had gotten to the empire. Even though they had just traveled trough a thick snow storm, everypony had kept pretty warm on the train. And other then a few gusts of wind that shook the carts only slightly, their trip had been fairly smooth. Twilight looked back at the train and the very fidgety yellow unicorn who was standing at the cart's exit.
"Are you sure you're ok, Sunny?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow at the stallion.
Sunny popped his head out of the train and looked around. Upon his head sat a new hat, just a ball cap with some hoofball team logo on it that he purchased while he was on the train, but still. "Y-yeah! I'm fine! Good as rain! Right as gold! As Granny always says!"
"Ugh... I don't think thats quite how the phrase goes..." Twilight commented, watching the stallion nervously step out of the train and onto the station's docks.
After taking a few last, deep breaths in an attempt to regain his composure, Sunny closed his eyes and stepped onto the platform, half expecting to be recognized right away by somepony. After a few moments of having his eyes clenched, bracing and preparing for the worst, and having Twilight look at him like he might have lost it, Sunny cracked his eyes open. Rather then be tackled by a swarm of royal guards, Sunny was instead greeted by a sight too beautiful for words.
To anypony who had never visited the Crystal Empire before, it certainly was a breathtaking sight. But to Sunny, it was so much more then that. The sight had almost brought him to tears. The last time he had seen the empire, and the last time he had walked the streets, everything seemed dead, dark, and deprived of the light that helped the empire shine even in the darkest of night! Sunny took in a deep breath, breathing in the chilled air of the empire. Even though the entire Crystal empire was surrounded by a protective barrier that kept the arctic wilderness at its boarders, the weather team of Equeatria still helped to various seasons for the empire.
Before Sunny knew it, he was practically bouncing into town, without a single care to weigh him down. It brought a smile to Twilight's face to see him so happy. During the whole ride up until just then, she had thought maybe she should have brought Spike instead. But she knew this would be a chance for Sunny to see more of Equeatria, and even better, for him to try and possibly find somepony who recognized him. Although she doubted anypony from the Crystal Empire would recognize him. But you never know. More then just the crystal ponies come and go through the Crystal Empire.
Sunny found himself emerged in a sea of trading stands just like in the Ponyville marketplace, with everything you could ever need and more. From Flugalhorns to crystal berry pie. He hopped over to the stand where the backed goods made of crystal berries and took a great big wiff. The sweet scent made the unicorn's mouth water. Memories of him enjoying such sweets in his past flashed back into his mind. He remembered it vividly. He sat with his father in the mornings at a long dinner table, with a wide array of breakfast style pastries made with the empire's very finest berries were presented to them. One of the pastries in particular caught Sunny's eye. It was a type of croissant like roll, with Crystal Berry jam backed in the middle. The very memory of his favorite breakfast treat made the yellow stallion's mouth water. Unfortunately for him, his mouth watered all over the cart of backed goods.
"Excuse me, sir" the annoyed mare who ran the stand flatly caught Sunny's attention. "I hope you have enough to pay for that."
Sunny snapped out of it and shook his head clear. "Oh, ugh, yes! One moment I...."
As Sunny reached for his hat to pull out the small bag of bits he normally kept in the fold of his signature Stetson, he was reminded that he forgot said hat back at the barn! Twilight had lent him the money for the ball cap after he began to calm down on the train. Just as Sunny began to panic and try and think of a way to pay the mare for her for her now ruined backed goods, Twilight came to the rescue.
"It's ok, Sunny" the purple unicorn said as she levitates a small bag of bits out of her saddle bag. "I got it."
"Thank you Twilight" Sunny said, his cheeks slightly red. "I-I'll pay you back."
"Sunny...." The mare running the stand repeated the name as she took Twilight's bits, seeming to gaze of into a distance, as if the name tickled a memory. A memory buried deep within her mind.
Sunny gulped as he looked nervously at the mare, his heart beating fast and faster until it was the only thing he could hear. All the rest of the empire around him, even Twilight, seemed to vanish. The only thing that remained was the mare who was trying to remember where she had heard the name 'Sunny'. But as she shook her head and gave up trying to remember, she smiled and took the bits.
"Think it was the name of my brother's new mare friend" the mare said as she bagged up the pastries that had been coated in Sunny's drool. "Sunny Rays, I think. Well, here ya go, come again."
Sunny quickly grabbed the bag, and after he pulled his ball cap down a little to cover his face, he thanked the mare and began walking off as fast as he could, Twilight following right behind him.
"Hey! Wait up!" Twilight called out to her yellow unicorn friend.
After putting some good distance between him and the mare at the bakery stand, Sunny stopped and looked back, almost forgetting Twilight was even there with him. "Oh, sorry Twilight. Ugh, guess I'm just, you know, excited. He he."
Twilight didn't catch on to the awkwardness in her friend's tone over the sound of her own gasping. As she attempted to catch her breath, she looked up at her friend with understanding eyes. "It's.... It's ok. Just... Need to catch... Breath..."
After several more moments of Twilight taking in deep breaths, and thinking maybe she should join Rainbow or Applejack in some more of their weekly work out sessions, the two continued their little tour trough the empire. Twilight hadn't planed on being late for her meeting with Cadence, but really wanted Sunny to have some fun and get a lot of the sights. He seemed to really be enjoying his first trip to the Crystal Empire.
Meanwhile, in Sunny's own head, with every step he took, it was another step down memory lane. As he looked over the empire his heart was once again torn. He saw the shops he used to visit, the parks he played at as a kid, and even the school house he attended when he was a colt. But along with the sunlight of days past, came the shadows that followed them. It was true what his father had told him. None of the crystal ponies did recognize him. At first, ponies would stop and bow to Twilight, who would greet them in return while Sunny continued to hide behind his ball cap. But as Twilight continued to greet the crystal ponies, the more Sunny realized none of them even gave him a second glance. Was it possible that they really had forgotten him? Had his father's curse turned out to be a blessing? Every pony that had greeted Twilight, Sunny had remembered from the past. He had been told once that a good ruler took everypony into account when thinking of their kingdom. Which also meant learning their names and a little about them. Which is why their faces had stunned him, pained him. The last time he had seen all the subjects of the crystal empire, they had lost their inner light, had been bounded in chains, and their eyes... Their eyes, if you looked into them, had lost all hope. It was the most depressing sight that Sunny had ever seen. Part of him wanted to curse his father... But a stronger part wanted to smile, seeing them all happy, free, and glowing with the love of the Crystal Empire's inner light once again.
Eventually, Twilight and Sunny both made their way up to the Castle at the center of the empire. Sunny couldn't help but look up at all it's glory. Twilight looked at him with his dropped jaw and eyes as big as Spike's when he saw a bowl of gems.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Twilight said as she stepped closer to him and looking up, trying to see the same sight that he saw.
"I wonder...." Sunny began saying weakly, eyes never venturing away from the castle. "I read that the state of the castle and the empire is a reflection of the pony's hearts, powered by their inner light... I wonder if it looks better now then it had 1000 years ago, before Sombra..."
"Indeed it does" a voice caught the attention of Sunny and Twilight. As they both tore their eyes away from the sight of the castle, they looked over at one of the sentries who stood at the castle's main entrance. "Forgive me. I just couldn't help but overhear your question, sir."
Sunny recognized the soldier, he was stationed at the same post when his father ruled the empire. The yellow stallion gulled, readjusted his hat, then took a step closer to the guard, avoiding eye contact if nessisary. "So, ugh, you think the ponies are much happier now?"
"Oh, it goes without saying, Sir" the guard continued. "With Princess Cadence and Prince Shinning Armor leading the Crystal Empire, their love an inspiration to us all, both the Empire and the ponies who call it home have never shined brighter!"
This should have made Sunny happy, one would think. After being tortured by his father and being sealed away for 1000 years, the crystal ponies and the empire deserved this happiness... So why didn't he feel happy... He felt... Odd. Not a good odd like taste testing for Pinkie Pie, or learning a new spell with Twilight, but a darker odd. Like he had just eaten a whole barrel of rotten apples, but his stomach wouldn't let him throw it up.
"Well thank you sir" Twilight stepped in while Sunny was lost in his thoughts. "I believe Princess Cadence is expecting me?"
"She is indeed" the guard answered, bowing his head slightly. "She is in the thrown room. Would you like me to escort you and your guest there?"
"That won't be nesasarry " Twilight told the guard. "I know where it is. As you were." Both of the guards then opened the doors leading into the castle and Twilight and Sunny stepped through.
The doors shut and locked behind Twilight and Sunny, but Sunny ignored it, following behind Twilight while his real attention was on the inner walls of the castle itself. More memories began to flood in as he looked upon paintings, portraits, busts that decorated the corridors and walls. He began to remember historical lessons his father had taught him. Sunny remembered walking down the halls with his father, listening to everything his father had told him about the ponies who's images had been preserved in the paintings and busts. There were members of royal lineage of course, some, who were allies to the Crystal Empire. But most of the ponies who's portraits lined the walls were brilliant magicians, honorable members of the Royal guard, explorers, and other such ponies who earned their places in history. As both he and Twilight continued down another hallway, Sunny paused, and looked over at a tapestry that seemed... Out of place...
Unlike the other tapestries that hung on the walls, this one was much lower to the ground. Black with gold trimming and images down on it. The image woven into it was a battle, one that took place between ponies and the Griffins. The great Griffin war, Sunny remembered. But there was more to it then that.
"Sorry Sunny" Twilight looked back at her friend who was fixated on the tapestry. "We can take a tour of the castle another time. Cadence is probably waiting. "
"Oh, ugh, r-right! S-sorry..."Sunny snapped back to the present again and quickly caught up to Twilight.
In no time they had arrived at the thrown room of the Crystal Empire, where Princess Cadance was found pacing back and forth. When both Twilight and Sunny enters the room, the pink alicorn's head shot strait up, a smile broke across her face as she zoomed over to Twilight. Immediately they both began to sing and dance along to the words of a song they both made up, mirroring each other's movements and they sang simotnaiously.
"Sunshine, Sunshine, Lady bugs awake, Clap your hooves, And do a little shake!"
Afterwords, both of the sisters embraced each other in a love filled hug as Sunny watched from the sidelines. If his mind had been clear, he would have taken more of an interest in their little ritual. He had read about it in the copy of 'the elements of harmony' and had wanted to see it performed in person. But he still felt... Sick, would be the closest word to describe how he felt. It didn't take Cadence long to notice the yellow unicorn standing off in the corner, just blankly watching her and Twilight.
"Oh, hello" the princess of love smiles and called out. "Are you one of Twilight's friends?"
"I'm sorry" Twilight said as she walked with Cadence over to the yellow stallion, who seemed to have his hooves glued to the floor. "This is a new friend of mine, Sunny. He's from Ponyville. He's been living at Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack and her family."
Something flared in Sunny's heart when Twilight mentioned Applejack's name, like a small candle coming to life in a dark room just after midnight. Cadence saw the reaction in the young stallion. It wasn't a reaction anypony else could notice, like a muscle twitch. It was a reaction that could be seen within.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sunny" she said with a small smile on her face. "How are you linking the Crystal Empire? Have you been here before?"
"No!" Sunny snapped out of it and replied much louder then he intended, realizing Cadence was talking to him. "No! Why would I ever come to the empire? I've never been here. Nope. Not before today. No ma'am!"
Both of the alicorn sisters looked at the yellow unicorn with confused and concerned expressions, luckily for all three of them, Twilight was there to explain.
"What I think Sunny is trying to say" Twilight began speaking slowly. "Is that he doesn't think he's ever been here before. See he's lost his memory, and has only been living at Sweet Apple Acres for the last couple of months."
"Oh dear" Cadence said, putting a hoof to her mouth. "I'm so sorry to hear that. Maybe I can see if there's a spell I know to help you."
"I've tried using the memory spell I used in my friends when Discord casted the grey spell" Twilight added in. "But I think it's more of a Psychological block then a magical one."
"That's ok!" Sunny awkwardly shouted, beads of sweat trickling down the sides of his head. "I'm fine! Ugh... Why don't you two go ahead and do whatever it was you where got to do? Ok?!"
"Right..." Cadence said as she stepped back to the middle of the room. "Well, Twilight, you know the reason why I asked you to come... I'm sorry to ask this of you. I've tried to cast the spell myself, Aunt Celestia tried to teach me, but for some reason I just can't do it."
Twilight followed behind her while Sunny just walked to the edge of the room and watched curiously. "Are you kidding? We're sister's, remember? You ask for help and I'll come running!"
Sunny continued to watch as Twilight stood directly in front of the thrown now, Cadence right behind her. The purple alicorn princess took a deep breath and closed her eyes, concentrating on the feelings tied into the magic. The hate, the anger, the rage. It gave her a headache, but she was doing this for Cadence. Sunny's heart sank when he saw what she was doing. Horror filled the yellow unicorn as he watched purple flames emerge from the corners of Twilight's eyes, followed soon after by a purple and green bubbling magical aura that covered her horn. As the princess of friendship opened her eyes, Sunny became aware that he had pressed his back against the wall, grasping in silence for air. Twilight's eyes were the same as Sombra's on the day Sunny faced him 1000 years ago, in that same room!
As Twilight's now red and green eyes focused on the floor before her, she blasted a beam of the bubbling dark magical aura at it. Sunny watched in horror as the floor opened up, and a winding stairway had appeared before the two princesses.
"Sunny, Sunny are you ok?" He don't know for how long Cadence was trying to get his attention, but it must have been a while. Somehow Twilight was also by his side, her eyes and horn were back to normal and free from any of the dark magic.
"Y-yeah..." He replied weakly, whipping the sweat off of his forhead. "I, ugh, just need to get some air. Maybe use the bathroom..."
"Alright..." Cadence replied, still looking at him with worry. "Bathroom's down the hall, take two lefts and it will be on your right. If you get lost, feel free to ask a guard. We won't be long. Hopefully."
As Cadence walked over and looked down at the seemingly never ending staircase, Twilight whispered to Sunny "are you sure you'll be ok?"
After a moment of catching his breath and looking Twilight in the eye, her normal, kind and sweet eyes, he gave her a small smile. "I'll be fine... Go ahead and do what you came here to do. Im going for a, er, walk."
Sunny then watched as Twilight walked over to Cadence and together the two sisters began to descend down the spiraling staircase, into the darkest part of the empire. Once their images were out of sight, Sunny took a deep breath and left the room, knowing where it was he needed to go.
The yellow unicorn quickly retraced his steps back to the gold and black tapestry about the Griffin war. Sunny knew there was a reason why it hung so low. It's true purpose for hanging so low wasn't because of its large size. Behind it was a door that lead to Sunny's room. Now, remembering correctly, most royals had two different rooms. One that they slept in, that always had guards at attention, to watch over them whilst they slept. This room mainly consisted of a large bed, a portrait or two, a large mirror or three, then a large closet with their various outfits. The other was a room that was kept secret. Only known to the Royal and maybe a few ponies within a small, well trusted, circle of friends. This was that kind of room. One that held more secrets and all of Sunny's personal belongings. If anypony had found his 'bed' room, all they would have found would be a bed and some formal dress wear. Not even so much as a journal. But if they found this room, they would have been able to find out everything about Sunny. From his favorite snack down to his horseshoe size.
As Sunny examined the area behind the tapestry, he kept an ear open for the sound of hoof steps. The last thing he needed was for some Royal guard to walk by and see him. It would be easy enough to try and cover up and say he was lost, maybe even to explain why he was looking around behind a tapestry. But what if some guard who did stop him and look at the scroll happened to recognize him? If they somehow remembered who he was and broke free from the memory loss curse?! Sunny didn't need to think about it. He just helps feeling around the brick wall for an out of place -click- brick!
Sunny's hoof had found a brick that was connected to a sprig lock that concealed his hidden room from the outside. As the heavy door made of crystal began to swing open inward, Sunny heard voices and hoof steps coming from just around the corner!
Quickly. Sunny jumped into the room and slowly closed the door behind him, not fully locking it, knowing the clicking sound of the lock might raise the guard's suspicion. Instead he kept the door only slightly cracked, which also allowed him to listen in on their conversation.
"I can't wait for the crystal fair!" A younger sounding one said.
"Indeed" an older, more experienced and less excitable guard commented. "This year we have all 4 princesses attending, and I hear Prince Shinning Armor is entering the jousting competition."
"Oh! That will be sweet!" The younger one cheered as they both turned the corner, both of their voices growing quieter the farther away they moved.
Once Sunny could no longer hear them, and his ears picked up no other hoof steps or voices, he quietly shut the hidden door, closing and locking it with a click.
To light up the pitch black room, Sunny illuminated it with his horn. He had wished that his magical aura was any other color other then green. The green glow seemed to give everything an eerie look. He swallowed his fear as best he could and began looking for maybe a candle or something else to provide illumination. He didn't remember what he has used to light room up before, but he could remember something.... Something glowing...
As he turned his head slightly, his horn lit up a face with sunken in eyes and a jaw that hung wide open! Sunny screamed and fell back in his haunches as his horn's glow vanished. Sunny lay there in the dark room, afraid that if he moved whatever it was would go after him. But after several long moments, Sunny was able to gather up the courage to get up. He cautiously looked over in the direction where he saw the frightening image and remembered what Pinkie taught Appeljack and the others in the Everfree Forest. "Giggle at the ghosties, right..."
With that, Sunny took in a deep breath and focused his magic in his horn to once again illuminate the room, but when he did this time, his horn's light hit something. It hit a crystal that was lines and connected with a dozen or so more crystals that lined the room. Once one was touched by his magical light, the whole room seemed to light up. The room had gone from pith black to a light glowing blue, much like the rest of the castle. Sunny looked around, amazed by all the things he once had the pleasure of seeing anytime he wanted... But... But that was it... That was what was bothering him...
As Sunny took another look at his room, taking everything into account, knowing everything was there but... He just wanted to.... He wanted to look at all the things he owned from his old life... There were two large book cases with several dozen books that Twilight would love to have added to her collection, trinkets he had collected from all around Equestria from various trips he had gone on, several life sized pony puppets were sloppily places in the closet, one of them Sunny instantly recognized as being the one that scared him moments ago, as well as a few suits of armor that were mounted against the walls.
Sunny looked them over carefully... He remembered now when he got each one. The first one he ever got was a basic crystal guard suit of armor he had received after he completed basic training in his father's army. The second one was a gold one he had gotten for training with the Canterlot Royal guard. He never cared much for the gold. But the last one... A black suit of armor that he was given by... By...
Sunny paused. He couldn't remember who gave him his favorite suit of armor. It wasn't his father... Who... Sunny exhaled as is eyes wandered around the room again. He dragged his hooves over to a chair at a desk and sat down. What was this feeling he was experiencing? What hurt so much?
Shaking himself from it, he began to look for a way to hide everything. He didn't have the heart to destroy it all or hide the room away forever. But he couldn't leave it all like this! Somepony was bound to find it. As the yellow stallion thought to himself, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. As he looked over he saw something rather peculiar and out of place. It was a small, lavender, coin bag. Just sitting upon a crystal pillar as if to present it purposefully. Sunny didn't remember putting that there.
As he approached the small bag, he noticed a tag dangling from one of it's pull strings. The words 'pull me' were the only thing written on the bag. Curious, Sunny wrapped a small amount of his magical aura around the string, and ever so slightly, pulled it. As the bag opened its mouth, it was like a tornado appeared in the room! All the books flew of the shelves, the armor broke apart and few into the strong gust piece by piece, even the pony sized puppets that had been laying lifeless in the closet had begun to come alive in with the force of the wind, flailing around. Sunny braced himself, wondering if he could hold on and not be sucked into the wind. But oddly enough, the forceful gust didn't even phase him! It only effected the items in the room. One thing at a time, every item began to shrink and swirl into the epicenter of the tornado, the open mouth of the lavender bag. In moments, the entire room was empty, say for the confused yellow unicorn and the small lavender bag, that had now closed shut on its own.
Sunny had picked the bag up and felt it in his hooves. If felt as if nothing was in it at all, but he saw everything shrink and fly inside, he knew what he saw. Shaking it off, he took the lavender bag and placed it safely underneath his hat, sliding most of it into a creese near the bill. Right before he left the room, he took one last glance at the now empty room. The only thing left were the blue glowing crystals that seemed to be fading away now.
'It's not fair...' Sunny glumly thought as he opened the secret door. 'After all this time, I finally find a small little part of Equestria I can call my own. My own room. Not a borrowed room, but a room that was actually call 'my' room. And now... Now it's gone...'
As Sunny exited the room and became a bulge behind the black and gold tapestry, somepony happened to be walking by to see a bulge emerge out of nowhere. He paused and watched as an unfamiliar yellow unicorn stallion, wearing a ball cap, emerged from behind the large tapestry. Once Sunny fully emerged and noticed that he wasn't alone, he awkwardly smiled and waved a hoof.
"Why if it isn't the one and only, Prince Shinning Armor...." Sunny said in a nervous tone.
The stallion who stood before him raised a brow as he whiled some of his two toned, blue mane out of his eyes and shot the surprise guest a cocky smile. "Mind telling me who you are and what you were doing behind there?"
"This place sure is creepy" Cadence Commented as she and Twilight descended the stairs, looking at the jagged crystals that made up the walls surrounding them. Dark green gems lit their way along the walls, but they barley illuminated the surrounding area, giving life to shifting shadows all around them. "And you traveled down these before, all alone?"
"Well Spike was with me" Twilight said as she bravely continued on downwards towards hopefully what they were looking for.
After what seemed like an eternity to Cadence, she and Twilight finally reach the bottom of the staircase. Before them stood a door, not completely unlike the one Twilight had to get through before to get the Crystal Heart. It appeared similar in hight and design, but this one lacked the dark magic crystal that gave it life and a defensive trap. Noticing this, Twilight smiled and sighed happily. It nearly broke her heart to think that not only had Princess Celestia disowned her as her student, but that she had failed Shinning Armor Cadence, all of the crystal ponies, as well as all of her friends. The purple alicorn shuttered at the thought. She had done her best to just forget about that horrible spell and focus more on her task at hand. Both Cadence and Twilight opened the door together, cautious and prepared for any more traps Sombra might have set. But to their surprise, there were no traps. It was just a room filled with Sombra's personal belongings.
"I knew Sombra had to have a room like this" Cadence began to say as she cautiously stepped inside. "Every royal normally does."
"Why?" Twilight asked as she fallowed suit behind her sister, looking around at the study like room. "Don't get me wrong, I've been thing about dedicating a room in the castle to something like this, but it would be just to relax and get away from royal issues."
"That's exactly why, Twilight" Cadence continued to say as she began her search amongst the various items that were around Sombra's study. "Royals need someplace to escape to. Often a place that nopony knows of. Where they don't have to worry about the public eye or even Royal guards."
"But isn't that dangerous?" Twilight said as she examined a bust of King Sombra himself, thinking there might be a switch on it or something that would lead them to even more well kept secrets.
"Sometimes, and this very rarely happens, Royal guards turn on the Royal, either because they belong to some revolution that wishes to overthrow the ruler or because they are under a spell." Cadence began to explain as she pulled a book off a shelf and cracked it open.
"I think I read about some instances like that!" Twilight said with more enthusiasm then the topic called for. "There was one instance where the Royal guards in a pegasus kingdom turned out to be made up of changelings, and the king and Queen needed to evacuate, so he used a secret door that lead to a room like this, only, he had prepared it with another secret door that would lead them into the waterline. And from there they snuck out of the city for help."
"Exactly why royals have such rooms" Cadence nodded and levitated the book she had opened over to Twilight. "Hey, check this out..."
Twilight put the book she was reading down and looked at the open pages Cadence was presenting to her. There an older photo on the open page, taken several years before fall of the empire. It was a photo of Sombra with his top commanding Royal guards. There where a dozen or so of them, all wearing slightly modified crystal guard Royal armor. Twilight was amazed to see they all looked so proud, and more amazed at how domestic King Sombra looked back then. Well, compared to how Twilight last saw him.
"He looks so... Different..." Twilight exclaimed as she narrowed her eyes on the picture.
"I was told that Sombra wasn't always evil" Cadence began to explain. "That he once was a respectable ruler. But I'm afraid no pony in the kingdom really knows much more about him. Some of his memory suppressing spell must still be effecting them."
"I thought that when the power of the Crystal Heart was used, that spell broke!" Twilight was taken back by what Cadence had said.
"The Crystal Heart did 'free' them from Sombra's oppressive magic, but I guess being locked away for 1000 years had some longer lasting effects." Cadence reluctantly said, putting another book back on the shelf and trading it for another. "But that's why we're here. To find a way to break the spell completely."
"Hey, Cadence" Twilight called her sister over. "Take a look at this solider..."
As Twilight held the book out, Cadence skimmed the picture again to see what Twilight was trying to show her. Then she noticed it immediately! She can't believe she missed it before. To the right of Sombra, where the most trusted of Royal guards normally stood, was a knight wearing black armor! The picture was an older black and brown picture, only having such cameras back then, but the armor was defiantly black. But was was more peculiar, the face of the stallion looked as though it had been smudged out. Whoever the pony was, Sombra didn't want anypony recognize them.
"I'll ask around the Royal guard, see if they know anything..." Cadence said, trying to get a better look at the rest of the Royal guards in the picture, so she knew who to ask.
"Cadence" Twilight called out so I don't slightly bothered "please tell me you know how to read this!"
Twilight then levitated another book up to her sister. As cadence looked the book over, a worried look replaced the curious one her face. There were several different text languages in Equestria, even though most ponies spoke the same language. These developed from olden times when the tribes were divided and wanted to keep the information they shared with the other tribes to a minimal amount of just verbal speaking. Even the Crystal Empire had its own language involving rune like symbols. Cadence and Shinning Armor both had learned the language within a few months, with Twilight's help of course. But the odd symbols on the pages before her were gibberish.
"All the other books are like that" Twilight reported as she pulled another book off the shelf, cracked it open, sighed, then placed it in a pile with the other books that all had the same gibberish language. "The only books that don't have those symbols are reference books that are even available in the Crystal Empire library and a fictional novels."
"We'll bring some of these with us to see if somepony can crack the code" Cadence said as she began packing up about twenty or so of the books along with the photo of the Royal guards. "I'm sure somepony will be able to decipher it."
"Would you mind if I try my hoof at it?" Twilight said, doing her best to repress an eager smile. The thought of decoding a lost language thrilled the youngest princess.
Knowing Twilight, Cadence smiled at her sister and nodded. "I was hoping you would ask. With you on the job, I know we'll be able to figure this out."
Twilight then looked amongst the many books that She had stacked into a pile that contained the gibberish language, trying to pick the thickest ones to work with. But something caught the young alicorn's eye. Looking over at Sombra's work desk, Twilight saw a black covered book with the symbol of the Crystal Empire on it. The symbol had a line through it almost as it some one had sliced over it with a knife. Something was drawing Twilight to the book. And before she knew it, the book was in her hooves. Cracking it open, she found the same gibberish language that the other books had, only this book appeared to be only half full. Half of its pages were blank.
"This must be his journal..." Twilight stated, presenting it to Cadence. "Is it ok if I take this one to study?"
Cadence smiled again at her sister. "Of course, just be careful. Who knows. Sombra might have put a curse on that before he was sealed away."
"Don't worry" Twilight said as she helped Cadence finish packing up the items they were taking back with them. "I'll check the book over before I begin reading it. If there is a curse, I'll find it."
As the two sisters began to ascend the stairs, Cadence being more then glad to leave that dark place behind, Twilight's hoof accidentally kicked a rock over, sending it tumbling down the stairs. The two alicorn sisters paid no mind to it and continued to press upward with their haul from the shadow king's study. Had they paid attention, however, they would have seen the tinny pebble tumble over to something they should have noticed when they first entered the area. Something that stayed out of sight, but had gone unnoticed. Which was surprising since it was bright red, smooth, with a curved point. Completely opposite of the dark colored, geometric area. The item in question was the same thing that the former ruler had upon his head when he was sealed away, when he returned to reclaim his thrown, and had lost when the power of the Crystal Heart shattered him into a million pieces. As Twilight began to cast the spell to seal up the stairway once again, the shadows all around the surrounding area began to pulse and come alive. Swirling around, they began to gather and surround the curved red horn. Once the top entrance was sealed, the shadows began to reconstruct a form that resembled that of a pony without details to its form say for a pair of glowing green eyes and two rows of knife like teeth. The red horn began to reacted then dissipated into shadow, only to be absorbed the the shadow of a pony that stood before it. Upon the shadow's forehead then regrew a horn, smooth and curved. Moments after it had sprouted, it began to burn red hot, growing darker to lighter from the base to its tip.
"Long live the king...." Sombra's voice echoed through the stairway room. The king has returned.
"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.
"This is your 5th court hearing this month, you two" Celestia's voice echoed like thunder, cold and callus, as she stood atop her podium in Canterlot's royal court. Everypony who stood in her court for faults that were their own feared the possible wrath of the might sun princess. But today, it seemed that it was incredibly unlucky for anypony who's court hearing was today. Celestia's judgment on this day was without mercy, and her normally understanding nature seemed absent. "Perhaps I have been too lenient with you two in the past, and a harder punishment is required for you to see the error of your ways."
"Your highness, surely you could reconsider..." Flam began to plead from the table he stood at next to his brother and the lawyer that was appointed to them.
"After all, it was only a slight misunderstanding..." The other brother, Flim, finished the statement they both wished to make.
"Are you two trying to tell me how to pass judgment? In my own court?!" Celestia's eyes burned with appalled outrage now as she glared at the two yellow unicorns, her voice echoing through the halls.
Flim and Flam shook nervously as their posture sank slightly. Flam bravely spoke fist. "N-no your majesty! Never!"
"We would never be so bold as to-" Flim's words weakly escaped his lips, but he was cut off.
"Silence!" Celestia ordered them, her tolerance for them completely gone. "My judgment shall be passed now! For your repeated offenses that continue bring you back into my court, I have no choice but to sentence you to 5 years in the Iron Lock Maximum Security Prison, at the top of the Misty Mountains!" Before any pony could speak, Celestia slammed her gavel, sealing the fate of the two brothers.
As the two brothers tried to beg the sun princess for forgiveness, they were greeted by two pegasus guards who immediately placed magical restricting rings on their horns, and heavy chains on all of their hooves. The bothers pleaded to the guards and called for a retrial. But the guards wouldn't be swayed, and obeyed their princess's orders without question. As the guards carried the two trouble making unicorns away to be locked up in Equeatria's second greatest prison (second only to Tartarus), Luna found herself listening in on Celestia's court all day. But after that last trial, the princess of the moon thought it best to intervene.
As Luna stepped forward into the court, the other ponies attending had begun to bow. An announcer had called her presence to attention. "Her majesty, Princess Luna!"
This slightly shocked her sister who remained atop her podium. "Princess Lune" Princess Celestia addressed her sister with her proper title. "What brings you here? Court is still in session."
"Official, Royal business, your majesty, Princess Celestia" Luna returned the formal address, her face ever as serious and firm as ever. "We need to speak to you, in private, to address a crucial topic."
Celestia recognized the tone in her sister's voice, and realized that the princess of the moon was seriously troubled by something, and not just trying to help her older sister get out of her ever so boring duty of royal court. In the past, the two sisters would approach the court, declaring such an emergency before one another in order to slip away and unwind for a while. But this didn't appear to be the case this time.
"I understand, Princess Luna" Celestia replied, then addressed the entire court as she lifted her gavel in her golden magical aura, and hit it three times. "Court dismissed until further notice. All court dates will be pushed back until the matter is dealt with."
As the ponies began to file out, Princess Celestia teleported from her podium down to the ground just below and stood in front of a door that lead to a private meeting room at the end of a winding staircase. Both sisters walked through the door and began to ascend the staircase, leaving the court room behind. As they walked, Celestia wished to be briefed on the topic at hoof.
"I trust you didn't interrupt the Royal court for another game and cake time, dear sister" despite leaving the court room, Celestia's tone had not softened.
"I wish it were that, dearest sister of ours" Luna began to explain as they reached the top of the tower, where the secret meeting room was kept.
As the door shut behind the two sisters, Celestia turned and faced her sister. "What is it you have to discuss that is so important, sister?"
Releasing a heavy sigh, Luna turned and faced her sister. "Tia, you are our dearest sister, we've known each other for as long as as we can remember."
"Yes, that is true" Celestia commented as she walked over to a refrigerator that was located at the far end of the room. She opened the door and located one of her favorite drinks. Cherry hoof cola. She popped the top of the can and began to slowly sip the carbonated drink in an attempt to calm her nerves.
"Then please, listen to us, dear sister. We believe that becouse of what we have learned and have reported to you from the world of dreams that you've... Well..." Luna had never really had to lecture her older sister, and was struggling to find the right way to gently go about it. "Well sister, your decisions as of late are being heavily influenced by it."
Celestia spit her sofa out in a misty form of outrage, then turned to her sister. "What did you say, Luna?"
"Please, sister..." Luna's hard expression had melted away to make room for one of soft compassion, one that meant in no way any harm. "We know you are still stricken with grief at the news we had presented to you. But you cannot allow it to effect your Royal duties."
"You think I'm letting my grief influence my decision making?!" Celestia's aurora flowing like mane began to rise up and spike by her outrage.
"Sister please..." Luna's eyes began to slightly water as she recalled the dream she had witnessed. "I... I miss him as well... Sunny was one of the purest ponies we have ever known... think what he would say if he saw you like this..."
Luna then motioned to a mirror that hung on a wall not far from her and Celestia. As the elder sister gazed at her reflection and was taken back by her image. She saw a mare who appeared very hostile, conflicted, and very, very tired. As Celestia paused, took a breath and realized this, her heart broke again, remembering what had actually put her in this state. And for the second time today, she wept. Celestia fell on her haunches, her mane losing its edge and falling to the ground, almost motionless, as two steady screams of tears fell from her eyes. Luna approached her sister, and placed a hoof around her, tears falling from her eyes as well.
"We're sorry we told you, sister..." Luna spoke through her tears. "Perhaps it would have been better if you had never found out what happened 1000 years ago..."
"No...." Celestia told her sister, her voice sounding the weakest it had ever been, at least, the weakest since she had to seal away her own sister 1000 years ago. But back then, no pony ever saw the sun princess weep. "No, Luna... I... I'm glad you found out the truth..."
-1000 years ago in the Crystal Empire-
Celestia and Luna stood at the frozen boarder of the once great Crystal Empire, their eyes fell hard upon the image of a dark and dead setting that was once lush and full of life, a jewel of Equestria without a doubt. What had happened to the once prosperous Empire, no pony knew. Well, no pony outside the Empire, that was for sure.
All communication with the Crystal Empire has seised, and no pony could get in or out. Several messengers had previously been sent to the Empire, but were unable to enter the barrier surrounding it. This could only mean that the Empire was in a state of emergency. Knowing that, both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna armed themselves with their royal battle armor, rallied their finest troops, and left for the Crystal Empire. They expected the Empire to be under attack, possibly by some frost dragons or even the changeling army that had been plaguing Equestria for some time now. But as far as anypony could tell, there was no conflict, no attacking monster or army. Nothing outside the barrier. Which only lead the princesses to believe that the conflict was still going on inside the barrier. The battle mages went right to work, opening a pathway through the barrier, but with little to no progress.
Just as the mages were about to give up, the barrier wavered. Not long, just for a split second. As if it was put down then back up. The mages seized that brief moment and put up a small opening. It took all 11 of them focusing as hard as they could to just keep the opening from closing in.
"Hurry your highness!" Clover the Clever said as she and the other mages felt the barrier trying to force the opening they just made to close.
The two princesses rushed through the opening as fast as they could, just barley making it. But before anypony else could follow behind them, the Crystal Empire's barrier forced the opening to close right behind Luna. Celestia and Luna pressed their hooves against the magical bone like barrier behind them, but something was strengthening the barrier from the inside, something in the Crystal Empire itself.
"Keep going, princesses!" Their teacher and good friend, Star-Swirl the bearded, approached the barrier from the outside. "You need to reach the castle and let down the barrier! We'll keep working on this end to get in! Don't worry about us!"
Reluctantly, Celestia and Luna nodded and left the mages and members of the Royal guard to try and break through the barrier once more. The two regal sisters flew as fast as they could towards what must have been the Crystal Empire's castle. Looking at the structure before them, Celestia would have never guessed it was once the glimmering castle that the noble King Sombra ruled in. The castle was dark, ridged, and created an atmosphere of terror.
"Sister look!" Luna tore Celestia's attention away from the castle and redirected it to the city below!
Celestia was shocked to see all the crystal ponies had heavy locks and chains around their necks and hooves. Their once beautiful coats that shimmered like crystal had become dull and lifeless as they seemed to have been forced u to hard labor. Some were pulling carts full of crystals while other's excavated at a sight just at the base of the castle.
"Who could have done this? And why?" Celestia asked as she and her sister flew just above the wnslaved ponies.
"Only one way to find out, sister" Luna said as she motioned to the tallest tower of the castle. Celestia nodded and angled her wings, allowing her to gently glide over to the castle, her sister following close behind. Luna couldn't place it, but she had a bad feeling about the Empire now, and it wasn't just the Empire's dark new look or the ponies chained up below.
Celestia and Luna circled around tea tale at tower of the frightening castle until they found a balcony, then landed. Looking around, the two alicorn princesses felt they had landed in what used to be the throne room. The two sisters remained on guard as they ventured deeper into the poorly lit room, every step taken with extreme caution. Celestia lead while Luna covered their backs. As they reached the center of the throne room, Celestia's hoof hit something. She and her sister paused. Luna jumped in front, her eyes more used to the cover of darkness then her elder sister. Luna paused, shaken by what she had found.
"What is it Luna?" Celestia asked as it seemed her sister hesitated, then moved slowly to pick something up.
"Sister...." Luna turned around slowly and presented the object to the sun princess.
"What?!" Celestia then took the object in her hooves, wanting to save her magic for a possible sneak attack. It was a rounded object, made of wood and metal, and was a very close image of a pony's head. "It's.... It's one of Sunny's-"
"Look sister!" Luna cried out as purple and green flames sprung to life from the torch circling the room, brightening the entire throne room.
Celestia and Luna looked upon the room with great concern and confusion. The floor and walls, even though they took on a different form, appeared as though they had been damaged in an intense battle. Just as Celestia was piecing it all together, her gaze fell upon a sight that was more horrific to her then anypony else. Skewered to two of the room's pillars were two very familiar looking pony puppets, with black jagged crystals pinning then in place, one of them missing it's head. Celestia looked to the far end of the room and saw the third member of the pony puppet trio, which was in a worse condition that then the other two. It looked like it had been impaled by dark crystals, then the crystals grew and expanded within it, destroying the puppet from the inside out.
"Sunny was here...." Luna said flatly, her eyes darting all around the room, remaining vigilant.
"But where is he now?!" Celestia forced back the tears. "And where is Sombra? What happened to them?!"
"Oh Tia" a deep voice echoed through the room as a pair of glowing green and red eyes emerged from the darkest shadows at the rooms farthest end. "It's so sweet you worry about me.... But if I were you, I'd worry about yourself more."
"Sombra?" Celestia weakly called out as she tried to focus on the image hidden within the shadows.
"What is the meaning of this?" Luna spat out, sensing danger from the unicorn King. "Are you behind this madness?!"
"Madness?" Sombra repeated the last word Luna spoke. The purple and green flames doubled in size, allowing the two princesses to see the room fully. Sombra sat happily upon a shadow of his former thrown. "That's the word Sunny used to describe my Empire as well. It's not madness, no, far from it. I have been enlightened. Tell me, do you two know the darkest secret of the Crystal Empire? What it's been hiding within it's walls for all these years?"
"I don't care." Celestia spat at the shadow king as she took a step closer to him, her mane ripping with anger. "What. Did. You. Do. To. Sunny?!"
"Sunny?" Sombra played with the name. "Oh yes, my son. Well he didn't agree with what I was doing. So I had to discipline him."
Celestia's face cracked as her heart sank. Shock spread all across her being as his words echoed in her ears. Horrible images began to flood Celestia's mind, fueled by the horrible images of what had become of the crystal ponies. Luna, half as shaken as her sister but still hurt, stepped forward.
"You're a monster!" The princess of the night shouted, breaking her sister free from her trance.
"Oh, you have no idea" Sombra smiled revealing two rows of sharp teeth, as his own mane began to flicker like black flames. "And you two... Are next!"
Sombra's midnight black mane engulfed his entire body, leaving only his face free, as he lunged out at the sisters. Without hesitation, his black fire branched out, growing ten times its normal size as it became a wave of black fire! With one swift motion, the fire like shadow completely engulfed the two sisters as it spread through the entire throne room. Moments passed and all that could be seen as Sombra rose from the sea of shadow, that now filled half of the room, was simply a smoothed layer of his own black shadow like body. The mad King began to chuckle in victory, feeling as though now he was invincible, that not even the great Celestia and Luna of Equestria could stop him. The room remained engulfed in a sea of thick shadow as Sombra' began to separate his pony like body from that of the black mass that froze the princesses. He exposed his triumphant toothy grin as he thought to himself that Sunny out up more of a fight. But just as he felt victory and was now plotting his next move, possibly to not take on the annoying battle mages just outside his empire's boarder, a crack broke out in the darkness.
"What?!" Sombra hissed at the notion. "This can not be! I'm more powerful then-"
Before he could finish his speech, the darkness Sombra attempted to drown the princesses in cracked and exploded, a mystic light shinning through, releasing the two alicorn sisters. The two sisters glowed with the light of their magical auras that surrounded their bodies, they had cast a spell that multiplied their physical strength and endurance by essentially coating themselves with their own magical aura. Celestia glared at Sombra, who had doubled over, trying l get to his hooves, but couldn't quite get his footing right as he winced at the sister's bright lights.
"SOMBRA!!!" Celestia spoke in her Royal Canterlot voice. "JUDGMENT WILL NOW BE PASSED ON YOU!"
"FOR CRIMES AGAINST PONY KIND" It was Luna's turn to speak. "UNLAWFUL ENSLAVEMENT, HARSH TREATMENT OF YOUR FELLOW PONIES, AN ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW THE RULERS OF EQUESTRIA!!!"
"AS WELL AS ATTACKING YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD, AND A ROYAL MEMBER OF EQUEATRIA" Celestia added, tears flowing steadily From her golden glowing eyes.
"WE HERE BY SENTENCE YOU TO THE ONLY PUNISHMENT SUITABLE FOR ONE WHO HAS FALLEN AS LOW AS YOURSELF!" Both of the sisters began to say simultaneously as they rose above the cracked sea of solidified shadow that poured from Sombra.
"WITH A HEART AS COLD AS ICE" the two sister continued as they charged there magic together, creating a magical orb of gold and royal blue. "AND A DESIRE TO CAST THE WORLD IN DARKNESS, WE SHALL TURN YOUR BODY TO SHADOW, AND TRAP YOU BENEATH THE ARCTIC, FOREVER!!!"
Before the shadow king could retaliate, the sister's magical orb fired at him, shattering the rest of his sea of shadows, rendering them to dust and ash. Once the light struck him, engulfing him and drowning him in the princess's light, his armor pealed away, along with his physical form! The shadow king watched as his hooves melted away into transparent darkness! He cried out in rage as he took one last glance at the two alicorn sisters. The last of the spell's power then shot the former king out of the tower and the empire itself, forcing him threw the barrier and I to the hard Arctic surroundings.
Sombra soared though the air until he reached the outskirts of the Empire where a great chasm opened in the ice. Try as he might, Sombra could not break free from the spell. But as he fell into the chasm, something in the sky caught his eye. The last thing he saw as he was dragged into the deep, deep chasm caused him to reveal a sharp toothy grin. But whatever was causing him joy quickly vanished as the walls of his Arctic prison closed, sealing him away.
Just as Celestia and Luna landed, the entire castle began to shake violently. The two sisters looked at each other then flew as fast as they could out of the room through the opened area of the balcony. Once outside and airborn, the sisters looked down and saw just what was going on. At the epicenter of the empire, just at the base of the castle, a black swirling vortex began to open. It was engulfing all of the empire!
"We have to leave, Sister!" Luna called to Celestia as she watched in horror as the castle, homes, and even the crystal ponies themselves began being scaled into the void.
"We can't just leave them!" Celestia called to her sister. "We have to do something!
"There's nothing we can do! Most of our magical energy hasn't recharged after our fight, sister. And if we don't get out soon, their fates will be ours." Luna nudged her elder sister once more then flew back in the direction of their infiltration army.
Celestia took one last glance at the castle. She remembered how it looked before today. How Sombra was before today. And how Sunny Knight, possibly the brightest light of all, had gone out on this day...
-present day-
Celestia snapped back from her flash back, finding it both magical and frightening how she can recall events that took place over 1000 years ago as if they were just yesterday. She sighed as she walked over to a cookie jar. The cookies that the sun princess kept in her second bedroom were specially made by a royal baker, one who used medicinal herbs in their backing that also relaxed the pony who ate them. The sun princess kept a jar of the special cookies in both this room for such stressful times.
"Perhaps it would be wise if I were to... Take a small vacation..." Celestia hated to admit it, but knew it was better to face her limitations then to try and push them in such cases. Luna was right, and pressing in as she did would do her, not her subjects any good.
"We think that would be wise, sister" Luna admitted. "Perhaps one of the tropical islands just off the east coast?"
"Rest would be good...." Celestia sighed once more, feeling her heart sink further as she reached out for another cookie, knowing that there weren't enough cookies in the world to relieve her of her heart ache. There was no real remedy for a broken heart. Celestia had lost two ponies that day that were as close to her as her own sister. She would give anything to just see Sunny again...
The train from the Crystal Empire back to Ponyville left early the next morning, which Twilight and Sunny both caught right after a quick breakfast and a send off from both Cadence and Shinning Armor. Sunny couldn't wait to get back to Ponyville and see the wonderful image that was the Apple farm. And more importantly, what made the Apple farm the Apple farm were the ponies who live there, and made it a home. The Apple family; Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, and last, but certainly not least, Applejack. Sunny smiled and dozed off as he looked out the train at the scenery of the Crystal Empire turning into the Arctic tundra, but his mind and heart were a million miles away, in a town called Ponyville, where a certain special somepony was waiting for him.
"Oh buck!" Sunny ghasped once he realized his mistake. His sudden actions almost sending Twilight flying out of her seat.
Up until then Twilight had been trying to decipher the coded texts of the books that Sombra had hidden in his second bedroom. She figured Sunny had a lot to try and think about on the way home, and this would be a great time for her to get started on it. She didn't know he was about to have a heart attack. She looked over at the nervously pacing stallion and asked him "Is everything alright, Sunny?"
"No, no, no, no!" He half answered, half muttered to himself. "I can't believe I just left like that! Without telling anypony where I was going! I wonder if they think something happened to me! What I if they think I just abandoned them?! What if it was my turn to run the apple stand?! Ugh! They'll be behind on everything and all because I didn't take two seconds to tell them were I was going!!!!"
Twilight chuckled lightly before placing a book mark in the coded book and gave Sunny her full attention. "I'm sure they will be fine, and I'm sure somepony talked to Spike. I'm sure he told somepony you going with me."
"You're right, your right..." Sunny said as he began to calm down, but kept pacing.
Twilight held out a hoof to stop the yellow unicorn. When she did, he turned to her and watched as she mimicked Cadence's deep breathing exercise. Putting a hood to her chest as she took in a breath, held it in for a moment, then released her breath as she pushed out with her hoof. Sunny paused and began to do the same. As he did, he felt his worried nerves began to relax. After a few deep breaths, Sunny took his seat across from Twilight and smiled at her.
"Thanks Twilight" Sunny said with a smile. "I needed that, more then you know."
"Glad I could help" Twilight said with her gleaming tone, which quickly turned forlorn. "And Sunny, I know things haven't been easy for you... But if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you. They didn't make me the princess of friendship for nothing."
"That's true" Sunny said, his heart now half sunken. "I'll.... I'll do that. Talk to you, I mean, about any problems, that is."
Twilight only nodded then turned her attention back to Sombra's book, while Sunny sank in his seat and felt his heart drop halfway into his stomach.
'I can't tell her about my past....' the yellow stallion told himself. 'No pony can know... It's better this way... Just to leave the past in the past and focus on the present...'
-Ponyville the previous day-
Applejack had decided to get to work, with or without Sunny. But she would be lying to herself if she said she didn't miss the feller. As she continued setting up the wagon up for the day's work, placing baskets inside and oiling the wheels, she caught a glimpse of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo heading to their club house with... With Diamond Tiara?
Applejack did a double take of that. Yep, it was her. The spoiled rotten doughtier of the richest stallion in Ponyville, Filthy Rich. Filthy's family and the Apple family go way back, but that didn't mean they much like each other. Applejack especially didn't like how his daughter treated Apple Bloom and her friends, but all Applejack could do was help her sister when she got down. It was good that Apple Bloom deal with ponies she didn't get along with every now and again, builds character. But it still bothered Applejack as a sister to see Apple Bloom down about being called a 'blank flank' or something that there of.
"Excuse me" a stallion in a slightly wrinkled suit called out to Applejack, tearing the orange farm pony from her thoughts. He was a brown, bald, earth pony, with bright blue eyes that were half hidden behind his eyelids. His posture was slightly bent over, but it was obvious he was trying to stand upright.
Applejack smiled and hopped down from the wagon. "Howdy, partner" she called out as she extended a hoof. "What can ah do ya for?"
"Are you the mare in charge of this farm?" The stallion asked, his eyes only half open as he looked upon Applejack.
"Ah am, name's Applejack, and you are?" Applejack added as she kept her hoof extended to the stranger, who, in turn, just looked at her hoof with disgust then forced a smile as he pulled out a small, black note book.
"The name's Money, Money Bags the IV," he began to say as he flipped through the little note book. "And I'm here to collect."
"Collect?" Applejack repeated his last word, slightly confused. "Collect from what, Mr. Bags?"
"Well you see, Ms. Applejack" Money Bags began to say as he found the page he marked earlier. "I represent a bank from Canterlot, the Golden Nugget Equeateian Bank, perhaps you've heard of us?"
"Can't say's ah have" Appeljack commented as she was starting to get nervous, but she remained level headed and appeared calm.
"Well" Money Bags continued. "According to our records, your great grandfather borrowed some money from the bank and used the farm as collateral. And well, I'm here to collect either the money or the farm."
Applejack's heart rate increases as we heart jumped up into her throat. She tried to calm herself down as she nervously laughed and adjusted he Stetson hat. "W-well, not exactly the greatest 'how-do-ya-do', but ah've heard worse. So ugh, how much do we owe ya?"
Money Bags glanced over his notes once more then calmly answered "54 bits."
Applejack exhaled and wiped her brow in relief. She had more then that stowed away in the family safe for an emergency. "Well that ain't too bad, give me a moment ta run up to th' house and ah'll have that money ready for ya, licitly split!"
"Hold on there, miss Applejack" Money bags stopped Applejack and gave her a deviant grin as he pulled out a small black calculator. "That would have been years ago. But I also need to collect the interest."
"Ugh... Ok" Applejack said as she felt the concert return to her voice. " and how much is that?"
"Well let's see...." The collector said as he began pushing in numbers to the calculator. "54 bits.... Times .2 Interest.... Collected seasonally.... Over the course of the years.... Comes out to... 809, 034 bits."
"Over 8 hundred thousand bits?!?!" Applejack's heart rate doubled as she felt all the blood flow out of her body, making er head feel like it was full of cotton.
"Oh, plus the fee for sending a collector" Money Bags continued. "Which is only another 54 bits."
"But we don't have that kinda money!" Applejack started to panic. "Isn't there anything we can do to pay it off? A payment plan of some sort?"
"I'm afraid not" Money Bags said with a greasy smile as he slammed his little black book shut. "I have other business to attend to in town. I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning to collect. Either have the money ready, or the farm belongs to the Golden Nugget Equeatrian Bank."
The stallion didn't say a another word as he happily strutted down the road, a vile cheerful expression plastered on his face as he left Applejack there, completely dumbfounded, so stricken with fear that she couldn't think or move. After Money Bags was long gone and completely out of sight, Applejack darted back into the farm house, just barley missing Apple Bloom and the other Crusaders as they zoomed out of the club house, chasing after a very fast moving Diamond Tiara.
Applejack slid down the hallway and almost missed the doorway leading into the kitchen. She caught a glance of Granny sticking a few pies in the oven and jumped to her side. "Granny! We got trouble!"
Granny put down an unbaked pie before she stuck it in the oven and turned to her eldest granddaughter. "Applejack? Now what's got you all in a fuss? Why, ah haven seen ya so worked up since ya had that dream that the trees had come ta life and were protest in'."
Applejack then proceeded to tell her grandmother about Money Bags and the debt from her great grandfather's time, hoping that Granny had some recollection of the event. She couldn't recall off the tip of her mind, but she always kept such important things on file. She lead Applejack into the attic and began scrounging around for the files from that time in the Apple family. After pushing through several dusty boxes and various keep sakes, Grannt finally found what she was looking for.
"Ah ha!" The elderly green mare called out in victory as she popped the lid off of the old box. A few moths that had been trapped in the box quickly took to the air and disappeared. "Now let's see... Mah grand pappy.... Grand pappy... Gotcha! Right here!"
Granny pulled out a small file with the image of a red apple missing a pony sized bite on it. Granny quickly began flipping through the papers as she scanned them. Not half way through the file did she find an official looking document with gold trimming around it. She pulled it out and began to read over it very carefully. After reading it once over, the elderly mare's ears dropped, and she proceeded to read it over again, hoping she read it wrong.
"What is it Granny?!" Appeljack asked, trying to sound hopeful, even though her hope was fleeting quickly.
"Well..." Granny handed the paper over to Applejack as she began the painful explanation. "It seems that not long after the Apple farm started to really get a goin', yer great grand pappy needed a loan. The incident with the vampire fruit bats must have hit harder then my grand pappy was willing to admit. And wth as much family as we had on th' farm, we needed the extra help."
"So what your sayin' is that we really will lose the farm?!?!" Applejack began to panic, her heart racing a million miles per hour.
"Now now, calm yourself child" Granny moved closer and began to steady the nervous orange granddaughter. "Ah have a few friends who owe me a bit or two in town, and we have some bits put away for a rainy day."
"M-maybe ah can talk ta Twilight" Applejack began to calm herself down. She sighed as er head hung low. "Ah hate ta ask a friend for help like this... But it's either that or we lose our home...."
Granny put a hoof on Applejack's shoulder. Applejack turned and looked back into grandmother's sad and weakened gaze. "No mater what, Applejack, our home will always be wherever our family is. Weather on this farm, in a house in Boltimare, or even a cardboard box." The elderly green mare grew a small smile. "We'll always have each other."
Applejack nodded as she gave Granny a hug, then dashed down and out of the house and as fast as she could through town and down the road, being very careful not to slip on the ice as she did so, and to the mystical tree like castle that belonged to her dear friend, Twilight Sparkle. The snow was still thick all around. The castle, and the lake was still frozen over, and of course, it was just like Twilight to have already taken down the Hearths Warming decorations, where most ponies leave them up at least the day before winter wrap up. Applejack arrived at the front door to the castle and tried opening the door, but it had been locked! Twilight never leaves the front door locked when she's in! She can't be gone, can she?! Applejack, desperate for the aid from her best friend, began knocking vigorously on the front door.
"Ugh, everything ok, Applejack?" Spike asked as he approached her, having just come from the train station. His eyelids were droopy, nose runny, and he was wearing a blue, wool blanket around his entire body.
"Spike! There ya are!" Applejack dove for the little fellow. "Where's Twilight?! Ah, ugh, need ta talk ta here, ASAP!"
Spike sneezed, an orange and yellow flame came shooting from his mouth, melting some snow. As he wiped his drippy nose on his sweater sleeve and let out a miserable moan, he wearily looked at Applejack and answered. "She's gone to the Crystal Empire. Took Sunny with her. They were going to help Cadence with something. They'll be back tomorrow."
Applejack began to panic again when Spike let out a series of several sneezes, now clearing the area all around him of snow. Applejack pushed her worried of the farm aside and moved closer to the sick baby dragon. "Why don't we get you inside, Sugar cube, and get ya restin?"
Spike unlocked the front door, the key to it was under the welcome mat, then he and Applejack made ther way inside. Applejack helped him get settled in bed before going into the kitchen. Moments later, she retuned to Spike's side with a bowl of hot gem soup. She found the gems in the pantry, and thought it would help the little guy recover faster if the soup was made with something the little feller liked.
"You rock, AJ!" Spike said as he took the bowl enthusiastically and dug right in. After several spoonfuls, he noticed Applejack seemed a bit down. "Ugh... So what did you need Twilight for, again?"
Applejack sighed and reluctantly told the little dragon about the debt that they owed Money Bags, and how they needed to pay him tomorrow or they would lose the farm. Spike was so taken back he almost dropped his precious bowl of gem soup. "That's terrible! W-we have to do something!"
"Twilight ain't here Spike" Applejack reminded him. "And ah ain't gunna just help mah self to th' royal treasury."
"I'll get it for you" Spike said, then sneezed several more times, catching his blanket on fire. As Applejack quickly put the fires out, Spike grabbed a few near by tissues, blew his nose, then continued. "Twilight will understand. This is your home we're talking about, after all."
Applejack sighed and readjusted her stetson hat again, feeling more and more ashamed that she had to stoop to this level. "Thank ya Spike.... Yer ah true friend...."
Feeling revitalized not only by the soup Appeljack gave him, but not a strong since of purpose, Spike dashed with the farm pony down the great hall to the far end of the castle where the Royal treasury resided behind a pair of locked, thick, steel door. Applejack began to panic when the door didn't open, but Spike remained ever confident.
"No worries" Spike said as he pulled a quill and scroll out of nowhere. "Twilight may have the original key on her, but Princess Celestia has a copy for safe keeping. Ever since we caught wind of those bandits from the west, Twilight wanted to make sure that not only were her rarest books safe, but the treasury as well."
As Applejack began to relax, Spike wrote up a quick note with the password to Celestia, humbly requesting the key and stating it was an emergency. But as the little dragon readied himself to shoot the magical green fire that would send the letter off to Canterlot, instead, his mouth produced the destructive orange and yellow fire! Which burned the letter to a crisp!
"Ugh... Let me try that one again..." Spike said bashfully as he began quickly re-writing the previous letter. But again the fire he produced just burns it to ash. Several more times he tried to send a letter after rewriting it, and each time Appeljack's hopes sunk a little deeper and deeper. After the 9th time, the orange farm mare just put a hoof on the baby dragon.
As he turned around to face her, she could see that he was in even worse shape then when she found him outside in the cold, pushed to exhaustion by his tireless effoert to aid his farm pony friend. "C'mon, partner. Let's get you to bed. Y'all need yer rest."
"But.... But what about the farm?!" Spike said, starting to panic, which was the last thing his sick little body needed right now.
"Don't you worry none about that, partner" Applejack dug deep for some enthusiasm. "We'll figure somethin' out. Sides, we've faced worse then this before. Remember th' time when the parasprites ate the barn? Or th' time with them Flim Flam brothers? They almost took the whole farm!"
Spike smiled at the thought of the song and dance routine the Flim Flam brothers did when they can to town. If they had taken that kind of show on the road, focused more on their music and dancing, they might have made more money then by trying to swindle ponies. "Yeah!.... Or, or the time you ran a cart into the barn during your family reunion and almost ruined the whole thing?"
Applejack gulped, painfully remembering her not so proudest moment. "Y-yeah. We got through all of that. We'll be fine. Don't you worry 'bout us. Ok?"
After the baby dragon as reassured, he felt the gravity of Equestria increase as his head seemed to fill up with air. Before he passed out, Applejack caught him and put the tuckered out little guy on top of her back. She carefully carried the little guy back to his room, tucked him in, making sure that he had his stuffed Rarity plushy under his little arm, placed a glass of water by his bed side, then quietly walked out, slowly shutting the door behind her. As the orange farm pony left Twilight's castle behind, she couldn't help but hang her head in defeat. The hope she had showed Spike had run out and reality had begun to set in.
The walk hope took longer then Applejack wanted, but with a severe loss of hope, her hooves couldn't carry her like they normally did. She glumly walked through town, wishing for some miracle. Even is she had gone to all of her friends and they gave her every but they had, she didn't think it would even cover half of what se needed.
"Applejack! Hey Applejack!" Apple Bloom's voice caught Applejack off guard. Her head whipped around as Appeljack's heart sank.
'Did Apple Bloom find out 'bout th' farm?!' Applejack feared as her little sister, followed behind by their older Big Mac, ran up the snow covered streets to her. Applejack cleared her throat and forced a smile. "H-hey there you two. Ugh, what's got ya'll so excited?"
"Look! Look!" Apple Bloom turned to the side to show her older sister the greatest news.
Applejack's jaw dropped. She was shocked to see that her little sister had gotten her cutie mark! A tri-colored shield with an apple in the center! The news brightened Applejack's spirits, making her temporarily forget about her financial troubles. The orange farm pony wiped away a tear as se pulled her sister in for a hug. "If mom and dad were here, they'd be so proud of you."
"Thanks Applejack" the little yellow filly smiled up at her sister. "Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo got their cutie marks at the same exact time! And Pinkie's throwing us a party over at Sugar Cube Corner. Wanna come?"
"You bet yer britches" Applejack replied. "Just let me check on Granny, then ah'll head on over."
Apple Bloom zoomed off, meeting up with a small group of other goals from school, and together they all went strait for Ponyville's number one backery, leaving Applejack and Big Mac alone. Big Mac, although excited about Apple Bloom getting her cutie mark, didn't over look the worry on his other sister's face.
"What's up, Applejack?" Big Mac went strait to the point.
"What? A-ah don't know what-" Applejack tried to say, but Big Mac cut her off.
"Applejack?" Big Mac was never one for words, but his eyes spoke volumes to his sister. He knew something was up, but she wasn't going to say.
Reluctantly, Applejack sighed and told her brother "listen... Ah'll tell ya tonight. Ah'm gunna have ta. But... But let's wait until after the party, ok... Ah... Ah don't want to ruin this moment for Apple Bloom..."
Big Mac took a good hard look at his sister. He could feel she was hiring really bad. But he couldn't tell what it was. Weather it was something out a friend, or Sunny, or even the farm. But I there was one thing Big Mac could trust in, it's that his sister keeps her word. She'll tell him later. It must be something awful important for her to not say anything now. Must be bad enough that she thinks it will ruin the party. Big Mac nodded, then walked casually down the road leading to Sugar Cube corner, leaving Applejack all alone.
The walk back to the farm hurt more then before. How could Applejack tell her family they were going to lose the farm? Especially on a day that they all should be happy? The day Apple Bloom finally got her cutie mark. Finally reaching the edge of the farm, Applejack looked back at the setting sun, a few tears tricked down her cheeks. Would this be the last time she saw the sun set on her family's farm?
Now, at the very edge of her rope, as she's reached rock bottom, having thrown her pride to the wind and sunk lower then she ever hoped in her most desperate of hour and with no hope left, there was only one thing on her mind. "Where are you Sunny?.... Where are you when I need you the most?..."
As the train pulled in, Sunny and Twilight were the first two to hop off the train and set hoof on the station's deck. Sunny's heart was beating a million miles per hours as he raced down the road and into Ponyville. The sun was at its highest point and most ponies were enjoying their lunch by now. But Sunny had something else he craved. Something that gave his life meaning, setting his spirit a blaze. Something most ponies had and possibly took for granted. A home and family.
"I understand if you want to head back to the farm right away" Twilight said, as she tried her best to keep up with Sunny's quick pace. "I'm just going to head back to the castle and check on Spike."
Before Sunny dashed off down the dirt road that would lead to Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight put her hoof on his shoulder to gain his attention. He stopped and turned to her with a confused look on her face. Twilight wore a soft expression as she looked at Sunny with her amethyst colored eyes. "Just remember, you aren't alone. And if you ever need anypony to talk to, I'm here for you. We're friends, and friends look out for each other."
Sunny took a few deep breaths, calming himself down enough to put a hoof on her's and returned a smile. "Thank you Twilight... Thank you for everything."
"No problem" the princess of friendship replied. "That's what friends do. Now go on. Go home."
Sunny nodded and bolted with speed that could rival Rainbow Dash. Well, maybe not Rainbow Dash. Maybe more like Thunder Lane, at his best. But that's still pretty fast for a unicorn with very little muscle mass compared to an earth-pony. The yellow unicorn dashed through town, slipping and sliding every now and again on a patch of ice or snow, cursing that he forgot his boots. None the less, this wouldn't stop him. Sunny was too determined to let something like snow and ice stop him. As he reached the road that split into a fork, though, something did manage to stop the yellow unicorn.
Sunny paused looking back and forth between the two roads before him. One road would lead him to the place he knew he could now called home, the apple farm known as Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack and the rest of the Apple family were waiting for him. But looking down the other, Sunny Knew what he had to do before he could go home. He had to leave his old life behind. With all traces of him now cleared from the Crystal Empire, Sunny knew there was one last ghost from his past. With a deep breath and a heavy heart, Sunny began trotting down the road leading right to the edge of the Everfree Forest. To the castle of the two pony sisters, where he last saw his father.
Rapid hoof steps echo through the trees of the Everfree Forest, reflecting Sunny's heart beats. Faster and faster he raced to the castle at the heart of the wild forest. Sunny wanted nothing more then to just go back to the farm and live the life of a simple town pony. But before he could begin life a new, he had to do something about his father. But as Sunny reached the rickety rope bridge leading up to the broken castle, he paused letting his heart catch up with him. After catching his breath and calming himself down, Sunny steadied himself and began walking across the bridge. One thin Sunny wished he had let remembered was his fear of heights. One wrong slip, and he would fall down into a possibly endless gorge of mist. Each step the unicorn took was taken with extreme caution. A long walk across the bridge later, Sunny arrived at the front doors of the abandoned castle. But.... Something was different.
Sunny took a long hard second glance at the castle... He couldn't quite put his hoof on it, but something was different then before. The castle seemed familiar.... Maybe he was here previously with his father 1000 years ago. Yeah... Yeah that was probably it. That's how it all seemed familiar. But that wasn't important. What was important was he get to his father and confront him. Sunny didn't know exactly what he was going to say, but a fire in his belly wasn't going to let anything stop the pony.
Sunny pushed one of the two large doors open and walked inside. Once inside he quickly retraced his steps back to the chamber where he last saw his father. Sunny still had plenty of questions to ask his father. There was still so much he didn't remember. So much that was unclear, so foggy. Why had Sombra, his own father, turn to the dark side? Why did he sealed Sunny away? There we so many questions left unanswered still. Sunny still felt like he only had half of his memory back. And if anypony could help fill in the gaps, it was his father.
Sunny reached the closed off room and forced his way in, pushing a table that had blocked the entryway aside, and ventured into the room. As Sunny looked around, he noticed it looked almost the same as it did when he found his father in it. But the fire that burned in the middle of the room and kept the area warm had gone out, and not recently from what Sunny could tell as he approached it. The unicorn took another glance around, hoping to see his father huddled over, covering himself in those torn down tapestries, but nothing. Looking around some more, Sunny found the cloth Sombra had used to keep himself warm, tossed aside, and just as cold as the fire pit.
"He's .... gone..." Sunny said with a sigh as he began to leave, not knowing entirely how to feel about it. He took one last glance of the room before leaving, hopefully for the last time.
As the yellow unicorn back tracked through the Everfree Forest and back on the road leading to Sweet Apple Acres, he felt like he was at war with himself. On one hoof, he was now free to start a new life. With Sombra off hiding, Sunny free to be just a regular pony who works on a farm, in a small peaceful town. The crystal ponies don't even remember him, and all the evidence that he ever existed was magically shrunk inside a tiny little bag that he had in his possession. But on the other hoof, what if his father is just waiting to strike again?! What if he is waiting into shadows, stalling until he can make his move?....
"No!" Sunny stopped himself, glaring at the ground as he put his hoof down. "It's not my problem! I won't make it my problem! I.... I couldn't beat him last time... What makes me think I could do it again, now?"
Sunny shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts from his mind as he continued down the road back to the apple farm. "Equeatria has new defenders. New princesses. All of which seem to be doing a great job of protecting Equeatria. I'm not needed. Equestria doesn't need 'Prince Sunny Knight'. "
Taking one last deep breath, he arrived back at the fork in the road just in time to see Twilight flying at top speed strait for him. She put the breaks on just in time to screech to a halt before she collided with her yellow unicorn friend. He scratched his head in confusion as she landed near him. "Ugh, Twilight, everything ok?"
"You.... tell me!" She said, barley able to speak as she took in heavy breaths. "I just got back to the castle when Spike told me Applejack was going to lose he apple farm! Somepony from a bank in Canterlot was going to repossess it!"
"WHAT?!?!" Sunny didn't wait for his alicorn friend to elaborate. He darted from the fork strait down, heading right for the farm!
Both the magic users bolted across the still frozen farm lands, down the road, and right up to the front porch of the farm house. But as Sunny and Twilight flung open the door, what they saw left them beyond confused. They were completely dumbstruck.
There, sitting on the couch in the living room was Applejack, Apple Bloom and some other stallion?! He was a light grey unicorn, with a two tone mane of dark grey and white. His eyes were a dark green, and his cutie mark appeared to be a stream of tiny stars with two large ones parallel to each other. Big Mac and Granny walked into the living room just as a small cold draft wafted into the house and alerted the two sisters and the new stallion of Sunny and Twilight's presence.
"Well there ya are!" Applejack said with a smile as she tipped her hat. "Well don' let the draft in. Come on an' join us!"
"Yeah!" Apple Bloom bounced. "Mr. Alister was just about to tell us how he fought off a hydra! All by himself!"
"It really is an amusing tale" the grey unicorn said, his face very relaxed. "Who knew that a beast that size could be tamed by a simple flame? But you know what-"
"WAIT!" Sunny screamed over the new stallion, directing all the attention in the room to him. Before he could feel any of the awkwardness from the stares he was receiving from everypony except Twilight, who was just as confused and concerned as he was, he asked the simple as obvious question. "What's going on?!"
"I just got back to the Castle and Spike told me you were about to lose the farm!" Twilight said, a mixture of panic and confusion in her voice. "What happened?!"
"Well that's a mighty funny story, Twi" Applejack said as she scooted over on the couch making room for her alicorn friend, while also scooting closer to the grey unicorn.
Seeing this, Sunny felt his blood begin to boil as he shut the door behind him and walked in fallowing behind Twilight. Twilight took the only open seat, leaving Sunny to either sit on the floor or to stand. After a moment when everypony's attention turned to Alister, no pony seemed to notice that Sunny had no seat. Reluctantly, the agitated yellow unicorn sat on the ground directly across from the grey stallion. His green eyes narrowing at the grey unicorn, waiting to hear his explanation.
"Well, it all started the other day..." Alister began to tell the tale.
"I came to the quiet town of Ponyville to spend my vacation. I'm a Royal guard stationed in Canterlot, and have been rather busy with my work as of late, so my CO ordered me to take some time off. I was hesitant to do so, being in the middle of a huge investigation, but he... Convinced me it was for the best. I had arrived the other day and had planned to just stay at the local inn. The town being small and somewhat out of the way of most of the busy life in Equeatria, I didn't think there would be a need to call ahead. Well by the time I got to the inn, it was all booked up. Some charity even had come to town and were lodging at the inn. Not a problem, I though, I'll just check the local billboard at town hall for a room for rent. Surely I could find a spare room for at least a week.
"When I did, something, or rather, Somepony, caught my eye. He was a stallion I had recognized from a report I received a couple of months back. He wasn't really 'dangerous' per say, but he was still trouble. Not really 100% sure, I decided to fallow him, keeping out of sight. After I fallowed him halfway across town to a local store, one that sold quills and sofas, an odd combination, but still. I stood a few feet away from the door, remaining out of sight, but close enough to listen in. But the weasel was very, very soft spoken. I couldn't hear a single word he said. Not long after he arrived, he left the shop and made his way back towards the inner part of town. I didn't want to lose his trail, so I fallowed him again. He surprisingly lead me back to the inn I started at.
" I almost lost him, but thanks to the help of the sweet mare running the front desk, I not only found his room, but was able to confirm his identity. Immediately I stormed up to the room, and with the aid of two other guards, apprehended the fiend. His name was 'Money Bags', a sneaky, smooth talking, fiend who's been illegally repossessing property all around Equestria, then selling it to the highest bidder. He's been quiet up until a few weeks ago. I never thought I'd catch him down here."
"But how did you know about Sweet Apple Acres?" Twilight asked, taking all of the story in.
"Money Bags kept very detailed notes on his dealings so he could either avoid conflict with similar businesses, or know where to hit up. Sweet Apple Acres was one of the ones marked off with a check mark, but I knew I saw somepony selling apples at a stand from there that morning. While the other guards payed a visit to the Quill and Sofa shop after we locked Money Bags up, to deliver the relieving news to the shop owner, I offered to inform the family who ran the apple farm."
"And what good news it was" Applejack chimed in, sweat relief heavy in her voice. "Ah tell ya, ah coulda kissed this stallion when he told me that the ' farm was safe."
The notion made Sunny grind his teeth. And the image of such a thing made his blood boil even more, his face even began to turn slightly red as his eyes focused on the calm looking Alister.
"He's a hero!" Apple Bloom cheered bouncing in her seat, shaking both Twilight and Applejack. "He saved our home!"
"Darn tootin'!" Granny added with a smile as she slapped her knee.
"Eh'yep" Big Mac threw in his signature catchphrase wearing a relaxed smile as well.
"So ta show our appreciation" Applejack began to say as she looked to both Twilight and Sunny. "We offered him a room ta stay in, for the remainder of his vacation."
"What?!" Sunny said, sounding surprised. Everypony was startled by his second outburst and turned to face him with a questioning look. He awkwardly smiled and cleared his throat. "W-what I mean is, well, there aren't any more rooms, right? Could be uncomfortable for him to sleep on the couch for that long of-"
"Why Sunny, yer so sweat" Applejack said with a smile as she beamed at him. "But ya don't have ta go and give up yer room."
"What?! That's not-" Sunny was shocked and flustered by the very notion. But he was interrupted again before he could continue.
"I could never do that" Alister waved his hoof at the suggestion. "Oh, but you know what, I wouldn't mind sharing a room. I'm used to doing that over at the Barracks back in Canterlot. It helps me to sleep to know that I'm not the only pony in the room. Incase of an emergency of course."
"I don't like th-" Sunny tried to speak up but was cut off again.
"It will be like a sleep over!" Apple Bloom jumped up and started bouncing around. "Ah can't wait ta tell everypony how ah have a real Royal guard stayin' with us!"
"But-" by now, Sunny's boiling blood was not to a small simmer as he slowly began to realize that his words weren't going to be heard.
"An' in them' mornin', ah'll make ah real special breakfast to celebrate!" Granny added, a smile at reaching from ear to ear on her.
"Ugh..." Sunny's attempts to get a word in edge wise were now lacking any of his enthusiasm. The last spark of resistance has fizzled out.
"Ya say somethin' there, Sunny?" Applejack and the rest of the Apple clan finally noticed the yellow unicorn had been trying to speak, but couldn't get a word in edgewise.
Yes! Sunny could finally tell Applejack and the rest how horrible of an idea it was to let Alister stay with them! And he was about to when he looked around the room, everypony seemed so taken with him. Even Twilight seemed eager to hear what the grey unicorn had to say. Sunny took a deep breath, forced a smile (hoping Applejack wouldn't notice) and repeated what everypony else was saying. "Thank you, Alister, for saving Sweet Apple Acres...."
"It's no problem, ugh, Sunny was is?" Alister asked, then forgot his own question immediately. "After all, I myself grew up on a farm, so might help me relax. Almost like I'm back at home."
"Ya really grew up on a farm?!" Apple Bloom returned her attention back to the grey stallion. "What kind of farm?! Was it an apple farm? Where is it? Did ya work on it with yer brothers and sister?!"
"Why don't we talk about it over some Apple Pie a-la-mode?" Granny asked then leaned in and whispered to Alister. "That there's fancy talk fer addin' ah scoop or two of Vanilla ice cream on top!"
To which everypony laughed at the joke and fallowed Granny and Alister into the kitchen to listen to his story and have some desert. Well, almost everypony. The second to last pony to leave the room was Twilight, who looked back at the last pony in the room, Sunny. She couldn't put her hoof on it, but something was off with him. His ears were slightly dropped. And his normal shinning glow had faded as well. She walked over and put a hoof on his shoulder.
"Hey" Twilight caught his attention, snapping him out of a slight trance. "Everything alright?"
"Y-yeah" Sunny said, raising his head and putting a smile on. "I just, ugh, n-need my hat! That's right! I don't feel right without my stetson hat!"
With that, Twilight watched as Sunny casually walked up the stairs and into the room that he would soon be sharing with Alister. As Twilight's eyes followed her yellow friend, that uneasy feeling returned. Sunny had been acting differently for the past few days. Was it his memory? Did getting it back really hurt him that much? She shook it of and decided it would be best to just study up on the effects of memory loss when she got back to the castle. Maybe see if there were negative effects of getting it back. The last glance Twilight took of the yellow unicorn was his shutting the door behind him.
A strong wind was blowing hard today, more so then annoyed day, howling all throughout the impenetrable prison that stood atop the Misty mountains. The Stallion in charge stood atop the tallest wall to the 'Iron Lock Prison', looking out onto the snowy white scenery before him. He was a unicorn who's coat as dark as coal, mane as grey as the metal walls that made up most of the prison. His name was Snowstorm, ironic that his life would lead him to being a guard at such a post. He watched with his one good eye the armored carriage make its way steadily up the snowy mountain side. The earth pony guards pulling it had to be specially equipped with horseshoes that had thick spikes at the bottom to pierce the ground, allowing them to gain traction in their hoof steps. The guards who brought the new inmates to the Iron Lock maximum facility prison had to wear specific things for their safety in the harsh Misty Mountain terrain. Other then the specially crafted horseshoes, they also had bright red uniforms that were well insulated to protect them from the harsh storms that naturally burdened the mountain tops. Over their muzzles were thick scarfs and special goggles that allowed them to see through the storm. And finally a small survival kit was always strapped to their back. There have been instances where the Royal guards had fallen from the cliff side, and would need medical attention immediately. Why go through all this trouble for a prison, you ask? What would be the purpose of such a place that was so dangerous and difficult to get to? Because no pony has ever escaped. And if they ever managed to slip out of the extremely secure fortress like prison, the harsh, naturally occurring phenomenon that is the all year round winter would stop them in their tracks. As terrable and frightening as the inside of the prison was, and as deviant and vile the inmates were, it still beat freezing less then a mile away from the prison wall.
Looking up into the sky, Snowstorm thought about the rumors that spread amongst the inmates. About the ancient spirits that supposedly haunted the mountain. The spirits that pledged the 3 pony tribes in olden times. The Windigos. He sighed and shook his head. Yes, it would make since that such beings could create the harsh winter environment. But his job was not to speculate rumors. His job was to follow orders. And his orders told him to watch over the Iron Heart Prison. And that's exactly what he planned to do.
As the armored carriage arrived at the front gates of the fortress like prison, the two guards posted at the gates proceeded with their quick check of the underside of the carriage. Once they were done, the carriage and the guards pulling it passes on through the gates. The front gates were made of a special type of iron, one that could withstand the freezing temperatures of the mountains as well as a possible attack. As the doors slowly creaked open, Snowstorm teleported from his post at the top of the wall and reappeared in front of the inner gates, ready to greet the new arrivals. Another stallion with a clipboard stood ready to check off the new inmates.
"Lt. Surgical" Snowstorm addressed his right hoof stallion with a salute. Surgical Scalpel returned the salute, barely outing a fraction of heart into it as his CO did as he slightly looked up from his clipboard. Surgical Scalpel has been posted at Iron Lock for a few years now, but that hasn't changed his opinion of the place. He was a white earth pony with a light grey mane that hung partly in front of his large glasses, and partly tied back in a ponytail behind his head. Although he had Royal guard training, his talent and skills were more in the medical field. Sometimes Snowstorm thought he just took the position here for the possible opportunity to experiment and run tests on the inmates without the princesses constantly observing his... Methods. Part of the reason Surgical Scalple was forced to relocate were due to his... Experiments, if you could call them that. Not bad enough to land him actually 'in' prison. But bad enough to put him away from the general public where he might accidentally do some real harm. Surgical was waiting eagerly for the operating to continue his experiments and further his 'research'. Of course, Snowstorm. wasn't going to let that happen. He kept a watchful eye on not only the inmates, but the guards he didn't 100% trust. Which included his own right hoof pony, Surgical.
"Sir" Surgical said as he double checked the notes he made on today's new arrivals. Surgical pushed up his large glasses up with one hoof as he sighed heavily, already board with his dull day. "Looks like just two stallions today. Twins. But they don't seem like too much of a threat."
"What are their crimes?" Snowstorm cut right to the chase wondering if they were the twins he had heard about that were troubling he west.
"It's honestly a joke" Surgical said as he shook his head, making his grey banes flop from one side to side. "Says here that they are repeated offenders of various cash scams that result in numerous court trials. My guess, they either caught the princesses on a bad day, or these poor ponies bothered somepony the princesses were really fond of."
"Regardless" Snowstorm snapped, taking his job very seriously, unlike his partner. "They will continue to be treated just like ever other inmate here."
"Roger that..." Surgical motioned for the two guards to go ahead and open the carriage doors.
While the two guards unlocked the series of locks on the carriage, the earth pony guards who had been pulling the carriage were unhooked from the metal carriage and lead into the warm Royal guard barracks to rest and refuel for the trip back down the mountain. After the 12 locks surrounding the cast iron door to the carriage were unlocked, the door was pulled open. The metal carriage had been made so when the one door was shut and locked it was pitch black inside. One way to prevent the prisoners from trying to escape, as well as begin their punishment was to cut them of from the light of Celestia's sun.
"Alright, come on out you two!" Surgical called out as he tapped the carriage door with his clipboard, obviously in another one of his annoyed moods. "Brothers Flim and Flam. Report now or we'll force you out!"
A moment after Surgical's threat, Snowstorm watched as two, lengthy, yellow, unicorn stallions dressed in matching stripped shirts and hats emerged. Snowstorm had recognized them from a previous scam he saw them pulling a year or so ago, selling apple cider at a fraction of the price. But he and a few guards had shut it down after several ponies got sick off of the stuff. Snowstorm was shocked to see how the two looked now compared to that day.
The color was almost completely drained from their bodies, making them look more like a sick cream color rather then yellow. Their names had gone from red and white to almost completely bleached white and thinned out, making them look like old stallions. But that was the least that bothered Snowstorm, what really caught his attention were their eyes. Their eyes seemed to glow slightly green. And were their irises always red? Snowstorm could have sworn their eyes were blue or green. He shook it off the began his speech.
"Welcome to Iron Lock maximum security prison!" The black unicorn guard started to firmly yell at the two stallions before him as he began to pace in front of them as if addressing a line of ponies. "Since you are here, that means you screwed up. Badly! Not badly enough to land your sorry flanks in Tartarus! But you might as well be there! Here you have no chance of escape, no big friendly 3 headed hound to snap at you and keep you in line, and no monsters to play nice with. No! We aren't that easy going here! You are here to be reformed and to be taught a lesson! And maybe, just maybe, in the next 1000 years you will get out of here. Until then, you will obey the guards, and do as you are told! Is that understood?!"
The Flim Flam brothers didn't answer. They only starred off in a dazed state, minds as foggy as the storm around them.
"Well, looks like you broke them already!" Scalpel jokes, earning him a hard glance from his one eyes unicorn CO.
Snowstorm then turned his attention back to the two dazed unicorns, but something else caught his eye. A shadow shifted in the dark interior of the carriage. It was only for a second, but Snowstorm could have sworn that he saw something move. His long and drawn out pause brought some concern to Scalpel.
"Sir?...." Scalpel cleared his throat. "Captain Snowstorm, Sir. Is everything ok?"
"Lt. Scalpel" Snowstorm said flatly as his eyes remained locked on the darkness inside the carriage. "You said there were only 2 prisoners, right?"
"Yes sir" Scalpel double checked his paperwork, wondering if there was a possible mistake. But only the two were scheduled to arrive. He turned to his CO, still concerned, then to the carriage itself. "Something wrong, Sir?"
"Flashlight!" Snowstorm demanded, eyes still locked on the darkness.
One of the guards who unlocked the door tossed him a emergency flashlight from his kit. Snowstorm caught it his magical aura, turned it on, and pointed it inside the carriage. "I'm going to check it out. Cover me."
Scalpel did as Snowstorm told him and readied himself for a possible attack, with the two other guards readying themselves as well. With the flashlight in his aura, Snowstorm entered the carriage, ready for a fight from a possible stowaway. As he set hoof inside the carriage, he realized just how cold and quiet it was. He had never had to enter the carriage before. Most of the time when the door opens, the ponies are more then happy to exit the darkness. A pony could really break in here. No light. No sound. No heat. But what bothered him the most was there was no pony in there at the time. He scanned the carriage top to bottom, checking and double checking every corner of it, but nothing.
After searching the whole carriage top to bottom, twice, he gave up and was about to chock it up to him seeing things. Just as he was about to turn around, his flashlight died, casting him into darkness with only the faint light beaming in from the door way to illuminate the exit. He shook it off as he started to exit the carriage. But as he did, a small flare caught his eye. He paused and looked back at the far end of the carriage again. He could see two very faint glowing lights.
By this time, the guards and Surgical who were still waiting outside were beginning to grow both restless and nervous. "Is everything alright in there, Snow?"
"Everything is fine Lt. Surgical...." Snowstorm replied, but kept moving, slowly, toward the faint glowing light that was surrounded by the natural occurring darkness of the carriage. He hit the flashlight once more in an attempt to bring it back to life, but the thing was long since gone. When Snowstorm retuned his gaze to the faint green lights, he almost fell over his own hooves. The faint glowing lights had opened and become a pair of green glowing eyes! Rolling around to stair at him were red hot, fiery irises. Purple flames emerged from the far corners of the eyes as the glow from them seemed to intensify! Snowstorm was about to run back out of the carriage and sound an alarm when the carriage's only opening disappeared, casting the coal colored unicorn into a world of darkness!
As Snowstorm began to panic, he remembered his training. He calmed his breath, closed his eyes and began to focus on the world around him. Even if his enemy was the Shadow King Sombra that he had been warned about, he was not going to give into fear. He was stronger then that. He was better then that. Snowstorm began to calm himself, gather himself for a possible fight, the world around him began to change. The black emptiness gave way to a world he recognized. One he thought he would never in his life see again. It was the outpost of the west wall of Canterlot castle!
He had been stationed there years ago not long after he became a Captain. The west wall faced the cliff side, so mostly pegusus guards were posted there. During his training, Snowstorm had found that he could command pegasus guards easily from a high enough distance. Combined his keen eyes, quick thinking and brilliant battle strategies, this was the perfect area for him, despite not being a pony who could fly himself. Flying all around the cliffs at the base of the mountain, just below the wall were members of the Wonderbolts, pegusus guards, and trainees alike. All of which followed his orders. They all looked to him, respected him. At least... They used to.
Snowstorm could remember that horrible day as if it were in braved in his very memory. A day he could never forget no matter how hard he tried. As he thought back to that day, all his best and most trusted fliers gathered at the cliff side, ready to receive his orders. It was then that Snowstorm tried his best to move. To stop himself from turning around and facing them as they stood at attention, ready for him to give the orders for a special secret mission. He even tried to hold his lips closed as he faced the eager soldiers that blindly followed his orders all those years ago. But he couldn't stop or change the past. His body moved and acted with a life of its own, all he could do was sit and watch.
"Are you ponies ready?!" He called out to them as he hopped off the edge of the castle wall and landed in front of their line. He began walking up and down the line of ponies standing at attention, as he continued to speak. "This is a top secret mission. Not even Captain Shinning Armor knows about this. But if we succeed, our victory will go down in history. But it is dangerous. And someponies might get hurt. Badly hurt. But we do this not for fame, not for ourselves, but for Equestria!"
The group of Pegusus guards cheered and stomped their hooves. After a few moments they began to quieted down, then Snowstorm spoke again.
"Our objective is to infiltrate the dragon's lair in the far north east of the continent. It is there he had made his home, and it is there that he holds some of the strongest magical items that the dragons stole from us in the last great Dragon war. The dragons can't use magic, but refuse to return the items to us. The dragons know that if we ponies had those items in our hooves, that we could overpower them easily, despite their fire breathing, steel like scales, and swift flying. I don't want you all thinking that these items will be used to start another war. If anything else threatens the peace in Equeatria, we need to protect not only the innocent, but our princesses as well, and not fully rely on them as a last resort." Snowstorm paused and looked back at the group who remained at attention and fully focused on his words.
"You all are the best, of the best flying warriors that Equestria has to offer! Those of you who wish to join me, be ready to take flight. Those of you who are hesitant, stay here. I don't want anypony to go into battle today with doubt in their minds. Do I make myself clear?!"
The image of the area Snowstorm was present in shifted and immediately went right to the battle. He knew he and the others would have to take on and outsmart a dragon to get to the magical items. But he never knew the dragon in question was the magical beast of legend, Garganda!
Garganda was a dragon to be reckoned with. It literally stood half as tall as the mountain Canterlot was seated on. With scales black as brimstone, eyes burning red and yellow, with horns atop his head that could tear an airship right out of the sky with a single jerk of his head, arms and legs that could demolish strongholds with single swoops, and a tail that could clear a mountainside into a flatland. It was said he guarded Tartarus before Cerberus, and was forced to leave it, having grown too large to remain at his post. That he himself could wipe out all of Equeatria if he wished.
It was then, that Snowstorm took shelter behind his chariot as he held a hoof to one of his eyes. It had been badly injured as he and the others tried desperately to fight off the behemoth. Not ten minute ago was he being pulled by some of his soldiers into battle in the once gold and white chariot. It had been a true masterpiece. Now the war chariot lay in broken bits, and served only as a shelter for Snowstorm to crawl under and hide. He peaked out from behind the broken wood and gazed in horror at the image before him. It was not a dragon, but the picture he painted that frightened the black unicorn the most. All around Garganda, Snowstorm's loyal followers fought hopelessly against the giant dragon. Their attacks and weapons did nothing to his thick hide. Some even attempted to just go for the treasure while the others distracted the leviathan, but even that was futile. The beast's enormous foot guarded the treasure, but try as they might, the dragon wouldn't budge. Even worse, he barely even needed to move during this whole battle and more then half of Snowstorm's soldiers had fallen. He couldn't believe what he saw through his one good eye. He watches as Pegasus after Pegasus fell. They were so badly hurt they might never be able to walk again, let alone fly.
"It's all your fault!" Snowstorm turned around and had come face to face with his father. The area around him had changed once more. Now he stood in the thrown room, his body badly beaten and bandaged up, but he could feel the sharp pain with every breath he took. Snowstorm's father was a retired unicorn guard, who Snowstorm looked quite a deal like. As his father shot his son a hard look, the young captain put a hoof to his injured eye to find that it had been bandaged up. He knew he would never be able to see with that eye again.
Snowstorm's father cleared his throat, restin Snow's attention away from his own injury, and began to speak again. Other ponies of the room, the princesses, the other captains, even his own family were present for this hearing. "You went out on your own accord, dragging those innocent ponies with you, and for what?! To be beaten by the most dangerous dragon in Equestria in a meaningless fight?! To land every one of them, except the one who fled for help, in the hospital?!"
Snowstorm reluctantly stood and looked his father in the eye. "With something that dangerous just at the edge of our home, what makes you think we are safe?! If we had managed to get those items that it has locked away, we could-"
"Those 'items' you saught out" Princess Celestia spoke in a cool but angered tone as she looked down at him from her thrown. "Are nothing more then legend. An old pony's tale. And what's worse, you believed it so much you would not only risk the welfare of your own soldiers, but risk starting another war! We made it through the last war thanks to a miracle. But that miracle won't help us a second time!"
Celestia's words were harsh and full of anger for the last part, they stung Snowstorm, but he didn't waver. He looked everypony in the eye when he spoke cooly and calmly, as his name suggested. "I did what I did for Equestria, our kingdom, and pony kind. I regret nothing..."
His father sneered at him and turned his back to Snowstorm as he walked over to Snowstorm's mother and younger brother. He paused halfway and looked to the princesses. "You may do as you see fit with him, your highnesses. He is no son of mine. And will no longer be treated as such. He is a stranger. And I will not lend my hoof to a stranger."
It was then that the world grew black as Snowstorm fell to his knees, tears breaking through the flood gates and falling to the floor. 'I was just trying to help... I... I just wanted to be the knight you always said I could be... I wanted to keep everypony.... Keep everypony safe.... Why father.... Why ?!'
"You are worthless!" His father's voice echoed in his head again, a transparent image of the elderly stallion's face reappeared before Snowstorm, plastered with anger and disgust.
"It was a mistake thinking you could be a royal guard!" A second transparent image of his father appeared to Snowstorm's left.
"You are no longer my son!" A third appeared to Snowstorm's right.
More and more images of his father appeared and would not only yell their harsh and cold thoughts and feelings for Snowstorm, but they would repeat it.
They all kept screaming for what felt like hours! They wouldn't stop no matter how much Snowstorm pleaded, apologized and begged. Even when Snowstorm fell to the ground in a fetal position, shaking like a leaf, the yelling continued. Never in all his life had Snowstorm felt so weak, so beaten, so helpless.
"Snowstorm...." A deep voice echoed over his father's yelling, catching the black stallion's attention. As Snowstorm looked up a bright purple light flickered in the darkness above the angery, ghost like figures of his father. Although the sound of his father's multiple voices cutting him down still filled his ears, the deep echoing voice seemed to reach in past them. "Snowstorm, do you want time to take away the pain?... To silence that which fills your heart with fear?..."
"Yes! Yes please!" Snowstorm began to beg the voice, screaming into the sky in an attempt to speak over his father's many shouts. "I'm so sorry! Please! Take the pain away!"
"As you wish!" The voice bellowed as an eye opened in the purple light, a green eye with a red iris. It cast a purple flame around Snowstorm that burned away all the images of his father, silencing them, numbing any pain or feeling, leaving Snowstorm a shell, tired and weak. Just the perfect shell needed. Before Snowstorm could get a second glance of the eye that saved him, once again, he found himself in a world of darkness....
Surgical was now getting really worried. Snowstorm had been in there far too long for just a second look. And he could have sworn that he saw Snowstorm about to leave the carriage just a moment ago. As Surgical was about to send the two guards in after their captain, Snowstorm's hoof emerged, pulling himself out of the dark contents of the pitch black carriage. Surgical watched at the coal colored unicorn stepped into the light.
"Snow..." Surgical sole weakly. "Are.... Are you ok?"
Snowstorm then shot his head up and locked eyes with surgical, sending a chill down the medical earth pony's back. The eyes that locked with his did not belong to his captain. They looked... Wrong. Not only did they now match in color and clarity, as if Snowstorm's dead eye suddenly came back to life, but it was like they didn't even belong to him. Snowstorm acted as if nothing was wrong. Surgical watched and made note of every movement Snowstorm made, it all seemed to match up with his previous actions and reactions. Even so, Surgical wanted to keep a closer eye on the black unicorn. Snowstorm held his head up high and glanced over the two guards and Surgical.
"What are you three just standing there for?!" His voice was deeper then normal but it was still his voice. He narrowed his eyes on the zombified Flim and Flam. "Get this trash into a cell, now!"
As the two guards began to escort the twin unicorns to their new cell, Surgical was about to fallow them to do the physical for them, when Snowstorm's hoof landed on his shoulder" Not you" Snow said narrowing his red and green eyes at his second in command. "I need to speak with you in my office. Now."
That night Sunny couldn't get a wink of sleep. Everything that's happened in the last 24 hours; regaining his memory, finding out his father was a tyrant that threatened Equestria 1000 years ago, that he was a prince, that he was next up to rule the Crystal Empire, his revaluation thanks to the support of Twilight, Cadence, Shinning Armor and the power of the Crystal Heart. Even just one of those thugs would be enough to keep anypony's mind reeling. But none of this was what kept Sunny up. Oh no. What bothered him was the Stallion who he had to share the room with. Sunny sat up in his bed and looked across the room at the Royal guard who was fast asleep in the pull out bed.
At least that was one thing Alister didn't take away from Sunny, his bed. But everything else that Sunny held dear, the grey unicorn seemed to just swoop up in less then a day! Sunny glared hard at the sleeping stallion, who oddly enough seemed more like a statue when he slept than a living thing. His very faint breaths combined with his lack of movement, throw in the fact that he already was grey, just painted the picture in Sunny's mind that he was a statue. And for some odd reason, the thought of sharing his soon with a statue made him even more creepy then sharing it with some stranger. With a heavy sigh, Sunny got up and out of bed. He was as quiet as he could be as he made his was across the wood floor of his room and out the inconveniently creaking door. Without Sunny even noticing, Alister cracked an eye and watched the yellow unicorn leave the room.
Sunny made his way down the stairs as quietly as he could. He could have just teleported down the staircase, but the light and the sound created from the spell would have woken everypony up more then just him taking a chance with the rickety staircase. After several creaks and growns from the old wooden staircase, Sunny made it downstairs and from there into the kitchen, thinking a cool glass of water would help. As he poured his glass and took a small sip, a voice startled him from behind.
"Can't sleep?" Alister's cold voice send a chill up Sunny's spine, causing him to drop the glass. Luckily, Alister caught the glass just an inch before it hit the ground, casting his green magical aura around it and levitation it back up to Sunny as he stepped out of the shadows.
" Thanks." Sunny narrowed his eyes at the grey stallion, his words hard and sharp. "What are you doing up?"
"I'm trained to sence the slightest movement, even while I sleep." He explained as he grabbed a glass and lured himself some water. "You woke up, so did I. And I got worried, so I came down here."
"Well I'm fine" Sunny spat at the grey unicorn as he tossed out the rest of his water, now no longer feeling thirsty, and putting the glass gently into the sink. "Guess you could go back to bed."
"I suppose I could" Alister said as he took a small sip. "But you know... There was something plaguing my mind...making it slightly hard to sleep..."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Well good night." Sunny said, attempting to leave the kitchen. He could really care less about what Alister worried about.
"It's about what took you so long getting back to the farm..." Alister calmly said as he swirled the water around in his glass, watching the tiny tides he made.
Sunny paused at the entryway to the kitchen. His heart stopped. He turned slowly around, his full attention on the Royal guard. "W-what do you mean? I came strait here from the station."
"Hmmm..." Alister played with the cup a little bit more before gently placing it on the kitchen table. "Funny thing. I pay very, very close attention to the detail of my surroundings. And something just doesn't add up..."
As Alister spoke, Sunny slowly made his way across the kitchen to come face to face with the Royal guard. "And what's that?"
"Well..." Alister continued. "The station is only a few minutes away from town hall. Town hall is at the heart of town, with Sugar Cube Corner being just off to the side, right? And you two seemed to have made it back just around lunch time. Correct?"
"Yes?..." Sunny still didn't understanding what the grey unicorn was getting at.
"Well, if you recall, Princess Twilight mentioned that she stopped off to grab a blueberry and gem cupcake for her dragon assistant, in an attempt to cheer him up. Knowing her personality, she would never use rank to allow herself to cut to the very front of a busy line. And around noon and 4-6 o'clock, I know the bakers are very, very busy.
"So by the time Twilight was able to get the treat, and assuming that she walked the rest of the way to her castle at the far end of town, so as not to risk damaging the custom made cupcake, you should not only have made it back here, but have had the honor of enjoying the good news with the rest of the Apple family..." Alister paused for a moment allowing Sunny to catch up, then turned his green eyes toward The yellow stallion. "But you were nowhere to be seen. In fact, you didn't show up until much later after Princess Twilight had heard the whole story from her dragon assistant. And that's assuming he was feeling better and could speak clearly without pausing to catch his breath."
"So what are you saying?" Sunny was now no more then twelve inches from Alister, his eyes like knives pointed at the Royal guard, his heart beating faster and faster with every word spoken.
But Alister kept his cool, and calmly spoke in the same collective tone he had from the start of their conversation. "I was just curious as to what you were up to. From what everypony says, this place means as much to you as it does to the Apples. Even Twilight said you rushed right over here. And yet, you arrive hours later. Mind telling me where you went that was so important? Why you didn't come strait back here after such a long journey? "
"What I do and where I go is none of your concern." Sunny snapped, his blood begining to boil, fueled by both anger and fear.
"You know, last time I came here to this quiet little town, I was investigating an issue" Alister remained calm as his eyes locked with Sunny's. "There were sightings of somepony who was very, very dangerous. Maybe you've heard of him? King Sombra?"
Sunny puffed up his chest and began to breath deeper, trying to calm himself down. "What of him?"
"Well it's an odd thing" Alister continued, calming his expression again. "The report said an earth pony by the name of 'Sunny' had seen him around an apple farm orchard. But it turned out to be just a statue. Several more sightings of King Sombra have been reported since then. Know anything about that, 'Sunny'?"
"Sounds like your information isn't very accurate." Sunny snapped, but Alister remained unphased. "I'm no earth pony. But I can pull my own when it comes to a hearty work load."
"I'll ask again" Alister calmly spoke, his frozen eyes locked into Sunny. "Are you, or are you not, the 'Sunny' that was in my reports involving this farm and the Sombra sightings?"
"And what if I am?" Sunny spat at the unicorn guard. "Am I going to be hauled away for seeing ghosts?"
"No, not for seeing ghosts" Alister blinked and tore his eyes away from Sunny to face the slightly open kitchen cabinet. A glass floated out of it wrapped in Alister's green magical aura. After filling it with water from the sink, Alister brain hr it to his lips and swirled it around, observing how it moved around in the glass for a moment, before taking a small sip. "I will find out what is going on around here, Sunny. And if you are involved with the shadow King, Sombra, you will be tried the same as him. Unless you work with me to bring him to justice."
"Aren't you supposed to be on vacation" Sunny could feel his body temperature raising as his glare at the grey unicorn intensified.
"I was ordered to take a vacation, yes" Alister calmly replied. "And this is how I relax best. Putting villains behind bars. And no matter how you look at it, King Sombra is in every way a Villain."
"AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT?!" Sunny snapped, yelling without thinking, stomp I his hooves as he lunged at Alister, his nostrils flaring, chest pounding, face turning red. "What makes you so self-righteous?! What gives you the authority to decide who is good and who is guilty?!"
Alister's calm cool exterior cracked as he took a calming breath, muzzle inches from Sunny's. "It's my duty as a royal guard to protect and serve. I know you would know nothin about that, but to a guard who swears his life for the betterment of Equestria, the princesses, and pony kind, no sacrifice is too great."
"I wonder if Sombra thought the same thing wen he enslaved all those ponies in the-" Sunny began to calm down as he slid another insult over to Alister.
"Don't you dare compare me to that monster!" The grey unicorn snapped, now pushing back. "Tell me what you know, or else-"
"Or else what!?" Sunny pushed back again, now anger flaring from both unicorn stallions.
"What in tarnation are ya'll doin' in here?!"Applejack asked, whipping the sleep from her eyes. "Don't ya know we need ta be getting our rest? We only have a few days till winter wrap up. And we'll need all our rest for it. This winter's been a doozy."
Alister quickly regained his composure and shot Applejack a sincere smile as he bowed to her, took one of her hooves in his and kissed it. Sunny's face went red again as he but his lip, his blood beginning to boil again." My sincerest apologies for wake you, Miss Applejack.I came down here to get something to drink and accidentally woke Sunny up. He came to check on me."
"Well ain't that Sweet of ya" Apllejack shot Sunny a half wake smile. "But ya don't need ta worry 'bout Mr. Alister. He's a big, strong Royal guard and can more then take care of himself. We ah'll could sleep real easily with him around. Now you two go on and get back to bed."
Applejack let out a yawn as she climbed the stairs, heading back to her room. Once her door was shut, and both the unicorn stallions could hear the lock click into place, they let out a held breath.
"Lying to the mare who offered you lodging?" Sunny said in a low tone. "Not very much like a 'Royal knight', are you?"
"Lying to her whole family about where you've been" Alister struck back. "Not very much like a grateful guest, if you ask me. And you've been here longer then I have. I wonder just how many 'lies' you've told them."
Sunny never turned back around to face Alister, fighting the urge to slug him right across his muzzle. Exhaustion was setting in, the intensity of the conversation was begining to take it's tole on the yellow unicorn. "I'm going to bed. Sit here and think whatever you want. Spend your vacation doing whatever you want. But if you hurt the Apples, in any way, or put them in harm's way, you'll spend the rest of your vacation in the Ponyville hospital. Got it?"
Alister remained silent, the yellow unicorn let out a slight yawn and started for bed. But as Sunny reached the doorway to the kitchen and was about to ascend the staircase, Alister shot out one last comment. "I will find out the truth. I will protect the good ponies of this town. No matter the cost. You can either work with me, or stand out of my way. But if I find out you are involved, and you are hiding something from me, I will personally put you behind bars."
Sunny wanted to shoot back a few more comments, but another yawn overpowered him. So I he simply told Alister "whatever." And began the long journey back to his room and into bed.
Alister sat there all alone in the kitchen, he looked at his glass of water. The reflection of his eye was the same as it always was as it looked back at him. To everypony else who saw his reflection, they saw Alister. A Royal guard of high standings, who had achieved much in his few years of service, and would do anything to keep the peace... This was not what Alister saw... No. For years, ever since the accident, the expert tent that went wrong and almost ruined his entire life, all he could see when he looked at his reflection was the monster. A reptilian like green eye starring back at him. Alister forced himself to look away as his heart rate spiked for a moment. A wicked chuckling rang in his ears...
"No matter the cost!" The voice echoed Alister's words. "Isn't that right, Alister?! Ha ha ha! NO MATTER THE COST! NO MATTER THE COST!!! NO MATTER THE COST!!! BWA HA HA HA HA!!!"
The next day Sunny woke up to the sun blaring through his window. It was then that he realized just what time it was and jolted awake! He jumped up out of bed and looked around. He grabbed his old alarm clock and saw it was almost 11 o'clock! Almost four hours past the time he normally woke up! As he grabbed his Stetson hat, he felt around the rim of it to make sure that the velvet sack from the Crystal Empire was still there. To his relief it was. He had been afraid with all of Alister's snooping around, he would have found it and tried to examine it. "Alister!"
The thought of the nosy Royal guard made Sunny's mind jump yet again! Is eyes shot over to the fold out bed where the stallion was supposed to be sleeping. But there want anypony there. The bed had been neatly made as if by a processional maid. Sunny then shot out of his room and made his way down the hallway. But in his rushed state, the wasn't paying attention, and ran into Granny, literally! She had been carrying some sort of vase in her hooves, but as soon as the yellow stallion ran into her, he not only sent the elderly mare flying, but the vase had fallen over the railing and landed with a loud crash in the living room! Shattering into hundreds of pieces!
"Th' vase!" Granny cried as she tried to get up. But the fall had pulled something in her lower back and she let out a weak cry.
"Granny!" Sunny said and be rushed to her side. "Granny I'm so so so so so so sorry! I-I-I was just-"
"Oh! Mah back!" Granny cried out, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
Just then Apple Bloom popped her head out of her room to see the frightening sight of her dear grandmother on the ground in pain. The little yellow filly ran over, panicked and looked form her grandmother to Sunny. "What happened?! Is Granny ok?! Should I go and get Applejack?! Or Mr. Alister?!"
"No! No! I just accidentally ran into her, ugh, maybe we could just..."Sunny was trying to keep calm and appear in control of the situation as he attempted to help Granny up.
But as the yellow stallion grabbed Granny and attempted to help er to her hooves, a bolt of pain shot through the elderly green mare's body, causing her to let out a pain filled cry.
"Ah'll go get Applejack!" Before Sunny could stop her, Apple Bloom was down the stairs and out the door so fast you would have thought that she teleported.
Applejack, Big Mac, and Alister were all out in the barn. Alister had offered his services in restoring some of the worn down farm equipment, having mastered such a spell to aid on his own family's farm. At the moment, was rewinding the hands of time and helping to repair the rusted metal parts on the old Apple family plow.
"Ah really thank ya fer doin' this fer us, Mr. Alister" Applejack said with a smile as she continued to carve new handles for the plow from branches of fallen apple trees.
"It's my pleasure, miss Applejack" Alister said, still focusing on the spell as it neared completion. "Besides, this helps to make me feel at home. It's been a while since I went back to the family farm. I kind of miss the place some times."
Before Applejack could ask why he hadn't gone back to his own home in so long, when she saw her little sister running up to her, a worried look painted all across her little yellow face as she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. When she finally reached Appljack, she screeched her hooves to a stop, kicking up a little bit of dirt. She spoke through her gasps. "Applejack.... Granny's .... Granny's hurt!"
"What?!" Was all Applejack said as she, Big Mac and Alister put down what they had been working on and rushed back to the farm house with Apple Bloom.
When they arrived, they saw Sunny setting Granny on the couch gently, then placing an ice pack on her back. Applejack, Apple Bloom and Big Mac rushed over to her while Alister watched from afar and assessed the situation.
"Granny, are ya ok?!" Applejack fought to say through some tears. "What happened?!"
"It seems that Sunny might have knocked her over, by accident of course" Alister began to say as he walked over to the vase that lay in a tiny pieces all over the floor. "Remember how your grandmother was talking about her grandmother's vase this morning? How she thought she found it the other day while you two were in the attic, and wanted to bring it out?"
"Yeah?" Applejack replied as she, her siblings and Sunny all turned their attention to the grey unicorn as he collected the pieces together with his glowing green aura.
"From what I can tell, Sunny must have woken up, obviously realizing he slept in, panicked, and raced out of the room..." Alister continued as he motioned from the bedroom he and Sunny were sharing, then pointing with his hoof to the door that lead to the attic. "And ran down the way, not realizing Granny was descending from the attic. Being unable to stop, he slid into her, knocking her over and onto her back, and causing the vase she had found to fall out of her hooves, over the railing, where it landed right here!"
Everypony fallowed along as Alister painted a picture for them of the entire sanario. As he did, Sunny was both amazed and annoyed that he was able to guess what had actually happened.
"Am I right, Sunny?" Alister asked as he looked over at the yellow stallion. All the eyes in the room fell upon the yellow stallion, who went from angered and annoyed, to feeling ashamed.
"Yeah... That's how it happened" Sunny said in a much lower tone then normal, but before he could say anything to defend himself, Granny let out a painful grown.
"Big Mac" Alister got the attention of the big red stallion. "I need you to go to into town and get several ingrediants..."
Alister began writing down a small list of items he would require, levitating a piece of parapet and a quill over to him. When Alister was done he levitated it over to Big Mac and saluted him. Big Mac smiled and returned the salute before he ran out of the house and down the road that would inevitably lead him into town.
"What in the hat was all that for?" Applejack asked the grey unicorn, beating Sunny to the punch.
"I also had training in the Royal Medical reserve" Alister answered as he walked over to Granny who was resting on the couch. He asked to see her back for a moment. Applejack and Sunny both watched as he examined Granny. After a few moments of gently poking and prodding her back. He nodded and turned to her first before the two ponies watching him over his shoulder. "It looks like you just pulled a muscle. No bone damage. You were lucky. A week's worth of rest and you'll be good as new."
"Wha?!" Granny said almost startled. "But ah need ta get mah apple and fruit preserves ready for shipment! Ah can't be sittin' around like ah bump on ah long!"
"Does Applejack know how to do it?" Alister asked, levitating a pillow over to him then placing it gently behind the green mare's head.
"Well sure" Ganny replied. "But she can't do it alone. That's a lot o' work fer one pony, even if she knows what to do."
"I can help" Sunny jumped in to offer, feeling desperate to redeem himself.
"But Sunny" Applejack interrupted. "Didn't ya promise ta help make those deliveries to the town over today?"
"I can hurry and get that done in no time" Sunny said, begining to panic a little. "Or I could even watch and see how you do it and work in it at night. I've been having trouble sleeping anyway."
"Now ya know ya need yer sleep" Applejack began to lecture the yellow stallion. "Ah don't want ya pushin' yerself to exhaustion. 'Specially with winter wrap up so close."
"I could help" Alister cut in. "I used to help some of the mares in my home town with preserve preparation all the time. I'm sure I still remember how." He shot Applejack a smile, taking a step away from Granny and getting closer to Applejack. "If you wou don't mind jogging my memory."
"Really?! That would be great!" Applejack cheered, her face lighting up.
"Yeah... Just perfect...." Sunny commented under his breath. Then he looked over at the pieces of the vase that were all now gathered in a pile. 'Well at least there is one thing I can make right.'
Sunny walked over to the pile and lowered his head, aiming his horn at the debris. As his horn began to glow, he felt a hoof on his shoulder. He stopped the flow of magic to look up and see who it was, half expecting it to be Alister. But to his surprise it was a very concerned looking Applejack.
"Maybe ya better let Alister fix that one, Sunny" the orange farm mare said in a gentle tone, not trying to hurt his feelings.
"I can do it, Applejack" Sunny tried to reassure her, hurt found heavily in his own voice.
"Ah know, partner, ah know" she said as she readjusted her hat. "It's just... Ya don't have as much experience as Alister does. And ah don't want anything bad ta happen ta it, like it accidentally the into a square or a lamp of Discord or somethin'."
Sunny wanted to argue that he could do it, and if it had been anypony else he would have. But just seeing that look in Applejack's eyes, the tone in her voice, it took the fire out of him. Sunny felt hollow inside, as he stepped aside and let Alister approach the pieces of the vase. As the grey unicorn lowered his head and mimicked Sunny's actions, Sunny walked over to Granny.
"I'm so sorry Granny..." he said as he lowered his head by her. "I was just.... Like Alister said, I was worried because I woke up late.... And well..."
"It's alright Sunny" she said as she put a hoof on his mop of mane, gently smiling at the down trotted stallion. "Accidents happen."
"Is there anything I can get ya?" Sunny asked, raising his head. "Maybe something to drink?"
"Some Apple juice would be great" Granny said with a smile as she reassured, cringing painfully as she shifted.
"That show and tell was the best one yet!!!" Apple Bloom said as she bounced up and down in the snow on the road leading back to the apple farm from her school.
"Yeah!" Scootaloo followed quickly beside her friend. "That was almost as cool as when I brought Rainbow Dash in after she and the others defeated Tirek! Whoosh! Zoom! RAINBOW POWER!!!"
"I especially liked the story about you chaperoning Princess Cadence's high school prom, where she and Shinning Armor hooked up and were crowned prom king and queen!" Sweetie Bell added, gazing up at Alister with fluttering eye lashes as she let out a sigh. "How romantic!"
"Yes, yes..." Alister commented, starting to feel kinda claustrophobic with all these little fillies surrounding him. He was more then glad to go to Apple Bloom's show and tell, and more then happy to share his many experiences with the next generation, but ultimately, entertaining all the foals really exhausted the unicorn guard. And he was looking forward to a nice nap back at the barn.
"ALISTER!" A familiar voice cried out from atop a frozen hill, grabbing the attention of Apple Bloom, her friends, and Alister. There, at the top of the hill, smiling down with confident grins were Sunny and Rainbow Dash.
"Is that... Sunny?" Apple Bloom squinted her eyes up at the image of the two ponies in a distance.
Sunny then jumped from his position and sliding down the hill on his hooves, at first in a very well executed slide, almost as if he had a snowboard. But halfway down, he tripped over something and shook slightly before falling down the rest of the hill. Once he reached the base and stopped sliding, he looked up to realize he landed just at the hooves of a very confused and rather unimpressed Alister. The Cutie Mark Crusaders all looked like they had been holding back laughs while Sunny jumped to his hooves again, brushed off the snow from his body, then glared at the grey unicorn once more.
"Alister! I challenge you to an Iron Pony competition!" Sunny declared with a polished off since of bravado. "Right here, right now!"
"An iron-what?" Alister said slightly confused, and feeling his head ache growing.
"A completion of several winter based events to determine who is the better pony" Sunny declared. "And if I win, you have to get out of town and never come back!"
"And why would I even consider something so ridiculous?" Alister spat with a raised brow at the yellow unicorn.
"Because if you win, I'll tell you anything you want." Sunny's tone turned darker as his eyes liked with the royal guard's, Alister's intreat peaked. "Including where I've been wandering off too. Deal?"
Sunny spat in his hoof and held it out to Alister, thinking he might cringe at it. But to the yellow stallion's surprise, Alister mimicked his actions without hesitation, spitting into his hoof, then grabbing Sunny's. As the two locked eyes and glared each other down, Alister responded. "Deal."
For a moment the two unicorns just stood there, gripping each other's hooves with all their might and glaring into each other's eyes.
"I hope you two wash your hooves before eating" Sweetie Bell said as she looked at their spit covered hooves in disgust, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo snickering in the background.
(Insert mlp them)
Alister and Sunny both stood on the snow covered field just outside the Apple farm. The Cute Mark Crusaders sat in the bleachers, eating popcorn and drinking soda, eager to see the two stallions compete. Sunny had managed to snag Spike to be the judge, who, promised on his Nobel dragon code, to judge their tasks with an unbiased opinion.
"We're going to start off with a rather simple competition" Sunny announced loud enough for Alister and the small crowd, consisting of only three fillies, as well as the dragon judge to hear. "We're going to make snow ponies. The most detailed and creative snow pony wins! We have 5 minutes. Oh, and for this round, no magic. Only your bare hooves!"
"Sounds simple" Alister commented. "But I think you might have a slight advantage. I've never built a snow pony."
"Well then we're even. Neither have I." Sunny sad with a smirk. "But I did read about building them in a book I borrowed from Twilight."
"Great" Spike said under his breath. "He's starting to sound just like her."
"You ready with the timer judge?!" Sunny called out, more focused on Alister then on anything Spike said.
"Ugh, y-yeah!" Spike fumbled the stop watch around in his claws for a moment until he got it up right. He smiled when he had his claw on the red start/stop button. "On your mark.... Get set... GOOOO!"
And the two unicorns were off, Sunny went right to work rolling a small snow ball around on the ground to collect as much snow as possible, while it seemed Alister studied the density of the snow for a moment, shifting it around in his hooves, thinking and taking his time to envision an image of a glorious snow pony. Then the idea came to him, and he immediately began molding some long and tall pieces from the snow around him. while Spike and the girls watched the two stallions hard at work, Rainbow Dash joined them in the stands, taking a seat right next to Scootaloo, who immediately grew a giant smile on her face, almost forgetting about the competition entirely.
"Aaaand... TIME!" Spike called out as he hit the big red button on the stop watch right as it hit 5 minutes.
Sunny stood proudly by his creations as he tried desperately to catch his breath. He had never worked so fast and focused so much on detail in his entire life, but he stood tall next to his creations feeling triumphant in his first event. He didn't make just one snow pony, he decided to make four! He recreated the Apple family in snow. He made a snow pony of Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and even Granny. It was nice that he made that of them, but becouse he decided to go with 'quantity', but the 'quality' was poor compared to some snow ponies he's come across. Some parts on them looked shaky, as if they were going to fall off at any moment. And some detailed were, well, wrong. Big Mac had been made kind of on the thin side, Apple Bloom had been made rather small in comparison to the actual filly, and the snow Granny's left eye was slowly heading south. The only snow pony that was decently precise to the actual pony was Applejack, but she didn't even have eyes. Spike hopped out of his seat and walked over to Sunny's snow ponies to give them a close look over. He nodded and told him, "well.... It certainly is creative..."
But as the little purple dragon turned to judge Sunny's competition, his jaw dropped at the sight. Sunny turned to see what Alister had made and found his jaw dropping as well, the same could be said about all the ponies in the stand, which now consisted of the Crusaders, Rainbow Dash, Lyra and Bon Bon (who had been passing by and thought that the competition looked interesting, and had nothing else better to do.)
"I believe this will suffice" Alister said with a cocky grin as he stood next to his creation, a full scale model of Princess Celestia! As Spike approached it, he looked on the snow pony in awe as it stood regally with its left hoof up, wings extended, and a horn made of an icicle pointed and glimmering at the sun! Small rocks were placed around her hooves and neck like the diamonds and gold jewelry she often wore. And here eyes were magnificently carved from ice!
"Ugh... Wow..." Was all spike could say as he took a few steps back. "Well, ugh.... Alister wins..."
"Good" Alister said as he brushed some snow off of his shoulder. "Is that all?"
"You wish" Sunny said with a smirk, unphased by his opponent's victory. "Go ahead and read the next event off the list, Spike!"
Spike pulled out a scroll with a list of various tasks that Sunny and Rainbow Dash came up with for this iron pony competition. "Well... The next event is... A snow ball fight."
"Are all you're challenges so childish?" Alister asked as he looked over at Sunny, unamused.
"Why don't you read the details of event, Spike" Sunny continued to grin as he looked back at the unamused Alister.
"It says here" Spike continued. "That the event will last only two minutes, you are not allowed to use magic, and the pony who destroys most of the opponent's snow pony creation from the previous event wins."
"Pretty creative" Alister said as he moved to stand in front of his Celestia sculpture. "For a child."
Sunny growled under his breath as his grin faded and he took his own defensive position at his side of the field, standing in front of his own snow pony Apple family creations.
Spike had gone to the center of the field and drew a line between the halves, separating Sunny's side from Alister's. "No pony is allowed to cross this line." He announced. "And remember, only snow balls. No rocks or sticks. You guys have two minutes. Ready?... Set...GO!!!" Spike called out as the he ducked out of the way of various flying snowballs.
Alister had gained some knowledge of how to form snowballs from when he was constructing his Celestia snow pony, and now felt confident in this event. Sunny, although having knowledge of how to form snowballs was lacking in one thing needed for this competition. Aim. Sunny had practiced as much as he could with Rainbow Dash for this part, but couldn't seem to aim right with his hooves. And as Alister's assault of snow balls were aimed right on target, Sunny's were going off every which way, one even hitting Alister right in the face. Although Sunny found it halarious, it didn't help him much in the competition. Both stallions were doing their best not only trying to break the opposing side's snow ponies down, but also to try and protect their own from damage.
Alister's aim with snowballs was so precise that all he had to do was toss one of his snow balls at the ones Sunny threw to knock them off corse. Of course, after realizing that Sunny couldn't seem to hit the broad side of a barn, Alister decided to focus on taking out his snow ponies. Sunny couldn't do what Alister did to protect the snow Apple family, so instead, when a snow ball came close to hitting them, Sunny jumped in front of the way and took the hit for them. But this also kept him from returning fire, putting the yellow stallion at a huge disadvantage.
"45 seconds left!" Spike cried out from a little snow fort that he made after he was hit with several of Sunny's stray snow balls. The small crowd that had gathered in the bleachers, now adding Derpy, Flitter, Thunder Lane, Rose, Lilly, and the spa twins to the count, had begun cheering both sides on, not really knowing what was at stake.
Sunny looked around at the scene. It looks like the poor Granny snow pony and Apple Bloom snow pony had been taken out, partly from Alister's attacks, but mostly from their own poor design flaws. He then looked over at Alister as he continued his barrage of snow balls. That's when Sunny saw it! His chance to win! The way Alister had constructed his snow Celestia, she had her left front hoof raised, which put a lot of pressure on the front right hoof as well as the left back hoof! If he could just hit one of those legs hard enough, it might just send it tumbling!
Sunny jumped in front of another snow ball that would have his his thin Big Mac. Sunny recovered from the hit, gathered as much snow as he could with one hoof, packed it tightly together using his other hoof, then launched it as hard as he could, aiming at the front right hoof of the snow Celestia. Only, Alister shot a snow ball just right at the bottom of Sunny's snow ball send it flying strait up into the air!
"Ten seconds!" Spike called out again.
Sunny was beginning to panic! He looked around, but had used up almost all of the snow on his side! He shot a look over at Alister who prepared another snow ball. Sunny thought quickly and just waited by his snow ponies for Alister to throw his snow ball. Then he would catch it and use it in one last ditch effort. Only, Alister took a second look around the area surrounding Sunny and smirked.
Oh no! He had realized that Sunny exhausted all his resources and couldn't retaliate. So the grey unicorn dropped his snow ball on the ground and stood by patiently for the time to run out. Sunny began to panic as he looked around, hoping to find something, any bit of snow he might be able to gather, but there wasn't anything for him to use!
"6!... 5!...4!..." Spike began to call out, eyes glued to the watch. "3!..."
Just after Spike called out 3, something fell from the sky and landed on a tree that was right behind the Celestia snow pony, and had quite a bit of snow covering its branches.
"2!..." Spike called out again.
The snow on the tree's branches then shook and fell on top of the giant snow pony Alister had created. Causing the back half of it to cave in and crumble under the new weight. As it did, the front half of the giant snow pony fell back on itself and broke into several pieces.
"Ugh... 1?...." Spike said as he watched the whole snow Celestia came crumbling down, covering Alister in bits of his own snow creation. The entire crowd fell silent for a moment, then cheered at the amazing sight. Spike walked over and examined the debris of the once majestic looking Celestia snow pony as Alister climbed out and dusted the snow chunks off of him. Spike then looked over at Sunny who stood happily next to his two still standing snow ponies of Applejack and Big Mac. "Well, I guess this round goes to Sunny!"
"Ugh!" Alister said as he looked from his once great masterpiece over at the smug yellow unicorn. "That was a lucky shot! You could never make that again! Not in a million years!"
"I don't need to" Sunny said as he triumphantly trotted over to Alister and Spike. "That event is over. So Spike, what's next on the list?"
"According to the list, ice scatting" Spike said as he read the 3rd thing on the list.
"I assume you brought enough ice scared for the both of us? Or are you planning to win by default?" Alister asked, feeling annoyed that Sunny won the last even because of dumb luck.
And as if breaking some element of reality, Pinkie appeared seemingly out of nowhere with a number of skates, holding them by the shoelaces in her mouth. As she dropped them, Sunny and Alister counted and there were enough for two ponies in the whole mangles mess. "There! I brought these from episode 11, season 1!"
Sunny, Spike, and Alister all looked at each other, all greatly confused for a long moment. Sunny was the first to shake it off with a wave of his hoof as Pinkie disappeared and rejoined the crowd, taking a seat in the row above and directly behind Rainbow Dash.
"It's just Pinkie being Pinkie" Sunny said as he grabbed a pair of the skates and began to put them on. Once he finished he looked over at Alister who was tying the laces on his last skate. "But I wouldn't bother getting o know her, seeing how you won't be showing your face here again after tomorrow."
"Awfully optimistic, aren't we?" Alister said as he got to his hooves and began walking over to the frozen pond about 20 yards from the field.
Moments later, the two unicorn stallions reached the edge of the frozen over pond and set hoof on the ice. Sunny was a little shaky, but he eventually got his balance just in time to be showered by a frosty wave of ice shavings. As he looked up and brushed the little bits of ice from his face, he caught a glimpse of Alister catching more speeds then jumping I Into the air, performing a triple spin, then landing perfectly with a small glide. Sunny's jaw dropped as he began to realize his mistake in choosing this event. But none the less, he dove on in and did his best on the ice. Sad to say, his best just wasn't good enough.
The stallion fell flat on his flank for most of the ice skating event, while Alister earned a few tossed roses from the mares in the crowd. Sunny looked to the far end of the felid to see Fluttershy standing on a wooden score board moving a few numbers around. Sunny ignored the fact that he had never seen the score board before, as well as wondering when Flutterhshy arrived, and focused more on the fact that Alister now had 2 points to his 1. The yellow unicorn shook it off and picked himself up
"Well it ain't over yet!" Sunny said to himself and he straitened his Stetson hat and mentally prepared himself for the next challenge.
The next event was a snow shoveling competition. Not to be confused with the duties of the winter wrap up team, where they were to clear the fields. This was more or less clearing out small strips of the field they were competing on. After Alister's snow Celestia fell to bits, most of the middle felid was once again covered in snow. The two stallions cleared their sections out both in about the same time, without magic yet again, but as Spike examined the results, he found that Alister's side was a little more cleared of snow then Sunny's. So Alister received the point for the event, and Fluttershy marked on the score board 3 for Alister, still 1 for Sunny.
Sunny had planned a tug of war for the next event, the clearing that he and Alister made during the last event was to be the mid point for the event. The ground underneath the once snowy area had become slushy and muddy, so anypony who fell in would not only get dirty, but freezing as well! As both stallions grabbed hold of a large rope that was provided by the Cutie Mark Crusaders (from one time when they tried their hooves at rope swing building to get their cutie marks), they readied themselves to pull with all their might.
Spike moved between them and raised his claw, looking from one stallion to the other, then called out "GO!"
With that, Sunny got the first good pull, having Alister slide slightly, almost falling into the slushy pit! But the unicorn guard caught his footing and began to put up some resistance. He gave a good tug back, having Sunny slide a few inches as well. But the yellow unicorn was not about to give up without a fight. Both stallions refused to budge until Sunny got an idea. He had learned it from talking to Big Mac about fishing. With a slight grin, Sunny let some of his rope go suddenly, catching Alister off guard. The grey unicorn's hooves slipped slightly from the sudden absence of pressure, causing his to half fall over, and it was at that moment that Sunny saw his chance! At that moment when Alister stumbled and almost lost his footing, Sunny tugged on the rope with all his might, causing the grey unicorn who was about to readjust his footing to suddenly be tugged forward enough to land him just above the muddy pit! Alister began to slip, but without thinking, he cast a teleportation spell, teleporting him safely out of the way.
Sunny fell over on his flank, but he smiled at his victory. The crowd cheered and after Spike made the call, Fluttershy added another point to Sunny's score.
"You seem to win only out of dumb luck" Alister spat at Sunny as he walked, seeming even more annoyed then before.
"Are ya upset that my 'luck' seems to be out doing you and you 'skill'" Sunny mocked Alister further, enjoying the look of frustration on the Royal guards muzzle.
"I believe we are only tied" Alister said as he looked over Spike's shoulder at the list of events. "And you have quite a few items here still."
"Ya afraid ah'm gunna beat you with cheer luck?" Sunny said, still feeling cocky.
"Luck will only get you so far" Alister was beginning to regain his cool. "The next event?"
"Snow cone stacking!" Spike declared as pinkie tossed both Alister and Sunny a pair of brightly colored ice cream scoops to use. "Whoever can stack the tallest mount of snow cones wins! And in this event, magic can be used!"
Sunny and Alister immediately went to work, stacking one scoops ontop of another. Using their magic to levitate the scoops to stack ontop of one another after the 4th scoop or so made it a little easier. Without magic, this competition would have been over in no time. After Sunny reached his 10th scoop, he realized that two ponies had arrived and had small watch like devices in their hooves. One was Twilight, and the other Sunny had recognized from town. Amethyst Star, he believes her name was.
"Don't mind us" Twilight said with a hoof wave. "Just trying to help keep score."
Sunny looked back and saw Alister was already ahead by 4 scoops! Calming his mind, Sunny began to levitate multiple scoops at a time and stack them shortly one after another. He paused every now and again, waiting for the now, really tall stack to stop shacking. Both towers of snow balls were frighteningly tall by this time, about 142 scoops or so. As the crowds watched, everypony wondered if the stacks were going to crumble or tip over at any moment.
"Hey, Twilight" Amethyst whispered, leaning over to the purple alicorn.
"Yes, Amethyst?" Twilight answered, almost unable to take her eyes off of the two snow pullers before her.
"What's your count for Alister?" Amethyst asked. "Sunny's got 145 so far... 146" she added as Sunny placed another scoop gently ontop.
"Alister's got 149" Twilight answered, feeling kinda amazed that this isn't even an Equestrian record.
Sunny couldn't hear what the mares were saying, he and Alister both were using their full concentration to levitate not only the snow balls, but themselves. The stacks had grown so high that they needed to levitate themselves to keep an eye on their stacks.
"I'm getting kinda worried..." Twilight admitted.
"Why? I mean if the stacks fall, it's just snow..." Amethyst began to say.
"It's not the snow I'm worried about" Twilight continued as she looked to the two floating stallions. "It takes a lot of concentration for a unicorn to levitate for that long. But both Alister an Sunny are levitating not only themselves, but multiple snow balls as well...."
"What should we do?'" Amethyst began to panic. "Be ready on stand by to catch them if they fall. I just hope those two are smarter then that and realize their limits..."
Back in the air, Sunny was beginning to feel the dangerous amount of stress he was putting on his mind. Twilight had told him that if a unicorn casts a spell either for too long or too many times, one right after another, it could cause them to get light headed and pass out. Taking in a few deep breaths to calm himself, he looked over at Alister who was looking even worse off then he felt. Alister's breathing was heavier, and it seemed that beads of sweat had trickled into his right eye, forcing it shut.
"Why don't you just give up?" Sunny called out to Alister, feeling slightly light headed.
"I've endured far worse then this" Alister replied, but his voice said something different. It sounded strained, raspy.
"Fine!" Sunny snapped, feeling the pressure in his own head increase with the mental strain. "I'll just have to work harder!"
Sunny took in a few more calming breaths, helping him to get his second wind! As he did, he began to stack his stack with a fraction more speed. Alister was surprised to see this and began to work faster to try and keep his spot in the lead. But then it happened.
Alister dropped his last snowball as his head began to pulse. He could feel his head fighting, splitting in two m as he desperately fought to stay in control. But after a small moment of rest, he looked across the way to see Sunny looking at him with slight concern. That's when the yellow unicorn saw something. Or at least he thought he did. Sunny could have sworn he saw Alister's eye change. It was like.... Like a snake or a lizard's eye.
Sunny shook off the thought and instead went to right back to the task at hand. 'Just a few more...' The yellow unicorn thought. 'Just a few more... Then I'll beat.... I'll... I'll beat....'
The world around Sunny faded to black as his body went numb, feeling like it weighed a million pounds. With that, Sunny's green magical aura that surrounded him and his snowballs disappeared, and the yellow stallion began to plummet towards the ground, and fast!
Shaking off his dissonance, Alister gathered himself enough to speed towards the falling yellow pony! Alister dove as best as he could to get to Sunny, but the ground was approaching faster then the grey stallion could dive! Both of the unicorn stallions were maybe a few feet above the ground before Alister was able to grab hold of Sunny and teleport himself and the yellow stallion safely from their current position to a pile of snow that wasn't ten yards from where they would have landed. once they plopped into the snow safely, Alister began to breathe deeply, trying to relax his mind. He felt like he was losing control again. As he relaxed and Sunny started to come too, Alister heard something from the crowd. They all were cheering his name.
Sunny suddenly jerked up and looked around, appearing slightly disheveled. His mane was a mess, there were bags under his eyes, and if Alister didn't know any better, he would have said the yellow unicorn was developing a twitch in his left eye. "What happened?! Did I win?"
"Actually, you two tied" Twilight said as she and Amethyst galloped over to the two stallions.
"They're both very impressive stacks" Amethyst commented, trying to sound optimistic. "It beats any record anypony in town ever had. And that saying something since we have Pinkie here."
Sunny said nothing more as he rolled out of the pile of snow and began to brush himself off. Alister followed suit, but was intercepted by an incoming pegasus dressed in a wondrbolt's uniform. The pony whispered into Alister's ear, telling him something that urned a very horrified face from Alister.
"I understand..." Alister told the wonderbolt. "Send word to Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom to meet me at the Misty Pass, and that we should prepare for the worst." Without a second word, the wonderbolt saluted Alister and bolted off in the direction of Canterlot mountain.
"What was that all about?" Sunny said as he shot Alister and Exhausted glare.
"Some matters most urgent have been brought to my attention" Alister said loud enough to not only inform Sunny, but Twilight and those who were close by. "I'm afraid my vacation has been cut short. I'll be taking my leave immediately."
"No!" Sunny said as he stomped his right hoof hard on the ground, eyes narrowed in on the grey unicorn guard.
Everypony turned and stared at the angry looking yellow pony, shocked by his sudden aggressive outburst. Alister, though, shock off his shock and broke the awkward silence. "Excuse me? What do you mean 'No'?"
"What I mean" Sunny began as he took an assertive step forward. " is we aren't done here. We still have several more events to cover today, then several more challenges for winter wrap up tomorrow. You can't leave."
"I'm sorry, Sunny" Alister said in a monotone voice, but his eyes showed just how annoyed he truly was with the farm pony. "But there are some things that are more important then playing silly games with you."
"Don't you dare talk down to me!" Sunny spat at the unicorn guard. "If you leave now, you forfeit! Which means you can't ever show your face around Ponyville ever again!"
Twilight, Spike, and everypony in the crowd gasped as they heard every word that Sunny said, the hostility in his voice helped to amplify his message that was originally intended only for Alister. Sunny wasn't paying attention to anypony else though. He didn't care that the ponies in the crowd began to whisper about what he had said, or started commenting about the frightening way Sunny looked. No. All the yellow unicorn cared about and focused on was Alister and the look puzzling look he returned to him.
"Is that really how you want to win this? Doesn't say much for your sportsmanship." Alister asked, keeping his head held high as his eyes fell upon Sunny.
"Let me ask you one thing..." Sunny said as he stepped closer, lowering his voice so only he and Alister could hear his next words.
After Sunny was done whispering in his ear, Alister's face went from high and in control to stunned and shocked. Almost as if he had just been fired from the Royal guard. Shaking his head quickly, Alister narrowed his eyes at Sunny, who wore a smug look earned from a hallowed victory. But a victory none the less. A means to an end.
"As you wish. You win this Iron Pony competition. And as we agreed, I will never show my face in town again. I am a stallion of my word." Alister's green magical aura covered him. And as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, taking he grey unicorn guard with it in a flash of light.
"Yes!" Sunny began to cheer and break out into a victory dance. "He's gone! I did it! Yes!"
"An' what exactly do ya think ya did that's worth celebratin'?" Applejack's outraged voice brought Sunny's victory dance to a halt as she rose up out of the crowd and marched down to where the yellow unicorn was dancing.
"Wha?" Sunny said as he stopped dancing and looked over at Applejack some what sheepishly. "A-A-Applejack, ugh, w-what a surprise. What brings you here?"
"What do ya mean 'what brings me here?'" She said, her anger level seeming to raise. "More then half th' town's here watching ya make a darn fool of yerself! Now you mind explainin' ta me why ya decided ta kick Alister out ah town after all he's done fer us?!"
Sunny shook off his sheepish uncertainty and met Applejack's hard gaze with a level one of his own. "Applejack, I know he helped save the farm, but there was something about him that I didn't like."
"Yeah, ya were jealous of him" Applejack said flat out.
"Excuse me?!" Sunny commented, eyes going wide with outrage.
"Ya heard me!" Applejack continued. "Don't pretend ya weren't. Alister was great with magic, he helped more around the farm, he was good with the little ones, and he helped save the farm while you were off doing Celestia knows what in the Crystal Empire!"
"I am not jealous of that pompous windbag!" Sunny shot back, his anger building up. "He may have had you and everypony else fooled, but he was hiding something! I saw it. And if you weren't so star struck, you'd have seen it too!"
"Ah'm sorry. Ah forgot, only you can come in and save the Apple farm" Applejack hissed. "Oh, wait one apple pickin' minute, ya never really did! All ya did was help bring in th' harvest. Which, any pony could have done. Oh, but if they did, who knows! Maybe ya would have run them outta town too!"
"You're right, Applejack...." Sunny began to say in a calm voice, slightly catching the orange mare off guard. "I was wrong. Hey! You know what? I think Tirek wanted to help pull weeds, are ya gunna put him up too?! Why not just give 'him' my bed this time?! Oh! Or maybe Flim and Flam would like to come back and help clean out the barn again. Let's let them stay the week!"
"Well ain't you cheeky!" Applejack countered. "We give ya ah roof over yet head, th' food off our plates, and ya throw it back in my face!"
"You wanna talk about loyalty here?!" Sunny took another step forward towards Applejack, his breathing becoming heavier as his eyes weighed more down on the farm mare. "How loyal are you really? I leave for something important, life changing even, only to come back and find you swooning over some other stallion! Two days! I was gone for barley two days!!!"
"Ah wasn't 'swooning' over anypony-" Applejack tried to counter, but was cut off again.
" 'oh Alister tell me more about your amazing adventures!', 'oh Alister please dazzle me with your magical skills!', 'oh Alister, show me what a wonderful nurse you are!'l Sunny began to mock Applejack, making her turn redder then Big Mac.
"Well at least Alister didn't break Granny's hip!" Applejack said between her teeth.
"It was an accident!" Sunny went right to defending himself. "And nothing is broken! Just a pulled muscle!"
"It wouldn't have been pulled in th' first place if ya weren't goofin' around where ya weren't supposed ta!" Applejack continued.
"Goofing around?!" Sunny was starting to turn red now. "I'm sorry. I wanted to wake up on time to get some work done. What were you doing? Making 'Alister' flap jacks while he told you some story about how he saved orphans from a burning building?!"
"Maybe ya would have known if ya work up on time and hadn't been up all night parting with Cadence and Shinning Armor!" Applejack glared at the yellow stallion.
"Maybe if you actually thought about something other then the stupid farm, you could have-" Sunny began to say, but was cut off.
"Watch her mouth!" Applejack was seeing red. "Ya can make fun o' me. Ya can make fun o' what ah do, but two things ya better not make fun of is mah family or mah home!"
"Well maybe if ya pulled yer head out of the orchard every now and again, ya would be a better judge of character! Anypony could see that Alister had skeletons in his closet! What would you have done if-" Sunny began to say but was cut off again by the tree bucking mare.
"Yer right" Applejack spat. "Ah would be a better judge of character. Ah thought ya were ah kind, sweet, honest to Celestia, good stallion. But really, yer just a jealous, spoiled little colt!"
"Take. That. Back." Sunny's tone more then showed he wasn't playing around anymore.
"Ain't happenin'" Applejack said. "Not till ya tell Alister he can come back inta town, and yer sorry and ah fool fer even making that bet."
"You know what, Applejack" Sunny began to say. "You can have Alister! Let him stay on the farm! Have him work the fields with you! Bake goods with Granny! Shine Big Mac's shows for him! Do whatever! Because I'm done!"
"And just what do ya mean bah that?!" Applejack sounded slightly shaken, her anger starting to fade away.
"I mean the Crystal Heart was wrong!" Sunny yelled, tears starting to form at the far corners of his eyes. "I wish I had never come to your stupid farm! You can have it! I don't want it or you anymore!"
As Sunny yelled those words, his horn began to glow with his green magical aura. Only, something began to change. The aura started to fade from its usual bright emerald green to a sickening darker green. Before anypony could say another word, the yellow unicorn disappeared in a flash, leaving no trace of himself behind. A small shock wave created from him teleporting away caused both of the tall snowball towers to shake slightly, waiting for the straw to break the camel's back.
Without knowing which direction he teleported away in, Applejack just ran over to the spot where he stood last and yellows out at the top of her lungs, tears forming in her eyes "Good ridens! Yer not welcome on the farm anyway!!!"
As Applejack glared off in a random direction not even knowing if it was the direction that Sunny teleported away in, the second wave of noise from her yelling broke the camel's back. The two snow cone towers shook back and forth, with the entire crowd gulping and gasping at the frightening sight, until they both gave way and fell, landing on the crowd below, burying them all in a thick pile of snow!
Sunny had teleported himself at least a quarter of a mile away from where he and Alister had been competing, on a road that lead neither to Ponyville or Everfree Forest. Frustrated and hurt, he dashed off of the road as fast as he could, not paying attention to where exactly he was going. All that mattered was that he put as much space between him and Applejack and the farm as possible. He ran so hard and for so long that when he realized that he couldn't feel his legs, he found himself at the creek that was just down the way from Fluttershy's hut, about half the town's length away from the Apple farm.
The yellow stallion collapsed on his haunches at the edge of the river, head dropping as tears ran steadily from his eyes. He may not have had all his memories back, but he knew in his heart that he had never felt this hurt. Not even when his father sealed him away... Because... Because he never thought that Applejack would ever hurt him...
"Well well well" and all too familiar and most unwanted voice interrupted Sunny's thought. "what do we have here?"
Sunny raised his head to see the unwanted image of the three pegusi, Hoops, Dumb-Bell, and Score, as they hovered in the air just above him, then landed next to him by the river, chuckling lightly as they did.
Not wanting the three bullies to see his tear filled eyes, Sunny turned his head away from the three pegusi, sighed then asked in a weakened voice "what do you three stooges want?"
"Awwww" Score said as he walked over to Sunny and gave him a forceful nudge. "Can't buddies cheer a pal up when he's down?"
"Yeah!" Hoops agreed, taking Sunny's other side, opposite of Score. "Cheer up!"
"We saw ya balling your eyes out after your marefriend told you off" Score continued while looking back behind Sunny for some reason. "And we thought we'd come to cheer you up."
Slightly confused, Sunny looked over to Score while wiping his eyes clear of tears. "Really?"
"Yeah, really?" Hoops said questioningly at Score, earning the dim pegasus a glare from the shorter one. "Ugh, I mean, yeah! Yeah really!"
"So to do that" Score recovered and shot Sunny a plastered smile. "We're going to help make you more at home..."
Before Sunny could ask how, Score flipped the Stetson off the top of the head of the yellow unicorn. Sunny's vision was then cut off as Dumb-Bell slammed a bucket full of mud onto his head, covering the yellow stallion in freezing cold mud! As Sunny stood up, struggling to get the bucket off, Dumb-Bell, kneeled down on all fours behind him as Score and Hoops pushed Sunny from the front in his confusion, flipping the yellow unicorn over! Sunny landed hard on his back, his ears filled with a ringing from the vibration of the bucket as mud was pushed into his mouth, ears and nose! His head rang as Sunny removed the bucket and wiped the mud from his face. When his eyes were clear of most of the mud, he saw the three jerk pegusi high-hoofing each other for completing the prank. Unfortunately for them, Sunny was in no mood to be messed with...
"That was awesome!" Dumb-Bell said as he head butted Score, still laughing in mid air.
"Yeah!" Score agreed, chucking at Sunny. "Nothing like dirt to make him feel right at home, right!"
"He he, yeah! Dirt!" Hoops agreed as he hovered close to his friends, just barley above the ground.
A moment after Score gave Dumb-Bell one last celebratory hoof bump, he saw the yellow stallion move out of the corner of his eye. Score looked down at the stallion and chuckled again as he moved to hover just above Sunny. "Ha ha, feel better? Want some manure to go with it? How about our apple cores from lunch?!"
As Hoops and Dumb-Bell broke into more fits of laughter at their friend's joke, Sunny took one last deep breath and let out the anger and rage he held burning inside of him. Score was about to make another joke but his laughter was silenced as his eyes met those belonging to Sunny. The once green and white eyes have darkened, the green irises had shafted to a bright red, where the white sclera had taken the color of glowing green. Score only caught a moment of the frightening sight as purple flames enmities from the stallion's eyes, and in that moment, his world went was swallowed up by shadow!
Score did his best to shake off the uneasy feeling that had suddenly overcome him. When he did, he was back at school! He looked himself over and confirmed it, he had reverted back to the age before he even got his cutie mark! "What the-?... What's going on here?"
"Hey there, shorty!" A screechy voice rang in Score's ears, one that sent a chill down his spine.
Score watched as 3 mares from his old school, ones who were a few years older then him and thus already obtained their cutie marks, approached him, chuckling amongst themselves as their eyes stabbed into the young, much shorter, Pegasus. Score suddenly felt sick to his stomach as the uneasy feelings of his past suddenly rushed back to him, making him forget how he even got sent back in time in the first place.
"Oh look! Isn't he such a cute little baby!" Another one of the trio commented as she pinched one of Score's cheeks.
"Hey! Cut it out!" Score said as he pushed er hoof away and rubbed his cheek that was now throbbing in pain. "I-I'm no baby !"
"Oh?" The third one sarcastically said as she raised a hoof to her mouth. "Then why are you wearing a diaper!"
Score looked confused for a moment then looked behind him. He was shocked to see he was now wearing a diaper! An actual, big, puffy, baby's diaper!
"Awwww! Is widdle baby gunna wet himself!" The first mare teased again, now appearing three times her previous size.
"He smells like he already pooped!" The third one commented, also now three times her previous size, as she pinched her nose with her hoof and waved at the air around her with her free hoof.
Score felt the tears build up as he tried his best to hold back from crying, he hadn't cried in years. He forced himself to ridden up so he would never cry like that again! Looking around the school's hall, more and more students stopped and whispered to each other as they looked and pointed at him. It was no use, Score couldn't hold back any more, and began wailing as the three mares continued to laugh at him. The more Score cried, the louder the three mares' laughs grew, and soon, the other students began to laugh with them. That laughter, the thing Score hated the most, filled his head until he couldn't even hear himself crying any more. After several hours, room and all the details faded as Score continued to revert back to an actual baby and the tree bully mares continued to grow and over tower him, their cynical laughter never fading....
Sunny washed the rest of the mud off his face in the river before picking up his Stetson hat, brushing it off, and setting it back on his head. With a deep breath, he looked back at the three pegusi that were now curled up in fetal positions on the ground, muttering different things to themselves with red and green eyes similar to what his were, only calloused by their worst fears, blinding them from the sights of the real world. Sunny let out an angered breath as he was about to leave the three bullies there in the snow, knowing they would do the same to him. But...he hesitated... Just for a moment. As he looked down at the three bullies, a small voice inside told him not to just leave them like this, no matter how angry and hurt he was by their actions. Something inside of him just couldn't leave them to freeze...
Sunny looked down the way and saw that Fluttershy's chimney had smoke coming out of it. She must have been home, or somepony was. Sunny walked over and hid in the bushes, making sure to be out of sight as he levitated a few small rocks in the air. He sent the first rock flying at the window with enough force to just get the attention of the pony inside. Moments after it hit the window, nothing happened. Sunny guessed that the pony inside didn't hear it, and sent the second one flying. The same thing happened, nothing. But after the third one hit the window, the yellow animal lover appeared at we window, looking around outside, slightly confused. Sunny then levitated a few more rocks around and let them fall on the ground, makes a trail from Fluttershy's cottage to the three paralyzed stallions.
Still hiding amongst the bushes, Sunny watched as Fluttershy emerged from her cottage, accompanied by a relaxed looking green mare with a bandana on the top of her lumpy looking, orange mane. Once the two mares reached the three stallions, Sunny made his move and quietly snuck away from his hiding spot. After he put a good distance between him and the two mares, Sunny decided there was really only one place for him to go now. He focused as hard as he could as his horn began to glow green with his usual magical aura, and in a flash, the stallion had vanished.
-Sweet Apple Acres-
"The nerve of that colt!" Applejack said as she stormed into the farm house, waking Granny from her nap.
"Eh? Wha?" Granny asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
"After everything we did fer him!" Applejack continued to rant to herself as she went into the kitchen and poured herself a tall glass of cider. "Well ah guess if he ain't in th' spotlight, then he ain't happy.... Ugh! The nerve! Why If brains were leather, he couldn't saddle a June bug!"
"He he, we gunna trade th' flea circus in fer ah bug rodeo?" Granny called out to Applejack as she looked over her shoulder, chuckling lightly.
Applejack looked around the corner, her anger some what subsiding with the sight of her injured Grandmother now taking her mind off of Sunny. "Ah'm so sorry, Granny, did ah wake ya?"
Granny waves a hoof. "Don't worry bout waking little oh' me, AJ. Ah'm just glad ah woke up before ya sold th' flea circus. Mind pourin' me ah glass of cider too, while her there and all?"
As Applejack poured her grandmother a glass of apple cider, she thought it would be best to let Granny know about the incident that just took place. Se was going to ask where both Sunny and Alister were, and was going to hear of it eventually. "Granny, do ya know what Sunny just did?!"
Granny took the glass that Applejack carried over to her, took a small sip and licked her lips before answering. "Got himself inta some trouble?"
"More then that!" Applejack said as she began to see red again." Oh that colt! He's got me more steamed then ah dragon tryin' ta blow out birthday candles!"
Granny just chuckled at the sight. "'Bout time!" Was all she had to say to douse Applejack's own fire, leaving the orange mare speechless and confused for a moment. "It ain't healthy fer a stallion to seem so perfect. Needs ta make ah mistake some time. So what trouble did the fella get into?"
"Granny! He challenged Alister to an Iron Pony competition, and set th' stakes so if w had won, Alister would have ta leave Ponyville! Fer good!" Applejack emphasized the 'fer good' part of her explanation.
"Hmmm" Granny thought as she polished off her whole glass of cider. "And did Sunny win?"
"He did, but it wasn't th' right way" Applejack narrowed her eyes as he looked away from Granny. "Alister had ta leave, and Sunny called him out. Sayin' if he had left, he forfeited. Alister had some 'portent things he had ta do, and accepted those terms. Those stakes weren't right! On top of that, that ain't th' right way ta win!"
"Hmmmm" Granny thought to herself as she stroked her chin. "Ah wonder... What was it Alister would have got of he had won?"
"What does that matter?" Applejack snapped, her anger building up. "Ah never thought I'd see Sunny act like that! Ah thought he was different! A decent stallion!"
"Now Applejack" Granny spoke calmly to her granddaughter. "We ah'll know Sunny. And ah've never seen him act like this. Must be some reason fer it."
"Well there ain't!" Applejack snapped again and walked over to er chair and plopped down in a fit of anger. "And if he never wants ta come back to th' farm, that's his problem!"
Granny sat there for a while just staring at her granddaughter, trying ta find the right words to say. When they came to her, the anger in Applejack had simmered down a little. "Perhaps it's for the best. After all, he's cause quite a bit of trouble around here...."
"Yep" Applejack's anger flared again at the thought of the yellow stallion.
"And it's not like he's pulled his own weight around here or nothin'" Granny continued.
"Right..." Applejack began to calm down more, thinking of the days Sunny would spend working from dawn till dusk on the farm or in town selling apple products.
"He probably had no good reason fer actin' that way, anywho" Granny fake yawned as she began to close her eyes. "Best not ta have a feller like that 'round here. Not like anypony else round her has ever gotten so wrapped up in some silly contest, that they may have lost sight of what th' point of all it before..."
"Ugh..." Appeljack's mind flopped back to when she and Rainbow Dash competed in the first iron pony competition. Both her and her cyan colored pegusus friend got so wrapped up in outdoing the other that they almost ruined the running of the leaves race. Applejack tipped her hat downward, feeling her cheekS beginning to turn red.
"And it's not like Sunny ever felt like he was really ever at home here" Granny continued. "Why, I bet he couldn't wait to leave."
Applejack said nothing to Granny's last statement. All the freckles farm mare could think about was that first day that she met Sunny, and how he vowed to look after the farm and the Apple family. Applejack felt the strength behind his words. Felt the passion in his heart when he said that. In that moment, Applejack's mind began to reel with the memories she had of Sunny being on the farm and in Ponyville. All the good times they shared, all the fun they've had. Then her grandmother's words popped back into Applejack's mind...
'No mater what, Applejack, our home will always be wherever our family is. Weather on this farm, in a house in Boltimare, or even a cardboard box...We'll always have each other.'
'But who does Sunny have now?' Applejack though, her ears laying flat against the side of her head. 'He's always had us by his side, and the farm to call home... He is one of us! And ah got ya go get mah stallion!' Before the elderly green mare pretended to drift off into slumber land, leaving her granddaughter alone with her thoughts for a few moments. It didn't take the orange farm pony long before she was out the door, heading in the direction of town.
Granny smiled at the sound of the door opening and closing combined with the sound of Applejack's hoof steps as she did so. The elderly farm pony smiled and sighed as she really did drift off to sleep, hoping to have a nice, pleasant dream. "Oh ta be young and in love..."
Sunny was hiding in an alleyway from all the crystal ponies that were out and about. The Crystal fair was just hitting it's midpoint, and everypony in the Empire had come out too enjoy it. Everypony except him. Sunny hid out of sight, afraid that somepony would notice him.
"Too many ponies around..." He whispered to himself, then thought of a way to hide himself better. As he looked around, he saw a stack of hay, a half empty barrel of crystal berry juice, and a clothesline with somepony's laundry hung out to dry. His eyes instantly zoomed in on one specific piece of clothing. A black and purple cloak. "Perfect!"
Looking around and waiting until he was sure that nopony would see him take it, Sunny used his magic to undo the cloths pins that held the cloak, then he jumped and caught the cloak out of air before it had a chance to hit the ground. As soon as Sunny's hooves touched the earth below, he draped the cloak over himself, covering every inch of his being, say for the tip of his muzzle. He double checked his reflection in a puddle and made sure no pony could recognize him before he ventured out. When he was satisfied with the slight adjustments he made, the yellow stallion began casually walking out of the alleyway and into the main town, heading towards the train station.
He had no idea how he ended up in the Crystal Empire, but Sunny didn't plan on staying for much longer. As everypony enjoyed the festivities the fair had to offer, Sunny only focused on moving as fast as he could away from them. But every now and again he looked up and saw how much fun everypony was having. He would catch a glimpse of families, groups of friends, and the occasional love birds... All things made him wish he was just one of them. Sunny was jellies that the crystal ponies could play and enjoy their day, not worrying about hiding, or lying, or covering up the fact that they were related to a former tyrant...He dropped his head and kept it down despite all the wonderful sounds and smells that surrounded him. Ponies laughing and cheering, the sweet scent of fresh baked crystal berry goods. It was all too tempting. But it was a world that Sunny could never return to. Especially now.
Somehow the world around the cloaked stallion drooped in temperature, snow crunched beneath his hooves as he returned to a place that he was familiar with. Looking up from his cloak, Sunny recognized the river side that was not far from Flutterhy's cottage. And there, not far from him were the three bully ponies, Score, Dumb-Bell, and Hoops, all still shivering on the ground, their eyes still red and green from the dark magic spell he had cast.
Sunny recognized it from his copy of 'the Elements of Harmony'. It was the same spell that described Twilight's encounter with his father's magical door. Right now the three stallions were getting a taste of their own deepest fears, whatever they may be. Sunny's heart sank as he watched the three pegusi curled up on the ground. He felt terrible for losing his cool like that. And what's worse... He used dark magic. Just like what his father used on him.
The cloaked stallion bolted as fast as his hooves could carry him away from the scene. He had seen more then enough. Watching those three curdled up on the ground, suffering as they did, was far too much for the yellow unicorn. Sunny never wanted to use dark magic. It made him almost sick to know that not only had he used it, but he executed that horrible spell perfectly. 'Am I.... Am I just like my father?...'
Before he could think further on the subject, Sunny smacked his head hard into something, causing the stallion to fall flat on his backside. Shaking. His head clear, he looked up and realized he had run right back to the Apple farm. He shook the hoof of the cloak off to take a good look at the arch that he ran into that served as the entrance to the farm. Tears began to build up as he thought about the place he had once considered a home, but now might as well have been exiled from. If Applejack and the other Apples knew what he just did... They wouldn't just turn their backs on him. They'd probably hand him over to the royal guard. Getting up and pulling the hood back over his face, Sunny casually walked down the dirt road and up towards the farm house, taking in the feel of the ground beneath with his hooves, and the smell of the trees.
The orchard had somehow come back to life in his absences. The trees were alive and green with great, big, juicy looking apples just waiting to be harvested. The snow and ice looked to be completely gone. Had Ponyville gone through winter wrap up without him?
Sunny sighed as he pressed forward until he reached the edge of the orchard, and entered the open area around the farm house. 'It wouldn't surprise me... I'm not welcome here ever again...'
Dragging his hooves, Sunny forced himself up to the farm house, but rather then enter or stand at the front door, he decided it was a better idea to just peer in through the window, to keep hidden. As he looked through the kitchen window, he saw past the kitchen and right into the living room, where it seemed the entire family had gathered. Apple Bloom, Big Mac, Granny and Applejack were all sitting in a circle, laughing and talking about who knows what. But they seemed happy. As the feeling sunk in, the world around Sunny shifted again. Winter had returned, coating the farm in a thick blanket of snow, the apple trees were bare of leaves or fruit, and the wind was cold enough to freeze the fur off of anypony. But the cloaked stallion did nothing as the wind howled all around, trying to rip the black cloak off of him. Sunny just sat there and watched, thinking about every mistake he had made that led him to this horrible fate.
"It's awfully cold out here" a relaxed and calm voice spoke out, catching Sunny off guard. "Why don't you go inside and join them?"
Sunny covered himself was best he could with the cloak as he peered around to see who this pony was who was addressing him. With one eye peaking through his cloak, Sunny saw one of the two ponies he had hoped to honestly never run into. Princess Luna. Only her and her sister, Princess Celestia, could possibly recognize that he was Sombra's son, having lived during the time of his rule. She stood there, unaffected by the ice and snow of the winter that blew all around them. It was then that Sunny realized what was happening. "This is a dream. It's all just a dream!"
"Yes, young one" Luna explained. "It is a dream, and one that bothered us greatly. We sensed your distress and came as quickly as we could. Tell us, why do you not go in there? Join the others who are enjoying the warmth and good company?"
Greatful that Luna must not have recognized him with the aid of his cloak, Sunny just hung his head as his eyes peered into the Apple's farm house. "I don't belong there... I.... I don't really have a home. At least not anymore."
"Everypony had a home" Luna went on. "This place must have meaning to you, or you wouldn't be here. What's stoping you from going back?"
With a heavy sigh, Sunny decided to open up to the princess, while concealing his face, hoping the dream would soon end and she would never find out his identity. "Have you ever done something wrong? Thinking it was the right thing to do? Maybe to help those you care about but.... But maybe for yourself mainly?"
"We would think everypony has" Luna replied, her tone still flat.
"Well... What if that thing you, er, well, I, did, was so bad that somepony got hurt. Not necessarily physically hurt. But... But you were hurt too, and... And it was more complicated then that..."
"Calm yourself, young one" Luna said as she put a hoof on Sunny's back.
"Princess, ugh, your highness" Sunny said as he took a step back, stepping away from underneath her hoof, not wanting her to pull the cloak off accidentally. "I... I have a lot of issues to work with... And I honestly doubt that they all could be sorted out through this dream like with Apple Bloom and her friends.... I'm not like them. My problems are.... More complicated. My whole life is complicated."
"Oh?" Luna said as she turned to face the still cloaked stallion. "Tell me young pony, what horrible, complicated problem could be so terrible that it keeps you from the ponies you care about? The place you, even in your dreams, hold dear to your heart?"
"I... I've hurt ponies..." Sunny admitted again, his voice almost too heavy to be heard. "I hurt them all by accident... But I only feel half bad for it. Part of me thought they deserved it. And that makes me as bad as...."
Luna remained silent, waiting for an answer. But after the world around her and the cloaked stallion began to fade, she grew concerned. "As bad as who, young one?"
"Somepony I cared about..." Sunny admitted. "He was always there for me. Raised me. He was so kind... But he changed. And now... Now I'm afraid I might be just like him..."
"We all have made mistakes, young one" Luna spoke from the heart to the cloaked pony. "Even the princess of the moon has made one or two. But what matters is that we work to make them right."
Tears began to drip from Sunny's eyes and onto the black ground beneath him and Luna. "I just... All I wanted was a place to call home. With ponies who care about me, who I can care about and be there for as much as they are there for me... I just want too be happy..."
The image of the Apple farm house came back into view, first at a distance and just a hazy image. Then as it began to clear up, the house became bigger and bigger. Sunny once again looked through the window and saw the Apple family once again in the living room.
"Are they your family?" Luna asked, taking her spot beside the cloaked pony.
"They took me in when I had no home..." Sunny admitted. "If I ever went back to where I was born and raised... I would only be looked at as a failure... Maybe even a monster..." He then slightly titled his head to Luna, who in turn looked down at him, still unable to see his face. "Honestly.... I wouldn't care if I had to pay the price for my failures... It's what I deserve... What I owe to others... But..."
Sunny turned back to the window, eyes streaming heavily from his eyes now. " But if they new... If she knew... It would break my heart... It would break her heart... What would she think of me?..."
"Do you really think that they would disown you?" Luna asked, concerned that the young stallion felt so strongly about that fear, and wanted to put his worried mind at ease. "I once attacked my sister and tried to concur all of Equestria. But I was forgiven. Maybe you could be too."
The world around Luna and the cloaked Sunny shifted again, this time though, he was waking up. Things had gone as he had planned. Sunny made sure to keep himself covered by the cloak, even as the dream armed to end. The last thing he saw was Luna being pushed out of his mind.
"Go back home! Go home young one!" Was the lasts thing Princess Luna said as Sunny's eyes flickered open. The dream had ended.
The yellow unicorn pony was wrapped up in a raggedy, old tapestry that he had found in the castle. As Sunny looked around, he remembered that he ran off and took refuge in the castle of the two pony sisters. It was the same room Sunny had found his father in when he fist entered the broken down castle. The yellow unicorn had patched up the wholes in the walls a little bit more and had ventured deeper into the castle to gather some cloth to make a make shift bed with, as well as gather more fire wood. But it was the same dark and dreary room. Laying his head back down, Sunny watches as the small fire in the pit at the center of the room began to grow dimmer and dimmer. He levitated a few small logs and some straw onto the dying fire to extend its life a little while longer, wanting to stay warm in the otherwise freezing castle.
It was still dark out, he had only slept through half of the night, and felt his eyelids grow heavier and heavier. As he watched the fire grow once again, warming the room, Sunny covered himself again in the tapestry he was using as a blanket and thought about Applejack, back on the farm, warm in her bed. He didn't feel angry, jealous or any of the sort. Knowing she was safe and warm back where she called home, helped him fall right back asleep. But with no dreams this time.
-Twilight's castle-
There was a loud pounding at the castle's front door at what must have been 2 in the morning. Spike was able to sleep through it, Twilight wasn't so lucky. The pounding was so loud and so persistent that it even made its way into the purple alicorn's dreams. Just before she woke up, Twilight was having a dream that she was helping Rainbow Dash rebuild town hall after Derpy and Doctor Hooves crashed a big blue box into it. Reluctantly, the princess of friendship flopped out of bed and dragged her hooves down the hall to the front door. Along the way, Twilight thought how maybe she should take Princess Celestia up on her offer for a few sentries to stand guard at the front doors at least.
The poundings on the front door never subsided, and seemed to grow louder and louder, sounding more and more desperate as Twilight shook herself awake and looked through the peep hole. She couldn't get a clear look, but from what the alicorn princess could see, the pony in question appeared to be Applejack. Twilight unlocked the door and yawned as she attempted to greet her friend.
But before Twilight could get a single word out, Applejack rushed inside, running Twilight over in the process, leaving the sleepy princess flat on the ground as the farm pony began looking frantically around the castle. "Is he here?! Tell me he's here! This is the last spot in town! He has to be here somewhere!"
"Applejack" Twilight said as she pulled her self off of the ground and looked to her worried friend. "What the matter? Is 'who' here?"
"Sunny!" Applejack answered as she dashed from one decorative pot across the entryway to a potted plant a little further down the hall from it. "Ah've looked all over town fer that stallion! And ah can't find hide nor hair of him!"
"He didn't go back to the Apple farm?" Twilight asked, snapping fully awake with worry.
"No! And I've been out lookin' everywhere fer him!" Applejack said as she dashed down the hall and began looking through the various rooms lining the hallway, Twilight flying just above and behind her friend, too afraid of being trampled again to walk on the ground. "Oh! He has ta he here!"
"How about I try a locator spell?" Twilight suggested.
"That's a great idea, Twi!" Applejack said as she paused and looked over to her alicorn friend.
It wasn't until Applejack paused and actually looked at Twilight, that the princess of friendship noticed how tired the farm pony actually looked. There were bags under her pink and puffy eyes, Applejack's mane was Rarity's worst nightmare, and her breathing was even more erratic then a pony who had just done the running of the leaves and beat the record in half the time.
"Applejack, how long have you been out looking?" Twilight landed and put a hoof on the orange pony's shoulder.
The farm mare pulled off her hat, held it nervously in both hooves as she sat back on her honchos, and took a deep breath. "Ah've been lookin' fer him almost an hour after we finshed cleaning up the mess from the Iron Pony competition."
"And you haven't gotten any sleep? At all?" Concern weighing heavy in Twilight's voice.
"Ah can't... Now knowing he might be out there, in th' cold..." Applejack started to say as she put her hat back on.
"Come on, I'll get the spell started, but it will take some time. Why don't you get some rest. Winter wrap up is tomorrow, and you're a team leader. You'll need all your strength to lead the ponies in clearing the fields." Twilight said as she lead Applejack into a guest room of the castle
"But it's all mah fault he left!" Applejack put her hooves down. "If ah had just listened to his crazy babble... Maybe he wouldn't have run off like that..."
"He has had a lot on his mind" Twilight added, thinking maybe she should have talked to Applejack about what had happened at the Crystal Empire. But she thought that Sunny would have opened up to Applejack out of anypony, and wanted to leave that up to him. "But I'm sure he'll be back. Sometimes stallions do stupid things. But I know he'll come around. "
As Twilight set Applejack in the guest bed and tucked her in for the night, the green eyes of the farm pony met Twilights as she asked "how can ya be so sure? What if ah scared him off? What if he never comes back?! What if he found his 'real' family and they are rich! With ah big house, and enough bits to where Sunny'll never have ya work another day in his life?!"
Twilight put her hooves on her nervous friends's shoulders and looked her strait in the eye "when we were at the Crystal Empire, the Crystal Heart showed Sunny what was deep his heart, when he was confused about who he was and where he belonged. Do you know what it showed him?"
"...What?" Applejack asked as she yawned and forced her eye lids to remain open, her adrenalin slowly depleting.
"It showed him that what was important to him and what he could call home... It showed him Sweet Apple Acres, and Big Mac, Apple Bloom, Granny, and you, Applejack." Twilight smiles as she watched the orange pony's eyes start to shut.
A few tears ran down the sides of her eyes as Applejack drifted soundly off to sleep. Once her farming friend was sound asleep, Twilight quietly left the room and galloped down to the library to begin working on that locator spell.
Luna searched desperately around the dream realm, searching every dream bubble for the one she had just visited, the one with the cloaked pony. She had never encountered a dream like that one. One where the identity of the dreamer was unknown. That pony must have had some strong emotions tied to keeping his identity a secret. His words rang in Luna's ears, touching her heart...
"I just... All I wanted was a place to call home. With ponies who care about me, who I can care about and be there for as much as they are there for me... I just want too be happy..."
Luna then shook her mind clear and focused on her search. "I need to help him! Whoever he is!"
Suddenly a nudge came from the real world. A magical signal that Luna had prepared in case something had happened in the real world that needed her immediate attention. Reluctantly, the princess took one last good look around before returning to the world outside of dreams, wondering what could have been so important that the Royal guards saw fit to pull her from her nightly duties.
-just outside of Ponyville-
Sunny stood at the edge of Ponyville, worried to return to town after not only the Iron Pony competition, but what happened with those three pegusi. Did anypony know it was him who did that? No, no. How could they? No pony saw him do it. And even if they did... Did it really matter? Sunny didn't want to just run away from the only place he had left. After speaking with Luna in his dreams, he knew he had to return. If for nothing else, then to just say good bye.
Taking a deep breath, Sunny began traveling up from the opposite side of town, closer to the hospital then to the Apple farm. Which is exactly where Sunny wanted to be. He needed to see if those three bullies had made it there and were ok. He didn't plan on staying long, less somepony start to connect one and one and find out that he was the pony who cursed them.
As Sunny continued to walk, the yellow unicorn watched as everypony in town appeared to be busy helping to wrap up winter. 'That's right... That was today.'
Sunny thought about how he had promised Applejack that he would help her clear the fields when she told him about it a few weeks ago. Despite him being a unicorn, he had worked up some muscle working on the farm. Enough muscle to make Applejack think he could push the plows and the piles of heavy snow.
'They can do this without me... They have the previous years. One pony won't make a difference...' Sunny thought as he entered the hospital, only to be shocked by how busy of a place it had become over night. Nurses and assistants were running back and forth, from one room to the next with tissues, pills, pitcher of water, and blankets.
"What's all of this?" Sunny asked himself as he watched the chaos of the hospital play out.
"Sunny? Is that you?" An all too familiar voice called out as Sunny turned and saw one of his good friends, Thunder Lane, run up to him, blankets and a small sandwich in his hooves. "Hey man, where have you been?! Please tell me you are feeling ok?"
"Ugh.... I-I've been around, and I'm fine. " Sunny rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away, but then motioned to the havoc happening around the hospital. "What's going on here?"
"There's been an outbreak of the pony flu" Thunder answered. "About 1/5th of the town is here. Even Flitter and Bulk are bed ridden. I'm just lucky that I got vaccinated a few weeks ago."
"That really sucks" Sunny flat out said, covering his mouth. "Ugh... Anything else happen in town?"
"Well, it is a hospital. But something odd did happen. They did have a few guys come in" Thunder continued to say. "Doctors said it was over stress from the shifts they've been pulling in at the factory and staying out late. But i wouldn't worry about them."
"Thunder...?" Sunny and Thunder could hear the weak voice belonging to Flitter call out from a near by room.
"Gatta go! The lady calls!" Thunder said as he half bolted into the room. But he paused and looked back at Sunny. "Hey... Go home... Back to the farm. Applejack's been worried sick."
"Applejack?" Sunny said, stunned. "Worried? About me?"
"Yeah" Thunder said, his face forlorn. "She was in here last night, looking for you. Worried you had gotten sick out in the cold. When she didn't find you here she went out looking all over town."
"Thunder....?" Flitter called out again.
"I have to go" Thunder told Sunny. "Go see her, ok?" Sunny nodded and shot Thunder Lane a smile before tipping his hat to him. The grey pegasus then zoomed into the room where Flitter had been put up.
Sunny wanted to bolt out of the hospital then and there and run as fast as he could back to the farm... But there was still one more thing he had to do. He managed to catch a nurse as she was rushing by with some supplies and asked her where the room was with the three Pegasus stallions who collapsed from stress. After directing him down the hall and to the right, Sunny thanked her and watched her trot off into another room just to hear what sounded like somepony losing their lunch.
Taking a moment to gather himself, Sunny took another deep breath, then walked into the room. He was scared. Scared that he might see the three bullies still curled up and locked in a world of their own personal worst fears. Sunny was a little taken back by the fact that the three stallions were not only awake and seemingly fine, but were playing paper football across their three beds. When Sunny stepped into the room, the three stallions paused and looked at him for a moment. The yellow unicorn gulped, thinking that they would scream for the nurses, or worse, the Royal guards. It almost knocked the yellow unicorn on his flank when he saw their real reaction. All three pegusi burst into a fit of laughter!
"Hey 'bucket head'! Ready for another mud bath?!" Score chuckled.
"Yeah! 'Bucket head!'" Hoops repeated, as he usually did, chuckling with his pals.
"Didn't get enough yesterday?" Dumb-Bell was holding his sides as he laughed.
"We remember we pranked you, and good!" Dumb-Bell answered.
"But... What happened after that?" Sunny asked, wanting to see how much they could recall.
"Not that it's any of your business" Score said, now having stopped laughing. "But as hard working members of the weather team, sometimes get a little over stressed. So we had to come here to recuperate. Not that a dirt pusher like you would know anything about hard work."
Sunny chuckled in relief, a smile now on his face. "Well I'm glad to hear you guys are alright. I better get back to the farm, pushing dirt around."
Feeling relieved slightly, Sunny made his way out of the hospital as carefully like as he could, dodging the heavy traffic of nurses and assistants as they zoomed around from one room to another, aiding the sick.
-Sweet Apple Acres, the snow covered fields-
Applejack was exhausted, but pushed herself to stand and focus on her work. She had slept in a bit, which left her second in command, Carrot Top, to start the team of clearing the fields. She had spent the rest of the night at Twilights, sleeping, waiting for the locator spell to find Sunny, only to find out that without some personal item of his that the spell wouldn't work. Disappointed, Applejack chugged down several cups of coffee Spike had prepared for her and grabbed an apple for breakfast, before heading to the fields to organize her portion of the Winter Wrap Up.
Now alone she stood atop the field, everything going almost according to plan. The recent outbreak of the pony flu had really hindered this years wrap up. Even with Twilight organizing the whole thing, and everypony available operating at their very best, they were still falling behind schedule. Applejack was half ready to tag one of the plow pushers out so they can rest and she can do what little she could to help, when something caught her attention. The sound of somepony clearing their throat. As Applejack turned around, She thought she had fallen asleep and was dreaming. But there, with her atop the field was the stallion she had been hunting down all night. Sunny.
"H-hey, Applejack..." He said in a hushed tone, sounding unsure of what else to say, as he avoided direct eye contact.
Applejack herself didn't know weather she wanted to run up and give the stallion a hug, to burst into tears, to keep her cool, or to sock him in the jaw. Soon, though, she didn't have to choose. Her hooves began moving in their own as she ran and jumped into Sunny's hooves. Applejack hugged him with all her earth pony strength as she sobbed on his chest, punching him lightly on the shoulder every now and again.
"Where... Where did ya go?!" She said through her sobs when she could speak. "Ah looked and looked.... But ah couldn't find ya anywhere.... Ah thought ah lost you...!"
"I had to go away for a while..." Sunny told her, now a few tears falling from his own eyes. "But... But I want to come home..."
Applejack wiped away her tears and looked into his emeralds colored eyes with her own emerald colored eyes, shooting him a smile. "Sunny... You are home..."
The yellow stallion smiled as he held her tight agains his chest, both still crying, but smiles now lit up their faces as they embraced one another. The warm, tender moment was ruined, of course by a large group of ponies who stopped their working to release an synchronized "awwwwwe."
To which Sunny and Applejack both turned red from, and broke from their hug, clearing their respective throats and straitened their respective hats.
"Ugh....I-it's good ta have ya home" Applejack said, looking out to the field, the smile still bright on her face.
Sunny's smile remained as well as he joined her and observed their progress. "Looks like we're a little behind."
"It's all thanks ta that gosh-darn-it pony flu" Applejack said, clearing her head, her cheeks returning to their natural orange color.
"Hey, clarify something for me" Sunny said as he straitened his Stetson, getting ready to pull double, maybe triple the work. Sunny's horn began to flow with its green magical aura. "If I use a spell on my body, like I did at the Rock farm, does that count as 'using magic' to help wrap up winter?"
"Ugh, well technically... Yeah. It is." Applejack shot his a cute and amused look.
"Oh..." Sunny replied, his magical aura dissipating in an instant. He shrugged it off though as she stretched his hooves. "Well, I don't want to break the town's long lasting tradition...Guess ah'll just have ta work harder with the muscles I already have!"
"Eh'nope" Applejack said, throwing the yellow unicorn off guard. When Sunny turned to look at her, he relaxed a bit when he saw Applejack's signature smile as she straitened her hat. "We'll work harder! Tageather!"
Sunny and Applejack then tagged out two of the ponies who had been working as hard as they could to clear the snow from the fields, Noteworthy and Ace, leaving Carrot Top in charge again to direct the field clearing. Everypony worked hard that day, whether it was clearing the field, planting the seeds, waking the animals from their hibernation, making nests for the southern birds, bringing the southern birds home, breaking down the ice or clearing up the cloud covered skies. Despite the teamwork and flexibility of everypony involved, winter still arrives slightly delayed. It was around seven o'clock or so when everypony had finished the wrap up. After they did, Mayor Mare called everypony to town hall to congratulate them on finishing Winter Wrap Up, despite the circumstances. Once the congratulations were done, Sunny was about to leave with Applejack and Big Mac, when he noticed a certain orange farm mare had fallen asleep during the speech. Big Mac was about to lift his sister up and put her on his back when Sunny stopped him. The big red stallion looked to Sunny, slightly confused.
"She's over tired because of me" Sunny whispered, not wanting to wake Applejack up. "Please, let me carry her home."
Big Mac nodded and let the yellow stallion, who he now trusted, carry Applejack. The three adult ponies filed out of Ponyville, and down the road to Sweet Apple Acres. Back home. It wasn't he easiest thing for Sunny to carry a full grown pony on his back, even if she was a mare. But he did it and kinda enjoyed holding her like that. He can't remember ever doing it for anypony other then Apple Bloom when she fell asleep in the club house. Once they arrived at the farmhouse, they were greeted by a smiling Apple Bloom. She had stayed home to help watch and take care of Granny.
"Sunny! Yer back! Yer back! Ah knew ya would be!" Apple Bloom began to say then noticed Applejack on his back, and gasped. "What happened?! Is she ok? Is she hurt?"
"It's ok, Apple Bloom" Sunny said as he patted the little yellow filly on the head. "She's alright. Just tired." Without meaning to, the unicorn stallion let out a yawn.
"Sounds like ya both are pretty pooped" Granny said as she looked over from the couch.
Sunny walked over to the elderly mare and out a hoof on her shoulder. "How are ya feelin', Granny?"
"Oh better, Sunny. Much better" she smiled and gave him a wink. "How 'bout yerself?"
"Kinda confused and shaken" he admitted, but smiled at the elderly mare. "But I know now where I belong. I know now where home is."
"Home is always with th' ponies that care for ya" Granny told him, still smiling.
"I know. That's how I know I'm home" Sunny said softly before letting out a yawn.
"Welcome... Home..." Applejack muttered in her sleep. "Sunny...."
"Best get her ta bed" Granny said, patting Sunny's hoof with her own.
"Right" Sunny agreed. "Think I'm going to call it a night too..."
After wishing everypony a good night, Sunny then levitated himself with Applejack still on his back up the stairs (not willing to risk climbing the stairs with her on his back). But that was as far as he wanted to use magic. Other then the fact that he could barley hold her, Sunny wanted to get Applejack to bed by his own two hooves. The walk from the stairs to her room wasn't too terribly long, but it did seem to drag on and on. Once Sunny reached Applejack's room, Sunny calmly walked up to her bed and laid the tuckered out mare down, tucking her in. After the blankets had been tucked, and Applejack's hat hung up by her bed post, Sunny began to leave the room, only to look back once more at the sleeping mare.
"Ah'll never leave ya again..." Sunny whispered as he quietly shut the door behind him.
"Darn... Tootin...." Applejack muttered in her sleep, a smile growing on her face.
????and Big Mac's on his way to run some errands!????
????Applejack's on a mission with her friends,
????while Apple Bloom's of to learn at school!????
-does a dance-
???? Yes, life on the apple farm shimmerrrrrs!????
????Life of the apple farm shiiiiins!????
????And I know for absolute certaaaain!????
????That everything is certainlyyyyy-!????
Out of the blue, Sunny's moment of breaking out into song and dance was stopped by a small flood of water splashing down on him. Annoyed, Sunny looked to the sky knowing that most of the duties of Ponyville's weather control rested with Score, Hoops, and Dumb-bell, the three ponies Sunny liked the least out of every pony residing in town. It would be them to splash him with water when he was enjoying a wonderful morning enough to break out into song. "Very funny gu-Thunder Lane?"
As Sunny looked up to the sky at the raincloud that just soaked him, he saw his good friend, Thunder Lane, instead of the three pegasus stallion's who normally give the yellow unicorn trouble. "Hey, sorry about that, dude."
"What are you doing here?" Sunny asked as he watched Thunder Lane struggle with breaking the cloud up. "Where's Score and the rest?"
"They're out sick, again" Thunder said as be continued to kick, punch, and even bite at the cloud in a futile attempt to break it up.
"Sick? What did they do? Eat some bad nachos?" Sunny said with a half smile as he shook himself half dry. "Or are they all just playing hooky?"
"Nah man. They've had some issues since Winter Wrap-Up. The doctor's say they get over stressed" Thunder Lane said as he gave up on trying to break up the cloud and just threw it through the air. "They're taken to the hospital and everything. Somepony finds them huddled over in the ground muttering stuff to themselves and everything. Really freaky stuff."
Sunny gulped, feeling like he was about to upchuck breakfast. "Ugh.... I-isn't there anything he doctors can do for them? Medication? Therapy?"
"Not sure, all I know is that I'm their back up while Rainbow Dash is off at Wonderbolts training." Thunder Lane sighed looking at all the rogue clouds hovering around Ponyville. "I'd like to stay and chat man, but I got a lot of work to do. See ya around..."
Sunny watched his grey pegasus pal fly off as he sat frozen with fear on the ground, starring off into the distance with a million things running through his mind. All of Which could be summed up in ten simple words. "Something tells me everything is not going to be fine..."
Sunny raced through town, dodging ponies who were in his way, and at a few points where he couldn't dodge or maneuver around them, he teleported away from where he would have run into the pony, to just a few feet away from them, thus avoiding collision entirely. Sunny did so until he reached the Ponyville hospital, which was significantly less busy now that most ponies had gotten over their flu bug. The yellow unicorn took several deep breaths and tried to calm himself down before his heart jumped out of his chest. After getting his breathing under control, Sunny walked as calmly as he could up to the counter and asked which room the three pegusi were staying in. Following the nurse's directions, Sunny walked down a short hallway and was about to enter the room when he heard a pair of voices and paused to listen.
"Are you certain of it, your highness" a stallion asked, it sounded like the doctor Sunny had met the previous time he was here.
"I'm almost certain of it" a feminine voice replied, and that one Sunny was certain belonged to his friend, Twilight Sparkle. "It looks like the curse Sombra in the Crystal Empire."
"Do you have a way to break the spell?" The doctor asked again.
"I'm not sure. I brought some books back from the Empire that Cadence and I found in Sombra's private study. They might have the spell in it, but I need some time to decipher it" Twilight answered honestly, sounding slightly downhearted.
"We'll continue to do all we can here, but if what you say is true, they really need that counter spell" the doctor sighed heavily then began to walk out of the room.
Thinking quickly, Sunny hid behind the bathroom door, wanting to avoid being spotted. After the doctor left, Sunny peaked out to see Twilight looking over Score who was curled up in a fetal position in his bed, muttering something about his mother and a work belt. Hoops and Dumb-Bell were in beds facing the opposite wall from Score. The guilty yellow unicorn nervously adjusted his Stetson then walked up to his troubled alicorn friend.
"Hey, Twilight" Sunny's sudden appearance almost made Twilight jump out of her fur. "Oh, ugh, s-sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya or nothin'. A-are you ok?"
"Sunny! What are you doing here?" The princess of friendship asked, trying to calm down.
"I ,ugh, heard from Thunder Lane that these guys were, well, not doing so well. So I came by to see, ugh, if there was anything I could do to help." Sunny answered, leaving out the fact that he felt incredibly guilty because it was him in fact, who put the curse on the three pegasus ponies.
"That's really sweet of you, Sunny" Twilight said, putting a hoof on his shoulder and smiling sincerely at him. "I know that you four have had your rough patches in the past, but it means a lot that you could put that behind you and come here to support them. You're a really kind pony."
Sunny gulped and chuckles nervously, avoiding eye contact with his alicorn friend. "T-that's me! Yep! Mr. Kind! Yep! That's what they call me! All the time! Just good old Mr.Kind!"
"Right" Twilight nervously chuckled as well, feeling the atmosphere in the room grow slightly more awkward from Sunny's response. After clearing her throat, Twilight's tone became more forlorn. "But I'm afraid that there isn't really anything you can do. Like I was telling the doctor, I think this is the work of King Sombra."
"K-King Sombra?!" Sunny repeated Twilight's last two words, slightly shocked. "B-but he can't. Can he? I mean, even if he was around here, why would he curse these three. They're annoying and insulting at best."
"I'm not sure, Sunny" Twilight said, bravado raising in her voice. "But I'm going to find out. Even if I have to pull an all nighter or two to decider Sombra's books."
Sunny began to panic, thinking if Twilight really was able to decipher his father's books, would she be find out about him?! Luckily he noticed a calendar hanging on the wall and realized just what day it was! "Hey Twilight, don't you and the girls have a slumber party scheduled for tonight?"
Twilight turned and looked at the calendar Sunny just glanced at, checking the date as well. "Oh my gosh, you're right. I'll have to cancel!"
"WHAT?! NO!!!" Sunny accidentally screamed, then put his hooves to his mouth for a second after realizing how loud he actually was. He paused then tried to salvage the situation as best he could. "W-what I mean is, your friends would all be disappointed if you did that!"
"I'm sure they would understand" Twilight said as she looked to the three suffering pegasus stallion's in the room. "This is a little more important then pillow fights and facials."
"Ugh, yeah, b-but it would be better for you!" Sunny continued to press the issue. "I mean, you've been working really hard to crack that code recently, right?"
Twilight looked surprised. "How did you know that?"
"Twilight, I'm your friend, and I know a tired and mentally warn out pony when I see one..." Sunny began to speak smoothly with a silver tung as he levitated a small mirror up to the purple princess. "See. One night to relax and have fun before you tackle the books would be good for you. And who knows? Maybe you'll be able to crack the code after you get some well deserved rest!"
"Well..." Twilight was beginning to consider it, eyes falling to the ground as she consider it. Now was Sunny's time to pour it in thicker.
"How about this, Twilight" the yellow unicorn shot Twilight his most charming smile. "I'll personally help you in deciphering the books after you have a fun night and get some well deserved sleep. Ok? And if you want, I could even take the books back to the farm and start working on them tonight."
Twilight smiled and laughed lightly. "Ok ok, you've convinced me. I'll take the night off. And I'll even accept your help. But you take some of your own advice and get some rest tonight. We'll start tomorrow afternoon. Ok?"
"What?!" Sunny gulped. "Ugh, what I mean, is, I don't mind starting tonight. Maybe go over the notes you have thus far."
"I'm not going to make you work while I sit back and have 'smores with the girls" Twilight continued. "We can start tomorrow. It's not a problem."
"Well, I-if you... Wait... I wanted to ask you about that" Sunny's train of thought hopped onto another track. "What's a s'mores? I read about them in 'The Elements of Harmony' but it didn't elaborate on what they actually were."
"You don't know what s'mores are?" Twilight sounded taken back by Sunny's statement. "Then again, I'd only read about them myself until Rarity, Applejack and I had a slumber party during a storm. But I'm sure Applejack or even Pinkie Pie could help you make one or two."
"Maybe I could even get Big Mac to help" Sunny suggested, thinking about the odd sweet treat from the book.
"That sounds like a fun idea" Twilight beamed. "You could hang out with Big Mac and roast some marshmallows for 'smores tonight. Then after a good night's sleep, we can hit the books! I better get going. Lots to plan for! See you tomorrow, Sunny!"
Sunny shook his head free of the thoughts involving roasted marshmallows, chocolate and gram crackers, only to realize that his plan had some what backfired. When Twilight had left the room, Sunny sighed and looked upon the three trouble making pegusi who had passed out and we're now quiet and still. His heart felt heavy with guilt knowing what he had to do. He had to get those books from Twilight without her knowing. He not only to keep his identity a secret, but he knew it was his responsibility to break the curse on Score, Hoops, and Dumb-bell. He would need to get the books without Twilight realizing he had done so, so he could decipher them himself and fix his mistakes.
"But how am I going to get them..." Sunny paced back and forth, desperately trying to think up a plan, when a small commotion from outside caught his attention. As Sunny walked over to the window and peered though, a wonderful idea came to mind. He had seen two groups of ponies playing about, pulling pranks on each other. One group being made up of all fillies older then Apple Bloom. The boys were about to peg the girls with water balloons when out of nowhere the girls' friends appeared and pegged the boys with their own water filled balloons. As the boys chuckled now soaking wet, a toothy grin spread all across Sunny's face.
"S'mores won't be the only thing we'll partake of tonight" Sunny said to himself.
-fire pit outside Sweet Apple Acres-
"Man, Sunny, this was a great idea!" Thunder Lane commented as he pulled a toasted marshmallow off his stick and smushed it between a few squares of gram cracker and chocolate, melting the chocolate slightly before the grey Pegasus shoved the whole snack in his mouth.
"Eh'yep!" Big Mac agreed as he started skewering another marshmallow on his sown stick.
Sunny had gathered the supplies he needed from Pinkie Pie at Sugar Cube Corner before she left for Twilight's slumber party. All he had to do was walk into the backery where his pink friend worked, ask her what he needed to make enough s'mores for 3 full grown stallions, tell her he'd never made them before and how to make the best ones, and Pinkie went nuts. She didn't even charge him for the supplies, despite Sunny making his best efforts to try and pay.
"Mmmm... Still...mmm" Thunder Lane mumbled as he fought against the delicious desert that was trying to lock his mouth shut. "I can't... Hmmm... Believe you've never had s'mores before. Did you, like, live under a rock?"
Sunny gulped. Suddenly stricken with fear that they might come to the conclusion that he isn't what he appeared to be. But looking at his two pals, the yellow unicorn just chuckled his worries away. 'There's no way they could ever piece something like that together. After all, Twilight said she had 's'mores for the first time at her slumber party with Rarity and Applejack.' Which brought the topic back into Sunny's mind.
"He he, ugh, I guess" Sunny awkwardly smiled at his grey pegasus friend before clearing his throat and leaning in closer to his two friends. "Hey guys, wanna have some fun?"
That caught the attention and intreat of Thunder Lane and Big Mac. The look Sunny had seemed deviant, which the other two stallion had almost never seen him like. It was Big Mac who actually answered as he swallowed down the last bite of his s'more. "Whatcha' got in mind?"
Sunny's smile cracked further across his face as he scooted closer, ready to explain. "Well... You know how Applejack and Twilight are having that 'sleep over' with the other girls at Twilight's castle tonight?"Both of the stallions nodded simultaneously, so Sunny continued."Well, how fun would it be to pull some pranks on them? You know, scare them a bit."
Big Mac questioningly turned to Thunder Lane, hoping that the pegasus would share his uncertainty.
"Awe yeah! I am soooo on board, dude!" Thunder Lane gave Sunny a hoof bump as Big Mac face hoofed himself. "I've been waiting to get Rainbow Dash back for the fake spider on my back last week!"
"Awesome!" Sunny said as he turned his attention from Thunder to Big Mac. "What do ya say Big Mac? You in on this? We need you."
The big red earth pony scratched the back of his head as he avoided eye contact with the other two stallions. "Ah don't know, fellas. Ah mean, ain't th' girls supposed ta be relaxin' and unwind in', specially after all th' friendship stuff they've been working on and what not."
Sunny could see he'd have to work hard to win over Big Mac, but luckily, he seemed to have discovered he had a bit of a silver tongue. The yellow stallion put an arm around his muscular red friend and shot him an easy going smile. "Big Mac, it's just a little harness prank, or two or three. It's not like we're going to bother them all night. Just a little bit of fun. I'll even come out and say it was all my idea when we are done. We'll have some laughs, maybe enjoy some more sweet treats, then leave them to enjoy the rest of their slumber party."
Sunny was persuading the large farm stallion, but there was still doubt it Big Mac's mind that this was still a bad idea. "Ah don't know..."
"Hey, Big Mac," Thunder then spoke up. "Didn't Rainbow and Applejack team up and prank you last week?"
Sunny's smile grew again as he remembered the prank that did pull. He wanted to give Thunder a high hoof, but later. As Sunny turned back to Big Mac, he began to lay it on thicker. "That's right! They put those spring snakes in that Apple berral that you opened, then Rainbow dropped a ton of fake spiders on you!"
"Yeah! Sent you running right out of the barn and into town!" Thunder added, holding back a chuckle. "Gatta admit, that was a good one."
Now the doubt in Big Mac's mind was gone, remembering his humiliation that day. He acted like a darn fool in front of the whole town! For a week, everypony he walked passed made a remark about spiders, even tossing a plastic one at him to add insult to injury. It didn't help that it actually made him flinch, but Big Mac had been afraid of spiders since he stumbled onto a nest of them when he was younger. It still haunts his nightmares.
"What do ya have in mind?" Big Mac's expression hardened as he looked to Sunny and Thunder, ready to join them on the pranking.
Sunny had Thunder moved in closer around their bi red friend, as he began to whisper his plan to them. Little did his two buddies know that Sunny had a hidden agenda to this harmless pranking.
"Twilight, will you put the books down already?!" Rainbow Dash said as she zoomed in and snatched the book Twilight had in front of her. "This is supposed to be a slumber party, you know, with all of us having fun?!"
The girls had gathered in a sort of meeting room Twilight had in her castle. But instead of having long tables and chairs at the center for meetings and the like, Twilight and Spike had moved things aside and set things up for the girls to lay out their sleeping bags, board games, and a very large snack table. Twilight told Spike he was more then welcome to join them, but he had just gotten some comics from Shinning Armor for his birthday, and he wanted to spend some quality time with them. The baby dragon had set up his bedroom for a party of his own. Where the girls had trays of veggies and candy, ready to be washed down with some Apple cider, Spike had chips and gems, ready to be swallowed down by some soda pop.
"I'm sorry, Rainbow" Twilight said as she got up and stretched. "I just had an idea when we were doing facials about how I might be able to crack Sombra's code if I combined old Dragon language with Gryffin script, but it looks like that won't work either."
"Lay off Twilight, Dash" Applejack said as she stepped forward, her mane all done up in a towel, met muscles still tingling from a soak in Twilight's hot tub down the hall. "She's just tryin' ta help them fellers in the hospital."
"Pft! Who cares about those three, I bet they're faking it anyway" Rainbow said as she continued to hover.
The book Rainbow Dash had snapped up away from Twilight then disappeared in a flash and reappeared in front of Twilight again. "They weren't faking it, Rainbow. I know. Spike and I were under the same spell for a while ourselves, back when we were looking for the Crystal Heart."
"Pardon me darling," Rarity spoke up as she laid on a couch, with her face all covered in her green mask, eyes covered by cucumber slices, and Fluttershy happily working on her hooves with a new kind of hoof polish. "But can't you just simply wake them up the way Spiky woke you up, you know, by physically shaking them?"
"We've tried that" Twilight said with a sigh as she walked over to the snack table and began making herself up a small plate of veggies and dip. "But that's another thing that bothers me. The spell that Sombra cast on the door only had about half of its original strength. If Sombra had cast the spell directly himself instead of setting it up through a door as a trap, I don't think Spike or I would have been able to break free from it."
"Ugh... S-so you think Sombra might have cast that spell, h-h-himself?!" Fluttershy stuttered as she stopped working on Rarity's hooves and expressed her worries.
"It's a possibility" Twilight answered honestly. "That's why I need to find a way to decode these books. I know Sunny promised to help me tomorrow, but while we have fun, those three ponies are stuck in their worst nightmares in the hospital."
"I really wouldn't worry about them, Twilight" Rainbow said as she landed next to her and began helping herself to some of the cupcakes Pinkie brought. "Those guys have come out of it in a day or two before, still claiming its 'because of stress'. Saying they work SOOOOOO hard. Ugh! Those guys goof off and take more breaks in one day then i do in a week!"
"Ah don't know, that's really saying something" Applejack said with a smirk. "Ah seem ta recall seein' a certain mare snoozin' on th' job last week."
"I want 'snoozing'" Rainbow Dash defended herself. "I was taking a power nap. You know, so I can be at the top of my game."
"Ya just have been power napoin' awfully hard. 'Cus ya were snorin' like ah grizzly bear!" Appenjack sad then mimicked what Rainbow sounded like in her sleep, causing the cyan colored mare to turn slightly red.
"Ugh, yeah! Whatever!" Was all Rainbow Dash said before she put the book Twilight was reading on a random shelf. "Point is, those guys could already be out of the hospital and back at home, sleeping soundly, and you're here spending more time with your books then with your best pals!"
"Yeah! What is this? Season 1?" Pinkie Said as she popped up out of the bowl of carrots, grabbed a slice of chocolate cake, and sunk back into the bowl, disappearing, only to reappear beside Rarity and Fluttershy.
Applejack, Twilight, and Rainbow only watched in a moment of confusion before they all thought the same answer as to how their pink friend does that. 'It's just Pinkie'
"I'm sorry girls" Twilight said with a smile, as she looked at all of her friends. "You're right. I need a moment to relax and let my brain cool down. Besides, how often do we get to just relax and have fun all together like this?"
"Not enough, if you ask me!" Pinkie said as she stuffed the rest of he slice of cake in her mouth, chewing and swallowing it before zooming between Twilight an Rainbow Dash. "Why don't we go wild and have a little dance off competition? Oh! And maybe some Karaoke! Oh! And games! I wanna play truth or dare!"
Applejack and Rarity's ears shot up at the sound of game, remembering the last time they played it with Twilight. Although they made up for it since then, they still remembered and felt bad for how poorly they acted to each other that night. Luckily Twilight spoke up and broke the subtle awkwardness.
"That sounds like a lot of fun" Twilight smiled and sat down with her friends, placing her tray of food down in front of her. "So, who should go first?!"
"Oh! MEMEMEMEMEME!" Pinkie began waving er hooves in the air like a mad pony.
"Ah think Twilight should go first" Applejack spoke up. "It is her place, after all."
Pinkie smiled and settled down as Twilight began to think. Her eyes then fell onto Rarity who was still relaxing in her mask. "Rarity! Truth or dare!"
"I'll go with Truth, Darling" the white unicorn replied from the couch she remained laying on, enjoying the peace and relaxation. "I still want to relax here for about 15 more minutes."
"Ok" Twilight grew a slightly mischievous grin. "Who was your first kiss with?"
Rarity shot up, her cucumber slices flying off of her eyes and landed in Pinkie's mane. To which, the pink pony just stuck out her tung and pulled them out of her mane and into her mouth.
"S-starting off kinda strong, aren't we?" Rarity lightly laughed, glad that Spike wasn't here to hear her.
"Come on, Rarity!" Rainbow smiled, loving that Twilight chose an awkward one to start off with, and better yet, it was with their most girly friend in their group! "And no answers like 'my mom' or 'my dad'!"
Rarity gulped as her eyes darted from one end of the room to the other, beads of sweat rolling down the sides of her head and across her mask. "Ugh... Well... It was... Big Mac... In the first grade..."
"Really?!" Half of the girls blurted out. All but Applejack and Fluttershy. Fluttershy went bright red while Applejack just remained still with a relaxed look on her face.
"What's that look for?" Rarity shot a glare at the smug farm pony.
"Ah had ah feelin' that's what happened" Applejack replied, taking a small bite of a carrot. "Ah knew something happened that day of the school play. Somethin' he was mighty embarrassed by. And now I know fer sure!"
Rarity was blushing heavily beneath her facial mask. "Well then, missy, I'll ask you! Truth ore dare?"
Applejack chuckled, enjoying the fact that she was ruffling little miss prissy's feathers. "Hit me with your best shot! I'll do truth too!"
Ratity's mask cracked a little as she smiled, eyes narrowing on her farm pony friend. "Well then, Applejack, you must tell us, have you shared a kiss with anypony? And as Rainbow said earlier, family doesn't count."
Applejack's smug look shattered as she herself gulped, her freckled cheeks began to burn as they turned bright pink. "Ugh... Well... Ya see..."
Just then, the lights of the room went dark, and all the girls let out screams of fear that echoed through the crystal like walls of Twilight's castle.
"What happened? What's going on?" Rainbow asked as she shot up off the ground and started hovering inmid-air.
"Who turned out the lights?" Pinkie pie asked, thinking she should have brought her lantern. Partly because it would come in handy, but mainly because she wanted to use it to tell scary stories! Oh! And shadow puppets!
"Hold on every pony" Twilight said as her horn began to glow with the light of her purple magical aura. "I'll try and restart the lights. Rarity, can I get your help?"
Twilight felt a hoof land on her shoulder and began to relax knowing with Rarity casting a light, she was free to use her magic to restart the crystals that light the room normally.
"I'll be there in a moment dear, oh! I think I just stepped in something!" Rarity said, sounding as though she was back in the couch across the room.
Twilight's eyes went wide as she gulped and put a hoof on the hood that rested on her shoulder. "Ugh.... Is that you Rainbow?"
"I'm over here!" Rainbow dash called out, also from across the room.
"Nope!" Pinkie answered. "I'm trying to calm poor, poor Fluttershy out from under the couch! Come on, Auntie Pinkie is here for you..."
"A-applejack?" Twilight tried one last time.
"Yes, Sugarcube?" Applejack's voice spoke up from in front of her. "Is anything wrong?"
Twilight's heart sunk as she felt the hoof was still there on her shoulder. "If you're right there.... Who's hoof is on my shoulder?...."
The girls all fell silent and froze with feat until Twilight was able to gather the courage to turn her head and illuminate her horn. When she did, she came face to face with the sunken eye holes of a skeleton! All the girls screamed at the top of their lungs, even Fluttershy, who although could not see what the other girls were screaming about, could only assume whatever they were screaming about, was very, very scary!
"BWAH HA HA HA HA!!!!" A deep and rattaling voice echoed through the entire room as the now glowing skeleton began to rise from the ground where it stood behind Twilight. It chuckled as it began to fly all around the room like a vengeful spirit! "You ponies will now face my wrath! Fear the wrath of the Windigos!"
As the ghost spoke, a wind began to kick up in the dark, followed by what appeared to be flakes of snow! A storm had begun blowing in the room, sending papers flying into the air! Twilight looked around the room for an exit, but as she did, the doors and windows began to violently shut and lock closed. One after another! The room became almost pitch black, if not for the glowing green light of the self proclaimed Windigo spirit.
"Twilight! What are we going to do?!" Rainbow Dash landed close o her alicorn friend as the others began to meet up and bundle together in the fearful situation.
"I.... I don't now" Twilight said honestly as watched the spirit over them, laughing insanely.
"Can't you just shoot it outta' th' sky?" Applejack suggested.
"Yeah! Like when I picked you up and used you to shoot all the changelings back at Cadence and Shinning Armor's wedding! We were all like 'pe-teww', 'pe-teww', 'pe-teww'!" Pinkie began mimicking her movements from back then.
"Pinkie! That gives me an idea!" Twilight began to charge her horn, lighting the area around her a little. "I've been wanting to use this spell since I became an alicorn!"
"What's the plan Twilight?" Rainbow Dash smirked, knowing that if it involved pegasus abilities, that she was defiantly going to jump in!
"Well we need to position ourselves at opposit ends and begin a steady climb-" Twilight began so say when Pinkie tapped in her shoulder. "What, Pinkie? We don't have time to-"
"Not to stop you Twilight, but maybe you could just ask the Ghost to stop" Pinkie said very matter-of-factly.
The girls then looked at her like they couldn't believe she suggested something so outrageous. Before anypony could say anything, Pinkie pointed to the ghost who's back hind legs had been revealed by Twilight's glowing magical aura. While the ghost appeared to be a glowing skeleton, the illusion was only don't by a pony's body being painted black! And the pony missed his back legs! The girls caught a glimpse of it before the ghost began flying around the room again, kicking up the speed of the storm it was making.
"Wait a minute! That's no ghost!" Rainbow said as she took to the sky, Twilight quickly behind her, lighting the way. As the two flying ponies chased the 'ghost' Appeljack and Rarity noticed an odd humming noise coming from the far corner of the room and moved in to investigate, this time with Rarity lighted the way with her light blue magical aura. This left Fluttershy and Pinkie in the middle watching Twilight and Rainbow chase the ghost.
At the far end of the room behind a table they pushed out of the way was a large fan hooked up with a slow leaking ice cube tray! The fan appeared to be angled upwards, allowing just barley melted ice shavings to be shot into the air, creating a snowy chilled wind! Without hesitation, Applejack flipped the switch, stopping the Arctic like winds almost immediately.
Out of the corner of Fluttershy's eye, the timid mare noticed that a shadow stood at the top of a balcony on the east side of the meeting room. When she pointed it out silently to Pinkie, the party pony winked at her then disappeared, only to reappear behind the shadowy figure.
"Hi there!" Pinkie screamed at him, causing the figure to lose his footing and fall over the railing, dropping his megaphone and landing right on top of the couch Rarity had been relaxing on moments ago.
The ghost paused to look back at his companion who had fallen, worried that he might have gotten hurt. But in that brief pause, Rainbow and Twilight caught up to him and tackled him out of the sky! The ghost grunted as the three came tumbling down, thankfully landing on another couch that Pinkie pie pulled out of nowhere and carefully place under the three flying ponies.
Rainbow Dash and Twilight held the ghost down, but Rainbow turned to give party loving friend and shot her a smile. "Thanks Pinks!"
"Any time, Dashie!" Pinkie squeaked.
"Now we'll see who this 'ghost' really is...." Twilight declared as she moved off the 'Ghost', leaving Rainbow still there holding him down while she pulled off a rubber mask, revealing the ghost to be none other then Thunder Lane!
"Thunder Lane?!" Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttersht, and Pinkie all called out.
"I knew it!" Pinkie went on. "You wanted to scare away all the tourists so Twilight would have to sell you the amusement park at a cheap price!"
Everypony, Thunder Lane included, looked at Pinkie, completely baffled as to what she was talking about. But decided to chalk it up to just 'Pinkie being Pinkie' and turned their attention back to Thunder Lane. But before they could begin the interrogation, the stallion who was hiding on the balcony in the shadows joined the group.
"Big Mac?!" The girls cried out again, surprised again.
"What in tar nation are ya doin here?" Applejack began scolding her brother.
"What are the both of you doing here?!" Twilight said, sounding more then slightly irritated.
"Well, ya see..." Big Mac began to say.
"Sunny had the idea that we should-" Thunder Lane was trying to continue what his big red cohort started.
"Sunny?!" Twilight repeated the name, then narrowed her eyes at the two stallions. "Where is he?"
Before the two could answer, there came a loud screaming from down the hall followed by the sound of clunking wood and clicking. Everypony's pupils shrank when they recognized the screams echoing down the halls.
"There's no way this is going to work" Thunder Lane complained as he began painting his already dark coat black.
"Trust me Thunder, this will work" Sunny said as he prepped a large fan that he rigged an ice cube tray up to. "And it will be the greatest prank Ponyville has ever seen!"
"I don't know, Dude" Thunder finished paining most of his body, say for his face, which he planned to cover with a mask, and his hind legs that he was sitting on. "I doubt the girls will get scared by this. I mean, they took on the evil Queen Chrysalis, Discord, King Sombra, Tirek, and lots of other freaky and scary things. Will one ghost really work on them?"
"BWA HA HA HA HA!!!" Big Mac gave his best evil laugh into the megaphone Sunny provided. When he did, Sunny and Thunder Lane both jumped nearly out of their skin! Once the two friends realized it was just Big Mac testing his equipment, they both shot him piercing glares. To which, the big red stallion just chuckled and smiled.
"Ok... Maybe we can pull this off" Thunder said as he calmed himself down and started applying the glow in the dark paint, painting bones on his now black body.
"Of course we can pull this off" Sunny said as he moved to help Thunder finish paining the bones onto his body. But to himself he whispered "... All I need is about a good five to ten minutes. Just to find those books..."
"Huh? What did you say?" Thunder paused and asked as he spat his paintbrush out of his mouth.
Sunny then realized what he had said and quickly thought up a believable lie. "Ugh, I said was... We should give them about five to ten minute and... Enjoy reading a book?"
Thunder and Big Mac both paused and shot questioning looks at Sunny, causing the yellow unicorn to grow more and more nervous, thinking he might have just blown his own cover with his big mouth.
"Dude..." Thunder began to say, then put his mask on. "You've been hanging around Twilight so much you're starting to think like her."
"Eh'yep" Bug Mac agreed as he began to smash ice with his hooves, into tiny chunks, and then into flakes.
"Reading books to give them five to ten minutes?" Thunder continued to say as the paint on his body began to dry. "If we give them time before we make our move, we should ease drop! You know, find out what the girls say during these things. You know, about what boys they think are cute in town, embarrassing secrets they share, you know, juicy stuff!"
Sunny realized his two pals had not actually heard what he had said and began to relax. "O-of course! S-silly me! Read! At a time like this?! Twilight must be rubbing off on me. He he he..."
After setting everything up, Sunny, Big Mac, and Thunder Lane all ascended a staircase that lead to a balcony overlooking the room Twilight and her friends were having the party at. Once they reached the balcony, the trio of stallions were sure to remain out of sight until the time was right.
"Ok, you two stay here" Sunny began to explain the plan again. "I'll go down and kill the lights. I know a spell to null the glow of those crystals. When I do that, count to thirty, then Thunder, sneak up behind on of the girls, and freak them out. But do it subtly at first. The longer and more drawn out it is, the more scared the girls will be."
"You got it!" Thunder nodded with a confident grin. "I've been watching horror movies since I was a colt, I know how to do creepy suspense."
"Good!" Sunny replied, glad that Thunder could perform his part naturally. He then turned his attention to Big Mac. "I need you to wait until Thunder is revealed. No doubt Twilight will use her magic to shed some light on the situation. When she does, give us your best evil, insane pony, laugh."
Big Mac smiled and took in a breath, ready to release a mind blowing chuckle into his megaphone to show he could do it. But luckily, Sunny and Thunder both put a hoof to his mouth, thus, stopping the big red farm pony from ruining their hidden position. When they removed their hooves, Big Mac simply smiled at them and scratched the back of his head.
"And when that happens, I'll start the wind and ice" Sunny pointed to the fan he had teleported into the room when the girls weren't looking. "Ok, let's do this guys!"
"Yeah! Let's do this!" Thunder put his hoof between them, which was quickly overlapped by Sunny's own hoof.
"Eh'yep!" Big Mac added as he tossed his hoof into the pile.
As they broke off and Sunny began to trail down the staircase, he paused and gave his two partners in crime one last wave of good luck. After they waved back, the two stallions stood in position, ready to play their parts. As Sunny stood outside the door to the meeting room where the party was taking place, he quickly looked around, making sure no pony would see what he did next. The yellow stallion then took off his Stetson hat and pulled from the slit inside of its him a small lavender bag. The same one he had in his room back in the Crystal Empire.
He had reluctantly emptied the contents of it in a small cave not far from the Apple farm's boarders, but deep enough into the Everfree Forest that more then likely no pony would stumble upon his personal treasures. If anypony did, his cover and secrets would be blown. But he had to take the risk. There was no other way to sneak the books away other then with the help of the bag that never filled up or change in mass. There was also no other way to sneak in and hide his second tool from his cohorts. As Sunny opened the lavender bag, in a magical gust of wind, a pony sized puppet popped out, almost just like the one that had gone rouge several months back.
"I wonder how Twilight would feel if she knew I was the one who developed and wrote those spells to control these things" Sunny said as he looked the puppet over. "Well, hopefully, she'll never know..."
Sunny then cast the 'bring-to-life' spell on it. Unlike with a book, a scrub brush, or even a push snow shovel, the puppets took a while to warm up. The magic needed to flow into their movable parts, wake up to the fact that they are very, very moble. While it did that, Sunny stuffed the bag back into the hem of his Stetson hat and crept into the room, taking his position by the fan. He didn't have to wait long for the girls to calm down from their arguing and begin relaxing with a small game of Truth or dare.
"There you go Thunder Lane" Sunny said silently to him self with a chuckle. "Doesn't get much juicier then that."
As the game was just getting interesting, it being Applejack's turn, Sunny heard the clicking if the puppet in the hallway, and decided it was time to kill the lights. He wished that he could hear what the girls were talking about, but from where he was it all sounded muffled. Regardless, he began to cast the spell, hoping nopony would see his magical green aura. After finishing the spell to kill the lights. He paused and heard the girls all scream, then laughed a little to himself.
"If this wasn't a ploy to my real plan, I would so enjoy this more" Sunny said with a smile, then his heart dropped. He saw from across the room, the puppet he had brought to life was wondering the halls! Without a moment's hesitation, Sunny cast a quick spell to shut all the doors and windows at once! He didn't plan for that to add to the fright effect, but it did, to his advantage. The yellow unicorn took an easy breath, and waited for his other two cohorts.
The moments seemed to pass very slowly as Twilight began to cast her illumination spell. He almost thought that Thunder wasn't going to show, but when Twilight started to panic about somepony with their hoof on her shoulder, he knew that had to be his Pegasus friend. As Sunny peaked out from behind his table to see what was going on, Twilight had just turned to come face to face with Thunder Lane in his ghost costume. Sunny waited until the painted Pegasus was high in the sky and Big Mac let loose his evil laughter to turn on his icy fan. As everything started to really get rolling, Sunny decided it was now or never.
He quickly teleported himself out of the room and back into the hallway. There was no time to lose. He had to get to the library and find those books! If Twilight ever deciphered them, she might stumble upon who he really is. Even if she had the good intentions of aiding Score, Hoops, and Dumb-Bell, it wasn't worth the risk.Besides, Sunny made the mess, and he could clean it up. He just needed time to read the books himself and decipher the incepted code. If anypony had a chance at cracking his father's code, it was him.
It didn't take the yellow unicorn log to find the catle's library. It was kept down the hall from the group's main meeting room. Some room where they had a magical map, or something. Sunny had never been in there, but had heard stories from the girls about it. As he reached the entrance to the library, the yellow stallion stopped and looked around to make sure that he wasn't being watched. Taking a deep breath, Sunny pushed the doors open and walked inside.
Spike had gone through half of his comic books, really enjoying the ones Shinning Armor got him for his birthday. He had always gotten along with Twilight's BBBFF. It was actually Shinning who had gotten Spike hooked on comics, back when he was just a young(er) dragon. But as Spike went to take another clawfull of his gems, he quickly found that he had eaten the entire bowlful already! Luckily Twilight now kept a hardy supply in the kitchen. She had told him not to go crazy with them, but he figured if she and the girls pigging out on cupcakes, he could at least have a small, teeny-weeny bowlful more of gems.
The little purple and green dragon hopped out of his bed and began casually strolling down the hall towards the kitchen, when something caught his eye. He hid behind one of the hall's pillars and peered out across the way. One thing he had on Twilight was his eyesight in the dark. Twilight explained something about how dragon's eyes see better in the dark as opposed to pony eyes. Which worked in the little dragon's favor at this specific moment.
Spike watched as somepony paused before pushing their way into the library, and quickly shut the door behind them. The way they had looked around made Spike very nervous. Almost like the pony might be up to no good. Spike tried to ease his mind on the subject by thinking 'Maybe the girls were playing hide and seek?'
But Spike shook off his fears and decided it was up to him to check out any and all possible dangers. Besides, it could also be Rarity and the girls are on a scavenger hunt. "He he. Spike and Rarity, kissing in the library. I like the sound of that..."
The baby dragon then made his move. He cautiously advanced down the hallway, jumping from pillar to pillar, doing his best to stay out of sight. Once he reached the library, Spike cautiously pushed the doors open, not wanting to catch the pony's attention. Luckily the castle was still new enough that the doors slid open with little to no noise. But as Spike caught glimpse of the pony inside, his hopes of a romantic run-in with the fair Rarity were crushed. It was just Sunny. It looked to Spike that the yellow stallion had just made a late night book run. With a heavy sigh, the purple dragon was about to just head to the kitchen to grab his desired gems when something frightening caught his attention.
The baby dragon's eyes went wide with fear, growing to the size of dinner plates. At the end of the hallway was the wooden monstrosity that he had hoped he had seen the last of during the last Nightmare night celebration. It was the giant pony puppet Sunny and Twilight had been working on that Rarity remade for them! It was back, and somehow snuck into the castle! It's glowing red eyes seemed to home in on the small dragon. As the puppet repositioned itself, ready to charge at him, Spike found he couldn't move his legs! They felt like someone had replaced them with lead bricks! The puppet then broke out into a full on charge! Gaining more and more speed, quickly closing the gap between it and Spike!
Slapping himself in the face and freeing himself from his own paralyzingly shock, Spike jumped into the library and shut the door behind him just in time for the puppet to collide with the door. Spike paused for several moments while he listened through the door. There was a short pause, followed by the jumbling of wood and metal, then the sound of wooden hooves as they seemed to grow more wand more distant. Once Spike could no longer hear the sound of the puppet's wooden hooves, he let out a held breath and began to relax. The baby dragon didn't get much of a chance to relax though.
Before his very eyes, it appeared that a small tornado had found its way into the library! It wasn't strong enough to pull the books off of their shelves, but it did send various papers flying all around the room. Spike moved to get a closer look and was shocked by what he saw at its epicenter. It looked like Sunny had created it and was tossing some of Twilight's books into it!
"What are you doing?!" Spike jumped it of his bidding spot without thinking.
"SPIKE?!" Sunny was taken off guard by the sudden appearance of Twilight's number one assistant. "W-what are you doing here?!"
"What am I doing here? What are you doing here? And what is 'that' doing here?!" Spike shouted over the whirling wind as he pointed to the small tornado.
Sunny walked over to the small tornado and threw into the tornado rest of Sombra's books. Once he did, the books just swirls around a bit before shrinking and falling into the bag, which Sunny closed immediately, sealing the tornado. As the papers that were flying threw the air a moment ago began to float down to the ground, Sunny turned to the little purple dragon, who's eyes were wide with confusion as his jaw remained dropped for a moment. Sunny wasn't quite sure what to say to the little assistant of Twilight's.
"What. Was. That?" Spike broke the silence, not sounding angry or upset at the situation. He sounded more confused then anything.
'A lie! A believable lie!' Sunny thought to himself. As he looked around the library, he saw a picture of Twilight's brother hanging up on the wall next to the Mystery fiction section of the library. That sparked up a quick story in Sunny's head that he might be able to use. Sunny fake sighed and put his hooves up. "You caught me, Spike. I had a feeling Twilight's number one assistant would be quick enough to see right through me..."
"Huh?" Was Spike's only response before Sunny continued.
"I'm actually a Royal guard, sent here from Canterlot" Sunny began to weave his lie. "I was sent here by Princess Celestia to keep an eye on Twilight."
"Wait." Spike said while she shook his head free of his slight confusion. "Why wouldn't the princess just send royal guards announced? And what about you losing your memory?"
"I was sent in secret because her highness, Princess Celestia, didn't want anypony to know about royal guards stationed at Twilight's castle. It's supposed to be a symbol of friendship and trust, well, how trusting and welcoming would it be if scary guards were posted at the front door?"
"Guess that makes since..." Spike said while he ran the idea through his head.
"As for my memory, it actually was wiped by, ugh,.... S-Sombra! Yeah! That's it! I was on my way here when I ran into King Sombra!" Sunny saved himself quick.
"Wow! It really was Sombra?!" Spike was overwhelmed. "Is that why he followed you to Sweet Apple acres?!"
"Exactly!" Sunny went along with it. "He wanted to finish the job, but I guess he thought it was enough to just wipe my memory and leave me thinking I was a farm pony."
"Wow! That's so cool!" Spike was falling for it. "He he, ya know, I faced the evil King Sombra once, too!"
This is where Sunny's recollection of the elements of harmony was going to come in handy, as well as his newly found silver tongue. "So I have heard! The brave and noble dragon, Spike the great, had leaped from the highest point in the Crystal Empire's castle to deliver first hand, the key to the crystal pony's salvation!"
Spike rubbed his claws against his chest and let out a yawn as he stretched. "Yep! All in a day's work for a noble dragon."
"Oh, don't sell yourself short, Spike" Sunny said, egging the young dragon on more. "Why, I bet you could even be a knight of Canterlot one of these days."
"R-really?! Me?! A Knight?! A 'Dragon' knight?!" Spike was practically bouncing off the walls. "You really think so?! Oh! That would be so cool!"
"Oh, I could defiantly see it." Sunny said then leaned in and whispered. "But I need your help. I've been ordered to bring these books back to Canterlot for further study, and need you to keep it a secret, just between you and me ok? From one Knight to another."
"Y-yeah! Sure!" Spike said immediately, then paused. "Wait... Twilight said she was going to use those books to find a cure for those three guys in the hospital. Can't you just wait to get them until after that?"
"NO!" Sunny blurted out louder then he originally meant to. He cleared his throat and awkwardly laughed. "I mean, I need to get them there immediately. Ugh... I-i left a book for Twilight in her room, one that might have the spell. B-but the rest have to go ASAP."
"Why?" Spike asked the hardest question for an adult to answer a child.
"Well, Ugh, because the sooner we get these books to Canterlot, the safer Twilight will be!" Sunny began to lie again. "These books have a curse on them!"
"Just like the door!" Spike gasped.
"Exactly! But worse!" Sunny began to explain. "The books can corrupt somepony gradually. At first, it makes them a little grumpy, then really mean, and soon, they've become a new evil tyrant!"
"Oh no!" Spike's mind was reeling with horrible images of an evil Twilight. "Y-you have to get those books out of here!"
"I will, Spike" Sunny said as he began to relax, knowing the little dragon was believing him. "But remember Spike, you can't tell anypony about me being here. You can't even mention it to the princesses! If you do, my cover will be blown! And I'll have to leave!"
Spike straitened his back, puffed out his chest, and saluted Sunny. "You can count on me, ugh... Wait, so what's your real name then?"
"Oh, it's actually Sunny" Sunny smiled simply at the baby dragon. "Sunny Knight."
"Really?" Spike said as he relaxed his back a little. "That's your real name?"
"What's wrong with it?" Sunny asked, thinking he really liked his name.
"Nothing, it's just odd that your last name was 'Knight' and you became a knight" Spike explained his thoughts.
"Well, it kinda runs in the family, on my father's side" Sunny said, actually telling the truth on that one.
"Still it-" Spike was about to go on and ask about his first name, then something bursts into the room!
It was the pony puppet form earlier, only, it's eyes had turned green! It stated at the baby dragon and yellow stallion for a while before pouncing at them, clicking it's mouth rapidly as it did! Luckily Sunny and Spike both dodged. The small magical, lavender bag flipped over to Spike, while Sunny had jumped in the opposite direction. Sunny noted this and came up with a really risky idea, but one that might gain the little dragon's trust and help to keep his secret.
Sunny jumped up started waving his hooves to catch the attention of the puppet. It had stopped momentarily to look at itself in a mirror, but quickly turned its attention to the yellow stallion. Sunny quickly told Spike "hold onto that bag. Keep it safe. I'll come back for it tomorrow. But whatever you do, don't let Twilight know you have them, or about me, ok?"
Spike noded nervously, but swallowed and did his best io appear brave as he half saluted "You can can count on me!"
"Good! Now when I get this thing out of there, head back to your room and stay there until Twilight or somepony comes to get you, ok?" Sunny said as his eyes darted from the approaching pony puppet to the baby dragon.
"No problem!" Spike said as he grabbed the bag and held it tightly to his chest.
"Good! Wish me luck, future knight!" Sunny then tackled the puppet as it jumped into the air! When they landed, Sunny put one hoof up and under into the puppet's chest, kicking it off of him, allowing the yellow stallion a chance to get up and out from under it. As Sunny stabilized himself, he made his way to the library door and began taunting the puppet once more. Luckily the puppet fell for it and began chasing Sunny again. Once the coast was clear, Spike made a B-line for his room, with the lavender bag still in his claws.
Sunny lead the puppet down the hall, screaming as loud as he could to both appear in distress and to catch everypony's attention. That was the original plan. Sunny had remembered that he was the one to develop the pony puppet spells, but he had never had one go rogue before. Now both have! What happened to them? He knew one went mad because of Timberwolve's spirit or what not. But this one too?
Luckily it didn't take the girls or Thunder Lane and Big Mac long before they broke out of the meeting room and stepped in to 'save' Sunny. Once they all circled the pony puppet, though, it stopped dead in its tracks, clicked it's mouth for a few moments, then broke trough a window and leaped out it to freedom. Only freedom was several stories high, and it fell to the ground, hard. The rest of the group watched as its pieces came back together, reforming a pony puppet from its broken pieces, and ran off into the darkness.
"Well guys, at least we can look back on this one day and laugh..." Sunny tried to sound enthusiastically.
"One day ain't today, dude" Thunder Lane sad flatly, unamused.
"Eh'nope" Big Mac added in, tone just as flat, if not flatter, then Thunder Lane's.
At the moment, Sunny, Thunder Lane, and Big Mac were all walking down the road leading into Ponyville at around midnight, their faces plastered with markup and their body's shoved awkwardly into dresses and doused in multiple perfumes. After the guys had cleared things up as to what exactly they were doing, aka, pranking Twilight, Applejack and their friends, the girls called a huddle which left the boys feeling like they should sneak away. But before they could, they were paralyzed by a spell Twilight and Rarity cast.
"Well you pranked us good, boys" Twilight's voice still echoed in Sunny's ears. "But now it's time for us to have some pranking fun of our own!"
"B-but we were just trying to help you girls relax, you know?" Thunder Lane was beginning to get nervous as to what the girls had in store for them.
"We know!" Pinkie Pie said as she bounced up and down with excitement.
"And we all really appreciate it" Fluttershy added in her calm mellow voice.
"Buuuuut you aren't off the hook just yet" Rainbow Dash said smugly.
"Ya'll had yer fun" Applejack said with a sly grin.
"But now it's our turn to have fun" Twilight said as she and the other girls moved into a circle around Rarity who had grabbed a rather large box of hers.
"I got a bad feeling about this..." Sunny whispered to his pals.
"Eh'yep" Big Mac replied as the girls trend back and faced them.
"Well girls, let's get to it!" Twilight smiled as she and the rest of the girls revealed hoof fills of makeup, bottles of perfume, and a few dresses.
For about a good hour or two (though it felt like hours upon hours of torture), and taking several dozen pictures, the girls said they were getting tired and teleported the three stallions outside the castle, locking the doors behind them. Now completely exhausted and slightly humiliated, the tree stallions dragged their hooves through town heading back to the apple farm. It was too early for anypony in town to be awake, so there was little to no chance of anypony seeing them in their... Situation.
Once they reached the arch at the edge of the apple farm, Thunder Lane stretched and yawned. "Well guys, this has been fun. But I'm going to head back to my place and try and take a shower. Or ten. And just sleep all day."
"Sounds nice" Big Mac chuckled, smiling at their winged friend.
"Just think of it his way" Sunny began to say with a half smile. "One day, we can all look back on this and laugh."
"Yeah, one day. A hundred years or so from now." Thunder said as he started to hover, taking off the dress he was stuffed into and stretching out his wings. "Well, see you guys later!"
Big Mac and Sunny stood there and watched as their pegasus friend flew off as fast as he could back to his home on a cloud. Once he was out of sight, the two farm ponies continued their walk down the road that would lead them to the farm house. Most of their walk was silent, with the two stallions just enjoying the peaceful night. When they reached the halfway point, Sunny looked over at Big Mac, who in turn, looked over at him. They both couldn't help but start to crack up at how ridiculous each other looked.
"They kinda got us good, didn't they?" Sunny said trough his laughing.
"Eh'yep!" Big Mack agreed when he was able to speak through his chuckling.
They continued to walk back to the farm while laughing, but it died down some as they arrived at the edge of the clearing around the house. Sunny paused and looked to Big Mac.
"Hey, why don't you go ahead and use the shower first?" Sunny said as he began to take the dress off and levitated it into the cloths line.
"Ya sure 'bout that?" Big Mac asked as he removed the dress he was in and handed it off to Sunny.
"I'm sure" Sunny said as he levitated Big Mac's dress onto the line next to where he hung his. "It was my idea to do this in the first place. I'll start by hosing myself off out here. Just let me know when you're done so I'm not stuck out here smelling like 'daffodil dream' all night, ok?"
Big Mac chuckled at the comment then nodded as he walked up and Ito the farm house, trying to be as quiet as he could be so as not to wake Granny or Apple Bloom. Sunny waited until the big red farm pony was inside until he released a held breath.
"How can something so harmless and so good spirited, hide such a dark secret...." Sunny said as he hung his head, dragging his hooves over to the hose on the side of the house. "First I devise a plan to steal from somepony who i consider a very good, if not a best friend. Then I use my other friends to help me pull it all off, without them even knowing it. I wreck the living quarters of that 'best friend'. And to top it all off, I end up lying to a very trusting and naive baby dragon, who is one of my friend's oldest friends! Maybe even like a kid brother to her!"
Sunny finished filling a tub with water from the hose and dunked his was in there, swashing his head around in there for a moment, trying to get the sickeningly sweet smell of perfume out of his nose. As he pulled his head out of the water, breathing heavily, he found his gaze was locked at the rippling pool of water. Sunny began to get his breathing under control, when the rippling water in the pool began to subside as well. Once the water was still, it reflected the image of a stallion in the water, with running make up that looked like a pony down in his luck. The image bothered Sunny enough to make him bubble up with anger and lead him to flipping around and bucking the tub. The tub fell over, spilling the water everywhere.
"No!" Sunny said through his teeth. "I have everything I ever wanted! I have friends! A home! Ponies who consider me family! What more could I ever want?!"
The yellow stallion was breathing heavily still as he glared at the puddle of water, eyes narrowing in in the water as if it had done something wrong. As he approached the puddle his mind went back to the thought of the books. Why had he stolen them in the first place?
"If I didn't, they would all find out..." Sunny said as he approached the puddle and looked again at his reflection. This time, the reflection was clouded by dark, almost black, water made by the dirt that was kicked up. Sunny watched as a dark swirling image was reflected off the water, with his marked up face in the middle of it. It almost looked like... Like...
"Ugh, you ok?" Big Mac's voice broke Sunny away from his dark and brewing thoughts.
Sunny snapped out of his dark mood and was shocked by the sudden appearance of the other farm stallion. "Oh! Ugh, y-yeah! I'm fine! I just, er, saw a... A spider! Yes! A big, nasty spider in the water! Kinda freaked me out!"
"Ok..." Was all Big Mac said as he walked over to Sunny and picked up the tub. "Shower's all yers."
"T-thanks..." Sunny said and began to walk as fast as he could into the farm house.
"Hey, Sunny..." Big Mac's words froze The yellow unicorn in place. Sunny's heart beat felt like it was going out of control, like we was working over time to try and wrap up winter all by himself.
"Yes, Big Mac?" Sunny did his best to keep his voice under control, but it slightly squeaked a little. Clearing his throat, Sunny spoke again. "ugh, yes? Big Mac?"
"Ah don't speak much, but ah have two good ears. Ifn' ya ever need ta talk, ah'm here fer ya" the big red stallion said as he flipped the tub up and pushed it back to its usual spot.
Sunny paused, his worries leaving him. At least, his worries that Big Mac might have overheard him him. The worries from his secrets and the extent he went in order to keep them, those worried lingered. With a sigh, Sunny put on a smile and turned to Big Mac. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I'm going to just shower then crash. See you in the morning."
Before Big Mac could say anything else, Sunny rushed into the house as quietly as he could, traveled up the stairs, and went right for the bathroom. Once inside, Sunny didn't waste any time. He hopped right in the shower, turned it on, and began to lather himself up with a fair amount of soap. It didn't take him long to dunce off the remaining make up, or dissipate the large amounts of perfume that he had been soaked with, but Sunny felt like he needed to sit there and let the hot water run off of him for a while. He didn't know why, be he felt like there was something that still lingered, no matter how hard he scrubbed or how much soap he applied.
Sunny didn't want to waste all of the Apple's hot water, so after about 20 minutes or so, he hopped out of the shower and began to dry himself off. After drying himself off thoroughly, Sunny tip toed as quietly as he could over to his room and quickly shut the door. After hopping into bed and curling up in his blanket, he began to fall fast asleep. And although he wasn't proud of what he did, he disputed a lot of effort into the whole pranking plan. And it's taken a toll on him. With any luck, he won't have any dream tonight. It's hard enough dealing with keeping his origins a secret from ponies during the day. But if Princess Luna were to recognize him? His cover would be completely blown... Then what would happen to him?...Sunny rather not think about it. He likes his home. He likes the ponies he's around. And he wants nothing more then for life to just stay the same.
Snowstorm was at his desk in his office admiring his many awards. All of which he had earned in his first few years in the Royal guard. He remember the look his father gave him when he had received each one, it was the same as when Snowstorm had been promoted to the rank of 'Captain' faster then almost any other pony, with the exception of Prince Shinning Armor. The same look his father had always given him, no matter how hard Snowstorm worked, how much he had achieved, the look his father gave him was one of cold disappointment. Nothing was ever good enough. All Snowstorm wanted was for his father to accept him. To actually look at him and say he was proud.
Snowstorm's red and green eyes reflected in the glass of one of his framed awards, his heart rate kicking up as he began to feel his blood come to a boil. Actin out of anger, black magic began to bubble from the unicorn guards horn until it shot out and hit every one of the framed awards, metals, and trophies, turning them black, then crumbling them into ash.
"Shame, I could have pawned those for the gold and got myself new medical supplies" Surgical said as he entered the office, a pile of folders in his hooves.
"This had better be important" Snowstorm growled as he turned and faced his right hoof pony, annoyed by his sudden appearance.
"Only if the files you wanted me to gather on the inmates in cell block C-F are important" Surgical said as he tossed the files on the desk.
Snowstorm looked over them for a moment, recognizing the names of some minor offenders. Which, 'minor offender' here is still pretty bad. You still needed to get under the skin of the princesses to end up in a cold place like the Iron Lock maximum facility prison. "Any you recommend? I need the best of the worst."
Surgical cracked a little smile as he flopped two more files onto of the desk. "I had a feeling you would ask for that. These are the few members of cell block G, that haven't lost their minds. Well, to a point that they could be reasoned with... No... I guess I can't really say that either. Well, you can at least attempt to talk to them and they will understand you."
"What is cell block G normally for?" Snowstorm asked as he opened the files for the two inmates.
"For the best of the worst" Surgical said with a relaxed look and a toothy grin. "Wanna pay them a visit?"
Snowstorm looked over their files for a few moments longer then closed them, looking up at the medical earth pony. "Take me to them."
"Yeah, a field trip" Surgical said as he stretched. "It's been a while since I've been allowed to go down there and see them. Normally it takes a note from the princesses to allow me to go down there for non-emergency visits."
"When's the last time you enemy down there?" Snowstorm asked as he closed the folders and walked around his desk.
"The last time they got out" Surgical answered, holding the door open for his CO.
"What happened?" Snowstorm asked as he went through the door.
"More then half of our guards ended up in urgent care before the magical restraints were able to stop them." Surgical continued to explain as he followed Snowstorm out of his office and over to the elevator.
As the elevator rose and opened up, allowing the two ponies to enter and descend into the lower levels of the prison, the two spoke carefully, not wanting the other guards to notice their activities, again.
"Speaking of guards ending up in your care" Snowstorm changed the focus of their conversation. "Did you find out who it was that guard sent an SOS to?"
"I used a truth serum on him, but he refused to say anything other then 'Knight'" Surgical explained as he pulled out a small folded up paper. "I've compiled a list of a few dozen royal guards who that could apply to, but 'Knight' could refer to anything within that group. It could mean a name, cutie mark, position, anything."
"We'll deal with that when the 'Knight' comes knocking at the front door. Until then, have a report go back to Canterlot saying that the guard has come down with the pony flu and will have to remain here until he is fully healed and his fellow guards come with another prisoner." Snowstorm ordered, knowing that that would give them quite a bit of time. The guards rarely ever traveled up the mountain alone, let alone down it. It was protocol to have them travel in groups for safety reasons.
"As you wish, sir" Surgical said as the elevator stopped.
The two ponies walked out of it and down a wide hallway. One the right facing the elevator were several prison cells belonging to prisoners of cell block C. Mainly hardened criminals that were too dangerous for regular prisons. As the two ponies continued their venture down the cell block hallway, they reached another elevator that took them down to cell block D, which had a similar set up. This block was set up for prisoners who were very clever at escaping their cells, but were simply repeated offenders. It was here that somepony had the nerve to reach out to Captain Snowstorm.
"Hey! Hey! C-captain!" A mare's voice called out to Snowstorm, catching his attention. The black unicorn paused and looked over at the green pegusus mare with a two toned gold mane. She looked at him with watery eyes as she pleaded. "Please... Please, I'm sorry! I'm really sorry for what I did! I-I'll do anything! Just please! Please take me out of here! I'll clean toilets! I'll scrub floors! Anything please!"
Snowstorm walked up to the captive mare and looked her over, recognizing her and cracking a small smile. "Lightning Dust, right?"
A faint smile and glimmer appeared on the broken pegasus's face when he said her name. "That's right, sir! Please! Please get me out of here! I swear! I-I'll be good! I swear!"
Snowstorm chuckled as he began to walk way, accompanied by Surgical who equally ignored Lightning Dust's further pleads and sobs. The further down Surgical and Snowstorm went, the worse the inmates got. Passing the hallways and descending deeper and deeper into the mountain, all the way to Cell block G. Unlike the previous cells, cell block G had two extra empty hallways, and two more elevators that had to be crossed, all lined with Royal guards around the clock. Once Snowstorm and Surgical got passed the fourth pair of heavily armed guards, and clearance for several of the heavily locked doors, they then entered the second deepest cell block in the prison. Cell block G.
As they began to walk deeper and deeper down Cell Block G's hallway, a faint noise could be heard. It wasn't quite singing, but not really talking either. It got louder and louder until they arrived and realized what it was. One of the two ponies unfortunate to be locked up in cell block G was playing some sort of game with himself with a game board drawn in the dirt with rocks for pieces. The cells for cell block G were specially crafted to have barrier like walls coating the entire cell rather then steal bars. The prisoners were literally held in a magical barrier 24/7, making it impossible for them to break free without magic. Food and inorganic material could pass though, but no living thing could without the Princesses taking down the barrier.
"Let's see..." The first prisoner said as he picked up two rocks with his hooves and rolled them like dice. Once they stopped, landing on their sides, Snowstorm realized the rocks had no identifying marks on them. "Ha! 8! I pass go! Collect 200 dollars! And move past your Canterlot and Crystal Empire! Ha ha! Not so cost effective to put castles on those spaces, eh?! You should have put them on spots like the Day Spa, School House, and Cutie Mark Club house like I did!"
Snowstorm walked up and tapped on the barrier glass. The pony in the cell ignored the interruption and went back to his game. Picking up the dice and rolling for the other player.
"Prisoner 000146, Cynical Storm" Surgical began to read off his copy of the inmate's folder. "Rated double S rank prisoner. Type; pegusus, coat color; grey, mane color; white, eye color; black and glowing yellow, possibly a side effect from a spell gone wrong. Not much is on file except he was transferred here after being retrieved by Canterlot Royal Guard and psychologically evaluated."
"It's the writer's fault..." The pony said as he turned around, his black eyes with yellow glowing irises perusing through his dark cell. "He's to blame... He's written all of our parts. He's the reason I'm here, in this STINKING CELL!!! HE MADE ME LIKE THIS!!!"
With that the pony though one of the rock pieces form his dirt game at the barrier. It was able to pass though, almost nailing Surgical in the head, but the medical pony knew what Cynical was like, and was ready to dodge. The prisoner leaped in almost immediately after the rock, hoping to break through the barrier, but was too late and hit the magical wall. His white teeth glowed almost as brightly against his grey coat as his yellow and black eyes. He wildly stomped against the barrier's walls with his front hooves as fiercely as he could as if it was just about to break.
Snowstorm stood tall and and motionless as he looked upon the brutal act of the imprisoned grey pegasus with a bleach white mane, never flinching even when the rock that was thrown and could have hit him. Unfortunately for the two members of the Iron Lock team of guards, the rock not only passed though Cynical's barrier, but the other inmate's barrier walk was well. Until then, the other prisoner had remained asleep on his bench. Then the rock landed near his head, stirring the creature awake.
"As for the second prisoner of cell block G-" Surgical began to say, but was interrupted by a bench being thrown at the barrier, rattling the entire cell he was in, but the barrier remained standing. "Well...say hello to former Brigadier General Salted Carmel..."
Snowstorm turned around and came face to face with the most intimidating earth pony he had ever met. Salted wasn't overly buff, but he did know how to use every inch of his muscle to its max potential. A brown coat of fur matched the second part of his name, with a light brown and orange mop of mane and stub for a tail. But what was most intimidating about Snowstorm's meeting with the former military officer was the looked he received. A pair of cherry red eyes locked onto his own red and green eyes. Salted's eyes didn't even touch what his name meant. They were eyes that flashed a warning to anypony who was unlucky enough to get in his way.
"Morning Sleeping beauty!" Cynical began to chuckle. "Awwww broke another bed? Ya know doc here's going ta stop sending them to you if you keep doing that!"
"We've had to enforce Salted's cell with a barrier that blocks items going with more force then a filly throwing a base ball, for... Obvious reasons." Surgical said as he cleared his throat. "Are these two not the 'best of the worst'?"
Snowstorm smiled as he looked back and forth between the deranged grey pegasus and the behemoth of an earth pony. "They will do just fine..."
"You know, your playing right into the writer's hooves. Hands? What is he using to write again?" Cynical began to go back and forth with himself again.
"Who is he talking about?" Snowstorm turned and asked Surgical with a raised brow.
"He believes his entire life is a fictional story, the work of some 'Author'" Surgical began to recall from memory his previous conversations with the psychotic pegasus. "Not only that, but this 'Author' submits chapter's he's written on some sort of crystal ball for other ponies around the world to read."
"He is crazy" Snowstorm shook his head. "Who'a ever heard of something so ridiculous?"
Sunny had found a secure cave just outside the apple farm that he divested I unload his personal belongings he regained form his room back at the Crystal empire. He had no idea who it was who left the magical lavender bag for him, but they defiantly intended it to be for a quick escape for the prince. But he was very greatful. As he began looking through the various items, Sunny knew he could never bring anything back to the farm, less somepony find them and begin investigating. The former prince began to rummage through the items, deciding to organize and even decorate the cave with the various items. He may not want anypony to find this place filled with items that could easily expose his deepest, darkest secrets, he still wanted to be organized. 'Even if somepony were I find just a picture, it could...'
It pulled at the young unicorn's heart strings when he picked up an old picture out the many things in the pile. Sunny sighed as he brushed dust off of the old photo. He remembered the day that picture was taken. It was of him and his father, before the fall of the Empire. It was one of the proudest days of Sunny's old life... It was the day he started to fallow in his father's hoof steps, and became a member of the Crystal Empire Royal Guard....
-over 1000 years ago, the Crystal Empire-
Sunny stood in his silver suit of armor, proudly right next to his father, King Sombra, posing for a picture. They were posing right outside the front gates of the Crystal Empire Castle, it was a bright and sunny shinning day, making it perfect for the picture. Both son and father beaming, happy to immortalized this moment forever with a modern portrait taking device. After the picture was taken and both Sunny and King Sombra were waiting for it to develop, the two began to make plans for the celebration dinner tonight.
"If you want, we could invite your future COs to join us so you can get better aquatinted. Some of them I knew from my time at the academy" Sombra began to suggest to his son. "You will be serving some of the finest soldiers in all Equestria, and I know they personally couldn't wait to have you aboard."
"He he, ugh, that sounds great father..." Sunny began to say as he scratched the back oh his head with his hoof.
Sombra studied his son for only a moment before releasing a held breath and smiling down at his son. "But you would rather have a meal, just the two of us?"
"And maybe mother if she, well, ... If she is free" Sunny said with a heavy heart, head slightly dropping, already knowing the answer.
Sombra's easy smile fades as he tried to lock eyes with his son, who avoided his father's gaze. "Sunny... You know as well as I do that your mother is-"
"Very busy" the yellow unicorn said, finishing his father's sentence. "I know, I know. It's just... I haven't seen her in a really long time, and I... I really miss her."
Sombra draped a hoof over his son and pulled him into a hug. "I know, Sunny, I know. It's not your mother's fault, or anypony's fault really, that she isn't here. I know for a fact that she wishes with all her heart that she could have been here. And it breaks her heart to know that she missed this momentous occasion in your life."
Sunny took a deep breath, fighting back the tears. As he did, his father plastered a smile on his own muzzle then nudged his son. "Hey, I know she'll want to see you, especially in that shinny new armor. Geeze, it's no wonder the princesses from the north want to court you. Talk about a stallion. You are rocking that armor son! I bet you'll beating he princesses off with a stick!"
Sombra's joke was able to put a smile on Sunny's face. He didn't know how, but Sombra was always able to pick his son up when he was down, even if it meant the king had to act like a goof to do so. Because to Sombra, Sunny's smile was more precious to him then all the gold and jewels in Equeatria.
"Hey! Tell you what. How about you and I have a private dinner, just you and me, and I'll see if that puppet comedian is available to a private show tonight" Sombra suggested, knowing that his son just loved puppets and that that pony comedian never traveled far from the Empire.
"Giggle Strings?!" Sunny's eyes lit up. "Really?! You mean it!"
"Of course" Sombra said. "I think he's pretty funny too. Especially when w used that cranky old donkey puppet."
"Dad, you're the best!" Sunny said as he tackle hugged King Sombra.
"Any thing for you, son" Sombra said as he returned the hug and gave the yellow unicorn a noogie.
"Here you go sir!" The photographer approached Sunny and King Sombra, presenting the picture.
The two unicorns gazed at the photograph in amazement. It may have been 1/10 th the size of a portrait, but it was surprisingly accurate with their details and fast to develop. No more having to pose for hours on end while somepony paints you.
"I can see these things catching on" Sunny said with amazement.
Later that night, Sunny and Sombra enjoyed a private dinner and a show as they were entertained by the greatest ventriloquist in all of Equestria, Giggle Strings. It was hard not to spit out their food as they laughed at the comedian's back and forth banter with his various puppets. The Giggle was famous for a wide range of puppets that had different voices and characteristics. Half way through the show, Giggle asked for a short break while he rested his voice and got something to drink.
Sunny thought that this break was the perfect time to give his father his gift. The yellow unicorn smiled at his father as he levitated a small box in his magical green aura. "Hey dad, here..."
Sombra looked at box and watched as it landed gently in front of him. Confused, he looked from the box to his son. "What is this?"
"We may be celebrating by graduation from the Crystal Empire Royal Guard academy, but it's also Father's Day. Or did you forget that?" Sunny asked his father as he raised a brow at the king.
Sombra was a little shocked that he actually did forgot. "I guess I was so excited about you graduating, that it slipped my mind."
Sunny laughed a little at the notion. "That sounds just like you. Well, go on! Open it!"
The king of the Crystal Enpire couldn't help but enjoy the enthusiasm his son had for the gift he gave him. Leave it to Sunny to get more excited about giving a gift then getting one. The thought crept back into King Sombra's mind again, one that often plagued him when he thought about his kind hearted son. 'I wish he could just make some friends. Real friends. Sunny is a great pony. And I know if somepony could just give him the chance, they would really like him...'
"Hello! Equestria to dad!" Sunny said as he waved his hoof I front of his father. "Are you there?"
Sombra shook himself clear of his troubled thoughts and brought himself back to the present. "Oh, ugh, sorry about that, Sunny. I was lost in thought."
"Well... Go on and open your gift! I think you'll like it!" Sunny said as he motioned to the gift with his muzzle.
Smiling again at his son's enthusiasm, Sombra tugged at the bow on the box and lifted the lid off. Looking inside the box, the king was surprised by what he saw. Using his own magical aura, Sombra levitated the item out of the box to get a better look at it. A million questions running through his head, not about the item. But more on its importance.
"Ugh, thank you son" Sombra said as he held in his magical aura a small cluster of green crystals. "I have a special spot on my desk just for this."
Sunny's eager and excited expression went dull and deadpan as he locked eyes with his father. "You have no idea what it is, do you?"
"Well sure I do" Sombra said, sounding slightly taken off guard. "It's a cluster of crystals. And you know i love crystals. And look! They're my favorite color too!"
Sunny's expression softened as he rolled his eyes, a smile returning to his face. "And can you guess where they came from?"
Sombra was confused but the question for a moment. Crystals were a common thing, even ones as rare as pinks and greens could be found easily in the Empire. Sombra took a closer look at the rock formation in his hoof, narrowed his eyes and tried to study it closer. It wasn't until he saw his son's reflection in the crystals that he realized where it was they came from! He looked up at his son, eyes bigger then his dinner plate, mouth dropped as he muttered "no... You... You did it?!"
Sunny smiled and was beaming with pride once more. "I did!"
Sombra got up and moved across the table to where his son sat and gave him a big, father-proud-of-his-son-moment, hug! "My son learned the crystal creation spell! I'm so proud!"
Sunny smiled as he returned the hug, feeling as though he was beginning to be worthy of status as Prince, as well as being his father's son....
Sunny held the old photograph in his hooves, then pulled it into his chest as tears began to trickle down his muzzle. Remembering the past was painful, especially when he remembered the good times he had with his father. Remembering him for not only the kind king he used to be, but also the father that Sunny missed.
After remembering that day over 1000 years ago, Sunny didn't feel much like straitening up the cave and reorganizing his personal things. He just stepped out of the cave, moved a giant bolder in front of the entrance and began walking back ok the apple farm, with the photo tucked into the rim of his hat. Sunny knew taking the old picture back to the farm was dangerous. But he needed the comfort of the photo more then the comfort of secrecy that came with his caution.
Sunny remained lost in thought as he entered the farm house and began going trough the motions of a regular day. Applejack had just returned from another friendship mission with the girls and was telling the story mostly through dinner, when she didn't take a small break to eat or look over at Sunny. The yellow stallion remained oblivious as he moved some peas on his plate back and forth with his fork.
After dinner, Big Mac offered to do the dishes, leaving Sunny some free time to himself. Which the yellow unicorn decided to use to take a walk and get some air. He didn't walk very far, though. His hooves carried him up a hill just at the south side of the farm. The yellow stallion sat with his back to the tree as he watched the sun begin to set.
"Happy Father's Day, dad..." Sunny said, wishing that he could go back in time and see what happened. Maybe he could have saved his father, stopped the fall of the Crystal Empire... If only...
The last thing Sunny did was watch Father's Day come to a close as the sun finished setting I've the horizon, and wondered how many more Father's Days he would have to spend alone, wondering where his father was...
"No! No! No! No! No! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" Twilight repeated over and over to herself as she zoomed from one end of the messed up library to another. All the clutter from the previous night was still very present. The purple alicorn's precious library had books and papers everywhere, with tables and chairs also overturned from the struggle with the pony puppet. This bothered Twilight Sparkle quite a bit, but not more then when she realized that the books she was supposed to be deciphering were now missing!
"How can this be?! THEY WERE RIGHT HERE!" Twilight continued to panic as she motioned where the table used to be that held Sombra's books. "Where could they have gone?!"
Sunny was present during her rant, having come over early 'to help Twilight decipher Sombra's books', but in reality, he just had to play his part, as well as keep an eye on Spike. The baby dragon stood nervously next to Sunny, feet shifting, breathing heavy, and gulping. All desperate attempts to keep himself calm as the pony he was closest too and knew all his life, stood before him panicking. The purple and green dragon's heart began to beat faster and faster with the guilt he held began to eat away at him.
"Here Twilight!" Sunny said as he moved closer to her, trying to help both her and Spike relax a bit. "Why don't we help you look?"
"Y-yeah!" Spike said, his words shaking worse then his knees. "They could be here somewhere. They have to be here, right! No way they would be anywhere else! No sir! They are defiantly here!"
Twilight began to take deep breaths to calm herself down. After a moment, Twilight began doing the deep breathing exercises that Cadence had showed her. The breathing tequnique had come in very handy since the purple alicorn became a princess. And after a few deep breaths, the princess of friendship was ready to face the situation once more. This time, with a clear head.
"Ok. Sunny, if you'll help me, we'll move the tables and chairs back into place" Twilight's gaze turned from Sunny to Spike. "Spike, would you mind cleaning up some of these papers and books? We'll have to look through all of this mess to find them. But first we need to get this place
Cleaned up. If we work together, I know we can do it."
"N-no problem! I'll hop right on it!" Spike said as he dove right in to grabbing the loose papers off the ground.
'Hopefully this will help him calm down' Sunny thought as he wrapped his green magical aura around a table and began to move it back into place. 'If he talks, my cover is blown!'
Sunny tried his best to shake the idea from his mind as he refocused on helping Twilight fix up the room. After a few hours of picking up papers, reorganizing books, sweeping up dust and dirt, re-reorganizing books, sorting the various loose papers, and re-re-reorganizing the books, Twilight, Sunny, and Spike all stood back and admired the fruits of their hard work. Twilight beamed with pride as her library looked even better then before! Sunny and Spike on the other hand were exhausted, both mentally and physically from all the extra work Twilight had them do.
"Why did we have to reorganize the entire library so much?" Sunny whispered to the little dragon.
"That's just Twilight" Spike replied. "She loves organizing and reorganizing her books. We're lucky she stopped after only three times."
"You know guys" Twilight said as she tilted her head while looking at the library. "I think I prefer the Equestrian history section over by the Geographical findings section, rather then by the Magical History section."
"You know what? I just remembered I was going to, ugh, help Big Mac and Applejack repainted the barn! I guess I'll see you tomorrow!" Sunny said as he jumped up and dashed out of the room before Twilight could rope him into reorganizing the library for the forth time!
Spike began to panic as well, mostly because he still had the lavender bag that held Sombra's books. It made the little dragon very nervous to keep such things near him that could corrupt him or even Twilight. "Oh! Ugh, I should go make us some lunch!"
"Good idea Spike, I'll get us started" Twilight commented as she began levitating various books off their shelves and began another reorganizing session.
Spike hurried out of the room to catch Sunny before he left. The little dragon didn't have to go far, the yellow stallion was waiting at the end of the hall for him. Spike almost passed right by him before Sunny spoke up.
"Spike!" Sunny called out, making sure to keep his voice sharply above a whisper. "Spike, over here!"
The little purple and green dragon put the breaks on and turned right around. "Oh good! I thought you had left."
"I wanted to stay behind and get those books from you" Sunny said honestly.
"Right!" Spike then pulled out the small lavender bag and handed it over to Sunny who appeared very relieved to have them in his possession. It was then that something finally set in with the little dragon. "I feel.... Kinda bad. You know, for lying to Twilight. I know it's for her better good... But I really just want to come clean to her. Be honest about you and the books."
Sunny gulped as he tucked the lavender bag safely away into the rim of his Stetson hat. That was one thing he was afraid of; Spike feeling guilty and blabbing to Twilight. He had to regain control of the situation... But how... Then an idea can to mind! Sunny smiled as he held his head up high and looked at the small dragon.
"It is a noble thing you've done, Spike" Sunny started to say. "And as a reward, how about I show you where I put all of my Royal guard equipment? You know, armor, swords, and the like? I've collected pieces from all over Equestria, rare ones too. Maybe we can see if one could fit you. I'm sure I could adjust one to your size and build."
The little dragon's mood shifted immediately, his scales standing arrest up with enthusiasm and excitement. "REALLY?! THAT WOULD BE SO COOL!"
Sunny put a hoof to his lips, bringing it to Spike's attention as to how loud he was. But Sunny kept his cool and smiled back. "I'm glad you think so. I'm going to go deal with these books, why don't you go see if Twilight needs anything, and I'll meet you over by the edge of the apple farm, ok? Some time around 3pm?"
"Sure! Yeah! We should be done by then!" Spike said, his body now shaking with excitement. "Oh! This is soooo cooool! I'm going to look awesome in my own dragon style armor!"
Sunny waited until the little dragon was out of sight before he released his held breath and began to relax. "Ugh.... Its getting harder and harder to keep this a secret..."
On his walk through town, Sunny began to think about what gave him the idea to do that for Spike. It was almost as if he was... He was copying something he remembered. Halfway through town, the yellow unicorn looked over at a small group of ponies and realized just where he got the idea to calm Spike down.
Off to the side Sunny caught the sight of a family of four, with the mother carrying her daughter on her back, and the father carried their son on his. The family was smiling and laughing about something, or maybe nothing really at all. The rest of the world became a blur as Sunny's vision zoomed in on the stallion and his son. Their detailed began to change until the stallion's form was that of King Sombra, and the colt that dawned his back was a younger version of Sunny....
-many years ago, in the Crystal Empire-
"Oh wow!" Sunny said as he hopped off his father's back and bolted inside the room his father carried him to. "It's so huge!"
King Sombra only chuckled as he walked inside after his son. "Yes it is, isn't it. I wanted to make sure I had a room big enough for any and every treasured item I brought back from my journeys. That way, I'd have a way to remember all I had learned and all I had met."
The little yellow colt took in all what his father was saying but his eyes kept darting from one thing to another. The walls of the entire room were heavily decorated with rare and intriguing items. "That's really cool dad. But can't you just, you know, remember them on your own? Do you really need stuff like this?"
"When you get old, Sunny, your memory begins to fade. I could keep a journal" Sombra began to say as he walked over to the wall Sunny was examining. "But it helps to sometimes hold something in your hooves. Like this one!"
Sombra cast a green magical aura around an odd looking ball. It was white with red laces stitch work all around it. Sombra looked at it, then playfully tossed it up for Sunny to catch. Sunny panicked slightly and reached out with his hooves to grab the ball, almost dropping it, but was able to put his hooves around it.
"Ugh... What is this?" Sunny asked his father as he turned the odd looking ball around in his hooves. It was small and hard, not like the rubber balls his class mates and he were used to playing with.
"A few years before you were born, I aided your mother and a very powerful friend of hers, names Star-Swirl the bearded" Sombra began to say. "They began work dealing with a magical mirror that acted as a portal to other worlds. One world they visited had a game they called 'base ball'. And this was one a new friend your mother made gave to her."
"WOW! That's sooo cool!" Sunny's intreat in the ball increased ten full.
"You know what's cooler?" King Sombra said with a smirk, catching his son's attention. "Your mother played the game with them in their world, and helped them win some regional tournament."
"Wow! Mom's so cool!" Sunny said bouncing up and down.
Sombra looked back to the wall and picked another item off the wall. "Say, Sunny. Didn't you say you wanted to be a Royal guard when you grew up?"
The little yellow colt with a messy mop of orange mane calmed down with the sobering comment. As Sunny put the white and red ball back in its place in the wall, he hung his head. "Yeah... I did..."
Sombra immediately noticed the tone in his son's voice. "Something the matter, Sunny? Did you have a change of heart?"
"It... It's not that..." The yellow cold mumbled. "It's just... All the other ponies in my class are stronger, faster, better with magic and everything. I just don't know if I'm good enough to be a royal guard."
"My son, you remind me so much of myself when I was your age" Sombra said as he gently placed his old helmet on his son's head. "To be honest, you're better then I was with magic at your age."
"Really?!" Sunny was surprised. "But you're so powerful! You can do anything!"
His son's generous words cause the king to chuckle lightly. "Well thank you, but I'm not all powerful."
"Is mom?" Sunny asked immediately, tilting his head.
This caused the king to scratch the back of his neck, which is something he often did when he didn't know quite how to answer a question. Then as if the scratching summoned it to his mind, the king had the answer for his curious son. "Next time you see her, why don't you ask her yourself? It will really make her day."
"Ok!" The little yellow colt shuffled the helmet around in his head, but it was maybe about four sizes or more too big. He gave up after a moment and sighed as it slumped forward and covered his entire muzzle.
This made his father chuckle lightly again as he moved a hoof to tip the helmet back, allowing him to see his son's face. "But getting back to what I was saying. You shouldn't let the way you are now influence what you want to do. If you work hard, and never give up, there's nothing you can't do."
Sunny smiled up at his dad, tipping the helmet back with his hoof. "You mean I could be even as strong and powerful as you?!"
"I think you could be even more powerful then me" Sombra replied. "But you have a lot to learn before that day. Including what you should use that power for."
This confused the little yellow colt. "Use it for? Can't I use it for whatever I want?"
"A good ruler is one who uses his power for good, to help others, not just himself" Somnra said, his tone more stern. But he managed to crack a smile at his son to lighten the mood. "But you'll learn that in time. Now, how would you like me to show you a few of your father's favorite weapons? Collected from the land of dragons!"
"Would I!!!" Sunny said, bouncing up, the helmet flying off his head.
Sunny was snapped back to the present when somepony put their hoof on him and called out his name. "Sunny... Sunny, are you ok?"
The yellow unicorn was snapped back to the present, over 1000 years after that took place. Sunny jerked his head around to come face to face with his good friend, Octavia. The grey earth pony looked at him with slightly concerned, purple eyes. "Oh, ugh, hey Octavia! What brings you here?"
His musically talented friend stepped back and looked him over. "What brings me into town? Or what brought me over to you? I came here to pick a few things up for dinner tonight. But I walked over here because you looked like a statue just starting off into space.... Is everything alright?"
Sunny sighed and rubbed the base of his muzzle with his hoof. "Y-yeah... I'm fine just... Just taking a trip down memory lane."
"Is that why you were crying?" Octavia asked.
A little confused by her question, Sunny put a hoof up to his eye and realized that he actually had been crying. He began to wonder how long he had actually been standing there. He looked up at the clock near the town square and realized he only had about an hour before he was going to meet Spike! "I have to go!"
Before he could answer her, Sunny took off down the road but yelled back at Octavia "don't worry! I'll be fine! Thank you for being concerned, though!"
The grey musician pony just watched as her newest friend bolted down the road like a bolt of lightning. When he was out of sight, Octavia just sighed, shook her head and thought to herself 'why do I always make friends with the weird ponies?'
Sunny had made it back to the cave in the Everfree Forest, near the other side of the farm's farthest field, and had enough time to straiten things up. He was sure to hide any and all pictures or proof that he was from the Crystal Empire. He didn't know the difference between the two armor styles of the Canterlot Royal guard and the Crystal army. Well, at least how they are now. They were gold and cobolt steel 1000 years ago. Hopefully things hadn't changed. When he was organizing, Sunny noticed he had a set of all. But still, his favorite was a black set of armor. He couldn't remember where he had gotten it. But something, a small voice in the back of his mind, told him that that was a special suit of armor, and his favorite.
Heading back to the farm, Sunny arrived just moments before Spike could be seen coming up from the road to Ponyville. Spike seamed eager to see Sunny's secret Royal guard stash. Sunny made him swear not to reveal the location to anypony, or to tell anypony about him. The little purple and green dragon pinkie-promised that he wouldn't. With that, the yellow unicorn felt more at ease leading him to the cave. Sunny had taken precautions to hide it, such as a giant bolder he placed at its entrance and some moss he covered the bolder with to make it appear to have been there for a while. Moving the moss and bolder aside, Sunny presented the cave to the little dragon.
"Wow...." Spike sad as he walked inside. Sunny had also taken the liberty to line up several glowing crystals along the cave's walls, much like his old room. The glow from the stones made all the weapons and armor glisten. But something else caught the attention of the young dragn. "That's awesome! You have 'the Dark Detective' #1?!"
Sunny approached what the young dragon had pulled off the wall. It was an old comic his father had given him when he was into comic book super heroes. To be honest, it wasn't his favorite. The Dark Detective didn't even have super powers. He was just some earth pony who used his wits to solve crimes, wore a dark outfit, and hide in the shadows to out smart and out maneuver the bad guys. But still, he kept the comic as a reminder of his father.
"You, ugh, want that instead of a suit of armor?" Sunny asked curiously.
"Well..." Spike nervously scratched the back of his head.
But Sunny only smiled at the young dragon. "You know, we would need the help of a black smith to get you your own suit of armor. And who knows? You might go through a growth spurt by the time you complete Royal guard training."
"R-right" Spike said with an emerging smile as he looked at the yellow stallion.
"And to be honest, I don't really care much for 'the Dark Detective'" Sunny admitted as he rolled a hoof around at the name.
"B-but are you sure?! It's, like, super duper rare! And it looks almost brand new! And it's a first edition!" Spike went on, pointing out the details of the comic.
"I think it's in better hooves with you" Sunny replied. "And if I find any more, I'll send them your way."
"R-really?! Wow! Thanks Sunny! You're the best!" The little dragon said before running up and giving Sunny a hug.
This caught the unicorn off guard. The setting seamed familiar. But it had been so long since Sunny shared a hug with anypony in front of his own spoils of war. And for the next hour or so, Sunny relaxed as Spike told him all about his favorite comic books and about the heroes inside of them, including the time he and the girls got trapped in one themselves. Sunny was half listeneing, and half lost in blissful relaxation.
'Maybe things will turn out ok from here on out, what's the worst that could happen?' The yellow unicorn thought.
-Twilights Castle-
Twilight was feeling slightly relaxed now that the mess in the library had been picked up. Even though the books she had brought back from the Crystal Empire had gone missing, she was relieved to remember there was one she had in the meeting room where the girls had their slumber party. That one had escaped the chaos that the pony puppet brought.
"Ok, let's get started..." Twilight said as she began working, comparing the odd letters of the book with several different languages that Equeatria housed.
Twilight paused after several moments to take a deep breath and let her mind unwind. She thought about Sunny and how he seemed too eager to help her with this. "I shouldn't bother him. He's helped me out a lot already. Besides, one book between us? It might be easier for me to just work on this alone."
It seemed like an average morning as Sunny walked into town. Well, as average as it could be for a small town inhabited by brightly colored magical ponies. Especially in a town where almost anything could happen. But today, Sunny felt confident that today was going to be a good day. It had been a week since he showed Spike the cave where he kept all the items from his life as a prince in the Crystal Empire. But as far as Spike knew, they were from his time serving in the Canrerlot Royal army. For the past week, Sunny had been studying his father's books, but found nothing, or rather, nothing he could decipher. Perhaps it would help if he borrowed a few books from Twilight. But if he did that, she might suspect something.
"Well I can't do that..." Sunny said to himself as he walked into town. "Maybe I could travel into the next town over and check out their library. Yeah! That's what I can do with my free-"
It was at that moment that Sunny's face collided with the muzzle of that belonging to a local pony who's main job was the maintenance of all the town's clocks. The brown earth pony with a spiked mane and tail fell over on his backside and dropped an odd looking device he was caring in one hoof. The device was a metal box with flashing, red lights and two antenna pointing directly at Sunny.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I was kinda distracted" Sunny said as he offered a hoof to Doctor Whooves.
"Oh it's quite alright, I wasn't looking-" the doctor began to say but stopped when he did a double take at Sunny. "YOU! Your a unicorn?! How long have you been that?!"
Doctor Whooves then moved uncomfortable close to the yellow unicorn and began poking at his horn, which made Sunny feel even more uncomfortable. "Ugh... As far as I know, forever. But I just remembered I was one a while ago. Weren't you-"
"THIS IS PERFECT! BRILLIANT!" Doctor Whooves said as he put one hoof around Sunny. "I need you help in what could possibly be the greatest accomplishment OF PONY KIND!!!"
Sunny paused for several moments and looked at Doctor Whooves like he was nuts before asking "ugh... And that would be what, exactly?"
Doctor Whooves smiled at the yellow unicorn as he proudly proposed his idea "A TIME MACHINE!"
Sunny looked confusingly into the sky, wondering what that weird series of sounds were. Doctor Whooves chucked and shook his device with the antenna and flashing lights "Oh sorry, this thing sometimes picks up weird radio signals. Kind of sounds like old style Science fiction television shows, doesn't it?"
"Ugh, yeah..." Sunny replied, not really getting the reference. Before knew what was going on, Doctor Whooves grabbed him by his hoof and started directing him trough town.
Doctor Whooves had practically dragged Sunny back to his lab just south of town hall. It was there that he worked on his many, many inventions, calculated his many equations, researched many topics he found useful or insightful, as well as worked on the town's many clocks. Upon arriving, Sunny's eyes went wide with utter amazement. The many devices and contraptions made the structure and functioning of the bul-dos-ers that almost flattened Sweet Apple Acres months ago, look like nothing more then overgrown children's toys.
"Wow, Doctor Whooves, this is amazing!" Sunny said as he began to wander about the lab.
"Thank you, but all of this is nothing compared to my time machine, well, once it's done that is" Doctor Whooves commented. "And if you wish, feel free to just call me Doctor. And please, never Whooves, Mr.Whooves, or anything of the sort."
"Whatever you say Doc" Sunny said as he approached an odd looking device. It looked like some sort of small cello, but appeared to be hooked up to two large black boxes.
Curious, Sunny picked it up and strung his hoof across it's strings. It made little to no sound. Sunny then twisted a dial on the cello marked 'volume' a couple of notches then strung it's cords again. But nothing happened. Feeling frustrated, Sunny turned the dial all the way to 'Max' and struck his hoof across the cords once more. But still, nothing happened. No sound. Nothing.
"Oh! Here! Let me help you" Doctor said as he walked over and flipped the speakers on. "I've actually just recently picked up playing the guitar. My therapist said I needed a hobby that could help me unwind. I just need to watch the amps. I've tweaked them a bit. And there's a slight possibility of-"
Before the brown earth pony scientist could finish, Sunny strummed the cords of the instrument again. Only this time, a loud vibrating ring echoed through the entire lab as the amps blew out, sending Sunny and Doctor Whooves flying across the room and into a large book case. The book case half fell over with the books landing safely on both Sunny and Doctor.
"...possibility of overload..." Doctor said as he pushed several books off of himself.
Sunny also pushed several books off of him and picked up his Stetson hat that had landed on some sort or brass colored trash can, that also had light bulbs on it. "I'm really sorry Doctor. I can pay you for those."
"Don't worry, my dear boy" Doctor Whooves said as he offered him a hoof. "I'm used to repairing my devices. It gives me the opportunity to make them even better then before!"
After being helped up, Sunny walked with Doctor Whooves to pick up the mess. While Doctor picked up the pieces of the amp and piled them up together to work on when he had a spare moment, Sunny started cleaning up the books. While he did, something caught the eye of the yellow stallion. A few books had fallen open and within their pages were scripts of unknown origin, but they looked surprisingly familiar.
"Hey Doc" Sunny called out. "What are these?"
"Please, Just Doctor, not Doc" Doctor Whooves said as he walked over to the pile of books. Taking a better look, he realized he didn't recognize the books at all. "I don't even remember getting these books. How odd. Maybe Derpy knows."
As if on queue, a certain grey pegasus mare with a wall-eyes stare fell through a window and landed on Doctor Whooves, butt first. When she straitened herself up, she looked around, appearing slightly confused. "Doctor? Where are you? I could have sworn-"
Sunny appeared out of the corner of one of Derpy's eyes and motioned down with his hoof. The town's mail mare looked confused for a moment before looking down and seeing her coltfriend was once again under her. "Hey Doctor! What are you doing under there?!"
"Derpy..." The brown earth pony said as best he could with a pair of collapsing lungs. "Please. Get. Off. Of. Me..."
"Oh! Right! Sorry Doctor!" Derpy said as she stepped off of him and began looking around. "Hey Doctor, your amp blew up again."
"Yes, yes they did" Doctor Whooves said as he dusted himself off then went over and smiled at the grey, pegasas mare. "But I have better news! Our young friend here is going to help us with the time machine!"
"You mean the big box?" Derpy said as she walked over to a large box that had a cloth tapered over it.
"It's a time machine" Doctor Whooves went on to say, now speaking more to Sunny then his already informed assistant. "Or at least it will be once we get it up and running."
"Ugh, about that..." Sunny turned his attention away from the books and back towards Doctor. "Why do you need my help for that?"
"Well you see..." Doctor Whooves began to explain as he walked over to a chalk board. "I don't know how, but your body is emitting a series of, well, for lack of a better word, radiation or magic, that also can be found just shortly after a time spell is cast."
Doctor Whooves pulled out a lazier pointer and began explaining the drawing and various scribbles on his chalk board. "When a unicorn pony casts a time spell, they essentially force a whole open in time using their magic. Well, this same magical force leave behind a type of radiation. Harmless of course, but very powerful if harnessed. Now, most time spells either only work for travailing back a week or so, or over a decade. But with this machine, we can travel forward and backwards in time, from anywhere between 10 seconds to over 2000 years!"
"Really?!" This really caught Sunny's attention. "So... Let's say you wanted to, oh, I don't know... Go back in time and stop an evil King from causing trouble in a certain Empire. Would that be possible?"
"I'm afraid not" Doctor Whooves said as he walked over to his table and grabbed a book, opening to a marked page. Sunny walked over and peaked over Doctor's shoulder. "You see, something as historical as that is known as a 'fixed point' and cannot be changed. Let's say you go back and were able to stop the king. Somepony else would rise to power and rule the Empire and corrupt it. Maybe even princess Celestia or Princess Luna."
Sunny's ears drooped as he sighed heavily and walked away to finish picking up the books. "What's the point in going back in time then if you can't help ponies?"
"Oh but you can!" Doctor said as he jumped over and across the room towards Sunny. "Think of all the possibilities! We can learn about the lost cities that sank beneath the sea, what lead to the fall of Timbucktu, or even as far back as the coronation of our rulers! Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!"
"Yeah, that all sounds great, Doctor..." Sunny's attention was now back on the books with their odd texts. His hopes of possibly going back in time and stopping his father from becoming corrupt were shattered. Sunny began looking at the pages again, he knew they looked just like the ones in his father's books.
Noticing Sunny's fascination with the odd books, The gears in the scientist's head began turning once again . "Sunny, can I call you Sunny."
"Ugh, sure" Sunny said, half paying attention as he started to become lost in the books.
"How about we make a deal?" Doctor Whooves began to say. "If you help me power my machine by channeling your magic into it, I'll lend you my books. Deal?"
Sunny thought about it for a moment, and although he couldn't figure out just what Doctor Whooves was saying or why he wanted to go back in time in the first place, but the yellow stallion knew he needed those books if he was ever going to break the curse he put on Score and his friends.
"Alright" Sunny said as he turned and faced the stallion with a red necktie. "You have yourself a deal. So what do I have to do?"
"Right this way!" Doctor said as he walked Sunny over to a chair and began hooking him up with a bunch of wires that fed from the chair into some light bulbs and eventually into some machines that then would process the energy and feed it into the soon to be time machine.
As Sunny day in the chair, feeling slightly nervous, Doctor immediately went to work. He zoomed all around the seated yellow stallion, hooking various things up to him, including a helmet that seemed to be made of wires and a metal food strainer, with a hole in the top of it for Sunny's horn. After placing the helmet securely on Sunny, Doctor then plopped a type of putty like substance on the exposed horn, then plugged a red and a blue wire directly into the putty.
"Ugh... Probably a bad time to ask this, but is this safe?" Sunny asked nervously, starting to regret his decision.
"Of course it is!" Doctor said confidently as he flipped a few switches on the console connected to what Sunny was hooked up to. Just as the brown earth pony was about to spout out some more words of encouragement, a device Derpy was holding in her hooves started sparking then caught fire. Doctor ignored that, despite Sunny's wide eye and nervous look at the sight. "I'm the best inventor in all of Ponyville. And I can say without a doubt that this machine is more then ready for operation! Now let's get started!"
"But Doctor, what am I supposed to do? You still haven't explained that." Sunny asked, still very confused as to what the Doctor was doing.
"Just focus your magical energy into your horn" Doctor Whooves began to explain as the various machines around his lab began to wake up, making loud growling noises, forcing Doctor to speak over them. "Like the first step to casting a spell! Focus your magic in your horn, but just keep it there! Don't cast a spell, ok?!"
Doctor Whooves jumped from where he was standing over to a giant toggle switch that was marked with yellow and black stripes. He took a deep breath before muttering something to himself and turning back to face Sunny. "Are you ready, dear boy?"
Sunny gulped and tried to calm himself down. What's the worst that could happen? All he needed to do was focus his magic into his horn, right? He could do that. It was foal's play. Sunny took a deep breath and began to relax. When a unicorn casts a spell, it's best that they are relaxed. Outside influences could disrupt the spell. But a memory seemed to seep back into Sunny's mind. Although Twilight re-taught him how to use magic, it was his father who initially taught the yellow unicorn, over 1000 years ago...
-Many years ago in the Crystal Empire-
"UGH! I'm never going to do this!" A younger Sunny said as he kicked a rubber ball away from him, frustrated that it wouldn't levitate.
Although Sunny wasn't able to levitate the ball with the use of his unicorn magic like his book explains, he was able too kick it hard enough to where it would have flown over the garden fence. But at last minute, it was caught in a green magical aura, and levitated down to the unicorn casting the aura. Sunny's father had just gotten out of a meeting with his generals and thought he'd check up on how his son's practicing was going. The king had been informed by his teachers that Sunny was struggling a bit and offered highly recommended tutors. But Sombra knew his son better then any pony else, and wanted to try and help him first.
"Trying for the hoof ball team?" Sombra joked as he walked over to where his son had settled in the garden to practice his magic without interruption.
Sunny let out a breath of frustration as he lowered his head, not wanting to look his father in the eye. "It's too hard... I'll never be a good prince if I can't even lift a stupid ball off the ground..."
Sombra set the ball back down in front of his son, who shot the seemingly innocent ball a dark glare. Taking a seat next to his young son, the king put his hoof around the troubled colt. "You know, you remind me so much of myself when I was growing up. Did you know that i was about your age when I cast my first spell?"
This caught the curiosity of the small unicorn, tearing his attention from the ball and up to his father. "Really? But you're so great at magic now."
"But I wasn't always" Sombra answered. "Actually, I couldn't even get a pebble off the ground for the longest time. But you know who helped me?"
"Who?" Sunny asked, his curiosity peaked.
"Radiant Hope" Sombra said with a smile as he remembered his earlier days at the orphanage where he grew up.
"Auntie Radiant? Really?!" Sunny said, sounding astounded and amazed.
"Indeed, my son" Sombra continued. "She was naturally gifted. But do you know the secret she told me? How she was able to cast spells so well?"
"How?!" Sunny was practically standing on the edge of his hooves, wanting desperately to know his father's secret.
The king closed his eyes and raised his head, straitening his back. "She told me 'if you think of things that make you happy, the magic will flow through you and make your magic stronger. I think about the ponies I care about. I think of wanting to help others, about making them better, and helping them to shine.'"
Sunny tilted his head to the side, slightly confused. "Help them to... Shine? Like making them glow in the dark?"
Sombra chuckled lightly then shook his as he looked down at his son. "No, Radiant wanted to help ponies reach their full potential, so that way they can shine. Like the stars in the sky."
Sunny thought for a moment, trying to figure out what it was his father was saying. But it just wasn't clicking.
Sombra noticed this and decided to put it in a way his son might understand. "When I cast my spells, I think of Radiant, my oldest friend. But I also think of you, and your mother."
That caused a spark in Sunny, head jerking up to face his father. "Mother?"
"Yes" the king elaborated. "I put all my heart into my spells, thinking about protecting you and your mother, as well as everypony in the Crystal Empire. It makes me feel like I can glow when I think of them, and doing all i can for the ponies I care about."
The gears in Sunny's head began to turn as he looked back at the ball again. He wanted to close his eyes to only focus on the ball, like his teacher told him to. But Sunny kept his eyes open, having the images of his mother and father and him in his mind, thinking they could all spend more time together again, like they used to. The happy and selfless thought gave the young unicorn's magic that extra little push he needed. The ball was then coated in a green magical aura, possibly a shade or two lighter then King Sombra's, and with little effort at all, the ball began to rise.
Sombra stood by and watched, beaming with pride that he got to see his son cast his very first spell. "It looks like somepony found their happy thought. Remember Sunny, never let your happy thought go..."
-back in the present, Doctor Whoove's house-
"Yes! That's it!" Doctor was calling out to anypony who was listening, his machines began to growl louder as Sunny's magical force drove them to a point they'd never reached before! The big box under with the sheet began to glow as an odd whooshing noise began to erupt from it. "I JUST CANT BELIEVE IT! ITS REALLY WORKING! ALL MY DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE!"
But right at the time Doctor Whooves was about to break into a victorious dance, a bulbs broke on the machine closest to him. Then another. And another. And another after that! Doctor and Derpy all watched at the various machines all around his home began to burst with an overflow of energy that fried the machines from the inside out!
"No! No! No!!!" Doctor began to scream as he ran around desperately trying to keep the machines operational. But even the soon-to-be time machine's whooshing began to subside as the lights from it dimmed into nothing. "No! We're almost there! We can't give up now!"
But despite the scientist's best efforts, the machines had long since died out, smoke quickly began to fill the air of Doctor Whoove's home. Derpy opened a window to let some of the smoke out, breaking the window in the process.
"Oops..." She said as the entire window fell off it's hinges and fell to the ground. "Sorry Doctor..."
But Doctor was far too lost to care at all about a silly broken window, his hopes and dreams were smashed more then the window, now that all his equipment was ruined. He picked up a small electric screwdriver he invented and threw it away from him. "What's the point... Everypony is right... My work is a joke. Just 'crazy of Doctor Whooves working on machines that will explode, again'... All I wanted to do was see all of history first hoof! Learn some things forgotten or left out of the text books, see great ponies in their own time, see the wonders of our past and future with my own eyes!..."
Doctor then turned and looked over at Sunny. "I'm sorry for dragging you through this, young lad. It's not your burden to bear my failures. Here, let's get you out of that mess. And please, help yourself to any of those books..."
As Doctor dragged his head over to Sunny and began to remove the various wires attached to the yellow stallion, a pair of hooves pushed his away. Shocked for a moment, Doctor Whooves gazed at the yellow hoof that smacked his away.
"Doctor" Sunny said he his burning green eyes met the down trotted eyes of the scientist. "If you want your dreams to come true, you can't give up. We don't stop until you get your time machine working."
This shook Doctor for a moment, but when he could speak, his voice was very pessimistic and shaky. "B-but my machines! They're all destroyed!"
"We can make it work" Sunny's spirit didn't flicker.
"It will take me months to repair the damage!" Doctor's voice sounded more panicked.
"Can't we just hook me up to the time machine?" Sunny asked, nudging to the big box covered in a sheet.
"B-b-but if I don't filter the magical flow, it could completely destroy the machine! More so then the others!" Doctor was becoming more hysterical then before, thinking he could lose everything he's ever worked on!
"Doctor!" Sunny grabbed ahold of the brown earth pony and shook him still. The scientist's eyes were now locked on the assertive yellow pony before him. "You have your chance right now to make your dreams come true! Either take it or not! I'm willing to help you. But are you willing to rick it all for the sake of your dream?!"
Doctor didn't know what to do. All logic in his mind told him he should get to work right away on building a second time machine, and rebuild his lab and try again later. But that could take months, even years! But if he tried to hook Sunny directly up to the time machine and it failed, either short circuiting it or even blowing it completely up, all his work would be set back further then before! Doctor felt like he was going crazy!
"I believe in you, Doctor" a soft and gentle hoof landed on the brown earth pony's shoulder.
Doctor turned to come face to face with the only pony who never lost faith in him, even when he lost faith in himself. He smiled and nuzzles her hoof. "Thank you, Derpy..."
"Are we going to do this, Doctor?" Sunny asked, a confident grin now on his face. "Or am I just going to stand around with putty on my head all day?"
"RIGHT!" Doctor said as he hopped up and ran over to the big box and pulled the sheet off of it. It was very odd, unlike anything Sunny had ever seen. It did look like a big box, indeed, but it had windows all around the top half of it, and an odd light at its pointed tip.
Immediately, Doctor began pulling parts form his various machines and dragging them over to the big box. He picked up the screwdriver he had had and pressed a button on it, pointing it at a panel on the side of the big box. The panel immediately popped off, exposing tones of wires to scientist who went right to work, his brain now going a million miles per hour.
"Now although we're going to connect you directly to the time machine itself, I'm still going to filter your magical flow through the machines." He began to explain as he worked. "The machines will still act as filters even though they are technically burned out. Too much magical flow could rupture the time machine and we all could at the very least blow up with the house. Worse case... "
Sunny and Derpy looked nervously at Doctor as he used his odd screwdriver on the machine Sunny was hooked up to. Sunny was the only one to speak up when Doctor trailed off. "Ugh, worst case Doctor?"
"Worst case won't happen" Doctor said with a grin. "Because we are going to succeed! Now, fire when ready, my friend!"
Sunny took another deep breath and began to focus his magical energy again. This time, thinking of his father, and what he had taught him all of those years ago. The box's light's began to flow again as the whooshing sound returned. But it was really subtle.
"More Sunny! We need more energy!" Doctor called out as he looked over the machines, trying to find a way to refocus the flow from the yellow unicorn. But he had done all he could the first time.The machine died down seconds afterwards, Sunny breathing heavily, his head feeling like a baked potato.
But he wasn't going to give up. The yellow unicorn began to focus again, remembering to breath as his unicorn magic began to flow around his horn again. This time, he thought about all the friends he'd made in town. Not just Applejack, Twilight and their friends. But the friends he himself made, like Thunder Lane, Big Mac, Octavia, and now Derpy and Doctor. The thought about that, and wanting to help them 'shine' like his father told him. The machine began to whoosh louder and the lights on it and the other machines began to flow with life once more. But not long after that, the machine died down harder then the first time.
"No!" Doctor slammed his hooves on the machine that was loosest to him. "We were almost there! Ugh!"
"Don't give up!" Derpy cried out. "I know you can do it, Doctor! You're the smartest pony I know!"
"We can do it Doctor!" Sunny called out from where he was hooked up. "One more time!"
Doctor paused for a moment and turned to look at both Derpy and Sunny. Time for him stood still for a moment as he took in all of what was happening. He was there, trying his hardest to make his dreams come true, and there were his friends, possibly the only two friends he's got, cheering him on. It was then that all the statistics he had gathered, all the formulas he's calculated, all the theory's, trials, experiments,.... They don't mean a thing! Right now his friends are there, believing in him, which is something he's never had before. He can't fail! He won't fail!
"RIGHT! One more time!" Doctor said as he flipped the toggle switch one last time.
Sunny began to focus with all his might, believing with all his heart that he could help his friend. But he needed something more. Something he never thought about before.... Then it hit him.
The yellow stallion closed his eyes and let his mind drift back to the place he called home. The place where he felt at peace. The place he swore to protect with all his might. The place where the most important ponies in all of Equestria were. The ponies that were now his family. The thought about the Apples and their farm that they called home, and the home they opened up to him. Witching that breif moment, Sunny's body pulsed, and the pulse shot out and hit all of the machines surrounding him.
The machines all around Doctor's home suddenly sprang back to life! Their broken lights and bulbs began to come back together as if their time was reversing! The busted parts of metal and burnt wire began to shine like new and wall back into place! And the big box time machine began to cheer with its 'whoosh'ing. Then for a moment, everything went dark. No sounds. No lights. Nothing but the questioning thoughts of the three ponies in Doctor's house...
...then all at once, the lights flickered on once mor, allowing light to illuminate the entire house as the box time machine began to spin around, around and around! The doors now open and sucking into it all the various machines, doo-dads and what nots that resided all around Docror Whoove's house! Just as fast as it started up, the box suddenly stopped spinning, and the doors shut.
All the walls in Doctor's house were bare, all his furniture gone. Everything he had ever owned had been sucked into the big box time machine. Leaving just the three ponies on their backs, too scared and amazed to move. When they felt it was safe to move, Doctor, Derpy, and Sunny all stood up and walked over to the time machine.
The front door opened up from the side closest to Doctor, shocking all three of the ponies. For a long moment, try just started at the door. But taking a deep breath, Doctor took a step towards the door, then another. And finally, he looked inside and was amazed at what he saw.
Inside the seemingly average (if not just plain odd) wooden box was a room that seemed even larger then Doctor Whoove's house! Maybe even larger then the barn at Sweet Apple Acres! Doctor was the first to venture inside, his causation giving way to the doctor's undying curiosity. Behind him was Derpy, who was then followed by Sunny. All were amazed by the large room inside the relatively small box.
"It's.... It's..." Derpy began to speak out loud.
"Bigger on the inside!" Doctor finished her sentence and grabbed her hooves, beginning to dance with her. "We did it! We really did it! It's a real working time machine!"
"Not to drag you down, Doctor" Sunny began to say as he walked over to a large control panel that seemed to go from the center of the 'time machine' all the way to the sealing. "But how are you so sure that it's a time machine and not just a really, really roomy closet?"
"Ah! A demonstration!" Doctor said as he moved over to the control panel and immediately found what he was looking for. "Here! If I recall correctly the date you came to town was just the begining of Spring, right? When the Apple family would need aid in bucking their trees?"
"Yeah, wait" Sunny paused. "How did you know that?"
"Are you kidding? I love Apple family apple goods. I keep track of the best times to buy apples from them, right when they are plump and juicy." Doctor admired as he looked the controls over.
"They are always plump and juicy, Doctor" Sunny's tone was flat and emotionless as to reflect his distaste of Doctor's comment.
Doctor felt his tie growing tighter as he tried to relieve some of the pressure by tugging at it, then continued. "Anyway, there was a party going on outside in town, right?"
"Yeah!" Derpy added in. "Pinkie was throwing a huge party, and I was busting some moves with Rainbow Dash!" The grey pegusus then began to mimic her 'moves' from that day, only, on that day, her moves also busted a few pillars on town hall and a few food stands.
After flipping a few switches, hitting a few buttons, and smacking an odd nob, the 'time machine' box began to make that whooshing noise again. But other then a few lights flickering on and off, nothing changed. A bit skeptical, Sunny walked over to one of the windows and peaked out, only to be shocked by what he saw!
They had somehow moved from Doctor Whoove's house into Ponyville Square, and it appeared a party was going on! Not just any party, but 'the' party! The party Sunny had joined on his first day arriving in Ponyville! He looked around and saw everypony dancing to that song that he liked so much.
"Wait! There I am!" Sunny said as Doctor and Derpy joined him by the window, catching himself dancing with his Apple Family Stetson over his horn. "I should go tell me about my horn. That could save-"
"NO!" Doctor said as he tackled Sunny before the yellow unicorn could leave the time machine. "If you disrupt the past, it could change the future! We can't do that! Don't you read Science fiction novels on time travel?!"
"Ugh... I haven't, no" Sunny said as he pushed Doctor off of him. "So wait! If we can't disrupt time, why time travel?"
"To view it all! How would you like to see the three tribal leaders coming together to pale peace after the very first Hearths warming? Or witness Princess Celestia and Princess Luna coming to power?!"
The yellow stallions just sighed and shook his head, but still kept smiling. His newest friend's enthusiasm was defiantly one to admire. Sunny noticed that the more friends he acquired, the weirder they seem to become. But as He looked at Doctor talking with Derpy about specific dates he wanted to visit with her, Sunny couldn't help but feel something inside. His chest felt light, and the smile on his face seemed to grow. 'Is this what you meant by helping other friends 'shine' father?'
"Are you sure you don't want to come along?" Doctor asked Sunny once more as he watched the yellow stallion gather up the books from the shelf. "It could be quite the adventure."
"Maybe some other time, Doctor" Sunny said as he finished packing the books into his saddle bag. "But right now, I have something I need to set right. You two go on. I'll catch the next one, ok?"
"We'll bring you back a souvenir!" Derpy said with a smile on her face as she stuck her head out of the time machine.
"We most certainly will not!" Doctor said, the smile fading from Derpy's face. He sighed and continued to explain. "If we remove something from the past and bring it to the present, that will cause wholes in time and space. Which could result in worse things then what Discord could even bring about."
"Pictures?" Derpy said with a smile, seeming slightly optimistic.
Doctor smiled and nodded, earning a cheer from the grey pegusus mare. "Just so long as it's from within the time machine."
"I hope there isn't a glare!" Derpy said as she began to move a tone of film and extra cameras into the time machine.
"Again, I can't thank you enough for helping me bring my dreams to life." Doctor said as he put a hoof on Sunny's shoulder. "If there's anything I can one day do in return, please, let me know."
But sadly, the only thing that Sunny would want from the past is to change his and his father's future. To stop him from falling into darkness. As Doctor said, that could do more harm then good. Who knows, if that happened, maybe Applejack and her friends, maybe the Princesses themselves, could become evil instead. Shaking the thought from his head, Sunny returned the smile to Doctor. "Just go out there and live the dream, my friend. Go and see all of what you want to see. Ok?"
"You can bet your hat I will!" Doctor said as he waved goodbye to his new friend once more and shut the door to the time machine. As it began to make the whooshing noise again, Sunny watched as it began to turn invisible and disappear in a gust of wind. After a moment, the wind died down and the big box time machine was gone.
"Huh, so that's what it looks like from the outside..." Sunny said as he smiled once more and was about to leave Doctor's house behind, heading back to his secret cave to decode those spells so he could cure the three pegusi in the hospital.
Back inside the time machine, Doctor Whooves began flipping through his history books, opening them to the pages he had placed tabs in for when he actually got the time machine up and running. He didn't need the pages for references on dates or places where the events occurred, more along the lines of he had them marked to prove or disprove questionable material within the books themselves. Whether or not the unicorns really did live as prestigiously as they portrayed in the paintings or to a painfully lesser degree then their defendants wish to admit. What was the real fall of the ancient city of Trot? And possibly where the ancient Treasures of Trottingham are located after the great earthquake!
"Oh! Oh! Doctor!" Derpy said as she untangled herself from several ribbons worth of undeveloped film. "I was wondering if... Maybe we could... Go and see when the first muffins were made?"
Doctor looked up from his books to his best friend and smiled. She had stuck by him no matter what, the least he could do is indulge her in their second trip being one of her choice. After all, what is his great machine meant for other then making dreams come true?
"Of course we can" Doctor said as he got up from his books that had been sprawled out across the floor, stepping over them rather then picking them up, and made his way to the control panel in the center of the time machine. Turning a few dials and flipping a few switches, Doctor set corse for the designated time. As the time machine began to make it's whooshing noise, Doctor began to list of facts that he hoped Derpy would find interesting and enlightening.
"Now according to what I've read" Doctor began. "Muffins were created about a hundred years or so before the great truce between the three tribes, by a mare named Muffet and her son Cake Pop. The product was actually a mistake when they made a thicker batter for cupcakes. The product was an odd result for the time, but turned out to be something they thought they could work with. Cupcakes were far too sweet for breakfast, and too many made ponies sick when they worked the fields. But these new cupcakes settled well with the farm ponies as they worked. And thus, mother and son came up with the name 'Muffin' for their new product."
"Wow! That's so cool you know all of that , Doctor!" Derpy said as she looked out the window to view what would become an ancient bakery in an earth pony village. "I wish I could go out and taste one of the very first muffins!"
"I wish you could, but-" Doctor started to explain the possible and many dangers of time travel, even what the littlest thing like eating a muffin could do to the future, but before he could, their smooth ride through space and time began to rock back and forth heavily! The time machine's swooshing began to grow louder and harder, as if it was scraping against the flow of time itself!
"DOCTOR!" Derpy called out as she tried to hold onto the sides of the time machine with all her might. "WHAT IS GOING ON?!"
"IM NOT ENTIRELY SURE!" Doctor yelled as he held tightly into the control panel. "IT APPEARS OUR DESTINATION HAS BEEN REDIRECTED! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!"
But before Doctor could begin to examine the control panel of the time machine further, it stopped and landed hard. The two ponies who felt like they were being spun around had fallen to the ground with great force. After trying to gather themselves enough to stand, Doctor wobbled over to one of the Windows to the time machine box and peer outside, only to become further confused and lightly worried.
"What is it Doctor?" Derpy asked as she blew her mane out of her crooked eyes and joined him in looking out onto wherever and whenever they landed.
"I'm not sure, Derpy" Doctor openly admitted, then walked over to the control panel. Looking over the setting he had placed, he was shocked by what he saw. "According to this, it's a few years from the day we left... But... How is that possible?"
Before he could delve further into any sort of explanation or theory, there came a knocking at the door. Both Derpy and Doctor froze for a moment. The world outside looked frightening, and possibly haunted. Despite the possible immediate danger, Doctor still refused to mess with the time line, and that included letting a stranger into his time machine. Still, Doctor's curious and scientific side had to find out more. What had happened to Ponyville, or possibly even all of Equestria?
Walking over to the door, Doctor peaked trough the glass above it and spoke through the door. "Who goes there?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Doctor" an older stallion's voice spoke. Standing at the front door of the time machine appeared somepony in a warn out cloak with stars and waxing moons on it. His face was hidden by the hood of the cloak, but a log white beard poked out from within the dark veil. "I need to come in. I'm afraid we don't have much time. At Least not here. I'll explain everything. But I need you to trust me."
"Why should I trust you?" Doctor asked. "For all I know, you could be somepony like Tirek in disguise, planing to use my time machine for evil purposes!"
It was then that the cloaked figure pulled the hood off of his head and placed his signature wizards hat, with bells dangling from it, in its place. As the elderly stallion straitened his hat, he looked back at Doctor from the other side of the window and gruffly asked. "Can I come in now? We really don't have much time. They are coming."
Hesitating for a moment to think of the risks, Doctor ran over to the control panel, knocking his previously open books off to the side and hit the unlock button, allowing the front door to swing open. When it did, the elderly wizard rushed inside and shut the doors behind him before instructing Doctor "take us to time coordinates 880412, now!"
Without question, Doctor moves over to another section of the control panel where such numbers could be imputed, broken down, and calculated. While the time machine was working the numbers, there came a terrable whaling noise, quickly fallowed by the sound of hoof scratches all around the time machine. The wizard kept his back to to front door in an attempt to hold it shut. Although already locked, the elderly stallion knew it wouldn't be enough to keep 'them' out. As the scratching and howling became worse and pairs of red glowing eyes appearing on the other side of every window of the time machine, the time machine once again began to make its signature whooshing noise as it began to travel once more through time. Once emerged in the time stream and leaving the dark world and the horrific inhabitants behind. The old wizard exhaled a held breath and slid down to the floor.
"That was close..." He said as he began to fan himself with his hat, causing the bells to jingle with every motion.
"Hi there!" Derpy said as she smiled at the funny looking old pony. "My name is Derpy!"
The wizard smiled at the mare's innocent introduction, it being a long time since he's had the pleasure of such common courtesies. "Hello again, miss Derpy. Or, I suppose, this is 'your' first time meeting 'me'."
"Explain exactly what is going on here, immediately!" Doctor demanded as he walked over to the old pony. "Who are you? What were those things? Where did we just escape from? And how do you know us?"
Taking another deep breath, the older unicorn stood up, cracked his back, then placed his jingling hat back atop of his head. "As always, Doctor, it is a pleasure. As much as I wish I could go over every detail with you, I'm afraid we won't be here in the time flow for very much longer. The coordinates are set to drop me off just five seconds after we left. Which means we have about 5 minutes, give or take, for me to tell you what it is you need to know.
"I am Star-Swirl the bearded" the elderly unicorn's voice became more formal and commanding then just a moment ago. "And I was sent here by you, Doctor, to give you two things. First, this..." The wizard pulled from his cloak a small blue notebook that slightly resembles the time machine.
"What is this?" Doctor asked as he opened the book and began to read its contents.
"They are all the instructions to working your TARDIS" Star-Swirl continued. "That's the name you eventually gave your time machine. Also, you'll need to paint it that shade of blue. I believe you left yourself the instructions on where to get the paint for that."
"Wait just a moment, mister-so-called-Star-Swirl" Doctor closed the book and shook his head, eyes closed, trying to wrap his mind around everything that is happening. "I, Doctor Whooves, wrote this? And gave it to you, to give to me? Knowing I would some how find you? In the future? When you disappeared long ago in the past?"
"Yes" Star-Swirl continued. "Trust me, you'll figure it out. Just get a chalk board. A really big chalk board. Now, the second this is a warning. You need to find some time to read your book, then go to the last page's coordinates. If you don't... You saw what came of Equeatria back there..."
"That was Equeatria?!" Derpy gasped, putting her hooves up to her mouth. "What happened to it? Where was the sun? The moon?!"
Star-Swirl sighed heavily as tears began to swell at the corners of his eyes. "The same as what happened to everypony, every dragon, every creature of our world... They turned to stone."
"Oh no!" Derpy felt sick with the thought of everypony she knew being turned to stone, let alone the sun, moon, and everything else.
"That's impossible!" Doctor explained, sounding outraged by the older pony's statements. "Who could ever turn the sun and moon into stone? Further more, if everything in our world were turned to stone, what were those things attacking my time machine?"
"They were the cause of it all..." Star-Swirl explained, eyes locking with Doctor. "And weather you accept it as fact or not, why don't you try and live in it. Or worse, live with it."
"What happened?" Derpy interrupted the two conflicting stallions with her pure hearted question, concern heavy in her voice.
"My dear child..." Star-Swirl's expression softened. "It is too horrable to speak of. Just know that the fate of Equeatria lies with you two. Only you two can find the prince and save us all."
"Prince?" Derpy asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.
"Don't you mean a princess?" Doctor asked. "Like Princess Celestia, Princess Luna-"
"No" Star-Swirl interrupted the scientist once more. "The prince you will need to find is in the time at the back of your book. Find him, and help him."
The time machine once again began to make its whooshing noise to signal that they were landing at some point in time and space.
"I'm sorry" Star-Swirl said, hanging his head low. "I wish I could have more time to prepare you. But you have all you need in there, and here." Star-Swirl motioned to the book in Doctor's hooves and to Derpy by his side.
"What? But I still don't understand" Doctor said as the time machine landed hard again on the ground, knocking him and Derpy back over. As he stumbled to get to his hooves, he saw Star-Swirl tip his hat to him as he opened the door.
"I wish you the very best of luck, Doctor. You are now begin your journey as a 'Time Lord'. Don't let it go to your head..." With that, Star-Swirl hopped out of the time machine and landed back in the hard ground of solid stone. Once outside the time machine, the doors shut on their own and it began to fade away, leaving only the echo of its signature whooshing behind. Leaving Star-Swirl the bearded all alone in a world of darkness and stone.
The old wizard stood there, alone and in the dark. Just him, his tattered cloak, and his hat with bells on it. As he had told Doctor and Derpy, there was no more Sun nor moon. No more stars in the sky. And as he looked around onto what once was called Equestria, he sighed, tears falling from his eyes. "I failed you... All of you..."
Star-Swild spoke to himself as he took a few steps forward. With no sun, the old stallion wandered around in darkness. Up until then, the old being had remained still, waiting for the time traveler to find him. If Star-Swirl were to move or make noise, they would find him. But it was no mere coincidence that the Tardis time machine landed in that time, in that place. The ancient magician decided he had played it safe long enough, and it was time we shared his friend's fate of it meant possibly sparing them from this horrible future. But in doing so, revealed his location to those monsters.
The wizard's body began to grow in length, his front hooves shifted into two pairs of claws. The left one resembling a bird like claw, the right was a bear's arm and paw. His unicorn horn began to shrink into nothing as his face grew out longer, with two horns popping out of his head. One that similar to a goat's, the other a deer's antler. The two clear white and blue orbs that were his eyes turned yellow and red, differing in size. His once long beard that rivaled the size of his own body had shrunk to a smaller patch. Now nearly four times his original hight, standing on his two back legs, also a mismatched pair just like the rest of him, was the form he had taken over 1000 years ago. The day he stopped being the well renown and highly respected wizard known as Star-Swirl the bearded, and became Discord, the master of Chaos.
The Draquis used what was left of his magic to pull from a non-existing pocket on his left side, a single light bulb from earlier when he had the idea to summon that earth pony time traveler and his companion. It would have been impossible for anypony else to pull off what he did, but being the master of chaos and able to since strong magical disturbances, it was easy for him to know when Doctor Whooves created his TARDIS. Discord wrote up lies in a book that the time traveler would have believed, and set it all up perfectly. Now it was just a matter of having faith. Discord then raised the light bulb up over his had and pulled the chain on it, bringing the bulb to life.
The air, or what was left of it in the world that once held Equeatria, began to stir as the sound of clicking hooves on stone echoed as the only sound left. 'They' were coming. 'They' knew where to go. 'They' knew there had been no light in the world for years. And 'they' knew how to extinguish the light.
Discord knew his time was up. His last card was played. Putting all his hope in a small clawfull of ponies might have sounded ridiculous to him before. But now it was his only hope. He dragged his feet across the stony ground, passing by statues of all kinds. Ponies, gryffjns, dragons, beasts from the Everfree Forest, even gargoyles and centaurs were amongst them. But even they weren't enough to defeat 'them'.
Discord knew 'they' were close. The air always became thinner when 'they' were close. The end was near. But it was done. As he arrived at his final resting place, he held his lightbulb up high, high enough to illuminate all the statues he had gathered over the years in darkness. There were the Princesses Celestia and Luna, they had been the first to become stone. Next to them were Cadence, Shunning Armor were placed with their little bundle of joy, little princess Flurry Heart. Next to them were Fluttershy and Rarity. Oh how Discord morned over Fluttershy. But try as he might, he couldn't free her from her stone form. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie joined their friends soon after. And despite all her magical knowlageful, Twilight fell to the stone curse as well. Her newest pupal, Starlight Glimmer, a once trouble maker and reformed pony, much like Discord, had tried to avenger and free her teacher and friend. But like her teacher, fell short and joined her as a statue. Surprising to Discord, the last of the Elements of Harmony to fall was Applejack. She had sacrificed herself self to save Sunny when 'They' turned on him. And keeping her company was none other then the yellow stallion himself, the prince who started the whole mess. Sunny Knight, the son of King Sombra.
"I'm so sorry..." Discord said as he put a paw on the stone prince's back. "If only I had known... If only I was more open minded..."
'They' had arrived. 'They' surrounded the mourning Draquis, stealing all the light the light bulb had, turning it also into stone. Once it did, the stone light bulb fell and shattered, leaving Discord without any magic, in a world without light, without order or chaos, all alone. Alone with 'them'.
"I'm ready...." Discord said as he struck a proud and noble pose, unlike the last two times he was turned into stone. This time, he would at least be with friends.
Not really needing his permission, 'they' began to swirl around him like a shadow filled gale. Slowly, from the bottoms of his feet, raising up his legs and body, and stretching to his head, the former master of chaos began to change from flesh, scale, and fur to stone. The last thing he saw was a dark grey pony's face. One with red and green eyes, with purple flames waving at the far corners of them. It was the last sight anypony ever saw, before the world went black....
"You are doing a marvelous job, Derpy!" A rather round earth pony mare said as he continued to mix a bowl of muffin batter.
"Thanks miss Muffet!" Derpy replied as she put another batch of muffins into the oven. Baking aid helped close it once Derpy safely put the next tray in and pulled the batch that had just finished baking, out. "Thank you Cake Pop!"
"Any time, miss Derpy!" The little blue earth pony colt said. Like his mother, he too was rather heavy set, but only about the same size as Apple Bloom.
"Now this is interesting!" Doctor said as he pointed to an open page on the small blue book. "The word 'TARDIS' is an arcanum for 'Time And Relative Dimension In Space'!"
"That sounds like something you would come up with, Doctor" Derpy commented as she watched the most recent batch of muffins emerge from the oven. The grey pegasus mare was eager to have yet another one of miss Muffet's muffins. They weren't like as the Cake's muffins. Something about them, the way they just melted in your mouth, made it special and in a class all its own.
"I still can't believe this thing is a time machine... " the little colt said as he walked all around the large, wooden box.
"And you said your unicorn friend helped you build it?" Miss Muffet asked. "Why didn't he come with you?"
"Sunny said he had some things to get to" Derpy said as she poked a muffin with her hoof, testing it to see if it was ready.
"It's a shame too" Doctor said. "He might have liked meeting Star-Swirl the bearded. Maybe next time. But more importantly, we need to focus on what Star-Swirl told us."
Derpy had stuffed a muffin in her mouth the moment it had cooled. She turned to Doctor and spoke with her cheeks full of muffin, bits of it flying out of her mouth as she did. "Didn't he say we needed to... Help somepony?"
"Yes, a prince of some sort..." Doctor said as he rapped his hoof against his chin, which he often did when he was thinking. "But which one?..."
Doctor Whooves then dove back into his book, looking for a possible clue. If he actually had been the author of said book, then he would leave an important note for himself. Somewhere he could find it easily. Just as his eyes skimmed over something about not using the Tardis to travel between dimensions, Derpy was walking over to give Doctor a fresh muffin. On her way over, the wall-eyed mare tripped over her own hooves and began to stumble. While trying to catch her balance, Derpy did a little spin, knocking Doctor's blue book over, flipping past a few pages. The grey pegasus landed safely on top of Doctor, pressing the brown stallion's face into the ground.
Derpy awkwardly laughed again as she regained her balance and looked around. "Doctor? Where are you?"
Doctor's brown hoof tapped on Derpy's shoulder and gained her attention. The wall-eyed mare looked under neither herself and realized she landed on top of him again.
"Oops! Sorry Doctor!" Derpy then got up, his muffin safely in hoof.
"It's quite alright" Doctor said, although sounding slightly annoyed. He knew Derpy never meant any harm. But if he was going to solve this issue that Star-Swirl presented him with and figure out who this prince is that he is to aid, he would need his full wit, all of his cunning, and probably all of he luck in Equestria.
"Prince Soleggiato Cavaliere..." Derpy read out loud the only words on the open page of Doctor's blue book. "Don't think I've heard of him, have you Doctor?"
Doctor Whooves ran over to Derpy and studied the open page of his book. Reading everything over and over again. "Prince Soleggiato Cavaliere... Hmmmm... Derpy I could kiss you!"
The grey Pegasus blushed and turned her head to her mane his most of her blushing cheeks. "Doctor! You charmer!"
"This must be the prince we are supposed to go and see!" Doctor said again, jumping up and running over to the Tardis. He paused briefly and smiled back as Miss Muffet and her son. "Thank you for being gracious hosts. But we must fly!"
"Allons-y?" Cale Pop asked.
Doctor paused as Derpy snuck half a dozen or so more muffins aboard the Tardis. "Ugh... I don't quite understand."
"It means 'lets go'" Miss Muffet explained as she lightly laughed.
Doctor Whooves paused for a moment to think about how it sounded. "I think I like that. Mind if I use it?"
"Go right ahead!" The chubby little colt said.
"Well then" Doctor began to say as he saluted them both. "ALLONS-Y!"
With that, Doctor Whooves shut the door to his time machine and ran over to the control board. Flipping the book open to the page about the prince, he located the time coordinates at the back of the book and began punching them in. Once their heading was set, Doctor gave Derpy the signal. She then took great pride in flipping the toggle switch that started the machine up. And with the scratching Whooshing noise, Doctor Whooves and Derpy were off on another adventure in their Tardis, disappearing out of Miss Muffet's bakery.
What seemed like moments later to Doctor and Derpy, was actually several hundred years to the world around them. The Tardis had taken them both from Miss Muffet's bakery to a land on the other side of Equestria. As the two stepped out and began looking around, still slightly jumbled by the shaky ride, they tried their best to get their barring.
"We can be anywhere in Equeatria" Doctor began to say as he studied the area around him, making sure to be extra cautious.
"Doctor..." Derpy tried to get his attention.
"At any time too! For all we know, this 'prince' is actually a primal pony from the prehistoric era, and a wild beast." Doctor went on as he studied a hoof full of the soil, seeing how rough and jagged it was, with some little bits of crystals in it.
"Doctor..." Derpy continued to say, sounding nervous now.
"Interesting!" Doctor said as he continued to paw at the dirt. "The soil seems to have crystal shares mixed finely in with it! I wonder how that effects the-"
"Doctor!" Derpy was now screaming at her friend.
"Oh! What is it now Derp-" Doctor Whooves asked, feeling annoyed that his companion was ignoring what brilliant things he had to say, only to turn around and realize why she sounded so panicked.
Standing all around the two time travelers and their time machine were armored guard ponies bearing very sharp spears that were pointed right at Doctor and Derpy. The guards were purple with coats that shined and reflected like diamond in the light. But despite the natural beauty of the pony's appearance, they still were fierce, trained worriers.
"State your names and Business" one of the Royal guards spoke up.
"Ugh, well, it's kind of complicated, but, ugh, we're here too..." Doctor was going back and forth with himself, thinking of weather or not he should tell a believable lie to the guards or to tell them part of the truth as to why they are here, and leave out details like 'how' they got here. The last thing Doctor wanted to do was tell ponies of the past about a time machine. When without hesitation, Derpy spoke up.
"Star-Swirl the bearded told us to go and see Prince Soleggiato Cavaliere" Derpy said as a matter of factly, a nervous grin on her muzzle. "I'm Derpy, and that's Doctor Whooves!"
"A Doctor sent by Star-Swirl?" The speaking guard's hard faze softened as he retracted his spear, the rest of the guards began to follow suit. "Forgive us. We have had some issues with vandalism lately. Come! The prince will want to see you immediately."
Doctor and Derpy followed the guards who lead them up atop a hill away from the Tardis. Once they reached the top, it became clear where and around when the two had landed. For only one place in all of Equeatria had a city and castle made entirely of glistening crystal that shines under Celestia's sun. The Crystal Empire, over 1000 years ago! As Doctor and Derpy walked down the road leading to the town circling the Crystal Castle, they observed all the crystal ponies who were hard at work preparing for the festival. Derpy soaked in the wonderful sights of the decorations, the fantastic smell of the crystal berry backed goods, and the over all atmosphere that the crystal ponies seemed to glow with. Doctor on the other hoof noticed something was off.
Yes it was true that the crystal ponies were happy, and the crystal fair preparations seemed to be coming along at a decent pace, but he was able to catch some things that were off. Every now and again, Doctor's eyes caught an image of a crystal pony who wasn't gleaming, either throwing away broken decorations, cleaning off graffiti from the side of a building, or clearing out and replacing broken windows. After passing the town and heading into the castle, Doctor decided to speak up.
"Excuse me mister...." Doctor motioned to the guard who spoke to him before.
"Emerald Shard, sir" the Royal guard replied, not making eye contact, but rather remaining focused on what was ahead of him and keeping in line with his fellow guards.
"Emerald Shard, what did you say about vandalism before?" Doctor motioned to the town behind them. "I couldn't help but notice some of what you might have meant."
"Nothing for you to worry about" Emerald answered. "Here we are."
Emerald stepped out ahead of the line and approached two sentries guarding the front doors. He simply nodded to them, and they in turn nodded back. The two ponies stationed at the doors turned and pulled a giant leaver, opening the thick doors. Emerald Shard along with the other guards then motioned for Doctor and Derpy to follow them inside. Neither of them had ever been to the Crystal Empire back in their own time, or even heard much about it. They both knew that Twilight's brother and his wife ruled there, and the last Equeatria games had taken place there (which Derpy had participated in, but Doctor had come down with pony flu and missed her participation.). They honestly had no idea what to expect.
The two time travelers were lead down a hallway to another pair of large double doors that lead to the thrown room. Another pair of crystal pony sentries were positioned there, and happily let the small group in. Neither Doctor Whooves ot Derpy were expecting what resided in the other side.
Once Derpy and Doctor past the double doors, and entered the thrown room, they caught the sight of a yellow stallion sitting atop a thrown, speaking with several ponies in a group all huddled around him. All of different sizes and colors, but all dressed in what Doctor recognized as royal dress for the appropriate time.
"Your highness, we need to address the Dragon's movement in the west!" One spoke up. "They violated their treaty to stay on their islands!"
"I'm sure you are aware of their migration patterns" the yellow stallion spoke up, his voice sounding hard but familiar to Doctor and Derpy. "They flew over the ocean that separates their islands from their homeland. They need to rest for the next part of their journey, and the west coast is the closest land. Do not engage them unless they prove to be hostile. In which case, I'll be there on the front line to deal with them personally."
"But what about the vandals who just attacked here?" Another pony delicate spoke up. "Any news on them?"
"We've got our best ponies on the case" the yellow stallion answered again, this time on a lighter note. "We can expect everything with the Crystal Fair to go on as planned."
"But what about the Gryffins in the north?!" A third Royal spoke out, sounding panicked.
"Or the Centaurs and Gargoyles from the east?!" A fourth spoke out.
By this time Emerald Shard cleared his throat, catching the attention of everypony in the room, all of the royals turning to face the group of guards and their guests. "Presenting Lady Derpy and Doctor Whooves!"
"Doctor?!" The yellow stallion spoke out. The group surrounding the yellow stallion began to split, creating a pathway to the thrown, and allowing the pony atop the thrown to now be seen by Derpy and Doctor. "Did you say 'Doctor?'"
Standing up from the thrown of the Crystal Empire was a yellow stallion, with a head of two toned orange hair, a well combed tail to match, and a pair of emerald green eyes. He wore a simple chest piece from a black suit of armor, and a small royal cloak around his neck and back. Derpy and Doctor Whooves could hardly believe their eyes when he got up and approached them as elegantly yet commanding as he did. Now standing before them, with a royal band around his head, embedded with a single gem the same color as his eyes, the yellow stallion raised his head and looked down at the two guests before him as he introduced himself.
"I am Prince Soleggiato Cavaliere" he said with a smile as he began to relax. "But if you wish, you may address me as Sunny Knight."
Both Doctor and Derpy's eyes went wide, jaws dropped as they looked at the prince that stood before them. The two couldn't believe their eyes. It was, without a doubt, the same pony who they knew front their own present time in Ponyville! A long and awkward moment passed, with all the royals in the room as well as Sunny wondering if the two newcomers would ever move or say anything.
"Ugh... Are you two ok?" Sunny asked, waving a hoof in front of them. Then turning to Emerald Shard. "Where did you say you intercepted these two?"
"We found them with a big wooden box just outside town, your majesty" the guard stated. "They said they were sent by Star-Swirl the bearded to aid you."
Sunny's body tensed up and smile replaced by a solid frown as his muzzle wrinkled at the name of the great wizard. "Star-Swirl, great. Just what I need. More of his twisted jokes. That fool is growing senile in his old age."
"Hey! That's not very nice!" Derpy spoke up, braking out of her shock.
Sunny was unamused by her outburst. "Forgive me, but I do not care for the old wizard's 'jokes'. So I'm afraid it's time for you two to leave."
"Leave? But we-!" Doctor tried to interject when two guards standing I front of him crossed their spears, separating him from Prince Sunny Knight.
Sunny's amusement had completely dissolute as he promoted his annoyance at the two's presence, his eyes weighing down heavily on Doctor and Derpy. "Tell me, Doctor. What is it you have a degree in, exactly? What is your primary field of study?"
"Oh! Ugh, well, you see, I'm a scientist who specializes in, well, quantum theory, and I intent to, ugh, tinker with machines" Doctor Whoove's words were a little shaky, feeling Sunny over tower him and judge him harshly with his leering gaze down at him, making the brown earth pony feel only inches tall.
"Just as I thought" Sunny said as he turned his back on the two time travelers. "Leave it up to that crazy, old Star-Swirl to send me a philosopher and a theorist when I need a physician and a specialist in medicine."
"What shall we do with them, Sir?" Emerald asked flatly, speaking of Derpy and Doctor Whooves as if they weren't even there.
"If they wish to stay for the fair, put them up for the night" The prince instructed as he approached the thrown. "If not, send them off with the usual gift baskets."
"But Sunny!" Derpy began to speak up. "We were sent here to help you!"
Sunny stood at the thrown again, ready to sit down when he shot another hard glare at the two time travelers. "Oh? So what is it you were sent here to do, exactly? Or did Star-Swirl not tell you anything?"
Derpy's ears began to drop as her head hung. "I... Ugh... Well..."
Doctor couldn't stand to see her like that and spoke up. "Now see here! You can't talk to her that way! It's not our fault we were sent here to help you with no real answers ourselves!"
"You're right about one thing" the yellow prince continued, his tone still cold and hard. "You were sent here as a joke, by an old wizard who is past his prime. And for speaking out against me, you have lost your privilege to attend the fair this year. But I'm not so cruel. You may still have your gift baskets and might be able to attend next year. Now away with them!"
The guards surrounding Doctor and Derpy then began to move, forcing the two ponies out of the thrown room out out of sight of the prince as he went back to speaking with the other royals. Half way out of the castle, the group of guards were intercepted by a lavender, unicorn mare with a light blue mane and tail.
"I'll take it from here boys" she said with a smile on her muzzle and a chiming voice.
The guards hesitated for a moment then turned to Emerald Shard, who looked at the mare for only a moment before smiling and nodding. "As you wish, Lady Hope."
"Emerald, please, Just Radiant" the unicorn mare said as she giggled. The guards then fanned out and began their sweep of the castle before they would break for lunch, then return to patrolling the Empire.
"Thank you, Miss Radiant was it?" Doctor said as he straitened his tie. "I'm Doctor, Doctor Whooves."
"And I'm Derpy!" Derpy cheered up then looked back at the hallway leading to the thrown room, her mind reeling back to prince Soleggiato Cavaliere. "Why was Sunny acting like that?"
"Please forgive him" Radiant said as she started to lead the two out of the castle and into town. "He's under a lot of stress right now, and is really not himself."
"I'll say" Doctor commented. "With all those ponies in there shouting at him about one issue after another, who would be in a good mood?"
"It's not just that" Radiant Hope continued. "Along with possible war breaking out between ponies and Gryffins, ponies and and Dragons, rumors of Centaurs and Gargoyles invading Equesteia now too!"
Radiant, Derpy and Doctor Whooves all passed by a gift basket stand where Radiant paused and told the two to pick one out each. Then informed the mare running the stand that to put on the royal tab. After Doctor and Derpy selected a basket, Radiant continued with her explanation.
"That's not even the worst of it" she continued to say. "His father has fallen sick again, this time it's the worst it's ever been. The king gets sick around this time every year. He always had. Ever since we were kids. But this time its worse then before. I'm the head of the hospital here in the Crystal Empire, and have looked after him since we were foals, but I still have no idea what has been troubling Sombra."
"Sombra... Sombra..." Derpy began to think, as she passed her hoof against her chin. "That name sounds familiar..."
"It also sounds like Star-Swirl and him don't exactly get along too well either" Doctor commented, ignoring the King's name.
"Yes, that.... That has been building up for a long time." Radiant went on. "But the biggest thing with them had to be the fact that Star-Swirl was suppose to be Sunny's teacher. But he turned down the King's orders to teach him. Even refused Princess Celestia's orders to do the same, when she tried to back Sombra up."
"What?! Can he really do that?" Doctor sounded shocked.
"Weather he could or not, he did" Radiant continued. "Even threatened to leave Equestria if he was forced to. I don't know what he has against Sunny, but he's had it against him before the prince could even walk."
"Please forgive Sunny for the way he acted" Radiant said as she walked with the two time travelers out of town and up the hill to their box. "He isn't like that... Well... He isn't normally. He's a good pony, he just..."
"It's not easy being a prince, having to make big decisions, is it?" Derpy said as she walked up closer to Radiant Hope.
"No. No it's not" Radiant sighed heavily. "Outside of me and his father, Sunny never got close to anypony. He... Has a bad history with that."
"Well if I know anything, it's that time has a way to set things right, if given the right push" Doctor smiled, thinking about how wonderful of a concept 'time' actually is.
Derpy's eyes lit up as she had an epiphany! Even if she had no idea what an epiphany was or how to spell it. "Doctor! I think I know why we were sent here!"
Doctor and Radiant looked at the grey Pegasus, shocked by her outburst. Doctor was able to snap himself out of his shock, cleared his throat and ask "you do? Then why? Why were we sent here? We didn't achieve anything."
"I'll explain on the ride home!" Derpy said as she flew up to the big wooden box, opened the door, and placed their respective gift baskets beside the door inside. She turned to Radiant and smiled before lunging into one of her iron grip hugs. "Thank you for being so nice! I hope we can hang out again soon!"
Radiant couldn't breath, but smiled back as she patted Derpy with her free hoof and spoke as best she could with the remaining air she had in her lungs. "Any time... Sweetie."
Derpy released her and stood by Doctor Whooves, who, simply bowed his head and smiled at her. "Maybe we'll meet again in the future. Or the past. Maybe just somewhere in between."
"Ugh, that sound like fun?" Radiant said, still smiling but a bit confused as to what the odd earth pony meant.
"Until then, please keep an eye on Sunny" Were Derpy's last words before she went inside the Tardis.
Radiant was a little confused as to why Doctor waved goodbye when he just entered a large wooden box atop of a hill. But decided to humor him. Both he and Derpy seemed very pleasant to her, and wished that Sunny could have had friends like them when he was growing up. Just as she began to remember when she and Sombra would play such games with forts as foals, the large box began to make a whooshing noise as the light on top began to flash slowly. Then, to her surprise, Radiant watched as the box began to disappear, growing more and more transparent until it was completely gone.
"Now run it by me, Derpy, Becouse I still don't fully understand" Doctor said as Derpy began to unravel her gift basket, looking for special Crystal Berry muffins.
"Well Doctor, I know you just met Sunny today, or today in the future?" Derpy was beginning to confuse herself, but shook it off. "But I've seen Sunny all around town before. He's always smiling, always happy, and he's always got that kindness in his eyes. Even when he's upset, he smiles at others."
"Ok...." Doctor said as he continued to work with the control panel to the Tardis. "But what does that have to do with us going to see him in the past? Yes, now we know where he came from, and we can tell him, but..."
"That's not why we were sent there" Derpy said as she held the desired crystal berry muffin in her hooves for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. "He's very happy, just being in Ponyville. And he's made friends there too! Flitter tells me all the time how Thunder Lane and him are best friends, and they do fun stuff together."
"So what you're saying is..." The gears began turning faster and faster in DoctorMs head until a light finally flickered on. "We were never meant to go back to his past to change something! We were meant to just see his past! To witness what he was like before he had friends?"
"Well... I mean it kinda sounds silly when you say it out loud..."Derpy smiled at the wonderful thought. "But princess Twilight is always saying how 'friendship is magic'. Maybe we were just meant to go back to 'our' time and be friends with him so he won't ever be that grumpy and mean ever again."
Doctor paused for a moment to work that possibility I've run his head. If Sunny had been a prince in the past and miserable, it only stands to reason that he could find happiness in a humble town such as Ponyville. If what Derpy said about him being happy is true, maybe Ponyville is really where he belongs.
"We need to head back to the past, er, present!" Doctor said as he began working some of the Tardis's controls. After a moment, he paused and looked over at Derpy with a wide grin. "Allons-y?"
Derpy laughed a little then flipped the big toggle switch and yelled happily 'ALLONS-Y!"
The Tardis then began to make its scraping, whooshing noise as it seemed to do whenever it traveled through space and time. But this time, it was returning the two ponies back to their original time.
Sunny was just about to leave Doctor Whoove's house, wanting to get started on translating his father's books as soon as possible, when the 'whooshing' sound of Doctor's time machine began ringing in his ear. As the yellow unicorn turned his head, he realized that the noise wasn't just in his ears, it was echoing throughout the entire empty house! Sunny's emerald colored eyes turned to where the big wooden box had been a moment ago before it disappeared into a different time and space, only to watch as it began to reappear. Sunny tipped his Stetson curiously as he watched the transparent image of the time machine reappear and solidify.
Sunny cautiously approached it, a grey blur popped out of it and tackled the yellow stallion to the ground! Sunny struggled for a moment until he realized just who it was. "Derpy?"
"Hey Sunny!" She said as she gave him one of her signature bear hug squeezes, pushing the remaining air out of his lungs.
"Good... To see... You... TOO!" Sunny said as be became lightheaded from the hug, his face turning red.
"Oh what a trip!" Doctor said as he hopped out of the Tardis. "Sunny? Why are you still here?"
After Derpy released him, the yellow stallion took a few deep breaths and straitened his Stetson hat. "You two have only been gone for maybe five seconds."
"Really?" Doctor said as he examined the exterior of the Tardis, pretending not to pay attention. "Odd."
"How was it? Travailing through time and all? Go anyplace fun?" Sunny asked, looking at Derpy and Doctor with a smile.
"We baked muffins!" Derpy said as she ran back inside the Tardis and grabbed her little basket of the treats from Miss Muffet's. "Want one?"
"I'd love one, but I'm about to have lunch with Applejack and the family" Sunny said, a twinkle in his eye and an honest smile across his face.
"Best not keep them waiting, then!" Doctor said as he began pushing the yellow stallion out the door, but paused at the entryway. He put a hoof on Sunny's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Sunny... Thank you. Thank you for helping me to achieve my dreams. I don't know how I could ever repay you."
Sunny chuckled as he tipped his hat again. "Shoot Doc, ya don't need ta repay me nothin'. That's what friends do. You two have fun with your big wooden box, ok?"
With that, Sunny was off. Derpy and Doctor watched as he happily trotted down the road, books in his saddle bags, as he went to his new home, with ponies who really cares about him. There, on a farm, in a small humble town, he was far richer then any prince or princess could ever be.
The ride up to the Iron Lock prison was one Alister actually found some what relaxing. He rode atop the iron carriage pulled by a team of stallions and mares who trained in this harsh weather. While the team pulled the steal carriage, Alister focused his magic around it as well as them. A small force field to protect them slightly from the cold. The spell also helped the unicorn guard to remain mentally sharp and prepared for the worst.
The prisoner that they captured this time was a big time mob boss, Al Ca'pony. Wanted throughout all Equestria, having his hooves in almost every crooked bit of business you could imagine. From counterfeit trading cards to robbery of the royal reserves. Alister had aided the detectives on his case some time back. But not long after the trail hot hot for the Ca'pony case, was Alister asked to deal with the incident of the meteor. But once the fiend was caught, Alister insisted that he be the one to lock him away in his fringed new home. The sentance was a life long one without parol, and the thought of Al Ca'pony spending the rest of his life locked up in a cold metal box put a smile on Alister's face.
Once the team pulling the metal carriage arrived at the front gates, Alister hopped off the top and approached the two sentries out front. After receiving a salute from them and returning one, they opened the front gates. Alister happily trotted beside the carriage, eager to see the drained look on Ca'pony's face when he sees the light of Celestia's day once more. Alister knew all too well what it was like to be locked in that dark carriage even for a short time. Two more guards checked all around the carriage while another pair unhooked the pullers and lead them inside to get some rest, something warm to drink and a hot meal. Alister was offered the same, but quickly turned it down.
"Always a pony of business before pleasure" Snowstorm said, a smile on his face as he walked up to Alister. The black coated unicorn wore a pair of goggles over his eyes and a scarf across his neck.
"Business is my pleasure" Alister said as he shot his old pal a smile. "What's with the get up? You never struck me for one sensitive to the cold."
"You try living up here as long as I have. Trust me, you don't get used to it" Snowstorm held his hoof out for a hoof bump, to which, Alister met. "I heard you would be coming. But why with this guy?"
"I was as assigned to his case a while back" Alister said, his smile fading as it always did when it came to work. "But I'll brief you later. I'll relax once this criminal is behind bars."
The two guards remained on both sides of the latched door. Snowstorm casually and calmly walked up to the hatch and began spinning it around. Once the latch clicked, the dark coated unicorn flung the door open. A stallion in chains sat in the center of the carriage in a meditating position sitting back on his haunches.
"What? We there already?" The crime boss's voice was gruff and thick, like really cheep coffee from a failing dinner. "I was just beginning to enjoy myself."
"If you like this, you'll love your new home away from home" Alister spat, more then a little venom in his words. He sensed he was enjoying this moment a little too much and pulled back a little. "Get up, it's time to put you in your cage."
The stallion in chains stood up and emerged from the carriage. He had on the stripped jump suit that all the prisoners wore, but also had his hooves chained together as a precaution. A long scar ran down his left cheek, just beside a pair of violet colored eyes. His red colored coat combined with a black died mane and tail made him threatening in deed, and made up for the soft look in his eyes. The eyes lied. There was not big soft thing about this thug. If anypony outside cell block G deserved to be here, it was defiantly him.
"Alister, is that anyway to treat a fellow pony?" Al asked, sarcasm thickly coating every word.
"Why don't you ask all the ponies, who's lived you shattered, that?" Alister snapped.
"Still picking up the prices, eh? Well that's business for ya" Al Ca'pony chuckled. "But I've had a long trip. How about we get some grub and settle in for the night?"
"Oh! Darn shame" Snowstorm smiled, eyes still hidden by the goggles. "You know, the mess hall is closed for the day. But I'll have a guard drop some slop by your room, ok?"
"Well, aren't we a generous group?" Was the last thing Capony chuckled. Four guards, including Alister and Snowstorm, brought Ca'pony down to cell block F, where a special cell was waiting just for him.
After locking the door of Ca'Pony's cell and placing a special spell on the bars, Alister and Snowstorm walked back over to the elevator, ready to go warm up by the fire before Alister's decent down the mountain.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Snowstorm had just entered the elevator when he paused and turned to Alister. "Would you mind taking a look at cell block G's magical restraints?"
"Did they try and escape again?" Alister's tone was worried but solid as stone.
"I think Cynical might have, but Salted's been sleeping for the most part, I believe" Snowstorm replied, his goggles reflecting Alister's image in them as he stared back at his fellow guard.
The grey, unicorn guard paused, thinking and contemplating. Something bothered him. Something didn't feel right. But he just smiled as he turned back and nodded at his college. "Let's go. Last thing we need is those two out."
"Just what I was thinking" Snowstorm said with a half smile as he walked with Alister down the hall of cell block F to the elevator that would eventually bring them to cell block G.
As the two entered the elevator and began their decent, they remained silent. Alister then began to take subtle note of Snowstom's appearance. He let his mane and tail grow out slightly, which was uncharacteristic of him. The Snowstorm he knew would never let his personal grooming get out of hoof. Also, the goggles he wore were much too thin for snow goggles. Taking a better look at them, they appeared to be more or less suited for just style rather then function. That and the only place he could have gotten them and the scarf would be from the storage unit where they put all the items belonging to the inmates. Snowstorm would never touch something that wasn't his, not the Snowstorm Alister knew anyway. Now that he thought about it thou, Alister began thinking about how
much Snowstorm had gone through in the past couple of years after the academy. Ponies sometimes change. And being confined up here might make them change dramatically. Thinking of that, Alister wrote it all off as his paranoia. He would have to remember to take his afternoon potion earlier today to suppress it. Paranoia feeds fear.
As the doors opened and the two unicorns began walking down the hallway to the next elevator that would bring them right to cell block G, Snowstorm paused and turned to Alister. "Hey buddy, I'm really sorry."
The grey unicorn was confused, turning to his college, Alister asked "sorry? Sorry about what?"
"About... THIS!" Before Alister could react, Snowstorm shot a magical blast of black bubbling light at him.
Alister was in a drowning aura of black magic! Something Alister had never experienced before. It made him feel like all the air around him became thin, made his muscles tense and lock up, and worse, blacken his vision. The horrid feeling wouldn't last long. Alister was always one to think in his hooves, and did his best to find a way out of the darkness. After just a few moments of sprinting, was able to emerge from a black cloud that engulfed him. Coughing heavily, Alister tried his best to shake it off a sickening feeling he had as he peered over at Snowstorm.
"What... What is the meaning... Of... This?!" Alister tried to focus and summon his magical aura, but something was blocking it. He couldn't see it, but black crystals coated his horn and were disrupting his magical flow.
"I'm sorry it had to come to this..." Snowstorm said as he pulled the scarf off his neck, tossing it aside, the goggles soon fallowed. Opening both eyes slowly and turning to Alister, Snowstorm's smile grew, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. His red and green eyes, now fully open, we're looking down at his former ally. "But it's part of our little deal we made."
"Deal?" Alister was still trying to catch his breath and figure out what exactly was going on. "What deal?! With who?!"
Snowstorm didn't have to answer that. Just as Alister finished his sentence, his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the poorly lit prison. He was able to see the outline of two ponies standing on either side of the dark coated unicorn. For a movement, Alister began to panic, his heart rate climbing dangerously high as he looked at Snowstorm's newest companions.
"Well well well, lookie what we have here!" A taunting voice began to echo as a grey pegusus stepped out of the shadows. "Why, if it isn't our old playmate, Charming Knight!"
The second shadow emerged, a large brown earth pony, chains and shackles dangling from his front hooves. His burnin red eyes seemed to pierce the darkness and homed in on the grey unicorn.
"He prefers to go by Alister now" Snowstorm said as he began walking back to the elevator.
"Oh a rose by any other name would still burn all the same!" Cynical chuckled. "Hey! That was good! Maybe I should be a writer too! I'll talk to the narrator about it!"
Salted growled low at the comment, growing annoyed at his companion and all his 'narrator' and 'writer' talk. Making their lives sound like no more then words on a page of paper.
"You kids have fun" Snowstorm said as he clicked the 'up' button. "I'll be back in a bit."
"Snowstorm!" Alister called out, his muzzle showing an expression it hadn't in a long time, desperation. "Why are you doing this?! SNOWSTORM!!!"
But Snowstorm only smiled as the elevator's doors closed and took him up to the next layer above them.
"Remember how you locked us away all those years ago, Charming?" Cynical said as he fanned out his wings, revealing that he had acquired a new toy. Gloves on his wings that held sharp knives making his wings appear to be claws. The deviant pegasus smiled as he flashed the blades around with every motion of his wings. "You left us to rot here?!"
Salted also began stepping forward, now striking the ground with his chains like a whip with every step, eyes locked on Alister. He growled louder as he ground his teeth together.
"My sentiments exactly" Cynical smiled, at his cohort before turning back to the grey unicorn who was now standing, trying his best to prepare for the inevitable fight. "It's play time!"
After ascending through the remaining cell blocks, Snowstorm made his way back to his office where he was greeted by his right hoof pony, Surgical Scalpel, who had just finished brewing some hot coffee for him and hopefully his newest ally. Snowstorm put on his new smile as he took a seat at his desk and looked over at the stallion across from him.
"It's an honor to finally talk face to face, without having to keep up appearances. I hope your ride here wasn't too uncomfortable. Formalities you know" Snowstorm chimed.
"I understand, you have a reputation to uphold" Al Ca'pony said, taking another bite of his meal. By 'slop', Snowstorm actually meant a freshly made lasagna, topped with grated Parmesan cheese, breadsticks and a small Caesar salad on the side.
"And again, I thank you for letting yourself get arrested so that we could meet" Snowstorm levitated his cup of coffee over to him and began mixing in several packets of sugar.
"I must say, when Billy the Bucker from Manegatten told me you wanted to meet, I was skeptical. But you do have a way with convincing a pony" Ca'pony said as he took a small sip of his own coffee.
"I'm glad you accepted my invitation. Now, shall we get down to business?" Snowstorm said as he levitates a few files and placed them over beside Ca'pony.
"A real business pony, I admire that" Ca'pony said as he took a small bite of his breadstick before picking up the top file.
"I need you to bring a few ponies to me. Please, do your best not to harm them" Snowstorm commented, blowing on his coffee.
After looking the files over, Ca'pony placed them back down and looked at Snowstorm with a rather distasteful expression. "These jobs won't be easy. The places are heavily guarded."
"They say you are the best of the best when it comes to pulling off even the most difficult of hist." Snowstorm commented. "It should be child's play for you."
The crime boss thought for a moment as he scratched his chin. "And what do I get in return? What am I risking my neck for?"
Snowstorm knew it was coming. The same question Salted and Cynical had when he approached them to get them aboard as well. Everypony has
Something they want, and Snowstorm knew just what to offer them. "What would you say if I told you that you could be a king?"
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,
"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'
GoGoGo berry with whipped cream and a cherry on top
A picture of the GoGoGo berry was illustrated on the scroll next to the description. The odd fruit was purple, small, with odd swirls all over it, and could only be found near the bace of the mountain at the edge of the Everfree. Apple Bloom was a little scared to venture there alone, but she did it. Proving that she could tackle any hard job like a big pony! Just like Applejack and Big Mac!
Skipping down the road back to Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom quickly found herself back inside the barn where a sleeping Sunny was left in a comfortable pile of hay. Apple Bloom bounced up to the napping stallion and nudged him lightly.
"Suuuunnnyyy... Suuuunnnnyyyyy.... Waaaake uuuuup..." The little yellow filly tried to be subtle and gentle about waking up the out cold unicorn. But Sunny didn't even respond to her in the slightest.
"Sunny..." Apple Bloom began to raise her voice a little more. "Ah've got somethin' for ya..."
But still, the yellow unicorn remained deep in sleep, grumbling something about berries of some sort and pancakes. Appel Bloom's gusto she had earned from completing her little quest of obtaining the GoGoGo berry, was begining to dwindle thanks to the deep sleepy state of the orange haired unicorn.
Frustrated now, Apple Bloom began screaming at the stallion. "SUNNY! TIME TA WAKE UUUUUUP!"
Apple Bloom was sure that ponies in town could hear her, so surely it should wake the slumbering yellow unicorn. But still, Sunny remained deep in sleep.
Apple Bloom huffed in frustration, then looked from Sunny asleep with his mouth half open to her saddle bag, filled with the GoGoGo berries. After a moment of going back and forth with herself, she decided it might be easier to just help him eat the berries while he's asleep. Popping a few in his mouth, the little red haired farm filly began to move Sunny's jaws up and down before massaging his throat to help him swallow the now chewed up berries. After they slid down his throat, Apple Bloom stood back and waited, wondering if the effects were immediate or if it would take some time.
She didn't have to wait long. No soon after she stepped back from the slumbering Sunny, did the yellow unicorn's eyes pop wide open. Suddenly filled with energy of unknown origin, Sunny hopped off the pile of hay, grabbed his Stetson hat, looked around, and dashed out of the barn. Apple Bloom smiled as she watched the now fully awake stallion dash trough the field over to her older brother. Big Mac was gradually plowing the field by himself, thinking how in a bit he would break for lunch, when a sudden yellow bluer zoomed around him. Just as fast as Sunny reappeared beside Big Mac, he soon took the big red pony's place at the head of the plow, kicking Big Mac aside, and began plowing the field all on his own, making five times the progress Big Macintosh had!
Big Mac watched wide eyed with his jaw dropped as Sunny began plowing the whole field by himself with no sign of exhaustion what so ever. Apple Bloom happily bounced over to Big Mac, a wide grin on her face as she sat down next to him and joined in watching the yellow unicorn perform the work of a whole team of earth ponies!
"Ugh... What just happened?" Big Mac asked, unable to take his eyes from the sight before him.
"Looks like somepony's awake now" Apple Bloom chimed, not wanting to boast.
"Eh'yep" was all Big Mac said as he watched Sunny finish up his entire afternoon's work in a matter of moments. As the yellow unicorn zoomed off to his next chore, Big Mac decided now was a good time to get some lunch.
Apple Bloom could help but follow the speeding yellow stallion as he dashed all around the Apple farm performing all different kind of chores. In the course of an hour and a half Sunny was able to plow the entire field, harvest 25 barrels of apples, repaint the barn and the farm house, prepare the cart for deliveries into town, and then began pulling it into town. By then yellow unicorn was travailing down the dirt road into town that twisted and turned. The constant maneuvering of the cart allowed Apple Bloom to catch up to him, even in his super speedy mode.
"Howdy, Sunny" the little filly said as she ran up beside the stallion bursting with energy.
"HeyAppleBloom! Wow! Nicedayisn'tit? Theskyissoblue! Thegrassissogreen! AndWOW! IFEELGREAT!" Sunny's words all just seemed to run into each other as he spoke them extremely fast.
Only understanding half of what he was saying, Appel Bloom just forced a smile and pushed out a light chuckle. "He he... Ugh, ah guess?"
"Welli'dlovetostayandchat, butihavealottodo, andevenmoretodolater! SeeyoulaterAppleBloom!" Sunny rambled on right before he reared up in his hind legs, then booked into an even faster sprint, the Apple Cart shaking behind him as the wooden wheels bounced in the dirt road.
Back in town, Applejack and Twilight had arrived at Sugar Cube Corner to place an order for a couple dozen bags of flour, a couple more dozen bags of sugar, and some bottles of Vanilla extract.
"Ah'll be by later ta' pick it all up" Applejack said as Pinkie took down the rest of the order while mixing up two milk shakes.
"Not a problem! I'll have it all ready to go in two shakes of a pinkie tail!" Pinkie Pie said as she stuck two straws in her friends's now finished milk shakes, passing them over to the two visiting mares.
Twilight and Applejack took their respective drinks and enjoyed a nice, refreshing sip as Pinkie Pie walked into the back room to give Mr. Cake the Apple Family's order. Taking a seat at a table on the far side of the dinning area, Twilight and Applejack decided to relax their hooves a bit. After several moments of silence, Applejack swallowed her nervousness and pushed to open up to Twilight.
"Say Twi..." The farm pony started to say, catching the purple alicorn's attention. "Ugh, well... What do ya think of Sunny?"
Twilight was slightly confused by the question, but thought for a long moment about how to answer as she swallowed one more gulp of milk shake. "Well... He seems very bright, a hard worker, a little goofy-"
"Do ya think he's nice?" Applejack was playing around the subject now, which is something she never did.
"Yeah" Twilight said with a simple smile before taking another sip.
"Well, er, what ah mean is... Do ya think... Hmmm" Appjack began readjusting her hat and rubbing the back of her neck. The words se wanted to say we're in her mind, but sending them out of her lips was proving difficult.
Twilight looked to her orange friend, feeling slightly confused. Applejack was a pony who always was right to the point, never one to dodge the actual question. But as the princess of friendship examined her friend, she couldn't help but think she was hiding something. "Applejack, is there something on your mind?"
"Well, ugh, th' thing is..." Applejack started to say until a certain pink pony appeared right between her and Twilight, causing the orange earth pony to slightly jump. "Pinkie pie?! What are ya' doin' here?!"
"Oh! I'm on break! See!" Pinkie then presented a milk shake of her own and began sipping it down happily.
"Did ya get our order ready?" Applejack asked, some slight annoyance in her tone. Partly from her waning to get her errands done as soon as possible, and partly from Pinkie's sudden interjection when Applejack was trying to speak to Twilight on a private and delicate topic.
Pinkie finished slurping down her milk shake, and began scooping out the last little bit of whipped topping from the bottom of her glass while she answered. "Everything's okie dokie lokie! All loaded up in your cart and everything!"
"Really? That fast?" Twilight sounded half surprised. Twilight knew Pinkie could do things that made the purple alicorn question the concepts of reality, so it wouldn't sound too farfetched that she would have everything done in that short of time.
"Yep!" the pink party pony replied, now sticking her whole head inside her milkshake glass to get the last bit of chocolaty goodness lingering at the bottom. After now licking the entire glass clean, Pinkie pulled her head out of it and continued. "Sunny already picked it all up just a sec ago. Payed for it and everything. I tried to offer him a milk shake, but he said he still had so much left to do, so I let him go."
There was a brief lingering pause as both Twilight and Applejack looked from Pinkie to each other, questioning what they both heard.
"Wait just an apple puckin' minute there" Applejack said after a brief moment of hesitation. "Did ya'll say 'Sunny' picked up the supplies already?"
"Yeperdoodle!" Pinkie replied after pulling another milkshake out of no where and began digging into that one.
"But we just left him back at the farm not long ago. He was out cold." Twilight said, still not able to picture the yellow stallion up and about.
"Well he must be feeling super-d-dooper awake now! See!" Pinkie said, now half way done with her second milk shake.
Twilight and Applejack looked out the window and saw a yellow bluer bouncing from one end of Ponyville to the next. Sunny was making all the stops Applejack was needing to make that day, but in 1/10 the time! He was dropping off deliveries as well as picking up the supplies. The two mares could hardly believe their eyes.
"Well... He looks like he's caught his second wind" Twilight commented, her words trickling out with slight concern.
"'Second wind' mah flank!" Applejack commented. "Somethin' don't seem right. C'mon. Ah don't know what Sunny's been read in' up on, but if it has anythin' ta do with how he's actin', ah aim ta find out. We need ta see what Sunny's been read in' up on." Applejack said to Twilight, already half out the door.
"Something does seem off" Twilight commented as she got up out of her dead and began to follow after her farming friend. "If it's magical in anyway, he might be in real danger."
"Good luck!" Pinkie said, her head once again emerged in the milk shake glass. As pinkie finished off her second milk shake, she paused as looked out to the reader. She smiled and began so whisper to them "don't worry, they don't need me to help in this chapter. Or the next. Hey! You guys want a milk shake? They are super yummy!"
It didn't take Applejack and Twilight long to reach the Apple farm, not with Applejack's worry for Sunny fueling the orange farm pony. After arriving back at the farm, the two girls ran right up the stairs, hoping to find some answer as to why Sunny was more active then a short tailed cow trying to swat flies. Applejack hesitated for a moment before barging into the unicorn stallion's room, but was able to push herself, saying how it was for his own safety.
Upon entering the stallion's room, the two friends immediately began looking around for something, anything that might help them figure out why Sunny was acting this way. The room looked almost no different then when Sunny moved in, say for a few trinkets here and there, a small pile of books, and oddly enough, a Crystal Empire snow globe that he set on the night stand right next to a family photo of Applejack, Big Mac, Granny and Apple Bloom. Noticing this, Applejack paused and picked up the picture.
'He really does care 'bout us...' Applejack thought as she ran a hoof over the family photo, wishing that they had one with Sunny in it. 'Maybe we ah'll can take one together one oh' these days.'
"I doubt these books have anything that would make Sunny act like this..." Twilight commented as she levitated several books in the air, pulling Applejack back to reality.
"Are ya' sure?" Applejack asked looking at the pile of books Twilight had pulled from.
"Very. These are all the ones I've lent him. They're just very basic spell's and instructions. Spell's even a goal could do. I've read them over several times when I was a filly. There's nothing in here that would make Sunny act like..."Twilight replied, then noticed a small pile of books pushed off in the corner. "Wait, what are these..."
Twilight carefully put the last of her lent out books back onto a pile on Sunny's desk while Applejack picked up one of the books in question. As the two friends cracked the book open, they were both amazed and shocked by the contents inside. At first it appeared to be written in some foreign language, but there were still parts of it that were readable. But barley.
"Wait a minuet! I've seen this writing before!" Twilight said as she snagged the book out of Applejack's hooves. The purple alicorn sped read the book as fast as she could, then paused abruptly. "Applejack, did Sunny ever say where he got these books?"
"No, ah had no idea he even had books other then the ones you let him barrow" the freckles farm pony answered honestly. "What are they?"
"I think Sunny's been keeping secrets from us..."Twilight then passed the book over to show Applejack the contents of the book.
Back in the Everfree Forest, behind the large bolder, and inside the cave where Sunny kept the items from his past life as Prince of the Crystal Empire, the yellow stallion was zooming around, re-re organizing everything, excited about his most recent accomplishment.
"Ivedoneit! Ivedoneit! Ivedoneit!!!" He continued to move at super sonic speeds. "Ivefinallycrackedfather'scodeandcanfixScoop,Dumb-Bell,andScoreandnotfeelanysinceofguiltfromthehorrableeventeveragain!!!"Sunny's words still running all together, making him almost impossible to understand. But it didn't really matter. No pony was there to understand his gibberish anyway.
He then began to place his father's books on a book shelf he recently made in the past few moments. Sunny knew leaving his father's books back at the farm was risky, and since he no longer needed to decode them, he though it would be wise to keep them out of sight. The yellow unicorn would just have to hide them when Spike came around. Which hopefully wouldn't be anytime soon. Sunny still had a lot of work to do! He had so many spells he wanted to practice, so much he's learned from his father's books that he couldn't wait to try out! The things those books had within them could make even Twilight Sparkle's head turn!
Back at the Apple Farm, Twilight showed Applejack the contents of the book she found. "It appears to be the same dead language that was written in Sombra's books. My question is; how did Sunny get his hooves on them? And how long has he had them?"
Applejack then smacked one hoof on top of the other, realizing she actually had the answers to Twilight's questions. "Ah think ah know! Sunny was hangin' 'round that Doctor Whooves feller ah while ago. Sunny said Doctor gave him some books, those must be them!"
Twilight took a closer looks at a few of the books, and accidentally flipped one open to the back cover page. There she found a message written in blue ink;
Thank you for your help, Doctor and Derpy. I'll never forget you. Allons-y!
-Tinkerer
Studying the note over and over again, Twilight eventually smiled and nodded. "Looks like that checks out. Remind me to ask Sunny to barrow these books later. I would love to copy their contents for my library."
"But Twi" concern returned to Applejack's voice. "If those books there just 'bout read in' old jibber jabber, what is makin' Sunny go bonkers?"
"I don't know Applejack" With a heavy sigh, Twilight then slumped down, taking a seat on the ground, when her backside hit something hard. "Ugh! What was that?!"
Turning around, Twilight pulled something out from underneath Sunny's bed. It was another book!
"Now that's usin' yer head, er, backside, Twi! What does it say?!" Applejack asked, leaning in curiously.
After cracking the book open and levitating it in front of her with her magic, Twilight began to skim the pages. It didn't take her long to realize just what it was, and once she did, Twilight looked from the book to her earth pony friend. "Ugh, Applejack... This isn't a book. It's a journal... Sunny's been keeping a journal."
Applejack thought about it for a moment. Part of her wanted to respect Sunny's privacy, every pony had the right to that. But it might have something on why Sunny is acting this way. Swallowing her pride, Applejack nodded, motioning for Twilight to go ahead, unable to muster the strength to say the words herself.
With the go from Applejack, Twilight opened the journal up to the last couple of entries and began reading;
'Dear journal,
It's been several week since I saw my father, maybe even longer. But I still can't get the image of him out of my mind. Part of me wishes I never remembered what he looked like... And part of me wishes he could go back to being who he used to be...but I know that can never happen...'
Twilight paused and looked over at Applejack, wondering if she should continue. Applejack bit her lip then replied "maybe ya better just skim around for somethin' more around the last couple of days."
Twilight nodded then flipped ahead to the second to last page;
'Dear journal,
I'm so tired... I've been staying up late every night studying... Trying to decider the code... Have to set thing right...'
Flipping to the last page written in, Twilight began reading that part to herself then shut the book, blushing, then slid it back under the bed. 'NOPE! NOTHING THERE! HE MUST HAVE NOT WRITTEN ANYTHING DOWN!"
Applejack's deadpan face told Twilight she wasn't falling for that. "Sugarcube, what did ya'll read?"
"Ugh... Something I probably shouldn't have..." Twilight said with rosy red cheeks.
Curious, Applejack decided to pry a little. "Hey now... It wasn't about somepony we both know? Maybe even somepony in this room?"
"What are ya'll doin' in Sunny's room?" Apple Bloom's sudden appearance caught the two older ponies off guard.
"Apple Bloom! What are ya doin' here?" Applejack jumped. "Ain't ya supposed to be cleanin' th' pig pen today?"
"Sunny took care of it for me!" Apple Bloom said with glee. "According to your chore list, he's done everything we needed to do for the next week! All in one day! Isn't that great!"
"We ain't so sure bout that, Sugarcube" Applejack hung her head.
"Wait, why ain't it?" Apple Bloom asked, now starting to get nervous. "Ah mean, he's awake and able ta work and what not. Ain't that what we wanted?"
"He might be doing more harm then good to himself. Who knows what spell he cast or what potion he might have brewed up to make himself act this way. He could get seriously hurt from it. It's not natural for a pony to be running around like that." Twilight explained, her voice very solemn.
Apple Bloom's victory in helping Sunny wake up and have energy to work, now seemed hallow. The little filly's head hung low now. She knew what she had to do, not really wanting to, but she knew she had to confess her actions. Especially if it was for Sunny's better health. Sighing heavily, Apple Bloom then confessed what she did to her sister and Twilight. She brought them to her room where she had the scroll from Zecora's hut and a few of the GoGoGo berries left.
"Ah'm real sorry, Applejack" Apple Bloom said as she sat on her back legs, head hanging even lower then before as she apologized. "Ah just wanted ta help. Ah never meant ta hurt no pony. 'Specially Sunny..."
"Ah understand, Sugarcube" Applejack patted her little sister on the head. "Ah ain't mad. But we need ta stop Sunny, it ain't good fer him ta be flying around here like ah greased up pig."
"Applejack's right" Twilight said after she finished reading the scroll Apple Bloom had about the GoGoGo berries. "According to the scroll, one Berry, even half of one would have been enough to keep him going for a day or two. But with as many as Apple Bloom gave him, Sunny might be in serious trouble!"
"Oh no!" Apple Bloom's heart sank, fearing that she had done something to really hurt Sunny.
"What can we do?" Applejack commented, worried about what might happen to Sunny if they don't stop him.
"Well luckily there's an easy way to reverse the effects of the GoGoGo berries. But we're going to need your help Apple Bloom, how fast do you think you can get to the spa?" Twilight said with a smirk, already hatching a plan.
Meanwhile, Sunny had just finished re-re-re-re-reorganizing his secret cave when he realized that he should put a third coat of wax on his old armor to really give it that shine. But he was all out of wax. He would have to make a trip into town. Still feeling like going a million miles per hour, Sunny dashed out of his cave after sealing it up, then zoomed into town. He was is such a hurry and so sure that he would be back in a flash, that he didn't close the bolder over the cave opening all the way.
Shooting down the road, kicking up a huge dust storm behind him, Sunny set his sights on the shop in town that sold wax, candles, and wood repairing sealers. He could have sworn that he heard something as he entered into the road nearest to the Apple farm that would lead him into town, but he chalked it up to just hearing things.
But that thing that Sunny thought he heard was actually Applejack trying to get his attention with one of her family's famouse apple pies. Sunny couldn't get enough of them, and she knew it was one of his favorite deserts. But the yellow unicorn just zoomed by, kicking up a wind that almost flung Applejack's Stetson hat right off of her head.
Twilight saw all of it from her position in the sky. And although she was no where near as fast a flyer as Rainbow dash (or most other ponies who have been flying their whole lives), she did have one advantage. Physics! Twilight knew that at the hight she was at, if she were to defend and fly strait down where Sunny was heading, that would be enough to land her right on top of him, and immobilize him for a brief moment. The alicorn princess pulled out a pair of flight goggles she borrowed from Rainbow Dash, and carefully secured them over her eyes. Reading herself, Twilight waited until the right moment, then sprang off the cloud she was on and began her dive. Twilight began flappy her wings at first to help gain momentum and direction, keeping her on course with the yellow unicorn. But soon she began picking up so much speed that she no longer needed to flap her wings. As the alicorn grew closer and closer, almost at the colossi on point where she would stop Sunny, a veritable took place. One that Twilight didn't take into account. About fifteen feet from the collision point, Sunny made a sudden change in direction, taking a sharp left. Twilight gulps as she struggled to stop herself, but she fell short, and the princess of friendship ended up crashing into a cabbage stand! After a moment of collecting herself, Twilight stuck her head up out of the broken stand, covered in broken pits of cabbage leaves.
"My Cabbages!!!" The vendor screamed while holding onto his head in outrage. He was a thin earth pony with a thin mustache and a thin goatee to match. He was on his knees now, thinking to himself 'why?! Why does this always happen to me and my cabbages?!'
A dazed and confused Twilight looked over to the vender and said "I can pay for that... Right after my nap..."
After that, Twilight passed out in the pile of broken up cabbages as the cabbage vender kept crying over the loss of his product. To all of this, Sunny was completely oblivious to.
As the yellow stallion continued speeding through town, it appeared nothing could stop him. It was int when a rainbow colored blurs tackled him that the speedy stallion was stopped. The two blurred collided and the rainbow bluer pushed the yellow one into a blue berry bush. Sunny was shaken for a moment, but when he opened his eyes, he recognized the blur immediately as Ponyville's fastest Pegasus.
"Ugh,hithereRainbowDash, what'sup?" Sunny's words were spread through now, making it almost impossible to understand.
Not needing to grasp what the yellow, super charged stallion had to say, Rainbow Dash smirked and told him. "Sunny! There you are! Applejack's been looking all over for you! She's over at the spa right now, with a big surprise for you!"
Sunny's heart already beating at an unnatural speed began to beat even faster and faster with the news. "Really?! Great!!! That'sawesome!!! Illheadoverthererightnow! Yeah! Rightnowisagoodtime! I'mnotdoingantthingrightnow! Well,nothingican'tdolater!ThanksRainbowDash!!!"
Before Rainbow could even accept the thanks, Sunny shot off like an earthbound bolt of lightning through town, with his new destination being the town's only spa.
Despite his incredible speed, and the fact that the town at this time was crowded with ponies, Sunny was able to miss every single one of them as he made his way to the spa. He maneuvered just slightly around them avoided hitting everyone as he zoomed in and out and all around them, eventually making it to the spa's front doors. Applejack stood by the door, happily holding it open for him.
"Right on in here, Sugarcube. Ah hope ya like it!" AppleJack said with an uneasy smile.
Sunny came to a brunt stop, kicking up a dust of wind with his halting hooves. "Wow! Thisissonice, Applejack. Inevercomehere, notbecouseidontlikedoingthis. Well, tobehonest, iveneverreallydonethisbefore, butidlovetocomeheresometimewithyou! Youknow, otherthentoday, imean. Anytimeyouwantwecancomehere, together."
Not really understanding the stallion, Applejack just nodded and motioned him inside with a smile. "Yep! Sounds great, Sugar Cube. Now hop on in!"
"Alright! Illseeyouinside, right?" Sunny said as he dashed on inside, only to zoom right into a giant tub of ice cold water . After being submerged in the frigid water, Sunny popped his head out, gasping for air trough a set of chattering teeth. "W-w-what I-I-is t-the meaning o-o-of this?!"
"Sorry Sunny, but it was for your own good" Twilight said as she, Applejack, Apple Bloom, Rainbow Dash, and the spa twins came into view.
Twilight then went on to explain that the reason why he was acting to hyperactive and full of energy was due to the GoGoGo berries that Apple Bloom fed him. "And the only way for us to actually slow you back down before you or anypony else got hurt was with a freezing bath of ice water."
"Th-th-that's g-g-great and a-a-all, b-b-but ca-can I g-g-get out?!" Sunny pushed to get he words out of his mouth.
"Oh! Ugh, right! Sorry!" Twilight said as she lifted him up with her magic and pulled him out of the freezing water.
Still shivering, Applejack and the spa twins approached him with several towns to dry him off and warm him up. "Hang tight, Sugar cube, we'll have ya toaster then ah marshmallow at a campfire."
Later that night, Sunny was helped into bed by Applejack and Twilight. He fell asleep before his head even touched the pillow. The two ponies quietly left the exhausted stallion to get some well needed rest, and made their way downstairs and into the kitchen. Not surprised, Applejack found Rainbow Dash enjoying what must have been her seventh helping of Apple Cider.
"He's sleepin' like a foal" Applejack said as she grabbed her and Twilight a glass of cider as well.
"You know, you were really lucky to catch me between practice sessions" Rainbow commented as she finished her seventh glass. "How else would you have caught him?"
"Ya'll were sleepin' in an apple tree, what do ya mean 'between practice sessions?'" Applejack said flatly.
"I was taking a power nap!" Rainbow Dash countered. "Athletes need to be at the top of their game, ya know!"
"The point is, we caught him and were able to get him cooled off" Twilight intervened. "So thank you Rainbow."
"No prob, Twilight" Rainbow Dash said as she got up and put her mug in the sink. "I'll catch you guys later! Gatta get some rest for tomorrow! Wonderbolts training!"
As Rainbow Dash took off, Twilight and Appeljack waved goodbye to their cyan colored friend. But a yawn from the purple alicorn makes the two remaining friends realize just how late it was. The sun had set quite a while ago, and they all have been through quite a day. It was more tame then most of their adventures, but it was still a tiring day.
"I better be calling it a night, too" Twilight said, turning to Applejack. "Remember though, Sunny might not be able to use magic or do much heavy lifting for a while. The berries make a pony use up all their body's magic to go that fast, and it might take him a while to recover."
"But he'll recover ok, right? No permanent damage?" Applejack sounded nervous for the unicorn living with her and her family.
"Not to worry" Twilight reassured her. "He'll be just fine in a few days. Just keep an eye on him."
"Well, with all he's done around here, nopony'll need ta life a hoof for at least ah week" Applejack joked, urning her a slight chuckled from Twilight. After the two laughed for a moment, Applejack scratched the back of her neck, eyes directed away from the purple alicorn. "Say, Twi... What was it you read in Sunny's journal? Ya know, on that last page?"
Twilight's laughter stopped as her cheeks went red once more, but she was able to smile as she looked Applejack in the eye. "It was about a dream he had. And I'm willing to guess its exactly what your thinking."
Applejack's cheeks turned red as Twilight took this movement to fly off, heading back to her castle to enjoy a night of slumber in her own bed. Despite trying to push the contents of Sunny's journal out of her mind, Twilight found herself rethinking the exact words from his last entry;
'Dear Journal,
I had that dream again. The one where I was on that hill just at the far end of the north orchard with Applejack. This time as we laid on the warm grass and watched the clouds roll by, we held each other's hooves. I don't know how Applejack feels about me, but I hope one day when I tell her how I feel, she'll feel the same way.'
"I don't want to tell her!" Midnight Blossom snapped as Cloud Skipper. "She likes you more! You tell her!"
"Alister is our comrade, ally, and good friend" Cloud Skipper continued his speech. "And as such, his well being is the responsibility of both of us."
The two Canterlot royal guards continued the long walk down the hallway to the Canterlot castle war room where Princess Luna had been spending most of her time these last couple of days. Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom had been away on a mission, but could tell as soon as they returned to the barracks that something was wrong. It didn't take long for them to hear of the capture of Al Ca'pony, the chaos it's brought to the underworld of organized crime in Equeatria, but there was something more to it that bothered them. Although they would love to rest, the two guards knew they had to report in and see where they could go. Their hesitation, although, came from a matter that hit closer to home. One nether of the two guards wished to report.
Once outside the Canterlot war room, the Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom both were greeted by a pair of saluting guards stationed just outside the war room. After returning a salute, the two walked inside and quickly made their way over to Princess Luna, who was attempting to remain in control during these troubling times.
"Send a dozen more guards to be stationed outside the Crystal Empire's boarders!" The princess barked the order to a white pegusus guard, who saluted and flew off as quickly as his wings could carry him.
Princess Luna then turned to a bat pony mare, one who was in charge of the night guard in Cantwrlot. "We want you to double the guards stationed for night watch for the next month or so until the crime spree quiets down."
The mare saluted and flew off to replete her orders to the bat pony night guards back at the nocturnal barracks.
Turning her attention to a grey, unicorn day guard, Luna took in another breath before giving him orders. "Bring us the best dragon negotiators at our disposal! We need somepony to calm the dragons down at once! Go! Now!"
The unicorn guard saluted then dashed out of the room as fast as he could, leaving the lunar princess to finally take a breath. She held that breath for but a moment before an elderly earth pony stallion approached her. He wore a very formal jacket and vest, with a pair of reading glasses hanging on the very edge of his muzzle that he kept high in the air. He presented princess Luna with a cup of tea, to which, she waited several moments after exhaling her heald breath before looking at.
"Thank you, Kibitz" Princess Luna said as she wrapped her magical aura around the cup's handle and levitated it up to her muzzle before blowing on it and taking a small sip.
"My pleasure, your highness" the older stallion said. "I find that tea always settles the nerves."
"It helps, but We can't stop thinking that our sister would be better equipped for such trifling times" Luna admitted.
"Will you send word for her then?" Kibitz asked, concern heavily in his voice.
"Perhapse, but not until after the scheduled solar eclipse" princess Luna said, her eyes venturing over to the calendar. "What could go wrong in a week that we couldn't clean up?"
"Oh, war with the dragons, an uprise in organized crime, changeling invasion, a third uprising from King Sombra..." Kibitz began listing off all the things he thought could go wrong in that time, almost unaware that princess Luna was shooting him
The coldest and hardest glare she had ever given anypony. A moment after he realized she was doing so, the elderly advisor smiled awkwardly and chucked lightly. "Ugh... I mean, nothing! Nothing can go wrong that we can't fix, your majesty! No, certainly nothing at all."
"Pardon the intrusion, Princess Luna" Cloud Skipper stepped forward. "We have some troubling news to report."
This caused another heavy and troubling sigh from the princess of the night. "What is it, Cloud Skipper?"
Both the white pegasus guard and the bat pony night guard stepped forward and saluted the princess and held their hooves in place while looking strait forward. "Your majesty! We have received word that lieutenant Alister has yet to report back from the Iron Lock Maximum Security Prison!"
"What?!" Luna seemed panicked. "Was he not ordered to take a vacation?! Why is he at Iron Lock?!"
"He was on vacation, your majesty " Midnight Blossom now answered. "But part way into his scheduled vacation, the crime boss, Al Ca'pony, was captured. It was Alister's wish to personally oversee his transport to the prison."
"He disobeyed orders?!" Princess Luna's nostrils began to flair up. "We gave him a direct order to take some time off!"
"We didn't see the harm, your highness" Cloud Skipper took over. "It was more or less him tagging along for the ride. A whole team of heavily armed and well trained guards would be with him. And he had been reporting in for therapy and his meditation classes, as scheduled, since... Since the incident."
"Where was his last reported location? Has anypony been keeping an eye on him?" Princess Luna's voice was cold and harsh, fueled by her worry.
"He selected Ponyville to be his location for his vacation" Midnight Blossom answered. "Other then the guards stationed there, we didn't think to increase the security. Especially since he appeared to be in contact with Princess Twilight and her friends. Reports even said he was lodging with one."
"But he decided to cut his vacation early..." Princess Luna said as she began to take a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "... Has there been any contact with the Iron Lock prison?"
"None, your highness" Cloud Skipper answered. "There was a team of transport guards who came back not long after Alister's departure, and they said the weather was getting rough. It might be a while before we can get a message through."
"Alright" Princess Luna decided on a course of action. "It would be too dangerous to send anypony up the mountain. We have no choice but to wait until the storms clear. In the meantime, you two will travel to the hit of the shaman of the Everfree Forest, Zecora. She his the alicorn amulet the last time it arose. Find it and bring it back here for safe keeping."
Both Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom saluted the princess of the night before flying out of the war room. They had no time to rest, they needed to get down to the Wild Everfree Forest as soon as possible, and get their hooves on the amulet before somethings bad happens... Again.
After the two guards were out of sight, Princess Luna slumped down in a chair, levitating her tea over to her, and just stared into the dark liquid for a moment.
Kibitz approached her with a scroll. "Your majesty, with all due respects, maybe it it time to call your older sister?"
Luna's fury had died down to a mere simmer as she looked at the elderly earth pony. "You are one of the few who know of Prince Soleggiato Cavaliere, and like the others, are sworn to secrecy. But tell us, if you were in my sister's position, could you think clearly? Could you be so cold as to feel nothing, and push forward with such matters burning in the back of your mind?"
"It's what her highness does best, princess Luna" the stallion said as he pushed his glasses back into place. "She has dealt with much worse."
"No, no she hasn't...." Luna said with a heavy heart, her was hanging low. "Our past mistakes left our sister alone for 1000 years. She went 1000 years without family, without anypony to seek comfort in, all becouse she had to hold her head up high and be the image of perfection everypony thinks she is... But she is just a pony..."
The elderly stallion felt a tear come to his eye from the mere thought of what princess Celestia had gone through. He did always see her as perfect. But maybe, just maybe, she is just a pony, with feelings like anypony else, and a heart that can break just like anypony's can.
The next day Sunny could hardly stand up strait. But he found the strength to get up out of bed around noon, then made his way down the hall to take a nice long shower. Applejack had left him a note saying that since he had finished this week's chores, that he, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom had the entire week off. The yellow unicorn felt a small sense of accomplishment as he let the cool, refreshing water hit him, trickling down his face and sliding off his yellow coat.
It was then, standing there in the shower letting the water hit him, that the yellow stallion had a memory. A flash back from his past, triggered by the droplets of water...
Over 1000 years ago, not long before the fall of the Crystal Empire
Prince Sunny Knight had just arrived with his reinforcements to the front line of the battle field. The dragons were gathering at the edge of the cliffs overlooking the west oceans of Equestria. The day had turned dark quickly with the storm clouds blocking out the sun, and a light trickling rain falling from the sky. Only black silhouettes and hot, glowing eyes revealed that dragons were even there. King Sombra and his army remained ready for battle on the opposite side, more then half drenched from the rain. But they stood firm as the only protection Equesteia had against a flight of dragons.
"Father! We have arrived!" Sunny said as he galloped up to King Sombra, who stood like a thousand year old statue, starring at the opposing forces before him and his army.
He only broke and turned to see his son reach his side. Sunny's body mostly covered by one of his royal black cloak in an attempt to keep himself and his armor clean and dry. 'Black has always been a good color on him' Sombra thought with a smile, but quickly shook the thought away.
"Did you meet with the Dragon of the West, Garganda?" King Sombra's voice was firm and commanding, but not frightening.
"I have, and he gave me this..." Sunny answered by pulling the black cloak off, revealing a suit of black pony armor. The armor fit him perfectly, almost as if it was forged all those years ago just for him.
"Good" Sombra stared at the armor no more then a moment before turning to face the dragon army, who by now, must have been growing impatient. "Now Prince Soleggiato Cavaliere, I want you to take command of the situation."
"What?!" Sunny and several of Sombra's generals all were taken back by what he said. "Fa-I mean, King Sombra, I am not fit to-"
"One day you will take my place at the thrown" Sombra continued, his firm expression never wavering. "This is the perfect opportunity to show what you are capable of."
"Your highness" a crystal general spoke up, stepping forward. "The prince doesn't have the experience that you do. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna wanted 'you' specifically to handle the situation."
"And so I am" Sombra answered, turning to face the general. "I am putting my most trusted knight on the job. I have faith that my son could settle the situation even better then I could."
"But your highness-" the general tried once more to speak up.
"You really think I can do this, father?" Sunny interrupted the general, not even acknowledging his existence anymore.
Sombra's expression softened as he smiled down at his son. "Not only do I believe in you, but I know your mother would say the same thing. This is not just your first step towards becoming king, but it's also time to discover what kind of a King you will become. Show not only the crystal army what you can do, but the dragons as well. No matter what, this day will go down in the history books. Make it a history you want to generations down the road to follow. Lead them."
The yellow unicorn Prince understood what his father was saying, and knew the pressure of what he had to do. He took a long deep breath and looked back at the black armor he received as a gift from Garganda. He could never forget how he got the armor, nor the lesson the giant dragon taught him. But right now, the Prince had to focus on the dangers at hoof, right before him.
Swallowing his fears, Sunny levitated the black helmet onto his head and took several steps over the line of crystal army royal guards. He focused his magic into his horn, creating a beacon, calling all the attention of the armored ponies to him. "I will approach the dragons alone. Do not engage under any conditions, unless I say so. Is that understood?!"
"YES SIR!" All the crystal guards answered in unison, even the reluctant generals and the King.
With that, Prince Soleggiato Cavaliere turned and locked eyes on the dragons before him. He began walking through the thick mud over to them, his hooves sinking into the muck only to be sucked out with his next step. But the prince didn't let something as trivial as 'mud' distract him. His green eyes focused on the many glowing red eyes before him. In the darkness shined several dozen pairs of rubies, each a different size and shape, but all focused on him.
After making his way trough the muddy field that separated the two armies, Sunny reached the flight of dragons. Before the Prince could say anything, three of the dragons opened their jaws and released a horrible breath of scorching hot flames! The fire completely consumed the yellow unicorn and his black armor. The crystal pony army were shocked and insulted, readying their weapons to strike. But Sombra held back the crystal army and waited, knowing exactly what it was that his son had been wearing.
Several long moments had passed and the three dragons who attacked the Prince stopped their barrage of flames to catch their breath. When they did, they expected to see a pile of ash before them. No pony could withstand dragon fire of that degree or for that long, and there was no way he teleported away. But to their surprise, before the dragons, in a bubbling hot yellow and red crater stood the form of a pony. The Prince stood as tall and proud as he had when he approached the dragons moments ago, unharmed at all by the dragon's fire.
"I will speak with your Dragon Lord, now" Sunny spoke, his voice as firm as his father's.
The dragons hesitated, looking to each other for an answer when a large dragon bearing onyx colored armor poked through the group. He stood as tall as thirty Sunny, his skin was dark green, and several teeth poked out from his jaws, even with his mouth shut.
"What do you want with the Dragon Lord, puny pony?!" A small dragon appeared just in front of the armor wearing giant. This one also donned a similar style of armor, but the dragon wearing it was more then just a fraction of his size. He barley came up to Sunny's chin.
But the prince's expression didn't waver as he looked down to the small dragon. "Are 'you' the Dragon Lord?"
"What's it to you?! What if I am the Dragon Lord, huh?" The little dragon snapped.
"I wish to speak to the Dragon Lord to settle this dispute" the Prince stated, never breaking eye contact with the little dragon. "I am Prince Soleggiato Cavaliere, of the Crystal Empire of Equestria."
"Where is your King?" The large dragon in armor spoke, his words deep like a cathedral bell.
Sunny then looked up at the great dragon to answer him "I was sent here to speak on his and our kind's behalf."
"What makes you so special?!" The little dragon snapped again.
Sunny turned his attention back to the annoying little dragon. "Whatever makes me special was more then enough to convince the one you call 'Garganda of the West' to give me this suit of armor."
The dragons in the crowd all began whispering and growing amongst themselves. The little dragon himself looked confused and nervous as he looked to the larger armor wearing dragon. The larger one then raised his right claw and began scratching his chin, looking the yellow unicorn up and down, studying every inch of him. After a moment, the large dragon lowered his claw and picked the unicorn up. Sunny didn't hesitate when the dragon wrapped his claws around him, but he could only guess this made the crystal ponies behind him very nervous. Once raised to the dragon's eye level, Sunny looked him right in his glowing red and orange eye, the Prince's face remained solemn.
"You are an impressive one, for a puny little pony" the armored dragon bellowed. "What is it you wish?"
"I only wish to have peace between our kind" Sunny answered. "Right now we ponies have the upper hand. The rain has grounded your fliers and weakens your flames. While our magic and weapons remain unaffected. But fighting is not what I, nor my kind want."
"Fighting for what 'we' want has always been our way" the large dragon answered. "We are gifted with much strength and power. Why should we not use our gifts to simply take what we want? Even if the rain hinders us now, we can still fight, and we will eventually win."
"At what cost?" The armored Prince's emotions flared, a combination of outrage and anger swirling within him. "Would you really risk the well being of your followers just to get what you want?"
"And what if I am?" The large dragon narrowed his eyes at the little pony in his claw.
"Then you shouldn't be the Dragon Lord" Sunny replied, narrowing his own eyes, a disgusted look on his muzzle as he did. The crowd of dragons erupted into outrage at his comment, but Sunny ignored them. "A leader, whether pony King, Prince, or even Dragon Lord, should think of the safety and well being of his followers before anything else. That's what it means to be a leader. And if you can't do that, then you need to step down.
"But if you can find it in yourself to seek out a peaceful solution, and you are willing to work with a 'puny pony' to find a solution, one that can benefit both dragon and pony, then I would be more then glad to work with you." Sunny concluded, never breaking away from the large orange and red eye before him.
The large dragon's gaze burned deep into Sunny for several long moments, making both the flight of dragons and the herd of crystal ponies very anxious and nervous. It wasn't until the large armored dragon cracked a smile that all began to relax.
"I see now why Garganda and your King chose you, Black Knight" the dragon spoke as he loosened his grip on Sunny and held his claw flat, allowing the armored pony to stand in his open claw. "Perhaps there is a peaceful solution to our problem. I am Dragon Lord Garnet, and this is my son and future Dragon Lord, Torch."
The large armored dragon motioned to the smaller armor bearing dragon beside him.
"It is a pleasure, your majesties" Sunny said with a bow. "Shall we all meet with my father, King Sombra to discuss the negotiations?"
"No" Lord Garnet said, almost making Sunny trip out of his large claw. "We will only discuss negotiations with you, Black Knight. If you wish to have your father present, as an advisor, you may."
The Dragon Lord then raised the black armor bearing Sunny up over his head, showing him to all the dragons around. "This is the Black Knight! From hence forth, when dragons dispute with ponies, you shall treat his word as that of mine! He shares our inner fire, and will be treated as a brother! Is that understood!?"
With loud roars and shooting flames into the still raining sky, the flight of dragons replied their understanding. Sunny wasn't entirely sure he deserved such recognition, but his insecurities would do wait until later, after a peaceful resolution had been settled. Until then, he would just swallow it, hold his head up high, and hope to Equeatria that he didn't vomit from the vertigo...
The yellow stallion chuckled to himself as he returned to the present and shut off the water, his body now soaked and to some degree clean. As clean as a pony could get from only half paying attention as he scrubbed while the other half of his mind was reliving his past. 'I'm glad all of that turned out well.'
While drying himself off, he thought back to a conversation he and Twilight had about the dragon's yearly migration patterns. How they, for some reason, touched down at the edge of Equeatria on the east coast, before continuing their long journey to the far north. 'I guess the history books father talked about didn't really record what happened with the dragons and 'the Black Knight'.'
Still chuckling to himself, the weak kneed unicorn wobbled down the stairs and into the kitchen where he sat rather hard on a chair, cringing as he did. Every muscle in his body was still aching from the effects of the GoGoGo berry. Part of him wanted to just sleep in, spending the entire day in bed recuperating. But the former Prince knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep, not all day, no matter how much his body hurt. His mind was reeling now, remembering things from his past. Sleep defiantly wasn't going to happen right now.
"Ya ok there, Sunny?" Granny asked as she passed him a plate of eggs, hay bacon, and hash browns, with a tall glass of orange juice already set beside him.
"Wha? Oh, y-yeah! I'm fine! Just, ugh, thinking!" Sunny answered, technically, honestly. He just wasn't going to tell them about what.
The entire Apple family had showed up for a relaxing breakfast. Thanks to Sunny, none of them had to technically do anything say for feeding he animals, which Applejack already did this morning. It was a rare occasion that they all could enjoy a nice meal together without the worry of getting the chores done immediately afterward. But despite the calm of the morning and pleasant aroma of a home cooked meal, one of the ponies at the table was looking unease. Little Apple Bloom shifted uncomfortably in her chair as she watched the yellow stallion across from her struggle with eating his breakfast.
'It's all mah fault he's like this...ah wish there was something ah could do...' Apple Bloom thought as she pushed her hash browns around with her fork, avoiding eating it. Even though it was her ideal breakfast and she would normally jump right into devouring every crumb, the little filly felt sick to her stomach watching Sunny struggle just lifting up a fork.
"You ok Appel Bloom?" Applejack whispered over to her little sister.
Apple Bloom glumly looked from her plate, to her older sister, then at the yellow unicorn that was now struggling to lift his glass of orange juice. It didn't take Applejack log to see what had her sister down in the dumps. She patted Apple Bloom on the back. "We ah'll know ya were just tryin' ta help. It wasn' yer fault Sunny ain't feelin' 100 percent yet."
"Yes it is..." Apple Bloom disagreed as her head and ears fell lower to the ground. "Ah wish there was somethin' ah could do..."
It didn't take Applejack long to think something up to help both her little sister and Sunny. She put on one of her signature country comforting grins as she said "hey Sunny, ah think ah might know just what 'll pick ya right up! How's about a trip to the day spa? Ugh, not one where ya get an ice bath this time. A little time in the steam room, a muscle massage, followed up by ah trip to Sugar Cube corner for a protine shake by Pinkie? Ya'll be fixed up and running around here faster then a jack rabbit on a sidewalk at high-noon in July!"
Sunny thought it over, thinking it would be a good idea. Anything to get his body back in working order. That, and until he's better, he can't use magic. Which means he can't cast that counter spell to fix what he did to those guys in the hospital. "It's worth a shot. If you think it'll help. But, ugh.... I hate to admit it. I don't think I can get there myself."
"Oh, I'd love to help ya, but Big Mac and I are very busy with... Stuff!" Applejack nudged her older brother in the side, who had a mouth full of eggs and hay bacon but smiled awkwardly Sunny and nodded in agreement to what his sister was saying.
"OH! OH! I could take you Sunny!" Apple Bloom spoke up, nearly jumping out of her chair. "Ah just fixed up mah wheel barrel! Ah could take ya over in that!"
Sunny hesitated, thinking that it might be a little embarrassing going through town, being pulled in some foal's wheel barrel. But the thought of ponies in town snickering at the sight dissipated when Sunny put the pieces together. It took him a second to see what Applejack was trying to do, and decided to go with it, for Apple Blooms sake. Smiling at the young filly, the yellow unicorn asked "are ya sure ah ain't too heavy for ya to pull? I'm ah big stallion."
"Ah can do it!" Apple Bloom said, sounding more and more desperate to redeem herself.
"Well ah'righty then. We'll head out after breakfast" Sunny winked at Applejack who winked back at him.
"Ah can get th' dishes since ya'll are such busy ponies" Granny spoke up for the first time during the entire conversation. "Then ah think ah'll take ah little well deserved nap in mah rockin' chair under the large tree in th' yard. Ah' haven' done that in so long."
"Ya did that yesterday, Granny" Appejack commented, laughing lightly to herself.
"And th' day before that! And th' day before that!" Apple Bloom snickered, feeling better enough to start wolfing down her breakfast, knowing she'll need her strength.
"Eh'yep!" Was Big Mac's only comment as he took another gulp of his orange juice.
"Ah fewie! Who can remember that far back!" Granny said, a smile growing on her wrinkled muzzle.
It was true that the Apple family didn't have the most expensive set of dishes, nor the fanciest dinning room, and they didn't have the largest or most prestigious house in all of Ponyville, but they did have something more. Sunny couldn't help but feel the warmth and happiness radiate off of them, because those old plates passed down from generation to generation, that dining room which had seen so many warm meals, and the house that watched over so many fillies and colts grow up into adults, was a home. All the gold in Canterlot, nor the most powerful spell's in all of pony kind could ever duplicate this feeling. Sunny was truly happy to be apart of that. A home. And better, ponies who were now family to him to make the old farm house just that. This is where he truly belonged.
"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..."
"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?"
"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."
"Hey man, what'cha doing all the way out here?" Thunder Lane asked as he floated down to Sunny's right side. It seemed odd for the grey pegasus to find his yellow friend atop a random hill just staring off at the trees, but Sunny was kind of an odd guy. But that made him interesting.
"Your cousin, Race, and his siblings, are challenging your brother and his friends to another paint balloon fight" Sunny said as he grabbed another hoof full of popcorn and offered some to Thunder Lane.
"Again?! Ugh! He does this all the time!" Thunder Lande smacked his hoof against his forehead before seeing the popcorn and taking a decent hoof full of it. "Every time Race comes down, he and Rumble do this. It never ends well. Mainly with a Race gloating about how he and his siblings are 'the fastest, strongest, and best fliers in all of Equesteia ' and how they 'are soooo going to be Wonderbolts.'"
Sunny sat and stared at his grey pegasus pal for a moment, his look of concern eluded the winged pony, thou. "Ugh... I think Rumble might have a good chance this time, though."
"What makes you say that?" Thunder Lane asked, taking a bite of the pop corn as he began to calm down.
"Well, I.... Might have helped Rumble and his pals come up with some new battle strategies..." Sunny answered sheepishly.
"... And where did 'you' learn anythin about battle? Moving hay stacks and Apple barrels?" Thunder asked, pressing further on the topic with a single eyebrow raised at the yellow unicorn.
"Ugh... Books?" Sunny thought it would be best to stick with the same story, no matter how ridiculous it might have sounded to Rumble and his friends. "Oh! And Your brother and his pals are also fighting to take back the Cutie Mark Club house. Race and the others challenged Appel Bloom and her friends to a paint balloon war as well, and won it for a week from them."
"Really?" Thunder Lane seemed to quickly forget about Sunny learning battle tactics from 'books' for a moment and sat down to enjoy the water balloon fight. "Now that's interesting. You know Button has a crush on Sweetie bell."
"Kinda guessed that" Sunny said taking another bite of popcorn. "And doesn't Rumble have a thing for Scootaloo?"
"Man I can never tell with him" Thunder Lane admired. "It's one thing one week and another the next."
"Hey everypony!" Flitter appeared overhead with her sister, Cloud Chaser. "What's going on?"
"Rumble and his buds are taking on Race again in a paint balloon fight!" Thunder Lane began to explain to his Special somepony. "This time, the Crusader's club house is on the line!"
"That's exciting!" Cloud Chaser commented. "I got to go tell Rainbow Dash! She'd love to see this!" Before anypony could say anything, Flitter's sister had taken off, heading into town.
"Wanna sit right next to me, baby?" Thunder Lane flashed Flitter his casual smile, one that the grayish blue pegasus mare couldn't say no to.
As she took a seat, Sunny then passed the popcorn over to Thunder Lane, saying he was full and offering him as Flitter the rest. Really, Sunny would rather have one of his best friends and the mare of his dreams sharing a snack, then to stuff his own muzzle.
Down in the tree covered area, the designated battle field, Rumble, Button Mash, and the rest of their team cautiously traveled from their end to the area where Race and his group supposedly started. They traveled in the formation that Button Mash had planned from the begining, with Rumble, Snips, and Snails up at the front, and him with Feather Weight covering the back.
"Keep your eyes peeled" Button said as he kept an eye on the back left side of their formation.
"Ya know, if you think about it, that phrase sounds really gross!" Snips commented, cringing at the horrific image his mind painted.
"Focus guys" Rumble said as he and his group continued to advance towards Race's side. "We need to be ready for-"
"SURPRISE!" A feminine voice cried out as a blue blur fell from the sky and landed right in the middle of the young colts. With a paint balloon in each wing, Reina grinned as she immediately flung the one in her left wing at Snails, hitting him in the face.
The lengthy, young unicorn's face was coated in the green paint and soap mixture as he began to run around, panicking. "AH! I-I CANT SEE! I CANT SEE!!!"
The rest of Rumble's group did what they planned on doing if Race and his team were ever bold enough to try that tactic while they were in that formation. Scatter. Well, all accept for Snips, who forgot about the plan and was attempting to aid his best friend in getting the green goo out of his eyes. But Snails refused to stop running around.
The formation for the most part was solid, but as Sunny pointed out, if a Pegasus were to drop strait down in the middle, they would be able to strike any of the team members at once. So the best plan would be to break formation, get their backs to something solid, then strike. If everypony were to strike at once to hit the attacker, though, it would lead to more confusion. So, Rumble and Button assigned each member with a target on the other team. Fortunately for them, Feather weight was the one assigned to Reina, not Snips or Snails.
The thin and light weight Pegasus grasped his balloon and moved in for the shot, only, when he emerged from his hiding spot from behind a tree, and threw the balloon with all his might, it came up short. From his wing, the paint and soap filled balloon only traveled about three inches before falling to the ground. When the balloon hit the ground, it actually backfired and hit Feather Weight's front hooves, causing the young pegasus so slip and fall flat on his face.
This scene caused Reina to actually burst into a small fit of laughter, making her forget all about the cubby colt running around her. In that brief moment, Snips ran across the puddle that was made from Feather's balloon, and began to slide across the ground and right into Reina! Before she even noticed, Snips had accidentally run into her, causing the balloon he was carrying to jump from his back, and strait up into the air! Button, Rumble, and when he could look up, Feather Weight all watched as Snips's balloon started to plummet towards then ground until it hit Reina right on her head, silencing her laughter.
Everypony froze, even Race, Reese, and Ralan who had hidden themselves behind near by trees and bushes popped out to witness the impossible outcome. Snips had technically avenged his fallen brother in arms by plopping a balloon on top of Reina's head and dousing her with orange paint! The Pegasus mare froze there for a moment, her mind trying to catch up with what just happened. Button Mash, on the other hoof, decided to act.
Before Reese or Ralan could move, he shot Rumble a signal, and as fast as they could, splattered the two blue pegusi with their own respective water balloons. Reese and Ralan turned and looked at each other, unable to fully understand what just happened. They were coated in orange paint, but that would have meant that Rumble and his friends actually got them! How could Race's plan to break up their stupid formation fail?!
But it was true. Living up to his name, Race was the first to realize this and took to the sky above the trees, knowing that any attempted shot at him would be blocked by the branches.
"Ugh! This stuff is gross!" Reina said as she whipped some of the orange paint/soap mixture from her muzzle.
"Let's go get washed up" Reese suggested as tried to wipe the orange from his glasses, with little to no progress.
"Yeah..." Ralan commented as he followed his two siblings. He paused briefly before sneering at Rumble and his group. "You'll never beat Race! He's the best! He could take all three of us down on his own!"
"Yeah?! Well we'll just see about that!" Rumble said, narrowing his eyes at Ralan.
But the blue pegusus with now orange colored ear rings was walking away, hoping that the paint doesn't effect the ear ring's color. He thinks they were real gold, but they could have been bronze. Ralan didn't know how either metals would react with the soap and paint mixture and probably should have worn his clear plastic ones.
"Ok, guys, we need to stay on our toes!" Button said, bringing their attention back to the battle field. "Race has never been hit. He's crafty and fast. Let's go with plan Omega Delta!"
"I don't know guys..." Feather Weight said as he hung his head low. "I couldn't even get a pony when she was two feet in front of me..."
"Don't give up Feather" Rumble tried to say, patting the thin and lengthy colt on his back. "So you had a bit of a hiccup. It happens."
"Actually, it might have saved us!" Button commented, thinking about the situation.
"What do you mean?...." Feather Weight asked, looking up at the brown earth pony.
"If you hadn't made that puddle, Snips wouldn't have slipped! And if he didn't slip, he wouldn't have hit Reina!" Button started to say.
"Then we wouldn't have gotten the other two who were hiding!" Rumble concluding.
"Really?! So.... If I wasn't here..." Feather started to feel better as he began piecing everything together.
"We wouldn't have the advantage over Race we have now!" Snips added as he and Snails rejoined the group, the green paint now wiped clean from his eyes.
Just as the thin Pegasus started to feel good about himself, a fast flying balloon came out of nowhere and smacked the pony right in the face! A wave of green paint covered his entire body thanks to the force of impact. Feather hit the ground hard, not quite sure what happened to him. Thinking fast, Button Mash and Rumble dove into the bushes, leaving Snips and Snails out in the open. Snails was safe, being out already. But Snips panicked, not knowing where to go, whether to hide behind a tree or in a bush like his friends. It didn't take Race long to zoom by and toss a balloon at the chubby unicorn, soaking him green with paint and soap.
"Two losers down! Two to go!" Race commented as he took to the tree tops again. "You guys got lucky! That wont happen again! I'll take you all out my self!"
Although still hiding in the bushes, Rumble and Button Mash were able to peer through the leaves and sticks and see each other. The two friends had been pals for a long time and did many cooky things together, including coming up with their own silent hoof language. Something that up until now, had only been used to share answers in class. Button was signaling Rumble from his hiding place that he could see where Race was in a tree just off to his side. Button was signaling Rumble that he was going to hop out and try and lure Race out. When he did, Button needed Rumble to strike while they still had a chance. Rumble argued, saying Race was more likely to go after him, them being long time rivals and related. The light grey Pegasus also argued that Button's arm would be better for throwing the balloon as well. Reluctantly, the gamer pony saw his friend's logic and they both signaled for them to put the plan into action.
Jumping into a roll, Rumble popped out of the bush and caught sight of Race almost immediately. Trying his best to strike Race first, Rumble took balloon in wing and threw it with all his might. The balloon would have hit it's target, had it's target been any of Rumble's other cousins. Sad to say, this wasn't the case. Race was pushing twice his normal speed, adrenalin pumping in his veins from the threat of being outnumbered. And with ease, Race maneuvered several inches to his left and avoided the balloon completely. But as he swooped down to hit Rumble with one of his balloons, something caught his eye.
Button had hopped out of his hiding place and tossed his balloon at his sweeping opponent! Race thought fast and flipped his wings forward to push himself back with a small gust of wind. The blue pegasus with a red star cutie mark planned to flip around in mid air, avoiding Button's balloon altogether, then retreat back into the tree tops and wait for his next opening. But that wasn't going to happen.
Just as Race finished pushing out a gust to maneuver around the oncoming balloon, Rumble jumped and wrapped himself around his cousin, holding him in place as Button's balloon made contact and burst all over Race's right side! Covering the blue Pegasus in their team's color orange! The three of them just stood there for a moment, the last few moments replaying in their heads as orange paint dripped from the blue pegasus. The silence was so unnerving the sound of a pin drop could echo for miles. It wasn't until loud cheering was heard off in the distance did any of the young colts move.
Race narrowed his eyes to the hill where Rumble's 'coach' sat, only to become mortified at the sight of what must have been half of Ponyville siting with him! Most of them with binoculars or short telescopes of their own! They had been watching this whole time! And now that Race had lost, they were cheering?! CHEERING?!?!
The normally blue pegasus began to turn red as well as see it. He stopped his hoof as he flung some of the orange paint off of him before turning to his cousin, eyes full of lightning. In a sharp tone he spat "we were going easy before, playing with you losers. Now the kiddy gloves are coming off! Nopony, and I mean NOPONY, makes a fool out of me!"
He dashed off as fast as he could, using the trees to hide himself and his shame, leaving Button and Rumble there, stuck with awe at what just happened. A second after Race disappeared from their sight, Button tacked Rumble, cheering and whooping at their slight victory.
"We can do this, dude! We can do this!" Button laughed as their other team mates came into view, their bodies washed clean of any green paint.
"Yeah" Rumble pushed Button off of him, smile on his face. But the slime quickly faded as he faced his team mates. "But Race is a sore loser, and he won't let this go. He'll come at us fast and hard. We have to-"
Before the light grey Pegasus colt could finish his sentence, he was hit with a balloon filled with green paint! It had fallen from the sky, and was quickly fallowed by two or three dozen more! The paint filled water balloons were falling from the sky! Rumble had been the first to be taken out, fallowed quickly by Snips! Snails dove into a bush for safety, with his eyes peaking out. Feather Weight flew up and found safety hiding in a tree. Button jumped back into his previous hiding bush, looking around for the assailant.
The gaming pony's searching eyes quickly zoomed in on Reese who flew over was and had dumped a huge sack's worth of their paint balloons on then! Not thrown, but dumped!
"Hey! That's cheating!" Button called out from his hiding spot.
"No it isn't" Reese replied, having emptied his entire sack. "It's called 'strategy'."
"Just like hiding in a bush!" Ralan's voice rang in Button's ear. The ear ring obsessed Pegasus appeared behind Button in the bush, grabbed him from behind and lifted him up while holding him against his will. The little brown earth pony struggled, but couldn't find the strength to break free from his captor!
Button realized why he wasn't just hit with a paint filled balloon! He was being held up to watch everyone of his comrades be taken out first! The brown earth pony watched as Raina slammed a paint filled balloon in Snips's face, followed by slapping two balloons on both sides of Feather Weight's head! Reese then tripped Snails and made him fall into a bucket of their paint filled balloons. The can stuck to the lengthy and awkward unicorn's head as he ran past Reese and Race who was holding Rumble up by his back legs.
"Pull!" Race ordered, several of his team's soap and paint filled balloons in his wings.
Reese and Race at the same time tossed Rumble up into the air, where the little light grey Pegasus struggled to fly away, only to be met by his older cousin at every turn. Even after the first couple of balloons, Race continued to pummel Rumble with a seemingly endless barrage of paint balloons. It wasn't until Rumble's form couldn't even be made out any more that Race finally stopped. Rumble flopped down and lay in a giant pile of green paint, with the only thing showing were his watery eyes and a small mouth that struggled to hold back crying.
"And guess who's next?" Ralan said with a chuckle.
Race's sharpe gaze shot over to the little brown earth pony who had beaten him moments ago. "Looks like you're the last one. Ready to be humiliated?"
"Th-this isn't fair!" Button yellows out, tears at the corner of his eyes. "You aren't fallowing the rules!"
"Oh? We aren't?" Race playfully asked, acting dumb for a moment as he turned and asked his siblings who were laughing lightly. Race then approached the brown earth pony an knocked his cap off. "Let's see. What 'rules' did we break, exactly?"
"Well for starters, you went after us before we were all ready!" Button began.
"ERRRR! The rules that we all agreed on states 'once everypony had been cleaned off and ammo was prepared, the game continues'" Race said with a cocky smile. "You crybabies were all cleaned up and I know you made waaaaaay more then enough of your water balloons to last through the first round."
"You physically attacked us! We were supposed to only use paint and soap filled balloons!" Button continued, his temper pushing back his tears.
"Oh? Did you see anypony 'hit' anypony with anything 'other' then a balloon?" Race asked sarcastically. Technically, the bully was right. No pony used anything other then balloons, the were just more
aggressive then needed.
"W-what about pulling me out of the bushes?" Button stumbled a little.
"Not hitting" Race commented before turning to his brother. "Are you hurting the wittle-baby?!"
"Nope" Ralan said as he rocked Button back and forth like a new born foal. "Isn't he just previous! He's soooo fussy before nap time!"
"A-a-and why did you do that t-to Rumble?!" Button was finding it harder and harder to choke back the tears.
"Oh that?" Race said as he nonchalantly pointed to the pile of green paint that coated a teary eyes Rumble. "Let's just say that was payback for that stunt you two pulled. I'd say we're even. Buuuut I got one last thing today before this round is over and you guys go running off home to cry to your mommies!"
Button Mash watched, eyes wide with horror as Race approached him slowly, a large paint filled balloon in his hoof as his sharp eyes locked onto the brown colt. "Now I want you to listen and listen good. 'We', my brothers and sister, are the best flyers from our school. 'We' are going to be best that the Wonderbolts ever had walk through their doors. Our names will go down in history, and I don't want 'MY' name tarnished by some little, video game obsessed, loser of a nopony who got lucky in a paint balloon game! GOT IT?!"
Reina walked over, picked up Button's hat, and passed it over to Race. Race gave the brown earth pony one last cocky smile as he put the balloon in the cap then slammed it down on Buttons head! Ralan then let Button fall to the ground. Even though his hooves were free, Button didn't immediately wipe his eyes free from the green paint that blinded him.
"Let us know if you LOSERS wanna call it quits!" Race said as he began walking away, his siblings fallowing behind him, each snickering at his comment.
Time froze again, only this time, the emotion waiting for time to start again was more of dread, disrepair, and utter loss. They hall had been defeated in just a matter of moments, leaving Rumble, Button, and the rest of their friends all wondering if Race and the others had just been playing with them this whole time? The thought sunk their little hearts deeper and deeper.
"Guys..." Rumble said as he began climbing out of the pain mess he was trapped in. "I think we should just go home... Forget about this..."
"Never talk about it again..." Feather said as he continued to wipe his face clean of green paint.
"I think i need to forget this whole day..." Snips added as he started to walk away.
"Won't be too hard for me..." Snails added, walking along side his best friend.
"Well I'm finishing this!" Button Mash stomped his foot as he glared off in the direction Race and his team were heading in. Everypony stopped and stared at the little brown earth pony as a fire flickered in his eyes, powered by pure determination that only wavered for a moment. Now, now Button was ready to finish this fight.
Rumble continued to hang his head, his own inner flame was already put out. "Button... This wasn't even your fight to begin with. He's my cousin. They all are. I shouldn't have dragged you all into this."
"You didn't 'drag' us into this, Rumble" Button noted as he walked over and looked his best friend in the eye. "We wanted to join because it was fun."
"Yeah, now it's not fun" Rumble looked away from Button, unable to continue looking at him.
"You're right" Button agreed, causing everypony there to look up at him in slight confusion. "So let's make it fun again! Let's beat them and show what true friendship can do! Come on guys! We can do this!"
"Give it up, Button!" Rumble snapped, feeling frustrated with his friend's optimism.
Not wavering from his bravado, Button walked over to Feather Weight. "Feather, remember when you broke your mom's expensive vase? And we all went to her and told her it was because we were playing ball in the house so you wouldn't get all the blame?"
"Well, yeah... We even tried to glue it back together.." The thin and lengthy Pegasus admitted.
"Yeah, and it did look like something Opal spit up, but still! Your mom is scary when she's mad! But we made it through that together, right?" Button continued, urning his a small buck toothed smile from the white Pegasus.
"Yeah... And I guess it would have been a lot worse if she just lectured me alone" Feather Weight commented, remembering the scolding they all received.
"Snips and Snails!" Button called out as he ran over to the goofy duo. "Remember that time you two were asked to watch the balloon stand at the Summer wrap up festival, but the balloons got loose and carried the helium tank away?"
"Yeah..." Snips answered for both him and his lengthy buddy.
"Didn't we all chip in and help get the tank and balloons back?" Button asked, knowing full well that at least Snails would remember.
"Yeah!" Snails replied first as he jumped up and down with joy. "You guys carried a trampoline all around town, and i got to jump on it to catch the tank!"
"That was... Kinda fun, actually" Snips admitted, even though at the time he was pretty panicked.
"Right!" Button agreed then turned to Rumble who was still covered in green colored paint. "So, what do you say? Do we beat this level together? Race and his goons are a heck of a boss battle. But we can do it together."
Rumble sat there for a moment, thinking long and hard about it. The memories of all their past adventures were flashing in his mind. There were so many other times that they'd worked together to get through problems even bigger then this. With a heavy sigh, Rumble turned and faced his pals, a half smile on his face. "I'm in. So what's the plan?"
"I'm glad to hear that" Sunny said as he stepped out of the bushes. All the colts were shocked by the sudden appearance of the yellow unicorn. "What? Coach has to prep his team for the big game right?"
"Right!" Button and Ruble said together, the fire in their eyes burning strong once more.
"So Button, which of your plans were you thinking of?" Sunny asked as he passed out buckets of warm water, sponges, and dry towels.
With a very determined look, eyes filled with thunder, and a smug grin, Button Mash turned to his whole group and simply said "All of them."
"Are those losers ready yet?" Race spat as he continued to file his hoof.
"Maybe we shouldn't call them 'losers'" Ralan suggested as he looked though a pair of binoculars over at the area where Rumble and his friends were washing up and talking to their coach.
"Call's 'em as ah sees 'em" Race said as he finished filing and began stretching.
"You know, if we aren't a little nicer to them, they might not want to do this again" Reese suggested, pushing up his glasses with his hoof. "I admit, I was taken back by the last round's outcome, but still we could-"
"HEY!" Race jumped up and dashed over to Reese, his muzzle just inches from Reese's, eyes flaring like wildfire. "I wasn't the one who called a crowd to watch! I wasn't the one who pulled that stupid move to make me look stupid I front of the whole stupid town!"
Race growled and huffed as his eyes narrowed on his glasses wearing brother. After a moment of stillness, Race moved away and set his sights on Rumble and his group. "I'm going to fly over and see what's taking so long."
With a mighty burst from his wings, Race took to the skies and began to soar over to where Sunny was coaching Rumble, Button and the rest of the group. Leaving Reese and the other siblings to look at each other awkwardly, there eyes all saying the same thing, the whole situation starting to turn sour.
Flying over the forest, Race neared the location where he left Rumble and his buddies, then dropped down, wanting to make an awesome entrance, But before he even broke through the canopy, several paint filled balloons were shot at him! Maneuvering at the very last moment, Race was able to dodge the balloons and swoop back high into the sky. The blue Pegasus thought he was safe for a moment until something came hurtling at him! It was the little pudgy unicorn colt with bucked teeth! He was flying through the air with a paint balloon in his hooves and heading strait for Race himself!
Race picked up the speed and was now losing Snips, leaving him behind in his dust! As Snips began to fall towards the earth, another pony flung up into the sky! It was Snails this time! He also had a balloon and would have chucked it at Race if he wasn't laughing and enjoying the weightlessness. One after the other, the two young unicorn pals bounced up and down, tossing their paint balloons over in Race's direction. With great maneuvering skill, Race was able to dodge every one of them. Although it wasn't really that hard, Snips and Snails couldn't aim.
The blue pegasus was panicking for a moment, but began to relax once he reached his brothers and sisters. They all were surprised to see Race show up so quickly an so out of breath. When he could, Race spoke threw his intakes of breath. "They are... They are coming!... They're trying... To ambush... Us!"
"Let's get ready!" Reese called out as he grabbed a few paint balloons. Ralan and Raina were hesitant but went along with what Reese said and picked up a few balloons themselves.
As the siblings readied themselves, Seeing the two unicorns bounce up above the tree's canopy and down again, Reese couldn't help but notice something odd. "Hey... They haven't moved from their positions in a while... What if-"
"I don't care 'why'!" Race snapped. "Just take them down!"
"With pleasure!" A younger voice called out from behind Race and his siblings. As they all turned around, Button, Rumble and Feather Weight appeared and began tossing their team's balloons at the blue colored pegusi! Panicking, Ralan and Reina dropped their balloons and began dodging balloons instead! Ralan was the first to get hit in the chest, quickly fallowed by Reina after she dodged several balloons only to be smacked by one in the face!
"Let's get out of here!" Reese suggested to his brother.
"No, ya think?!" Race snapped as he and his brother flew out of the area, and deeper into the forest.
The remaining blue pegusi skimmed all along the ground, carrying just two balloons each, which wouldn't be enough to beat them unless they hit two at once. Race realized this and guessed that the best way to do that would be to hit the two losers that were bouncing up and down. "That was probably just a distraction! Let's take out those two!"
"Roger that" Reese said, deciding to go along with Race's plan.
The blue pegasus with the bright red star cutie mark then lead his second in command over to where the two unicorn colts had been bouncing around the trees only to find an empty trampoline. The two brothers stood there, confused for a moment until they heard a twig snap. Race reacted first, turning around suddenly to see the two unicorns swinging in from the trees on vines, each of them with at least five balloons hanging in their arms!
Reese calculates it out in his head that the best option was for them to dash underneath the trampoline then wait until the swing of the vines reaches its height, then make a B line right back to their camp. But before he could tell his 'leader' the plan, Race ducked behind Reese and held him in place, making his brother into a living shield. Having his legs locked up by Race, Reese could only stand in place and get pummeled by balloon after balloon. Once the balloons stopped, Race popped out from behind his now orange brother and quickly shot Snips and Snails with his own paint balloons!
The two unicorns then fell from their respective vines only to land safely in the trampoline as begin bouncing on it again, only this time for fun. As Snips and Snails played, Race turned to Reese. "I'll beat these guys and avenge us! Go and get cleansed up with the others. I will not let them beat me again!"
After watching Race zoom off into the air, Reese released a held breath. He was feeling uptight about the whole thing and would love to just go home and relax in a nice warm bath.
"Hey" Snips called out as he bounced up and down. "Wanna join us?"
"It's tons of fun!" Snails commented as he did a flip.
Reese watched the two for a moment, witnessing the large amount of 'fun' they were having and shrugged. "Sure. Why not."
The blue pegasus then removed his glasses, placing them safely off to the side, then joined Snips and Snails on their trampoline. As he began to bounce with them, Reese found he began to relax. His stressed muscles and head ache began to just drift away.
"You're brother's a bit uptight" Snails bluntly said.
"Tell me about it..." Reese smiled as he mimicked Snails in doing a flip, thinking he needed to get himself one of these.
Flying through the woods, dodging tree after tree, Race quickly made his way to the place where he and his other team members stored their paint balloons. He kept his two remaining ones on him, having used Reese's balloons to take down those two swinging losers. When he neared his destination, he paused to look around. Not wanting to fall right into a trap, and quickly found out he was smart to do so.
Not three feet from their pile of paint and soap filled balloons was a small trip wire. Race's eyes followed the wire all the way up the side of a tree and into the tree tops. 'These losers are getting smart. But not smarter then me.'
Race climbed up the side of another tree all the way to the tree tops, being as quiet and subtle as he could be. When he reached the top, Race peered through the various branches out over to where the wire fed into. Feather Weight had the other end of the string tied to his back leg, waiting for when he felt a tug on the string. When he did, Feather would know Race was beneath him and to drop his balloons. Race smiled to himself as he climbed quietly down the tree and crawled over to the tree that Feather was hiding in. Race paused for a moment to look around, incase this was a trap within a trap. But as far as he could tell, it was just that loser up in a tree.
With one good tug, Rave pulled Feather out of the tree and into a bush at its base. Waiting only for a moment for the scrawny pegasus colt to emerge, Race then smacked a paint balloon over Feather's head. The bucked tooth Pegasus was now coated in green paint and soap.
"Three down, two ta go!" Race chuckled to himself.
Just as the victorious Pegasus made his way over to his pile of paint balloons, They all began popping! Race could only watch in horror as every one of the balloons began popping and releasing their contents, soaking the ground in green paint! Before Race could ask what the buck just happened, a few small porcupines rolled out of the pile and began playing in the paint and soap solution.
Growling and stomping his hoof as he called out "that's a cheep trick to win, Rumble! I am so going to enjoy taking you and your loser best friend down!"
"Ugh, R-race..." Feather mumbles out lightly. "Rumble and B-Button Mash are both up the way at the clearing. They wanted me to tell you if-"
"Why should I I believe you?" Race snapped. "It's probably another trap."
"R-Rumble insisted that he and Button take you on w-with out tricks or traps." Feather said as he a stepped back further from the furious blue pegasus.
Thinking for a moment, a smirk cracked on Race's face. "Well, if what you say is true, then you wouldn't mind coming along for the ride, would you?!"
Before Feather could answer, Race grabbed him and began flying over the the clearing. He knew where Rumble meant, it was an area they started out using for this when they began these paint balloon training games. Fitting that Race should take Rumble and his stupid friend down there. It didn't take the blue Pegasus long to reach it. Rumble and Button were there waiting, each with one balloon each. Their gazes hardened as Race and Feather came into view.
"Too afraid to come alone?" Button snapped at Race before Rumble.
Race plopped Feather down on the ground, then landed as masculine as he could on one back hoof with one front hoof punching the ground. "Well if you two would play fair, I wouldn't need to grab insurance."
"We played fair" Rumble smirked. "After all 'what rules did we break'?"
"Trampolines, vines, and trick wires are all fair game as long as we don't use them to restrict 'your' movement like tying you up." Button spoke confidently.
"And don't forget, you said as long as we waited until you and your team were clean of paint, we had the 'go ahead'" Rumble added, his smirk still present.
"But you two used hedgehogs to pop all of our balloons!" Race snapped. "That's a direct violation of the rules! You aren't allowed to tamper with the ammo!"
Rumble and Button turned to each other, slightly confused by what Race just accused them of. Luckily, Feather weight was there to clarify.
"Actually, If you go back and look, you'll see Race and the others put their balloons near a hedgehog burrow" Feather began to clarify. "I was watching them while I was waiting. I wanted to shoo them away, but I couldn't leave my position. It looked like they all enjoyed popping the balloons and playing with the paint inside."
"What?! You're lying!" Race snapped. "We wouldn't be so careless to put out ammo near a hedgehog's burro!"
"Regardless" Rumble said as he pulled out another balloon from behind him. "We got you a spare. We want to end this now."
Race shrugged and pushed feather off to the side. "Fine by me."
"It's us two, with one balloon each..." Button began to say as Rumble walked over to Race to give him his second balloon.
"Against you with your two balloons. Sounds fair, right?" Rumble said as he handed Race the balloon he saved for him.
Race smiled as he took the balloon from his younger cousin, only for the seemingly innocent smile to crack and become twisted. Race snagged up the balloon from Rumble and smashed it on his head!
"Sounded nice in theory!" Race commented. "But this is war! And all's fair in love and war!"
"Why you!" Button was beside himself as he quickly ran up to the bully and tossed with all his might his last balloon.
Race didn't have enough time to move out of the way, the balloon was too close! Thinking quickly, he grabbed not only Rumble, but Feather as well! He pushed them together in front of him to make a colt shield. Button's balloon impacted between them, spattering on both of his team mates. Race knew his victory was in the bag! But as he began to drop his shield and plan for an attack of his own, he caught sight of Button Mash with a second balloon!
When Race had grabbed Rumble and Feather to use as a shield, Rumble took the opportunity to gently toss Button his own balloon, knowing his best friend would have a second shot. And now hurdling in the air was Button Mash with an orange paint filled balloon with Race's name on it. In one final attempt to win, Race used one wing to smack Button's hoof out of the way while his other wing passed his remaining balloon into his hoof, and from there, Race chucked it as hard as he could at Button Mash!
Race's paint balloon hit it's target, covering Button Mash completely in green paint! Button Mash fell to his hooves, the impact of the over all defeat overshadowing the sting of the balloon. Button, Rumble, Feather and Race were all soon joined by Race's siblings, Snips and Snails. They were all slightly taken back by the sight of both Button and Rumble being coated in green paint and Race breaking down into a victory dance.
"I win! I win! Ha! Wonderbolts here i come! Ha ha!" Race cheered, ignoring his cousin walking over to his group of friends.
"Come on guys, let's head back to my place" Button suggested, a half smile on his face. "My mom said it's pizza night. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you all came by."
"You sure that's ok?" Snips asked, not wanting to impose.
"I'm sure she already planned for us to come by" Rumble chuckled. "Think it's a mom thing. She did that last time too."
"Your mom's really nice" Snails commented, his mouth drooling at the thought of pizza.
Reese, Reina, and Ralan turned their gaze from the victory dancing Race to Rumble and his friends walking away, then back to Race. They all took a deep breath, feeling the time had come to talk to Race.
"Hey Race, we need to talk..." Reese began to say, adjusting his glasses once more.
"Talk about how awesome seeing the Wonderbolts is going to be! I know! I can't wait either! Maybe they'll even ask us to join them back stage!" Race finished up his victory dance.
"No, we, ugh...." Ralan struggled to find the words.
"We want to quit doing these games" Reese plainly spat out, his voice and muzzle completely deadpan.
"Wait, what?!" Race's own muzzle did a 180 from a victorious grin to a horrified frown. "B-but what about becoming Wonderbolts?! What about the team?! We need to practice with these games to keep our edge! We were going to be the perfect team!!!"
"What 'team' are you even thinking about Race?" Reina finally spoke up, annoyance heavy in her own tone.
"Every time we do this, you just use us to win. Either as a distraction, a scout, or as a shield when you don't want to get hit" Reese explained, adding emphasis on the 'shield' part.
"But-but all hard work! The training sessions! We all were going to attend the academy together!" Race continued, his voice sounding more desperate and hysteric.
"You can't work as a 'team', Race" Ralan added, feeling like he can speak his mind. "With you its a one horse show, and we're just expendable."
"We wanted to see if you changed during this last match, to see if you could lighten up and see it's just a fun game" Reese continued.
"But you blew your top worse then ever before" Reina added. "So we're done. We're done with the early morning sessions, we're done with the drills, and we're defiantly done with these paint balloon games and taking orders from you."
Race stood there, pupils shrunk to the size of pin heads and jaw dropped as he started at all his siblings. He felt like he was about to cry, but he refused to do so. Crying showed weakness. Weakness wouldn't get you into the Wonderbolts. He refused to be weak.
"Fine! Whatever! Who needs you!" Race snapped, practically spitting on his siblings. "After all I did for you, you're just going to toss my dreams aside?! Who need you! I can find flyers ten times better then you to be on my team! You all were just slowing me down!"
Reese, Reina, and Ralan weren't surprised by Race's reaction, but it was quiet for a moment until Reese spoke up. "Well, I wish you the best of luck with that."
Reese then began to leave, Reina following behind. The last to leave a was Ralan, who looked at Race for a moment, hesitated, but ultimately decided to leave with his other brother and sister. Race stood there, his chest rising and falling heavily as his red vision began to revert back to normal, then began to flood. As tears began to gather in his eyes, the blue pegusus heard a twig snap. His head jerked up to see Rumble's coach standing there, the Wonderbolt's tickets in his mouth.
"Well you won" The yellow unicorn said, his face showing no displeasure nor joy. The most neutral face Race had ever seen. "These are yours. Hope you and your team enjoy the show."
"I don't have a team..." Race spat out as he turned away from the tickets that were placed before him. "Not any more..."
"Oh? What happened?" Sunny asked, stepping closer to the blue Pegasus.
"That abandoned me!" Race snapped again. "After everything I did for them! I trained them harder then anything, researched and studied for them to make us a winning team! We could have been the ultimate team! We could have... Been the ultimate... Ultimate team..."
"Race" Sunny began to approach the young blue pegasus. "I watched everything that happened, and I didn't mean to ease drop, but I also caught what your siblings had to say. And they are right, you aren't a team player."
"Great! Race will go down in history as the worst Wonderbolt because he can't play well with others!" Race began shouting again before turning to glare at Sunny. "Is that all you wanted to say? You wanted to kick me more when I'm down?!"
"Let me put it to you this way" Sunny remained calm as he began to weave a story. "There was a Wonderbolt's cadet by the name of Lightning Dust. She was as fast as Rainbow Dash, and even way more determined to be the best. She pushed herself and her team mate harder and harder. But she didn't know when to stop. And she didn't want to slow down for others, and only saw them as obstacles getting in her way.
"Well, during one of her training sessions, she created a tornado that almost hurt a lot of ponies. All because she thought she was the best and that being the best and the fastest was all that mattered. Think back to all that training, to the games too. Does that seem anything at all like what you were doing?" Sunny concluded his story, hoping Race would see the error of his ways.
"No! I'm nothing like that! I work hard for what I want! I pushed them because I knew they could be the best!" Race snapped again without even taking in what Sunny had said.
"Ok, ok" Sunny calmly replied, putting his hooves up. "Guess I'm wrong, and you have every right to be upset at your siblings. You've done nothing wrong. Well, I'll take my leave. Think Reese and the others will be at Sugar Cube Corner after a good shower to get the rest of the paint off if you want to join them."
"Why would I want to join those traitors?!" Race hissed at Sunny, barring his teeth.
Sunny said no more, believing anything else said to the young colt would just fuel the fire. Leaving Race behind with his fiery temper and thoughts, Sunny planned to go to Sugar Cube Corner himself for another protein shake. Race watched as the yellow unicorn vanished from sight, leaving him truly alone. Left with nothing more then the Wonderbolt's tickets and his own thoughts, Race began to go over the games again. Not thinking he did anything wrong, no no no no no. Just... Maybe playing it back to get a better idea of how to improve his already near perfect moves.
Race began to think about his perfectly executed throws, his flawless aim, and his ability to dodge any attack... Almost any attack... Almost any... It was then that Race began to think about those closest calls. The times where he had to duck into a bush, or up a tree, or... Or the times he's ducked behind one of his team mates.... Or pushed them in front to take the hit for him... Or... Or maybe he held them there to take the hit. And not just his own team mates, but Rumble's friends as well...
"What have I done?..." Race asked himself, now with images of his cold and selfish actions playing in his head. He first saw his most recent memories of how he acted today, how he treated not only his cousin Rumble his teammates, but also his own siblings. Race could see now how he yelled at Reese, Reina, and Ralan in frustration, how he threw them I front of him when he needed a shield, how he ordered them around and gave little thought to how they felt. Then Rumble's image came to mind.
Rumble and his friends stood strong against Race and his siblings today, with their heads up high and a crowd cheering behind them. Not only that, but they witnessed their first victory against Race and his team. The blue Pegasus with a red star cutie mark was humiliated twice as bad because of the viewing crowd. He could hear their cheering even now... Maybe that's what made him mad. Not just the humiliation that came from the viewing crowd, but also envy. How? How did Rumble urn a crowd in this one horse town, when Race and his team could hardly get passbyers to stop and admire them when they practiced back in Cloudsdale. What made Rumble so special?! What made... Rumble...
A flashing image of Race's younger Cousin flooded the blue colt's mind. He could see Rumble and his friends working together, one working off of the other. When they worked together, everything just seemed to flow, even though they weren't all pegusi. A mixed up team of two unicorns who didn't use magic, two pegusi who couldn't fly, and a mouthy earth pony beat his team of four pegusi who practiced all the time to be the best. How?! How did Rumble do it? Race's mind began to slow down again as an image of his cousin came to mind.
Race saw his little cousin being bombarded by paint balloon after paint balloon until the little filly was left in a giant pile of green paint. How couldn't Race see it before, see that his own cousin laying in a pile of green slush, crying.
"Rumble..." Race spoke under his breath, suddenly realizing just what he had done. He had been so preoccupied with being the best, that he not only did he believe the ends justified the means to get there, but he lost control of himself.
The tears that he had held back for quite a while now had burst through and now soaked the plus pegasus's face before falling to the ground. After several long moments of regret, the colt looked around, saw the Wonderbolt's tickets, snagged them up and took off into town. As Race flew over the treetops into town, a certain yellow unicorn caught sight of him. Seeing the tears in the colt's eyes brought a small smile to Sunny's face. He knew now that Race saw where he went wrong, and was rushing off to make it right.
Flying as fast as he could into town, Race looked all around for Rumble, but had no idea where his friend lived. He knew he needed to apologize to his siblings as well, but Race knew that he hurt Rumble the most. The blue Pegasus was forced to go by and ask ponies he didn't even know, with tear filled eyes, if somepony had seen his cousin Rumble. Sad to say, no pony knew, but wished Race the best of luck in finding him. After half an hour or so of looking, Race took a break underneath a tree. He couldn't stop the flow of tears, and didn't want anypony else to see what a big crybaby he was. Race was so caught up in not knowing how to find Rumble and his friends to apologize, that he didn't even notice the three familiar ponies approach him.
"Race? Is that you?" Ralan asked, concern thick in his voice as his worried eyes fell upon his brother.
Race looked up, his eyes red and puffy from all the crying. He wanted to apologize to Rumble and his friends first before his own siblings, but he guessed that this would be the best time to do so. If they leave him behind to go home or anything, he would rather have already gotten this off of his chest.
"H-hey guys..." Race began, his voice really shaky.
"What are you doing out here?" Reina asked, her voice slightly softer then earlier.
For a moment Race didn't answer, feeling a new wave of tears building up, ready to burst. But he was tired of holding back the tears, tired of trying so hard to be strong. He just wanted his brothers and sisters back! "I'M SO SORRY! I'm so sorry for the way I treated you guys! I was a giant jerk! I know you said you don't want to be in my team anymore, but... But... I don't want to lose you and my brothers and sister!"
Reese, Reina and Ralan all looked at each other, appearing slightly confused, before nodding with identical smiles and moving all around Race for a group hug. Race's tears froze for a moment, the blue Pegasus with a red star cutie mark didn't know what to do or say.
"We may not want to play your stupid paint balloon games, Race" Reina said, holding her brother tight.
"But we'll never stop being your family" Reese added, his glasses drooping slightly, but he ignored pushing them up to continue hugging his brother.
"You're stuck with us for life!" Ralan finished it up.
Race didn't know what else to do but hold them all as tight as he could, tears flowing once more, but this time, the tears were ones of joy. He felt like a great weight had been lifted off of him. Race really cared about his siblings, and never ever wanted to lose them again. But something else popped into the colt's mind.
"Guys! I need to find Rumble!" Race said, reluctantly breaking up the group hug. "I... I need to tell him and his friends that I'm sorry too... I was really mean to him..."
Reese approached his brother, put a hoof on his shoulder then pushed up his glasses once more. "We'll help you find him."
"Y-you will?" Race felt like he was glowing in the inside. "B-but I have no idea where to look! I asked everypony in town!"
"We'll find him" Ralan said with confidence, shooting Race a smile.
"Eighteen eyes are better then two!" Reina commented with a cocky smile.
A small smile appeared on Race's face as one more tear fell from his eye. Wiping his eyes clear, Race faced his siblings with a new sense of bravado. "Alright guys, let's find our cousin. Together."
Reese, Reina, Ralan and Race all put their hooves together and cheered before shooting off in different directions, covering all 4 corners of Ponyville. All four of the siblings did their best going from house to house, looking for any sight of Rumble and his friends. They would stop ponies on the street and ask if they had seen Rumble or any of his friends. Race searched for maybe another ten minute before Reina found him leaving Sugar Cube Corner.
"We found him! We found him!" Reina said with a grin.
Race fallowed her half way through town, running into Reese and Ralan along the way. All together, Race and his siblings approached a small average looking house where Rumble and his friends were supposedly having a movie night, complete with popcorn, pizza, soda and tuns of candy. They landed about ten yards from the front door. Up until then, Race was so sure of what he was going to say to his cousin and his friends. But now that he was faced with it, the blue pegasus wasn't sure he could speak those words. Race looked back to his siblings, and was quickly reminded just what he wanted to say. With a deep breath, the blue colt approached the house and knocked on the front door.
"Coming" a mare's gentle voice spoke out in a motherly tone. Moments later a cream colored mare with a light brown mane wearing an apron opened the door. She smiled down at race when she saw him. "Hello. Can I help you?"
"Ugh, is Rumble inside?" Race asked, feeling a bit embarrassed and ashamed.
"Are you one of his friends?" The mare asked.
But before Race could answer, Button walked up to his mother, not noticing Race at first. "Hey mom, is the pizza ready-" just then, the brown earth pony turned and saw Race. The hairs on the back of the blue pegasus's neck stood on end. "What do you want?"
"Button! That is no way to talk to a guest!" The mare glared lightly at her son.
"I-it's alright ma'am" Race said, speaking up before turning to Button. "Can I speak to my cousin?... Please?"
If Race didn't use the 'P' word, Button would have turned him away. But the gamer pony looked twice at Race, finding it almost hard to believe this was the same colt who they took on earlier. He looked... Different. Broken kind of, but... In a good way? If that makes sense. "Yeah, I'll go get him... Wait here..."
Button disappeared for a moment, meanwhile his mom asked if Race or any of his siblings would like a snack or a drink, to which, Race and the rest politely said no. She was about to offer them to come inside, but Rumble popped up in just that moment.
"What do you want Race?" Rumble asked, his eyes half narrowed at his older cousin.
"Rumble, I... I, er..." Race took a deep breath and exhaled. "I just wanted to say... That I'm sorry."
"That doesn't make things right" Rumble flatly told his cousin, Button Mash, Feather Weight, Snips, and Snails appearing behind him. "You were a jerk. You were mean to my friends too, not just me. And this wasn't the first time you did this either. You always do this. It's just this time was the worst."
"Yeah... I know..." Race said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I only wanted to be the best Wonderbolt I could be... Because... I want what you got..."
This threw Rumble through a loop. "What do you mean?"
"I saw how well you and your friends worked together, I don't even know if you guys even run training sessions, but you all seemed to build off of each other! You even beat us!" Race took a moment to calm himself down, then cleared his throat again. "I just.... I wanted that for me, Reese, Reina and Ralan. I wanted us to be that close. But I started only thinking of myself and pushed everypony so hard that the fun in all of it was gone.
"I thought if we all worked hard to become Wonderbolts, that we would be even closer then normal siblings. I wanted to be a Wonderbolt anyway, so I pushed myself to try and be the best. It took me until just a little bit ago to realize that I was doing just the opposite. I wasn't only pushing my brothers and sister away from me, I was pushing everypony away." Race paused to catch his breath.
"Being close doesn't mean you have to know everything about the other pony" Button stepped forward. "It means you like hanging out with them."
"And you like getting to know them and like learning more about them" Feather Weight spoke up, making a smile with his buckteeth.
"And showing them who you are" Snips spoke up before chuckling lightly.
"And wanting to have fun with them" Snailes added. "Like jumping on a giant trampoline together!"
Race looked at all of Rumbles friends, then once again as his own siblings as if for reassurance before finally asking those questions he buried deep, deep down inside. "So... Do you forgive me for being such a jerk? And, well... Can we be friends?"
Rumble thought about it for a moment before calling a huddle. Button, Rumble and the rest huddled around in a circle where only mumbling could be heard. Race's heart began to beat faster as he became more nervous of what their answer would be. After a short intervention, Rumble broke the group and, each one of them turning to face Race and his siblings as he was the soul one to approach his cousin.
"After a brief meeting, and discussing everything that went on, my friends and I have decided...." Rumble's eyes narrowed on his cousin, watching the bullets of sweat race down from his forehead. "We have decided... to forgive you."
Race jumped up in a celebratory cheer as he was quickly tackled by Reese, Reina, and Ralan. They all gave him pats and congratulatory punches on his shoulders.
"Hey!" Button called out to Race and his siblings, collecting their attention. "When you guys are done messing around, come on in. There's a ton of pizza, and we're about to start the monster pony movie marathon."
Not needing to be asked twice, Race and his group all filed in, excited by desperately trying to be polite at the same time. A little down the way, just within ear shot, a certain yellow stallion stood against a house watching everything unfold. His Apple family Stetson had hung over his eyes and most of his muzzle. Partly because it made him look cool, but mostly because he didn't need to see what was going on or want anypony to see him there. Sunny smiled as he lifted his Stetson back to its upright position atop his head and looked over at Button Mash's house. Even from where he stood, Sunny could hear all the fun the young colts and one mare were having.
"Well, m'ah work here is done" with that being said, the unicorn with a solar eclipse cutie mark made his way from town, heading back to the apple farm, more then ready for a good long night sleep.
"Are we almost there?" Midnight Blossom complained as she pressed forward, trying her best to maneuver around the various branches near the road of the Everfree Forest.
"We should be getting close, according to Princess Twilight's directions." Cloud Skipper answered while looking at a map, but looked back at his fellow guard and chuckled "don't you think this place would be perfect for a summer home?"
After pushing a thick branch out of her way, Midnight Blossom turned around and glared at her companion, "don't tell jokes, Cloud. You're not good at it."
"Look!" Cloud Skipper called out as he flew between several branches into a clearing where a certain tree hut stood with exotic tribal masks decorating the outside. "The zebra shaman's home!"
"Good" the bat pony guard spat as she untangled herself from some vines, half tripped and ran into Cloud Skipper. After regaining her balance, Midnight cleared her throat and proceeded towards the hut. "Are we sure this 'Zecora' will just give us the amulet?"
"We have letters both from Princess Luna and Princess Twilight giving us permission to take the amulet into custody, as well as warning of..." Cloud Skipper stopped his sentence short as he stood before Zecora's front door.
Midnight's foul mood had disappeared when the words rang in her own head, the words that Cloud couldn't speak. That name. The name of a monster. It was so close to their old friend that it hurt to dwell on it. It was part of the reason Alister had his name changed. The bat pony shook herself and nudged the white Pegasus she cared for. "Warning her of possible danger."
"R-right" Cloud said, forcing a smile, but the smile quickly faded as he refocused himself and knocked on the front door.
To both of their surprise, the door wasn't only unlocked, but after the first initial knock, the door creaked open. Both of the flying royal guards turned and shot each other a concerned look, but shook off their uneasy feelings and pressed forward with caution. The entire hut was still and silent, with the thick scent of dust lingering in the air. There weren't many rooms to look through, but the two ponies never let their guard down, something didn't feel right.
As Midnight cracked open a closet full of potion ingredients in jars, bottles and beakers, an oddly placed box caught the bat pony's eye. She had remembered Twilight telling Cloud and her that Zecora put the amulet in a box and planed to hide it in the Everfree. Flipping open the box, Midnight's held breath began to relax as she gazed upon the item they had been searching to recover.
"Hey Cloud, I found it!" Midnight called out to her cohort as she carefully wrapped the corrupting magical item in a special cloth, woven to suppress magical powers. The bat pony happily trotted into the other room where Cloud had been searching. "Looks like we can relax a bit."
"I don't think so..." Cloud Skipper muttered, horror coating his voice as he stared at a figure in the dark. "I think we need to report to princess Twilight right away..."
Taking a few steps closer to Cloud Skipper, Midnight's nocturnal sight kicked in, and almost immediately she saw what had frightened her comrade. Standing before them both was Zecora, standing in what looked like a meditation position. Only, her breathing and heart rate was so low that she at first appeared to be a statue. Midnight had to stare at the zebra for over three minutes before she caught sight of a single breath. "What... What's the matter with her? Is she ok?"
"I don't think so..." Cloud Skipper said as he pointed to the message carved out I front of the figure.
'HELP ME' was carved by bare hoof into the floor board of the hut in front of a meditating Zecora. Although the zebra was in no physical danger as of yet, spider webs and plants had begun to grow on and around her, making her appear to be a living statue.
"Should we move her?" Midnight asked as she stepped closer to the zebra shaman.
"I think it would be best to bring princess Twilight here." Cloud Skipper suggested, contemplating the situation very cautiously. "If we move her it might do more harm then good. Princess Twilight might know how to help."
"But we need to get this back to princess Luna before...." Midnight paused and swallowed her nervous fear. "Before something bad happens."
"I'll take the amulet back to Canterlot" Cloud suggested. "I'm faster during the day. You need to go to Twilight's castle and let her know what's going on."
"No way" Midnight Blossom put her hoof down. "If something happens, if you get ambushed or something, you aren't as good at fighting as I am. I'm stronger and more dynamic and hoof to hoof combat."
"I agree you are," Cloud Skipper admitted. "But I'm twice as fast as you during the day. And right now, time is of the essence. Who knows how long miss Zecora has been like this."
Midnight didn't know what more to say, Cloud was right. She sighed heavily then glared at him, her cheeks turning slightly red. "Promise me you'll go strait to the castle! No side quests or anything!"
"I won't even stop to help a little old mare cross the street" Cloud said as he packed the wrapped up amulet in his bag.
"Because she could be a changeling in disguise!" Midnight continued, her hard glare melting slightly. "They could disguise as foals or pretty young mares too!"
"I promise" Cloud said as he took a step closer to Midnight, then put his hooves around her and pulled her into a hug. He paused for a moment to help her relax before whispering in her ear "I won't let anything stop me from completing my mission. And as soon as I'm done, I'll come back to you."
"Promise?" The bat pony's voice was now frail and timid, her heart heavy with worry.
"I promise" the white Pegasus repeated himself before kissing the bat pony in her head.
Immediately after breaking the hug, Cloud Skipped took off, taking to the skies with all his might, going as fast as his wings could carry him. Midnight was about to do the same, only heading towards the castle on the edge of Ponyville, but paused for a moment. She considered the position the zebra was in, and wanted to take a little extra caution. The bat pony took a few sticks, leaves and a mask and made a make shift scare crow. Placing it firmly in front of the only door to the hut, Midnight took one final look at the place before deciding it was good enough until she made it back with Princess Twilight. And like that, she was off!
Little did Midnight Blossom know that she had been watched by two pairs of glowing green eyes. Eyes that now sat heavily on the scare crow at Zecora's front door. After some random clicking, like wood smacking together, leaves ruffles and two pony shaped figures stepped out of the bushes.
-Iron Lock Maximum Security Prison-
"Next!" Snowstorm called from his desk as another prison guard left his office.
The guard that just left had a harder gaze on then when he first entered, almost as if he was seeing all red. The first guard said nothing as the next guard entered the warden's office for his evaluation. But the second guard found it odd, Snowstorm had just done his evaluations, for the quarter, last week. Why would they need to do them again? But the guard's job wasn't to think about the orders. His job was to follow them. And that was what he planned to do.
As he stepped into Snowstorm's office, he stood at attention across the large work desk from his commanding officer. When Snowstorm was done reviewing some papers, he looked up at the guard and cleared his throat. "Please, have a seat. And lock the door behind you, I don't like interruptions during our sessions."
Just as the guard was about to lock the shut door, something kicked it open, slamming the door right in the guards face!
"What up cap!" A slick and sharp voice called out, although the guard couldn't see the face to the pony it belonged to immediately. "We picked up your little toy, it's right here! Safe and sound!"
"Grrrrrrrr" a second pony stepped in after he first loud and obnoxious one. The second must have been big and strong, hoof stepped seemed to rattle the floor boards beneath them.
"Cynical! What have I told you about barging in here while I'm working?!" Snowstorm snapped, anger and annoyance present in his tone.
"Relax, I just wanted to know if I can take our new toy down to old Charming and play for a bit!" The one called 'Cynical' answered.
A terrifying thought popped into the guard's mind, for there was only one pony he had ever met in his life with the name of 'Cynical'. A demented pony locked deep down below in darkest part of the prison. The fearful thought became real when the guard stuck his head around the corner and saw the only two prisoners from cell block G standing there in Snowstorm's office, talking like old chums with the warden! The guard continued to watch in horror as the conversation transpired.
"I told you already!" Snowstorm snapped again, sounding more and more frustrated by the minute. "Go down there and make him wear it. If he puts up a fight, get creative. He can't do much anyway without magic."
"Grrrrr" Salted Carmel commented as he stepped forward, eyes narrowing on Snowstorm.
"Yes yes, I know. I have some of my best flyers searching right now" Snowstorm sounded annoyed as he got up and out of his chair. "She will be found, trust me. Now both of you, get down to cell block G. Do what needs to be done."
"Ha! Now you're starting to sound just like Ol'Charming himself!" Cynical chuckled as he walked out of Snowstorm's office, Salted following behind him.
The prison guard was shocked to see those two convicts walking around freely, knowing full well how dangerous they both were. But before the guard could get up and sound any alarm, he was met face to face with Snowstorm. The unicorn guard's eyes were both glowing bright red and a sickly green as purple flames began to grow from their corners. A smile broke across his face as he gazed Into the guard's own terrified eyes.
"I'm afraid you've seen too much" Snowstorm admired, flashing a toothy grin. "But that's ok. I was about to force you into servitude anyway."
Before the guard could get up fight, a bright flashing light made of reds and greens filed the air. The lights flashed through the windows of Snowstorm's office, making the guard on the other side of the door very, very nervous. The guard waiting just outside Snowstorm's office had been called for his evaluation, but was a little concerned since his quarterly evaluation was just last week. A moment after the flashing red and green lights stopped, another guard opened the office door and walked out.
"Please come in" the guard heard Snowstorm call out. "And please, shut the door behind you."
-Cell block G-
'Is this irony or poetic justice?' Alister found himself wondering as he dangled from the wall, his front hooves chaining him to the cell that Cynical once called home.
All around him were broken pieces of board games and toys. All Cynical received out of pity from the princesses. Although the Pegasus was deranged and very, very dangerous, the only reason he was sent to a prison and not a mental hospital was the severity of his aggression. His medical condition was more or less the result of a horrible twist of fate. In a sense, Cynical's life is a tragedy.
"Wakie! Wakie!" Cynical's voice echoed off the cement walls again. Only this time, Alister knew it wasn't just 'him' playing with his emotions. It was the real Cynical's twisted voice. The grey pegusus with black and yellow eyes appeared outside his former cell, a mad grin plastered over his face. "Hey buddy! Guess what?! I got a new toy for us to play with!"
Alister did his best to ignore the taunts, but something deep inside began to stir. The voice, 'His' voice, was getting louder. Almost like the dormant beast was waking up.
"But first! Let's play a game!" Cynical said as he walked into the cell, knowing that Snowstorm's spell was still in effect, tiny black crystal's on Alister's horn showed that his magic was still being suppressed.
"Let's see... Red rover?" Cynical began pacing as he kicked his broken toys and games aside. "No, not enough ponies to play. Oh! How about 'red light, green light'!... No, no. You'll just never say green light... Ah! That's it! You like thinking games! I know you do!"
The twisted grey pegasus swept clear a large area of the ground and grabbed a piece of chalk. He giggled to himself as he drew the stage where the pony would be hung, pausing only for a moment to think of the word or phrase to use, then chuckled to himself when he cleverly came up with it. Alister watched and began thinking of what it could be. Not that he intended on playing, but it was something to occupy his mind.
"Done! Ok, it's a five letter word followed by a six letter word!" Cynical said with glee as he hopped up and moved over to Alister, who's face was a prime example of deadpan. "No buying vowels! No hints! And no phoning a friend!"
"And what in Celestia's golden sun makes you think I'm going to play with a twisted individual like you?" Alister snapped, his voice sounding weak from hunger and exhaustion.
"Well, I guess if you don't want to play, we could just go to the end game..." Cynical mimicked a disappointed child as he reached underneath his wing and pulled out a small item wrapped in silver and brown cloth.
Alister's heart rate quickened as 'his' voice grew louder, the sick maniacal laughter echoing inside the grey unicorn's head. Frightening images began flooding back into view from deep within Alister's subconscious. "No! NO! NO! Anything but that!"
"Then I guess you'll play?" Cynical's smile returned as he hid the cloth covered item underneath his wing once more. "If you win, I'll let you go. But if you lose, you get the silver metal! Ha! Or should I say, silver, grey, and red metal!"
"How do I know you'll let me go?" Alister narrowed his eyes on the deviant Pegasus, partly to show his distrust of the fiend, but mainly due to his growing head ache.
"If I let you go, it will be more fun for me!" Cynical admitted, his thoughts reeling of the possible fun he could have with Alister trying to escape the prison. "So, what do you say? Wanna play with me?"
Looking upon Cynical Storm's face, brought his case file to Alister's mind. It was in itself a nightmare, far too dark for anypony to ever read. He was amazed the princesses could have covered it up. But none the less, Alister had no pity for this monster of a pony. Gazing into his black and yellow eyes, one saw into his very core. This was a beast in pony form, no humanity was left. With a heavy sigh, Alister nodded in agreement. "I'll play your game..."
"Yeah! A new playmate! I hope I don't break this one! Ok! Guess a letter! You only have seven tries! One for each leg, one for the head and neck, one for the body and finally the wonderful face you'll make when you lose!" Cynical chuckled as he picked up the chalk with his free wing. "Ok! Guess a letter!"
Thinking about the game, Alister began running through the leters he memorized as a kid when he would play with his sister. She never knew how he was so good at it, but his secret was obvious. There were certain letters that most words had, not even all of them vowels. He just had to pick those five letters and the message should be clear; S,T,R, O, and N.
"Ok, ugh... 'S'?" Alister chose the first letter, not knowing weather it would be right or not.
Cynical took his chalk and wrote the letter on the side, then wrote it as the first letter of the first word. "Lucky guess. I wonder if you'll win you're freedom... Or 'his' freedom!"
"What do you know about 'him'!?" Alister snapped, tone growing as his anger began to boil over.
"I know the whole thing 'Charming'! You don't mind if I call you that, do you? I don't much care for your new name. 'Alister', sounds like a boring RPG name! Anywho! Back to the game! Unless you want to give up!"
Alister calmed himself down to call out another letter through his teeth. "'T'."
Cynical then went and write the letter by the S on the side, then went to the second word and wrote it on the end. "You're on fire! Hey! I know I said no hints! But I'll give you one if you guess the next letter!"
'Is he insane or just impatient? Either way, it would help me to get out of here' Alister thought, his head now pulsing. But he caught through the pain and guessed another letter. "'R'?"
"Oh! Sorry, no..." Cynical then wrote the letter with the rest of the used letters, then drew a pony like head and neck on the stage. "Try again!"
"Ugh...'O'?" Alister guessed, starting to feel more nervous, his mind becoming more and more clouded.
"Nope! Loosing your edge Charming?" Cynical asked as he drew the body and tail after writing down the 'O'.
"'N'?" Alister snapped, starting to worry, he needed something to work off of.
"Oh! You actually got it right!" Cynical commented with glee as he wrote N with the rest of the used letters then put two 'N's in the third and fourth slot of the first word, then in the second of the second word. "You got it right on the dot with that one!"
Alister started running through all the possible words that had those letters in it, but his mind wasn't letting him think too clearly. With the Alicorn amulet still in the room, his mind was falling apart.
"We're gunna take a quick break and have a word from our sponsors!" Cynical said as he ignored Alister and faced the reader. "I bet you're wondering how we acquired the Alicorn amulet after you just read about Midnight Blossom and Cloud Skipper found it at Zecora's hut, right?"
"They did what?!" Alister interrupted, the names of his two cohorts shaking him free of his pulsing mind temporarily. "What did you do to them?!"
"Oh no worries, Charming old pal!" Cynical replied before turning back and staring at the reader yet again. "We never even ran into them. Instead, my buddy Salted Carmel and I were sent out to pick up the amulet and leave a fake one in its spot. That way Canterlot and the princesses wouldn't freak out when they found out Charming over there went missing! Yeah, Snowstorm sure has some brilliant plans. Or should I say, King Sombra?!"
"Sombra?" Alister repeated the name. "What does he have to do with this?"
"Aaaaand we're back! So Charming, I know I said earlier that there were no hints, but hey! I make the rules in this game!" Cynical chuckled as he broke out into a wide toothy grin, eyes narrowing on the chained up unicorn. "How about a deal? I get to draw the legs on your pony in the game, leaving you with only one chance to get the message right, and I give you the hint as to what the message is! Deal or No Deal?!"
Thinking about his odds, Alister weighed his options and thought about what kind of a pony Cynical was. His odds weren't great, but what else could Alister really do? His mind was turning to mush right now with the amulet so close. The longer Alister waited, the weaker his mental barriers would become. Besides, it sounded like Cynical really wanted to let Alister go, just so he could play 'hide and seek' or something. "Alright, I'll take the deal. What's the hint?!"
"Oh! I knew you were a team player!" Cynical cheered before hopping down to the drawing of a pony on a stage and drew in the pony's legs. The last thing he needed was a tail. "Ok, the hint is 'he's King Sombra's son'!"
"...What?!" Alister felt cheated. "King Sombra never had a son! I should know, I did more then my fair share of research to know that-"
"I gave you your hint, now make your final decision!" Cynical snapped, growing impatient. "You're one tail away from a silver and red metal!"
"You cheated!" Alister snapped. "King Sombra never had a-"
"I wonder how stupid you really are!" Cynical teased Alister, balancing the chalk on the tip of his hoof. "You go to investigate a mysterious meteor, find signs suggesting King's Sombra's involvement, then you run into a goofy little sunspot in town that arrived not long after the meteor crash. You didn't bother looking deeper into him then, and what's worse, you live with him for a few days and suspect nothing even though he's acted very secretive after returning from a sudden trip to the Crystal empire. Not to mention in the earlier chapters the run-ins he's claimed to have with King Sombra. I mean, really, would it have been too hard to cross reference the name? You would have found a lot of juicy things about him. Like his last name that I know you don't even know."
"Sunny..." It finally hit Alister, his eyes growing wide as he gazed into the distance. "Sombra's son is... Sunny?"
Cynical finished writing in the first word. 'S. U. N. N. Y.' "Ok! Now the last name? We got _ N_ _ _ T. You either have to guess all four missing letters or guess the name! Hurry, I'm getting bord!"
Running all the possible names in his head again, thinking of what kind of names could involve an 'N' as the second letter and 'T' as the last. He was having a hard time concentrating, the head ache turning into buzzing like a hive of angry bees in his head. "Ugh.... Kn... 'Knight'?!"
There was a brief pause before Cynical grabbed a half broken noise baker and kazoo and began cheering. "You got it right! You win! His full name is 'Sunny Knight' but I'm willing to guess there's no relation between you two, since you're over 1000 years apart!"
"Ha ha, now let me go and we can play part two of your game." Alister said unamused, planing out his escape from the snowy mountain prison. "'Hide and seek' sound good to you?"
"Ya know... I was thinking..." Cynical began bobbing his head from side to side. "That was a hard puzzle to solve. So you deserve a prize for solving it, even with my hint..."
Lifting his wing up once more, Cynical let the covered amulet fall right into his hooves. As Alister's eyes zoomed to it, his heart began to race again, his breathing became more erratic as he pressed himself further against the wall in an attempt to put as much distance from the Alicorn amulet as possible.
"NO! Cynical! Y-you can't! I won! I won the game!" Alister began screaming, which fueled Cynical's playful side.
"You did, indeed' Cynical replied, chucking to himself as he started stepping slowly towards the panicking unicorn. "But remember? 'I' make the rules. You're just a play thing."
"PLEASE! CYNICAL, PLEASE KEEP IT AWAY FROM ME!!! I'll play any game you want, I'll do anything! Please, just keep it away! Please!" Alister was now pleading with all his might, hoping that there was a tiny sliver of humanity left in the dark Pegasus.
For a moment, Cynical looked at Alister, saw his fear and pain. It was obvious that Cynical had a choice at this point. He and Alister were alone in cell block G. Cynical could let Alister go, set him free, and possibly begin redeeming himself for all he's done in his life. For a moment, Cynical could be a hero. Cynical's expression softened as his gaze met Alister's. He saw that this was one moment in Cynical's life where he could do good, maybe even be a good pony...
With a swift motion, Cynical flipped the amulet out of the cloth and stuck it to Alister's chest. The dark grey pegasus was so swift in his motions that Alister didn't register it until he felt the amulet's corrupting magic pouring into him, burning like the flames of Tartarus.
"I wanna play with the nightmare now!" Cynical said as a toothy smile cracked across his face and he began chuckling.
The sick laughter echoed all though out cell block G, all the way up to cell block A, and was quickly joined by a second chuckling voice, one that hadn't been heard outside Alister's head since that horrible day. The day Alister changed his name, and almost lost his best friend because of his carelessness...
After another session at the Ponyville spa, Sunny was beginning to feel like his old self again. It had taken a few days of protein shakes, spa treatments, and taking it easy on the farm, but he was finally starting to recover from the GoGoGo berries. And that meant the yellow unicorn was that much closer to undoing the curse he put on Hoops, Score, and Dumb-bell. But just to be safe, he was going to consult Twilight on his condition. If there was anypony Sunny should confide in about magic, it was her. The yellow unicorn considered talking to a doctor about his condition, but thought it best to stay away from the hospital for now. The more he hung around there, the more Sunny worried that one of the three pegusi might remember that he was the pony who put them in their current condition. Besides, Twilight is the element of 'magic', so who better to ask about a magical related issue then her.
Walking up to Twilight's castle of friendship, the yellow unicorn was about to knock on the front door when suddenly, somepony smacked right into him from behind! "Ugh! Hey! Watch where you're going!"
"Easy for you to say!" A bat pony said as she got up, dusting herself off as Sunny laid there on the ground, narrowing his eyes on the mare. "It's not easy for a bat pony to fly around on a bright day!"
"Do I... know you?" Sunny raised a brow as he got up off the ground himself, shaking the dirt off of his signature Stetson hat before securing it safely back on top of his head.
Midnight Blossom narrowed her already squinting eyes at the yellow unicorn, but had a hard time recognizing him. "Maybe, ugh, I don't know. Whatever! I got more important things to deal with right now! Is Princess Twilight Sparkle in?"
"What's all the commotion?" Spike suddenly appeared peaking out of the castle's front doors that were cracked open just enough for the little dragon to stick his head out.
"I need to speak with Princess Twilight Sparkle immediately!" The batpony straitened herself up and saluting the little purple dragon she knew to be the princess's assistant. "I have important news involving her friend, the zebra named Zecora!"
"Zecora?! Is she ok?!" Spike sounded panicked as he opened the door for both Midnight and Sunny.
"She might be in trouble" Midnight explained as she fallowed Spike down the main hall, leading to the thrown room with the cutie mark map. Somewhat curious, Sunny tailed behind them, allowing the two to remain a few steps ahead of him. The little dragon walked as fast as his little legs could carry him, which was little more then a gallop to most ponies. "I need to speak to the princess immediately."
"She's in a meeting with the others, but I'm sure they can stop for this!" Spike stated as he pushed the doors to the map room open.
"...We'll have to leave immediately if we- Spike?! What's going on?" Twilight was speaking with her friends, all of them in their respective thrones around the round table.
"I'm sorry to badge in on you like this, your highness" Midnight Blossom stepped forward and saluted Twilight before Spike could get a single word out. "But my companion, Cloud Skipper, and I were tasked with retrieving the Alicorn amulet from miss Zecora for safe keeping, and taking it to Canterlot."
"I remember" Twilight said as all eyes homed in on the bat pony royal guard. "You were able to retrieve it, right?"
"Yes ma'am" Midnight replied, but her expression remained grim. "But when we arrived at the tree house, we discovered miss Zecora in a meditative like state. She must have been there for quite a while, judging from the spider webs and vines that were growing on her."
"Eeeewww!" Rarity and Rainbow Dash exclaimed their distaste for spiders and webs at the same time.
"Ands you just left her there?" Sunny asked, popping his head around, eye brow raised at the bat pony.
Midnight narrowed her eyes again, anger bubbling up from the insulting notion that she was neglectful, or stupid. She couldn't really tell what the the yellow unicorn was hinting at, but a civilian calling we out on such a delicate operation that e had no idea about struck a nerve with the bat pony guard. "I didn't want to! Cloud said it would be safer for 'her' if she was teleported by magic. So while he flew the amulet back to Canterlot, I flew strait here. Got a problem with that, bub?"
Before Sunny and Midnight could take their conversation any further, Twilight got up off their thrown, and looked to her friends, all of their expressions were identical as their minds came to the same conclusion. "Alright girls, I'll head to Zecora's hut and help get her to the hospital. Rainbow Dash, you Applejack, and Rarity help Spike prepare for our trip. If there's anypony who can get us packed with half the hooves, it's you girls. Fluttershy, I need you and Pinkie with me. The Everfree has a lot of wild monsters in there, and you two are my best bets to keep them off while I levitate Zecora into Ponyville for help."
"Awww" Rainbow Dash was ready to venture into the Wild of the Everfree, wanting to take on a Manticore or a hydra. "Why do I have to stay and pack? That's so boring!"
"Who else could get it done faster then you, Dash?" Applejack asked as she and Rarity got up from their respective thrones.
"Right, you're the, how would you say, our all-star of speed in this game?" Rarity tried to charm her cyan colored friend.
"Well, I guess you guys do need my speed" Rainbow was convinced and began to fly into the other room to help her friends pack for some long trip.
"I shall accompany you back to the hut, your majesty" Midnight saluted Twilight once more.
"Sounds good to me. A little extra help couldn't hurt." Twilight nodded and began to leave the room with Fluttershy, Pinkie and Midnight by her side while Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Spike and Applejack were about to head out another door.
"Ugh... what should I do?" Sunny half spoke up, unsure if he should have said anything at all.
The girls and Spike all turned around to see the yellow stallion just standing there, looking somewhat lost. Applejack stepped forward before anypony else could say anything, and shot Sunny her sweet, down home smile. "Sugarcube, why don' cha' go see what yer friends are up to. Th' chores around the farm are still caught up, so relax and enjoy yer time off. Soon we'll be back ta wakin' up before th' sun raises again."
"You still should take it easy" Twilight added, her eyes showing some concern. "You don't want to push yourself with casting spells just yet. Maybe take another trip to the spa."
"Oh that sounds divine" Rarity commented. "We'll have to have a girl's day after all this has blown over."
"Yeah! I'll brink the cake!" Pinkie said bouncing up and down.
It was then that Sunny realized something. He didn't want to think too much on it at that moment and have Applejack and her friends feel awkward, so he chuckled to himself and returned the smile. "Sounds like a plan. Another massage and a protein shake could do me some good."
"At'ah boy" Applejack said as she readjusted her Stetson hat and lead her half of the group to go and pack while Twilight and her group raced as fast as they could to the home of the zebra shaken, Zecora. Once they all were gone, and the doors shut behind them, Sunny exhaled his held breath, letting his smile fall to pieces.
"So... this is what I've become... just the 'stay at home and get fat' kind of pony..." Sunny began to say to himself as his backside fell, and his heart soon behind it.
"I mean... it's not like I don't like my new life..." the yellow unicorn began to say out loud as he got up and began circling the round table and the seven thrones that surrounded it. "I love my new life. I have friends. I have a warm and caring home filled with ponies who consider me family, and I have Applejack... I-I mean, I have her in my life! I-it's not like we're together or anything... b-but what I mean is..."
Finding himself discombobulated and very, very confused, Sunny stopped at Twilight's thrown, his back to it's back as he hung his head low, standing in the shadow cast by the throne. "I just... I want to help... but... but maybe it's best that I don't... after all... things didn't go so well the last time I tried to help..."
Plopping his backside right up against the base of Twilight's throne, the former prince of the Crystal Empire began to recall all of what happened 1000 years ago when he confronted his father. He fought valiantly, wanting desperately to set things right and to bring back the bright glow of the empire as well as rekindle the inner light of the crystal ponies... But, perhaps, somewhere deep inside, Sunny knew he had gone easy on his father. Deep down, he didn't want to hurt his father. He had hoped that the King's own son, who he had felt so close to, telling him that what he was doing was wrong and then fighting against him would be enough to shake Sombra free. But it wasn't. And Sunny knew he could never hurt his father. No matter how much pain Sunny had gone through, he never blamed his father. He just wanted to know why his father did what he did. And because of his love for his father, the entire Empire suffered.
Feeling as though his head was full of fluff and wanting to shake it clear, Sunny smacked his head against the bank of Twilight's throne. The vibration from the hit caused a scroll that was sitting on Twilight's throne to fall from it's resting spot and tumble to the ground, opening on impact. "Maybe I should just go into town... see what Thunder Lane is up to... maybe even Doctor and Derpy. I haven't seen them in a while. I know Big Mac went on a date with Apple Bloom's teacher again..."
As Sunny stood up to leave, he noticed the open scroll and thought it would be impolite to just leave parchment like that just lying on the ground. Wanting to practice magic once more, Sunny levitated the scroll up after wrapping it in his green magical aura. Simple things like levitating light objects or opening doors were easy. It was lifting heavier objects and teleporting that was still, at the moment, beyond the yellow stallion's ability.
Rolling the scroll back up from the bottom, Sunny's eyes zoomed in on a certain name that sent a chill down his spine. "Garganda?!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Sunny began reading the scroll over to himself;
"Dear Twilight,
We regret to inform you that the mighty dragon of legend, known as Garganda of the west, is on the move and heading strait for the Crystal Empire. He has refused to speak with anypony thus far, and will not stop moving. Although his movements are slow, he is large and very dangerous. Although we still know not the giant dragon's intentions, it has never been recorded to move from his post for anything less then war. We need you to go and speak with him, hoping he will listen to you and/or any of your friends. Best of luck. We are all counting on you.
Sincerely, Princess Luna"
Sunny paused for a moment after he finished reading the letter, taking it all in. When he was done with his moment, Sunny read the letter over again once more, to see that he read it correctly. To his horror, the yellow unicorn had indeed read it all correctly. Which was what he was afraid of. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down, Sunny rolled up the scroll and placed it gently back on Twilight's throne.
"They can handle it..." Sunny said out loud, heading to the exit. "I'm not a guardian of Equestria anymore. I'm just a simple farm pony... who... who needs to let the real guardians protect Equestria... while he buries his feelings in a chocolate protein shake.... again..."
Head hanging low, Sunny shut the door as he left the throne room behind and made his way back into town, heart conflicted but mind settled.
After hopping aboard the train that would take them to the Crystal Empire, Twilight and Spike quickly rejoined their friends. Everypony had met up in a private car that had crystal pony sentries stationed at both entrances. Cadence and Shinning Armor spared no expense when it came to transporting the girls and Spike to the Empire. The train car was not only furnished with the most comfy of seats, but a buffet table filled with snacks of all kinds. From salty chips, to sweet Crystal Berry cupcakes. As well as the purest bottles of sparkling water to the richest chocolate milk. Entering the car, Twilight and the little dragon were greeted by the rest of their group.
"We were wonderin' when ya'll were gunna show up." Applejack commented as she added another cupcake to her plate of snacks.
"How is Zecora doing?" Fluttershy asked, everypony in the car wondering the same thing.
Twilight took a seat, trying to relax her nerves. Between being summoned to the Crystal Empire and the incident with Zecora, the purple alicorn was starting to feel the pressure. Noticing this, Pinkie Pie zoomed away for a moment only to return in a flash with a cup of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and a cherry on top.
"Thanks Pinkie" Twilight smiled at her friend as she levitated the warm beverage up to her mouth and took a small sip. "Ahhh... well, after we got Zecora to the Ponyville hospital, the doctors jumped right in when they realized who she was. After looking her over, recording and measuring everything they could, they put her up in a room nearest to the nurse's station. They still don't know what happened to her, but Zecora seems to be in some sort of trans."
"I wonder what could have happened to her" Rarity said as she sat up from a comfy couch that was placed in the corner of the room.
"I don't know" Rainbow added in, her eyes narrowed and looking to the floor, wishing she had been there to reap their friend in need rather then helping Rarity pack her multiple bags of various clothing for the trip. "But I think something or somepony got to her."
"She left a message on the ground in front of her" Fluttershy added. "I asked the spiders if they saw anything, but they all arrived after Zecora was like that."
"What do ya make of it, Twi?" Applejack asked. "Chrysalis? Sombra? Maybe even Starlight Glimmer?"
"Chrysalis or Sombra maybe. But we haven't seen Starlight Glimmer since we set that whole town free from her crazy 'no cutie marks' bit" Rainbow Dash commented, shivering at the thought of her losing what made her her, essentially.
"Yeah! And they had horrible muffins!" Pinkie added, face turning slightly green when she remembered the tasteless treats she had to swallow on their mission. Wanting to forget that awful taste, Pinkie grabbed half a dozen delicious chocolate muffins and began consuming them one after another.
Taking a deep breath, Twilight looked out the window of the fast moving train and watched how grassy hills turned quickly into an arctic tundra. "I don't really know. Maybe Starlight could be behind this. Maybe not. I don't know why anypony would want to harm Zecora. If it was any of them, why not just go after us?... I have a feeling something bad is coming. Something very, very bad."
Concern struck Applejack as she tore her gaze from Twilight and looked to the ground, moving her Stetson hat to cover her face. She didn't know what she was feeling, but this uneasy and new emotion was making the farm pony want to hide her face, even from her best friends. The Orange mare's actions didn't go unnoticed.
"Something the matter, dear?" Rarity asked, trying to grab Applejack's attention as she got up off the couch and closed the space between her and her tomboy like friend.
"Oh, ugh... I-it's nothin'" Applejack answered, but it was a lie. Hating to lie, the freckled farm pony followed up her statement. "Just thinkin' bout th' family on the farm. Ah hope they're ok."
"You're family, or a certain stallion who seemed sad to see you leave?" Rarity smiled as she lowered her head to try and keep the conversation just between her and Applejack.
Sighing heavily, Applejack looked up at her fashionista friend "ah worry 'bout him. He always finds trouble, or maybe trouble's always looking fer him. And he ain't strong 'nough right not ta defend himself."
"I wouldn't worry too much about him darling" Rarity began her reassuring speech. "He's a smart stallion, and I'm sure he's smart enough to know how to stay out of trouble."
"That's not all what ah'm worried 'bout" Applejack began pouring her heart out to her most feminine friend. "Ah... ah think he's gunna' go lookin fer trouble. To, ah don't know, fix it, or somethin'."
"What makes you think that, Darling?" Rarity asked, trying desperately to keep her voice down, but Applejack's statement had made the fashionista slightly curious.
"Before he took that berry Apple Bloom gave him, Sunny would finish his chores and go off to who knows where until supper." Applejack began to explain, the worry building up in her voice. "Ah wanted him ta make friends in town, and ah'm sure he's done that. Ah've seen ah bunch of ponies talking to him, laughing and havin fun being 'round him..."
"But?..." Rarity pushed, feeling like she wasn't quite understanding what Applejack was trying to get at.
"Well... recently no pony has seen him 'round town." Applejack continued, taking in a deep breath. "He ain't been 'round town, so far as any pony could tell. He ain't been 'round th' farm. And closest town's half ah day away from th' farm. There's no way he could go there and come back in time for supper! Ah have no idea where he goes! Ah don't know... maybe... maybe th' feller's found ah... ah special some-"
"Don't even think that Applejack!" Rarity snapped, outrage burning in her tone. "Not for one moment!"
"But it would explain where's he's been goin..." Applejack's voice trailed off, fading, as she couldn't push herself to finish the sentence. Applejack wasn't a pony to cry for much, and she didn't like for others to see her when she did. But if she had finished her sentence, all her friends would see her balling like a foal.
"Applejack, Darling..." Rarity grabbed the farm pony's freckeled cheeks in her hooves and directed Applejack's face towards her own. "I pride myself on being a love expert. And if there's one thing I know, it's that that stallion has eyes only for you. I see it in your eyes just as well. But I think there's something holding him back."
Lifting her head up and out of Rarity's hooves, Applejack sighed as she held her head up with one hoof. "His memories... ah know..."
"Well you can't really blame him for that" Rarity chimed. "But I'm sure once he remembers-"
"He already has" Applejack interrupted, her voice lacking all emotion. "Or at th' least, he's got some of them."
"Really?! When did this happen?!" Rarity asked, shocked to hear of this just now.
"Since th' day he left her th' Crystal Empire" Applejack continued, her voice still deprived of life. "He was different' after that. He wouldn't tell anypony anything. But th' way he walked wasn't as goofie, he started using magic a lot more, ta put dishes and stuff up, and he's been readin' books a lot more. More then when Twilight gave him books ta learn 'bout magic."
"Maybe he's from the Crystal Empire!" Rarity explained. "He could be a crystal pony!"
"Ah don't know... then why hadn't we seen him before? Th' Empire's been back for quite ah while." Applejack commented, her face still very glum. "Sides. Ya'll know when them Crystal folks are happy, they shine and what not. Ah've seen that feller happier then Winnona with ah new bone, he shines, but not like no crystal pony."
"Hmmmm.... you're right..." Rarity admitted, half trailing off in thought. "The empire aside, has Sunny mentioned any family or friends? Other then his friends in Ponyville? Maybe he just goes off to meet them."
"Well... ah think somethin' might have been going on with his father..." Applejack wasn't a pony to jump to conclusions, but had that thought bouncing around in her head for a while. "We, ugh... might have read part of his journal to try and find out what was makin him nuttier then wahnona with her squeak toy, before we found out 'bout th' berries."
"Applejack! You never, ever, under any circumstance, read another pony's diary!" Rarity exclaimed her distaste, but quickly recovered and lowered her head once again and returning we tone to just above a whisper. "...What did it say, exactly? Not that I'm condoning this action, but if you've already read it..."
"It said somethin' 'bout how he didn't know why his daddy did what he did, but... ah think he misses him. He and his daddy might have been close." Applejack confessed, trying to remember what she had read.
"Maybe that's where he's been going!" Rarity explained, a light bulb flashing bright in her head. "He must be looking for his family! Maybe they live close to town!"
"Maybe..." Applejack's muzzle was still lacking emotion. "But... but why wouldn't he tell me? Tell mah family? What if one day I go back to the farm an' he ain't there? What if he's gone and ah' never hear from him again?"
Rarity thought long and hard about the answer she wanted to give Applejack. "I can see you really like him. I think he feels the same way about you too. But you're too shy to say anything, and he's obviously got ghosts in his past. Maybe you should just sit him down and tell him how you feel. Maybe he'll open up to you and share with you what he remembered and where he's been going all this time."
A smile returned to the farm pony's face as she looked up to Rarity with grateful eyes, "maybe yer right, Rares. Maybe ah just have ta hog tie that stallion and sit him down fer ah good talk... thank you for the talk."
"Applejack, that's what friends do" the fashion obsessed pony gave her friend a wink as the train began to slow down.
"It looks like we've arrived. You girl's ready?" Twilight asked, her expression becoming hard, knowing the task they were about to embark on would not be an easy one.
"We're all with ya, Twi" Applejack said as she straitened her Stetson hat, ready for action, her heart and mind now clear.
"Let's show this ruffian what we're made of" Rarity added, flipping her mane to one side.
"Yeah! We'll send this bad boy packing!" Rainbow Dash commented as she took several swings at the air.
"Ugh... c-can I just watch?" Fluttershy asked, hiding behind Pinkie's tail.
Pinkie Pie's entire body began to shake and shiver all over, not from the cold Arctic that lay just beyond the train's walls, but from some unknown force that hasn't occurred for possibly four seasons. "O-O-O-oh! I-i-i-its hap-p-p-ening a-a-again!"
"What is, Pinkie?" Twilight asked, her expression softening as she and her friends turned to the pink party pony.
"Pinkie sense!" Pinkie explained when her body stopped shivering. "There's going to be a doozie!"
"Then let's face this doozie, together" Twilight stated confidently, her friends cheering with her. She had grown a lot since she first moved to Ponyville and witnessed Pinkie's 'Pinkie sense' first hoof. Twilight has since learned to trust in her friends, and that together, there was nothing they couldn't overcome. Even if Pinkie's supernatural sense told them it was going to be a 'Doozie'.
As the girls exited the train and entered the open Arctic air, they noticed right away that the train didn't pull up to the station safely at the Empire, but rather in the cold Arctic wasteland, where they would go to meet the dragon Gargonda. Twilight threw up a small barrier to shield her and her friends from the harsh conditions of the raging blizzard. After the first run in with King Sombra, Twilight learned from her sister Cadence how to cast the weather blocking shield, thinking it might come in handy some day.
"Twily!" A familiar voice called out as a similar shield moved closer to Twilight and her friends. Several silhouettes witching the other barrier could be seen approaching the group of six mares and one baby dragon, their finer details blocked by the light blue bubble. But even with just their outlined images, Twilight easily recognized the ponies within the blue magical shield.
"Shinning! Cadence!" The purple alicorn was overjoyed to see her brother and his wife. She guessed that they would see them at some point on the trip, but guessed it would be later, after the problem had been resolved
As the two magical dome like shields merged into one, large enough to hold Twilight, all her friends, Spike, Cadence, Shinning Armor, and all of their guards, the princess of friendship ran over to her old foal-sitter and began their usual tradition of their Sunshine Sunshine dance. Everypony watched and enjoyed the bright and warm feeling eradicating from it. Once the song and dance was done though, Twilight and her friends were ready to get to work.
"We're ready to send that dragon packing" Twilight beamed with confidence as she and her friends flared with a wave of inner gusto. "So where is he?"
"Ugh, well..." Cadence looked concern as she turned to her husband for aid in answering the question.
"He's here... actually..." Shinning did his best to finish off where his wife began, but it still left the girls very confused.
"Ugh, where?" Rainbow Dash asked as she looked around, seeing nothing for miles except the dome around the Crystal Empire and the train behind them.
Twilight and her friends looked into the Arctic, and despite the raging storm, could make out quite a bit of the surrounding area. The girls were confused by the worried expressions and reactions Cadence, Shinning Armor, and their guards all seamed to share. It was then that Spike noticed something slightly different.
"Hey, have those mountains always been there?" The purple dragon asked as he pointed with one of his claws to two large land masses that seemed to stretch to the sky.
"That's actually... him" Shinning armor said in a terrified tone. "Those are his legs."
The girls and Spike all followed the two large legs up to almost above the clouds, their jaws dropping when they noticed that there had been a dragon the size of a mountain standing there the whole time. Such a large being had been standing there the entire time and no pony had noticed it! Surely somepony on the train would have seen it. But they all must have just thought it was a pair of mountains like Twilight and her friends did.
"It's... its bigger then what I read!" Twilight explained, her legs trembling as she found she could not tear her eyes away.
"Oh my..." Rarity noted, feeling light headed and ready to pass out.
"That's one big fella..." Applejack commented as she held down her hat,it almost falling off of her head from looking that far up.
"Y-yeah? Well the bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Rainbow Dash shook of her fear and was about to charge head on at Gargonda.
"Attacking it wouldn't do you any good" one of the guard's spoke out. "We had our entire army try and meet him head on, but it was pointless."
"What happened? Did it do anything?" Twilight asked, concern thickly coating her words.
"It sent more then half of them to the hospital..." Shinning Armor painfully explained, feeling guilty and useless from their attack on the large dragon. "We threw everything we had at him. And all he had to do was kick his foot. Some of us were lucky and were missed by his counter attack. But the rest ended up in critical care. They're back in the Crystal Empire hospital trying to recover."
"Attacking him won't work" Cadence put a hoof on her troubled husband's shoulder before turning to Twilight and her friends. "We need to reason with him. You girls have dealt with stubborn dragons before. Please, if you can get him to at least talk, that would be a step in the right direction."
Just then, the ground beneath their hooves shook. Everypony's attention then turned to one of the mountain sized legs belonging to the legendary dragon. It had lifted up slowly as the group shook, and just then landed about a mile closer to the Crystal Empire!
"I think we might need more then just 'one' step" Pinkie commented, popping up from behind the large group to see the giant Dragon's other leg lifting into the air.
"Let's go girls, we need to stop that dragon and find out what exactly is going on!" Twilight cried out and lead her friends onward to face the giant dragon of legend known as Garganda.
With the raging storm around them bringing fresh power to the field of snow that the girls had to reach through, Twilight and her friends found just getting to the gigantic dragon to be a challenge in its own, even with Twilight holding up a barrier. But once they arrived around the front of the large dragon, Twilight sent Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to climb up to the face of the dragon to try and get it to stop it's march towards the empire. He was far too tall to just yell out to stop, no pony's voice could reach him. Twilight needed to stay put to shield her ground walking friends, but Rainbow Dash could be assertive enough to talk to such a threatening creature, and Fluttershy has overcome some large and dangerous creatures in the past. So the two were a perfect team to at the very least stop him. Once Garganda had stopped, the rest of them would try and reason with him. If that didn't work, they would resolve to using the magic of friendship to subdue him.
The climb was treacherous, though. Beyond Twilight's shield, the cruel Arctic blizzard struck against Fluttershy and Rainbow's wings, making it twice as hard to reach the dragon's face. But they kept at a steady pace as their friends continued to travel along side the mountain sized dragon, making sure to keep out of the way of his large, and dangerous, foot steps. Once the two fliers of the group poked above the clouds, they came face to face with a dragon's head who's scales were black as coal, his teeth the size of houses, and eyes burning iron hot yellow.
"Ugh... excuse me..." Fluttershy began to speak up, only to be ignored by the large dragon.
"That's not gunna work" Rainbow Dash said as she flew up right in front of the dragon and began yelling. "HEY! STOP MOVING FOR A SEC!!! WE NEED TO TALK!"
But Garganda never slowed his pace and kept moving, slowly making his way to the Empire. As he pushed past Rainbow, he sent the speed demon of a pony flying off into a snowy cloud. Fluttershy watched and was outraged by his lack of common curtesy. Fueled by the sight of her brushed off friend, the normally very timid Fluttershy flew up and stood bravely in front of the large, black scaled dragon.
"YOU WILL STOP, NOW!" Fluttershy screamed out in her loudest voice, combining it with her signature 'stare'. This time, the little yellow Pegasus's orders produced results and stopped the dragon's movements.
Down below, Twilight and the others watched in amazement as Garganda stopped his left foot mid step and slowly placed it back on the ground as he stoped his advancement to the Crystal Empire. Back above the clouds, Rainbow Dash was able to pull herself free from the freezing snow cloud, and rejoined her mousy friend.
"Nice work, Flutters" Rainbow commented as she brushed some snow off herself and turned to face Gargonda herself. "Hey big guy! My friends and I need to have a word with you!"
But Gargonda just raised a brow as he liked all around the tops of the clouds, expecting to see at least two or three more flying ponies.
"No no, down there!" Rainbow Dash pointed to the ground below where Twilight and the rest were waiting.
Looking down below his neck, Gargonda huffed, annoyed by the snow storm that blocked his vision of the ground. The whole time he knew where he was going to, but he didn't know what all he was stepping on or over. The attack Shinning Armor's guards launched didn't do anything to his thick scales, and they were simply kicked out of the way when the large dragon took a step. He didn't want to ruin the storm, knowing that pegusi work hard to produce the clouds that make it up, but it had become more of a bother then he wanted to deal with. So with one mighty movement, the black dragon extended his wings, spreading them for miles, and had to merely flap them once to send the clouds far,far away for the moment, clearing up the sky for the land around the Crystal Empire in a twenty mile radius.
"Who. Dares. Halt. Gargonda. Of. The. West?" The dragon's voice boomed like thunder and shocked everypony below, causing the ground itself to shake with every word.
"We do!" Twilight wasted no time in levitating her and her friends up to face the giant dragon. But carrying four ponies and a baby dragon up the night of the great black dragon proved difficult even for Twilight Sparkle, so the climb was slow. To save a little on time, Twilight thought to begin her explanation as she and the rest d the group floated up to meet Garganda face to face. "We need you to stop! You're going to run into the Crystal Empire if you keep walking that way!"
The right claw of the giant dragon reached down and with one swipe, enclosed Twilight and the rest of the group within his razor sharp claws. The ponies and baby dragon all felt an increase of pressure as they were quickly raised to the skies. Garganda's claw opened up, allowing Twilight and the rest to come face to face with the mountain sized dragon himself. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash quickly rejoined their friends on the open claw.
He exhaled from his cave sized nostrils before locking his eyes on the ponies in his claw. "The. Crystal. Empire. Is. Ordered. To. Be. Destroyed. Nothing. Is. to. Remain."
"What?! B-but there are hundreds of ponies living down there!" Twilight spoke out, outraged by the large dragon's statement.
"Wait, who's orders?" Pinkie thought out loud again.
"Yeah, who ordered you, Gargonda?" Twilight yelled out. "And why would they want to destroy the Crystal Empire."
"The. Crystal. Empire. Is. To. Be. Destroyed" Gargonda repeated himself without answering Twilight's question. "If. Not. Darkness. Will. Consume. All. Those. Are. My. Orders. I. Will. Turn. The. Empire. To. Ash."
"But that' mean all them folks livin' down there would get burnt to a crisp!" Applejack spoke out, the horrible image popped into her head almost immediately.
"Then. So. Be. It." Gargonda huffed, unmoved by the thought of the end result of his actions , his voice echoed through the tundra and shook the surrounding mountains.
Twilight shook her head, her mane fluffled by the dragon's voice, popped back into place as she glared at the dragon. "But the Empire is a good place! There hasn't been anything dark there since we defeated King Sombra!"
"None. Can. Change. My. Order." Garganda continued to say. "The. Empire. Falls. Today."
It was then that Twilight turned to her friends and gave them a nod. Immediately all six ponies began to levitate up out of Garganda's claw and into the air. As their bodies began to sprout images of their respective cutie marks, names grow out and flow with the pulsing magic radiating from within, and the glow of friendship's magic began to outline the group, a single voice stopped their attack.
"GARGANDA!" A deep voice screamed from miles down, catching the attention of the giant black dragon as well as the six mare's who's glowing light began to feminist as they reverted back to terror normal states.
The mountain sized Garganda then stretched out his free claw and swooped up the one who called out to him. After reeling in his clenched left claw and raising it and the captive held inside up to his face, Garganda opened his claw and was surprised by the contents it held inside. "It. Has. Been. Over. 1000. Years. Since. I. Last. Saw. You..."
The figure now standing in Garganda's left claw was visible to Twilight, Spike, and their friends who were still in the giant dragon's right claw. A male pony, possibly, it was hard to tell with a mask that covered the entire muzzle. Green glowing eyes peaked over the mask while the rest of their head was covered by a helmet. Coated in a black suit of armor that looked similar to Garganda's own black scales. From what the girls could tell, the pony's coat was also black in color with a tinge of gold to it.
"Welcome. Back. Black. Knight. Of. The. Crystal. Empire..." Garganda greeted yhis old friend, confusing all the ponies and baby dragon in his right claw.
"They can handle it..." Sunny said out loud, heading to the exit. "I'm not a guardian of Equestria anymore. I'm just a simple farm pony... who... who needs to let the real guardians protect Equestria... while he drowns his feelings in a chocolate protein shake.... again..."
Head hanging low, Sunny shut the door behind him as he left the throne room behind and made his way back into town, heart conflicted but mind settled. Walking out of the crystal tree like castle, Sunny looked to the sky and sighed heavily, again. His heart felt heavy as he treaded down the dirt road and into town. 'Maybe I just need to occupy my time like Twilight said. You know, see what my friends were up to.'
Thinking to first drop in on Thunder Lane, Sunny made his way to the pegasus's house in Ponyville. Although Rainbow Dash and a few other Pegasi chose up live in cloud based homes that floated freely in the air, Fluttershy, Thunder Lane and several others chose to live in ones that were securely built on the ground. Not that having a house on a cloud would be a bad thing, it would just make it difficult to have guests over who weren't pegusi. Sure there was a spell one could cast to walk on clouds, but not every pony knew that spell. That included Sunny. Which made the yellow unicorn very great full that his grey Pegasus freeing lived on the ground. But as Sunny approached Thunder Lane's ground based home, he paused as he saw his friend outside talking with somepony.
It wasn't just anypony from town the weather factory worker was talking to, it was Thunder Lane's special somepony, Flitter. After the incident with Lightning Dust and the tornado, Thunder Lane and her where together most of the time. Probably still in what Granny called the 'puppy love phase'. Either way, it brought a small smile to Sunny's face to see the two talking and laughing. But his smile faded away as the yellow unicorn watched Thunder Lane and Flitter enter into the house together.
"I shouldn't disturb them..." Sunny said, down trotted, ears and head hanging low. "Maybe I'll go see what Octavia is up too!"
Feeling a sense of rejuvenated bravado, Sunny galloped towards the northern edge of town where Octavia shared a home with her best friend. Although he had never met her, Octavia told Sunny all about her musical best friend named Vynal Scratch. But most ponies around town got used to calling the white unicorn with an electric blue two toned mane by her stage name of DJ-PON3. Sunny didn't quite understand the lingo, but went along with it.
Walking up a half cobble stone half dirt road, Sunny eventually found himself standing in front of a house that looked like it was stapled together from two halves of different houses. One side looked like the rest of the houses in town, but the other had more of a modern look to it. Like something one could find in Canterlot. Sunny paused at the front door and straitened his Stetson hat before knocking on the door. After knocking three times, he eagerly waited for his musicaly gifted friend. Maybe he could listen to her practice. He had missed her performance at the talent show, and really, really wanted to hear her play.
After several moments, Sunny knocked again, not wanting to be rude but at the same time he didn't want to just stand there like an lawn ornament. While he waited, a thought came to the yellow unicorn. Maybe he could get Doctor to use his time machine to take Sunny back to the night of the talent show so he can watch the performance. That shouldn't mess with the time line, right?
After several more moments, Sunny proceeded to knock on the front door again, this time somepony actually answered. She must have been the famous DJ everypony in town talked about. Her mane was messed up and frizzy, like she had just rolled out of bed, her glasses were lopsided like she must have fallen asleep with them on, and as she looked up at Sunny, the tired DJ wiped some drool from her left cheek.
"Ugh... is Octavia home?" Sunny asked, his voice a little more then shaky from the awkward sight, even though Vynal seemed to care less.
Straitening her thick sunglasses, the white unicorn DJ reached behind her and grabbed a note that was at one time neatly folded but had suffered some wrinkles. After handing the note to Sunny, Vynal slammed the door and proceeded to go back to sleep. Sunny was slightly taken back by the whole situation, but decided to turn his attention towards the note's contents.
'To who it may concern,
I, Octavia, have been called away to Canterlot. It appears that my mother has come down with the flu and I will be gone free a week at the very least to nurse her back to health. If there is an emergency, I may be contacted at the address on the other side of this letter. Terribly sorry for the inconvenience.
Sincerely, Octavia Melody
PS; I'm am also sorry if my room mate also happened to appear a mess upon delivering this letter, or if she had crumpled it up, and possibly left any food debris on it.'
Sight heavily once more, Sunny decided to fold the letter up and place in the crack of the door to inform anypony else of Octavia's location. That, and it would probably be better for the next pony to visit to not disturb Octavia's tired looking room mate. As he folded the note into thirds and moved to stick it in the door crack, Sunny pulled his hoof away to find something sticky like syrep or jelly sticking his hoof to said letter.
Granny was relaxing back at the farm, just rocking back and forth in her chair on the porch, listening to the gentle sound of the wind as it blows through the leaves of the Apple trees. It reminds her of the days when she and her husband would lay on the grass in the clearing, basking in the warm sun, taking a break from Apple bucking. Back then the orchard was much smaller. But just like her family, it grew and expanded.
Granny was just about to drift off into that dream where she was young again, being romanced by her husband for the first time, when a small, almost silent thump shook the elderly mare awake. Her eyes flickered open and looked around, eventually landing on a glum looking yellow unicorn who's head was held in his hooves as he sat on the front steps of the farm house.
"Eha, Sunny? Is that you?" Granny asked, knowing it was him, but more or less just said it to catch his attention.
The yellow unicorn's ears flickered and he turned his head to look over at Granny who was no longer napping. "Oh, sorry Granny. I didn't mean to wake you."
"What's got you all down?" Granny asked as she used all of her might to pull herself out of her rocking chair. "You look more sad then Winona when a beaver ran away with her bone."
Sunny sighed heavily as he took off his Stetson hat just as Granny took a seat beside him and put a gentle old hoof on his back. "I... I'm stuck in a hard place, Granny... and as much as I'd like to, I can't tell you exactly what it is..."
"Ya know ya can talk to me about anythin'" Granny cooed, her gentle eyes studying Sunny, thinking he reminded her so much of her own grandkids. One has a problem, and they can come to her for advice. "Why don't ya try and use an example. Like, instead of sayin 'ah spit in th' orange juice', say 'ah friend of mine spit in th' orange juice'. Ya get what ah'm sayin'?"
It started slowly, but Granny's words started to turn the gears in Sunny's head. He thought for a moment how to word it all so he could keep his identity and true conflict a secret. After piecing it all together, Sunny took a deep breath and began to 'explain'. "Let's say Big Mac was put in charge of the south orchard when he was very young."
"Ok" Granny smiled and listened intently to the tale the yellow unicorn began to weave.
"And he took care of it really well..." Sunny continued, choosing his words carefully. "But years down the road, he forgot to get seeds for the orchard, and had to go away for a while to get them. Well, Applejack came along and saw the south orchard needed to be taken care of, so she began watering it, clearing the debris, dealing with varmints that tried to snag a free mean, and th' what not. She eventually got the south orchard up and running better then Big Mac ever did."
"Ah'm followin' ya so far" Granny commented, thinking how funny it was that Sunny had gotten so used to life on the farm that he now was using it in his analogies, along with using some of their own lingo.
"Well, now let's say Big Mac came back after he got the seeds and saw how good of a job his sister was doing with the south orchard" Sunny continued, now actually getting to the root of the problem. "With her dealing with the south orchard, and it being better then ever, Big Mac goes on to work on other things. Maybe as little of things like just cleaning out the barn, or repainting the fences. Things that anypony can do...." Sunny paused for a moment trying to gather his thoughts, going over what w was saying to make sure everything he was saying made sense.
"Ah see..." Granny said as she rubbed under her chin. "And does 'Big Mac' miss working in the south orchard?"
"I... I guess he does" Sunny commented, head hanging low once again. "But Applejack does it so much better, and Big Mac already failed to protect, ugh, I mean, take care of the orchard."
"Well, way ah see it, one pony taking care of ah whole orchard is ah mighty tall task." Granny used her hoof to lift Sunny's head up and out of the gutters. "Maybe he just needed ah little help before. And maybe Applejack might need some help now. Ponies can be strong, but they're stronger when they work together. Take Applejack for example.
"Not long ago, she actually tried ta harvest all the orchard's apples bah herself" Granny continued, remembering back to that time a few winters ago. "She was pushin' herself mighty hard and wasn' gunna get the job don't in time. Well, 'least not in her own. Her friends came and offered help. She didn't want to at first, but she finally saw that sometimes a pony needs to run in a herd."
Sunny had read about that same even in the copy of 'the elements of harmony' that Twilight leant him. It was a real lesson learned. But did it apply here. "But... let's say the orchard was being cared for by Applejack and her friends, not just Applejack alone. What should Big Mac do? Should he just continue to do the little jobs? Those ones he can't mess up on? Or should he go help with another orchard? I-I mean, he is very confused..."
"Sounds to me like he's more 'fraid of making a mistake" Granny commented, looking into Sunny with a worried look. "But Big Mac shouldn't be afraid of doing somethin' 'cause he's 'fraid he'll make a mistake. He should listen to what his heart tells him. Weather it's to let Applejack and her friends work on the south orchard alone or to aid them. Maybe even a middle ground and just have him keep an eye on it. Ya know. Maybe Big Mac could over look the orchard and help out if he's needed. But never stop bein' who he is or stop doin' what he needs ta do. If Big Mac was workin' th' orchard and doin' it well, well, even if ah' didn' know him personally, ah'd still say it was ah part ah him. Maybe even ah' part of him he shouldn't try and forget or run away from. Other wise, it's like leaven ah part of ourselves behind."
Sunny looked into the old eyes of Granny Smith and saw just how wise she actually was. Yes she may occasionally think Crackers is a weasel out to attack the hen house, but she's also full of wisdom and great and directing ponies down the right path. A smile grew from Sunny's former frown as he threw his hooves around the elderly green mare. "Thank you Granny... ah think ah need ya go deal with somethin'."
The elderly farm mare smiled and returned Sunny's hug, patting him on the back as she told him "You do what yer heart tells ya. We'll always be here for ya. And ifin' ya ever feel like talkin' bout them things that bother ya, Granny's alway her."
Reluctantly, Sunny broke the hug, straitened himself out, and maneuvered his hat on his head so it would stay on as he made a mad dash, running faster then he ever had. He would need to make up for lost time, not knowing if Applejack and the others even boarded the train yet or not. But he would need to hop on the next train heading to the Crystal Empire. Before he left though, he looked back any Granny who just smiled as she wobbled back to her rocker. A green aura appeared around Sunny's horn then around a near by quilt. The quilt floated over and landed right on Granny's lap.
The elderly pony smiled at the kind unicorn. "Thank ya, Sunny. Now go tend to yer orchard."
"Will do Granny." The yellow stallion said with a tip of his hat. "If ah ain't back bah supper, don't worry none. Ah might take ah wile. But ah will be back."
Without another word, Sunny zoomed off of the porch and down the dirt road. At a point, he would need to turn and cross part of the orchard as a short cut into the Everfree forest to the mountain where he hid his belongings. Granny's eyes started to feel heavier and heavier as she gently rocked back and forth with the flow of the wind.
"Yep... funny colt... gunna make me some funny great... grand... babies..." Granny said to herself, a smile on her muzzle as she thought of more Apple foals roaming the farm house again.
Running with all his might, weave in and out of the way of trees, breaking through and snapping branches in his way, Sunny thought to himself that he had to find an easier way to get to his hiding spot. When he paused for a moment to catch his breath, wishing he had all of his strength back already, Sunny's ears caught the sound of familiar voices, and thought it best to duck and hide. The yellow unicorn was close to the hidden cave and didn't want anypony asking why he was out here in the dangerous, monster filled forest.
"...like I said, it's not as bad as I though." Twilight's voice reached Sunny's ears, causing them to twitch. "I can handle taking her to the Ponyville hospital if you two want to go ahead and help Rarity and the others with packing."
"Are you sure?" Fluttershy's faint voice sounded very close, and that's saying something if one could hear her timid tone. "We don't mind helping you get here there safely."
It was then that Sunny realized just how close their path had been to him. About two feet away to be precise. If the yellow unicorn had not ducked into a nearby bush, he would have met them face to face. Even when Sunny felt he could relax slightly, a set of four pink hooves hitting the ground nearly caused him to jump out of his skin. Luckily, he knew the pony who the hooves belonged too, and knew that this was just a fragment of her usual movement. Not long after the hooves hit the ground did they take to the air again as Pinkie continued hopping behind her friends.
"Yeah, I should probably feed Gummy before we leave. He gets super hungry if I don't leave him a plate of cupcakes to much on while I'm gone!" Pinkie Pie explained as Midnight Blossom followed behind her.
"I need to check in with Cloud Skipper" the bat pony guard told Twilight. "Will you be ok if I leave the rest up to you and your friends, your highness?"
"We'll be just fine, you are dismissed Midnight. Thank you again for all your help." Twilight smiled and motioned to the bat pony guard. "I hope everything works out."
"You might need that luck for yourself, your majesty" Midnight said as she kicked up her flapping speed and took to higher ground. "I shall send word upon arrival!"
After watching the Royal guard fly off, the girls continued their journey back into town to take poor Zecora to the hospital and to prepare for their quest.
From where Sunny was hiding, he could see the Zebra wrapped in Twilight's purple magical aura, floating right in front of the alicorn casting the spell. Sunny wondered for a moment what could have happened to her, and wished he could help. But right now there was something else he had to do.
After rushing into his secret cave, Sunny immediately grabbed the black knight armor from it's hiding spot. After dumping the contents of his lavender bag onto the ground, Sunny tossed the back armor, and a black cloak he had from his days as a prince, into two swirling whirlwind produced by the bag. After the armor and cloak were sucked securely into the small magical bag, Sunny grabbed enough bits for a round-a-bout trip too and from the Crystal Empire, then ran out the cave's entrance. He was in such a hurry that the stallion almost forgot to close it up all the way and hide the entrance. After taking a moment more to hide the cave properly, Sunny double checked that he had the money and the lavavender bag tucked away in his Stetson hat before galloping as fast as he could through the Everfree forest.
Taking a short cut, Sunny was barely able to make it to the station before Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Spike showed up. Sunny quickly grabbed his ticket and boarded the train. As the yellow unicorn got on the train, he took note of a cart that had sentries stationed at the doors. They both had dyed their coats purple, and sported crystal armor. It was obviously going to be the car that the girls would be traveling in.
'Cadence and Shinning Armor really spared no expense' Sunny thought. 'I better stick close by, but just out of sight. That way when the girls act, I can be close by. Remember, Sunny, you are just here incase something goes wrong. Otherwise, stay out of it.' Sunny nodded to himself as re spoke in his mind, earning him some confused looks from several ponies who watched him just stand there and nod.
But before the yellow unicorn could figure out how best to execute his plan, he caught sight of the girls boarding the train, and were heading his way! Panicking slightly, with no where else to go, Sunny turned to the prestigious car sent to specifically pick up and transport Applejack and her friends. Thinking back to the last time he was at the Crystal Empire, Sunny remembered how the guard's still obeyed his commands. His only hope was that it wasn't a fluke, and that these guards still subconsciously remembered him. Not enough to recognize him as the Prince, but enough to where they still obeyed his word when given orders.
"I need to get through here" Sunny approached the two guards, a firm look on his muzzle.
"Sorry, only Princess Twilight, her friends, and dragon assistant may enter." One sentry said, face and tone deadpan.
Sunny hesitated a moment before shooting both of the guard's a harder, more demanding look as he order them once more. "Let me pass though this cart. That is an order."
The guard's shivered a moment, hesitated, but eventually kneeled and allowed Sunny to pass into the royal cart. Keeping his cool and casually walking inside, Sunny dismissed the two sentries at the one door, only to instantly panic once the door was shut. "Now what do I do?! I need to go out the other way, but there'll probably be guard's there too! Ugh!"
"What was that?" A younger and higher pitched voice said from the side of the train car that Sunny needed to get through. "I'm going to check it out. Watch my back."
Panicking, Sunny looked all around the cart for a place to hide. He was too big to hide under the seats, the over head cargo holding area was just an open rack and too low to not be noticed, he could try and stick in the corner closest to the door behind where the door opened, but as soon as the young guard closed the door, Sunny would still have no where else to hide! Without a second thought, or any other choice, Sunny dove underneath a cloth covered table right as the guard entered the room.
The young guard was an off color lightish brown pegasus with a two toned blue mane. He was one of the newest recruits to the Crystal army, and not a crystal pony by birth. But Flash Sentry always tackled his duties with a seriousness that rivaled any senior officer. Which is why, although most guards might disregard some strange noises from the royal train car, Flash refused to ignore a possible treat.
Sunny watched from underneath the table as the Pegasus walked slowly in front of the table, probably examining every detail of the train car for anything out of the ordinary. Sunny kept silently hoping that the guard would just turn around and leave. And as Flash reached the far end of the car, he turned around and began walking back at a slightly faster pace, feeling that there might not have been any danger at all, and it was just his imagination. But just as Sunny felt he could relax, Flash's hoof steps paused suddenly. Looking where the guard had stopped, Sunny's eyes went wide and his heart jumped right into his throat. On the ground in front of Flash was Sunny's train ticket!
"How did this get here?" Flash said out loud as he picked up the ticket and examined it.
'Oh Buck! How am I going to explain this?!' Sunny screamed in his head as he began trying to think of a possible way to explain why he had been captured by the Crystal guard for sneaking into Applejack and her friends' private train car! Or even worse! How he got past the first set of Royal guards?!
"Excuse me sir" a feminine voice called out, followed by the sound of squeaking wheels. Sunny looked up and saw the hooves of a second pony as well as a food cart enter the train car. "I have to prepare the dinning table for the princess and her guests."
"Oh, ugh, y-yes ma'am, go right ahead." Flash said as he began to walk out of the car.
This was Sunny's opertinity! Without hesitation, Sunny waited until the mare had her back turned, then snuck underneath her food car, making sure that his tail was securely tucked away. Not long after he made the jump did Flash have a second thought and go back to check out the spot underneath the table. But when he did, there was nopony to be found, and Sunny was safely being carted away. And not a moment too soon. Right after the food cart left, Sunny could hear the muffled voices of Applejack and her friends.
Once the cart stopped in the train car over, Sunny peaked around outside, then slipped out, doing his best to nonchalantly slip into a seat. He casually looked around and noticed nopony else had been in the car, so he released his held breath and began to relax.
"Smooth moves you got there" a mare's voice nearly sent Sunny into cardiac arrest.
The yellow stallion flipped around to lock eyes with a half relaxed, half annoyed looking mare. She looked questioningly studied Sunny with her purple eyes as she brushed her purple and teal mane out of her eyes. "So is that how you normally get around, or did you lose your ticket?"
Straitening himself up and repositioning his Stetson hat, Sunny took a seat across from the amused pink mare. "Honestly, I'm kinda avoiding a few ponies and saw that as my window of opportunity. I payed for a ticket, honestly."
"Hey, I'm not the conductor. You don't have to convince me" the mare said as she waved a hoof. "Now if you don't mind, could you keep it down! I need to do some work."
"Yeah, sorry" Sunny said as he took a deep breath and began to relax, enjoying the ride while he could. Although a little rocky to start out, things were beginning to fall back into place. All Sunny needed to do was wait for the area outside to change to the snowy Arctic that surrounded the Crystal Empire, then he would make his way to the bathroom to set his plan into motion.
"Ugh! No! No! No!" The mare across from Sunny grew frustrated before she threw a few wadded up pieces of paper into the air and zapped them into ash.
"Ugh, you ok?" Sunny asked, wondering if that was a good idea to speak up.
"No! I am not ok! I am far from ok!" She snapped, speaking almost through her teeth.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Sunny asked, half concerned, and half thinking he should probably excuse himself to the bathroom now.
"Not like you can help" the mare spat as her volume decreased, but the tone remained just as hard, her eyes glaring away from Sunny and out the window.
"Well... maybe I can" Sunny stretched out his neck as he pulled his hat back a little. "Why don't cha talk ta me about it? What's th' matter?"
The pink unicorn mare huffed, sighed, then after a moment, reluctantly turned and faced Sunny. "Some stupid pony and her stupid friends came into my town, that I rescued and rebuilt from the ground up, then turned my friends against me! If that wasn't bad enough, she even got them to chase me out of town! For years I worked to get that place to run perfectly! Then she comes and messed everything up! Ugh! I wish I could just make her and her stupid friends disappear!"
Sunny gulped as he listens to the pink unicorn mare go on about how some other pony basically destroyed her life. He took it all in for a moment, then an idea popped into his head. "I know just the pony who can help you!"
After rubbing her eyes aggressively, the pink mare with the purple and teal mane looked up, her blood shot eyes locked into the yellow stallions. "Oh? And who would that be?"
"Well, Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of friendship" Sunny smiled as he started to make his suggestion. "She lives down in Ponyville, in a castle just west of town."
The mare stopped rubbing her temples in frustration and paused for a moment. A smile cracked on we face as she narrowed her eyes on Sunny. "You don't say? And she live there... in the castle...with her friends?"
"Actually, it's just her and her assistant" Sunny noted. "But all her friends live in town, not far from there. I'm sure somepony will be around to help, if Twilight isn't back there to talk to you. They solve friendship problems all the time. I'm sure they can help you make up with your friends."
The mare continued to smile as the gears began turning in her head. "That's good to know. Ugh, and what if I, perhaps, wanted to speak with only the princess. Since she is the 'princess of friendship' and all. Not that I don't think any of her friends could do it. But this is a really big problem. Could I maybe wait for her in the castle? Or won't the guards let me in?"
"I don't think Twilight has guards stationed at her castle" Sunny thought out loud. "And besides, Twilight always leaves the castle open during regular business hours so ponies who need to access the library can feel free to help themselves. After a run in with this centaur guy, the Ponyville library kinda blew up. So Twilight dedicated her library to the town. Though I'm sure she'll have another one built at some point. But she was really attached to it. It was her home when she first moved to Ponyville."
"Wow! That is just so fascinating!" The purple unicorn mare said with a sugary sweet smile. "I can't wait to see her! I'm going to go over and see her right after I make a little stop at Canterlot. Thank you so much for all your help, ugh...."
"Sunny, Sunny Knight. But mah friends just call me Sunny, miss... ah'm sorry, ah didn't quite catcher yer name." Sunny said, forcing a smile at the awkward situation.
The mare looked disheveled for a moment before gathering herself and answering in a clear and calm tone. "Why I'm Twinkle, ugh, Shine! Yes! Twinkle Shine!"
"A pleasure, Twinkle" Sunny said as he reached out and hook hooves gently. But at that moment, out of the corner of his eye, Sunny noticed the background seemed to change from Rocky Mountains to a snowy mountain scene. "Oh! I, ugh, have to go use the bathroom! B-but I wish you the best of luck Twinkle! Remember, Ponyville, west, castle. Bye!"
Sunny dashed out of the train cart to hop into another to change into his armor, leaving the mare behind to plot, scheme, and monologue in peace. Which is something every villain seems to do whenever they are alone.
"Well, princess Twilight, I hope you're ready for somepony to come into your cushy home and destroy everything you worked for! I'm going to ruin your life like you ruined mine! You shouldnt have messed with Starlight Glimmer!" Twinkle chuckled, exposing her real name.Starlight then spent the next couple of hours planning her next moves while danger waited right outside the window.
Sunny moved as swiftly as he could over a few train cars, looking desperately for a bathroom. He asked ponies he came across if they knew where one was. The ponies he asked either had no idea or tried to direct him back to the first car he just came from. Eventually, Sunny was approached by the conductor of the train, an older looking earth-pony stallion, with a large mustache.
"Excuse me, sir, but can I help you?" The conductor asked Sunny.
"I really need to find a bathroom, and quick!" Sunny said, making it appear that he was in desperate need of some relief.
"Calm down there, it's this way, I'll show you" the conductor then led Sunny down the way past a dining car, and further away from Twilight's royal car, eventually leading the yellow stallion to a single stall bathroom.
Although the area was cramped, Sunny still needed to use it change into his suit of armor and conseal himself in the black cloak he had brought. He had no idea why, but along with all his personal treasures, books, pictures and suits of armor, Sunny had about a dozen or so black cloaks. And he couldn't remember why he would ever need so many, but in this case, the largest one came in handy. Ponies might stare at him a bit, but as long as Sunny kept his head revealed, he should be fine. Relictantly, Sunny would have to take his Stetson hat that he had grown so fondly of, off. There would be no time to shuffle to get it into the lavender bag if he needed to step in. The helmet alone he would have to hide awkwardly underneath his cloak. But as the former prince of the Crystal Empire struggled to fit on the back leg parts of his armor, he heard a click from the bathroom door. Sunny then fell out of the train's small bathroom and landed right at the hooves of the conductor.
"Ugh... what's going on here?" The conductor asked as she scratched the side of his head, shooting Sunny a puzzled look.
"Ugh... I can explain... its, ugh... a jousting costume! Yeah! For ... the Crystal fair?" Sunny gave the conductor his most modest smile, but by the look in the conductor's eye, he wasn't convinced.
"And why was it so important to change in the bathroom and cause a ruckus on my train?" The middle aged earth pony asked. "And why do you have to change here? Don't you have a booth on your train car you can do this at?...let me see your ticket, please. I don't think Ive punched it yet."
Sunny's heart dropped and his breathing started to increase, which, with the armor on, made in harder for him to calm himself down. But Sunny did his best to appear casual. After straitening himself out, and pretending to flick imaginary dust off of himself, Sunny simply smiled and began to look around in his cloak and suit of armor for the ticket that he knew he dropped a couple of cars back.
"Oh... ugh, I seem to have misplaced it" Sunny shot the conductor another awkward smile. "Ugh... could I buy a new one?"
"Sure you can. That will be five bits for a regular seat, 15 for a private car if you want" the conductor informed Sunny, his tone mellowing out.
"A private one would be preferred..." Sunny commented as he began rustling around for his lavender bag to retrieve the equestrian currency from, but froze. 'Oh zap apples! I didn't bring any spare bits!'
Sunny gulp as he realized his blunder. Watching the yellow stallion react this way and freezing as he did, the conductor sighed. "Listen kid, I can't let anypony ride for free. That's my paycheck riding on this train. Granted, one or two ponies a trip isn't bad. But if I start letting ponies ride for free, soon they'll tell their friends and their friends will tell their friends, and before I know it, the crew and I can't eat. Now I'm gunna have to take you to the Royal guards on car 2."
"What?! Why?!" Sunny's anxiety began to shoot through the roof.
"It's policy" the conductor continued. "Anypony caught without paying for their ticket, aka, stow-a-ways, are to be taken to the Royal guard's train in car 2. That way the train can be reimbursed for the losses fair."
"B-but doesn't that seem a little extreme?!" Sunny began to panic. The last thing he needed to do was get arrested. Getting desperate, the yellow unicorn tried to pull at the conductor's heart strings. "Please, I have a family waiting for me! I can't go to jail!"
"You won't go to jail" the conductor smiled nervously at the frantic stallion before him. "You'll just he brought before a princess and given a warning not to do it again. Technicalities, you know. It's really all a scare tactic."
That wasn't good enough for Sunny in his situation. Having to go before the princesses would mean more then just facing a charge of sneaking abroad a train. If the princesses knew the son of King Sombra was walking around, they might keep him there for questioning and then everypony would know who he is! Twilight, Octavia, Thunder Lane, Big Mac.... and... and Applejack. Applejack would know who Sunny really was! The son of one of their darkest enemies! She and the other Apples would surely turn their back on him! Cast him out!... he'd be without a home again... or friends... or anything ...
The fear began to build up as a black and purple bubbling magical aura coated the yellow unicorn's horn. "I'm sorry... but I can't let that happen... I'm so sorry..."
The conductor didn't have time to react before he was hit with a black, purple, and green magical blast. When the site cleared and the conductor could once again be seen by Sunny, the Yellow stallion did his best not to look the conductor in the eye, ashamed of what he had done. The middle aged earth pony's eyes had turned solid green as all thought and free will had become suppressed. The conductor had a servitude curse cast on him. A spell Sunny had learned from his father's books. One he swore he would never use except as a last resort.
"You will obey my command for the time being" Sunny told the zombified conductor, forcing himself to look upon the elderly stallion. "Is that understood?"
The conductor bowed, eyes still solid green as some saliva began to run down from his open mouth. "Yes, your majesty."
"Don't call me that..." Sunny gave his first order. The word 'majesty' stung coming from a pony with no will of his own at the moment. "Tell me, what car can I be taken too were nopony would see or hear me? And where I can exit the train without the other passengers seeing me?"
"The baggage cart, sir..." the conductor answered as more drool dripped down the left side of his open mouth.
"You will take me there, now" Sunny said as he finished checking over his armor, making sure it was all secure and placed in properly before they went on their way.
"I obey..." the conductor said as he began leading Sunny from the current car they were in down the way to the cargo car.
As they passed through the three cars to get to their destination, several pairs of curious eyes fell upon Sunny and the conductor, but luckily, more on Sunny. The yellow unicorn could deal with ponies wondering why somepony was draped in a long black cloak and clanking like pots and pans, rather then they notice the conductor being totally out of it and leaving a trail of drool behind. As the two stallions arrived at the cargo car, Sunny surveyed the area, making sure nopony was around. He didn't think he could pull off the same spell again if anypony else walked in on him. Dark magic was very taxing on the mind and nerves and could only be performed properly by a small group of ponies. Sunny wasn't proud of the fact that he could use it, and even less proud to use it on innocent ponies, but he had to do what he had to do.
After giving the train car a good look down, Sunny approached the conductor who was still under the servitude curse. Pausing, Sunny looked at the poor stallion he had used that dark spell on. Guilt began to bubble with in the yellow pony's heart, but was pushed aside. "I order you to forget that you ever saw me. Go back to what you were doing before you ran into me. And get yourself a snack and something to drink. Take a break to relax. You work hard, you deserve a break every now and again."
"Yes sir" the still Zombified Conductor saluted Sunny then turned around to leave the cargo car.
Once the middle aged earth pony was outside the cargo car and started to pick up where he left off, the curse lifted, freeing the conductor from the spell's effects. The stallion stretched and yawned, right before he got the subconscious urge to sit down with a cup of hot chocolate and a few blue berry scones. The urge was too strong for the stallion to resist. And the conductor decided he deserved the break. He thought how hard he had been working all day, so hard, that he forgot what he was doing or how he had gotten to that part of the train in the first place.
Guilt continued to fill the yellow unicorn's heart, having used black magic when possibly it could have been avoided. That same magic might have been what caused his father to change into the cruel tyrant Sunny last met. The books warn of corrupting side effects, much like the alicorn amulet. But Sunny felt nothing, nothing except the guilt of bending a pony's will to his own. In the past, Sunny had given orders to the guards, but that was his place to. And it was theirs to follow. Granted, if they ever wished, they could have chosen not to, they still had that. But with this magic, this corrupting dark magic, it felt so terrible...
The train began to come to a screeching halt, causing Sunny to lose his footing, and fall into a pile of coal. Struggling to get out of it, coughing the entire time from the black dust the coal seemed to cover him with. Eventually, the former prince was able to pull himself out of the pile of coal and ready himself for the worst.
Placing three small crystals in the ground in front of him, a blue, a pink, and a green, then tracing a circle to connect them, Sunny ensured that he would have an escape rout. It was an old crystal pony trick that must have long been forgotten. But Crystal ponies could use these small multicolor crystals to teleport from one point to another without the use of magic, simply by creating the same set up in two different places then by crushing the green crystal to activate the power of the pink and blue crystals. But since unicorns can just cast a teleportation spell, and the fact that these crystals are rare and expensive, the trick had long since been forgotten. Sunny still felt weak, and was amazed he could cast that curse with ease, but a teleportation spell to carry him quickly away from Applejack and her friends would be impossible. This is actually more perfect, the more Sunny thought about it. If he has to deal with Garganda, he can simply teleport back onto the moving train, traveling further and further away from Applejack, Twilight and the rest. The last thing he needed was a million and one questions from the girls, who, could either potentially recognize him or put two and two together. For the sake of his new life, Sunny couldn't let that happen.
As the train began to pick up speed again, it was now or never for 'the Black Knight'. Dawning his black helmet after applying a face mask to further hide his identity, Sunny opened the car door and jumped into the snow just as the train began moving again. Lucky for Sunny, his landing was cushioned by the surrounding snow. Unlucky for him, he hated the cold! Shivering like crazy, Sunny stuck his head out of the small mound of snow he had landed in and peaked around. He could see in the distance the girls speaking with Shinning armor and Cadence, making him glad he didn't go with them even if he wasn't hiding who he was.
'I know they're not bad ponies' Sunny started telling himself. 'I'm sure they're really nice once you get to know them... maybe I should try after all of this blows over. Maybe this will be the last time the Black Knight has to show up. But I guess we'll see...'
Before Sunny could lose himself deeper in thought, his eyes zoomed in on the large legs and body they were attached to. It had been years since he last saw Garganda, over 1000 to be precise. And the yellow unicorn wondered if the giant dragon would even remember him.
The girls began to chase after the slow moving behemoth, splitting into two groups, with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy heading to his head to try and stop him while the ground based ponies and Twilight followed beside to wait for their chance to speak with Garganda. Sunny got up out of the snow and brushed some of it off, realizing some of the coal dust had brushed off from the armor, but it wouldn't get off of his own fur. He'd have to take a good long bath after this little adventure, his yellow coat was turned black by the annoying coal dust. But then again, it might help to disguise him further.
Now running after the girls, keeping at a decent distance to still remain hidden, Sunny galloped through the snow. His black cloak waved in the Arctic wind thanks to the current storm. Luckily, all the running he was doing was warming the former prince up. It would have been awkward if he arrived and had to intervene while speaking through a pair of chattering teeth.
Eventually Garganda stopped, being the signal for Sunny to stop as well. 'Did they do it that fast? Did they really stop the all mighty Garganda, of the west?'
But before Sunny could call this case to a close, the mighty dragon of legend raised his mighty wings, and with a single beat of them, blew the storm miles and miles off its course, essentially clearing the entire sky. Sunny had to shield his eyes from the cold blow, but when he was able to gaze up at the sight before him once more, all he could think of the mighty dragon was 'show off...'
Now was the time Sunny believed he had to kick back and wait patiently for something, anything to happen. He would then decide to act or not. As Sunny relaxed, his eyes wandered over the snowy scene, and eventually found where Shinning Armor, Cadence and their guards had followed behind Applejack and her friends, ready to jump in, he guessed, if thing went from bad to worse. But the former prince did his best to ignore them, even though, out of the corner of his eye, he thought Princess Cadence looked over and motioned to him. They were at least a mile away, and the Rulers of the Crystal Empire had bigger fish to fry then a pony in black armor.
"Who. Dares. Halt. Gargonda. Of. The. West?" The dragon's voice boomed like thunder and shocked everypony below, even from this distance.
Sunny watched as the giant dragon looked down and picked the girls up with one claw. He knew Garganda may have been possibly the largest dragon in all of Equestria, but Sunny also knew Garganda was for sure the most gentle... when he chose to be. So the yellow unicorn didn't worry about the giant black dragon picking the girls up. Garganda then held the girls out in front of him, listening to what they had to say.
He exhaled from his cave sized nostrils before locking his eyes on the ponies in his claw. "The. Crystal. Empire. Is. Ordered. To. Be. Destroyed. Nothing. Is. to. Remain."
'What?! Who ordered that?! The Dragon Lord?! No, no he wouldn't risk a war with the ponies... would he?' Sunny said as he advanced closer to Garganda, while keeping a good distance from Cadence, Shinning Armor and the Crystal guards they had with them.
"The. Crystal. Empire. Is. To. Be. Destroyed" Gargonda repeated. "If. Not. Darkness. Will. Consume. All. Those. Are. My. Orders. I. Will. Turn. The. Empire. To. Ash."
'Darkness?' Sunny reappeared Garganda's words in his own head as he continued to slowly advance towards the giant dragon, still not sure if he should step in or not. But from the way things are looking, negotiations aren't going well.
"Then. So. Be. It." Gargonda huffed, as he looked into the claw the girls were in, appearing unmoved by whatever Applejack and her friends were saying.
'This really, really isn't looking good' Sunny said to himself as he kicked up his pace.
"None. Can. Change. My. Order." Garganda continued to say. "The. Empire. Falls. Today."
Ok, that did it. Sunny wasn't going to let it go any further. He trusted Applejack and her friends to save Equestria, and had read how they have done so in the past. But this was the Crystal Empire where Sunny had grown up, where he served in the Royal guard, the place he failed to protect in the past... the least he could do was save them this time around.
"GARGANDA!!!" Sunny screamed with all his might, as loud as he could not knowing weather or not the giant could hear him. As luck would have it, the mountain sized dragon did, turning and looking down at Sunny in surprise.
Garganda then stretched out his free claw and swooped up the one who called out to him. After raising the captive in his left claw up to his face, Garganda opened his claw and was surprised by the contents it held inside. "It. Has. Been. Over. 1000. Years. Since. I. Last. Saw. You..."
After being free from Garganda's grasp, Sunny ignored the group of ponies, which included Applejack and Twilight, off to his left and focused his attention on the dragon threatening to destroy his old home.
"Welcome. Back. Black. Knight. Of. The. Crystal. Empire..." Garganda created his old friend, confusing all the ponies and baby dragon in his right claw.
The 'Black Knight', as Garganda just declaimed him, was ignoring Twilight and her friends and focused souly on the giant dragon before him. "It has been a log time, Garganda. You look well."
"As. Do. You. Old. Friend." The mighty dragon replied, but was didn't have time for pleasantries. "I. Must. Destroy. The. Crystal. Empire."
"I can't let you do that" the Black Knight replied, his voice strained and gruff, echoing off his helmet's mask piece. "Under the authority of the Dragon Lord, I order you to-"
"The. Dragon. Lord. Does. Not. Order. Me." Garganda interrupted, his reptilian like eyes narrowing on the Black Knight. "You. Know. Better."
The black knight sighed and took a a deep breath before looking back at Garganda. "Old friend, will you please trust me? Any danger that will come, these girls will face and concur. They have taken on evil before and succeeded. Saving all of Equestria many times over."
"Then I will join them" the Black Knight stated without hesitation, flaring with gusto. "Together we will stop this darkness."
Garganda narrowed his giant eyes on the Black Knight, studying him, judging him as he had 1000 years ago when the pony first came to him for the magical armor. Garganda is blessed with many gifts; size, strength, and a seemingly ageless body, but one that very few know of is his insight. The power very few dragons ever had. The ability to feel the inner workings of another's heart.
"Had. You. Asked. Me. 1000. Years. Ago. Black. Knight. I. Would. Have. Denied. Your. Request. But. You. Have. Changed." Garganda smiled, having seen the change in the black armor wearing pony. A change he had hoping for since the two first met. "I. Will. Grant. You. That. But. Remember. Should. The. Shadows. Break. Free. It. Will. Be. On. Your. Head. As. Well. As. On. Theirs. No. Mistakes. And. This. Time. The. Nightmare. Won't. End. After. 968. Years."
The Black Knight snapped back without thinking "it was 1000 years."
The giant black dragon smiled and nodded. "It. Is. Good. To. See. You. Again. Knight. You. Should. Go. See. Tourch. I. Think. He. Missed. You.-"
"Wait! Hold up!" Growing impatient Rainbow Dash flew up between the Black Knight and Garganda. "What is going on here?! And who are you?"
The Black Knight narrowed his eyes on Rainbow, wanting to keep his identity, simply answered "An ally."
"I. Must. Go. I. Tire." Garganda told the ponies in his claws, before looking into the group of guards, Cadence, and Shinning Armor. "Let. It. Come. To. Pass. That. The. Fate. Of. Our. Worlds. Rest. With. These. Ponies. In. My. Claws. As. Well. As. Those. Who. Ally. Themselves. With. Them. The. Darkness. Is. Coming."
With that, Garganda slowly lowered his claws to the ground, allowing the ponies he was holding to hop off and safely land on the ground. Once his claws were free, the mighty Garganda waved to the Black Knight before beginning his long walk back west. He could have flown and been there in a few moments, but all around him would have been blown away. Besides, he needed to walk and stretch his legs after standing still for so long.
Tearing their attention away from Garganda, Twilight and the rest turned to the Black Knight, hoping to get some answers. But rather then engage with the girls, he appeared to be kicking around snow.
Twilight was the first to approach him. "Excuse me, ugh, Mr. Black Knight? I have a few, well, more then a few questions to ask you. And since we're going to be working together, it might be a good idea to get everypony in the same page."
The Black Knight ignored Twilight for a moment as he pulled out three crystals from his cloak and dropped them in the snow, carefully placing them in precise points on a circle he had drawn. As the black knight moved his hoof over to where he had dropped a green crystal, he raised his head and locked eyes with Twilight. "We need to work together. But my secrets are my own. Until next time, princess..."
Before anypony could say anything, the Black Knight crushed the green crystal. In a flash, the Black Knight had vanished! Leaving behind only a broken circle and the two remaining crystals that had turned purple. Twilight looked around frantically, a million more questions bubbling in her head.
'Who was that guy? Where did he come from? Was he some royal guard from Canterlot? Did princess Celestia or Luna send him? How did he know Garganda? And what was that he just did?!' Twilight turned her attention back to the crystals and levitated them up to her face. They seemed rather dull as to when he first dropped them, but Twilight could possibly do some research on them and maybe find something.
"Who was that guy?!" Rainbow Dash asked as she and he rest of Twilight's friends rejoined her.
"I don't know" Twilight answered, turning to her friends. "But we can assume he's on our side. To save the Crystal Empire, at least. But we need to find out what 'darkness' Garganda was trying to destroy there in the first place.
"Let's get with Cadence and Shinning Armor and try and figure this out" Twilight suggested as she put the dark purple crystals away and began walking over to her brother and sister in law.
"Can we talk back at the Empire?" Rarity asked, teeth. Whining to chatter. "T-the storm's coming back. A-and it's u-unlady l-l-like for one's teeth to chatter."
"Oh! And we can have some hot chocolate!" Pinkie Pie suggested, bouncing up as down, ignoring the cold all around her. "With whipped cream, chocolate shavings, oh! And a cherry on top!"
"That sounds really nice" Fluttershy commented, feeling he cold wind hit her.
As the girls rejoined Candence and Shinning Armor to head back to the Crystal Empire, miles and miles away, the teleportation spell the Black Knight had set had gone wrong...
About two or three miles away, with the snow storm returned and the train tracks once again were covered in a blanket of it, a bright green flash appeared, carrying with it the image of a pony in black armor. The stallion fell hard onto the tracks. The train had passed by that exact spot about 30 seconds ago and had left to make it to the Crystal Empire train station only five minutes behind schedule.
Struggling to get to his hooves and throwing off his helmet to help him catch his breath, Sunny quickly realized that no pony had attempted to use that method of teleportation onto a moving train before. Now he knew why. Still, it did manage to get him away from Twilight with all her questions, as well as Applejack and the others. He didn't want to risk them finding out about him.
Looking around, Sunny could see the Crystal Empire wasn't far, maybe a half hour trot from where he was. 'If I keep my armor on it should insulate me.'
He then turned and tried to levitate his helmet back to him. Only the magical aura around the helmet disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. 'Darn. My magic still hasn't returned.'
"Lose something?" A mare's voice, soft yet stern, called out to Sunny. The yellow armored stallion turned quickly to see a mare cloaked in a large brown cloak, a pair of black visors like Shinning Armor's over her eyes and a blue scarf with the Crystal empire's symbol embroidered on it. The cloak she wore didn't cover her legs, which revealed her body's color to be a slightly dark shade of purple. Her horn turned blue with her magical aura as she levitated Sunny's helmet back to him. "Come with me. We need to talk.."
Before Sunny could answer, the mysterious mare began walking away from the Empire and off towards what looked like a steep hill. Sunny wasn't really sure who this mare was, but something deep inside was telling him to follow her. Without a second thought, Sunny found his feet moving without him ordering too.
-the Crystal Empire Castle, dining hall-
After the Cadence, Shinning Armor, Twilight and her friends all returned to the Crystal Empire, they went strait for the castle's dining hall. Everypony was starving from the ride as well as all the action that went on with Garganda. Although they needed to go over the details and discuss what had happened, but nopony can work on an empty stomach, to that, even Twilight would agree that brain food was required. But that didn't stop her from talking about it at dinner.
"So now we have two mysteries on our hooves" Twilight said after swallowing a bite of carrot. "What 'Darkness' Garganda was talking about and who this 'Black Knight' guy is."
"I've never heard of any 'Black Knight'" Shinning Armor commented as he took a huge bite of an apple.
"Neither have I" Cadence added, then took a sip of her crystal Berry juice before taking another bite of her salad.
"Did anypony notice how friendly Garganda was with that Black Knight fellow" Rarity noted levitating a picture of the juice over and refilling her glass.
"Yeah, and he also mentioned something about being gone, for like, 900 years or something?" Rainbow Dash said as she waved a croissant around before bitting into it.
"968 years, Dashie!" Pinkie corrected as she added whipped cream to her own croissant, showering sprinkles ontop of it, then topping it with a cherry before extending her mouth and eating it all in one bite.
Fluttershy sat next to her nibbling on her own salad as she watched Pinkie with wide and amazed eyes.
"Well whoever he was, ah think it's ah safe bet ta say he's on our side" Applejack commented before taking a bite of her own apple, thinking how the apples grown in the empire had a crisper taste and would have to save the seeds to plant some back at the farm.
"I don't know" Rainbow Dash said with cheeks full of the rest of her flaky treat. After swallowing, the cyan colored mare added to her previous statement. "Guy shows up in a black suit of armor, starts barking orders, then takes off."
"But, um, he did say that he would work with us, right?" Fluttershy finally spoke up.
"Putting the Knight aside, I think we need to focus on this 'Darkness'" Cadence pushed to redirect the topic of the conversation. "If the Black Knight shows up again, either as a friend or an enemy, we can deal with him then."
"Well said" Twilight commented while levitating a book in front of her. "Now, of all the books on ancient and powerful dragons I had in the library, only this one ever spoke of a 'Garganda'."
"Books at the table again, Twily?" Shining said with Crystal Berry jelly smeared across his face.
Twilight blushed, remembering how that was a pet peeve of their mother's when Twilight was little. After clearing her throat, Twilight flipped to a page she marked as began to read her hi-lighted notes. "Well, its said that there are four beings of legend that guard the four corners of the world. The other names are encrypted, but the one I could decipher was the guardian of the west, 'Garganda'."
"Wow, so these guys are, like, super strong or something?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"The feller cleared ahway ah snowstorm with just his wings, remember?" Applejack raised a brow at her Pegasus friend.
"And, in like, 2 seconds flat!" Pinkie commented, bouncing in we seat. "That's five times faster then you Dashie!"
"Yeah, well, if I was a giant dragon like him, I bet I would only need, like .2 seconds then!" Rainbow went on the defensive, puffing her lower lip up.
"Getting back to the book" Twilight tried to reel her friends back in. "These guardians have been in charge of the world since before time was even recorded, back when ponies still painted on cave walls!"
"Wow, and I thought Celestia and Luna were old..." Shining Commented as he whipped his mouth clear of food.
"I'm telling them you said that" Cadence playfully nudged her husband, her and a few of the girls giggling.
"Buuuut" Twilight once again reeled them all back to the topic at hoof. "None of the four legendarily being have ever been documented doing anything. The other three have even yet to be seen. Garganda made himself present when Star-Swirl the bearded discovered him napping in the west mountains."
"West mountains?" Pinkie repeated. "But most of the stuff west of here is flatland."
"Ugh..." Twilight skimmed the book more closely. "Apparently he 'was' the west mountains. And now that he awoke from his nap, that's where the great west fields reside."
"Now that's a nap!" Rainbow smirked as she picked up some grapes, tossing a few into the air, and thatching them in her mouth.
"So it's also safe to say he doesn't have a personal grudge against the Empire" Rarity sad, dabbing her clean mouth with her napkin.
"But that only means this 'Darkness' does" Cadence added
"And this 'Darkness' is coming for the Crystal Empire" Twilight's tone became forlorn. "There's only one pony I can think of who Garganda could possibly be talking about."
"Sombra" Shinning Armor and Cadence said simultaneously, their expressions firmly concerned at the thought of the Empire's former king.
"Ugh! Now I really wish that crazy puppet hadn't attacked the library!" Twilight said rubbing her temples.
"Puppet?" Cadence asked. "What puppet?"
"It was this thing that princess Celestia sent from Canterlot" Twilight began to say. "Only its, ugh, possessed you could say, by the angry Timberwolf spirits."
"Gatta admit, th' Timberwolf sightin's have gone down quite ah bit since that Halloween" Applejack threw out there, slightly defending Sunny's actions that lead up to the puppet's possession.
"Ugh, creepy!" Shinning shivered at the thought of such a toy coming to life. His childhood nightmares were filled with dolls and toys coming to life and scaring him. Which helped Twilight out after he scared her with toy rubber snakes. All Twilight had to do was wake Shinning up by placing Smarty Pants at the foot of his bed, starring in his direction, and talk in a creepy voice.
"I'll have double the guards for the next month or so while we try and figure this out" Cadence told Twilight and her friends. "Just in case it is Sombra behind all of this. We know he'll come for the Crystal Heart."
"Is anypony needing to get back to Ponyville for anything soon? Or can you guys stay here for a while?" Twilight turned and asked her friends, not wanting to jump the gun and answer for them.
"Eh, I needed time off of work, anyway" Rainbow said as she popped another grape back in her mouth.
" I could use this time to study the fashions of the Empire!" Rarity said with glee. "Maybe even pick up some new materials! Oh! And the fabric here can't be found anywhere else!"
"I'm free!" Pinkie said, bouncing up and down again. "It will be like a week long slumber party! I hope we have enough whipped cream!"
"Um... I-I might need to head back to set the animals up and find a house sitter" Fluttershy spoke up, worried how her animal friends would survive without her.
"Ah could head back with ya" Applejack exclaimed. "Ah need ta, ugh, check up in th' farm as let th' family know Ah'll be gawn fer ah while."
"You mean a certain somepony?" Rarity whispered over to Applejack, a sly smile on her face.
Applejack Blushed as she looked away, slightly smiling. "Yeah... kinda that too..."
"Then it's settled" Cadence smiled. "I'll have rooms set up for you all. We really appreciate all you guys have done."
"It's our pleasure, Cadence" Twilight smiled and nodded.
"Hey! This means you guys can come up the Crystal Fair tomorrow!" Shinning Armor almost jumped right out d his seat. "And better yet! You all can see yours truly in the jousting competition!"
"You're jousting?!" Rainbow asked, excited about another competition that she was now planning to enter. "Can I join in?"
"Sure, but I got to warn ya, I've been practicing for months" Shinning Armor began to boast. "No guard in all the empire has bested me yet!"
"Guess that means I'll be taking you down" Rainbow Dash shot the prince a confident smirk.
"I'd love to see that!" Shining admitted, claiming he hasn't had a real challenge in years.
"So, I'm willing to guess my brother's been going off the deep end with this jousting thing?" Twilight whispered over to Cadence, half smiling.
Cadence seemed unamused as her dulled look spoke for miles. "He's been obsessed with it for the past two months. It's all he ever talks about now or days!"
"I'm sure it'll pass once the fair's over" Twilight tried to reassure her poor sister in law.
"I sure hope so" Cadence said as she started with her breathing exercises.
The mystery mare had lead Sunny up to the hill that he quickly realized was really a small house covered in snow with a small chimney sticking out of the top. The mare used her magic to lift the snow away from the front door and held it open for the armored stallion. Without hesitation, Sunny walked inside to a dark house. He didn't know why, but something deep inside told the former prince that it was ok to trust this mare.
Once inside, the mare cast a spell and several crystals lit up the room. They were similar to the ones that Sunny had used inside his secret bedroom back at the Crystal Empire Castle. Maybe all ponies of the Crystal Empire used them, but he couldn't remember for sure if they did. Even though he had a lot of his memories back, Sunny still felt like there was so much of himself he had yet to remember. With the whole room lit up, the mare began to take off her protective winter gear and cloak, hanging them up on a coat rack near the door.
The house wasn't that large, one bed one bath I looked like, maybe about the side of the Apple family's living room. Other then the bedroom and bathroom, there was a small kitchen, a couch that could fit ether two adult ponies or maybe three foals, a bookshelf only half stocked with books and scrolls. The books themselves weren't even set up right. They look like they were just set there in small piles, which Sunny thought, would send Twilight into super panic mode. The thought of Twilight's reaction made Sunny laugh a little.
"That's something I haven't heard in a long, long time" the mare said as she let her mane down, flowing around her horn and over her forehead. The mare's dark blue eyes took a good long look at Sunny laughing to himself.
"Ugh... I don't mean to sound weird, but... are you my mom?" Sunny asked sheepishly at the very awkward question.
The mare stared at Sunny with a shocked expression and wide eyes that held quite a bit of confusion in them. After several moments, the mare's mind was able to catch up with them in the moment. She studied the yellow unicorn, looking him up and down. He wore the same armor he had 1000 years ago, he looked almost the same as the last she had seen him, maybe even a little more muscular. It was hard to tell under the armor and... what was that all over him? Coal dust? But there was something else about him. It was in his eyes. Something... peaceful. But his eyes were also questioning, as if looking for many answers.
"Sunny... do you know who I am?" The purple unicorn asked, taking a step closer, studying the stallion closer.
Sunny gulped and began to look nervously from the mare to the door, wondering if he should shoot for a hasty exit. "Ugh... maybe?"
It hit the mare just then. "You... really don't remember me, do you sweetie?"
With a heavy sigh, Sunny gave the mystery mare his full and undivided attention, after tossing his thoughts of running away out the window. "I'm sorry... I lost my memory and just recently got some of it back. I don't mean to-"
Sunny's appology was interrupted by a tackle hug from the mare, one that rattled the yellow stallion in his armor. And even though the black armor separated the two ponies physically, something warm began to grow from the physical connection of the hug.
"A-auntie..." the words began to trickle out of Sunny's mouth, slowly and unsure at first. But deep inside his mind, Sunny was dusting off the clouded memories. "Auntie... Radiant?"
At first, Sunny couldn't tell what the mare hugging him was doing. She kept her head down and appeared to be shaking. But as she looked up to the yellow stallion, Sunny saw tears flowing heavily from her eyes, but a smile was glowing bright on her face. Like the moon shinning on a rainy night.
"I-I'm s-s-so happy y-you're ok!" She cried deeper into Sunny's chest plate as she hugged him tighter, even though she knew he couldn't feel the armor. "I was afraid I lost both of you! And now you're here! I'm so happy!"
Fond memories began to flash in Sunny's mind. From the earliest when he was just a little foal and his Aunt was sneaking him cookies behind his father's back. Or when his father was busy with royal meetings and needed a baby sitter, Radiant would play all kinds of games with Sunny, feed him, bathe him, and read to him. When Sunny got older, he remembered Radiant helping him with his homework when his father wasn't able to. She even taught him a few fun spells, like how to enchant a broom and dust pan to help him clean up his room! Of course, the first time he did that he accidentally caught the broom on fire, but she and his father helped to put out the flames. Later in his life, as Sunny began to take on the duties of a prince, Radiant served as an advisor when he needed a more personal opinion when making a difficult decision. Radiant Hope had been there all his life, how could Sunny have forgotten her?!
"I... I remember now..." Sunny's smile began to grow as he hugged Radiant Hope back, tighter and tighter. "I remember Auntie! I remember how you-"
"S-Sunny!" Radiant spoke in grasps as the air from her lungs was pushed out from the armor clad hug Sunny was giving her.
When Sunny realized he was strangling her, he quickly released her. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I forgot. Here..."
Sunny then began taking the armor off and gently setting it in a pile of to the side, before turning back to face his Aunt who had now caught her breath and smiled back at Sunny with the same enthusiasm and joy she had earlier. The two hugged once more, holding the embrace for several long moments, before finally releasing each other.
"Ugh..." Radiant tried her best to think of what to say next when she noticed some coal dust had rubbed off on her from her nephew. "Why don't you get cleaned up, I'll brew us up some tea, then we can talk. I'm sure you have a lot of questions."
Sunny smiled and nodded. "I do... and thanks."
After pausing a moment to smile at his newly remembered aunt, Sunny made his way across the small house to the bathroom that held a single toilet, a small sink, and a shower just big enough for him. He was greatful that working on the farm hadn't made him as big and strong as Bjg Mac, otherwise he'd never get into the tiny shower. After making sure to get every spec of coal dust out of his coat and givin his mane and tail a good lather and rinse, Sunny emerged from a steaming bathroom only to he hit in the face with a big, fluffy bathrobe.
"Trust me, you'll freeze your fur off if you don't dry properly" Radiant Hope said with a smile.
Sunny took a moment to look at the bath robe; it was wool, possibly, very soft, but had frilly lacing all around the neck and bottom. Not something he would choose to wear around the farm house. Although the Apples might get a kick out of it. "Do I have to?"
"You can let your fur freeze and fall out if you want." Radiant said as she pulled up a chair beside a small table, levitating two cups of hot tea over and placing them gently on it. "Or you can deal with wearing a girly bath robe for a little bit. Now sit. I have questions too. Like where have you been all this time?! Where did you go after you returned to the Empire?! And why did you just now pop up?!"
Sunny took a deep breath, threw the girly robe on, and prepared to tell his aunt the tale thus far of his life. "Well... let's go back a little more then 1000 years ago..."
Going back to when Sunny returned from his journey to the Griffin's home land, renewing their negotiations involving where their lands met the local pony's lands, Sunny painted a very dark and all too haunting picture of the Crystal Empire that he returned to. One where the lush green fields were dead and dry, the shinning buildings, homes and Crystal ponies themselves had dulled in their usual shine and become dark and deprived of love. Then, atop of the tallest tower stood his father. Not the kind king Sunny remembered leaving, not the father who raised the yellow unicorn and taught him to be sincere, just, wise and loving. What Sunny met was not a Sombra he had ever seen before. A monster.
"... I... I fought him" Sunny forced himself to continue. "I thought using my puppets to fight would be enough to shake him. Father and I had never fought. Spared a few times, but we never hurt each other..."
Radiant's facial expression was very forlorn, but her eyes remained locked on her nephew as she pushed him to continue. "What happened next?"
"After I lost, he sealed me away" Sunny explained. "I didn't know where until much later. But I was apparently sealed away in a bolder and sent off into the sky, where I circled the stars for 1000 years until just a while ago." A thought caused Sunny to chuckle lightly.
"What's so funny about that?" Radiant asked, confused by Sunny's light laughter.
"They thought I was a comet, and some old stallion named me after him" Sunny began to explain. " 'Gazer's Comet'. Well, getting back to that..."
Sunny went on to explain what happened while he was trapped inside the large rock. About the nightmare he was forced to experience over and over again for 1000 years. How, because of that trauma, when when the spell that bound him was finally broken, and the 'comet' fell, he had lost all memory of who he was and what had happened. That is when the stallion's story started to get better, and Radiant noticed an pure, honest smile began grow on Sunny's muzzle.
The former prince told Radiant Hope about how Goldie Delicious found him on the side of the road and gave him water, a hat to keep the sun off of him, and directions to find her grandniece who might have been able to help him. Sunny went on to talk about coming to Ponyville, eventually making his way to the Apple Farm, helping the Apples out, and finally meeting Applejack. Sunny didn't know it, but he actually went into more details about Applejack then anypony else. Sure, he talked about making friends with Pinkie Pie, Octavia, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Thunder Lane, Big Mac, and a lot of the other ponies in town, and he even told his aunt about some of the crazy adventures he's gone on like when the changeling queen tried to pose as his mother and take him away, the insistent with the timber wolves, or when Lightning Dust almost destroyed the town, but without thinking about it, Sunny kept bringing up how brave, how sweet, how kind, how strong, and how honest this mare named Applejack was. And every time he said we name, Radiant saw a glimmer in Sunny's green eyes. It made the purple mare think of Sombra every time he spoke of, or even thought of Sunny's mother.
"... and well, after I drank that potion, and remembered who I was, I kind of panicked and ran off into the Everfree Forrest... that's... that's where I ran into my father.." The last part was hard for Sunny to spit out, but it shook Radiant and pulled her out of the relaxed mode see was in from Sunny's slice of life story.
"Wait! You saw Sombra?! Where?!" Radiant asked, panic in her voice.
Hesitating only for a moment, Sunny took a deep breath and tried his best to calm down. "He was in the castle of the two pony sisters... in a circular room that had the few windows boarded up... he didn't look good aunty."
"What do you mean?" The purple unicorn started to grew even more concerned then before.
"He... his body was cracked, and underneath his cracked skin it was all black. He kept himself hidden under a large cloth so I couldn't see most of his face" Sunny forced the image of his sickly father back into his mind. "I... I didn't know what to do. I wanted to ask him why he did what he did, with the Empire, with me... but he looked so sick and sounded so tired."
"What did he say?" Radiant tried her best to tread lightly on the subject.
"He... he told me to go to the Empire and gather the things from my bedroom. You know, the secret one?" Sunny told his aunt as he took a sip of his tea.
"You mean the one behind the large golden and black tapestry?" Radiant said with a half smile, cocky that she knew where it was.
Sunny almost spit out his hot tea. "A-auntie! You knew where it was?!?!"
"Your father and I both knew" Radiant laughed a little. "You forget. I'm one of your father's oldest friends. We share everything.... we used to share everything..."
Noticing the pained expression on Radiant's muzzle, Sunny cleared his throat and continued, hoping the story would distract her. "Well... he told me to gather my things, otherwise ponies would find out about me."
This confused Radiant a little. "What? What do you mean 'find out about you'?"
"From what I have seen, no pony in the Crystal Empire, other then you, remembers me" Sunny explained. "A positive side effect from my father's spell, I guess."
"POSITIVE?" Radiant spat out. "Sunny! How could you say such a thing! You were the greatest prince of our time! You stopped a war with the dragons! You kept positive relations with the griffins! And you were always the life of the party at royal gatherings! Why would you-"
"Because I failed..." Sunny interrupted his aunt, knowing what she was going to ask next. "I want to be forgotten because I failed them aunt Radiant... because of me, the entire Empire suffered and fell. All because I... I didn't stop my father..."
Suddenly the purple unicorn with a glowing blue mane realized why her nephew chose a life on a farm rather then his home land, and it wasn't just because of the pretty mare. She moved closer to her nephew and began to rub his back in a desperate attempt to comfort him. "It wasn't your fault, Sunny..."
"Yes it was..." Sunny got up out of his seat and walked a few paces away from his aunt, his back to her as he began to speak again. "I... I could have beaten my father if I tried... but... but I thought just having to fight his son would be enough to shake him out of whatever he was in... because I went easy on him, others suffered for over 1000 years...
"I don't deserve to be a prince" Sunny continued as he flopped his backside down, ears pressed against the side of his head. "I don't deserve to be near my old home, to be remembered for anything I had done for Equestria... I just want to live my life with the Apples at Sweet Apple Acres. There I have friends, and ponies who think of me as family. I don't have to be the one to save Equestria from certain doom. I can just be Sunny. Not prince Soleggiato cavaliere... the failed Prince...
"Applejack and her friends have saved Equestria time and time again, including my father's second attempt at controlling the Crystal Empire. Equestria is safer in their hooves then it ever was in mine." Sunny concluded, not turning around to face his aunt.
"Then why did the Black Knight return?" Radiant Hope asked, already knowing he answer.
Sunny kept silent for a moment while he pieced his thoughts together. "Because... because the Black Knight knew Garganda, and if the girls couldn't stop him, The Black Knight would."
"So there are some things Applejack and her friends can't do?" Radiant asked as she leaned over to Sunny, a faint smile in her face. "Sounds like Equestria needs a little more help then just Applejack and her friends."
Sunny sat on the thought for a moment before sighing. "Well if they need the extra help, the Black Knight will be there. But prince Soleggiato cavaliere is gone. And he would rather stay that way. Besides, the Empire shines brighter with 'Princess Cadence and prince Shinning Armor' anyway..."
Radiant could hear a hint of bitterness in Sunny's tone. "Have you met them?"
"Yeah... I had dinner with them and Twilight... it... went ok, I guess... better then what I expected" Sunny admitted, knowing it would be a disaster, but not wanting to admit that to his aunt.
"I've met them too" Radiant confessed. "They're really sweet, and the love they radiate with does show-"
"But why?!" Sunny snapped as he whipped his head around, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "You said I was such a great prince! And father was the greatest king I knew! But why does the Empire shine brighter with those two then it ever did with us?!"
Radiant's heart hung heavy with the truth, and she wished she hadn't brought it up, but now it was needing to be said. "Do you remember what life was like for you as a prince?"
Sunny's anger subsided as he tried to gather his memory fragments. "Kinda... why?"
"You were the life of the party, that's for sure, and every pony admired you, but you weren't happy. And to a point, neither was your father. Because of... certain reasons, you and your father couldn't be with your mother. That caused a gap in your hearts, and that gap kept the Empire from Shinning to it's full potential. Love makes the Empire shine, but lack of it can cloud it." Radiant explained as her eyes drifted. "I wish things could have been different for your mother and father. Maybe none of this would have ever happened then."
"I don't understand, why weren't my mother and father together?" Sunny asked, then another question came to mind. "Wait... who... who is my mother? Do you know her?! Is she in the Empire now?! Would she even recognize me?!"
As the thought bubbles into Sunny's head, the former prince found the world around him spinning faster as faster as the ground that was beneath him, suddenly jumped up and met his face as the world then went black. Just before the yellow pony lost consciousness, he felt somepony's gentle wings wrap around him, like they did when he was young. He could hear a gentle voice sing a soothing melody. One that his mother often sang to him when he would stay with her...
"Wha-who-wha?" Applejack stumbled her words as she jolted awake, still felt slightly disorientated and confused as to where she was.
Fluttershy who was asleep next to her yawned as she gently stirred awake and looked over at her orange farming friend. "What's the matter, Applejack? Did you have a bad dream?"
Shaking her head clear, Applejack remembered she and Fluttershy were on a train heading back to Ponyville. The rest of the girls stayed back at the Crystal Empire while she and Fluttershy needed to head back home to prepare for a week long stay at the Empire, just incase something else were to happen.
"Eh, yeah, ah guess" Applejack said as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
"Was it about Sunny?" Fluttershy asked as she stretched and snuggled with her bunny stuffed animal that closely resembled her deviant little pet.
"Why would ya think that?" Applejack asked curiously, raising a brow to her timid yellow friend.
"Oh, ugh, well" Fluttershy didn't want to tell Applejack that she was talking in her sleep and said the yellow stallion's name at least two dozen times. "You seemed concerned about him earlier."
"Well... it ain't like ah don't have no reason too" Applejack admitted as she sat up and looked out the window. "Ah worry bout him gettin inta more trouble, ah worry bout him gettin' his memory back, an worry bout him not gettin his memory back. At this rate, ah'm gunna have more grey hairs then Granny!"
"I think he's just fine" Fluttershy cooed to Applejack as she also got up and walked over to the farm pony's side, joinin gher by the window. "He's probably back at the farm, sleeping soundly in a soft, warm bed, having pleasant dreams."
-Radiant Hope's hidden cabin-
Radiant dabbed the wash cloth into the cool water bowl once more before whipping the sweat off of Sunny's brow. She watched as the Stallion's condition remained the same as it had been for hours. Ever since she brought up his mother, the stallion had been in shock. All the while, Radiant had been contemplating Sunny's condition involving his memory and what her nephew had told her about when he was sealed away.
Sunny had thought Radiant was his mother because he still didn't have all of his memory back yet. She had seen cases like this at the Crystal Empire hospital before after the Empire returned from missing for 1000 years. Some ponies couldn't remember where they lived, what their jobs were, or even their own names. Of course, after the Crystal Heart had been returned to it's rightful place and the ponie's shined with their inner light once more, all seemed to returned to normal. Or so Radiant thought. No pony remembered what King Sombra was like before he enslaved them. Almost as if they lost the time between when princess Amore went missing and Captain Sombra became king. It bothered the unicorn mare, but she researched the phenomenon in secret, asking questions whenever she could. But when she asked the right question, or rather, the wrong question, a pony would go into shock much like Sunny was in.
'Sombra's curse still has hold even over you, Sunny...' Radiant thought as she dipped the towel again. 'Why would you do this, Sombra? To your own son? And why leave me intact? Or was I just lucky to evade the curse?'
-Iron Lock Prison-
The prison had been flipped upside down after Snowstorm finished his 'evaluations' with the other prison guards and a few prisoners that showed potential. Those who had a talent for it began working on new suits of armor, ones that showed more style then the dull armor the princesses have been forcing their guards too wear for the past 1000 years or so. The newer suits of armor were dark grey, almost black, with thin slit for the eye wholes, masks on the helmets that would filter smoke, and spikes that would provide extra defensive as well as offensive priorities. But there were two ponies that Snowstorm knew wouldn't need armor, two that weren't influenced by fear. Two that would be his greatest accents, and possibly the two that he would need to watch the most, and dispose of when their usefulness ended.
"Hey hey hey!" Cynical yelled as he kicked open Snowstorms' office door once more, that becoming his usual way of entering any room. "How's Cappy doing today? Enjoying the feeling of being king of the world yet?"
"King of the world is a bit of a stretch" Snowstorm replied as he ignored the rudeness of the grey Pegasus that he was regretting have freed. "Besides, Sombra will be king of the world, not Snowstorm."
"Identity crisis, eh?" Snowstorm chuckled as he jumped into the chair across from Snowstorm. "Don't worry, I won't tell! Anywho! We got some good news! Or bad news. I'm not sure which it is."
"Would you get to the point?" Snowstorm was beginning to lose his patience, narrowing his eyes on the grey Pegasus sitting across from him.
"Weeeeell" the demented Pegasus began as he spun around in his chair. "The 'Black Knight' showed up as you predicted and saved the Crystal Empire from being smashed to teny-tiny bits."
"I knew he wouldn't let anything happen to the Empire" Snowstorm smiled on the inside, knowing that without the valiant efforts of the former prince, the Empire would have been whipped off the face of Equestria once again. But this time, for good.
"Buuuut it looks like after he stopped giga, or, gigantor or whatever his name is, the 'Black Knight' teleported away and was seen going into a snowy hill with that mare, oh, what was her name?... " Cynical slowed his circling in the chair to play dumb even though he knew the mare's name. He just liked to see Snowstorm get upset. The unicorn was sooooo dull when he acted all serious. And anger was a great outlet for him. "Ah yes! Radiant Hope!"
But rather then get angery, Snowstorm exhaled heavily, becoming more relaxed. "Good work. Now you and Salted get on your next mission. And feel free to cause a little trouble at this one. Just don't get caught."
Cynical was slightly disappointed by Snowstorm's reaction, but he was more excited about the next task at hoof. "Oh fun fun! But Salted's getting a little impatient. He's gunna want the Queen's location when we get back, or he's not going to play nice anymore."
"Tell him we will have it by the time he get's back" Snowstorm cracked a smile. "We have a... little bird who will sing for us any time now. I have a way with animals."
More then seeing Snowstorm angery, Cynical loved the dark side the unicorn recently adopted. It was inspiration to him, truly. "Don't have too much fun while we're gone!"
After Cynical left Snowstorm's office, the dark coated unicorn got up from his seat and walked over the the large refrigerator that he had put in his office for convenience. As he opened the doors, rather then find a chilled beverage or something to eat, the warden of Iron Lock came face to face with a changeling that had been chained up to the back of the hollowed out refrigerator. The creature had taken the form of a little filly who appeared scared and shivering.
"P-please mister" it began to beg. "P-please b-b-believe me! I-I'm not a changeling!"
But Snowstorm could tell without even looking at the pony that it was simply a shape shifter in disguise. Huffing, he narrowed his eyes at the creature in filly form. "You're running out of time. You better tell me where your queen is, or I'll let Salted Carmel beat it out of you."
In that instance, the timid and fearful filly flashed back into it's true form, an insect like creature with wholes and chunks missing from it's body. A being that survived off of the love of others. It snapped at Snowstorm, just inches from him, then hissed as it narrowed it's eyes on him. "The Queen will rule all! You too shall bow before her majesty!"
This brought a smile to the warden's face as his eyes began to glow green and horn began to bible with dark magic. "Yes... why don't you take us to your queen. Show us where she is so I can do just that."
- Crystal Empire Castle-
Cadence walked as quietly as she could through the castle and into the kitchen, careful not to wake anypony up. Even though she had a tough time sleeping, it didn't mean anypony else had to suffer along with her. She loved her husband dearly, but the last few nights he had woken her up with his sleep talking. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just mumbling, or even gibberish, but his dreams thoughts were very focused. And that focus was on a certain sport that Cadence herself was starting to grow even more annoyed by.
'Some warm milk should help get me back to sleep' Cadence thought back to when she was a little filly being raised by her adopted earth pony parents. They had used the trick many times when Cadence was woken up by thunder or a nightmare. As the princess of love entered the kitchen, however, she realized she wasn't the only pony who couldn't sleep.
"Now princess Cadence, if you don't eat your pudding, how can you expect to grow big and strong?" An elderly stallion asked as he looked with his beady little eyes at, not the actually Princess Cadence, but rather Twilight Sparkle.
The princess of friendship had wandered down into the kitchen also to grab a glass of milk after also finding it rather hard to get to sleep. But unlike her sister, Twilight was kept awake by a restless mind full of unanswered questions. As she entered the kitchen moments before Cadence, Twilight was intercepted by an elderly earth pony stallion who was looming over a foal's table set. When Twilight approached the elderly stallion and interrupted him talking to the plate and silverware made for a child, he started calling Twilight Cadence, and insisting she eat her butterscotch pudding.
"Sir, I keep telling you, I'm not-" but Twilight was interrupted as the stallion shoved a big spoon full of butterscotch pudding in her open mouth.
"There now" he said with a wrinkly smile as he readied another spoonful of the desert. "And here comes the choo-choo!"
Cadence would have interrupted sooner, but was trying not to laugh as she watched Twilight's face turn a sickening green. Cadence had foalsat Twilight all her life and knew that her sister hated the taste of butterscotch. Before the elderly stallion could deliver another spoonful to Twilight, who looked like she might lose her dinner, Cadence levitated the spoon out of his hoof.
"Eh? Where did it go?" The elderly stallion began looks around for his spoon, when the real Cadence appeared beside him.
"Pappy, what are you doing up?" Cadence asked as she put the spoon back in the cup of pudding. "Isn't it past your bed time?"
"Eh, maybe" the old stallion mumbled. "But the young prince is havin' bad dreams again. He's gunna want a snack ta help him sleep."
"Shinning Armor is resting fine" Cadence tried to reassure the old servant.
"Not him, th' other feller" Pappy explained, seeming very concerned. "Th' one always playin' off by himself. With them toys he uses ta scare them' maids. Oh! Them girls look cute wren there's scared though!"
Cadence couldn't help but chuckle. Pappy was an odd one, but he worked hard and had a big heart, so she and Shinning kept him on their staff. Despite his antics. "Well don't worry. If I see him, I'll help him get some sleep."
"Ya promos ya'll help him if he needs ya?" The elder stallion's eyes went wide with shocking concern as he turned to Cadence with a shaky nervousness in his voice. "He's a good boy. But he's scared and alone. Them other ponies was mean ta him at school today. And on his birthday too, none the less!"
"Don't worry" Cadence reassured Pappy once more. "I'll make sure he's ok. Princess's honor. Now go and get some rest."
Pappy mumbled a little bit more before leaving the kitchen and making his way back to the room just at the base of the staircase. The stairs were too hard for the old pony to climb, and he rather liked the cozy feeling of the room hidden beneath the stairs. But it gave him rather odd dreams some nights. Dreams about wizards. Witches, dragons, a wizards's school and the weirdest thing about them was the wizards and witches were funny looking ponies that walked on their two back legs and had squishy claws on their front hooves.
"Sorry about him, Twilight" Cadence said as she walked over to the purple alicorn who was rinsing out her mouth over and over again with cup after cup of water. "He's really a sweet old guy, just... a bit eccentric."
After the tenth time of gargling water to get the taste of butterscotch out of her mouth, Twilight relaxed and took a few breaths before responding to Cadence. "That's ok.... ugh... what are you doing down here? Couldn't sleep?"
"Yeah" Cadence sighed, the smile fading from her muzzle as she pours herself and Twilight a glass of milk, warming only her own up with a spell. Knowing Twilight couldn't stomach warm milk, ever since she was a filly. "Shinning is dreaming about jousting again. And he talks in his sleep."
Twilight couldn't help but notice Cadence's tone was a little bit less then enthusiastic. "Ugh, has he been like this long?"
"Only since he started practicing and got really good at it" Cadence's expression became more annoyed looking then before. "When we were in high school, I remember he wasn't like the jocks we went to school with. He was passionate, creative, sensitive. And now... now it all 'jousting' this, 'form' that, 'training', 'practice', ugh!"
Wanting to reassure her sister, Twilight put a hoof on the troubled princess's back, patting her. "It's just a phase. You know my brother, he sometimes get's caught up in things, but he'll snap out of it."
"I hope so..." Cadence said as she payed her tired head on the kitchen counter. "We had a small trip coming up after the Crystal Fair tomorrow. I was worried we'd have to cancel because of aunt Celestia's trip, but Luna said it would be fine."
"What? Princess Celestia's on a trip? Where?" This was the first Twilight had heard of this, and wondered why Celestia hadn't let her most faithful student know about it.
"It's supposed to be a secret retreat" Cadence explained, seeing the worry on Twilight's muzzle. "From what Princess Luna said, Celestia's been under some stress and needed to take a break. It's nothing to worry about."
"Well... ok... but do you think it's wise to leave the Empire right now? So shortly after the warning from Garganda?" Twilight asked as she took another sip of her milk.
"I know it sounds like a really bad idea" Cadence started to say as she looked at Twilight with a pair of very tired looking eyes. "But Shinning Armor and I need some personal time together. Just the two of us. No royal duties, no ceremonies, and NO jousting!"
It all took Twilight by surprise to hear how stressed poor cadence was and how taxing it was on her relationship with Shinning Armor. Shaking it off, Twilight puffed out her chest and shot Cadence a look full of bravado. "You can count on my friends and I to look after the Empire for you and my brother. You two just go and enjoy your personal time."
"Thanks Twilight" Cadence said as she pulled her in for a hug. The two had become so close since the first time Cadence foal sat for Twilight. It's like it was meant for the two to be close as real sisters. "You're the best little sister, ever."
"Thanks" Twilight smiled as she hugged Cadence tighter. "And you're the best big sister, ever!"
"Come on," Cadence said as she broke the hug. "We need to get some sleep. Big day tomorrow. Your brother is jousting in the tournament."
"Wouldn't want to miss that" Twilight finished we milk, levitated her and Cadence's cups into the sink, and quickly fallowed her sister up the stairs and to bed.
As the two alicorns walked up the stairs, though, Twilight could hear Pappy snoring in his hidden room. The elderly stallion paused to speak out a part in a dream he had several times over. "There's a storm... coming, Harry...we all best be... ready when she does..."
It was a dreamless sleep Sunny was in. One that lasted the rest of that day up until early the next. He had gotten used to waking up before the rooster's crowed, but with the only sound outside being a slight snow breeze, Sunny didn't sleep as easily. A part of his mind knew that there would be no crowing to wake him up should he sleep in too late, and the stallion's mind wouldn't let him drift off too deeply into sleep. When Sunny fully awoke, the yellow stallion found himself in the only bed in the entire house. That jogged his memory of where he way, Sunny looked around for his aunt, Radiant Hope.
He didn't have to look for too long before he found his sweet aunt sleeping soundly in a plush arm chair in the corner. Getting up and out of bed, Sunny levitated a blanket over to Radiant and coated her in it. The crystal unicorn mare smiled at the warmth as a book fell from her lap. Curious, Sunny picked the book up and looked inside. Immediately, memories began to flood back of stories Radiant and his father had told them about how they met;
It was many years ago, not long before Star-Swirl the bearded picked Celestia and Luna to become the princesses of all of Equestria. Guards at the boarder of the Crystal Empire who were on patrol had found a coal colored colt wondering around in the middle of a snowstorm. He was brought immediately to a hospital and checked out. The poor colt seemed to have suffered from memory loss, for the only thing he could saw was one word. And that word became his name.
"Sombra..." Sunny looked up and saw Radiant hope had her eyes cracked open and a small smile on her face. "That was all your father could say when he arrived at the orphanage. Why don't you bring that old book over here and we'll look it over it together."
"You should be resting" Sunny said, getting up from his spot, only to almost fall over. His knees felt weak and gravity seemed to be fighting to pull him back down to the ground.
"So should you" the purple unicorn said with a grin as she raised an eye at her nephew. "But you're like you're father. You'll keep going till you pass out-"
Radiant stopped herself too late as she caught the pain in Sunny's expression as she compared him to his father. "I-I'm so sorry, Sunny. I didn't mean to..."
"It's ok. Really" Sunny said as he picked the book up and carried it over to his aunt who was still covered in the thick blanket in her easy chair. "So... was this you two when you were younger?"
The purple unicorn looked down at the album, she knew fully well that Sunny remembered the photo and knew the answer to his own question, but didn't want to say anything. He must have been trying to redirect the flow of emotion right now in a desperate attempt to hold down the pain. "That's right. Your father wasn't very popular with the other foals at the orphanage. In fact, I was his only real friend. No pony liked me very well either because I was, well, a little odd. I was always making up games for us to play, often changing the rules as we went along so it didn't get too boring. Your father loved playing them, even if he couldn't tell who was actually winning.
"Other then playing our games, your father threw himself into his studies and soon was the smartest colt in the class. But that only made the others pick on him more" Radiant could remember the cruel tricks they pulled and all the names they called him. "But As bad as things got, I always found a way to take your father's mind off of it."
"Maybe you should have been my mother" Sunny played at, shooting Radiant a half smile.
His playful joke earned a small blush from the crystal unicorn. "D-don't say stuff like that! Your father and I were more like brother and sister more then anything! Besides, your real mother..."
Sunny's ears twishced as his pupils went wide, his mind reeling as it tried to piece something together. But a thick fog remained in his head and clouded the image of his mother. Radiant saw that Sunny was trying to remember, but at the moment couldn't. As much as Radiant wished she could tell him, the crystal unicorn knew she couldn't say anything without risking Sunny's health. Sending him back into a coma like state.
After taking a deep breath, Radiant turned back to the book. "As we grew up, our passions grew in separate directions. Your father was, well, a genius and had obtained many skills with unicorn magic but wanted to train to become a royal guard, while I found my talents and own passion in helping sick and injured ponies heal. But while our paths were different, we still stuck together.
"When your father would get hurt from pushing himself with his royal guard training, I would heal his injuries, just for him to jump right back into the fight the next day." Radiant chuckles to herself as she flipped forward a few pages, landing on a few pictures with her in a nurse's outfit and Sombra in Crystal guard armor looking a little bit more then bashed up.
"He wasn't afraid of getting hurt, was he?" Sunny half joked as his eyes looked over the various pictures.
"Not really" Radiant smiled. "He knew I could heal most of the injuries he's get. Broken bones were the only thing that I had a hard time with. Those I could just kick start the healing process. But cuts, bruises, sore muscles, all of that would just take about an hour or so... but there was something that took longer to heal."
The green eyes of the former prince looked up from the pages at his aunt who began to think back to her past. "What is it, Auntie?"
"Well, your father would get sick every year around this time, probably with the changing seasons. Do you remember? After you reached a certain age, you insisted on filling in for him during his absence." Radiant hoped that saying that, bringing up part of Sunny's past wouldn't hurt him, like it did with the mention of his mother.
However, the mention of this just caused Sunny to think back to those days, and the memory cleared up. "I... I remember! You took care of father after giving me some tips on what to do with the Empire! I helped with the Crystal fair opening ceremony! I made my first speech that day!"
Relaxing and smiling at her now glowing nephew, Radiant nodded as she flipped a few more pages over to an image of Sunny at a balcony at the crystal castle, addressing all the Crystal ponies. Sunny's eyes went wide as he remembered how proud he was to have not only aided his father, but to see the inner glow of the Crystal ponies shine brighter then he ever had before. After a moment of gazing at the picture, two questions popped into Sunny's head.
"Hey, Auntie" Sunny began to ask. "How do you have these pictures from when you were a foal if the photograph wasn't invented until after I entered the guard academy?"
"It's an old spell a shop owner taught your father and I" Radiant explained as she flipped back a few pages to a picture of a younger her and sombra standing outside a crystal shop with a mare wearing rather large glasses. "She taught your father and I how to capture an image in our minds and how to transport it onto something. She would preserve images of family portraits into large slabs of crystal, which created a very popular business. Your father worked and started impressing images into metal, but that proved very difficult. I, on the other hoof, had the idea to cast them onto small pieces of paper. Your father thought it was silly because paper wouldn't last as long as Crystal or metal. But who's laughing now, huh?"
Both the ponies laughed lightly at the fact that Radiant's idea actually caught on and inspired the modern photograph. Once the two finished laughing, Sunny quickly remembered his second question. "So... if my father was just a royal guard, how did he become king? Was my mother the princess of the Crystal Empire or something?"
"Well... no..." Radiant thought about her words very carefully, not wanting to trigger anything. "You see, before your father came to power, the empire was ruled by Princess Amore. She was the nicest, sweetest princess I had ever met in my youth. I think she had the ability to see into the hearts of other ponies, and spent her time helping them grow."
"Wow, so kind of like the Crystal Heart?" Sunny asked, remembering his last trip to the empire when he first met Princess Cadence and Shinning Armor, and how he was able to gaze into the ancient relic and see what lay in his heart.
"Exactly" Radiant smiled as she continued. "She had seen the potential in your father and knew he would be a great leader one day. Somepony just needed to give him a chance. Despite working twice as hard as anypony else, your father was still not very popular or well liked. He was more skilled at combat and magic then anypony in the royal guard, having put every ounce of his energy into his training. But there was one issue...."
"He never got his cutie mark!" The memory of his own father's blank flank jogged Sunny's memory. "They were all jealous that dad worked his way into becoming a captain with no cutie mark or special talent!"
"Well put" Radiant nodded and flipped to another page where Sombra stood proudly next to a few other crystal guards and a very tall unicorn mare who's body and mane were decorated with all different kinds of crystals. "Your father worked hard, but the captains at the time wouldn't let him become anything more then a private without a cutie mark. That is, until princess Amore approached them and told them too. That really didn't sit well with them, but orders were orders."
"I bet they didn't like that" Sunny's voice trailed off.
"No, no they didn't" Radiant continued as she flipped through a few more pages. "But your father proved himself both on and off the battle field. Time after time, your father proved to not only be a fierce guard, not one to be messed with, but also that he loved to protect and serve his fellow pony as well. He helped in any way he could around the empire. Whether it was aiding me at the hospital, helping to repair and expand the Empire's boarders into the tundra, working on the local farms, or even going back and lending a hoof to our old orphanage. Soon he was recognized by not only the Royal guards, but the entire empire as well."
"It's kinda cool to hear about dad working on a farm too... but..." Sunny remembered how his father was well liked within the empire, but he still didn't know how he had changed. What could have brought on such a change in his father.
"Hold all questions until the end, please" Radiant motioned, sounding more like a tour guide. "Now where was I, oh yes! Pappy!"
"Pappy?" Sunny raised a brow.
"Princess Amore loved and trusted all her guard's and subjects, but none more then the stallion who raised her. His name was simply 'Pappy', I'm sure you'll remember him later." Radiant smiled, remembering the crazy old colt. "But as I was saying, as a precaution, princess Amore instructed Pappy with a letter, one that should only be opened if anything were to happen to her.
"It was a declaration that would make your father king should she be unable to perform her royal duty" Radiant continued, but her joy filled expression faded. "One day, years before you were born, Princess Amore went on a mission of peace to speak with the yetis of the northern mountains, but never came back. Guards searched high and low. But as far as they could tell, the princess and the guards she traveled with just disappeared. Weeks went by, and the Empire needed a leader. Even if the letter hadn't been given to Pappy, I'm sure the ponies of the empire would all have agreed to Sombra becoming King."
"Why 'king'?" Sunny asked. "Why not 'prince'."
"For a number of reasons" Radiant's expression became lighter as she ventured away fro The topic of princess Amore. " the title 'prince' would mean he married Amore, which he didn't. That, and kings and queens never last in power long. So here in Equestrian, the titles 'king' and 'queen' were. Ore or less given to individuals who were holding the place of power for a short time. So Sombra happily accepted the title of 'King' knowing one day he would have to step down from his thrown."
"But where did princess Amore go?" Sunny asked, feeling now to be a good time to ask questions. "I mean, my father was King for a long time. My whole life and then some. He... he didn't do something bad to her, did he?"
"I doubt it" Radiant tried to put Sunny's mind at ease. "He never wanted to become king. He only stepped into it because it was needed of him. I know your father well. Truest me. Whatever happened to him to turn him evil happened years after the princess disappeared."
"I wish I knew what happened..." Sunny broke eye contact and stood up. He sighed heavily as he walked over to the bookshelf and blankly skimmed over the titles of the other books.
"Why don't we get some sleep?" Radiant suggested as she cast a spell around the blanket, separating it into two smaller ones. "It's almost one in the morning. If you get some sleep, maybe I'll be a good auntie and take you to the Crystal fair. But only if you get some sleep."
Raising a brow, Sunny turned to the now gleeful unicorn mare. "I don't think that's a smart move. The Crystal ponies didn't recognize me last time, but I don't think that will work a second time."
"Oh, your auntie Radiant has a few tricks up her sleeve" Radiant slyly smiled as she snuggles beneath her blanket and levitated it's twin over to the bed. "Now get some sleep. That's an order, mister."
Shaking his head but smiling while he sighed again, Sunny walked back to the bed and laid down, covering himself with the newly formed half blanket. Radiant's magical aura glowed around the blanket as it tucked Sunny in, a feeling he only felt a few times from living on the apple farm. Sunny looked up once more at Radiant Hope and whispered with an honest smile as he began to shut his eyes and drift off into a deeper sleep then before. "good night Auntie..."
"Good night, sweet prince..." Radiant smiled as the words escaped her lips once more. Words she hadn't spoken to him since he was a little colt.
It was the day of the Crystal fair, and everypony in the Empire and then some had come out to enjoy the festivities. Ponies from all across Equestria, from the far edge of Vanhoover stretching to Baltimare, ponies began traveling to experience the festival native to the Crystal Empire. Not being available for over 1000 years makes a one day event very popular, as well as adds to the rebuilding and expansion of the Crystal Empire and the Crystal ponies. Only the crowd produced by the Grand Galloping Gala could even come close to this year's Crystal Fair.
"Oh my gosh! This is so exciting!" Pinkie Pie said as she bounced right beside her group of friends as her eyes darted all around, taking in every sight she could of the fair.
"I agree, darling" Rarity said with a refined chime, as she flaunted her new wardrobe. A dress she had put together last minute the night before, after dinner with Cadence and Shinning Armor and before bed. It was a short trimmed, white dress with small crystals dangling off the back and sides, with a heart shaped one hanging just around the neck. The fashionista was very proud of herself for creating such a masterpiece on a whim, and for completing it in time to wear it at the Crystal fair none the less. "Such a lovely day for it too, not too warm, not to brisk, very little wind too."
"I agree, and look at the turn out!" Twilight cheered as she noticed the large crowd of ponies who were attending the event. "This is just what the Empire needs! More ponies from all around to attend. This will really help the crystal ponies reconnect with the rest of Equestria."
"Yeah, after being locked away for 1000 years! I mean, think of all they missed! Cotten candy! Iced hot chocolate!" Pinkie began, then her bouncing and she held her face in her front hooves, a frightened look now replacing her eager expression. "They went 1000 years without cupcakes!!! The horror! THE HORROR!!!"
"Pinkie, sweetie, get ahold of yourself. I'm sure they had cupcakes and hot chocolate 1000 years ago. Besides..."Rarity put a hoof on the pink pony's shoulder. "You're scaring everypony."
"Besides" Twilight stepped forward to do some damage control. "It's not like they were even aware they were gone. It would be like you taking a nap then waking up and finding out 1000 years passed."
"Still! Even one day without cupcakes is a crime!" Pinkie began to scream again, but a familiar scent danced its way into the party pony's nostril, instantly redirecting Pinkie's attention. "Huh! Funnel cake!!!"
Without warning, Pinkie jumped up, began running in mid air, and zoomed off to another food stand where the delicious treat was being sold with optional sides of Crystal Berry syrup. Twilight and Rarity just shook their heads as they chuckled and followed after their pink friend. On the way, Twilight accidentally ran into a stallion, half knocking herself over. When she regained her composure, the princess humbly spoke to the cloaked stallion.
"Sorry about that, sir" Twilight apologized, not even waiting around for a response or to see the stallion's face before running off to rejoin her friends.
The cloaked stallion in question waited until Twilight and her friends's were far enough out of sight before he turned around. As he did, Radiant Hope approached him, levitating two large cups on either side of her.
"You are going to love this! It's a Crystal Berry slushee!" The purple unicorn said as she levitated one over to the cloaked stallion. When he didn't turn to face the mare and the beverage she had gotten him, Radiant grew annoyed. "Will you take that thing off?! You're going to draw more attention to yourself with that thing then if you were to just play it cool!"
After placing the two drinks on the ground Radiant wrapped her magical aura around the black cloak and pulled it right off of the stallion, revealing a purple colored unicorn with a two toned orange mane. The stallion stood in an awkward frozen state, panic stopping him from moving for a long moment. Radiant had used a spell to make Sunny's coat mimic her own. She attempted to also change his mane color, but her nephew insisted that that would make his stick out awkwardly. It wasn't uncommon for ponies to have similar coat colors, especially if they were related. But the same coat color 'and' same mane color? It would look suspicious. When he could move, the disguised Sunny grabbed ahold of his cloak and pulled it out of his aunt's grasp.
"Auntie Radiant! Are you crazy?!" Sunny whispered in a panicked tone. "What are you doing?! What if somepony recognizes me?!"
With her emotions flipping a 180 as Radiant switched immediately from happy and joyful to tired and fed up, the unicorn mare grabbed Sunny by the ear with her hoof and dragged him behind a corn on a cob stand. When she released the yellow stallion, as Sunny rubbed his ear that was just recently freed, Radiant shot her nephew a very angry look.
"Listen here, Sunny" the crystal unicorn began, her tone sharp and cold, holding Sunny's attention very firmly. "If all you are going to do is hide and be afraid of what 'might' happen the whole time we are here, we can just go back to my house and hide out until the fair is over. Is that what you want?!"
Sunny felt guilty for a moment, like a child being scolded for playing ball in the house and breaking a lamp. He broke eye contact with his aunt, finding himself unable to look her in the eye.
"I understand how you feel, Sunny" Radiant softened her tone as she rubbed Sunny's back, closing the space between them. "But no pony is looking for you. From what you said, no pony even remembers you. So there isn't much to really worry about, is there?"
Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Sunny found the strength to look Radiant in the eye as his fear began to subside. "Thanks Auntie... Maybe I am being a little too cautious."
"A little is stretching it far" Radiant said as she levitated Sunny's cloak up into the air and began folding it. When the black piece of clothing was neatly folded, Radiant Hope slid it into her saddle bag. "Come on, let's go have some fun. I think they're selling flugal horns over there."
"You mean those things that used to give dad headaches?" Sunny asked as he looked over and saw several ponies blowing into the odd instruments, making loud obnoxious sounds with it.
"Yep" Radiant said with a deviant look.
".... can I get two?" Sunny asked with a sly grin. "I've found Rainbow Dash sleeping in the north orchard several times last week, and I'm sure Applejack would love to have a way to wake her up."
"Ok. Just so long as you don't use it on me when you come over" Radiant nodded as she walked with Sunny over to the stand.
"'Come over?'" Sunny repeated his aunt's last words. "You mean...."
"Well, duh" Radiant replied, already knowing what Sunny was thinking. "I want you to come over and visit some time. And bring this 'Applejack' too. I'd love to meet my nephew's mare friend."
"Sh-she's not my mare friend!" Sunny stumbled over his words as he and his aunt reached the floogal horn stand.
For the next couple of hours, Sunny actually began to relax and have some fun at the Crystal fair. It was so different for him to actually take part in the fair then to oversee it. The yellow unicorn felt like he didn't have a care in the world, much like before he regained his memory. Was this how everypony felt? Why did so many foals want to grow up and become princesses and princes when being a regular pony who got to make their own choices, do whatever they wanted, and didn't have to bear the weight of a kingdom on their backs? But those were thoughts Sunny would think about later. For now, he was living in the moment and enjoying the Crystal fair. No fears, no worries, no responsibilities, just fun!
After obtaining some Floogal horns, Sunny and Radiant moved on to watch a band play in the center of the fair. Sunny actually recognized the group. It was a small band that had formed the first time he had oversaw the fair. It made him smile to actually be able to listen to them play a song all the way through, and not have to rush off to check up on the rest of the fair. Once the band was done, the two unicorns made their way over to a basket weaving tent, where Sunny tried his hoof at the art. Unlike his aunt and even his father, who had practiced the craft since they were foals, Sunny had never tried such a thing. The mare running the stand worked one on one with Sunny as much as she could, but would occasionally have to step away to help others. By the time Radiant was done with a new basket for her living room, Sunny's 'basket' looked more like Twilight's first attempt at a bird's nest during her first Winter Wrap Up. Only, if the nest were run over by a dozen chariots. In the rain. Then washed down a gutter by the over flow. Needless to say, Sunny wasn't going to win any ribbons for his, er, basket. But this didn't bother Sunny in the least. No, the stallion looked at his 'art' with pride, that he actually created something at the fair! He planed to present it in a place of honor back in his secret cave when he returned to ponyville. Wrapping things up at the tent, Sunny and Radiant moved on to watch a few shows.
Just a few tents away from the basket weaving stand was a stage where several ponies in brightly colored outfits were performing feats of incredible athletic ability, agility, and flexibility. After half an hour of their various tricks, spins, twirls, and jumps, Sunny and Radiant heard their tummy's rumbling and thought it best to get something to eat before they continued with the fair. They were about to settle for some Crystal Berry funnel cakes when Sunny's eye caught sight of something with even more appeal. He quickly pulled his aunt over to an apple family cart run by one of Applejack's cousins, one Sunny hadn't met. Which meant that they wouldn't be able to recognize him. After suggesting what to order to his aunt, having made some of the products himself, Sunny and Radiant sat down at a bench to enjoy their meal while some chorus singers sang some of the Crystal Empire's old folk songs.
"So you made this?" Radiant Hope asked as she stuck her fork into a cut of Apple cobbler, having never tried one before.
"Not that exact one" Sunny said with glee as he took a small bite of his own cobbler. After tasting the cobbler, mixing it around in his tongue, he swallowed the delicious morsel and smiled. "It's the same recipe, but you can tell the apples are from a different region other then Sweet Apple Acres. They have more of a tangy then a sweet taste to their apples. Something no pony could pick up unless they made the dish and knew each ingredient by heart."
Radiant just smiled and eyed her nephew in amazement. "Wow, and to think, the former prince of the Crystal Empire is working and living on an apple farm, and able to tell where apples were grown by the slight taste difference."
"Sweet Apple Acres produces more then just apples" Sunny commented. "They also produce a fair amount of carrots, flowers, eggs, and celery. Although, Apples and Apple based foods are our number one output."
Shaking her head, Radiant continued to be amazed that rather then be offended by her comment, Sunny took pride in informing her on what else the farm produced. But as she took a second look at her nephew, Radiant couldn't help but feel a little more relaxed. Sunny seemed to be glowing, beaming with pride and joy of his new life. 'It's taken over a thousand years and losing everything, but I think you've found yourself. Or at the very least, are starting to.'
"Auntie Radiant, are you listening?" Sunny asked as he waved a hoof in front of her face.
"Huh? W-what did you say?" Radiant replied as she snapped out of it.
"I was saying there's an archery contest about to begin, wanna join me?" Sunny's smile began to grow as he remembered that archery was one of his better sports, along with fencing and jousting.
"Nah, you go ahead" Radiant said as she finished her cobbler. "But I'll watch you from the side lines cheering you on."
"Ugh... maybe we better come up with another name for me other then 'Sunny'" the stallion suggested. "Don't want anypony to, you know, remember me?"
"Weeeelll" the gears began to turn in Radiant's head. "You could enter wearing your 'special' armor and declare yourself as the 'Black Knight'."
Sunny's expression turned as icy cold as the tundra that surrounded the Empire. "Yeah, no. The Black Knight doesn't need to make a random appearance at an archery contest. He only needs to show when there's an emergency."
To that, Radiant just chuckled and waved a hoof at her spoil sport of a nephew. "You're no fun. It would be really cool to have the Black Knight show up. I mean, who knows. Maybe Applejack likes a stallion in armor."
That thought turned Sunny's face slightly red, but with a few shakes of his head, the thoughts were pushed aside. "You know what would be better? If I had an alias name, like a code name or a secret identity."
"Oh! I want one too!" Radiant's excitement began to bubble to the surface as the gears in her head began turning again. "I can be Aunty Amethyst, cuz I'm purple. And you can be my nephew, ugh... Mauve Avenger!"
"Mauve Avenger?" Sunny said as he raised a brow at his aunt's suggestion. "Why 'Mauve'? And why 'Avenger'?"
"Because it sounds super cool, or do you have a better one?" Radiant smiled triumphantly as she raised a brow at Sunny. She knew he was terrible at naming things, always had been. She even had to help him name his stuffed animals when he was younger.
Defeated, Sunny released a sigh through a smile, then shot a happily defeated look at his aunt. "Ok, Auntie Radiant, you win. 'Mauve Avenger' it is."
"So you're entering then?" Radiant beamed, hoping to cheer her nephew on in a competition once more, but this time, without the roaring fans who cheered for him simply because he was a prince.
"Ya bet ah will" Sunny said, some of his newly acquired accent slipping out. He then turned to a bulletin board with multiple sign up sheets on it for various events. "Hmmm, well might as well enter the jousting competition too. I think I'll skip the floogle horn and singing competitions."
"Really? You were such a good singer!" Radiant played Sunny on, knowing he hated the sound of his own voice. Try as Sombra did to help his son with the musical art, the hours and hours of singing lessons never helped Sunny in the slightest bit.
"I think I'll just stick with archery and jousting" Sunny smiled and simply commented. "It looks like the archery contest will be starting soon. I better go sign up. Now where's a quill?..."
Radiant was about to find a quill for Sunny to help him sign up, when a clever idea popped into her head as a familiar postal mare crossed her line of vision. She turned once again face Sunny and told him "ugh, you can sight up yourself, right? I need to go talk to an old friend of mine, I haven't seen her in a while."
"Sure" Sunny replied with a smile, glad to hear his aunt talking about friends of her own. He would have to ask her later to introduce him to her friend. "I'll come find you when I'm done. Go ahead and catch up."
Radiant watched Sunny disappear into the crowd of fair goers, waiting a few moments after he disappeared to make her move. The medically talented unicorn quickly found a quill and a piece of parchment from a near by stand, ignoring the annoyed look of the mare who was running the stand, and jotted down a quick message. After sealing her letter with a blue ribbon, Radiant quickly found the Crystal mail mare, and teleported over to her. The Mail mare herself was shocked by Radiant's sudden appearance, but her shock was interrupted by Radiant's eagerness to give her the letter.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but I need you to send this, post haste" Radiant said as she handed off the letter, as well as a few bits, to the Mail mare, who had smiled at the sight of the gold coins.
Back at the archery tent, Sunny had just finished putting his name down and taking a number to put on his flank for the crowd to identify him by. Of course he went with the allious name 'Mouve Avenger', as his Auntie Radiant had suggested. After picking a bow and several arrows to practice with, Sunny wandered around, looking for the practice range. Walking behind several tents to cover more ground, Sunny paused and jumped inside a barrel full of apples, hiding from two of the last ponies he would ever want to run into in the Crystal Empire.
"But Shinning" Cadence continued to plead to her husband. "You promised me months ago that we would do this! It's only for a week!"
"Do you really think it's a good idea to leave the empire after what Garganda told us?" The white unicorn responded, his voice hard and flat.
"Twilight and her friends are sticking around for a week to help keep an eye on things" Cadence continued to press. "Garganda said himself that it was up 'them' to stop this 'darkness'. Not us. So we can take our trip."
"We are the co-rulers of the Crystal Empire, Cadence" Shining restated. "We can't just go off for a week when something could happen."
"Shinning, please, I just need this" this time when Cadence spoke, there was a desperate need in her voice. Almost as if she was begging him for it.
"We can't just abandon the empire and the Crystal ponies, Cadence" Shinning's voice softened, but he didn't budge off of his soapbox. "The crystal ponies look up to us, they need us to remain strong and confident. If we went off on a vacation after what happened, don't you think they would feel abandoned?"
Cadence turned her muzzle away, eyes watery and glaring at the ground. She took a deep breath and forced herself to speak in the most gentle, calm voice she could muster. "You're right. We need to put the Empire first..."
"Right" Shinning nodded his head as he put on his purple armor helmet. "Besides, if we have to stick around to keep an eye on things, I was thinking of holding a huge jousting tournament, calling for champion jousters from all over Equestria to compete against me."
"Why would they all come to compete against you?" Cadence asked, her sharp voice was ignored by Shinning Armor, his focus on something else.
"Once I win the jousting tournament today, ponies would love to line up for the chance to take on a champion prince!" Shinning elaborated, stars in his eyes as he became blissfully unaware of the pain and anger on Cadence's face. "I'll have to train twice, no, five times as much to be ready for them! Maybe I can have a few of my old royal guard buddies from Canterlot come to help me with my training!"
Before Cadence could give Shinning a piece of her mind, a Crystal guard ran up to Shinning, kneeling and bowing before the prince and princess. "Your majesties, there seems to be a little argument over on the east side of the fairgrounds. We need your help to bring it to an end."
"I'll deal with that" Shinning said, puffing up his chest, holding his armor clad head high As he turned to his wife and smiled. "Go ahead and relax. I can handle a small fight."
Cadence said nothing, just nodded in defeat, her inner fire fueled by anger for her husband's misplaced morals had been doused. Without another word, Shinning and the Crystal guard took off to deal with the squabble, leaving the princess of love all alone. Still watching from his hiding place, Sunny couldn't help but feel for the princess. In a way, he had been in that predicament before. Not just with his father, who's royal duties would sometimes make him have to choose the Empire over his own son, but... but Sunny's mother had to do the same.
A sharp thought followed by buzzing voices filled Sunny's head. They all were faded but clearing up quickly. 'Her job keeps her away', 'she has a duty to pony kind', 'she wishes she could have been there', 'she feels guilty for missing it', 'she had urgent business'...
Sunny's memories were quickly silenced as the sound of crying filled his ears. Looking back to Cadence, the former prince's own heart broke. He saw the once smiling and cheery princess Cadence now fallen to the ground, sobbing and blubbering. The yellow unicorn could tell that she was trying best to keep her tears silent, not wanting to catch anypony's attention.
"He's not worried about the Empire... h-he just w-w-wants to joust...I-I wish..." she muttered to herself through her tears, so low and so silently that if Sunny hadn't been focused on her, he would have missed her confession. "I wish he had never took up jousting... I want my husband back..."
That sight brought a strong image back into Sunny's mind. A memory he repressed even before he was sealed away. A memory of his childhood. It was a year after he got his cutie mark, the day of his birthday in fact. Sunny was a young foal and had just gotten into an argument with his father, then ran away to his room. Not his secret room, he would retreat to that one later, but his normal room that had guards stationed at the entryway. The young Sunny ran into his room and was sobbing on his bed, trying very hard to keep his crying quiet, but the tears and pain couldn't be dimmed down.
"Sunny? What's the matter, dear boy?" A familiar and kind older earth pony stallion entered Sunny's room to comfort the young prince. Approaching the bed, the old stallion sat beside the weeping Sunny and began to rub the colt's back. Sunny looked up at him and took a few deep breaths as he spoke to his grandfather like figure.
"He-he-he's gunna be done for two weeks, Pappy!" Sunny began to say. "He gunna leave in the morning t-to meet with some stupid dragons! A-a-and h-he's g-g-gunna..."
"He's gunna miss your birthday, isn't he?" Pappy finished the heart breaking sentence, causing Sunny's crying to grow just a bit louder, the tears to flow faster, and the little yellow colt's body to curl up even tighter.
After a few moments more of Pappy trying to comfort him, Sunny spoke up. "I-its not fair! I don't have friends anymore! Why does dad have to leave too! I don't want to be alone on my birthday! No friends! No parents!...I-I don't want to be alone..."
"Oh, Sunny..." Pappy hugged the young colt tightly. "I'm so sorry your parents have to work on your birthday. I know it's not much... but me and some of the staff were planning to celebrate your party with you. We were going to play games, eat cake, we even got you presents."
Sunny jolted up and returned Pappy's hug. "I-I don't need presents, Pappy... I just don't want to be alone...I miss mom... and I'm gunna miss dad... I wish we were just normal ponies. I hate being a prince!"
Jolting back to the present, Sunny took a deep hard breath as caught the sight of Cadence gathering herself, taking several deep breaths, and casting a spell to clear the pink from her eyes. Using her wings to straiten her mane, Cadence started to elegantly walk back and reenter into the fair, where she would put on a smile and present false enthusiasm to the masses.
Watching the pink alicorn, Sunny knew in his heart what he had to do. He would have to take Shinning Armor down, at any cost.
It didn't take Radiant Hope long to speak with Mercury, the Crystal Empire's top mail mare, about delivering her letter to an old friend, but somehow in that time Sunny had not only forgotten to enter the archery tournament, but had completely vanished from sight. After looking on the archery board of competitors and not noticing either Sunny's name or his fake name, Radiant patiently watched as each competitor for the archer tournament have their turn. After all the contestants cleared the first round, Radiant went looking for her nephew, worried something or somepony might have gotten to him. As the crystal unicorn walked through the crowd, eyes darting all around, Radiant failed to see a fallen ice cream cone on the ground, slipped, and fell right into somepony.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Radiant said as she got up, shaking her head clear, then offering a hoof to whoever she knocked over.
"It's ok, I'm fine" Twilight said as she took Radiant's hoof and pulled herself up. "I did that earlier."
"Oh my! Aren't you the princess of friendship?! Princess Twilight Sparkle?!" Radiant grasped, remembering Sunny telling her a little bit about Equestria's newest alicorn princess.
"Yes, yes I am" Twilight said as she dusted herself off, then proceeded to see if Radiant herself was ok.
"There you are Twilight!" Cadence said as she walked up to her little sister. Immediately, the pink alicorn noticed the pony who Twilight was with and shot her a friendly smile. "Head nurse Radiant Hope, are you enjoying the fair?"
"Of course I am, I always do when I run into some pony new!" Radiant joked, as she often did in both stressful or relaxed times. "I was showing my nephew around the Crystal fair, but he seems to have disappeared."
"I could use a locator spell to find him if you'd like" Twilight suggested.
"No, I'm sure he's around here somewhere" Radiant waved a hoof. "I just hope he's staying out of trouble. He kinda has a talent for getting into it when I'm not looking."
A Crystal guard approached the three mares, saluting the princesses. "Your highnesses, the jousting tournament is about to begin. Please follow me to your seats."
Cadence let out a heavy sigh, wanting to say that she would skip it. But not showing up would discourage not only the other jousters, but the rest of the empire as well. And as much as Cadence hated jousting now, she couldn't do that to the Crystal ponies. "Right. We're coming."
Seeing Cadence discouraged as she was, Twilight had an idea. Even though Twilight just met the mare, she could tell this head nurse was a fun loving and cheerful individual. It might help Cadence to be around not only her loving little sister, but some pony who could make her smile. It was times like this that Twilight really wished she could find Pinkie Pie, but the party pony was last seen in a pie eating contest. The purple alicorn turned to Radiant hope and shot her a little smile. "Care to join us, Radiant? I'm sure there's room for one more."
"Really?!" Radiant's eyes lit up as her other concerns melted away and she happily bounced from where she stood to right beside Cadence. "Oh this is going to be fun! So do you have somepony you want to win? I think my nephew was going to enter too! Maybe we'll see him there! He was pretty good at jousting a while back!"
As the three mares took their seats, ponies from all over the fair took theirs as well, all patiently awaiting to see one of the Crystal Empire's most treasured sport. A lot of them have heard that the Crystal Empire's own prince would be entering this year, which is part of the reason for such a large turn out for this year's fair. Once every pony had been seated, all the jousters ready behind the scenes, the two announcers took their own seats and spoke into their respective microphones.
"Well it certainly seems to be quite the turn out here today, doesn't it Rainbow Dash?" Flash Sentery said as he turned to his coannouncer. The newest member of the Crystal guard had filled in for the mare who was supposed to be doing the announcing, but for some odd reason was no where to be found.
"It certainly is, Flash" Rainbow commented as she looked out into the crowd. "Not as big of a crowd as the one me and the wonder bolts bring in, but no crowd could be that big."
Flash cleared his throat. "Ugh, thank you miss Dash. But getting back to-"
"I mean" Rainbow ignored Flash trying to redirect the crowd's attention. "The stands would need to be, like two, no, five times the size to hold everypony!"
"Thank you, Miss Dash" Flash spoke with a more annoyed tone as she tried to change the subject.
"There would even be some fans having to wait outside because tickets for seats sold out" Rainbow continued. "But hey, what are you gunna do. I mean, a show with somepony as awesome as me in the wonderbolts isn't a show anypony would want to miss."
"Let's get started!" Flash now screamed into his microphone. A moment after his voice ran over the crown, the new guard realized how loud he actually spoke to get his voice over Rainbow Dash. The guard looked nervously around as his cheeks turned slightly red.
"Geeze, calm down, we were just about to" Rainbow Dash was now the annoyed one as she rolled her eyes at the embarrassed royal guard and redirected the attention of the crowd. "Right off the back, folks, we have an awesome line up. For the very first round we have the crowd favorite, most likely to win. He helped to save the Crystal Empire, he and his wife with the power of love have repelled both Queen Chrysalis and King Sombra, let's put our hooves together for the one, the only, Prince Shinning Armor!!!"
After his name was called, a wave of hoof stomping applause and cheers followed quickly by thundering chants of his name, Shinning Armor appeared in a purple magical flash at one end of the field. He stood proud and ready in his newly outfitted jousting armor that was fashioned much like his royal guard armor with the purple base color, gold trimming, and his own cutie mark on the side. For show, as some jousters did to get the clouds railed up, he ran once up one end of the jousting field and down the other, jousting lance locked in place. Most of the crowd went wild. All except Cadence, who looked highly unamused to say the least.
"This will be quite the match to say the least! Against the prince of the Crystal Empire, we have..." Flash started off strongly but his voice shook a little as he looked down at his line up sheet. He couldn't believe the name of the pony who was lined up to face Shinning Armor in the first round.
"What's the matter there, slick?" Rainbow Dash joked. "You don't need to panic so much. I'm not scheduled to go up for a few more rounds."
"Well, ugh..." Flash couldn't find his words, and instead just handed his clip board off to Rainbow Dash.
The cyan colored mare at first just smirked, having no idea what could be bothering the Crystal guard so much. But when she read the name, Rainbow nearly jumped out of we seat. "No way! Really?! 'He''s here?! That's awesome!"
The crowd remained confused, along with Shinning Armor down on his side of the jousting field. The jousters were not allowed to know who they would be facing in each round, to add to the suspense and thrill, as well as to prevent any foul play.
"We have a real treat for you today folks! One that just made this whole contest 20% cooler!" Rainbow said as she jumped into the air, mic in hoof. "Facing off against our own hero of the Crystal Empire, is a mysterious stallion. One my friends and I just met the other day. He held off a dragon ten times the size of Canterlot, he's a stallion of few words, put your hooves together for the one, the only, the Black Knight!!!"
Before the crowd could ask 'who' this Black Knight was, a cloud of black smoke exploded, with just the figure of a pony barley visible inside. The crowd remained silent as a stallion in black armor emerged from the smoke, most of his body covered by the armor, say for some dark purple fur that poked through the cracks and his dark green eyes. The crowd remained silent for a moment, not really knowing how to react. Twilight slightly nudged Cadence. The two looked at each other for a moment, then began to cheer the Black Knight on. As they did, many ponies around them began cheering and stomping their hooves as well, feeling that if the princesses supported this frightening looking contestant, then they should too.
Before Flash could put his two cents in, his microphone was coated in a green magical aura and began to float over to the Black Knight. Once it reached him, the Black Knight's metallic voice ran over the speakers. "Shinning Armor! I have entered this contest with one goal in mind, so listen well!"
The white stallion in purple jousting armor glared at the Black Knight, who had stolen his thunder. "And what would that be?"
"I challenge you to a royal duel!" The Black Knight declared. "A match between two royals, held with stakes great. And should I win, you shall, from this moment on, never again joust. Be it for competition or recreation!"
The crowd gasped, chatter and whispers broke out across the crowd. They didn't know how to take such news, such a challenge with such stakes. Cadence turned to Twilight, half concern on her face as she witnessed Twilight's own conflicted worry. The only pony not concerned by this was Radiant, who's mind was only reeling with 'why is he doing this? I thought he was going to lay low.'
"Is that so?" Shinning Armor's own purple magical aura was cast around Rainbow Dash's mic and levitated over to him. As the Prince of the Crystal Empire turned to face the Black Knight, eyes blazing with determination as he spoke into the mic, projecting his voice clearly to the crowd. "I'll take take your bet, but if I win, Mr. Black Knight, you have to take off that helmet and mask and show your face to everypony here! Show them who this 'mysterious' Black Knight really is!"
"I accept the terms" The Black Knight announced into the mic, eyes narrowing on Shinning armor. "And by honor and duty, we are both bound to our words."
"Yes we are..." was the last thing Shinning Armor said as he and the Black Knight levitated their respective microphones back to the announcers.
Once Rainbow Dash's mic was back in her own hoof, she immediately began reeling. "Wow! What a show folks! What a way to kick things off! Not only a prince and a mystery stallion, but a Royal challenge! Who! Will! Win!"
The two competitors readied themselves, going over their armor one last time to make sure all was secure, then a mare from the jousting committee ran a lance over to the Black Knight. As the Black Knight took the lance, the bright colors of Blue and yellow darkened and turned pure black to match the competitors' armor. As the two stallion's looked each other down, each one ready to knock the other out, their hearts racing, the only thing Shinning Armor saw in the Black Knight was a mountain he would conquer. The Black Knight, however, could feel his mind working as it had all those years ago. The black armored unicorn was taking in everything he could, from Shinning Armor's stance, the angle he held his lance, the texture of the ground, the position of the sun, and several other factors that have changed the outcome in battles he had taken part in before. Shinning Armor may have been a captain before a prince, But Sunny had been a prince and worked his way to becoming a captain. It was as if fate itself was pinning the two against each other. But one thing Sunny had that Shinning Armor didn't, was a virtuous drive.
A Pegasus mare holding a flag flew up and waved it, singalong for the two to go! Not a split second later after she did, were the hooves of the two competitors heavily beating against the ground, pushing themselves faster and faster at each other, lances aiming for their respective opponent. Shinning Armor's eyes were locked on the Black Knight's, never breaking contact. Sunny's eyes may have been locked, but his muscle memory began to kick in, and his body began to work without his eyes. As the two neared each other, the Black Knight made a sudden burst from the ground and jolted forward at Shinning Armor. It was a risky move, leaving Sunny momentarily suspended in the air, it would have been very easy for Shinning to just plant his hooves, taking a stance, and knocking Sunny off his hooves. The only way to properly beat Sunny's risky tactic. Which is exactly how it happened!
Even though Sunny didn't care much for Shinning Armor, and had grown angry with him for neglecting his wife, Shinning Armor was indeed a great jouster. Hours and hours spent working on his form and practicing with the Crystal guards had not gone unpaid. And as Shinning Armor knocked the Black Knight off to the side and continued to gallop on to the opposite end of the jousting court, the crowd remained silent but for a moment. Once the the black armored pony hit the grass though, and a point was awarded to Shinning Armor on the score board, the crowd went wild with cheers and applause. Rounding out at the opposite end, Shinning took a moment to wave, his lance up above his head and smile at victory to the crowd.
"Wow! What a shocking first round!" Rainbow said into her mic.
"First point goes to prince Shinning Armor!" Flash was able to speak once more. "All he needs to do is win the next round and he wins the match, moving on to round 2!"
"Will he do it?!" Rainbow began to really stir the crowd up. "Will he be able to beat the mysterious Black Knight? Will we all see who this mysterious dragon taming masked stallion is?! Or will Shinning Armor have to hang up his jousting lance for good?!"
"It certainly is exciting, isn't it?" Flash asked Rainbow, still speaking into the mic.
"It sure is, Flash! Let's see what happens next." Rainbow said as she and Flash watched the Black Knight got up and galloped over to the opposite end of the jousting field.
'He's better then i thought' Sunny said to himself in his head. 'I don't know if I can beat him...'
Just as he thought that, Sunny looked up to the crowd, and beyond the cheering ponies, both residents of the Crystal Empire and not, in the very center of the stands were Twilight Sparkle, his Auntie Radiant, and Princess Cadence. It was then that Sunny froze as he saw the sadness in Cadence's eyes as she looked down at her husband who was gorging himself on the cheers and applause of the crowd. It was then, at that moment, that Sunny knew what he had to do. He didn't like it, but if there was anything he learned as a prince, it was you sometimes had to do things you didn't want to do.
Both competitors readied themselves for possibly the deciding round, the one that would determine weather Shinning Armor would go to the next match of the jousting tournament or whether a third round would take place. Each armor clad stallion dug his dominant hoof into the ground, glaring each other down as they did just moments ago, ready for the signal to begin. Once again, the Pegasus mare flew up with her starting flag and waved it. Before she could even get out of the way, the two jousters were off, darting at each other with all the strength they could muster. Their hooves steps echoed like thunder as the crowd went silent, all eyes on the jousting field, watching the whole thing as a competition that took only a few moments stretched on for hours in their minds. Eventually the two competitors reached each other. Shinning had his Lance aimed perfectly at the Black Knight's chest plate. He was planning to just slightly off balance the Black Knight, which would cause him to lose his footing and fall, thus assuring victory. But right as the tip of Shinning's Lance would have made contact with the Black Knight's armor, the black armored stallion ducked!
Shinning didn't have time to react, only time to see the Black Knight's Lance turn, and make direct contact with a part of his back leg that wasn't protected by his jousting armor! The pain shot up to Shinning several long moments after a loud bone cracking sound echoed throughout the entire jousting field. Ponies watched in horror and gasped at the sight of the prince now on the ground in immense pain. They had watched the Black Knight take a cheep shot, flipping his lance to the side, taking aim at, and possibly breaking, Shinning's back left leg!
"Match over! Match over!" Cadence screamed as she teleported from her seat over to her husband who was on the ground, breathing heavily as pain from his leg shot all the way through his body. Cadence held his head in her hooves and cooed at him, trying to keep him calm.
Meanwhile the entire crowd broke out into panic and outrage. But the first ponies to act were Twilight and Rainbow Dash, who shot up from where they were sitting and surrounded the Black Knight from both sides.
"What is the matter with you?!" Twilight shouted in anger and disgust. "Why would you do that to my brother?!"
"Because I couldn't risk losing" the Black Knight answered as he caught the sight of Radiant Hope and several other medics rushing to Shinning Armor's side, just as he had planned.
"Well, bub, ya lost" Rainbow spat out as she narrowed her eyes on him. "I can't believe I thought you were cool!"
"Some lessons are hard ones to learn" The Black Knight told them, as he looked back at Shinning Armor.
"You just have an answer for everything, don't ya?!" Rainbow spat again, catching the Black Knight's attention.
It was then that Sunny realized that he was surrounded not only By Twilight and Rainbow, but a good fifteen to twenty guards. Things weren't looking to good for his escape.
"Guards, seize him!" Twilight yelled the order to the crystal guards, which was something she never liked to do, but under the circumstances she made an acceptation. The Crystal guards began to swarm the Black Knight, ready to take him into custody.
When the guards were but a few feet from him, the Black Knight raised his voice and yelled "STAND DOWN!"
The Black Knight's voice ran in their ears, triggering something deep inside, possibly something almost forgotten about. But the order was clear, and the feeling of loyal obedience shined through. All the guards that were just about to capture and put the Black Knight in chains were now kneeling to him. The sight shocked and dumbfounded not only Twilight and her friend, but Cadence, the suffering Shinning Armor, and all the surrounding members of the crowd.
The Black Knight then pulled out three crystals, much like the time before, and arranged them on the ground, ready to use them to get himself out of there. But before he did, one guard, one fairly new guard who did not recognize the authority of the Black Knight, jumped up and flew as fast as he could, aiming to stop the Black Knight from escaping.
Seeing this, The Black Knight looked to several of the guards nearest to him and shot out another order. "STOP HIM!"
Without hesitation, the guards grabbed Flash Sentry and held him down. Despite his young age, speed, and strength, the Pegasus guard couldn't fend off several experienced earth-pony guards.
"Who are you?" Twilight asked, amazed and confused at his ability to control the Crystal guards.
"Yeah!Take off your mask!" Rainbow spat out. "You cheated and that means you lost!"
"She is right" Twilight's shocked uncertainty was buried by a since of royal authority. "You need to uphold your promise. Or does your word mean nothing?"
The Black Knight chuckled a little before placing his hoof over the green Crystal. "Oh, I will. But your brother never said 'when' or 'where' I need to do so. Could be now, could be 1000 years from now. He really should have been more specific."
"Why you!" Rainbow had had enough of this by now and decided to attack the stallion herself.
But before she could even reach him, the Black Knight crushed the green Crystal and teleported safely away in a flash of green light. Confused for a second, Rainbow Dash looked around, hoping to see where the Black Knight had gone, but he was beyond the reach of her sight. Frustrated, Rainbow Dash stomped her hooves on the ground and kicked off with her back legs at the air. Once the Black Knight was out of sight, the guards seemed to break out of their trance, stood up and looked around for the criminal. The ones holding Flash down released him, apologizing and saying they didn't know what got into them.
"Search the area!" Cadence appeared, anger burning in her eyes. "I want the Black Knight found and brought to us! He couldn't have gotten far! Go!"
All the Crystal guards saluted the princess of love before marching off to patrol the entire Empire if need be. Only a little that after giving the order, did Cadence stop one of the guards from marching off. He was one of the guards who had taken orders from the Black Knight to hold Flash down, and she asked him why.
"Ugh... to be honest, your highness, I don't really know" he sheepishly answered. "It just... it felt like something I needed to do. Like I needed to obey him."
After sending the guard away, Cadence rushed over to Shinning Armor who was under the current care of Radiant Hope. Several other medical ponies who had been standing by joined her, doing whatever they could to help the injured prince. The anger in the pinkie princess's eyes melted away, and nervous fear grew for her beloved husband. "Is he going to be ok?!"
"He'll be just fine" Radiant said as she stood up, giving Cadence a small smile. "I've cast a spell to start mending his broken leg, but it will take a while to fully heal. He shouldn't be on it hardly at all. No running, jumping, and defiantly to jousting."
"How long will he be down?" Cadence asked as the other medical ponies began to push back the crowd. "Is there anything I can do to help with his recovery?"
"I want to say maybe two to three weeks worth of taking it easy should do the trick." Radiant said as she stepped a little away out of ear shot from Shinning Armor, wanting him to relax. The last thing he needed was to hear he's be down and out for a while. "As for helping him..."
While Radiant gave Cadence instructions on how to care and aid in her husband's recovery, Twilight noticed the anger and rage building up in her brother's gaze. Wanting to calm him down and prevent him from hurting himself further, Twilight walked over and told Shinning "we'll find the Black Knight, Bro. You can count on that."
"Somepony put him up to it" Shinning spat out. "Somepony who wanted me out of the tournament. But who?!"
"We'll find out, you just rest" Twilight tried to reassure her brother.
"Ugh!" Shinning grunted in frustration more then from the pain in his leg. "Now I'm going to need to practice three times as hard to make up for having to take time off! I could still overlook the guards as they practice and coach them-"
"Shinning will you shut up!" Twilight snapped, shocking her older brother, catching him off guard. "All you've been talking about for months is jousting!"
"Well, yeah" Shinning caustically answered. "I'm really into it."
"Don't you see you're driving poor Cadence insane, though?" Twilight began to calm her anger.
"What do you mean? Cadence loves talking about jousting" Shinning replied, appearing slightly confused.
"No, she doesn't" Twilight answered, relaxing we tone further. "She's been venting at me about how that's all you talk about. She's been trying to get you to take a break from it because she's feeling neglected! That's why she wants me and my friends to watch the Empire for you and her, so you two can have a week to yourselves!"
Shinning's face was plastered with shock and slight guilt. "Wha... Cadence... she really... feels that way?"
Twilight rested a hoof on his shoulder. "She told me she really needed time with you, that the stress of the Empire topped with you only talking and focusing all your time and energy on jousting was making her miserable."
Guilt went into full bloom in Shinning's heart. Thinking back to all those time he would talk about jousting at breakfast, between their royal duties, lunch, overseeing various things, at dinner, and even before going to sleep. Then the last conversation Shinning had with his wife popped into his mind. The last conversation they had behind the tents before his match. It was then that Shinning thought back to how Cadence looked, how her tone of voice sounded. She wasn't arguing with Shinning. She was pleading him, begging him almost, to spend just a week with her. And all he could think about was the week of practice he would put himself through.
"I've... been kinda a jerk, haven't I Twily?" Shinning asked as he looked over as his sister.
"Yeah" Twilight answered honestly, then turned her head over and looked at Cadence as she continued to talk to Radiant. Shinning did the same, and wanted nothing more then to run over and be with his wife. "But you can make it up to her."
"How?" Shinning asked, still being a guy and having no idea.
"Go with her to the cabin, take time off for her" Twilight replied. "Just be with her. Don't just go off and talk about stuff you want to talk about. Talk 'to' her, about maybe what she likes too. That makes a mare happy.
Just then, Radiant Hope and Cadence returned, both of them with forced awkward smiles on their faces, trying to make it sound like they had good news. Radiant let Cadence break the news to her husband. "Radiant said you need to take it easy for a few weeks. Your leg was broken, but she reset it and started the healing process. You'll be fine, but it will be a while. You can't compete in the rest of the tournament."
Shinning Armor gave his wife an easy smile and shrugged. "Well, stuff happens. Jousting was getting boring anyway. Maybe now we can go on that week long vacation, say, to the cabin?"
"Shinning? Really?! I mean... are you sure?" Cadence said, using all of her strength to keep down her enthusiasm. "But what about your leg?"
"So long as he doesn't walk on it, he should be fine" Radiant popped in. "And you know, nothing says I love you like playing nurse!"
Everypony chuckled at the comment. After the laughs got out, Shinning turned to Twilight and asked "you and your friends mind looking after the Empire while we're gone?"
"Anything for you BBBFF" Twilight said as she gave her big brother a hug.
A few hours after the incident, as the fair was beginning to be taken down, the sun setting in the west, Radiant Hope went out one last time, looking for Sunny, ready to give him a piece of her mind. She was both angry with him and worried that he might have been found by the Crystal guard and taken prisoner. She was so beside herself that she began talking to herself, out loud. "What was that colt thinking?! It's one thing to show up as 'the Black Knight', but then to do something, something like, like that?! Breaking the prince's leg?! Why?! What would he do that?!"
"He was trying to do the right thing" Sunny's voice rang in Radiant's ear as the yellow stallion popped out from underneath an empty, half taken down, popcorn stand.
"Sunny!" Radiant jumped, caught completely by surprise. She began to relax as he crawled out from his hiding spot. "You have a lot of explaining to do, young man! Why in all the Empire did you have to-"
"I did it for Cadence" Sunny flat out said, his face deadpan.
Radiant remembered overhearing half of the conversation between Twilight and her brother. That was one annoying skill she loved using in school. Radiant could talk and talk and talk and still be able to listen to the lesson her teachers were teaching. While instructing Cadence about the proper care she should give Shinning, Radiant also overheard from Twilight that Cadence was tired of his jousting talk and how much it bothered the pink princess.
With a heavy sigh, Radiant raised her brows to her nephew. "You couldn't think of any other way? You really had to break his leg."
"In all fairness I tried to take him on fairly" Sunny moved to defend himself. "But he was good. And I didn't mean to 'break' his leg. I only meant to fracture."
"Well ya went all the way and broke it" Radiant said after she sighed. "And I see you dispelled my color changing spell on your coat."
"I figured they wouldn't be looking for a yellow stallion if it looked like the Black Knight was purple" Sunny admitted. "But to do that I used up all my magical strength."
"I'll give you a potion that could help you get your full strength back" Radiant told her nephew as he pulled out his apple family Stetson and placed it back on his head. Radiant admired the look for a moment. "You look pretty good in a Stetson."
This caused Sunny to blush a little. "Thanks Auntie. It feels right to wear it."
A little while later, Sunny and Radiant stood on the platform of the train station. Sunny had just purchased a ticket for Ponyville, ready to go home and get some rest. He and Radiant agreed that it would be best if he left the empire for the time being, at least until the search for the Black Knight was over.
"But I will come back and visit" Sunny said as he safely tucked a small bottle away under his hat. The potion Radiant gave him should bring back his magical strength in few days. He just needed to drink plenty of water with it.
"Good" Radiant said with a smile. "And bring that mare your always talking about, Applejack."
"Somepony say mah name?" Sunny and Radiant turned to see Applejack ad Fluttershy exiting the train that just arrived. The two mares Sunny considered very good friends, one specific one more then just a friend, casually walked up to him and Radiant hope. "Hey there, Sunny, didn' expect ya see ya here. Couldn't help but check out th' fair?"
Sunny didn't know what to say, he hadn't planned on getting caught, especially by somepony like Applejack. If Applejack told Twilight that he was here, they might piece things together and figure out that he's the Black Knight! How was he going to get out of this one?! "I, ugh, well, ya see..."
"He remembered a relative of his living in the Crystal Empire and wanted to come by" Radiant spoke up and offered a hoof to Applejack. "I'm Radiant Hope, Sunny's auntie. And you must be this Applejack gal who's been taking care of my trouble making nephew."
"Well ah'll be! Ah real, blood relative of Sunny's?!" Applejack said as she took Radiant's hoof. But smiled as she tugged hard on the unicorn's hoof, pulling Radiant into a full hug. "That make's ya'll family too! And we hug in our family!"
Sunny was shocked at first, but began to relax when he saw Radiant attempting to return the hug and smile at the jester. Once Applejack released her Radiant smiled and chuckled. "Oh I like her. She's just the kind of mare you need in your life."
"Ah try my best" Applejack said with a slight grin as Fluttershy snickered behind her. "But he's ah hoof full, that one. Hard workin' and smart as ah tack, but he gets inta quite ah bit of trouble."
"Boy does she know you?" Radiant nudged Sunny playfully, who was growing more and more nervous looking by the moment. Reading his expression, Radiant thought of a way to slip away without bothering her nephew too much. "Anywho, I need to head back to the hospital, my shift is about to start. But come by and see me some time, seriously."
After wrapping her front hooves around Sunny, the yellow stallion returned the hug and whispered "thanks for everything Auntie, I'll come see you again really soon."
After bereaking the hug, Radiant waved goodbye to Sunny, Applejack, and the timid looking mare who hid bashfully behind Applejack, as the unicorn mare made her way from the train station and down a road that would lead to the hospital she worked at.
"She seemed nice" Fluttershy spoke up, now that the new face was gone.
"She really is, once you get to know her" Sunny said as he readjusted his hat, then turned to Applejack.
"So, ya talked a lot 'bout me, hmmm?" Applejack shot Sunny a sly smile.
Sunny in return smiled a little while avoiding eye contact. "You might have come up once of twice."
"Is that all?" Applejack teased, but got back to business. "So ya got some of yer memory back?"
The question threw Sunny through a loop for a moment, but the yellow unicorn collected himself, cleared away his ghost for the moment and gathered what he was going to say, wanting to stay as close to the truth with Applejack as much as possible. "Well... yeah. Some memories. I knew I had a relative who lived in the Crystal Empire. And I just needed to go see for myself. Ugh, h-how did the giant monster thing go? Empire is still here, ah guess ya'll beat it?"
Just then the train's whistle blew, signaling for all passengers to board at that time. Realizing he didn't have spare bits to buy a ticket for a later train, and knowing it would be bad if he stayed behind, Sunny knew he had to go now. "Sorry, that's mah cue. I guess we'll have ya catch up later. See ya fer supper tamarow?"
"Actually, we'll be here fer ah week" Applejack awkwardly readjusted her hat, breaking eye contact. But an idea popped into her head as she turned back to Sunny with a gleeful expression. "Mind protectin' th' farm while ah'm gone? Granny and Big Mac know what ya do chore wise while ah'm gone."
Sunny saluted the orange farm mare, a smile of his own shinning brightly. "You can count on me!"
"Ah know ah can" Appleejack said then gave Sunny a quick peck in his cheek, turning his face completely red and her cheeks to bright pink. "Now don't miss yer train."
After regaining his composure, Sunny shook his head clear and hopped aboard the door frame of a train car. He looked back at Applejack and shot her another smile. "I'll see you at home, sugar cube!"
The train at that moment began to slowly move, and both Applejack and Sunny remained starting into eachother's eyes until their images faded from sight. The train began to kick up speed and the conductor, who had just enjoyed his fifth cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, instructed Sunny to take his seat.
Applejack stood watching the train as it rolled away, her smile began to fade as the train traveled farther and farther away from her, carrying with it that yellow as the morning sun stallion. Fluttershy put a hoof on her shoulder and brought her friend back to the train station. With a single, gentle glance, Fluttershy was able to reassure Applejack that everything would be ok. Taking that in, Applejack sighed happily and began her short walk back to the Crystal Empire Castle with her timid Pegasus friend.
"Excuse me, Applejack" a voice called out when the two mares just barely stepped into town. Looking down an alleyway, Applejack saw Sunny's Aunt standing in the shadows. "Sorry to bother you, I know you two have to get going and so do I. But can I talk with you for a moment?"
"Sure, sugar cube" Applejack said, and nodded for Fluttershy to go one ahead.
Once the shy yellow Pegasus flew off towards the castle, and out of hearing range, the crystal unicorn felt free to speak. "I just wanted to say, thank you. Thank you for taking care of Sunny. He's... had a... difficult life, I guess you could call it. Not the worst, but it's used to take it's toll on him."
"'Cause of his Daddy?" Applejack immediately asked, the page of Sunny's journal still fresh in her mind.
"You... you know about him?" Radiant was surprised. She thought Sunny had kept his father's identity a secret.
"Ah, ugh... ah know he did somethin' bad ta Sunny..." Applejack began to say, feeling still guilty about reading Sunny's journal. "But ah really don't know much else. Well, other then he and his daddy used ta be closer then two peas in a pod."
"Really close" Radiant admitted with a heavy heart. "Sunny... never had friends, well, not ones that weren't family or like family."
"Shoot, family are th' first friends ya make" Applejack said with a cheerful smile.
"Not when you're the only foal around a bunch of adults" Radiant admitted, but then shocked Applejack with a smile of her own. "I can see why he likes you."
This caught Applejack off guard and she began to blush again, part of her wanting to hide under her hat, but a stronger part of her was too happy to hide it. She'd never admit it, but that yellow stallion's the only pony she's ever known to make her feel weak in the knees, light headed, and want to actually slow dance all at the same time.
"Can you promised me something?" Radiant asked, bringing Applejack back down to Eauestria.
"Ugh, y-ya, anything fer ah relative of Sunny" Applejack straitened her hat, trying desperately to collect herself.
"Please, no matter what horrible things you find out about Sunny's past, please, don't ever give up on him." Radiant begged as her dark blue eyes looked deep into Applejack's.
But the answer was simple and honest for Applejack to give. "Ah couldn't give up on that colt even if ah wanted to. He's family now. And we Apple's take care of our own. 'Sides, that colt is... too special ta me, fer me ya give up on."
"There could be dark times ahead" Radiant's soft expression turned dark as she gave the orange farm the warning. "What if your family is in immediate danger because of him? And he is willing to take it on all on his own to protect your family?"
"Then we'll face them dark times together" Applejack answered without hesitation. "Whether he likes it or not."
The hardened expression that Radiant had melted away as the mare began to relax. "Sorry to be so harsh on you. I just... I feel like things are about to go from bad to worse."
Applejack then put a hoof on Radiant's shoulder. "If ya need any help, ah think of ya as family too. And yer just as welcome on the farm as much as Sunny. And if ya see his big bad daddy, and he's honestly looking ta make good with Sunny, then he's welcome too. But if he's lookin' fer trouble, then he's gunna get it. Apple family style."
A tear slipped from the corner of Radiant's eye as relief filled her heart. "Thank you... I know here's in good hooves. Maybe things were meant to be this way. Anywho, I need to get going. I'll see you later, Applejack."
"Ya'll feel free ta come down ta Sweet Apple Acres any time ya feel like, ok Auntie Radiant?" Applejack said with one last hug to the crystal unicorn.
"You bet" Radiant said as she released the orange farm pony from her hug and hurried down the road once more, this time fully intending on going to work.
Galloping happily down the road, though, Radiant came across two figures who stood directly in her path. Two Pegasus Royal guards in faded golden armor looked her strait in the eye, with their pair of glazed over red and green matching eyes.
"Come with us, Ms. Hope" one said in a zombified tone.
"Your presence is required" the other said in the same tone of voice, lacking any and all emotion.
Even though Radiant had been around and knew more then a hooffull of Royal guards, and knew that they had to refrain from showing any and all emotion, she knew something was wrong. As the unicorn mare looked into the eyes of the guards that stood before her, a horrified image of 1000 years ago popped into her head. She remembered the look of the Crystal guards after Sombra finished 'convincing' them that his new order was best for the Empire. Radiant was not fooled, and began connecting the pieces.
With a heavy heart, Radiant sighed, then looked the guards strait in the eye and told the forcefully recruited guards "Of course. Take me to him. To my oldest friend."
Sunny was glad his aunt pushed him to take the private booth, the train had been busy and crammed with ponies who had come to partake of the Crystal Fair, and now were leaving the Empire, heading home. Although Sunny had gotten a decent amount of sleep at Radiant's house, he was exhausted from his long day at the fair. So sleeping in a private booth would have to do until he got back to his own bed back on the farm.
The yellow unicorn had just laid down and began to dose off into a pleasant dream, when there was a knock on the booth's door. Stretching a little, Sunny forced himself up and answered the door. Sliding the booth door open, Sunny felt his heart sink a beat when he saw who it was. The conductor of the train stood at the door with something in his hoof.
"Sunny Knight?" The conductor asked, sounding as normal as he had when Sunny first met him on the ride over.
The nervous yellow unicorn looked the conductor up and down, wondering if the elderly stallion was under his dark spell again. After a long and awkward pause, Sunny gulped and replied "yes?"
The conductor then held out a letter to the odd stallion. "This arrived just before we left. "
After taking the letter, Sunny looked it over a few times. It seemed like an average letter in an average envelope, with the only thing on it being his name. Looking up, Sunny realized that the conductor was waiting for something more. A tip maybe? Gulping, Sunny dug in his hat and was grateful to find a bit hiding in the fold of his hat. After paying the conductor, Sunny closed and locked he booth's door. If the letter was addressed to 'Sunny Knight' and not just 'Sunny', then it meant it was from somepony who knew who he was. Who he 'really' was.
Taking a deep breath, Sunny opened the letter and began to read;
Dear Son,
I'm letting you know I'm getting better, slowly but surely. It will take a while before I'm back to full strength. I'll keep in touch.
You did a marvelous job with stopping Garganda. It's been a long time since we last saw him, I hope he is doing well.
Also, your birthday is coming up. I'm sending you a gift, you'll know when it arrives.
Sincerely, your father
PS you look good in a Stetson hat.
After re-reading the letter over and over again several times, Sunny slumped down to the ground, slouching half on his honchos half on his back. His heart was a boiling pot of mixed emotions. All at the same time, flashes of anger, sadness, joy, pride, relief, and most of all pain. The tears never stopped sliding down Sunny's yellow cheeks the whole ride back to Ponyville.
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.
"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'?"
"WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU PONIES?!?!" Breaking News asked as he slammed his hooves down on the meeting room table again, as he often did when his journalists came up short. Despite being a relatively short earth pony, the owner of the Manehatten times had quite the temper, which gave his body more then enough strength to compensate for his lack of height. "I ASKED FOR HARD HITTING, FIRST PAGE, PAPERS SELL OUT, NEWS! AND YOU BRING ME THIS GARBAGE?!?!"
"Sir" a light green Pegasus mare with a curly yellow mane spoke up. "These stories are the best we were able to dig up on such short notice."
"WHO ARE YOU AGAIN?" Breaking News asked the mare as he sat down in his chair, starting his deep breathing exercises his wife reminds him all the time to do.
"Ugh, Summer, Sir" the mare said as she began flipping through her note book. "Summer Breeze. And if you look over some of our notes again, you'll find a lot of them are real news worthy."
"OH YEAH? What's your best story? Come on! Give it to me! What is so 'news worthy' that I DIDN'T ALREADY READ!" Breaking New's blood pressure began to rise again.
But Summer just gulped and began to slink down in her seat. A stallion who knew Summer, having started working for the Manehatten Times the same time as her, gathered the courage and stood up to speak. "There have been confirmed sightings of changelings still hiding out in Canterlot and even some small towns around the mountain. It would catch ponies' attentions to know that their own neighbor could have been replaced by a monster!"
"AND SEND PONIES INTO A MASS PANIC?! OH, BRILLIANT! NEXT YOU'LL SUGGEST WE TELL THEM THAT TIREK IS DIGGING HIS WAY OUT OF HIS TARTARUS PRISON CELL WITH A SPOON!" Breaking News screamed, causing his journalists to shrink down into their seats. Noticing this, he took another deep breath and looked around the table. When he noticed an empty seat that belonged to a very familiar annoyance, a small smile grew on his face. "Looks like White Out is late for another meeting. That's her 5th one this month. That means-"
Just as Breaking News was about to declare the absent journalist fired, the pony in question burst through the door. "I GOT IT! Front page worthy news! We have to hurry! This story is so hot I had to fight off a bribe from the Canterlot Daily!"
"CANTERLOT DAILY?!" Breaking News couldn't believe it when he heard it. If his biggest rival of all time was wanting the story, it had to have been good. "I don't believe it, what is it? I thought you were supposed to be in the Crystal Empire doing a field report on the Crystal Fair?"
"I was Sir," White Out said as she clumsily walked into the meeting room, a file full of pictures and notes tucked safely under her dominant right wing. Despite the mare's hight and lengthy, elegant figure, she still found it hard to walk around and function. Partly due to her body's awkward length, partly due to her poor eye sight. Despite being an excellent flyer and a passionate journalist, the poor Pegasus was burdened with a tall and awkward body directed by vision that left a lot to be desired. "I was Sir. But you won't believe what happened!"
"WILL YOU GET ON WITH IT?!" Breaking News had a short temper, but his fuse was extremely short for the nearly blind news mare. "AND. IT. BETTER. BE. GOOD."
"Trust me Sir, it is." White Out placed the folder on the table in front of her short tempered boss and flung it open, revealing pictures of not only Prince Shinning Armor, but of some stallion in black armor.
"What?! What is this?! A JOUSTING COMEPETITION?! THIS IS FRONT PAGE WORTHY?!" The blood pressure in the small stallion's body began to shoot up again as he looked over the pictures.
"Look again, sir" White Out said as she spread the pictures out, and began explaining the story. "I was there, covering the fair like you told me, when this guy appeared out of nowhere. They called him 'The Black Knight'."
"What do I care about some clown in a suit?" Breaking began his deep breathing again.
"We'll get this..." White Out began directing the tiny stallion's eyes in a certain order for the pictures. "He faced Prince Shinning Armor in the very first round. Not only is this 'Black Knight' a mystery, and rumors say that he was able to chase off the great dragon Garganda all by himself, but he even cheated in that jousting match and broke the prince's leg!"
"WHAT?!?!" Braking's blood pressure hit an all time high when he heard the story and looked the pictures over. Ponies lie to sell stories, he knew this, but what really sold papers were picture proof! And it was all there in her pictures! The 'Black Knight', Prince Shinning Armor being cared for what looked like a broken leg, and even a blurry shot of the legendary dragon, Garganda himself! These pictures were worth a fortune! The small earth pony stallion narrowed his eyes on his worst field reporter. "How much do you want for these?!"
"I want my salary tripled, three weeks vacation, and a 'real' office with a real desk" White Out knew she had her boss in the cup of her hoof. She just needed to know how to play him, which luckily, she did.
"You get a 50% increase in your pay, one week vacation, and maybe, maybe an office" The stallion said as he gathered the photos and notes back up into the folder and tossed them to the pony next to him. "Get this story going immediately, I want the headline 'Mysterious Menace Attacks Royalty!' Print it! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! GO GO GO!!!"
With that, almost all of the journalists and other various members of the Manehatten Times got up and began walking out the door. All accept White Out. She remained wanting to follow up with her boss immediately about the story. "Excuse me, Sir!"
But the short earthpony was doing his best to ignore her, despite her hard hitting, front page worthy story. "Ugh, what do you want now?!"
"Sir, the Black Knight is my story" White Out started reiterating. "I want to be the one to take the case. I have leads that tell me where he might be heading off to, and resources that could lead me strait to him!"
"And what makes you think that I'll trust somepony like 'you' to take the story further?!" Breaking said as he walked over to his mini fridge and pulled out some green tea from a bottle. Something his wife insisted he keep a good stock of with his high blood pressure. "I have journalists who have worked the Chrysalis project, followed up on the Princess of Friendship and her friends, and even got me interviews with Princess Platinum IV, what makes you think I would choose 'you' over them?! Do you know how hard it is to get an interview with that diva?!"
This is where White Out really worked her magic. It was one thing to trick Breaking News into giving her exactly what she wanted by asking for more, knowing he would give her a fraction of what she really wanted. But she loved to really have something on him. "I am the only one who knows the leads of where the Black Knight could have headed off too after the fair. I left that out of my notes."
"I could fire you, ya know" Breaking News was no stranger to letting ponies go, and held no loyalty to them, either. That just meant less raises he would have to give them, and vacation time he didn't pay out for. In the long run, it was more cost efficient to have a high turnover rate.
"Do that, and I'll go to the Canterlot Times" White Out snapped, knowing that would really sting. "I'll get the scoop, and offer it to them for a job. I hear they give 'all' their employees desks and offices, starting off at what you pay us after two years of dedication."
Breaking began grinding his teeth, in a desperate attempt to remain in control. After a few deep breaths, the short earth pony began to relax and came up with a brilliant idea. "Ya know what, White Out, you're right. Tell you what, I'm a fair pony. I'll give you those three weeks vacation."
"You will?" White Out asked, thinking it sounded way too good to be true.
"You bet" Breaking replied as a toothy grin broke out across his face. "You have those three weeks to bring me back as much as you can about the Black Knight, including his true identity, or you're fired!"
White Out knew it was too good to be true, but despite the steaks, she smirked, having an ace up her sleeve. Sticking out her hoof to shake on it, she told her short boss "deal! But when I get all of that, I want that 3times my normal salary. Nothing less. And I want it to backdate for my 'payed' vacation."
"The vacation ain't paid" Breaking said through his grinding teeth again.
"This one will be" White Out said, a sky smirk on her muzzle. "Or I'll take my info elsewhere."
Thinking for a moment, Breaking gave up and conceded. "Ugh, fine! You can have it paid, 'if' you get the story! Got it?! And I want picture proof too!"
"Deal" White out said as she shook the short stallion's hoof, tossing the banes of her grey and white mane out of her face. "Always a pleasure doing business with you, Sir."
Despite her crafty and cunning ways, White Out lived in a poorer part of the big city of Manehatten, in a run down apartment, with her unemployed husband. The lucky stallion to marry such a hard working newspaper reporter was a dark grey, black maned, green eyed unicorn. Sounds like the dream of every mare, right? As White Out flew as fast home as she could to begin packing, her husband was hard at work, as always, on his extensive chore list.
"Ok...let's see" Thunder Veil said as he levitated a chore list on parchment and quill up in his dark green magical aura. "Bathroom, check. Kitchen, check, bed-"
At that moment, several small sparks shot off of the dark grey unicorn's horn, causing a small power surge in his magical flow, and sent the quill shooting through his parchment and strait through the floor. With a heavy sigh, Thunder knew exactly where his quill went, and he knew his downstairs neighbor wouldn't be happy about another visit from him.
You see, Thunder Veil is tortured with a magical disability. Randomly, and without warning or explanation, sparks of electrical energy shoot out from his horn. He had been born with this illness, which might have been the reason he was put up for adoption. Thunder didn't have any memories of before the orphanage, and even the memories of growing up there he continued to forget.
As Thunder began to drag his hooves out of his apartment, ready to yet again apologize to miss Tulip down stairs for making another hole in her roof, the dark grey unicorn was stopped. In front of his doorway stood a short and rather annoyed looking landlady.
"Make another hole, Thunder Veil?" Miss Orchis's words were harsh and very flat. The tiny mare had owned the apartment complex for years before Thunder and his wife moved in. Despite only having one source of income, due to Thunder's illness, she bent the rules and gave them a fairly inexpensive room. But her patients has been growing thin with all the complaints from other tenants. Thunder may have been very polite, and really nice once you got to know him, but the tiny mare quickly found out that politeness doesn't fix holes in roofs, broken windows, or anything else 'accidentally' destroyed by Thunder's 'abnormality'.
"Excuse me, miss Orchis" Thunder started to say, not making eye contact with the little earth pony. "I was just about to pay miss Daisy down stairs a visit to-"
"Don't bother" Miss Orchis snapped. "She and half of the other renters on the floors above and below you have already moved out! Do you know how much money I've lost from you two?!"
"I'm sorry miss-" Thunder started to say, suppressing another surge of electrical energy. The surges grew worse the more nervous or more excited the unicorn became.
"Sorry?! SORRY?!" Miss Orchis started to turn red in the face. "Does sorry pay for all the damage you have caused?! Does 'sorry' put food on the table?! Does 'sorry' even come close to giving me back my 3 star rating?! 3 out of 5 stars doesn't sound like much in this town, but buster, it's heck of a lot better then the one star I have now! ONE STAR! My complex has 'ONE' star thanks to all the damage you have done! Why, if i could go back in time and stop myself from ever renting to you, I'd-"
Thunder couldn't hold it anymore. Miss Orchis's rant was going on too long for him to hold it in anymore. A massive surge of electricity shot out of Thunder's horn, scorching the entire door frame and shocking miss Orchis until her main stood out. By the end of the wave, the little mare was all covered in black charcoal, her glasses cracked slightly, and her mane stuck up like needles in a push pin.
Not saying another word, the wide eyes, shocked, and tired looking mare let out a slight cough then handed a notice letter to the unicorn. Thunder apologized to miss Orchis one last time before she began her painful walk back to her own apartment, ready to clean off and enjoy a nice hot bubble bath. Each step brushed some black debris off of her, as well as earned a painfilled grown. Walking past the pain stricken mare was another tenant and good friend to White Out, a Pegasus mare named Silver Sky.
The white Pegasus with a pink and blue mane had just hopped out of a nice refreshing shower after a long day of chasing out of control storms, when she thought she should pay her friend a visit. Noticing her land lady, Silver was about to greet the normally friendly mare, but stopped herself when she noticed the charred state the little earth pony was in.
Casually walking past the frizzled land lady, Silver Sky made her way to White Out and Thunder Veils's apartment. She caught the dark grey unicorn as stood at his doorway, a flushed look on his own muzzle as a letter fell from his dissipated magical aura.
"Wow, why the long face?" Silver asked as she leaned down and picked the letter up. Shock soon spread across her own muzzle. "Evicted?! You guys are being evicted?!"
"It's all my fault..." Thunder's heart sank to the bottom of his stomach as he slumped down onto his back legs.
"Come on" Silver said as she grabbed the dark grey unicorn by his tail and began pulling him inside. "We'll figure something out."
After an hour or so of talking it out, looking over the letter and bouncing ideas off each other, Silver sky was finally able to calm Thunder down enough to get him to think. She knew if she could get him to focus on one thing that he could begin to relax. But before the two could actually figure something out about the couple's inevitable eviction, White Out burst through the door.
"You guys won't believe this!" The light grey and white mare proclaimed as she rushed over to give her best friend and husband a big hug. "I have got 'the scoop' of the sentry!"
"That's... Great! White" Silver tried to sound enthusiastic, but dread from the news she was about to drop on her oldest friend made it difficult to wear a smile.
"Yeah, honey... I'm glad to hear it" Thunder commented as his wife released the two of them.
The Pegasus reporter shot the two a concerned look. "Something bad's happened, hasn't it?"
Letting out a sigh, Silver was about to break the hard news when Thunder jumped in. "The entire complex is being renovated."
"Renovated? Really? The whole place?" White Out asked, then noticed another hole in the ground. "Did miss Daisy complain again?"
"Ugh, well..." Silver started to reply when Thunder interrupted again.
"There have been some things miss Orchis has been wanting to fix up, and now she finally has the money to do it." Thunder casually continued to lie. With all the focus he puts into keeping calm, he has mastered the poker face. Making any lie he says sound 100% believable. "Most of the other renters have gone on vacation until the repairs are done."
"Well that does explain why I haven't seen any pony around much..." White commented. "And why those bratty little kids from upstairs have been quiet for the past week. Ugh! I was hoping they moved out for good. Oh well. Anyway, this couldn't have come at a better time.
"I'll get us some tea and I'll tell you two all about it!" With that, White Out went into the kitchen to brew the beverage.
When the half blind mare was out of the room and out of ear shot, Silver turned to Thunder and whispered. "What are you thinking?! Why didn't you tell her?!"
"Tell her what?" Thunder snapped, several sparks flying lightly from his horn. After a moment of getting his breathing under control, Thunder Veil continued his explanation. "I can't let her know that I've screwed up this badly. While we're away, I'll find us a new place to live. Maybe even our own house."
"But you guys could barely make rent here!" Silver spoke slightly louder, then hushed we tone down. "What makes you think you could afford a house?"
"What choice do we have?" Thunder calmly replied, desperate to keep his sparks under control. "Any other place we try would just turn us away.... I... I can't do this too her, Silver..."
Silver sky glanced at the down trotted unicorn, sparks still flickering off of his horn as he hung his head low, desperately keeping his emotions under control. She knew how much Thunder meant to White Out, and she to him. Smiling and shaking her head, she knew she had made up her mind. "Fine. I'll help you look too. I'll send you letters about various places. But you'll owe me one."
"Thank you so much Silver... it's a deal." Thunder's ears perked up as he looked back at Silver and smiled lightly.
"What's a deal?" White Out asked as she Carried in a tray holding tea cups and a tea pot.
"Oh, ugh, just..." Thunder was caught off guard.
"I was just telling Thunder how good of a sale canned bread was on at the market" Silver spoke up, saving Thunder from his word stumble.
"Canned bread is real?" White Out asked as she sat down, almost forgetting about her 'big scoop'. While the reporter mare told Thunder and Silver about her adventure to the Crystal Empire, Thunder's mind was also reeling with ideas of new locations to check out while his wife was preoccupied.
Working day and night while her sister was away, Luna had exhausted herself, and crashed for a couple hour long nap. She had never worked so hard in all her life, and silently begged her sister for forgiveness for all the years that she had to burden the duties of sun and moon rising and setting, coupled with her royal duties. Whilst the lunar princess rest in her chambers, two sentries stood promptly outside her room, one bat pony night guard and one Pegasus day guard. Both had been instructed by the princess with very specific orders not to let any pony bother her unless it was an absolute emergency.
There was, however, one pony they would let through, despite princess Luna's desperate need for sleep. And that pony's name was Kibitz, the right hoof pony to princess Celestia, trusted with tasks and secrets very few ponies have before. He was talented at keeping to schedules that he builds on a daily basis to help the princesses keep Equestrian running properly. Lately he's been just as much of a mess as princess Luna with trying to keep the lunar princess up on her royal obligations. Which could be part the reason he fell out of his seat this morning as he sat down to enjoy his bran muffin and tall cup of tea. He didn't know quite what was going on, but when he saw the headlines 'Prince attacked by mysterious 'Black Knight' ' and saw the picture of none other then prince Soleggiato Calevelere in his signature black armor, he knew this was at the utmost importance.
"I must tell princess Luna! We can summon back princess Celestia and reunite-" the older earth pony was saying to himself as he walked as fast as he could down the hallway, almost at Princess Luna's bed chamber doors when the doorway to the hall that would lead him there disappeared! No, more like a zipper appeared at the top of the doorway and slid down, zipping the hallway shut. "What in Eauestria?!"
"Oh sorry! That was me!" A painting off to the corner by where the hallway entrance used to be began to move, its face warped into that of the draquis mischief maker, Discord. "I sometimes forget to zip up my fly. Now, where are you off too in such a loud hurry? Don't you know princess Luna is trying to take her little nappy poo?"
"Out of my way you, you, hooligan!" Kibitz snapped, not in the mood to kid around with the master of chaos. He never cared much for Discord's antics before, or his pranks that he pulled often around the castle, especially while the princesses were preoccupied. "I have some important news for her highness. I'm sure even 'you' would agree that she and her sister, princess Celestia, must be informed right away!"
Kibitz then held up the paper with the image of the Black Knight plastered right on the front. Discord then took the paper from the frantic earth pony, eyes skimming over the headline and briefly over the story, before smacking his face with his paw and releasing a rather annoyed sigh. "What does that foal think he's doing?! I though he was going to lay low! Ugh! I guess I'll have to intervene sooner then expected."
"Wait a minute, you knew about this?!" Kibitz was beside himself with a mixture of outrage and anger. "How could you?! You know how much he means to the princesses, especially princess-"
But before the elderly earth pony could proceed further with his rant or grow more red in the face, Discord put a single finger from his bird like claw on the pony's head. Kibitz eyes began to change until they were a constant flow of yellow, green, and blue rings.
"Kibitz, you poor old colt" Discord began. "You always work so hard, you need to learn to have a little fun and relax. Why don't you go and get some sleep, forget all about this silly paper, and maybe put some more meat on those bones. You look absolutely starved!"
When Discord removed his claw, Kibitz's eyes returned to normal, but the earth pony's mood began to relax as his body's entire coat began to slightly grey. With a long yawn and a wide stretch, Kibitz began to realize just how tired he really was. He looked up at Discord and shrugged. "Like, I think I'm gunna take a nap, man. Then I think I'll hit up the kitchen for a triple decker cheese, tomato, pickle and potato chip sandwich."
"Oh my, that sounds just wonderful" Discord said with a smirk while suppressing a fit of laughter. "Want me to notify the chefs to have it ready by the time you wake up?"
"That would be awfully chill of ya bro" Kibitz commented as he yawned again. "Welp, gunna go catch some Z's. Latter mad master D of the C."
After the more relaxed Kibitz casually strolled down the hallway towards the nearest open bed that he could soon occupy, Discord snapped his fingers once again, this time, creating two dozen clouds of white smoke. Once the smoke cleared, two dozen more Discords dresses from head to hoof in ninja attire stood, ready for orders they already knew.
Reappearing in front of them was the original Discord, dressed in what appeared to be a blue and orange jump suit, sporting a ninja headband much like the other Discords. Clearing his throat, the original Discord addressed his clone copies. "Alright every pony! We have our mission! Retrieve every copy of every newspaper with Sunny's picture on it, then do whatever it takes to wipe the memories of the ponies who read it! Including using the grey spell!"
"But sir!" A Discord spoke out from the front row. "Won't princess Luna notice a ton of ponies acting weird?"
"Ah, a good point!" The original Discord noted. "But let's all look in our copies of the author's notes and turn just a little ahead..."
Simultaneously, all the Discords pulled a thick packet of papers out from behind them and began flipping through the notes. Once they all reached a highlighted page, little conversations broke out across the small crowd, with most of the draquis nodding once they understood.
"Good, now lets move out!" The original Discord ordered, and with that, all the other Discords dressed in ninja like outfits disappeared and traveled in various directions, infecting many ponies with the grey spell to wipe their memories of the newspaper headline, destroying said newspapers as they did so. Knowing exactly how well his plan was going, Discord let out a light chuckle. "Take that fox boy, mine are better then yours!"
Unzipping the hall and setting everything back to their 'normal' 'boring' state, Discord began thinking to himself. 'Guess I'm off to ponyville. Hope I don't miss the party! I have just the perfect gift in mind for the little lemon drop!'
The rest of the train ride back to Ponyville Sunny spent half curled up looking out the window at the changing scenery, a million things running through his head. But none of it he cared enough to think about at the moment. All he wanted to do was get back to the apple farm, back to his home, and leave everything else behind. Leave the Crystal Empire behind. Leave the Black Knight behind. The crystal ponies. The guilt from 1000 years ago. The horrible memories. The good memories. Even the few unanswered questions, like 'why did my father seal me away?' And 'who is my mother... and why can't I remember her?', he rather just ignore for a while.
At the moment, all the yellow unicorn wanted to do was go home and get to bed. A place where he hoped all the ghosts from his past couldn't find him. A place where he could relax and be safe. A place where he is just ' a pony named Sunny'. And nothing more...
On a small island, off the shore of the south Luna ocean, on the more quiet coast of Equestrian, the princess of the sun lay resting on a nice warm beach, hoping peaceful and warm surroundings would put her spirit at rest. It was an island Celestia and Luna found not long after they had fully constructed their castle in the Everfree forest and wished to have a place to escape to, a place where the worries of being a princess and constantly working to improve and preserve harmony in their land would be far away, at least for a little while. To ensure this, the two sisters used a spell they borrowed from Star-Swirl the beaded to cloak the entire island in a magical barrier that turned the island invisible. There were only a hoof full of individuals who knew of the island. Most of those included the staff who lived and worked on the island.
"Your drink, Celestia?" A dark brown earth pony approached the princess. He had his black mane in dread locks and wore reflective sunglasses.
"Thank you R and R" Celestia smiled at the earth pony. She and her sister Luna asked the staff of the island to simple address then by name and not by status. So words like 'princess', 'majesty' and 'highness' were not spoken. "That will be all."
"As you wish, I'm gunna hit da surf" R and R said. "My bros and I are havin' a surf contest. You want in on dis?"
"No thank you, I think I'll be fine just watching from here" Celestia forced a smile.
"K" R said before grabbing a surfboard. He paused for a moment then turned back to the sun princess. "Oh! I almost forgot, mi mom baked a cake this morning. If ya want, please help yourself to a slice. She's a heck of ah good cook."
"Thank you" Celestia nodded, took a sip of her drink and watched the surfer pony run off to join his fellow staff members he happily called 'bros'.
Most theorists Celestia had visit her, in secret of course, had told her the sound of the ocean was the calmest thing she appeared to react to. Often Celestia thought of retiring and moving onto the island permanently. But she knew her sister and her would always be needed in Equestrian. There would alway be some monster or some dispute amongst her ponies that would needed to be settled. Not even the entire world has been discovered yet. Maybe when it is, then she can relax. But at the moment, Celestia just needed to relax and enjoy the peaceful sound of the ocean.
She didn't know for how many hours she laid on her towel on the beach, but the sun princess was awoke by a small and unfamiliar sound. Her stomach and gargled at her to satisfy it. Instantly, her mind reeled back to what R and R said about there being cake at the shack. Getting up and stretching, Celestia shook the bits of sand off of her and made her way back to the shack at the midddle of the island. It was a small building like structure, kept simple and humble for maximum relaxation. Upon entering the shack, Celestia found many bags of chips, hay dogs and buns with an array of condiments, but what caught her eye was a plate that held a rather large chocolate cake. It looked simply delicious with its garnished frosting flowers and bright colored base. R and R's mother had quite a reputation as the best cook in the island, and always went out of her way when Celestia or Luna took time on the island.
'I know it will be nice and moist, but I'm really thirsty' Celestia thought to herself as she walked over the the refrigerator, having grabbed a clean glass. 'Some milk would go great with...'
But as Celestia opened the fridge, she saw something that shook her at her very core. It was a small, personal sized cake. Much like the other cake, it was also decorated with brightly colored frosting and garnished with flowers made from frosting as well, but... it was the modest size that really struck Celestia...
"It looks.... just like his..." the sun princess said as nostalgia took hold of her mind and heart, pulling her back to her past. Of her birthday over 1000 years ago. Before the imprisoning of Nightmare Moon, before the building of Canterlot, and before the fall of the Crystal Empire...
Over 1000 years ago, Castle of the two pony sisters
It was a magnificent party, Celestia thought, one defiantly fit for the princess of the sun, the one who began every pony's day with bright and shinning new hope. Celestia had dawned a new dress that had been given to her for the occasion by Star-Swirl himself! Made of the finest white silks, and embroidered with 14 carrot gold thread, making gold suns that resembled her own cutie mark. Celestia walked tall and proud down the hallway and into the main hall, where guests from all around Equestrian had gathered to celebrate her birthday. Members of royal families, diplomats, and noble ponies alike all were invited. Celestia and Luna were told by their teacher and mentor, Star-Swirl, that it was important for the leaders and those of power to become familiar with the new rulers of Equestrian, so that if problems arose, they wouldn't be consulting strangers. That, and the more ponies got to know them, the more comfortable they would feel with the new monarchs. Granted, there were some who questioned the princess's power and authority, but most of that was put to rest when the sisters demonstrated their ability to raise and lower the sun and moon without the aid of an entire team of unicorns by their side. Celestia was also demonstrated her power by freeing the ponies from those frightening changelings during the siege of Trot. Yes, quickly the ponies have learned of Celestia's and Luna's great power, and with that, came a great deal of respect.
Upon arriving, the announcer nodded, and trumpets began to play. Clearing his throat, the announcer pony spoke loudly to catch all the pony's attention. "It is my honor to announce that her majesty, the one who raises and lowers the sun each and every day, has arrived! Let us greet and wish a very happy birthday to the one, and only, princess Celestia of Equestria!"
As she gracefully strolled out and began descending down the stair case, Celestia smiled and performed and elegant bow before addressing the entire crowd of party guests. "Thank you all for coming to my birthday party, it means so much that you came. I know some of you had quite the hornet to make. For those of you who have long journeys to get back home, please, feel free to stay the night in the guest wing of the castle and rest here for the night."
"Happy birthday, your majesty!" The crowd casually cheered, excited but still wishing to remain refined in their appearance.
Descending the rest of the staircase with the utmost sense of elegance, Celestia was quickly surrounded by a crowd of her guests, wishing her the very best of birthdays, introducing and reintroducing themselves to her. The sun princess did her best to greet them all, thanking them for coming and what not. Through the small talk, Celestia was able to peek out over the crowd at two very special stallions she had hoped to see.
The pearl colored alicorn turned to her guests and thought up a quick escape. "Excuse me, everypony, I have some guests who I have to welcome. Please, help yourself to some refreshments."
After breaking away from the crowd, Celestia made her way over to the entrance where her special guests were talking. But despite her desperate desire to see them, the princess of the sun was stopped by a grumpy and annoyed looking, bearded wizard.
"Star-Swirl, I'm glad you could make it" Celestia said with a nervous smile.
The older unicorn's face was hard to read. He looked both proud and dissatisfied as his eyes looked deep into Celestia's. "quite a lovely party, wouldn't you agree? Have you see your sister? I wouldn't think Luna would miss a party. You know how she loves to mingle."
That's when it struck the solar princess, diverting her thoughts for a split second. "I... actually haven't seen her all night... where could she be?"
"I'll go look for her..." the bearded wizard said as he began walking away. "My advice Celestia, pay close attention to those closest to you. Neglect your duty to them, and you might find your world in pieces."
"Is that some sort of threat, old friend?" Celestia knew Star-Swirl had been acting different towards her in the past couple of years, given what she had done. But she hoped that their friendship would mean more to him then that.
"It is a warning" Star-Swirl noted without turning around to face the princess. "I have seen ponie's lives ruined by neglect. One can't favor one flower and forget the rest of the garden. As a friend, I advise you to listen to your sister. She seems troubled. But for now, enjoy the party. I will speak with her."
Not another word, and the bearded wizard teleported himself from where he stood to the top of the staircase, wanting to avoid swing through the sea of guests, then he began his walk down the hall that would lead him to Luna's room.
Shaking that encounter from her mind for the moment, Celestia casually, but quickly, walked up and possibly interrupted a conversation between her two most favored guests.
"I'm glad you two could make it" Celestia smiled down at both of them, her face lighting up brighter then it had all night.
"Celestia!" The young prince Soleggiato Cavaliere ran up to princess Celestia, giving the alicorn princess the biggest hug he could. The young colt barley reached the sun princess's knee, but always made his best effort to try and reach up to her chest for his welcome hugs. "I've missed you so much! Happy Birthday!"
"My! Haven't you grown!" Celestia smiled, lowered her head and nuzzled the little yellow colt. "I've missed you too, Sunny."
Pulling her head back, Celestia's gaze shifted from the young prince to his father. King Sombra was dressed in his finest royal blue silk cloak and onyx colored, armor chest plate. Celestia lo-er, liked, yes liked, how the large emerald like stone on the chest plate really brought out the color in the kind king's eyes. Equally, Sombra thought the same of the amethyst colored stone Celestia wore on her elegant neck piece. But as he stared back into her eyes, he thought how just a moment of staring into them was worth more then all the gems and jewels the world had to offer.
"It's good to see you again, princess Celestia" Sombra's regal voice, deep as thunder, but like a fine tuned piano key was music to Celestia's ears.
Never wanting to break eye contact, Celestia gave the king of the Crystal Empire a modest smile, but it was increasing difficult for the alicorn mare to hold back the joy she felt with such a smile. "It is good to see you too, king Sombra. You and Sunny seem well."
Sombra then smiled down at his young son, who was just beaming with utter delight. His smile seemed to spread from one ear to the other on his yellow muzzle. But as much as he had been waiting to come to the sun princess's birthday party, Sunny thought it best to leave them alone for a while and help himself to the food table. "Oh! Looks at the buffet! Ugh, I'm going to... get a better look at it."
As the little yellow colt casually walked over to the long table that held enough food for an entire town, the Princess and King couldn't help but watch and laugh lightly to themselves, knowing exactly what he was doing.
"He's as smooth as his father" Celestia complemented, eyes still glued to the young prince.
"I was thinking more like his mother" Sombra said as he watched his son look over the various foods. "Speaking of like his mother, he couldn't wait to give you your gift. But it's in the kitchen at the moment, cooling off in your ice box."
Celestia raised a brow. "Is it... made of ice?"
"Not exactly" Sombra smiled, thinking about the gift Sunny worked so hard on. "He wanted to make something 'special' for you. 'Something no pony could top' he said."
Celestia turned to see Sunny curiously eyeing a mountain of various sweets that covered the desert table, more or less studying them then trying to decide which one to try. "He's such a good boy... it tears me apart to think that... his mother can't be there for him as much as she wants."
Seeing the pain beginning to grow in the sun princess's eyes, Sombra nudged her lightly. "I feel the same. I wish she could be with us too. I wish we could be together as a family. The three of us. And I know Sunny wishes that too."
Celestia's head began to hang, her heart stricken with guilt.
"But you know what?" Sombra continued, drawing the alicorn's purple eyes back to him. "Sunny knows how his mother has her duties to perform. He looks forward to the days when he 'can' see his mother, rather then dwell on the days where he can't. It's like when the sun sets. He doesn't look back and miss the day that ended, but rather looks forward to the coming dawn.
"He tries his hardest every day to improve himself in some way. Whether it's trying to do better in school, trying to learn a new craft, or perfect an old skill. He's even tried some really out there attempts at his cutie mark. Do you know why?" Sombra continued to smile as Celestia's head slowly began to rise, eyes beginning to sparkle a little as she saw the real Sunny for the first time that night.
"Why does he try so hard?" Celestia asked, then took a moment to think. "Is it because he wants to impress his mother?"
Sombra half nodded in response, smile never fading. "I think it's that and a little more. He wants to find out who he is, as well as have stories to tell his mother. Things for him to share and make her smile. He doesn't like to talk about boring or sad stories. He rather talk about the fun times he's had. Whether it's learning to bake with Pappy, or scaling the castle wall, he wants the good times to always outshine the bad. That way, his mother won't worry about him when she's not there, but instead, wonder about what fun he's having or what trouble he's getting into."
Turning back to the little yellow colt, Celestia saw him talking happily with Smart Cookie and a few other earth ponies about the various deserts and dishes they made for the party. A small smile grew on Celestia's muzzle as her heart felt lighter. "She's proud of him, you know. Thinks about him all the time. And about you."
"I know" Sombra said, stepping closer to stand beside Celestia as they both continued to watch Sunny laughing and joking now with the members of the earth pony tribes. "He is so much like his mother, it's almost like she never really leaves us. I tell him that, and he gets so happy. But I think he's trying hard to be like me too. You know, I caught him the other day playing with his toy soldiers dressed in my spare cloak and armor."
"Did you make a picture of it?" Celestia asked, thinking the image of the young colt playing as his father would be a priceless moment that she's love to see. "I'm sure his mother would love to have it."
"I tried my best" Sombra replied with a heavy sigh. "But it came out scratchy on the plate I tried to imprint it on. Sorry."
"It's time every pony! It's time!" Chancellor Pudding Head called out with joyful glee. "The birthday girl's cake is ready! It's time for her to blow out the candles!"
Everypony stopped what they were doing and gathered around as a large cake was pushed out by three bakers! The cake was 8 layers high, with the bottom layer rounding about 10 feet in diameter, ascending to the top layer which was about a foot or so in diameter. The frosting was pearly white to match the birthday girl's coat, and decorated with purple frosting ribbons and bows. Some edible gold glitter was lightly sprinkled at the top of each layer. And inside was a rich chocolate cake with even richer chocolate icing between each layer! The earth pony tribe had certainly outdone themselves this time.
Another familiar face emerged from the crowd, one of Star-Swirl's greatest students, Clover the clever. As she elegantly waved her horn, all the candles on the cake took light. Everypony 'ooohed' and 'awwwed' at the sight of the cake all lit up. A few pegusi flew up and blew out the lights around the room, allowing the image of the cake and the birthday girl to be the only thing to be seen.
As Celestia approached the cake, ready to blow out the candles, she looked around to all the familiar faces of her guests. She had become very popular and very well liked, and it's not hard to understand why. She and her sister will usher in a new age for Equestrian, bringing ponies of all different kinds together and breaking down the wall that once separated the tree tribes. But as the sun princess's eyes wondered, they met the emerald green eyes of young prince Sunny once more. She seemed confused at first by the colt's reaction to the cake. He seemed... scared? No.... no that wasn't it... sad?
"Are you ready to blow out your candles, Sister?" Princess Luna appeared, her gaze slightly chilled to look at, but she had dressed herself in her most elegant black and royal blue dress for the occasion.
"Y-yes" Celestia cleared her throat. "Thank you sister."
"Don't forget to make a wish!" Smart Cookie chimed in, taking her hat off and holding it to her heart out of respect for the alicorn princess.
There was no hesitation as Celestia blew out the candles, her wish, a wish she had wanted to come true for many years, rang loudly in her head. A wish that her deepest darkest secret could be shared and a heavy burden she and a small hoof full of others could be liberated from. But as the last candle on the cake was blown out by Celestia's single breath of air, the sun princess knew that the wish would never come true.
After the guests retired to their rooms for the night or had left for their own homes, Celestia met with a few ponies in the kitchen. Walking through the kitchen doors, Celestia's smile grew once more as she caught the sight of King Sombra and his son at the table, a blue gift with green ribbon sat at the center of a small dinning table.
"Oh? What's this?" Celestia asked as she casually approached the table, knowing she didn't have to put on airs around the two ponies before her.
Sunny was nervous and turned his gaze away and rubbed the back of his hoof, almost as if he had done something wrong. Knowing why his son was acting like this, Sombra spoke up lightly. "Sunny wanted to give you his gift, after every pony left. He and Pappy worked hard on it."
Walking up to the gift, Celestia's golden magical aura surrounded the ribbon. Pulling the ribbon apart and lifting the box up, Celestia caught the sight of something that would forever be etched into her heart.
It was a cake. A small cake, about the size a regular family of four would share on any old birthday party. The frosting appeared to be a white buttercream, with several different kinds of sprinkles all around. And atop of the cake was a slightly sloppy drawing of Celestia's cutie mark in frosting. To most ponies it would have looked like something somepony through together at the last moment, but to Celestia, it was the most precious gift she had ever received.
"I know it's not as good as the other cake..." Sunny spoke up, his tone very low and quiet, almost as if he really didn't want to be heard, and wanted both his father and the sun princess to forget he was even there.
But to the young prince's surprise, he was instead met with a big, warm hug by the pearl white alicorn princess. While holding him, she told the little unicorn "it's the most beautiful cake I've ever seen. Thank you for working so hard on it."
A small smile grew on the young prince's face, pushing a small tear from the corner of his eye. Shanking it off, Sunny broke the hug and pulled out a cake knife. "Want to cut the cake?"
"Why don't I get that" Sombra spoke up. "Could you get the silverware and plates?"
"Sure!" Sunny said enthusiastically, eager to show off how much better he's gotten at using magic. Consintraiting as hard as he could, Sunny's green magical aura began to lightly wrap around three plates and three forks. Trying as hard as he could on the several items, Sunny then proceeded to levitate them to the table. They started off strong at first, but the closer the dishes and silver wear got to the table, the more they shook and dipped. Unlike the times Sunny's tried back at the Crystal Empire kitchen, all the table wear made it to the table without breaking. Once everything just barely made it to the table, Sunny released a held breath and was met with clapping hooves.
"Well done" Celestia congratulated the young unicorn. "Your skills have improved greatly."
"Your hard work has payed off" Sombra added, still clapping.
Sunny's small smile grew as his cheeks became slightly red, then another thought came to mind. "Wait! We have to put the candles on! You have to blow them out and get another wish!"
"I suppose your right" Celestia noted as she levitated three candles onto the uncut cake. After placing the three down firmly in the cake, Sombra kindly lit all three.
"Hey..." Sunny slightly muttered as he looked around. "Where's Luna? there's enough for her to have a slice, right?"
Celestia's heart was torn in two; she loved to see the young colt's companion extend for her dear sister, but was hurt at the same time for her sister's lack of enthusiasm. Luna had arrived and left only for the cake ceremony and for Celestia to open the gift she had revived from her sister. After that, Luna disappeared, most likely to retire to her room for the night. Whatever has gotten her upset will have to wait. Celestia would bring her sister a piece of Sunny's cake, but she wouldn't let Luna's foul mood ruin this precious moment.
"My sister isn't feeling well" Celestia answered the little colt. "But I'll save her a piece if you want."
"Yeah! I don't want her to be left out!" Sunny said with glee but pulled back some of his gusto. "I hope she feels better soon."
"I'm sure she'll be fine" Sombra intervened, then looked Celestia right in the eye and winked. "Time to make your second wish."
Once again, Celestia blew out the candles without a second thought. The same wish always on her mind and in her heart. She had made the same wish for years. Seeing the effort Sunny put into the gift, all the love that every tiny bite would have, filled Celestia's own heart with hope. Hope that, against the odds, her impossible wish would one day come true. If this moment could last forever in her memory, eternity wouldn't be so bad for the princess of the sun.
But nothing lasts for ever, and light sometimes gets overshadowed by darkness....
"Celestia, Is everything alright?" A mare walked into the kitchen and put her hoof on the while alicorn's shoulder, breaks the princess of the Sun from her trance.
Shaking herself from the nostalgia, Celestia shot R and R's mother a sincere smile and nod. "I am, thank you. Just... thinking. Thank you for the cake, by the way."
"That white one is yours" the generous mares said as she walked over and picked an apple off of the counter. "My boys get an awful case of the munchies, so I'll make you your own special ones, ok? Nothin mends a broken heart better then chocolate anyway."
This caused the solar princess to raise a shocked brow. "What would make you say-"
"I know what a broken heart looks like" the mare said as she began pealing and slicing her apple. "When R and R was younger, he ran away from home. Me and his father were out looking for him all over the place. While we looked, I grew more and more worried that something would happen to him. In our search, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a window. My eyes were filled with pain and worry. Much like yours now.
"I don't know what pain you be feeling, Celestia, or where it be coming from" the mare continued as she put dry dishes away. "But I do know that time heals all wounds. We just have to keep strong and carry on."
Taking the mare's story in, Celestia sighed and just sliced herself a piece of cake. "A long time ago, I knew a very young colt. He was brave, smart, strong, and very, very outgoing. He shined just like the sun. But he was the son of a king. A king I was very close to... that young prince, he made me a cake, just like this one for my birthday. And to this day, I find cake to be absolutely relaxing. Every pony knows that. But they don't know why.... it's honestly because every time I have a slice of cake, it makes me think back to that birthday. That birthday that little colt tried his very hardest to make me a cake."
"He sounds like a very sweet lad" the mare commented.
"He was..." Celestia noted, but instantly took a large bite of the cake, hoping it would choke down the tears that were forming at the edges of her eyes.
After the mare nibbled on a few bites of an apple she had grabbed, she looked outside and remembered just what day it was today. "Oh my, ma'am! Isn't it the day of the Eclipse?"
Celestia stopped chewing. Even if the mare hadn't said anything, she knew what day it was. Celestia just wished she didn't. Yes, it was the day she and her sister shared and was supposed to be a joyous holiday, but this day only brought the princess of the sun painful memories to the surface. Memories of being alone for so many years. Without her dear sister, as well as without those two stallions...
A few months had passed since Celestia's birthday, and although she had been busy with plans of building a new town on Equestria's east coast, and dealing with interference from both Bug Bears and Dragons alike, Celestia had cleared her schedule, mostly, to help welcome and celebrate the birthday of her favorite little prince. Soleggiato Cavelere was celebrating his actual birthday with his father, but Celestia had promised a second small celebration the day after. Nothing better then getting twice the cake and presents, right?
"He should be arriving any moment now" Celestia said with glee as she patiently waited in the entry way with her best friend, Star-Swirl the bearded. "I can't wait to hear how his other birthday went."
"Oh, I'm sure he'll go on and on about what toys he got and how all his friends had fun with him, and whatever else he talks about." The old unicorn wizard said less then a little in enthusiastically as he rolled his eyes.
There were few things that got on Celestia's nerves, but Star-Swirl's attitude to the young prince really got under her skin. "Perhaps it would be wiser for you to tend to your books and scrolls for the evening."
"Perhaps you are right" Star-Swirl's sarcastic tone turned flat as he began to walk away, but paused again. "But first I think I shall stop in and check on your sister. She should be here too, shouldn't she? Or is it the job of her sister, and co-ruler of Equestria to tend to such things, not throw a second party for some spoiled little-"
"Ahem" a stallion coughed to catch Celestia and Star-Swirl's attention as well as to silence the old wizard before he said something he would really live to regret. At the front gate stood King Sombra and his less then joyful looking son.
Before anypony could say anything, Sunny ran off to the tower of Celestia's half of the castle that she gave him, deeming it a second room just for him. Tears were in his eyes and as he ran as fast as his tiny legs could carry him. Celestia wanted with all her heart to just run after him, but as she was about to make the leap, Sombra appeared by her side and put a hoof on her shoulder to stop her.
"Give him a second to cry it out. He's... had a rough day" the King told her, then shot a hard glance to the elderly wizard dressed with jingling bells. "And it seems he can't catch a break."
Celestia shot Star-Swirl a hard glare, sending a chill down the old unicorn's back. But tearing her anger filled eyes from the old colt and back to Sombra, Celestia's hard exterior melted away to a kinder side. "What happened? Was it his birthday?"
With a heavy sigh, Sombra lead Celestia out of the main room and down a private hallway, away from the old wizard and any other pairs of curious ears. "Everything was going as planned, the decorations were magnificent, the food was excellent, and despite how little he actually asked for, he had a mountain of presents and a cake twice as tall as he was. All his 'friends' arrived on time and appeared to be having fun playing the games, enjoying the food and over all being around Sunny..."
"But?..." Celestia pressed. She had never seen the little prince that upset before in his entire life.
"Sunny had stepped away from a game of pin the tail on the pony to use the bathroom, and when he came back, he overheard his 'friends' talking about him" Sombra said with a heavy sigh. "They were talking about how they were only friends with him because he was a prince, and made fun of him for not being better at magic or having the highest grades in the class, and even went as far as to call him a 'blank-flank'."
"I want the names of these foals and their parents" Celestia's eyes narrowed as her mane began to spark, a spat becoming fire. "No pony does that to Sunny."
"I've dealt with them" Sombra tried to put her more at ease. "Sunny wanted me to just tell them that he didn't feel well and to call the party to a close, sending them all away with a slice of cake."
"How could they?!..." taking several deep breaths, Celestia began to calm down. "... poor Sunny..."
"He really needs us, 'Tia" Sombra met the princess of the sun's gaze with his own worried eyes. "I wish I could stay, but there's been some suspicious movement in the north, and it might lead us to Princess Amore."
"Go" Celestia said immediately, knowing how important it was that the former Princess of the Crystal Empire was found. "I'll stay with Sunny. You know he can always consider this castle as home as well. It might even do him some good to get away from the Empire for a while."
"My thoughts exactly" Sombra agreed, glad that he and Celestia were on the same page.
After they finished their talk, Sombra and Celestia walked down the hallway That lead to Sunny's room. Although being part of a tower, the young colt's room was actually at the base, making it appear to be just a round room with a few slitted windows. The young colt was terribly afraid of heights, and hated being high up, but loved the tower room Celestia had given him.
After knocking on the door several times, and receiving no response, Sombra casually walked in to see his son asleep in his bed, pillow soaked with his tears. Wanting his son to just sleep this horrible birthday off, Sombra quietly walked over and silently wished his son a happy birthday, and reassured him the next one would be better. After bidding Celestia farewell, and thanking her for looking after him, the king of the Crystal Empire left the castle and made his way to the north, hopefully to find the missing princess.
After he left, Celestia walked into Sunny's room and stood next to his bed, brushing the colt's mane out of his eyes. "Your father's gone now, you don't have to pretend to be asleep anymore..."
Moments later, Sunny's eye gradually opened as he started off into the distance. "I hate friends... I wish I never talked to them..."
Feeling the pain behind his words, Celestia wanted nothing more then to pull him into a hug. As she wrapped her wings gently around the small colt, she took several deep breaths to calm herself down. "No, Sunny... real, true friends don't treat you like that. I'm so sorry they did that to you."
"Do you think if I was better at magic, or had my cutie mark, they would want to be my friends for real?" Sunny asked, his tone sounding slightly desperate and shaky as tears began to ball up at the edges of his eyes.
"Real friends, Sunny, don't care if you can use magic or have a cutie mark or not" Celestia cooed to him as she stroked his back gently with her wing. "They like you for who you are. Not 'what' you are or 'what' you have. But who you are without all of that."
Looking up at Celestia, Sunny began brushing away his tears. "How can I make friends if every pony just knows me as 'a talentless prince'?"
Ignoring the pain in his words, Celestia began thinking of a solution to his problem. Then it hit her. "How would you like to accompany me to the Eclipse festival? There would be ponies there who you've never met. And if you just introduced yourself as 'Sunny' not 'Soleggiato' then they'll think you're just a pony from around town. There are only small settlements around, no castles other then this, and probably no ponies from the Crystal Empire. What do you say? Would you like to make some friends from around here?would you like to just be 'Sunny' for a day?"
The thought of making friends, real, true friends did brighten Sunny up a bit, but as he rose up and began to think about it, his ears fell flat again. "But... but I'll have to go back to dad's castle at the Crystal Empire and leave any new friends here... I'll be alone again..."
Nudging the ready eyes colt with her cheek, Celestia met his watery eyes with her gentle gaze. "You can come back here whenever you like, I'm sure your father wouldn't mind. And you can write to them all the time. I'll have a Pegasus guard ready to deliver any and all messages to the friends you make. And vise versa."
"R-really?" Sunny's eyes then began to grow watery, but this time, with joy and relief. As he jumped into and tightly hugged Celestia. "You're the best princess ever... and I.... I love you..."
Smiling and tearing up herself, Celestia wrapped her wings around Sunny as well, embracing the little colt's hug as she whispered back "I love you too, Sunny..."
-Canterlot, present day-
Awakening from a dreamless slumber, Luna got up from her bed and stretched. The nap was very much needed, and helped put her tired mind at ease, if not for just a few hours. But as the princess of the night walked into her bathroom to wash up and get ready for the setting of the sun and raising of the moon, her hoof knocked something across the ground. Something Luna though she had lost over 1000 years ago. Levitating it up to her muzzle, she took a closer look at the crumpled up paper, bitter memories returning to her as she unwrinkled and flattened out the paper. Although her magic could repair the picture to almost being new, princess Luna wished to keep it as is. Much like the Tantabus that she created to haunt her with her mistake of becoming Nightmare Moon, Luna wished to remember how cruel and jealous she had become over just a foal. A foal who she regretted being so cold to in the past, and wished she could take it all back.
With a sigh, Luna hung the unwrinkled drawing up on her wall as a last monument to his honor. He was so proud of himself that day. Looking back, Luna wished she could have been half as proud as she should have been...
Walking down the seemingly endless hallways and pranking several of the night shift guards, Luna was beginning to feel better. Recently she had grown rather annoyed with the ponies who had come to pay her and her sister a visit. From noble ponies and royalty all the way down to the poorest of farm ponies, it seemed everypony who sought out the two sisters were really seeking out the eldest. She who raised the sun at dawn, she who brings light and peace to the land.
"How dare they" Luna snapped at her own thoughts. "We are just as important as our sister. Without our night how would they rest? How would others navigate at night without our beautiful stars?! Are all the wonders of the night lost to them? Overshadowed by-"
Just as the night princess was on a roll with her ranting, a yellow blur zoomed past her and right down the hallway leading into Sunny's room. Partly curious and partly annoyed, Luna decided to take a secret passageway that fed into a hallway that ran beside the open hallway and find out just what had happened, knowing full well her sister wouldn't bother to share the details with her.
Hiding behind a portrait of King Bullion himself, Luna overheard the conversation between King Sombra and her sister. At first, Luna was just interested in what had happened and could care less what Celestia or Sombra planned to do to aid the young prince. But as the story went on, and Luna heard the cruel words of Sunny's class mates, her bitterness melted, and she actually felt sorry for the little yellow colt. She watched as Sombra left, then made her way from the secret area behind the portrait to another hidden way behind the wardrobe in Sunny's room.
She couldn't make out all of what was being said, but was able to make out her sister inviting Sunny to the Eclipse Celebration as her honored guest, where he could make new friends with ponies who wouldn't recognize him. 'A smart move, dear sister.'
Luna was about to leave and get some rest for tomorrow, when she and we sister would work together to create a Solar Eclipse that would shine down on all of Equestria. It was actually an event that ponies recognized her as an equal to her sister, for once, and she did not want to appear tired or warn out.
"You're the best princess ever..." the words young Sunny spoke struck Luna hard. Out of the mouths of foals, Star-Swirl would always say.
The next day, out in a clearing of the surrounding forest, servants and volunteers from all over worked to set up for the Eclipse party celebration. As the ponies finished setting up a long table of food, a fraction smaller then the one Celestia had at her birthday, as well as several game booths that neither princess will be taking part in (Star-Swirl said it's not proper for a princess to do so.), Luna stood atop the podium in front a small monument of her moon. She was half looking over the preparations, trying her best to appear as regal as she could, and the other half noted how much shorter the moon monument was compared to her sister's sun monument.
"This is going to be so cool!" A small and high pitches voice said from behind the princess of the night.
Turning around, Luna was met with the wide eyed face of prince Sol-er, Sunny. She remembered he was asked to call him 'Sunny' today and just to treat him like anypony else, that way he could make some friends. She was more then happy to oblige, mostly because it meant she could ignore him if she wished. Although her feelings to the young prince were greatly warmer then Star-Swirl's, she still felt a hinge of spite for the little colt. His words from the night before still ringing like huge brass bells in her ears. 'You're my favorite princess...'
Bringing herself back to the present, Luna shook her head clear and looked down at the colt. "Yes. We agree. It will be 'cool', magnificent, a sight to behold!"
"Then why do you look so sad?" Sunny flatly asked, his green eyes locked on the lunar princess with great concern.
Luna, shocked by his statement, just glanced down at the young foal with a deadpan look. "Your confusing the refined royal appearance with sadness, young one."
"No I'm not" Sunny replied simply. "That's the same look dad gets when he thinks about mom. He misses her and tries to focus on his job as... ugh, his job, but he looks really sad, and I know it's 'couse he misses mom."
"I'm sorry to hear that. But I have nothing to be sad about" Luna replied and tried to throw the conversation out.
"Here! I made this for you!" Sunny then pulled out a rolled up piece of paper and levitated it over to princess Luna.
The princess of the moon then took it in her own blue magical aura and unraveled it, not really knowing what to expect. But as she did, and the contents of the page were made visible to her, any and all bitterness she had towards the colt faded away. It was a child's drawing of her and him standing outside of the castle looking up at the stars and the moon with a telescope.
"I don't know all the constellations" Sunny tried to point out. "But my dad's been teaching me some of them. Pappy too! But it's... kinda hard. Do you think you could help me with Astro-, ugh, astra..."
"Astrology?" Luna finished his sentence, a small smile beginning to grow on her muzzle as the sadness faded from her eyes. "We'd love to teach you of our stars and constellation."
"Yeah! Think we could do it tonight? After you bring out the moon?" Sunny was getting really excited as he bounced up and down lightly. "Who knows, maybe I'll even get my cutie mark in astrology! Wouldn't that just be the coolest!"
Looking down at the young colt, Luna couldn't believe what she was hearing. Normally only older ponies were even interested in astrology, but Sunny, he seemed genuinely enthusiastic about learning all he could. And even possibly getting a cutie mark in astrology?! Luna was absolutely flattered that he would even say such a thing. "That... sounds like a wonderful idea. Yes. We would love to teach you all we can about our stars, later tonight."
"Awesome!" Sunny cheered out then noticed more and more ponies had begun to gather at the celebration grounds, and thought it best that he join the crowd, not wanting to stand out in any way. "I'll be watching! You two are awesome!"
As Sunny skipped down off of the stage, Luna looked over and called a guard over. Not wanting to damage the picture Sunny made for her, as asked the guard to take it to her room. As he did so, Celestia appeared and joined her on stage. A decent crowd was coming together and time to cause the eclipse was drawing closer and closer. Just as how they could feel deep inside when it was time to raise and lower the sun and moon, both sisters knew when the time for an eclipse was as well. Like a feeling deep inside that couldn't be explained. Just known.
Clearing her throat, Celestia approached the front of the stage with her sister, who were quickly joined by Star-Swirl the bearded, much to Celestia's surprise. He smiled and nodded for her to continue, with a small smile hidden deep within his beard. The old wizard and the sun princess shared a glance before Celestia immediately turned back to the crowd.
"Welcome everypony, to yet another Eclipse celebration" Celestia spoke with a firm yet kind tone. "It is a special event we hold twice a year to remind Equestria that my sister and I, despite being in charge of night and day separately, are both equal and share the same strength. The Eclipse also shows how different entities, weather it's the sun and moon, or even three different pony tribes, can come together and live in harmony. Shinning over us all will be the product of light and dark, of sun and moon, and serves as a reminder that we all need to stand as one and work towards a-"
"What's going on over there?!" A mare cried out and pointed to the center of the crowd.
Celestia stopped her speech as princess Luna quickly joined her side, both trying desperately to see what was going on. Even the elderly wizard was pushing his way past ponies to see what all the commotion was about. The ponies near the center had begun to frantically step away from some colt who appeared to be glowing bright yellow, his mane and tail flickering around wildly as his eyes turned white and glowed like lantern light. Atop his head, his little yellow horn began to glow brightly with a light green aura that shot up into the sky.
A shadow then began to cast over the entire crowd below as the moon rose from the east, traveling at a steady pace towards the sun that hung high above everypony in the sky. Most of Equestria knew of the Eclipse and planned festivals on their own regions to commemorate the event. But ponies at the festival that took place so close to the castle of the two pony sisters were left speechless at what they saw. Some little yellow colt had projected so much magical energy, he himself was causing the Eclipse on his own! Something that only two dozen skilled unicorns or two majestic alicorn sisters were only able to accomplish up until then! Ponies didn't know whether or not to be afraid or in awe. All possible fear building up, though, quickly vanished as the moon took its position in front of the sun.
Once the sun and moon met in the center of the sky, a bright red ring streached out, and from it, cast an aurora like rainbow of light like none had seen before. Ponies all around looked to the sky and admired the magical lights the Eclipse brought. While most ponies looked to the sky, three ponies in particular were fixated on somepony closer to the ground.
Celestia jumped from the stage and flew to the cleared area around Sunny, who, remained glowing like a touch in the dead of night. Worried for the colt, Celestia reaches out with a hoof slowly to shake him clear, only for her hoof to be smacked away. After recoiling from the small hit, Celestia turned to glare at her attacker.
"We mustn't interfere" Star-Swirl proclaimed as he looked from the princess of the sun to the young colt controlling the sun and moon, showering all of Equestria in a breath taking rainbow of light. "If we do, it could hurt him."
"How is he able to do this?!" Luna joined her sister and mentor, a strong tone of outrage overpowering any concern in her voice. " 'We' are supposed to be the ones to cause the Eclipse. Our sister and I are the only ponies who are to control the sun and moon. Not some... some foal!"
"Will he be ok?" Celestia ignored her sister's annoyance as she focused on Star-Swirl, who studied the magic engulfed colt.
Narrowing his eyes on the colt, then turning to look at the sky above, then again back to Sunny, the old wizard stroked his beard, which made several of the bells on his hat ring lightly. "He's using everything he has to control the sun and moon. Once the Eclipse is over, he'll most likely be very tired and need a lot of bed rest. But we'll see. The Eclipse has several more seconds..."
Joining the other ponies around them, Celestia, Star-Swirl, and eventually, a reluctant Luna looked to the sky to witness the first Eclipse none of them had taken part in. It was completely different from when Celestia and Luna performed it. At best, they could create a similar red and yellow flaring ring around the sun and moon. The unicorns, back when they were in charge of the night and day, could only create a thin, almost whitish yellow ring. But this rainbow effect... what could it mean?
Several seconds passed, and as the moon began to fall across the sky to wait for the night to come and for it to take its place as the night's brightest light, the glow that surrounded Sunny began to fade. Slowly the moon disappeared, and as it fell out of sight in the west, the little yellow colt lost his glow, eyes returned to their green and white color, mane regained its messy and spiky shape, and all four of his tiny hooves met the ground once again.
Everypony held their breath as the yellow unicorn's eyes flickered, almost like he were waking from a deep sleep. Looking up, the colt was shocked to see everypony moved away from him, save for Princess Celestia and Star-Swirl, who had some how magically appeared by his side. Before the colt could ask what happened, he felt his knees give in and almost fell to the ground. Using her hoof to stabilize him, Celestia began to breath easily as she looked onto the young pony, relieved that he was alright.
"Ugh... what... happened?" Sunny tried to speak, but his throat was painfully dry.
Nudging behind him, Celestia spoke clear as a silver bell. "Somepony got their cutie mark."
Sunny's heart jumped into his throat as he quickly turned his head around to check his own flank, nearly losing his balance and falling over as he did so. But as Celestia's hoof stabilized him, and Star-Swirl stroked his beard pondering what this could all mean, Sunny's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. Looking at his no-longer-blank-flank, where ponies are marked with an image of their talent, an everlasting mark of their destiny, lay an image of an eclipsed sun, with several flames emerging from the farthest end, where the moon began to slide away. Sunny couldn't believe what was going on, neither could anypony else, which is why Celestia thought it best to take charge of the situation. She didn't want to ruin this for Sunny, but if she didn't act fast, things might go worse then him just not making friends.
Raising the young colt up, Celestia proclaimed to everypony around. "Behold my fellow ponies, the future of Equestria has been blessed with yet another strong future leader, one who will carry on the hope and virtues into the dawning of a brighter, more united Equestria. Prince Soleggiato Cavelare! Son of King Sombra! Prince of the Crystal Empire!"
With thunderous applause, the ponies of the crowd quickly cheered for the colt and the promise of a new strong leader for Equestria. While most ponies cheered and chanted Sunny's official name, Star-Swirl stopped stroking his bearded and tore his eyes from the young prince and watched as princess Luna turned her own hate filled glare from the yellow colt, and flew off back to the castle. No pony else seemed to even notice the princess of the night leaving, mirroring her own sister's ignorance of the younger sister's dark feelings that brew hotter and hotter with every passing day.
Once back in the castle, Luna stormed back to her half of the castle an right into her room, slamming the door shut as hard as she could. The impact of the door created a strong breeze that sent Sunny's drawing flying off the dresser where the guard had left it, and sent it soaring, landing at the lunar princess's hooves. When she felt the paper ever so gently touch her, the alicorn levitated the paper up to her narrowing eyes, and with much detest and rage in her heart, crumpled it into tiniest ball she could before sending it through the window, and down into the gorge that surrounded the castle.
"Now no pony will even know I exist" Luna's words were hard and sharp as she turned away from the window and strolled over to her large bedroom mirror. Taking a good hard look at herself, tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I hate him. I hate sister for bringing him here. I hate Sombra for having him. And I hate her for helping to bring him into this world... why..."
Luna fell to her hooves tears rushing from the corners of her eyes. "Why can't I be loved too... I'm a princess too... I work hard... I deserve to be loved too... don't I?"
-Ponyville, Present day-
Despite the hustle and bustle around town, and even back at the farm, Sunny just felt down and mentally out of it. He had overheard that it was the day of the Eclipse, which like everything else, meant that it had a festival that ponies decorated, prepared games, and made a tone of food for. Thinking about it, the yellow unicorn was going to count the number of 'festivals', 'fairs' and 'parties' the ponies in town threw in a years time. At least 8 that the whole town took part in, but possibly more. But shaking that off, Sunny just couldn't get into the spirit. Most of the Apples could see it too. Even though they all were hard at work preparing for the festivities, Granny, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom all noticed an odd feeling coming from Sunny. It wasn't until lunch that somepony finally said something.
"Ya feelin' ok there, Sunny?" Granny asked as she motioned to his plate with her spoon. "Yer plate's normally licked clean by now. It taste funny er somethin'?"
The yellow stallion looked down and realized that he actually had not even taken more then a bite or two at his meal. Too many things on his mind, plus something... something else. He felt like he was forgetting something. Something he needed to do. Was it clean out the hen house? Re-water the pig pen? Clear the brush from the north orchard? Plant the new seeds in the south fields?... no... something else was tingaling in the back of Sunny's mind. Something important. But what?
"Sorry Granny..." the yellow unicorn got up, and dawned his Stetson hat. "Guess ah ain't hungry as ah thought. You want the rest, Big Mac?"
"Eh'yep!" The big red farm pony jumped a the thought of seconds, having just finished his first plate.
Granny and Apple Bloom shot him a dirty look, making the red earth pony hesitate from digging into the food he was just given.
But Granny didn't want to give up. It wasn't good for a pony to work on the farm on an empty stomach. "Ah could make ya somethin' else. How 'bout some apple soup, or some of mah' prize winning apple cobbler!"
"No thanks, Granny" Sunny replied, head hanging low. "Ah think ah'm gunna go for ah walk. Get some fresh air..."
As Sunny walked out of the kitchen and down the dirt road heading across a field of half ready to harvest carrots, something fell from his hat. Appel Bloom noticed it and immediately hopped down to grab it. She was about to go give it back to Sunny when she noticed it was addressed to him. She didn't want to be nosy, but at the same time, something inside might have been the thing bothering him. Without a second thought, the little yellow filly flipped the envelope open and pulled the letter out. As her eyes quickly skimmed the page once over, her jaw half dropped.
"Whatcha got here, Apple Bloom?" Granny asked as she went to the fridge to get herself a second cup of prune juice.
"It's a letter to Sunny" she told her granny. "From his daddy!"
"His daddy?!" Granny and Big Mac said simultaneously, shocked to hear anything about Sunny's blood relatives.
"Not just that" Apple Bloom went on. "It sounds like he ain't feel in' well. From what he wrote, he's gettin' better. But he also said Sunny's birthday's comin' up and he'll send a gift to th' farm!"
"Well ah'll be!" Granny said with a grin and the rubbed under her chin. "No wonder th' fella ain't got no appetite! His daddy's gunna be in th' hospital, and on his birthday no less!"
"He ain't never mention his daddy before" Big Mac added, concern heavy in his voice.
"Maybe he just remembered who his daddy was, and is down 'bout him not feeling well" Apple Bloom guessed. "And 'round his birthday on top of it!"
"Well shoot! We should throw him ah big old birthday party right here! Right at th' Apple farm!" Granny suggested as she slapped her knee.
"And we can invite all his friends!" Apple Bloom cheered and threw her front hooves up in the air in all the excitement.
"Eh'yep " Big Mac agreed, already thinking up a list of Sunny's closest friends.
"Do ya think Applejack and the others'll be back in time for it?" Apple Bloom asked, the thought just hitting her.
"Hmmm...." Granny calmed herself down and began thinking of how much longer her eldest granddaughter would be gone. "Should only be another day or two. Everypony should be back bah then."
"But ah doubt we'll get Pinkie's help with it" Apple Bloom commented. "They might just barely get back in time."
"We, we can handle ah' little ok' birthday on our own, can't we?" Granny shot her grandkids a smile. "We're Apple's after all! We keep this ok' farm ah goin'! We can make ah' birthday happen, can't we?"
"You bet!" Apple Bloom cheered. "And ah' could get Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo ya help out too!"
"Thunderlane might be free ta lend ah hoof too" Big Mac added in.
"Let's do it, ya'll!" Granny said and got the other two to cheer with her.
Walking deeper and deeper into the orchard, Sunny could barley walk strait. His head felt like it was a balloon full of jumping beans. His vision began to blur as he aimlessly wondered around the orchard. He kept walking and walking until he came to a clearing in the orchard he didn't recognize. He stumbled into the center of the clearing, and just when he felt like his head was about to pop, a large surge of magic exploded, cloaking him in a bright green, almost white, magical aura. His mind went blank as a cloak of his blinding magical aura consumed him.
Meanwhile, everypony, dragon, parasorite, hydra, and then some, from every corner of Equestria, looked up to the sky and witnessed the scheduled Eclipse. But unlike the eclipses that took place over the last 1000 years or so, this one was a reinacment of the ones that the former prince of the Crystal Empire would perform. It was then that secrets once hidden in shadow were revealed and brought to light.
Despite the actual rulers of the Crystal Empire being away for the moment, all the Crystal Ponies were in high spirits for their own Eclipse festival. They didn't know why, but they had a lot of decorations for the event, almost as many as for the Crystal fair itself! Most of the residents of the Crystal Empire were half way through a dance competition when the actual Eclipse began. And as the moon rose high into the sky, casting a shadow over the sun, a far too familiar feeling began to light up inside of the crystal ponies. Once the moon was in its rightful position, directly in front of the sun, a bright red and yellow flaring circle began to flow around it, and from the flames a rainbow like aura began to spread down over the rest of the sky. As the magical rainbow of colors danced and flowed down from the black and flairing orb in the sky, something else sparked deep inside the Crystal ponies hearts.
"Wow, Luna really out did herself this time" Twilight said atop the balcony of the Crystal Empire castle, where she and her friends had gathered to watch the event.
"It's ah darn shame that Princess Celestia herself ain't takin' part in it this year" Applejack commented, readjusting her hat, hoping the view of the Eclipse is just as breathtaking from Sweet Apple Acres as it was from there.
"Darling, sometimes a girl has to treat herself to a little rest and relaxation" Rarity commented. "Besides, Luna looks like she has everything under control here. Just look at those colors! Have you ever seen anything more magnificent?!"
"Eh, my sonic rain boom is waaaay cooler then that!" Rainbow Dash noted, but bobbed her head a little. "But I guess it's a close second."
"Oh, I hope Angel and the others don't get spooked by the Eclipse" Fluttershy started to worry about her animals yet again.
"I wouldn't worry about him or the others, Fluttershy" Twilight tried to reassure we kind hearted friend. "I'm sure Flitter and her sister are taking good care of them."
"Oh, I know, it's just-" Fluttershy was about to list off a number of ridiculous sounding fears when a food tray with a rather large cake appeared in front of them.
"Dig in everypony!" Pinkie Pie yelled, walking up with an elderly looking earthpony stallion. "Pappy and I worked supper-d-dipper hard on this cake! And there's plenty for everypony!"
"Sounds good to me, let's celebrate everypony" Twilight suggested as Pinkie began cutting into the cake.
When Applejack grabbed a small slice for Pappy, she noticed him looking up at the sky, a smile stretching from ear to ear, stretching his wrinkly skin and making him look twenty years younger. "You hungry, Pappy?"
At first, the elderly pony didn't reply, then he looked over to Applejack and the slice she was offering and took it in hoof. "It is worth celebrating, isn't it?"
"Sure is" Applejack agreed and handed him the slice.
Down below, the rest of the Crystal Empire was alive with buzzing whispers. Many thoughts and memories came flooding back with this year's Eclipse. The ponies in town, the shop owners, even the royal guards all stopped and began talking about that pony. It reminded them of somepony, sompony who was very important to them. Somepony who went missing 1000 years ago, and did not return when the Empire did. Somepony very close to the dark king, Sombra who enslaved them.
Princess Luna had stepped out onto the balcony of the Canterlot castle but a few moments ago to witness the sight of the Eclipse. "Sister must have decided to do it herself this year... she must need it for closure..."
The princess of the night felt her heart fall deeper into her stomach as guilt began to grow. 'I wish I could take back everything I said. Everything I did. I... I wish I could have been better to him... I'm so sorry Sunny... I'm so sorry sister...'
As Celestia put her plate in the sink, she caught a glance of the Eclipse outside. She had hoped Luna would perform it all on her own, just as Celestia had to do for 1000 years. '1000 years without Sunny... without Sombra.... without you dear sister... and without Star-Swirl... why was fate so cruel...'
Despite her head telling her to stay inside, Celestia's body pulled her out into the open air to witness the Eclipse. All over, the sky was painted with an odd array of colors, a rainbow effect, much like the one... the ones 'he' used to do...
Celestia couldn't hold it in any longer, just like all other ponies in Equestria, when she felt a strong surge of emotion, she had to release it in some way. And just like other ponies in Equestria, the easiest way was to sing. For singing was a way for a pony's heart to reach out and take flight....
As she wrapped up her song, the princess of the sun realized she had walked into the water on the beach, her eyes still locked on the now passing Eclipse. It felt like it had stayed for hours, despite only lasting a few minute. She just wished it had stayed longer. Seeing it in the sky like that reminded her so much of him... so much of the bravest Knight she knew, the kindest prince, the sweetest stallion she ever knew...
"Why... why did you take him away Sombra...." without thinking of how she must have looked to anypony watching, Celestia stood up on her back hooves only to slam down her front hooves in frustration and anger, hitting the water, splashing it violently, expelling all the pain she held inside. "WHY?! WHY DID YOU TAKE HIM AWAY! WHY DID YOU TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME! WHY?! WHAT DID HE EVER DO YO YOU?! WHY! DIDN'T! YOU! TAKE! ME! INSTEAD!!!!"
After thrashing a round for a few more moments, Celestia's anger and rage depleted and she fell to her knees, eyes full of tears now. As the waves washed up and hit the pearl white princess, R and R'S mother walked out to her and draped a towel around the pain stricken mare, then helped her back to shore.
As Sunny subconsciously began to end his first Solar Eclipse in over 1000 years, his body began to return to normal, no more glowing or flailing fire like hair, as he floated back down to the ground. Once safely back down, he took several deep breaths, trying to get used to the expelled pressure his head now felt. Now the balloon was deflated, with most of the beans expelled from it. He almost fell asleep there, but thought it would be best to get back to the farm house and crash on his bed.
As the yellow stallion wobbled back down a path he knew would lead him back to the farm house, a familiar orange filly popped her head out of the bushes, unable to put together what she just witnessed. Scootoo had never seen something so amazing and scary before. She wanted to tell Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom, but maybe she should wait. Something told her to just keep it to herself right now. Maybe wait until Rainbow Dash came back. She'd know what to make of it.
Sunny could hardly remember anything that happened yesterday. From what Apple Bloom told him at breakfast, he had gone out for a walk to get some air, then came back feeling worse then when he left, walked right up to his room and went to bed. Apparently the yellow stallion slept until the next morning, only barley waking up to hear the roosters crowing.
"Ah'm real sorry, everypony" Sunny sighed as he forced himself to eat part of the large breakfast Granny had made for him. "Ah'll work twice as hard today at make up for it."
"Oh, don't you worry 'bout that" Granny said as she plopped some more hay bacon on Sunny's plate. "Now eat up!"
"Yeah! It ain't everyday Granny makes this big of ah breakfast!" Apple Bloom cheered as she took a big spoonful of scrambled eggs, having mixed it with her hash browns.
"Eh'nope!" Big Mac commented as he began to dig into a large pile of pancakes.
Looking around at the spread on the table, Sunny did notice that there was a lot more food today for some odd reason. Granted, from what Sunny could recall, the Apples always had large breakfasts to help fuel them for the long hard day of labor. But he had never seen a breakfast this large for just another day of work.
"What's the occasion, Granny?" Sunny turned to the elderly mare who grabbed herself another bran muffin and began spreading melting butter on the top.
"Eh? Occasion? Ah' don't know what ya mean?" Granny replied, pretending to be hard at hearing.
Half smelling and rolling his eyes, Sunny had grown wise to the elderly pony's mannerisms. She was pretending to not know something alright. As he continued to eat, Sunny thought about what could smell today special. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks!
"Is Applejack coming back today!?" Sunny asked as he nibbled on some hay bacon, wishing he had been introduced to such a wonderful breakfast item 1000 years ago.
"Eh'yep" Big Mac replied, his small smile growing a fraction bigger.
"Which reminds me..." Granny said as she swallowed a bite of her muffin. "Ya'll have some chores ta' get done before she gets back. Eat up, yer gunna need it!"
Now understanding why Granny was feeding them all so well, Sunny felt more inclined to dig in and consume as much as he can. He wanted everything to be ready for when Applejack returned. Which meant he needed all the energy he could muster! Little did the yellow unicorn know that Granny, Big Mac and Apple Bloom had something else planned along side getting the chores done.
After breakfast, Sunny started to carry his dirty dishes over to the sink when Granny stopped him. "Hold it there, Sunny. Ah got them dishes. Here's yer honey-ta-do list..."
The elderly green pony then handed Sunny a list of chores he needed to do. Skimming over the paper, Sunny's pupils shrank as his eyes read over the list once, then a second time to make sure what he read was correct. "All of this?! We need ya get ah'll this done today?!"
"Eh'nope" Big Mac replied as he put his own dishes in the sink.
"Oh thank Celestia..." Sunny exhaled in relief.
"That's just 'your' chore list, Sunny" Granny instructed the yellow unicorn. "We got our own chores ta' take care of."
"Yep! And ya better hurry! Ah hear Applejack'll be back 'round sundown!" Apples Bloom added, a refrained smile on her little muzzle as she helped herself to another glass of orange juice.
"Shoot! Ah better kick it inta high gear!" Sunny said as he dashed as fast as he could out the door, starting with the chores involving the barn.
Apple Bloom waited for Sunny to be far from ear shot, and clearly hard at work in the barn before giving her grandmother and older brother the signal. "Th' eagle is occupied! Let's get started, ya'll!"
"Ah'right! Ah'll get started with them treats and th' cake" Granny nodded. "You two go out and round up his friends! Then meet me back here so we can begin decorating."
"Roger" Big Mac said with a salute.
"Will do!" Apple Bloom added, then giggled. "Smart idea keepin' Sunny busy while we get things ready for his birthday, Granny."
"Ain't th' first time ah' done it, neither" Granny snickered to herself. "Yep, yer granny's got some smooth moves."
"But what will you do if he notices his friends all missing or acting weird around town?" An odd and familiar voice echoed in the kitchen. A voice that ran a chill up everypony's backs, and made their warm and happy atmosphere freeze. As everypony looked around for the deviant that the voice belonged to, a pair of yellow and red eyes appeared on Apple Bloom's glass of orange juice.
"EEK!" Apple Bloom shrieked as she dropped her glass, freaked out by the eyes starring back at her.
Before the glass hit the ground and shattered, a bear like paw caught it mid air, and raised it up to a being made up of mismatched pieces of animals and creatures from all around Equestria. The Draquis, who's eyes were in Apple Bloom's glass, reached in and pulled the eyes out, simply smacking them back onto his face, then proceeded to drink the orange juice. "Ah, nothing like a glass of OJ to start off the day! And what a day we have planned!"
But when Discord turned back to look at the Apple family, he was met by their hard glares and dissatisfied looks.
"What? Did I catch you at a bad time?" The master of Chaos asked in a rather innocent tone that had no effect on the cautious Apple family.
"What are ya doin' here, ya old trouble maker?!" Granny spat out, holding a whisk out to him, pointing it at the draquis like it was a sword.
Discord just chuckled to himself. "Easy there, Granny, no need to try and exterminate me. I just want to help."
"Since when do 'you' wanna help anypony?" Apple Bloom asked, her defenses up as she and her brother stood protectively with their grandmother.
"Sunny is a friend of Fluttershy's, right?" Discord asked, a sly smile crept into his face.
"Ugh, yeah?" Apple Bloom shockingly replied, caught off guard by the question.
"Well, Fluttershy happens to be my 'best' friend" Discord snapped his fingers and several oranges hopped out of the fruit basket on the table, sprouting wings, flew up to his glass, split themselves in half, and proceeded to squeeze their contents into the glass, slowly refilling it. "That makes Sunny 'my' friend too, by association."
"Eh, maybe?" Big Mac started to relax his tensed muscles, but his eyes were still locked in the mischief maker.
"And friends help one another" Discord continued as he removed his paw from the glass, leaving it floating in the air while the oranges continued to refill it, then proceeded to throw their squeezed dry bodies into the trash.
"Ah suppose..." Granny half agreed, lowering her whisk, wondering what Discord was up to.
"Then it's decided!" The draquis raised his inconsistent claws into the air with great bravado. "I'll help to distract Sunny so he has no idea what's going on while you three get things set up here! Then when the girls come back, we'll have the greatest birthday Sunny's ever had!"
As Discord made the declaration, he forced all three of the Apple family members present into a group hug by extending his mismatched arms around them and pulling them all together. As they all struggled to break away from the draquis' hug, Apple Bloom noticed the glass now filled with freshly squeezed orange juice, and caught it just as Discord's chaos magic released it.
"Nice catch AB!" Discord commented then pet her with the tip of his tail that turned into a hand like appendage. "Nothing better then fresh squeezed!"
(Enter mlp fim opening)
"Ok... let's see..." Sunny began talking to himself as he often did when he worked alone. "Sweep up old hey from barn floor and replace with new hey, check. Oil wheels on the carts, check. Now time to get the eggs from the chicken coop to finish loading up the cart and take that to Sugar Cube Corner to trade for sugar. Ok, if I keep up this pace, I should barely finish on time."
Just as Sunny levitated the empty egg crates onto the cart, ready to harvest the load from the hen house, he noticed something rattle around in one of the crates. Thinking something must have been left in there, Sunny placed it gently down on the ground and slowly opened it, hoping it was one of Apple Bloom's toys rather then an egg or some thing that could have expired and gone bad. As the crate's lid slowly slid open, a jack in the box like head popped out of the crest, sending Sunny flying onto his back, his heart nearly popping out of his chest.
"Hey there pal!" Discord said as his head and body changed back to normal with a snap of his fingers. He then disappeared in a small flash of light only to reappear behind the yellow unicorn, then proceeded to pull him into an atomic nuggie. "How has my old pal been? Did you miss me?!"
Teleporting out of Discord's grasp, Sunny reappeared a few feet away, his body on high alert, cautious of this new creature that he was sure he'd never met before. As his green eyes locked onto the mixed up looking being before him, Sunny was able to gather his thoughts and asked the most basic of questions. "w-who are you?... what are you ?"
Clenching his chest and acting emotionally hurt, Discord began to wobble left and right. "Ouch, ow... I'm hurt Sunny. We used to know each other so well."
This caught the yellow unicorn's attention, causing him to raise a brow. "What do you mean? I don't think I could forget someth-, er, somepony like yourself."
With his left claw arm raised over to cover his eyes with his forearm to further play it up that he was emotionally hurt, Discord peaked around his arm and down at the yellow unicorn, a half smile cracked on his face. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I used to call you Soleggiato, prince Soleggiato Cavaliere. Or at least, that's what I called you 1000 years ago.
"Would you prefer I call you that gain?" Discord's position changed and now he floated carelessly in the air, a sly and tenacious grin on his muzzle, his eyes now narrowed on the yellow pony.
Horror spread across Sunny's face as panic spread throughout his entire body, draining all the blood from his head, making him feel like he was about to pass out. Just as he felt like he was about to hit the ground, Discord snapped his fingers, causing a bucket of water to magically appear out of thin air. Sunny noticed this, but still was too much in shock to put two and two together until a wave of cold water splashed in his face, shocking the yellow unicorn out of it. With cold water now soaking him to the bone, Sunny was shaken from his paralyzingly fear.
"H-how do you know that name?!" Taking only a moment to think about it, Sunny knew it was useless to play dumb.
"Like I said" Discord continued with a confident smug spread across his face. "I knew you from 1000 years ago, back when you stood by your daddy's side, ruling over the Crystal Empire. Well, before he went crazy and sealed you away in stone."
"Watch your tongue!" Sunny snapped, anger building up inside, his eyes narrowed at the trixter. "I won't have you speaking of father like that!"
"Chill out, Soleggiato " Discord continued to play his same tune as he floated around in the air, enjoying the sight of Sunny getting steamed. "Like I said, we're good pals, I mean you no harm. If I did, do you think I'd get all of these for you?"
With his paws behind his head, showing how relaxed the draquis was, Discord snapped fingers that his tail made. In a flash, thousands of newspapers of several different newspaper companies appeared above Sunny. Before the yellow unicorn could get out of the way, the large mountain of newspapers landed on top of him, burying the former prince under a tone of paper and inc. While Sunny struggled to get out of the pile Discord snapped his fingers again, this time, a small prize grabbing claw appeared over the pile of papers along with a joy stick that floated in mid air in front of the draquis himself. After the master of chaos stood up from his relaxed position, cracked his knuckles and neck, he grabbed the joy stick and began to control the claw. Moving it forwards, backwards, then once to each side, he then hit the big red button on the joy stick and sent the claw down into the pile of newspapers. A moment or two after submerging into the large pile of newsprint, the claw began to rise, with Sunny in its grasp. The former prince looked at Discord, absolutely unamused by his cartoon antics.
"Oh look! I still got it!" Discord said as the claw released Sunny, dropping him into the pile of papers. "I wonder what else I could grab. I got one more play."
As Discord sent the claw back into the sea of papers, about to pull out who knows what else, Sunny noticed the headlines of the papers. He picked several different ones up and began reading them out loud. " 'Black Knight menace still at large', 'Black Knight still escapes royal guards', 'Princess Twilight now offering reward for information on Black Knight'?!"
"Yep!" Discord said as he continued to maneuver the claw. "You've become quite infamous, Prince Soleggiato. You really had to break old Shinning's leg, didn't you?"
"I did what I had to do." Painstricken, Sunny threw the papery he was holding away and slid off the pile of papers. Shaking out the last drops of water from his hat, Sunny looked back at Discord. "What is it you want, ugh...."
"Discord" the master of chaos said as the prize grabbing claw pulled up a giant stuffed plush toy that closely resembled Fluttershy. When the claw dropped the stuffed toy, Discord caught it in his paws and pulled it into a tight hug. With another snap of a hand his tail made, the mountain of newspapers disappeared. "The name's Discord, master of chaos, bringer of laughs and good times-"
"I remember reading about you now!" Sunny interrupted, his eyes narrowing on the floating Draquis before him. "You're the guy who Applejack and the others faced back when Twilight was a unicorn. You tried to turn Pronyville into the chaos capital of the world, then you were supposedly reformed by Fluttershy, but then ended up betraying them for that Tirek guy."
"Well! Excuse a guy for making a mistake" now really upset, or at least appearing to, Discord turned his head away from Sunny as he crossed his arms. "You aren't very good at making friends if this is how you start things off. And after everything I did for you to help keep your little secret."
Relaxing a bit, Sunny raised a brow at the draquis. "You? Help me? By doing what?"
Sighing heavily, Discord turned back around and looked annoyingly at the unicorn. "For starters, I rounded up every newspaper in Canterlot for the last week and replaced them with fake ones, not easy to do on one cup of coffee in the morning, ya know. And I've even kept all word about 'the Black Knight' from reaching either of the princesses. So you're welcome!"
Now fully relaxed and a bit confused, Sunny fought to keep his guard up with the powerful magical troublemaker around. He still didn't fully trust this 'old pal'. "Ok, ugh, thank you. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but why would you help me? What do you get out of it?"
"Oh Sunny, I just want to help a friend" Discord's sour mood appeared to have vanished as he disappeared from where he was only to reappear beside Sunny on his shoulder, no bigger then the unicorn's pet ferret. "After all, we go way, way back. Why, I remember you when you were just a foal."
That didn't make Sunny feel any more at ease, but he didn't want to push things further. From what he read about the master of chaos, he loved to mess with ponies. And his true identity isn't something Sunny wanted to play around with. To keep his identity and past a secret, he better just take it for what it was. "Well, ugh, thank ya for th' help, pal."
"Oh any time, buddy" Discord's smile cracked even wider as he disappeared again and reappeared in the air again. "I'd love to stay and 'hang out' as friends do, but I can see you're busy. But before I go, I need a favor from you."
"What's that?" Sunny knew it was too good to be true. He knew Discord had to have something up his sleeve.
"I need to barrow your 'Black Knight' suit of armor" he said with a deviant grin. "Just for a little bit."
"No way!" Sunny wouldn't have Discord, the master of Chaos, messing with his most valuable suit of armor. "Do you even know what makes it special?"
"Oh I know, trust me..." Discord replied stills deviant smile plastered on his muzzle. "But I need to barrow that suit of armor 'because' it's so special. I was going to use it to lure away unwanted attention. I'll have ponies think 'the Black Knight' is somewhere like the foal mountains, sailing off to some distant island, or something like that. Something to have ponies thing 'the Black Knight' is far far away. That is, unless you want the royal guards, or more likely, the Crystal guards, to come and take you away from your cozy, little farm, with you loving Apple family."
The thought hadn't occurred to Sunny before. He knew he had to do what he did back at the Crystal Empire, and he knows that ponies would be looking for him, but would the search really lead them to Ponyville?! What if they discovered his cave!? They wouldn't just find out 'he' was the Black Knight, but they would learn who he really was! Who his father was! Who knows what they would think then! Fear was beginning to fill the unicorn's mind, fear of loss, fear of being found out, he began to hear and see the eyes of so many ponies who blamed him for their suffering once more. He knew what he had to do to keep it all away and to keep the life he was living and the ponies he cared about.
"Alright" Sunny reluctantly said after a long moment of thinking it over, realizing just what kind of a bind he truly was in. "You can barrow the armor, but I want it back today, no scratches or dents!"
"You and I both know that that armor can't be damaged so easily" Discord said, then snapped his fingers, making the black suit of armor appear out of nowhere in a quick flash of light.
Shocked that Discord could do that, Sunny almost stumbled over his words. "Hey! How did you do that?! Could you have done that this whole time?"
"But of course!" Discord's grin grew to a mischievous and proud smile. "I'm Discord! The Master of chaos! I could bend all reality!"
"Then why didn't you just take the armor and do what you said you would do in the first place?!" Sunny snapped, feeling like they could have skipped this whole conversation and he would have one less worry to keep him up at night.
"My dear boy, that would be rude" Discord grasped as he put a claw in front of his mouth, pretending to be flabbergasted by the very notion. "What kind of friend would I be if I just took your things without asking?"
"Well..." he had Sunny with that one. "I guess ... a pretty poor one."
"Thank you, I thought so too" Discord said as he pulled a lavender balloon out of nowhere and began blowing it up. Once it was fully inflated, the balloon appeared to be a long one like the ones Pinkie Pie would use to make fun party hats or balloon animals. With a slight of hand, Discord twisted and pulled the balloon into the shape of a pony about Sunny's size, then marked on it with a green marker to give it eyes and a frown. Snapping his fingers once more, the Black Knight armor disappeared only to reappear on the balloon pony. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do. I'll be back in a sec!"
Sunny was afraid to blink and miss the draquis disappearing with his most precious armor and the balloon pony wearing it. Still finding the whole situation very confusing and stressful, Sunny thought it best to just go about his chores. That's when it hit him. That would help take his mind off his worries. It always did.
"Crowing Roosters! Ah have ya get these chores done before Applejack gets back!" Jumping up a foot off the ground, Suny hopped back into his speedy chore routine, leaving all worry of 'the Black Knight' behind.
After loading up the eggs, Sunny made his way into town to deliver them to Sugar Cube Corner to make the trade for sugar. It was odd though. When Sunny arrived it seemed like everypony in the place was avoiding eye contact and snickering. Something felt... off. Like everypony was looking at him, but no pony was saying anything. Maybe he was just being paranoid, letting what Discord told him get the better of him. No. No something was defiantly off. But Sunny couldn't tell what.
'Did Discord say something?' the yellow unicorn thought, his heart rate began to increase with his paranoia. But he shook it off as he reached the front desk. After Mr. Cake signed off on the delivery, a smile large and present on his own muzzle, Sunny just had to ask, feeling something was defiantly up.
"Is everything alright, Mr.Cake?" Sunny asked with a brow raised at the other yellow stallion.
"Oh, ugh, everything is fine, Sunny" the tall co-owner of Sugar Cube Corner said, now trying to hold back his smile. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, everypony seems..." Sunny then turned and looked at everypony in the shop, who, while The yellow unicorn had his back turned were looking at him, but pretended to be doing some thing else when he turned back around. "... ugh... never mind. Well, happy baking Mr.Cake. Give mah' regards ta th' misses."
"Will do, Sunny" the tall, yellow earth-pony said with a smile and a wave. "See you later!"
After walking outside the bakery, Sunny then pulled the list of chores out from underneath his hat and began going over it in his head. But something felt off. He looked up from his list and felt a pair of eyes weighing down on him. Looking quickly over his shoulder, Sunny saw one of the ponies that was dining in Sugar Cube Corner now watching him from one of the shops's windows.
When the pony realized he caught Sunny's attention, he panicked for a moment, then nervously smiled and waved at him. Sunny could have sworn he heard somepony mutter 'did he see you?'
Shaking his head clear, the yellow farm pony just thought it best to move on to the next chore. It was almost lunch time and he was barely half way done with his chores. He wanted to get them all done before Applejack's train arrived around sundown. But as the unicorn hitched himself up to the cart and began pulling it back to Sweet Apple Acres, a familiar gurgling sound filled Sunny's ears.
"Did ah really work off that large breakfast?" The yellow unicorn asked himself. "Well, ah'm sure the other's are already breaking fer lunch. Guess it's high time ah be doing the same. Can't work on an empty stomach."
"Quite right about that" a familiar and mischievous voice replied as a near by tree grew a pair of red and yellow eyes, teamed up with a mouth that had one fang sticking out. One of the tree's branches pulled an apple from itself and offered it to Sunny. "Here! An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Although, since the Doctor is your friend, I don't know if you want to do that."
The sudden image made Sunny jump a little, but the unicorn quickly realized who it was as the Draquis seemed to pull himself out of the tree, taking a bite out of the apple he offered to Sunny. Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, Sunny glared at the reformed troublemaker. "What are you doing here? Are you done with my... you know what?"
"What? The armor of the 'Black Knight'?" Discord blankly asked, smiling as he did, knowing he caused Sunny to panic speaking so openly about it.
"Hey! Keep it down!" Sunny tried to shush the master of chaos, then nervously looked around, hoping nopony heard him.
"Relax, nonpony's around" Discord commented as he snapped his fingers, making the balloon wearing the black armor appear again. "Would you like me to put this back for you, pal?"
His heart sank when he saw his Black Knight armor just standing there, in the middle of town for everypony to see! Thinking quickly while trying to cover it up, Sunny stretched his body out over the armor clad balloon pony and glared at Discord. "Yes! Get it out of here! Put it back where you found it!"
"No need to get so snappy, buddy, relax..." Discord told him as he snapped his fingers, sending the armor and balloon back to Sunny's cave of personal artifacts. "Now that the trail for the Black Knight is leading guards into the middle of the ocean, I doubt anypony will come looking for you here."
Releasing a heald breath, Sunny thought for a moment as he looked at the unsymmetrical creature made of mixed up parts. He felt kinda bad for snapping and scratched the back of his head, tipping his hat slightly. With another sigh, and shooting Discord a smile, Sunny then held out a hoof to the draquis. "Thank you, Discord. I really appreciate it."
Looking at the former prince's jester, the trouble maker hesitated, but reached out and took the hoof shake, shaking the yellow hoof with his eagle like claw. A deviant smile shot across the master of chaos's face as he then teleported him and Sunny away from town to Twilight's castle, far away from Sweet Apple Acres where Sunny's chores were needing to be completed.
At first, Sunny didn't know what happened. But as his mind cleared and he got a better look at his surroundings, the yellow stallion quickly realized where he was. Knowing Twilight and the others were still in the Crystal Empire, or at the very least on the train heading back here, Sunny felt more relaxed knowing he could speak a little more openly.
"Discord! What is the meaning of this?! Why would you bring me here?" Sunny asked as he yelled down one of the halls he was in, his voice stronger then normal, more authority present in his tone. "I have chores to get done before Applejack-"
Before he could complete his sentence, a large painting appeared before the yellow stallion, one he had not seen in over 1000 years. The very presence of it stopped the former prince in his tracks and almost brought a tear to his eye. It was the painting he and his father had done of them 1000 years ago, before Sunny ever became a Crystal guard. He had dawned a simple blue cloak, much like his father's, around his head was a bold silver band with a single emerald embedded in the center. His father was wearing a cloak just slightly darker then Sunny's, and upon his own brow he wore a darker silver band with a ember colored stone, a very rare gem in the Crystal Empire. Both seemed to modestly smile at the painter as he captured the image of the father and son.
"What a lovely painting" Discord commented as he appeared next to Sunny, who was still focused on the painting. In a flash, Discord reappeared wearing a skin tight black body suit, a beret hung off one side of his head with his goat like horn poking through it, and a pair of wide purple sunglasses hanging over his yellow and red eyes. As he stroked his goatee, the master of chaos pretended to critique the painting. "Simple, much like most portraits. But you really feel the father son love, no?"
Sunny remained silent for a moment before hanging his head low, then turning his head slightly in Discord's direction. "...Why would you bring this here?"
"You know you're problem, Soleggiato?" Discord asked, snapping his fingers, making his previous attire vanish, leaving him once again without cloths. "You may have 'friends' but you don't know anything of the 'magic of friendship.' Don't worry, it wasn't until recent that 'I' myself discovered it.
"A thousand years ago, give or take a few years, I swore to your mother that I would teach you" Discord explained as he snapped his fingers, this time, a dress shirt, wrinkled red tie, a pair of glasses, and a button up jacket appeared floating in the air. The trouble maker started casually dressing himself into the new outfit as he continued to explain. "It's taken 'me' this long to fully learn about 'friendship' but I will not wait one moment longer to teach you what I learned."
"Discord, if you haven't noticed, I've made a lot of 'friends' in town already" Sunny started to say as he pulled the small lavender bag out of his Stetson hat, ready to suck the portrait into it.
But before Sunny could add the portrait to his collection of secret items, the lavender bag sprouted legs as ran off as fast as a little bag with legs could, down the hall. Lunging after it, Sunny found himself floating in mid air before he could grab the runaway bag. Discord then levitated the prince up to him, now fully dressed like a collage professor. As the draquis looked down at himself, he asked Sunny "should I really wear this? I mean, it seems so... what's the word? Stereotypical?"
Sunny assumed the master of chaos was referring to the cloths, rolled his eyes and answered in an annoyed, sharp tone "no. It looks ridiculous."
"I thought so too!" Discord agreed with the yellow unicorn, and with a snap of his fingers, turned the wrinkly tie into a green bow tie. "Much better! Now, let's cover our bases first-"
"I don't have time for your 'little lesson'!" Sunny snapped, more then just s little aggravated with the draquis. "I have a tone of chores to do after I grab my bag and get this painting out of here before anypony sees it!"
"I wouldn't worry too much about your chores, dear prince" Discord said with an amused and forced frown. "You have bigger issues. You're still making 'fake' friends. After 1000 years, you would think that you'd learn the difference between 'fakes' and the real thing. Especially after that horrid birthday you had when you were young. But not to worry, professor Discord is here to learn you a thing or two."
"My friends are not fake!" Sunny snapped at the master of chaos while he still floated helplessly in the air, now fighting to get down.
"Oh? Then let's put it to the test!" Discord said, heavily amused. "If you and your idea on 'friendship' pass the test, I'll help you get your chores done in no time, and clear all of this out of Twilight's castle."
"Ok" Sunny nodded, still annoyed. But as he was levitated back down, a thought hit him. "Wait, what do you mean 'all of this'!?"
"Why, the items from your father's study" Discord replied as he snapped his fingers, causing another ripe, juicy apple to appear out of nowhere. "You know, paintings, journal entries, keep sales. All things that could easily connect you to being Sombra's son."
"WHAT?!?!" Sunny was outraged to hear this and started to charge his magical aura into his unicorn horn. Sunny knew he didn't have all his magical strength back yet, but the sheer outrage gave him the gusto he needed to try.
But before Sunny could cast any kind of a spell, Discord reappeared in overalls and a baseball cap put on backwards, while he chewed on some bubble gum. Before Sunny could do anything, the reality bending draquis twisted off Sunny's horn, looked at it, and pooped it in his pocket before telling the yellow unicorn "I'll fix that up for ya in ah jiffy!"
Jumping at the mocking trickster, Sunny landed flat on the floor, face planting on the hard surface. Looking up as he heard Discord's chuckling echoing off the castle walls, Sunny was growing more and more agitated with the master of chaos. "Come out! Show yourself!"
"I would have thought you'd take my study plan a little more seriously" Discord's voice echoed again, but he was completely out of sight. "I made that book for you specifically so you could study up and learn what 'real' friends are like. But it seems that you haven't soaked it all in yet. That's ok! This test will show you how much you actually know, and show where you need to improve before the finals."
"Wait, 'you' sent me that book, 'The elements of harmony; a reference guide '?" Sunny asked, starting to piece a few things together.
"I wanted to get you up to speed with everypony else. So much had happened while you were gone" Discord replied as an image of him appeared in a stained glass window. "Besides, what better way to learn about 'friendship' then by learning from the elements of harmony, the greatest group of friends in all of Equestria! Although, despite being in love with the one who represented Honesty, you couldn't be more of a lier!"
"I'm not a lier!" Sunny stomped his front hoof, grinding his teeth in annoyance. "Enough of this! Why are you doing this?! What is the point?!"
Disappearing from the stained glass window, Discord then reappeared as a statue on a pedestal about ten feet away, in a relaxed pose next to a dancing mare figure. "Like I told you before. I'm going to teach you about friendship."
"I already know about 'friendship'" the yellow stallion said as he galloped up to the statue. "I made 'real' friends, who 'I' care about and know they care about 'me'."
"Do they?" Discord asked, then disappeared again only to reappear in another stained glass window, this one of Applejack, Twilight, and the others using the elements of harmony. "Then why do you keep so many secrets from them? Do friends keep other friends in the dark?"
"A pony is allowed to keep secrets, you know" Sunny replied, casually walking up to the stained glass window where Discord was. His eyes then were drawn to the image of Applejack, who as he knew, symbolized the element of 'honesty'. "Besides... of any of them knew who I really was..."
"Would they still want to be your friend?" Without Sunny noticing, Discord slipped away from the portrait and now stood behind the yellow unicorn.
"No. No they wouldn't" Sunny reluctantly answered, but answered honestly what he thought, sighing and looking down and away, desperately trying. To hide his own muzzle.
"Looks like you're starting step 1 now of my lesson on 'friendship 101'! " Discord replied, teleporting now several feet down the hallway. "You're openly honest with yourself about how you feel, now let's see what else we can squeeze out of you!"
Jerking his head in Discord's direction, Sunny bolted after the Draquis. "I'm done with you're games Discord!"
"Good! Because this isn't a game!" Discord's voice rang off the walls again as Sunny ran after him. The trickster seemed to be floating just out of Sunny's reach. "Now, lesson 1 is obviously Honesty, going off of our lesson plan. It's you must be honest with yourself. If you aren't honest with yourself, how could you be honest with anypony else?
"So, you are the son of one of Twilight's mightiest foes, King Sombra, correct? Your real name being Prince Soleggiato Cavalier?" Discord was now holding a clipboard, going over a checklist of things. Without looking up, he pointed with his pencil another portrait of Sunny and his father. "You may want to grab that."
Realizing how horrible it would be if Twilight, Spike, or anypony else saw that, Sunny grabbed the portrait and carried it with him in his mouth. But as he started to walk, the cart that he used to carry the eggs into town appeared, slightly smaller to fit through the hallway, it latched itself onto him. Discord didn't need to say it, Sunny already knew it was his handy work that made it appear. Tossing the protracted carefully into the cart, Sunny continued to chase Discord. "You already know the answer to that!"
"I do, so it should be easy to answer since we both know it to be the truth" Discord replied, this time looking up at the frustrated yellow stallion. "Also, if you lie, you're legs will shrink. I was going to make your nose grow, but that's boring. This way, you'll have to tell the truth if you want to get all this done along with all your chores, by the time the girls get back!
"Now next question" Discord continued. "Not long after you took the potion Zecorra gave you, did you realize you were the prince. But you chose to keep it a secret, why?"
"I told you that already!" Sunny continued to chaise after the draquis, pausing to grab a bust of his father and him that magically appeared on a near by pedestal, adding it to the growing pile. "Yes! I chose to keep it a secret! I bairly knew who I was, and wanted to find out for myself!"
"But after you ran into your father in the castle of the two pony sisters..." Discord continued while snapping his fingers, causing more and more paintings and busts of Sunny and his father to appear in the hallway. "You chose to keep him a secret because you were afraid of everypony finding out who you were?"
"No, you're wrong on that one!" Sunny stopped gathering the items and turned to Discord. Remembering the image of his father, how weak he appeared hurt Sunny to have to remember. "I didn't... I wanted him to get better. I don't want anypony to hurt him."
"After what he did?" Discord raised a brow to Sunny. "After he enslaved the Crystal ponies? After he sealed you away? After he sealed away the Crystal Empire? You know he cast that spell on you on purpose. He wanted you to seal you with your greatest fears."
"And how would you know this?!" Sunny's anger was beginning to build up. "You don't know anything about my father!"
"It's a good thing I have your horn" Disocrd smirky commented. "Otherwise you might hit me with what you did with those three hooligans. What were their names again? Score, Hoops and Dumb-Bell?"
Hearing their names caused Sunny's anger to subside almost immediately as more regret filled his heart.
"Accidents happen, Sunny" Disocrd continued to say as he slowly floated down the hallway, forcing Sunny to chase after him, now pulling an almost full cart. "But you know, if you had told Twilight about yours, you could have spared those three so many days of pain and suffering.
"But you wanted to keep your little secret and the fact that you used dark magic just like dear old dad. So you let them continue to suffer!" Discord snapped his fingers again, this time pulling several paintings and sculptures of Sombra and Sunny from the walls and adding them to the cart "Isn't that right?"
The cart was becoming harder and harder to pull now. If Sunny hadn't been working in a farm this whole time, he would never have been able to pull it. But thanks to plowing the fields and all the other strenuous work he's done, his muscles have almost doubled in strength from how he was 1000 years ago. "I... it's not just that! I wanted to fix...my own mistake!"
"Mistake?" Discord repeated the word, playing with it. "Was trashing Twilight's library a 'mistake'? Or did you do it on purpose, using a pony puppet you had spare to run wild and trash the place, while using your 'friends' and the so called 'prank' as a distraction?
"Further more" Discord continued, his fingers snapping, this time adding busts of Big Mac, Thunderlane, And one of each of the main six as well as Spike to the pile. "You even lied to poor Spiky-wiky, convincing him you were 'saving Twilight from possible dark magic' and told him he could be a 'dragon knight' for aiding you! Something you don't have the power or authority to grant, despite still being a prince."
"I'm not a prince anymore!" Sunny continued to struggle with the load, now only moving inches at a time towards the floating trickster. The unicorn felt his legs wabble, out of fear of growing shorter, Sunny spat out "yes! Yes! I lied to Spike too! I knew he could never become a knight! But I told him he could so he would keep his mouth shut about me stealing the books from Twilight! I knew if he spilled the beans, Twilight would investigate and find out the truth! I got him to lie to her!
"Tisk, Tisk, Tisk" Discord stoped advancing as he looked over his notes. "With all of this built up against you, you'll never learn to make friends until you master my 6 step program. But it seems the hardest one is half over. No, more like one quarter over. But with my help, you're well on your way to making 'real' friends very so-"
"Shut up!" Sunny finally snapped, gathering the last of his strength, glaring up at Discord. "Applejack, Big Mac, Thunderlane, Octavia, Doctor, Derpy, Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie are all my best friends! It doesn't matter who I was in the past! What matters is who I am to them!"
"Oh?" Discord began to play at him again. "So, you think they would still accept you for 'who you are to them' if they knew you were the son of king Som-"
"I'm more then just his son!" Sunny interrupted again, his eyes now demanding Discord's attention. "I am a Sunny Knight, my friends and family just call me Sunny. When I need to dawn my black armor, I become the Black Knight. Prince Soleggiato is in the past. But right now, from here in out, I'm Sunny. The unicorn who works and lives at Sweet Apple Acres, who likes going out and hanging out with my wide array of friends, occasionally making new ones on the cooky adventures I fall into, but at the end of the day, have a home and a family to go back to!
"This is who I choose to be!" Sunny paused to take a breath, then looked at the mountain of things gathered in the cart behind him, then sighed. "No matter the burden I must carry. I like who I am 'now'. I want to just be 'Sunny'."
"Well we've made great progress!" Discord cheered as he blew into a kazoo ad tossed confetti all over Sunny. "Congratulations! Don't you feel better for talking about it! I know I do!"
"Will you just help me get this stuff out of Twilight's castle before she and the others get back?!" Sunny snapped at Discord as he brushed the flakes of glitter and paper out of his mane.
"Oh, don't worry about that!" Discord snapped his fingers, and in a flash, he and Sunny were in the map room of Twilight's castle. Looking over at the map table, Sunny noticed the map that usually presented a transparent image of Equestria, instead had a miniaturized version of Twilight's castle, complete with a tiny cart filled with tiny paintings and busts like the one he was just pulling. It all didn't come together until Sunny noticed the almost microscopic lavender bag that was still running around like a mouse in a maze.
"We... were in there the whole time?!" Sunny was partly relieved, but mostly angry with the draquis.
"But of course! You wouldn't have confessed otherwise!" Discord replied, snapping his fingers to teleport the small walking lavender bag out of the mini castle maze and placed it safely back in Sunny's hat. "Well, I guess I could, but I wasn't the only one who needed to hear it."
Although Discord was nuttier then Granny's hearth's warming fruit cake, Sunny gathered that there was some thin line of reason to his madness. And something about what he just said made Sunny nervous. It wasn't until somepony coughed and caught his attention did Sunny realize they weren't the only two in the room. That the whole display wasn't just for Discord's 'lesson in friendship'.
The room fell so quiet when Sunny turned around and saw them standing there, that you could hear a pin drop. His purples shrunk to a size never seen on pony eyes as he looked over and noticed Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Spike the dragon all standing there, looking at him with hard and questioning eyes. It was almost as if the nightmare he had been running away from was just coming true. The yellow stallion couldn't speak, as was afraid to even breath or move a muscle. His world had just cracked, and if he even so niches as sneezed, it would all fall to pieces.
"Just to clarify" Discord playfully nudged Sunny. "Yes, they all saw and heard everything. Now while you guys work things out, I'll be the good friend I am, and finish that pesky chore list for you. Be back in a flash, or before Applejack even gets home!"
As Discord pulled Sunny's chore list out from underneath the stallion's hat and vanished, the entire room froze over once more. The only slight movement in the room were Spike's shaking fists and the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. It could have easily been mistaken for an oil painting the way everypony refused to move.
Just just as she's always done, Twilight made the fist push. Taking a step forward, followed soon by her friends and number one assistant. The purple alicorn's voice was soft as an avalanche and came as quickly as thunder, with eyes that struck fear into Sunny's heart as she glared sharply at him. "I think you have some explaining to do."
Standing in the middle of the three mares and Spike, Sunny felt like a mouse that had walked right into a den of lions. They had him at their mercy. His entire life, his future, was in their hooves right now. And Sunny knew it too. His mouth was dry, but he knew he would have to force the words out to answer any and all questions they had, if he was to ever hope they would keep his secret.
"Start talking, Sunny!" Rainbow Dash spat at him, loyalty being her element, and feeling him betray her and her friends did not put Sunny in very good standings with the cyan colored Pegasus.
"What else do you want to know..." Sunny spoke in a soft and monotone voice, his spirit shattered. He could feel the weight of metaphysical chains binding him to the ground.
"For starters, where is King Sombra?" Twilight asked, wanting to prevent some catastrophe that she knew the shadow king would most likely cause if they didn't detain him.
"I'm afraid I don't know" Sunny admitted, his voice gaining some volume.
"LIER!" Rainbow Dash lunged at the yellow stallion only to be stopped dead in her tracks by her timid yellow friend. Between her and Sunny stood Fluttershy, who blocked the cyan colored mare's path by hovering in front of him, her front hooves and wings shielding him.
"Fluttershy? Move out of the way!" Rainbow dash snapped. "This guy's nothing but trouble!"
"Rainbow Dash! I'm surprised at you!" Fluttershy held a hard gaze, almost using 'the stare' on her oldest friend. "Sunny may have done some, well, questionable things. But he's done some good things too!"
"Oh yeah? Name one!" Rainbow annoyingly asked, thinking her animal loving friend wouldn't be able to do that.
"He saved Angel during that awful tornado" Fluttershy didn't even take a moment to think. "And he's been good friends with Thunderlane and Big Mac, he helped Applejack a lot on the farm, and helping Scootaloo and the girls with their math homework when they needed tutoring."
This caught the cyan colored Pegasus off guard, causing her to slightly retreat. "Well, yeah, but-!"
"That doesn't excuse what he's done" Twilight firmly stated, her mind not changing as her eyes continued to stair harshly at the yellow unicorn. "Sunny Knight, or Soleggiato, whatever you are called. Right now I don't trust you more the I trust your father.
"You not only made a mess of my library, you hurt ponies in town, hid a convicted fugitive, and more so, Attacked my brother and broke his leg!" Twilight's voice spiked and reached a level she hadn't spoken in since Discord used the grey spell on her friends and they all turned their backs on one another. "What do you have to say for yourself?!"
"I know..." Sunny admitted, his head still hanging low, but found the strength to look Twilight in the eye. "I know what I say won't mean much, but I only did what I did so my identity would stay secret."
"Yeah, so we wouldn't lock you up!" Rainbow snapped, her eyes narrowing even harder on the yellow stallion.
"Do you think that justifies all you've done?" Twilight's cold words blew over Sunny. "You used and manipulated others to do so. Was it really worth all of that?"
"I wouldn't expect any of you to understand how I feel" Sunny boldly stated, pain giving the yellow unicorn strength to speak. "But I was doing what I thought was right."
"What was right?! WHAT WAS RIGHT?!" Twilights temper quickly fanned into forest fire. "You broken my brother's leg! How could you think that was right?!"
Before Twilight could lose her cool further, Fluttershy put a hoof on the purple alicorn's shoulder, desperate to help her friend calm down and see the situation with a clear head. When Twilight tore her gaze from Sunny and looked to her gentle, kind hearted friend, Twilight realized quickly that she needed to regain we composure. After taking several deep breaths, performing the excessive that Cadence taught her, Twilight regained control over her anger.
Once again, she looked down upon Sunny with a stone gaze. "Explain yourself. I'll hear what you have to say, then I'll give my verdict. As a princess of Equestria, I have the power to sentence you here and now. So say your piece..."
Taking a deep breath of his own, Sunny started back from the beginning, where he awoke after circling the skies for 1000 years as a comet. He continued to tell the three mares how he really had lost his memory and ran into Goldie Delicious who told him to seek out Applejack in ponyville, that she would know how to help him. From there, the girls knew about the adventures he's had since, so he skipped that part and moved on to when he regained his memory, or rather, most of it. He then told the girls about running out of the farm house and found himself at the ruins of the castle of the two pony sisters. There he noticed the light in the castle and moved to investigate, finding his father.
"King Sombra's in the castle of the two pony sisters?!" Twilight grasped, half ready to jump up and write a letter to the princesses.
"I'll get the others together so we can bag up that baddy!" Rainbow said with a grin, eager to kick some serious flank.
"By all means, go" Sunny told Rainbow, his voice remaining calm. "The cool air will do you some good. But before you go on a wild goose chaise, you may want to know that he's not there anymore."
"I'll bet!" Rainbow hovered next to Twilight, eyes narrowed and never breaking away from Sunny as she spoke to her purple friend. "I don't trust him. I still think we should check it out."
"Let's give give him a chance to speak" Twilight commented, studying the yellow unicorn's calm and cool composure. "I think he's telling the truth. Besides, there might be more to what he has to say."
"Ugh, fine!" Rainbow said as she took her seat and continued to glare as hard as she could at Sunny.
"Please continue" Fluttershy finally spoke up, clearing a small portion of the tension in the room.
"As I was saying..." Sunny continued his story. "When I ran into father, he had made himself a make shift home of the room, with a fire pit, boarding up most of the windows, and covering most of his body in blankets-"
"Awww does little Sombra hate the cold?" Rainbow dash mockingly said as she laughed lightly to herself.
"SHUT UP!" Sunny yelled, finally losing his temper with the cyan colored mare, before turning to Twilight. "If she is unable to keep her thoughts to herself, I know I have the authority, even as just a regular citizen of Ponyville to ask that she be removed from the court!"
"What?! Who says you get 'any' rights?" Rainbow Dash spat back. "You're the bad guy here!"
"Rainbow, enough" Twilight shot a cold look at her own friend. "If we're going to get through this and possibly go on a hunt for Sombra, then you to keep a level head. Can you do that?"
Shocked that Twilight wasn't on her side more, Rainbow's face turned an off shade of red as she zipped her lips and sat back in her seat.
"Please continue" Twilight, her tone demanding with great authority behind it.
Taking a breath himself to calm down again, Sunny continued. "If you're going on a hunt for my father, you're hunting small game, Twilight. He's not the powerful king he used to be."
"That's princess Twilight Sparkle princessto you, Soleggiato" Twilight snapped, her brows narrowed, showing her blazing anger that she kept contained for the moment. "And why is that?"
It stung, but for a moment, Sunny realized that the way Twilight was talking to him wasn't at all like how she had just talked to Rainbow Dash. She was keeping her cool, and her tone and face were bias, but the way she addressed her rainbow maned friend and him just now, were completely opposite. Although Sunny didn't know Twilight as much as he knew Applejack, Pinkie or any of his other friends, he thought that when she offered her hoof to him as a friend months ago, that it was genuine. But now, looking at her cold eyes, Sunny knew that it must have simply been a formality.
"Cat got your tung or something" Rainbow Dash asked, a smug smile on her muzzle.
"Something on your mind?" Twilight asked, raising one brow at the stallion on trial. "Or are you trying to think up a good lie to tell us? Speak."
"I just realized that you don't view me as a friend. That even though all of your 'friends' like Rainbow Dash, have made mistakes in the past, you never stopped thinking of them as anything less... but that's not the case with me." Sunny baintly said then out a hoof over his mouth, realizing what he had just said. "Wait! Why did I say that?"
"I put a spell on this room months ago, to prevent anypony who approached us from telling lies" Twilight answered, at first proud of herself for being so creative and witty. But the victory was short lived as Sunny's words hit we again. "Wait? Friends?"
"You told me once, that we were friends" Sunny explained, taking deep breaths to hold back the pain. "But I just realized it was just a formality. That you were only friends with be because of Applejack and Pinkie. But it doesn't matter, I should have expected such things."
"You don't deserve to be her friend! Or Applejack's, or Pinkie's!" Rainbow Dash snapped, having heard enough of this pity party. "Get back to Sombra!"
Wanting to bury his feelings of pain, Sunny continued, his eyes freezing over just like Twilights were. "Father was weak, bairly able to gather twigs for his fire. When he spoke to me, his voice was very scratchy and low. But I guess being blown into a million pieces would do that to you."
"He got what he deserved" Twilight shook her mind clear, remembering the images of the Crystal ponies in chains. "He was a monster."
"You don't know him!" The fire inside Sunny melted his cold eyes as he shot Twilight a hard look. "He ruled the Crystal Empire years before I was born, and made it a far better place then Princess Amore ever did! He was a good and just king! And only wanted the Empire to prosper, and for the ponies to remain happy!"
"Hey Fluttershy" Rainbow called out like a cat with a yarn ball. "For your birthday, because I want you to be happy, I'm gunna sign you up for mining classes and throw you in chains."
"You are so lucky I don't have my horn right now!" Sunny hissed through his teeth, noting that he knew Discord still had his horn.
"Get back to what you were saying or I'll make my verdict now!" Twilight commanded.
Calming himself down, Sunny started again, but the image of his father doused the flame burning inside Sunny. "Father's body was mostly hidden beneath the cloth he gathered, but I caught a glimpse of his hoof when he threw more wood on his fire... he... he wasn't in any shape to be out of bed, let alone moving around a cold, damp castle.
"He told me to go to the Crystal Empire, to find my room and gather my things. To hide my existence." Sunny continued, his mood balancing out. "He told me 'you' would be going there and that I was to join you. I don't know how he knew, but he did..."
Explaining further that when he boarded the train with a Twilight, Sunny's intentions were simply to inflate the castle and clear out his 'secret bedroom' so no pony would ever know he ever existed. "But when I was asked to join you and your brother and Cadence for dinner, I was... nervous."
"Understandable" Twilight noted, her own anger slightly subsisting, as the missing pieces to the puzzle were revealed.
"No, you wouldn't be able to understand, Princess Twilight Sparkle" Sunny commented as he continued. "Here I was, a guest in the home I grew up in, eating the food off of plates that I ate off of since I was a foal, in a castle, a home, that I could navigate my way through in the dark! But now, somepony else came in and claimed it for their own..."
"That explains why you were so agitated" Twilight recalled how Sunny acted at that dinner.
"I couldn't handle it" Sunny commented it. "After all our hard work, between father and I, trying to make the Empire the greatest place in Equestria, it's shinning jewel... all it took were two love birds to come in and make it all 100 times better. And what's worse, no pony even remembered all we did"
Sunny's head now hung low as he continued his story. "When we got home, I went right back to see father, only, he had been gone for some time upon my return. Since then, I've hidden my things in a place no pony would dare look, deep within the Everfree forest. I've just been trying to hide who I 'was' and enjoy the life I was living."
"Yeah?! What about Hoops, Score, and Dumb-bell?" Rainbow Dash never thought she's come to her old bullies defense. "You cast that crazy spell on them, now their in and out of the hospital! If Fluttershy hadn't found them that day in the snow-"
"Was that you?" Fluttershy interrupted her friend. "You threw the rock at my door and got our attention, didn't you?"
"I.... I don't want to just leave them" Sunny admitted, turning his gaze away from the soft spoken Pegasus mare. "When I ran away from the iron pony completion between me and Alister, I ran into those three. I told them to leave me alone, but they kept pushing me and pushing me, and... I just lost it.
"Before I knew it, all three of them were on the ground in pain, stuck in some sort of illusion" Sunny paused to catch his breath. "I would be lying if I said I didn't think they deserved part of it. But I did feel bad, and I didn't want to just leave them there. So I got your attention, Fluttershy, seeing your house wasn't far."
"Then you ran away, like a dog with it's tail between it's legs" Rainbow Dash commented again, loving the fact that Sunny was squirming.
"I planned on just leaving for good... Applejack wanted me gone, I had no home at the Empire... I had no place to go. So I went back to the room my father had stayed in. I took shelter there, not really knowing what to do or where to go" with a sigh, Sunny could no long look Twilight or the others in the eye. "The Crystal Heart showed me that the Apples and the farm were what lies deep in my heart. That 'that' was my home, and 'they' cared about me... I didn't want to leave them, but what could I do?"
"You went back and made up with Applejack" Rainbow waves a hoof, annoyed at how slow things were going. "We know, we know. Get on with it!"
"Why did you break into my library and steal those books?" Twilight asked. "Was it to help your father?"
"Father and I had a secret language he and I made up" Sunny explained further. "I knew those books could be decoded, and that they possibly had the secret to reversing the curse I put on Score and the others. But if I revealed that to you, princess Twilight Sparkle, I knew you would find out about me. Besides, I made the mess, it was my duty to clean it up."
"So you planned the whole 'prank at the sleep over' just to steal those books?" Twilight narrowed her eyes on Sunny once again. "Even using your 'friends' to do so. Like Discord said, that's really low."
Cringing at the fact that what Twilight said was right, Sunny continued. "Part of the reason that I was so tired after that, was due to the fact that I was staying up all night to try and decode father's books to find a cure. I almost had it, but when I ate those berries, ugh, the gogogo berries, I couldn't use magic for a while."
"I'm sure you could have found a way to sneak me the decoded spell" Twilight replied, thinking logically about the situation. "You seem quite skilled at sneaking around."
"As I was saying..." Sunny was growing more and more desperate to continue in with his story, rather then hear how he sounded more like a villain then a background character. "Attempt after attempt to regain my magical strength failed, but not long ago when you, Princess Twilight, received the message about Garganda going after the Crystal Empire, I knew I had to do something. Up until that point, I was just going to let you, Applejack, and your friends handle things in Equestria. But I had a feeling Garganda... would only listen to me..."
It was at that moment something that had been tingling at the back of Sunny's mind finally came to light. A question he had been too preoccupied to ask. Something that caused the stallion to shutter, and made him think that he needed to take a trip to the west to see his old friend.
"What makes you think 'we' couldn't handle him?" Rainbow Dash asked, flexing her muscles. "I could have taken that dragon with my wing tied behind my back!"
"Why do you think he would listen to 'you' and not 'us'?" Twilight asked, sounding slightly intrigued. "Is it because you are the 'Black Knight'? What does that even mean? I couldn't find anything about it in the Crystal Empire files."
Shaking his head clear for the moment, Sunny decided to answer Twilight's question. "Over 1000 years ago, a war was about to break out between ponies and the dragons who used the west coast for their migration landing point. To stop this war, Star-Swirl's apprentice, Clover the clever, told me to seek out the mighty dragon of the west, Garganda. My travels took me far away from my home, but I pushed through it alone, as were my instructions. Eventually I came to the resting spot of Garganda. When I awoke him and told him of the possible war, he gave me a suit of armor, made from his own black scales, that would protect me from and dragon fire and almost all physical damage.
"He then tossed me from there to just short of the west coast. I was able to stop the war from happening by approaching the dragon lord at the time, Lord Garnet" Sunny continued, remembering that day well. "When I told him it was a stupid move to go to war and not find a peaceful salutation, that many on both sides would get hurt for no reason, I think it amused him enough to see a gutsy pony that Garganda deemed worthy of the Black armor. He asked my name, and I told him it was 'Soleggiato Cavaleir'. But he said that was too hard for most dragons to remember. So due to the Black armor, he just declared me 'the Black Knight' a link between ponies and dragons. Giving me almost the same authority as the Dragon Lord, only the Dragon Lord's word was superior."
The three girls were impressed, starring with wide eyes at Sunny, despite their best attempts to refrain from such expression. Even Rainbow Dash, who still hated Sunny's guts, had to give him props.
"Ok, so that explains about the whole 'Black Knight' bit " Rainbow Dash commented. "Which is cool, I hate to say it, cuz you're like, the most uncool pony here right now. But I bet 'I' could have gotten that armor and been there in no time!"
"Despite the 'Black Knight' mystery being solved" Twilight reeled everypony back to the hearing. "You still caused quite a bit of damage to the library, stole from me, tricked and used Spike, and attacked my brother!"
"I helped clean up the library, I was really sorry about the mess. After I brought the puppet to life, it went crazy. I couldn't control it." Sunny reluctantly admitted. "As for the stolen books, they weren't Cad-, I mean, Princess Cadence's to give. They belonged to my father and me. So, I just took them back."
"Ok, wise guy, got an explanation for why you attacked Shinning armor?!" Rainbow countered, wanting Sunny to fry for all he did.
Sunny knew the reason why he did it... he didn't want to come out and say it, but his reasons were, at the time, logical. He had run the same scenario over in his head a million times, and came up with so many other solutions, but that didn't matter anymore. With a sigh, Sunny simply said "I had my reasons. Shinning Armor had to lose. It just needed to be done."
The girls all fell silent for a moment, unsure if what they heard was true. But after the yellow unicorn's words repeated in their heads for a moment, Twilight arose from her seat and walked over to Sunny fury building up in her eyes. She was about to unleash all the wrath of Tartarus on him, the former prince knew it and would happily take it. He knew he did what he had to do.
"Wait!" Fluttershy finally spoke up, flying to Sunny's aid. She stood between Twilight now and Sunny, leaving them both confused. When she turned back to Sunny, the shy little mare gave him the biggest, saddest eyes she could and simply asked him "please, tell us the truth. The whole truth."
After reading about her adventures with foal sitting the cutie mark crusaders, dealing with the dragon, and even reforming Discord, Sunny knew the animal loving Pegasus had great powers of persuasion, but he never knew they were this powerful. After gulping several times, Sunny began to sweat, then after a few more moments of building up pressure, Sunny's will broke and the unicorn spilled the beans.
"Alright!...." the unicorn fell to his hooves. "I... I did it for...Cadence..."
"For Cadence?" Twilight and Fluttershy both said together.
"Yeah, right! Why would Cadence ask you to break her husband's leg?" Rainbow laughed mockingly at the comments.
Sunny continued to not sound either crazy or stupid. "I... I attended the Crystal Fair with my Aunt, who convinced me to go after disguising me. She knew I had never attended without having some duty to perform, and wanted me to enjoy it.
"I went to sign up for the archery tournament, but when I went behind some tents, I heard Cadence and Shinning Armor talking. She was trying to talk to talk to him about taking some trip, but he argued that the Empire needed defending. I would have agreed to his decision, only right after he started talking about how he was going to use that time in the Empire to train for a jousting tournament he wanted to hold. It was clear what his intentions were.
"It wasn't my place to interfere, but after he left, I saw what it did to Cadence. She was hurt and felt alone, abandoned by her own special some pony..." taking a deep breath, Sunny now looked Twilight right in the eye, all fear had dissipated. "'You, Princess Twilight Sparkle, may not know what it means to be alone, having loyal and true friends by your side. But to somepony who is made a royal from a young age, who doesn't have the chance to be 'normal', having just one pony there could make all the difference! Just one pony who makes the weight on your shoulders a little more bearable, can mean the world to you.
"For Cad-, I'm sorry, 'Princess Cadence', it was your brother, 'Prince' Shinning Armor. And he was going to abandon her for his own selfish interests! Not even my father did that to me!" Sunny was furious now with that thought, tears at the corners of his eyes. As he turned away from the girls, leaving them confused about the whole thing, Sunny continued his explanation. "I did the only thing I could. I got Shinning's attention by entering as the Black Knight, took him on, and when I realized I couldn't beat him, I did what I had to in order to make sure he'd hang his jousting javelin up for at least a week. I broke his leg.
"Auntie Radiant was in the stands, close to Princess Cadence" Sunny continued, thinking back to that day at the Crystal Fair. "I knew she could heal broken bones, or rather, help them to heal. I knew the prince would be fine. And Cadence now wouldn't be alone. Maybe a week would be all it took to get his moral compass back on track."
Taking it all in, Twilight started to think how it all played out. Sunny was telling the truth, and as much as she hated to admit it, he did the right thing. 'No! No! No! What am I thinking!? He hurt Shinning!.... but he knew he would get better... and Shinning and Cadence are closer after that week together...'
"Hold up!" Rainbow jumped to Twilight's side, recognizing that look on her brainy friend's muzzle. "I think he's still hiding something! He hesitated a little back there when he told us about Garganchua! So spill it, mustard stain! What didn't you tell us?"
Giving Rainbow Dash credit for actually paying attention, Sunny walked over to the cutie mark map and looked at the Crystal Empire image. "'Garganda', please show him some respect, if he wanted to, could have leveled the Empire in mere seconds. Why did he drag on the walk and conversation? All he would need to do is jump from his resting place on the west side and land at the Empire. It could have all been wiped out..."
"Maybe he was was giving the Crystal ponies a chance to escape?" Fluttershy commented.
"Maybe..." Sunny commented. "Or maybe he was trying to draw somepony out. Somepony who he knew would hear of him moving towards the Empire. Somepony who he knew could stop him. Somepony he was expecting..."
"He was wanting to draw you out" Twilight connected the dots.
"I can't be certain, but it's most likely that..." Sunny agreed. "He should have left the Black Knight in the past. Why bring him back when he has you six?"
"He said we would need to work together" Twilight hated to admit it, but it was true. "I have reached a verdict ! Soleggiato Cavalere! Step forward!"
Taking a deep breath and deciding it best to go along with it, Sunny turned and faced Twilight, er, Princess Twilight, meeting her hard gaze. "Yes, your majesty."
"I have decided to keep your identity a secret and to not turn you in-" Twilight started to say.
"WHAT?!" Rainbow Dash jumped the gun, but before she could say more, Twilight cast a spell to seal Rainbow's lips.
"As I was saying, you won't be turned in yet" Twilight continued without interruptions. "Instead, I put you on probation and town arrest until further notice."
"What are the conditions of my arrest?" Sunny asked, raising a brow. "Are the Apples or my friends meant to be told of my charges?"
"I think it would be best that they are" Twilight started eyes still looking down on the yellow unicorn. "However, I will leave 'that' up to you. I hope you can come out and tell them all of your checkered past some day soon, before they find out from Somepony else."
"How am I so sure Somepony..." Sunny turned and glared at Rainbow Dash as he spoke. "Won't tell them before I do?"
"Only Spike, Rainbow, Fluttershy and myself know your secrets. If you obey our-" Twilight continued but was interrupted by Somepony else this time.
"Commands" Sunny blurted out.
"'Demands'" Twilight corrected him. "The 'demands' of your sentence, then we'll keep quiet. But your sentence doesn't stop there.
"One; I want Sombra's books back, decoded. First thing I want to do is cure those guys at the hospital" Twilight started listing things off, as she often did.
"As you wish" Sunny reluctantly said, still wishing he could have been the one to set things right.
"Two; I want you to apologize to Spike" Twilights voice stiffened when she said his name, eyes focused on Sunny. "You should also apologize to me for trashing my library and getting Spike to go behind my back and lie to me. But I'm more concerned about him. You hurt him more then you could ever have hurt me."
"As soon as I can, I will" Sunny agreed, feeling terrible about using Spike as he did. "But I think it's best to give him some space. In a couple of days I'll try and talk to him."
"Three; I want you to show me, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Spike where this 'cave' is that you keep all your 'treasures'" Twilight added, slightly curious of what Sunny could consider 'treasures'. She knew boys were weird and gave value to garbage sometimes.
"Spike already knows where it's at" Sunny admitted. "But I'll show you all so long as we aren't followed."
"Good. Now forth; If anything happens, and I mean 'anything', that could involve Sombra, I want you to inform me or any of my friends immediately" Twilight knew this forth demand was going to be a tougher one for Sunny to swallow, but she needed to know if the former king made a move. She wouldn't let the events f the past ever take place again.
"I will" Sunny started to say. "But under your promise you won't hurt him unless provoked."
"Oh yeah! Let's just invite him over for tea while we're at it!" Rainbow spoke up again. "And hey! Let's all get hoofacures together!"
"That's enough, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy put her hoof down, stopping the cyan colored Pegasus before she could joke further.
Twilight thought about it for a moment, then returned her gaze to the yellow unicorn. "If he hurts one pony, again, I won't hesitate to do what must be done."
Sighing, hating that phrase and the whole meaning behind it, Sunny nodded. "I understand. Just so you're aware, he's sending a gift for my birthday. I don't know what it could be, but he sent a letter ahead to let me know..."
As Sunny's hoof reached up to grab the letter that he safely tucked away in his hat, a gut sinking feeling overcame him. He tore his hat off his head and began frantically looking for it. "Where is it?! It has to be here!"
"Ugh, maybe you dropped it back at the farm?" Fluttershy guessed in a hushed tone.
Calming himself down, Sunny thought for a moment before putting his Stetson back atop his was. "I guess... it doesn't really matter. Nowhere on the letter does it say anything that would connect father to me. My father is smarter then you give him credit for."
"How did a scum-bag like-" Rainbow Dash started to make another rude comment when Fluttershy shot her a watered down 'Stare', silencing the speed demon.
Twilight turned her focus back to Sunny. "Well if either the letter or the package turn up, let us know. When 'is' your birthday?"
"The package should be arriving any day now, supposedly" Sunny answered Twilight's question without answering her question. He could only assume that she cared more about what Sombra could be sending his son, rather then when Sunny's actual birthday is. 'Not like any of 'them' now would like to even wish me a 'happy birthday'. Well, maybe Fluttershy. Note to self; trust 'her' over the others.'
"As for the restrictions, I assume I'm not allowed to leave Ponyville" Sunny continued the conversation. "So am I also to assume if any of my 'friends' go out of town and invite me, I'm not allowed to go?"
Thinking about this for a moment, Twilight pondered possible solutions. She didn't want him out of her sight, but she didn't want to arouse suspicion. "Hmmmm.... I think I have an idea. Give me a few days and I'll come up with something so you can leave but we'll track you."
"I do know a spell or two that could help" Sunny suggested, thinking of a trick his father probably used to keep an eye on him when he was younger. "Anything else?"
"Yes" Twilight noted, her tone forming to stone. "Under no circumstance, should you ever use dark magic again. Is that understood?"
Thinking back to Sunny having to use dark magic not only on those three bullies but on the conductor, as well as the royal guard, it made the former prince shutter. "I understand. Now I must solidify it with all of you."
Twilight looked at Sunny, slightly confused "what do you mean, Solidify? This is 'your' punishment."
"I understand" Sunny hung his head, realizing he was truly at the mercy of those three mares. And two of them appeared to hate him. But still, if he got to keep his new life as 'just Sunny' then he would be ok with it. "Just please promise me, promise me, you won't tell anypony about me, about who I really am, about my father, where I came from, anything. Especially Applejack."
"We should! You live with her! She should know that the son of Sombra is living under her roof!" Rainbow burst out again.
"Rainbow has a point" Twilight slightly agreed, turning from her Pegasus friend back to Sunny. "She'll find out sooner or later. It would be better if she heard it from you."
With a heavy heart, Sunny took his hat from his head, turning it around and looking at the apple symbol on the front. "When that day happens, she won't want to even look at me."
"That's not true" Fluttershy took to Sunny's side, her voice a gentle breeze. "Applejack really cares about you."
"She cares about 'Sunny'" the yellow unicorn commented. "Prince Soleggiato, that's another story. But that's my problem."
Putting his hat back atop his head, Sunny took several deep breaths, then stood up strait as he turned and faced the princess of friendship. "Is there anything else, Princess Twilight Sparkle?"
Twilight originally demanded Sunny call her by her title, partly for the 'official' court room feel, so it would be taken seriously. But she mainly wanted to distance herself a little from his friends list. Listening to him now, after hearing what he had to say, and worst of all, seeing that look in his eyes, a look that he's been betrayed, it made Twilight question herself on her demand. "Ugh, yes, that is all, Sunny."
"Then I'm going back to the farm. Still have some chores to do" Sunny then did something that made Twilight feel very awkward. He bowed to her. Something Twilight didn't even want the royal guards to do, despite their years of training telling them to do so. "Good day, Princess Twilight Sparkle."
There were so many other hurtful things Sunny wanted to say to the princess of friendship, so many ways he wanted to lash out at her, make her feel guilty for what she did and how she fooled him into believing that she was his 'friend' and could trust her with anything... but he did nothing else. Sunny knew the consequences of his actions, all the things he did to keep his secret. And he feared what would happen should anypony else find out about him. Twilight held all the chips for the moment. He knew that, and played his cards right just walking away.
As he stepped out of the castle, releasing a held breath, Sunny wanted nothing more then to just go back to the farm house and go to bed, pretending this horrible day never happened. But as he began walking down the dirt road, two more familiar faces appeared, heading to Twilight, er, Princess Twilight's castle.
"Ugh, h-hey Pinkie! Hey Applejack, what are you two doing here?" Sunny put on as convincing of a smile as he could, hoping that his eyes wouldn't appear watery or bloodshot.
Before they could answer, a very familiar and very annoying draquis appeared from under Sunny's hat while he was still wearing it. "Oh! I almost forgot! Here you go!"
Before anypony could say anything, Discord smacked a yellow unicorn horn back in the middle of Sunny's forehead, then vanished back beneath the stallion's Stetson hat.
"Ugh, what was that about?" Applejack asked as Pinkie trotted happily into the castle.
"Just... Discord giving me trouble." Sunny answered honestly. "I think we're friends? I'm not sure."
"Ugh, well, ok then" Applejack wasn't sure what to say about that. She really didn't care much for the guy after all the trouble he gave her and her farm. "So, ya'll ready ta head on home? Bet th' family's a waitin'!"
"Sounds good to me" Sunny admitted and began walking back with Applejack. "So how was te rest of yer trip?"
"It was fine" Applejack modestly admitted. "But it sure is great ya be home...."
As the two farm ponies began their walk back to Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow Dash watched from a window, still not trusting Sunny at all. While Twilight and Fluttershy talked back and forth, everypony's favorite party pony burst through the doors, throwing confetti and releasing balloons as she often did.
"Hey everypony! Who's ready to go to Sunny's surprise birthday party!?" Pinkie cheered as she gave her closest friends a great big smile. "Don't worry, it's all set up back at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack's going to take him the long way around so we-"
"I ain't going!" Rainbow started with a huff. "I'd rather clean the wonderbolt's bathrooms with my toothbrush then go to anything with 'him'!"
Thinking for a moment as to what got everypony so tense, it finally hit Pinkie. "Ooooohhh. Let me guess you guys just found out Sunny's actually the son of king Sombra, as well as the Black Knight, and was the one who put those three bullies in the hospital, has been sneaking around to practice dark magic to break the curse he put on them, as well as broke Shinning Armor's leg so he and Cadence can have some personal time together. Am I right?"
Twilight, Rainbow, and Fluttershy were left speechless, eyes wide and looked onto their pink, party throwing friend of theirs. Even Spike, who ran off shortly before Sunny's trial started and chose to watch everything unfold from behind a cracked door, was shocked by Pinkie's bold and almost 4th wall breaking explanation.
"Wait... what?!" Rainbow Dash asked, being the first pony able to speak. "You knew the whole time?!"
"Well duh! It was so obvious!" Pinkie exclaimed as she stick a party hat on Rainbow then moved over to Fluttershy and Twilight, sticking hats on them as well. "I thought for sure you guys knew, and no pony was saying anything to spare his feelings."
"What?! Spare 'his' feelings?! Why would we do that?" Rainbow Dash was outraged at there statements that came so nonchalantly from her pink friend's mouth.
"Well he has had it tough, what with hat happened between him and his dad and all" Pinkie said as she started refilling her party canon. "So I just wanted to let him tell us at his own pace. You know, when he felt comfortable. Friends don't put that kind of pressure on friends."
"Hey girls" Fluttershy tried to speak up as best she could. "Something doesn't seem right."
"What's wrong, Flutters?" Rainbow asked, her anger shifting into concern for her oldest friend.
"I'm, well. I was just wondering why Sunny was, well, sealed away in a comet instead of with King Sombra or the Crystal Ponies." The timid Pegasus asked, half hiddding behind her mane.
Twilight patted her chin with her hoof, as she often did when she was thinking. "I didn't think about that."
"Maybe the princesses did it, who cares! He's caused nothing but trouble since he got here! For all we know, he's planning with his dad to overthrow the Crystal Empire as we speak!" Rainbow flew up into the air, outraged that her friends weren't acting to stop the yellow menace.
"Hold your horses, Rainbow" Twilight cast her magical aura around the cyan colored Pegasus, pulling her back down to the ground. "I want to know why he was sealed away separately as well. We'll still keep an eye on him, but I want to get all my facts strait."
"Ugh! Fine! Do whatever! But 'I'm' gunna keep a close eye on him!" The dare devil said as she was released from Twilight's magical aura. "And I'm not going to any stupid party, not for him!"
Before anypony could stop her again, Rainbow Dash flew into the air and out an open window as fast as she could. Nonpony said anything for a good long moment. But as time slowly passed, Twilight and Fluttershy's eyes traveled over to Pinkie. Rainbow Dash was her best friend, despite her feelings towards Sunny, Fluttershy and Twilight would have thought that their speed demon of a friend would have attended at least because Pinkie was throwing the party. Pinkie thought that too, which is why she couldn't help but force herself to keep up a fake smile as she turned to the other girls, her eyes starting to water.
"Ugh, you guys don't have to come if you don't want to" Pinkie said, her normally spingy voice now winding down. "I'm sure Sunny'll understand. And I could tell Applejack that you all had something you needed to do."
"I won't make you lie to Applejack, Pinkie" Twilight said stepping forward, putting a hoof on her pink friend.
"Neither will I" Fluttershy agreed as she shot pinkie a small, but sincere smile.
"Thanks guys" Pinkie gave her friends a huge hug. After releasing them, Pinkie felt it was her turn to give a heart filled confession. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Sunny earlier. I just, well, wanted him to make friends. When I first met him, and told him I wanted to be his friend, I saw something twinkle in his eye.
"I don't think he's ever had a 'real' friend before" Pinkie admitted, as she started walking with her two best friends out of the castle and down the road towards the apple farm. "I told him then that I would help him make a bunch of friends, and that made him smile so much, I just couldn't let him down. Now he has a bunch of friends, but he's scared to lose them. Especially Applejack."
"We know, Pinkie" Twilight admitted, knowing how much Applejack cared about the yellow unicorn. So much so that she took him in as part of the family. "But Sunny will need to tell them who he is at some point. You can't hide that forever."
"I know" Pinkie replied then wiped the from and sad off her face. "But that's for later! Now let's have some fun at the party!"
Twilight and Fluttershy were surprised that they made it to Sweet Apple Acres as fast as they did. It looked like everypony in town was there, ready to celebrate Sunny's first birthday in Ponyville. All that appeared to be missing was the birthday boy and Applejack.
As Sunny and Applejack took the long way around Ponyville that would eventually lead them to the apple farm, it was very obvious to Applejack that something was wrong with the normally cheerful yellow unicorn. It's true he had been very secretive over the last couple of weeks, and its obvious he's hiding something, but she didn't know whether to try and ask him or not. Especially if she's leading him to his surprise birthday party.
"So, ugh, how was th' farm?" was all Applejack could think to ask, wanting to strike up a conversation while still remaining neutral. "Get all them chores done?"
"I got some of them done" Sunny admitted. "Then I kind of ran into Discord. He said he'd finish them in a flash. I could only wonder what he's done to the farm. I'm sorry, I'll fix anything he messed up and get done anything that was left."
Now Applejack knew something was up. From living on the farm, Applejack pieced together a pattern that Sunny might not even be aware he's weaving. When he was relaxed and happy, Sunny spoke with a southern accent like she and the rest of the family. But when he was down, depressed, or just stressed, Sunny started talkin' like, well, like Twilight actually. Like life was one big ta-do list.
"Wanna talk about it, champ?" Applejack asked, nudging Sunny playfully. For a moment, he smiled at her, then his smile flipped upside down again, his ears even sunk with his head.
"Applejack... there's something I have to tell you... I just..." Sunny started to say, but paused, needing to take a few breaths. "I'm afraid."
"Shucks, hun, ya'll don't need ta be 'fraid of telling me nothin'" Applejack nudged him again lightly, shooting him another smile. "Ya'll can tell me anything."
'Maybe foal steps? Small things leading up to the big thing?' Sunny thought, taking a few more breaths. "I... I remembered who I was... Before I came to Ponyville. But who I was, I can never go back."
"'Cause yer daddy?" Applejack asked, then realized that she never told Sunny about reading part of his journal.
Immediately Sunny's mind jumped to the worst conclusion, that Applejack knew about his father, and like a deer caught in the head lights, Sunny froze. Eyes as wide as dinner plates as he stared at the orange farm pony, his heart pounding like crazy in his ears. "Y-y-you know? About my f-father?"
Ashamed to admit what she did, Applejack sat back on her hind legs, took her hat off, held it against her chest with both her hooves and tried not to look into Sunny's fear stricken green eyes. "Ah-ah never meant no harm, Sunny. But Twi and I were tryin' ta figure out what was going on with ya when you was running around all crazy cuz them berries, so we, well, peaked into yer journal. And we accidentally read ah part 'bout your daddy making ya lose yer memory."
Sunny didn't know what to think. But his mind raced back to his journal, back to every page he had ever written, which wasn't much, but he sighed in relief as he remembered that he kept the entries pretty vague, never using names other then the Apples or ponies from around town.
"Ah'm real sorry" Applejack said as she looked up to Sunny, unable to read his face. "Ah'll never do it again."
"Applejack..."Sunny started to say, wanting to pour his heart out to her, but the tingling since of fear kept him from doing so. But the words 'foal-steps' came back into his mind. "I... I've been keeping secrets too. I want to tell you about them but... but I'm afraid you'll hate me when I tell you."
Placing her hat back atop her head and stepping towards Sunny, Applejack pulled him gently into a hug, her head resting on his chest. "Ah could never hate ya, Sunny. Not even if ya burn th' barn to th' ground and dry up th' orchard."
It was then that maybe another foal-step was too much, but Sunny felt the courage to do it. Not a crazy leap, but a small step. "I... I... I hurt some ponies. They kinda were jerks... but... I hurt them real bad."
Pulling back a little, Applejack looked at Sunny with wide eyes, not knowing to what degree Sunny meant by 'hurt'. But she didn't think much of it and put her head back on his chest. "I'm sorry."
This confused the yellow unicorn. "What? 'You're' sorry? But I'm the one who did wrong."
"But ya hate ta do stuff like that" Applejack said as she listened to Sunny's heart beat. "Ah can see it in yer eyes. Like th' time ya accidentally ran over Apple Bloom's hoof with the' wagon, and thought ya broke it, so ya ran her as fast as ya could to th' hospital."
"That was scary! I could have sworn I actually did!" Sunny's voice got more high pitched, which urned a small laugh from Applejack.
"See, ya had that same look in yer eyes" the orange farm mare continued. "Ya ain't one ta hurt no pony on purpose. Ya don' have th' heart. So if them fellas was botherin' ya ta that point, ah say ya let them off easy."
Hearing that from Applejack made Sunny relax a little more as his hooves wrapped around the orange farm pony. "You're th' only pony who makes me feel like ah ain't th' bad guy."
"That's cuz ya ain't..." Applejack told Sunny, pulling slightly away, allowing her and Sunny's eyes to meet. Their muzzles were inches from each other and slowly they began to close the space between them. Each of their hearts pounding in their ears, their bodies raising to a new, higher temperature as the world around them disappeared, leaving only them. It was like they were for that moment, the only thing that existed were those two ponies. Like they were floating in an endless sea of stars. Nothing else mattered. Their worries and troubles were a million miles away. Right as the two were about to share a very precious moment in their lives, one they would remember forever... a certain cyan colored Pegasus mare with a rainbow colored mane fell from the sky and landed inches from them, turning their perfect moment.
"Hey guys!" Rainbow blurted out. "What cha doin?"
That killed the mood almost instantly, urning a heavy and annoyed sigh from both Applejack and Sunny.
"Just... talking" Sunny said through his teeth as he straitening his Stetson hat, not even looking in Rainbow's direction.
"Yeah, but ah guess we should get ah goin'. Th' family's waitin' fer us back at th' farm." Applejack said as she shot Rainbow an ice cold glare.
"Cool! Mind if I tag along?" Rainbow asked as she flew up and started slowly flying just a few feet above the two farm ponies. When Applejack wasn't looking, Rainbow shot Sunny a look that said 'I'm watching you.'
The rest of the trip back to the farm was silent, well, accept for Rainbow blabbering about her awesome new tricks she was working in with the Wonderbolts. As Sunny, Applejack, and the talkative Rainbow Dash reached the end of the dirt road that lead to the farm house, Sunny noticed immediately something was off. All the lights were off in the farm house and it sounded like strange snickering was coming from all around.
Sunny was feeling defensive with everything that had transpired over the last 24 hours. Before Sunny could think further, several stage lights flickered on, illuminating the entire farm as almost everypony in town jumped out of their bidding places and yelled "SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUNNY!"
The yellow unicorn's fear melted away, quickly replaced by shock and joy as he looked around and saw all of the ponies he knew from around town, and then some, all gathered wearing party hats, blowing on noise makers, and throwing confetti.
"Well shucks, how'd ya'll know it was mah birthday?" Sunny asked as he walked into the large crowd of his friends.
"Ya dropped this yesterday!" Apple Bloom then popped out of the crowd and handed Sunny the letter from his father.
Sunny, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash all froze as they saw the letter, knowing what it was and who it was really from. Knowing the contents of it, Sunny shook off his fear and patted Apple Bloom on her head, flashing her a small smile. "Ah was wonderin' where ah put that thing."
"Alright everypony! Who's up for pin the tail on the pony?!" Pinkie Pie jumped in, breaks any tension before it had a chance to form.
"You're first, partner!" Applejack pushed Sunny forward into Pinkie who, in turn, quickly tied a blind fold over the birthday boy's eyes, spun him around several times until he was good and dizzy, then positioned him about three feet away from a pin up of a pony without a tail, that looked strangely like Pinkie.
Other then the all time favorite party game, pin the tail on the pony, the Apples had set up several other games such as bobbin' for apples, horse shoe toss, a dart board, hay stackin, and even a pinyatta. And surprisingly they gathered most of it all without Pinkie Pie's help. She just helped to round up some straggling guests and set up the desert table(of course, who else but Pinkie could set that up?) all the guest, surprisingly even the one who didn't want to show up (aka, Rainbow Dash), enjoyed themselves. But games and snacks were only part of the party.
"Alright everypony! It's time for presents!" Applejack called out, gathering everypony's attention from all over the farm. Whatever games they were playing they either finished up really fast or put it on hold as they made their way to the long table with all the gifts on it.
The birthday boy nervously walked up to the table that had a small pile of presents. "Is all' this really fer me?"
"You bet yer birches" Granny said as she woke up from a rather pleasant nap in a near by rocking chair.
As everypony gathered around to watch Sunny open his gifts, Applejack appeared to Sunny's side and asked him "which one ya wanna start with?"
"Open the big one! Open the big one!" Apple Bloom started cheering as she hopped up and down.
Sunny then noticed a rather large package that appeared to have been wrapped in a hurry. He was about to reach for that one when Big Mac handed him a gift that was significantly smaller, but still bigger then a bread box. "Best ya open this one up first. It's from me."
"Oh, ugh, ok" Sunny replied, slight confused as to why the order of present opening mattered, but was happy to receive gifts at all. To be honest, he didn't plan on celebrating his birthday, especially after a day like today. But to his surprise, the party was exactly what he needed to feel like 'Sunny' again.
Unwrapping the gift carefully and slowly, Sunny was shocked to see what Big Mac had so thoughtfully given him. "A tool box!"
"Eh'yep" Big Mac beamed at his brilliant gift idea. "With all th' tools you'll ever need. Ah'll help ya ta learn how ta use 'em too."
"Thank you, Big Mac!" Sunny extended a hoof to him, which was met by the red farm pony's own hoof for a hoof bump.
"Now open the big one!" Apple Bloom said, still really excited.
Not wanting to keep her and everypony waiting, Sunny unwrapped the largest gift of the bunch. He had to stretch way above his head to grab some wrapping paper, but the yellow unicorn was able to begin ripping some of the gift wrap off. He was shocked to see what waited underneath.
"Wood?" Rainbow Dash said under breath, questioning if it was a joke or something.
"Ah get it! Now it all makes since!" Sunny smiled as he turned to Apple Bloom. "Now with th' tools Big Mac gave me and th' wood you got me, ah can go and learn how ya use them tools while creating all kinds of things!"
"Ah could only guess what you'll come up with" Applejack commented, grinning while she shook her head.
Giving Apple Bloom a great big hug, lifting her up off the ground, Sunny told the little filly. "Thanks Apple Bloom."
Returning the hug, Apple Bloom replied as Sunny released her from his hug. "I'm glad ya like them. Big Mac helped me pick out th' trees. They're cut from old apple trees. So it's 100% apple wood! Just like what's used in th' Ponyville Derby."
"Cool! I can't wait ta start workin' on something!" Sunny commented looking at the pile of wood, all of the pieces were cut into different size of blocks and beams.
"Here ya go, Sunny!" Granny said as she handed the smallest package yet to the birthday boy.
Curious, Sunny gently unwrapped the package to find what looked like a good half dozen individually wrapped candies. The yellow unicorn didn't quite know what to make of it, but was greatful none the less. "Thank you for the candies, Granny."
"Now hold yer horses there. They ain't normal candies, so don't go eaten 'em all at once" Granny told Sunny, drawing the unicorn's full attention to her. "Them's ah ol' family recipe fer get-em-goin' mints. They'll get ya ah goin' ifin' yer ever too tired ta work. Figured it be ah good idear since yer such an everywhere whipper snapper."
Nodding, not fully understanding exactly what she just said but getting the gist of the meaning, Sunny smiled and gently gave the elderly mare a hug. "Thanks, Granny. Ah'll use 'em carefully."
"Here dude!" Thunderlane appeared next to him with a gift bag in his hooves. "Open mine next!"
"Ours next" Flitter was at Thunderlane's side, smiling at her colt friend who she rarely took her eyes off of.
"Right, ours" Thunder smiled awkwardly as he backed off.
Pulling the tissue paper out of the bag, Sunny eventually pulled out several sweat bands, one for each hoof and three head bands. Each one embroidered with his Eclipse cutie mark. "Wow Thunderlane, that's awesome! Where did you get these?"
"Oh I know a guy" the grey Pegasus tried to play it cool until Flitter nudged him lightly. Then the Pegasus smiled and added "and Flutter embroidered them herself."
"I hope they look ok" the light purple mare spoke lightly.
"They look wonderful, thank you both" Sunny said, giving Flitter a light hug and Thunderlane a hoof bump just like he did with Big Mac.
"Oh darling, please open mine next" Rarity said stepping forward with a square, fancy looking gift box of her own, floating in her blue magical aura.
Nodding and taking the box in his own magical aura, Sunny opened the gift and pulled out some more tissue paper what appeared to be a jet black tuxedo, with a white undershirt, along with an orange bow tie. Sunny was no stranger to formal dress wear, having to wear such clothing in the distant past, but this was really high quality work. She even managed to sow another liking of his cutie mark on the top left corner of the jacket. "Wow, Rarity, this looks great! How did you throw this together so fast."
"Oh darling, I had your measurements from when I made your Gala suit, so it was no problem for somepony like me" the fashionista replied modestly. "Which, by the way, is ready for you to try on at the boutique when you get some free time. And if the tuxedo needs some adjusting, please don't hesitate. I aim to please."
"If it needs some adjusting, then I guess she didn't get the right measurements." Thunderlane whispered to Big Mac, both of them laughing lightly until Flitter nudged her colt friend lightly.
"Oh oh! Me next! Me next!" Pinkie insisted, bouncing up and down with great enthusiasm. She didn't wait for confirmation and just placed a blue square box in front of Sunny, topped with a pink bow and ribbon.
Laughing lightly at Pinkie's enthusiasm, Sunny grabbed hold of the box, pulled the ribbon apart, and looked inside. He was surprised to see what he saw inside. It appeared Pinkie filled the entire box with eggs. Pulling one out, he raised a brow but smiled at Pinkie's gift. "Thanks, Pinkie... I love eggs."
"I know what you're thinking" The pink party pony said, putting a hoof up. "But they aren't eggs. Their ninja smoke bombs! Watch!"
Pinkie then reached her hoof into the box filled with eggs, grabbed one, then threw it on the ground at her hooves. In a second she was completely hidden behind a smoke screen, then when the smoke screen cleared, the party planning pony was gone!
"Amazing, isn't it?" Pinkie commented on her own ninja skills as she reappeared behind Sunny without anypony noticing. "I think you'll need them in the future. I'll show you some of my tricks later, but not all!"
As Pinkie bounced away, Derpy was the next pony to approach Sunny with a gift of her own. She placed a basket of muffins nearest to him and slid it over with her muzzle. "It isn't much, and I couldn't get the wrapping paper to stick to it, but I hope you like it. I baked them myself."
Taking the gift basket from his grey Pegasus friend, Sunny smelled them, and knew they were baked freshly this morning. He looked over at the mare with a wall-eyes stair and shot her a thankful smile. "Thank you Derpy, Granny always said when ya bake from th' heart, it shows ya care. And ah can smell the love in these. Thank you."
That made the catastrophe brining Pegasus smile and slightly blush as she stepped back and made way for her best friend, Doctor Whooves, who was carrying an odd looking box with him. "I think you'll need this in our near future, as well. Best to give it to you now."
Opening the box, Sunny came face to face with a rather odd looking wrist watch, like the kind he's seen in sci-fi comics that cover a pony's entire foreleg. "Thanks Doctor, ah don't like bein' late fer nothing. Fancy looking too!"
"It's not a watch, my good stallion" Doctor began to explain. "It's a Vortex Manipulator. I'll explain later what it does. But for the time being, just pop it on your foreleg really fast."
Slightly confused as to what putting it on would do, Sunny hesitantly put the funny looking device on. After it was securely strapped to the yellow unicorn's foreleg, it made a beeping noise three times, then a red light on it turned blue.
"Good! You may now remove it" Doctor instructed Sunny. As the birthday boy removed the odd looking watch, Doctor decided it was ok to explain later what that was. "We'll have to go on another adventure some time. You, me, and Derpy."
"Sounds like fun, Doctor" Sunny said with a smile as he placed the device back in its box as carefully as he could.
"Sunny" Octavia approached the yellow stallion. "I wrote you a song, but I don't want to play it until all the gifts were open and we were about to enjoy some cake."
"Thank you, Octavia" Sunny was touched that his musical friend actually write him a song. "I can't wait to hear it."
"Well there's one gift left ya open..."Applejack said, her cheeks slightly turning red as she looked away from Sunny, a small box held behind her back.
"Actually, these two just arrived" Derpy said as she warbled over to the table with the two large packages. Not three feet away from the table, the mail mare accidentally trip over we own hooves and sent the gifts flying into the table, landing with a slight 'crunch'.
Rainbow Dash in the background could be seen holding back a fit of laughter, but almost everypony worried that something might have broke.
"I'm sorry, Sunny" Derpy apologized as she got up and dusted herself off. "I hope nothing's broken."
"Who could they be from?" Twilight said under her breath.
Picking up the smallest box first, Sunny flipped it over to its upright position. The package was a wrapped in yellow wrapping paper, topped with an orange bow, almost mimicking the birthday boy's color scheme. Grabbing the tag in his hoof, Sunny's confused and curious look shattered and gave way to a grim look. He muttered something under his breath. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash all knew who it was from if that was his reaction. Even Pinkie could guess from the lack of joy on his face.
"Ya'll ok, Sunny?" Applejack asked as she walked over to him and put a hoof in his shoulder. She couldn't help but hlance at the tag in his hoof. Without a second to waste, Applejack nudged the yellow unicorn, shaking him back to the present. "Maybe ya could open that one later. Why don't cha take ah look at that second one?"
Sliding the gift away and leaving over half of his party guests confused, Sunny grabbed the larger of the two boxes. After taking several deep breaths, Sunny hopped that this one was maybe from his aunt. It was poorly wrapped in newspaper, which didn't strike Sunny as odd until he realized the paper was the same as the ones that Discord claimed he had gathered. All around the package were different papers with similar headlines, all talking about the Black Knight. In a panic, Sunny began ripping the paper off the package, ignoring the tag attached to it, making sure to shred each piece to bits even after the package was revealed.
"You ok there, Sunny?" Apple Bloom asked, catching the yellow stallion's attention.
Looking up front he large pile of newspapers, Sunny saw the concerned looks on everypony's faces. He awkwardly smiled and said "I... really like shredding newspaper, what can I say?"
"I feel ya bro!" Thunderlane added, trying to take some of the heat off his friend. "I can totally rip a phone book in half!"
"You did it once" Flitter played at him, smiling while rolling her eyes.
"But I totally would do it again!" Thunderlane continued.
"Here" Apple Bloom handed Sunny a note that was attached to the box, saving it before Sunny shredded it to pieces. Taking the note from Apple Bloom, Sunny skimmed it over once to make sure nothing it said would reveal anything.
After the third time of reading it over, Twilight spoke up. "Who's it from?"
"I have no idea" Sunny admitted, then began to read the note out loud;
'Happy birthday, Sunny
We haven't met yet, but I've heard so much about you, I can't wait till we can play together. I was told you were a really great chess player. Paint the pieces yourself, I'm a sure you know who goes where. Your old buddy Charming and I have played a few times. He's good, but too afraid to sacrifice his pieces. Hope playing with you is more fun!
Your soon to be bestest best friend,
Cynical Storm
P.S. tell Derpy not to worry, neither of the gifts were broken, we packed them very carefully.'
Everypony stared at Sunny with great confusion, some whispering to each other, asking. If anypony knew this 'Cynical Storm', but no pony has. Gulping nervously, Sunny pulled a strip of tape off the box, cautious as to what lay inside. As he carefully opened the flaps of the box, Sunny held his head away, wondering if something would pop out. But nothing popped out, shot out, or anything of the sort like Sunny expected it to. After a waiting few seconds, Sunny then peeked inside and saw a tone of bubble wrap. He carefully removed the plastic packing bubbles and revealed a chess board with multiple chess pieces inside, Picking one piece up, Sunny realized that it wasn't a normal chess piece. It was made to look like somepony.
"Hey! It's Applejack!" Apple Bloom commented, peering over at the figure.
Everypony gathered closer and looked inside. There were figures they recognized like Twilight, Derpy, Doctor, Rainbow Dash, and so forth, all who had come to Sunny's party. There were even pieces of the princesses, Shinning armor, and even Queen Chrysalis and a few of her changelings. But there were a few figures no pony recognized. One was a tall unicorn with a frightening smile and a top hat, one was a fierce and buff looking earth pony with his front hooves shacked and in chains, another was a unicorn with a shaved head and scar across one eye, and Pegasus with a seemingly dark glare who's wings had been equipped with sharp blades. One piece in particular caught Sunny's eye, but he dare not touch it. It was obviously the king, what other piece could it have been. There, at the far corner of the box, was a figure of his father. The image that Everypony knew him best by. A dark king with fire in his eyes, a black shadow like mane, sharp teeth, and a vile grin on his muzzle. The more Sunny starred at the figure the more it's eyes just seemed to burn into Sunny. As if saying that his father was always watching.
The rest of the party went off pretty well. If not for Pinkie and her off the wall, distracting and uplifting party antics, everypony would have spent the rest of the night just thinking about those last two gifts Sunny mysteriously received. But, as always, Pinkie was able to put a smile on everypony's face and get the party back on track.
As everypony sat down for some cake and ice cream, Octavia played the song she specifically wrote for Sunny. It was more light hearted and cheery then her last performance at the talent competition, but as the cello goes, the song was regal and sophisticated. Once her son came to a close, everypony finished their desert, and everypony felt their eye lids grow heavy, the party had came to a close. The night was reaching it's peak with the moon hanging high in the sky, illuminating the mystical night, aiding the party guests in their journey back to their respective homes. As the Apples began cleaning up the mess, Sunny sat looking at the gift he had put aside. The one from his father. He knew Twilight would demand to know what it was, and could hold exposing his secret to get him to open it. All the guests had left, leaving only the Apples, Twilight, and the other three friends who knew Sunny's secret.
The yellow stallion stood at his seat at the now cleared table, just staring at the gift from his father with blank look on his face. Applejack couldn't help but worry as she watched from a distance, riddled with worry for the birthday boy. The orange mare was so riddled with worry that she didn't even notice Twilight approach her.
"Everything ok, Applejack?" Twilight asked, then followed her earth-pony friend's gaze right to Sunny. Although Twilight had pushed her feelings of anger out of we mind to enjoy the party Pinkie and the Apples had put together, the loathing feelings she had for the former prince were still very present.
"Look at him, Twi" Applejack couldn't take her eyes off the yellow stallion. "What could have happened at th' poor fellow."
"Hard to say" Twilight spoke with a harshness in her voice that seemed to go over the worries Applejack's head. But despite her own personal feelings, Twilight knew she couldn't wait around all night for Sunny to open the gift from his father. "I'll go talk to him."
"Ya will?" Applejack seemed surprised, but glad that Twilight made the offer. "Thank ya so much, Sugar Cube! Ah hate ta say it but ah ain't one ta takin' much out. Sometimes mah' tongue gets Ah'll tied up and what not."
"Don't worry Applejack" the purple alicorn was able to saw sweetly before the bitterness in her words returned. "I'll make sure he's A-OK."
As the princess of friendship stomped her way up to the birthday boy who completely ignored the rest of the world around him, a thought popped into her head, speaking in Applejack's voice. 'What could have happened at th' poor fellow.'
The anger in Twilight's steps lessened as another popped into her noggin, this time with Pinkie's voice. 'Well he has had it tough, what with hat happened between him and his dad and all'...'So I just wanted to let him tell us at his own pace.'
'You wouldn't understand...' Sunny's own voice now rang in Twilight's head, causing her to pause just a few feet away from the former prince. His words from earlier repeated in her head, the hurt in his voice was clear and sharp. '...to somepony who is made a royal from a young age, who doesn't have the chance to be 'normal', having just one pony there could make all the difference! Just one pony who makes you feel like the weight of Equestria doesn't rest on your shoulders...'
"I was wondering when you would get here, Princess Twilight Sparkle..." Sunny said, his tone now flat and formal, but he never turned to look at her. "Let's get this over with."
"Sunny, I never asked..."Twilight started to say, her tone ten times softer then before. "... what exactly went on between you and your father 1000 years ago?"
But the alicorn princess's question fell upon deft ears as Sunny quickly opened his gift, pretending to not hear the question the purple princess asked. After quickly unwrapping the gift and popping the box open, Sunny quickly looked inside, unafraid of what lay there waiting for him. As he looked inside as fast as he could, he came face to face with something oddly familiar.
"What is it?"Twilight asked, slightly concerned but mostly curious.
Pulling it out with both hooves, Sunny held what appeared to be a black cube. Slightly bigger then a bread box with a metallic look to its surfaces. Looking the Cube up and down, Sunny and Twilight both shared a similar expression. But Sunny was the first to come to a conclusion.
"I don't know what this is" he admitted, seeming uninterested in the item. "Do you want to check it out or anything? Cast any spells on it? Maybe use it to find where my father's hidding? Maybe the next town over? Probably in a hospital bed."
His words struck Twilight in a way that she had never been before. Never before had she ever had an enemy be the close family member of a good friend. She had an old enemy turned into a friend, but that was different. Still, she had to be firm, the fate of the Crystal Empire could have been at stake. As Sunny turned away, ready to walk away and throw the box and wrapping the Cube came in away, Twilight levitated the Cube over to her saddle bag.
Before the princess of friendship tucked it away, she took a second glance at it. It looked just like a cube. What harm could it do? Besides, if Sunny really didn't have anything to do with the former King of the Crystal Empire, now was the time to prove it. She needed to give him a chance to prove himself. Here was his chance. His one and only chance.
"Bring it with the books tomorrow" Twilight told Sunny as she placed the Cube back in his hooves. "I'll trust it to you for now. Don't make me regret it."
Without another word, Sunny simply bowed and tucked the Cube safely under his front leg, and continued to clean up the mess.
Later that night, as Sunny was getting ready for bed, having put most of his gifts just on his desk, pushing the various books aside, Sunny took a second glance at the cube. It looked like an ordinary Cube. Maybe made of Crystal. But he couldn't think why his father would give it to him. But he knew there had to be some meaning behind it. Some secret to it.
As the yellow unicorn placed the Cube on his night stand, he noticed somepony standing at his doorway. He turned and was relieved to see it was just Applejack. "Oh... hey, Applejack. What's up?"
"Oh, ugh, well, ah.... here" Applejack then presented Sunny with a gift wrapped in a long, flat box, about half the size of an apple cobbler. "Ah wanted ya give it to ya earlier, but, well, them other gifts arrived for ya instead."
Looking from the box to Applejack, then back to the box, Sunny cautiously took it out of her hooves. Carefully unwrapping and opening it, Sunny was able to reveal it's contents. It was a bolo tie. A bolo tie with the symbol of a bright red Apple at it's base.
"It was one of mah' daddy's favorite ones" Applejack admitted, her eyes filling with tears as she started down at it. "Ah know he would have wanted ya to have it."
"Big Mac and the others-" Sunny started to ask, but Applejack already knew what he was concerned about.
"Ah already told em' ah was gunna give it to ya" the orange mare admitted, a small smile growing on her muzzle as she looked up into the yellow stallion's eyes. "They all wanted ya ta have it too..."
A smile began to grow on Sunny's muzzle too as tears formed at the ends of his eyes. "What did I ever do to deserve you all? You and your family have been so good to me, I don't think I deserve it."
Closing the space between Sunny and herself, Applejack looked deep into his eyes as she spoke. "Ah don' know what ya did or what yer daddy did, but ah do know that that doesn't change who ah see when ah look at you. Yer kind, yet considerate, yer carin', ya always think 'bout others and put them before yerself. Yer th' greatest stallion ah' ever ever met."
It was then that the same feeling the two ponies had in the woods returned, the fire rekindled, and the need to feel each other's lips on their own arose again. This time there was no pony to stop then, no Rainbow Dash to interfere. Just them. As the space between the two ponies was about to close completely, and the two share a heart felt kiss, somepony popped up.
"Kiss ah'ready! Ah gat ta go ta bed!" Granny said as she popped out from her hidding place beside the door frame.
Sunny and Applejack stopped dead until heir tracks and turned their head directly back to see Big Mac, Granny and Apple Bloom all peeping inside from the door frame, their eyes locked on the two ponies.
"WILL YA GIVE AH PONY SOME PRIVACY!" Applejack started yelling at everypony as she flew out of Sunny's room, unlikely to return for the night.
Before the former prince turned in for the night, he took the bolo tie and placed it on the night stand beside his bed. ''It would be nice if we could all be one big happy family, wouldn't it."
It was then that the wish Sunny made when he blew out his candles came to mind. 'I wish we could all live happily together.' A wish that seemed very, very familiar. But where would he have heard that before?
"OK, now just like we practiced. From the top" Sapphire Shores said, trying to focus all of her attention on her newest student.
The student in question appeared to be a young cream colored filly, with a blue, purple, and pink colored mane and tail. Her mane was done up in long pigtails that almost stretched down to the floor, as was suggested for her position as a pop-star. She appeared to be an average looking filly to anypony who didn't know what she really was. But despite her usual up beat and cheerful attitude, under the current conditions, she really didn't have much heart to put into the dancing and singing that was being asked of her.
The dance studio they were practicing in was a make shift one made in a run down timber mill just outside Manehatten. The original owners of the mill went bankrupt and were run out by the new owner and his goons. A ruthless 'business pony', a pony who had gained a substantial amount of power in Equestria's underworld in a short amount of time, a pony who gets what he wants, a pony who was released from an inescapable prison after befriending the warden. His name was Al'Capony.
From a short distance away, the maniacal earth-pony mobster sat back at a desk he recently 'acquired' and watched as Saphire Shores and her newest student worked. He signaled the goon he had standing to his left to hand him another chocolate chip cookie, enjoying the feeling of being back in his dark element behind the scenes of the otherwise cheerful and loving Equestria. Freedom as a mobster was sweeter than any cookie in all of Equestria.
At each door to the building, Ca'Pony had two of his goons stand guard, as well as keeping one at each of his sides. Henchmen were never really hard to find. Ponies who were down on their luck, desperately needing money, or ponies who were in dept to him and too afraid to try and either hide or run from the mob leader. The ones who joined him were smart, the ones who didn't, well, Ca'Pony said they weren't so smart. But as much as he hated to admit it, if he hadn't made that deal with Warden Snowstorm, Ca'Pony would still be locked up in that tartarus like prison for at least another year or so. And that's if his men were able to obtain a large enough dragon and a few dragon trainers to swoop in and bust him out.
"Hey, Ca'Pony!" Sapphire Shores yelled out from the corner of the mill that had been transformed into a make shift dancing studio. Ca'Pony watched as the pop-star earth pony trotted up to him, a foul look on her muzzle. "We need to call it a night. The poor filly's can't keep going. She's tuckered out. And personally, I need some rest too."
Looking around to the filly in question, Ca'Ppny could see that she looked very tired, breathing heavily, with her face slightly red. The mobster earth-pony stomped his hoof lightly on the desk, signaling one of his henchmen to pick up and offer a gallon of water to the filly. "She'll be fine. Keep going. Another 30 minutes or so, then we'll call it a night."
"30 minute?!" Sapphire Shores repeated his order. "The girl needs some rest, and so do I. Or would you rather just run us both into the ground and-"
"Perhaps you need a reminder of who's in charge, miss Shores..." Al'Capony interrupted her, hit time his voice remained level as he stomped his hoof lightly again. This time, the opposite henchmen picked up a brief case and handed it over to Ca'Pony. Horror struck Sapphire Shores as the gang leader unlaced the case and opened it towards her. Inside were small crystals, just big enough to hold in one's hoof. But what terrified the entertainer was what could be seen held within the Crystals.
At the core of each and every Crystal lay an image of a pony, stricken with fear and frozen in time just like that. Each pony was a member of Sapphire's dancing crew as well as a good friend hers. She would do anything to keep them safe, even work with a worm like Ca'Pony. The earthpony smugly grinned as he looked upon the horrified mare's expression. It's a part about his work that Ca'Pony savored. From a distance, the cream colored filly looked at the contents of the case in horror, fearing what Ca'Pony had done with her own sisters.
Closing the case and locking it once more, Ca'Pony handed it back to his goon. "You wanna keep 'em safe, am I right, Miss Shores?"
Taking in a deep breath, trying to keep her cool, Sapphire Shores released a very fiery breath and nodded. "30 more minutes, sir?"
Ca'Pony yawned as she repeated his last order to her. "Ya know what, I change my mind. Let's call it a night. I need my rest. We have a busy day tomorrow. You two hit the showers then strait to bed. No desert."
Sapphire knew Ca'Pony was just trying to flash the power he had in this situation by going back and changing his mind, even belittling her like she was some foal herself, but Sapphire kept her mouth shut and nodded. Walking back over to her student, she handed the filly a light blue towel to wipe off the sweat.
As they walked out of the dance studio and back to their separate living quarters, the cream colored filly turned slightly towards Sapphire Shires and spoke as quietly as she could. "I'm so sorry about all of this. I wish there was something I could do."
"You don't worry your pretty little head, missy" Sapphire shot the filly a smile. "You didn't do nothing wrong. But the next chance I get, I'm gunna show that arrogant pig that these shoes ain't just for walking."
Four of Ca'Pony's henchmen followed Sapphire Shores and the filly to their designated living quarters, which were two small trailers set up in the large wood mill. As the two entertainers walked out of sight, the scared mob leader thought back to the day he obtained that gifted creature....
High, high up in the Foal mountains, above where most pony's could climb, far enough out of ear shot, stood a temple, just big enough for three mares to live there happily. The temple itself was made of white marble, with a garden growing freely within it's walls, and a spring flowing through it and down the mountain. All of this had been set up over 1000 years ago by Star-Swirl the bearded with the help of one of his best friends, Princess Celestia.
Three beings took humble residence within the marble walls of the temple, three sisters. The eldest was called Symphony, a mare with a white coat and a gold and grey mane that flowed freely almost to her hooves. The middle foal was a mare by the name of Orchestra, a mare with a deep blue coat and a light purple and green mane that was kept in a neat little bun. The youngest was named Melody, a cream colored filly with a purple, blue, and pink colored mane, pulled back in a pony tail that she loved to fling around when she shook her head. There in the temple like structure, the three sisters lived together peacefully, and safely away from anypony who could hear them. For these three weren't any ordinary mares. They were beings who could survive the tests of time, who's songs could drive ponies to fight against one another, who fead on the aggression and conflict of others. They were beings known as sirens.
After Star-Swirl had sent three other trouble making sirens off into another world, he sought to make sure no more would show up seeking revenge. He was surprised to find three fairly young filly sirens just using their songs to entice plant life, getting them to grow and fight harder against harsh elements such as lack of water or cold. The oldest siren sister informed the oddly dressed wizard that most sirens reside deep within the the ocean, where their song's magical tone is lengthened and turned into a much more peaceful, less possessive tune. But the foals were too young to delve into the ocean's depths by themselves to return to their friends and families. That was when an idea struck the old wizard. Together with Princess Celestia, the bearded wizard build them a home high, high up away from pony kind, where the sisters could live happily until the day they were old and strong enough to make the journey.
But that day wasn't about to come without conflict.
One day, as the youngest sister awoke from her slumber, she was grabbed, gagged and tied up by some scary looking ponies in black stripped suits. When the other two sisters heard the commotion, they ran out to check on their sister, only to find Ca'Pony holding young Melody hostage.
"Hello, ladies" the slick earth-pony mob leader said with a toothy grin. "I have a business proposition for you. And believe me, you'll want to hear it."
Symphony and Orchestra looked down and were horrified to see Melody had been taken prisoner by the sleazy looking pony. Reluctantly, they obeyed his every word...
"Hey boss" the henchmen on the right side of Ca'Pony got his boss's attention. "Mind if I ask you something?"
"What is it?" Ca'Pony replied, slight annoyance in his tone.
"How are we so sure that we can trust that maroon, Snowstorm?" The henchmen began. "I mean, he is a royal guard after all. Should we really be working for him?"
"First of all, get this through your thick skull" Ca'Pony began to lay into the henchmen, grabbing him by his neck tie. "Ca'Pony don't work for nopony, see? Ca'Pony only works for Ca'Pony. Capiechn?!"
"Y-yes Sir! You da boss, Sir! N-nopony else" the henchmen spoke trough his collapsing throat, being choked by the tie that was strong along him.
Releasing the henchmen, Ca'Pony continued, more or less speaking out loud to himself then informing his men. "Second, I'm goin' along with that snow ball's plans 'cause it'll make us a lot of money and shift the power away from the princesses. Which means more power for me, Ca'Pony. Even if that guys does turn on us, we can easily take him down. No pony gets the best of Ca'Pony. Capiechn?"
"W-whatever you say, boss" the henchmen. Answered once Ca'Pony released him. "That's why you da boss, boss."
"And don't you forget it" Ca'Pony said again, half smiling to himself as he gazed off into a distance, looking into the future that would soon come to pass. One where those annoying princesses, the only ponies who stood in his way, were outcasts! If all went according to plan, the princesses would be shown for who they really are! A bunch of spoiled rich fillies. The day is coming where rich, smart, powerful business ponies who don't rely on magic, rule Equestria. And Ca'Pony himself will rule them all!
Placing the pile of his father's books down in front of Twilight with a thud, Sunny let out a disappointed sigh. He was beside himself with regret. If he knew it would have come to letting Twilight cure Hoops, Score and Dumb-Bell, the former prince would have just translated the books and left them for her somewhere in the castle's library. He could have even made up a decoder sheet and snuck it into one of the books so Twilight could have decided it herself. But Sunny wasn't used to letting others clean up his mess for him. The whole situation was very hard to swallow.
"Here are the books, your majesty" Sunny spoke the last word through his teeth. "The spell needed to break the curse is in the top book, the page marked with a red book mark."
"Thank you, Sunny" Twilight tried to sound as she normally did, but lingering emotions still effected her tone. The princess of friendship felt like she was being pulled in several different directions. On one hoof she was still furious at Sunny for all he had done, sneaking around behind her back, tricking Spike, stealing from her (even though they technically were his own books), and then breaking her brother's leg! But on the other hoof, Fluttershy and Applejack seem convinced that he's a good guy. But he's the son of King Sombra! And it's clear he, like his father, has no problem with using dark magic. But from what the princess of friendship has seen for herself, before all this came out, he's just a regular pony, living happily on an apple farm, in a small town, making friends and living a normal life.
"Is there anything else, your highness? I have some chores to get to back on the farm" once again, when the yellow unicorn addresses Twilight's rank, he stressed it, continuing to make his feelings present.
"Does it bother you that I'm a princess, Sunny?" Twilight was getting annoyed at this point. Sunny never spoke to her without making sure to end his sentences with a 'majesty', 'highness' or worse 'Princess Twilight Sparkle'. The last one bothered her the most. Almost as if it were a parent calling Twilight by her full name when she did something wrong.
"Nothing bothers me at all about Rank, your majesty" Sunny stated but still strained the 'majesty' part. "I respect your position as well as how hard you have worked to obtain it. May I be excused, your highness?"
This time it was Twilight's time to sigh as she closed her eyes and turned her attention away from him and to the books he brought, opening the top one to the page that was marked with the red book mark. "This will be all for now. Later when Fluttershy and Rainbow return from Cloudsdale, we will want to see that cave you have."
"As you wish, Princess Twilight Sparkle..." Sunny said as he bowed and exited, his back never facing the purple alicorn. Once he was outside the library where he met up with Twilight, Sunny hung his head and walked as fast as he could down the hall.
Once past a certain point, Sunny paused and turned to face a door that that had a sign hanging in it saying 'Spike's Room' written in purple and green crayon. The yellow unicorn hesitated for a moment. It had only been a day since Spike was crushed by the horrible truth that Sunny had used and lied to him. Was it too early for Sunny to try and talk to him? Luckily, Sunny didn't have to wait too long to make a decision. Moments after Sunny paused out in front of Spike's room, the door cracked open, and standing there was the little purple and green baby dragon himself.
As soon as Spike looked outside his room that he was hiding away in, his eyes met the emerald green colored ones that belonged to the former prince of the Crystal Empire. Before Sunny could force an awkward smile, the door was slammed in his face as hard as Spike could slam a door.
Sunny stood there for a moment, realizing just how badly he had hurt the little dragon. As he walked back to the farm, the yellow unicorn did his best to suppress the image of the hurt baby dragon. But the split second of an image he got of Spike seemed to stick in his mind. An image of pure pain and betrayal, the hurt glowing in his eyes.
'How can I ever make things right?' Sunny thought to himself, walking down the quickest root back to the Apple farm, knowing full well that he didn't really have chores that needed to be done. Rather, he just wanted to get away from Princess Twilight Sparkle and the castle.
As Sunny ventured down the road, he heard a loud swooshing noise from above. Nervously looking to the sky, not really knowing what to expect, several flashes of blue and yellow shot across the sky. Realizing it was just the Wonderbolts practicing, the yellow unicorn released his held breath and continued on back to the Apple farm. The Wonderbolts must have been using Ponyville's sky's for training or something, because they were all over the place. Walking through town, Sunny observed a few new carts and stands selling Wonderbolt's merchandise as well as ponies gathered around out side, sitting and watching the aerial acrobatics of the famous pegusi group. It was to be expected. The Wonderbolt's shows were always sold out ones, and now that Rainbow Dash had joined them, all of Ponyville was Wonderbolts crazy. A lot of ponies even went to Rainbow Dash herself and asked for her autograph, which just helped to fuel her already enormous ego. But as Sunny left Ponyville behind and ventured back to the Apple farm, he noticed a very familiar pony gazing up at the sky, not paying attention and slightly flooding the carrot patch.
"Hey Big Mac!" Sunny said as he ran over to the big red stallion, trying to get his attention. "Yer gunna drown them baby carrots!"
But the large farm stallion just kept his eyes glued to the sky and the pegusi that flew around in it, everything went in one ear and out the other. It wasn't until Sunny was levitating Big Mac's hoof off of the water pump that he even noticed he wasn't alone. "Huh? Hey Sunny."
After stopping the flow of water, Sunny grabbed a bucket and began treading the water out of the small pool that used to be the carrot patch in an attempt to save the still growing carrots. After tossing a few buckets full of water out and into the near by apple orchard, Sunny looked to Applejack's older brother and asked "are you ok, Big Mac? You've been ah little distracted lately."
"Ah'm fine" Big Mac replied as he once again looked to the sky, watching as the Wonderbolts began performing several turns and flips while working off each other's movements, part of an act that was sure to catch everypony's attention at a show. Once again the big red farm pony was lost in thought and leaned on the water pump without thinking. Panicked, Sunny just levitated Big Mac up into the air slightly and continued to tread water out by hoof.
"Ah'm worried 'bout Big Mac" Sunny told Applejack while they were in the kitchen preparing a large order of apple pies. Granny had gone with Apple Bloom to Manehatten to attend Babs's birthday, leaving Sunny and Applejack to deal with the large order for the Wonderbolt's show.
"Ah know, ah am too" Applejack agreed as she placed several more pies in the oven. "He's been day dreamin' sense he heard the Wonderbolts were comin' ta town again."
"Day dreaming?" Sunny repeated the words quietly to himself as she began to mix more pie dough. "Wonder what he's been dreamin' 'bout."
After setting a timer for the pies, Applejack went back and forth with herself, wondering if she should really tell Sunny or not what her brother thinks about. It wasn't really her place, but Sunny was part of the family now, and Granny, Apple Bloom and she knew what Big Mac fantasizes about. "Well, Sugar Cube, Mah brother ain't much fer talkin, much less open up an' tell ya what he day dreams 'bout. But if ya must know, Big Mac has always wanted ta fly."
"Ta fly?" Sunny repeated Applejack's statement again, this time louder then the last. "Why would he want ta fly?"
"It's been ah thing with him ever since he's been a colt" Applejack continued to explained as she began peeling more apples. "When we was kids, back when we played in our old club house, Big Mac loved ta put on paper wings an pretend ta fly 'round. Sometimes as ah Pegasus, sometimes ah dragon, and even ah few times as one of them flyin' bugs."
"Ah never knew Big Mac had such ah dream" Sunny commented as he finished mixing one bowl full of dough, passing it to Applejack then began with another.
"But that's just what they are, 'dreams'" Applejack said as she began pushing some of the dough into a pie pan. "He should be happy bein' ah Earth-pony, here on th' ground. Get his head out of th' clouds and focus on work. We have ah tall order ta fill and it can't get done with it with just me and-"
When Applejack paused from her rant, she noticed that she was the only pony left in the kitchen working, Sunny had at some point slipped away without her even noticing. Hanging her head as her muzzle adopted a rather annoyed look, Applejack had a feeling she should never had said anything to the yellow stallion. "... ugh. Me an mah big mouth."
Thinking quickly, Sunny remembered reading the levitation spell in one of the books Princess Twilight leant him. Levitation was a simple enough spell that even most unicorn foals could learn! The yellow unicorn just wanted to review it to strengthen the spell in his mind, then he would go off to help Big Mac achieve his dream!
After quickly climbing the stairs, dashing over to his room, and quickly looking over the various books that he had yet to return to Princess Twilight, Sunny immediately found the book 'A beginner's guide to magic'. Almost as fast as Sunny had found the book, he flipped it open and found the exact spell he was Looking for. The yellow unicorn carefully re-read the spell several times over before feeling satisfied with himself. Unlike a Pegasus or Earth-pony, a unicorn's magic is half mental. They have to know the calculations and theory behind a spell to accurately cast it. Where earth ponies can go off of a deeper 'feel', or pegusi who work off their body's natural 'flow' of energy, unicorn's have to use their mind to wield magic.
"Ok, Ah'm ready!" Sunny said as he slammed the book shut and dashed out of the house before Applejack could get a word in. He felt bad for leaving her with the work, but when a friend needs help, a true friend jumps to the aid! That, and if all went well, Big Mac could focus more on his work. And that would make Applejack happy.
It didn't take Sunny long to find the large red stallion bucking in the south orchard. Well, it looked like he started bucking, but had Stopped when the Wonderbolts started practicing a new routine.
"Hey Big Mac!" Sunny spoke loud enough to actually catch the big red earth pony's attention.
"Oh, hey Sunny. What's up?" Big Mac asked, his muzzle very hard to read for emotion.
"Well, Ah was just wondering if ya might be interested in flyin' today" Sunny tried his best to hide his excitement.
At first, Big Mac was confused by Sunny's statement but eye bows sunk as he looked into the yellow unicorn. "Ya'll have been takin' with mah sister, haven't ya?
"Listen Sunny" Big Mac Started to say as he bucked another tree. "Earth ponies ain't meant ta fly. Ifin' we were, we woulda been born with wings. But we ain't. Just best ta just get back ta work."
"Big Mac, we're friends, right?" Sunny asked as he put a hoof on the red farm pony's shoulder.
Big Mac in turn looked at Sunny with a little more of a relaxed expression. "Well, sure we are."
"And if ah ever had ah dream ya thought ya could help with, ya'll would do whatever ya could ta make it come true, right?" Sunny asked as a small smile began to grow on his muzzle.
"Well, ah suppose-" Big Mac replied as he started to think of a situation that he could help with to make any dream of anypony's come true, which he honestly couldn't think much up.
"Then let me help ya make yers come true!" Sunny said as he took a few steps back and took a defensive fighting stance, locking his hooves into the ground. "Now hold on tight!"
"Wait! What are ya-!" Big Mac started to ask but was interrupted by the feeling of the ground beneath his hooves disappearing! The large earth pony began to panic as the magical green aura belonging to Sunny, wrapped itself around him and was floating his muscular red body up off the ground!
"How does it feel, Big Mac?" Sunny was focusing as hard as he could, closing his eyes and straining his mind to keep his friend afloat. "The wind in yer mane! The' open sky all 'round ya! The ground miles beneath yer-"
"Ugh, maybe ya should just put me down" Big Mac suggested, his tone sounding unimpressed and flat.
Before he could ask why, Sunny peaked his eyes open to see what the problem was, only to see that despite his best efforts he could barely get the large farm pony a foot or two off the ground! Not accepting defeat, Sunny started to focus harder, going over the various calculations to levitate the stallion into the air as high as he could, reviewing the levitation spell over and over again in his head. But try as he might, Sunny was at best able to get his friend just three feet into the air before falling to his knees. When he did, the green magical aura around Big Mac disappeared and the big red stallion hit the ground with a thud, landing on his hooves.
"It's ok, Sunny" Big Mac shot his yellow friend a half smile as he patted him on the back. "Earth ponies just ain't meant ta fly, but ah 'preciate th' effort."
After a moment of catching his breath, Sunny got up and watched Big Mac continue to buck the apple trees, doing his best to ignore all the flying going on up above.
'Ah can't let it end like that!' Sunny said to himself. 'There has ta be another way!'
A little later, after Big Mac began pulling the baskets of apples in, the chore taking an hour or so longer then what Applejack would have liked it to, the red farm pony saw Sunny running up the dirt road, heading in his direction. 'What's he up to now?' Big Mac thought as he noticed the yellow unicorn carrying something on his back.
After Sunny reached Big Mac, the yellow unicorn dropped what he had been carting and began to spread it wide open. It was a thick tarp of some sort with rope attached to the ends. A parachute?! Big Mac recognized the item.
"Ugh, what's that for?" Big Mac asked, worried about the answer.
"That there's gunna help ya fly!" Sunny said proudly as he waved a hoof over the spread out parachute.
Big Mac looked from the parachute, to his yellow pal, then back to the parachute once more. "Ugh... Sunny ah appreciate ya doin' all this for me, but ah-"
"Wait! I know what yer thinkin'" Sunny silenced the red farm stallion. "Yer thinkin' 'parachutes are for glidin' down with, not really fly in'' right?!"
Scared of what Sunny was leading up to, Big Mac decided it was just best to play along, even though he just really wanted Sunny to let the whole 'dream of flying' thing to go. "Ugh, right?"
"Well don't you worry, ah knew that already! And ah called in ah little help!" Sunny smiled confidently as he looked to the sky and yelled out "ready guys!"
Not long after Sunny called out to a seemingly open sky did several pegusi, including Thunderlane and Flitter, begin to descend down, each picking up a different rope of the parachute.
"We're ready to fly, Sunny!" Flitter said with a smile and a wink.
"This is gunna be so cool!" Thunderlane commented, then turned to Big Mac. "I never knew you wanted to fly. Man, if I had known that, we could have been flying around this whole time!"
Horror broke across Bu Mac's face, then turned to anger as he annoyingly looked to Sunny. "Ya told 'em 'bout mah dream to fly?!"
"Ugh, y-your welcome?..."Seeing Big Mac's embarrassment, Sunny nervously pushed his friend over into the tarp and gave one of the ropes a tug. "Ok everypony! Take him up!"
All at once, the team of Thunderlane, Flitter, as well as several other pegusi began to pull on the parachute, raising Big Mac up and into the sky before he could protest. Sunny had a feeling once the stallion was airborne that his anger towards Sunny would dissipate. But there was a slight miscalculation Sunny had made when he came up with this plan.
Immediately after the pegusi began to fly upwards with all their might, the parachute closed and wrapped around Big Mac, closing him off from seeing anything but tarp. Panicking and trying to think quickly, Sunny cast a spell that made a small sharp crystal. He then shot it over towards the tarp, slicing a small hole in the parachute that would allow his earth pony friend to see the world around and now below him. Only, when Big Mac realized what the hole was intended for and stuck his head through it, the small cut in the tarp began to grow and grow! For a moment, Big Mac was too distracted by the view, almost enjoying it, to notice the floor beneath him gave way, and he began falling down, landing right into the chicken coop! Landing with a crash, and sending several of the residents of the coop running out, frightened by the sudden intruder. Luckily the team of pegusi Sunny had gathered didn't make it more then maybe ten feet off the ground, so Big Mac shouldn't be too hurt.
As the flying team, including Thunderlane and Flitter landed, they and Sunny watched in horror as Big Mac emerged from the chicken coop, covered in egg, feathered and straw clinging to him. Under any other circumstance, it would have been a funny sight. But in this situation, seeing the anger and pain in Big Mac's eyes, everypony just wanted to kind of walk away slowly. But as Big Mac walked right past Sunny and the others, everypony was too frozen with fear to even blink. As The big red earth-pony made his way over to the hose on the side of the house, the others thought it best to make themselves scares. All except Sunny, who despite the two failed attempts, wasn't about to give up.
After repairing the chicken coop, finding new focus in his work, Big Mac walked over to the barn to grab more sugar and flour that Applejack was surely in need of by now. Thanks to Sunny and his attempts to help him fly, Big Mac was slowly starting to realize the truth behind his own words. 'Earth-ponies just ain't meant ta fly...'
"Hey Big Mac!" As if jinxing himself, Big Mac turned to see Sunny yet again running up the dirt road, heading strait for him, this time accompanied by several earth bound ponies. Pinkie pie, Snips and Snails were all trailing behind him, all with big smiles on their faces.
'Great, another attempt' Big Mac thought to himself as he signed watching Sunny and the others draw closer and closer. 'Ah just need ta set him strait. No more attempts at flyin'.'
"Hey Big Mac!" Pinkie said as she mysteriously reappeared behind the large earth pony. "I got a super-dopper surprise for you! And I just know you're gunna love it!"
"Pinkie, ah don't think-" Big Mac started to say again, hoping he could get a word in edgewise, but was once again interrupted as the party planning pony defied all logic and pulled out of her mane a large trampoline!
Before he knew it, Big Mac was pushed onto the trampoline and started to bounce up and down, quickly joined in by Pinkie, Snips, Snails and finally Sunny.
"How are ya feelin, Big Mac?!" Sunny asked as they all bounced up and down out of sync.
"Ugh, up and down?" Big Mac replied in a shaky voice, which earned a giggle from Pinkie.
"I get it! Cuz you're going up and down and you don't know weather you're happy or not! That's really clever Big Mac!" Pinkie tried to pay the red stallion a complement, but the farm pony was starting to feel sick.
Recognizing that ill look on Big Mac's muzzle, Sunny gave Pinkie and the others the signal. Once more, defying logic, Pinkie pulled a helium tank out from behind her back and began blowing up several balloons while still bouncing. After she finished blowing one up and tying it off, she then would pass it to Snips, who I turn, would tie a ribbon to the end of it and cut off a good length of exes. Lastly, Snails would grab the balloon from Snips and tied it to Big Mac's horse collar, safely securing it so as not to come undone. Working as fast as they could while Sunny distracted Big Mac, preventing him from losing his breakfast, the team was done in a matter of seven jumps.
On the last jump, Big Mac felt like the next time he bounced would be the last time before he tossed his cookies. The big red farm stallion closed his eyes and waited to the inevitable bounce that would force him to release the contents of his stomach... But the bounce never came.
Instead, Big Mac opened his eyes and noticed he was gently floating through the air. Looking behind him, he noticed about three dozen or so large balloons holding him up! Big Mac scrambled to look around him, taking everything in as quickly as possible, afraid that something would happen at any moment. But for several moments, the big red stallion just bobbed there in the air, like a care free balloon drifting in the wind. Back on the ground, Pinkie and Sunny watched Big Mac start to enjoy himself while Snips and Snails continued to play on the giant trampoline.
"Ah think this time we finally got-" Sunny started to tell Pinkie as he extended his hoof to meet hers for a hoof bump, but saw something heading right towards Big Mac that would soon ruin the whole thing!
Unknown to the red farm pony who was just starting to relax and enjoy the sky life, a stray Wonderbolt that seemed to have been knocked off course was on a collision course with the bunch of balloons that were keeping the earth pony afloat! Sunny and Pinkie could only watch as the pegusi crashed into the balloons, pooping most of them and sending Big Mac spiraling out of control! Panic returned to the red farm stallion as more balloons popped, the helium they were releasing sent him bouncing around in several different directions, bringing back Big Mac's uneasy stomach. Thinking quickly, Pinkie pulled out a giant whoopie cushions from her mane and tossed it in the direction of the fallen wonderbolt, catching them before they hit the ground. Sunny had focused his magic on a few piles of surrounding leaves and was ready to toss them beneath wherever Big Mac would land to soften the blow.
Finally the last bit of the helium was released from last ballon, leaving Big Mac still floating about twelve feet in the air, now hurtling down to the grounded. But this time, Sunny was ready to catch him, and gathered as much of the surrounding leaves as he could to help cushion the fall for his pal. But as Big Mac landed on top of the pile of leaves and sticks, he sunk several more inches into the ground with a wet, squishing noise.
It was then that Sunny got a good look around and realized where Big Mac had landed. Unfortunately, Big Mac's balloon escapade had left him to plummet right into the pile of fertilizer. A small mountain of freshly gathered biodegradable material including rotting or spoiled foods. The smell was absolutely horrendous. Once again, Big Mac emerged from the crash, only this time spelling worse then he ever had in his entire life, covered in fertilizer and leaves instead of egg and feathers. Once again, he just walked past the group and Sunny, ignoring their existence, and walked right back over to the hose on the side of the house, making sure to grab the largest bottle of soap they had.
Sunny sighed heavily, thinking for sure that they had it that time. "If only that Wonderbolts didn't get in th' way..."
"Don't give up Sunny" Pinkie did her best to rekindle the unicorn's inner fire. "If anypony could get Big Mac airborne, it's you!"
Smiling as he looked back at the pink party pony, Sunny nodded then an idea came to him, Sending the yellow unicorn rushing off back to town. He just hoped the ponies he would need help from were back from their trip!
After hosing himself off outside several more times, then going inside and taking a long, hot shower, Big Mac was able to get most of the fertilizer smell out of his coat and mane. But the smell became more apparent as he stepped into the kitchen and the wonderful scent of fresh baked apple pies overcame him.
"Well there ya are, where have ya been all day?!" Applejack asked as she pulled several more pies out of the oven. "Ah've been stuck in here, making th' pies all by mah self! Ah need a couple extra hooves if ah'm gunna get this order filled!"
"Ah' got ah bone ta pick with you" Big Mac's sharp tone made the hairs on the back of Applejack's neck stand on end and he walked up, eyes beaming down at his eldest sister. "Ya just had ta tell Sunny 'bout mah flyin' dreams, didn't ya?"
"He was worried 'bout ya" Applejack started to say as she put the next batch in the oven. "Ya kept on dozen off inta cloud-coo-coo land, what with them Wonderbolts flyin' all 'round."
"Well thanks ta you and yer yap, ah've been tossed around' every which way bah his tries at gettin' me ta fly, the whole town knows 'bout mah dreams now too! And if that ain't bad 'bough, ah ended up taking ah bath in manure!" Big Mac didn't realize it, but his voice had steadily started to rise from the beginning of the conversation, until it ended with him literally yelling at his sister. When he paused to take a breather, he started to get himself under control.
"Ya need ta take ah breather, Big Mac" Applejack told her older brother, her voice gently now. "Sunny's just tryin' ta make ya happy. He really values yer friendship an just wants ta help."
"Well he can, help by stayin' outta mah way fer th' rest of the' day" Big Mac said as he stomped over to th' fridge, grabbed the carton of milk and started chugging the whole thing.
"Ah think you take things way too seriously, Big Mac" Applejack's voice started to firm up as the orange farm mare grew tired of Big Mac's cold attitude. "When do ya ever have fun any more? Ya do chores and work ta keep yer mind off yer dreams an rarely ever just go and have fun with yer own friends."
After finishing off the gallon of milk, Big Mac tossed the empty carton aside and slammed the fridge again. "Well don't you worry, ah'm down with those stupid dreams. Ya can take pride in being right again, Applejack. It was stupid ta think ah Earth-Pony could ever fly!"
Stomping out of the kitchen, Big Mac went strait for the barn to work on something else, leaving Applejack all alone in the house, speechless. As the freckled orange mare stood there in the kitchen, all she could think about was 'what are ya gunna do now, Sunny?'
'What are ya gunna do now Sunny?' The question kept bouncing around in the yellow unicorn's head as he sat at a table in Sugar Cube corner.
It was a fairly busy day, but around the time Sunny had arrived at the bakery, most ponies had cleared out, heading over to the practice field on the far side of Ponyville to watch the Wonderbolts train and work of new routines. Leaving only Sunny and the Cakes to occupy Sugar Cube corner. After ordering a strawberry milk shake to help him think, Sunny tried to brainstorm ideas of how to help Big Mac to fly.
"You're looking a little down there" Octavia's voice rang lightly as the cello player appeared beside the yellow unicorn. "Is this seat taken?"
"No, please, have a seat" Sunny said as he tried his best to put a smile on for his friend.
"Thank you" she politely said then took the seat next to him and ordered herself a chocolate milk shake. "So, a little birdie told me you were trying to help Big Macintosh fly?"
Sighing heavily, Sunny sunk his face deeper into his hoof as his eyes fell onto the image of his half drunken milk shake. "I heard from Applejack that Big Mac had always dreamed about flying. I just wanted to help make his dreams come true. I've been trying all day to help him to fly. But so fare all I've done is made him mad.
"I was hoping Doctor Whooves and Derpy would be back from their 'adventure' and he would have something, maybe a flying machine that Big Mac could use." Sunny explained his idea to the grey earth pony mare. "But they're not back yet. Now I'm stumped. Unless you have something to get Big Mac off the ground."
"I'm afraid not, but that's very sweet of you to go so far out of your way for a friend." Octavia said as Mr.Cake place a chocolate milk shake in front of her. "But earth-ponies just aren't meant to fly, especially one as strong and earth bound as Big Macintosh. But you can't just sprout wings on him or something. I doubt even Twilight Sparkle could do that."
Something just then sparked inside of Sunny. An idea that at first sounded possible, but the thought of it made Sunny's stomach churn. Still, Sunny was desperate, and he didn't want to give up if there was even the slightest chance of success!
"Thanks Octavia, you just gave me the idea I needed!" Sunny explained as he chugged the rest of his shake, slammed the glass down on the table, gave his friend abreast big hug to thank her, then zoomed out the front doors, leaving a slightly blushing Octavia behind to only fathom at what she had just put into his head.
"He's a really nice guy" Mr.Cake said as he picked up Sunny's empty milkshake glass.
"Yes, yes he is" Octavia agreed as she turned back around to enjoy her own milkshake. "Such a shame he's spoken for."
"He is?" Mr. Cake asked, surprised to hear this. "So they're finally official?"
"No, but it's obvious they're both crazy for each other" Octavia said with a smile. "They just have some things to sort out before they get to that point. But I know they'll get there."
Racing as fast as he could through Ponyville, Sunny made his way to the last place in town that he wanted to be. Princess Twilight Sparkle's castle. He only hoped that the princess was still in and hadn't left on a friendship mission or something. Arriving at the front door, Sunny calmed himself and began to knock loudly. A few moments later Spike started to open the door, but when he noticed who it was, slammed it right on Sunny's face.
'Not sure I deserved that one...' The yellow unicorn thought to himself.
"Who was it Spike?" Sunny heard the familiar voice of his former friend behind he door, followed by a short silence before the door was once gain opened. Princess Twilight's expression to the former prince was cold and dry as she asked him. "How can I help you."
"I need your help" Sunny started off, putting his anger towards the princess aside to focus on a more important issue.
"What's wrong?" Princess Twilight's own expression softened as she noticed the desperation on Sunny's face and in his tone.
"I... I need you to help me get Big Mac to fly" Sunny admitted to the princess, taking a deep breath after he did so. Asking for her help was harder then he guessed it would be, but it was for Big Mac, a friend.
Princess Twilight raised a brow at the odd request as she blankly stared at the yellow unicorn. "Ugh... why does Big Mac need to fly, exactly?"
Taking in a deep breath, Sunny did his best to explain the situation. "Big Mac was acting weird this morning and I was told by Applejack that it's because he was day dreaming about flying which is something he's always wanted to do since he was a colt, but being an earth pony he can't. I've been trying all day with help of Thunderlane, Flitter, Pinkie and a bunch of others to try and get him to fly, but it turned out badly with him landing in fertilizer, and angry!"
After spewing all of that out at Twilight, Sunny took a few small breaths and gathered himself before speaking normally. "Please, Twilight. Help my friend. Not for me, but for him. Please..."
Back at the farm, Big Mac was hard at work cleaning up the mess made by Sunny and his 'help', finding it all too easy to ignore the spectacular air show going on above his head.
'Ah should have just stuck with workin' 'Big Mac grumbled in his head as he finished piling up the last of the fertilizer back into the heap. 'Ah farm pony just needs ta focus on work. It was stupid ta ever think of flyin'. Workin' hard should make me happy. Not some stupid dream.'
"Big Mac!" Once again, Sunny's voice could be heard as the yellow stallion came running up to the big red farm pony.
But this time Big Mac had had enough. Turning around, stomping his hoof, glaring at the yellow unicorn with the hardest pair of eyes he could muster, topping it off with exhaling heavily through his nostrils, Big Mac made his mood very clear to the other two ponies who accompanied the yellow unicorn, but not to Sunny himself. Twilight and Rainbow Dash gulped and took a few steps back, But Sunny either ignored Big Mac's body language, or just didn't notice it.
"Big Mac, I got a full proof thing this time. Twilight will-" Sunny started to say, but was stopped when Big Mac threw a goof full of fertilizer at him, splattering it all across his face!
"NO!" Big Mac said with a firm and booming voice. "No more tries. Ah'm done! Ah've been made a fool of all day, thrown 'round like ah rag doll, and had ta take four, count 'em, four showers ta get that stink off ah me! That ain't includin' the number a times ah had ta use th' hose!"
Wiping most of the fertilizer off of his muzzle, Sunny started to speak up again. "I know, an ah'm real sorry 'bout all that. But this time-"
"NO!" Big Mac stomped his hoof down again. "Ah'm done! Flyin' is stupid! An it was stupid ta think ah could ever-"
"SHUT UP!" It was Sunny's turn to snap, shocking Big Mac as well as the two mares Sunny had dragged with him to help. When all eyes were on the yellow unicorn, Sunny straitened himself up, then squared his head and looked at Big Mac with a gaze that demanded his attention. "It's not stupid to ever have dreams, to want to achieve something that no pony has ever done before.
"Look at Rainbow Dash and Twilight here" Sunny motioned a hoof to the mares behind him. "Rainbow Dash not only proved that the sonic rain boom does exist, but that she can create it. That, and she became a Wonderbolt. A Wonderbolt! Now I haven't know her as long as you and your sister have, but I've read that from when Twilight first came to town, that's all Rainbow ever wanted to do. And look! She did it! She made it happen!
"And Twilight" Sunny didn't stop his rampage just because Big Mac's expression softened a little. "She had a dream too, she wanted to go and become a student at 'princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns'. Not only did she do that, she went up the ladder to become Princess Celestia's most faithful student, and now a fellow princess! She not only made we dreams come true, she surpassed it!"
Despite the speech Sunny just gave Big Mac, the farm stallion's expression only softened on the outside, but on the inside the stallion was still riddled with doubt. Seeing this, Sunny put a hoof on the big red stallion's shoulder. "Big Mac, I'm really sorry the other attempts didn't work out, but this time it will. Please. One last try. And if it doesn't work, I'll eat my words and never bother you again about your dream, my dream, or anypony else's dream of any kind."
Big Mac thought for a moment, wondering to himself if it was worth the risk. As he looked at Sunny, really looked at him, Big Mac suddenly felt something deep within. Something he hadn't felt in a long time. Hope.
Granted, the red farm pony never really had much he needed to really work for. Chores came easy to him, and ponies for some odd reason just flocked to him even though he would rather be left alone... but why did he want to be alone?
"What do you say, Big Mac?" Sunny asked again, pulling the big red stallion out of his thoughts.
Sighing heavily again, Big Mac nodded in agreement. "Ah'll do it, but this is th' last time."
"Yee'haw! Ready Twilight?" Sunny said with a smile as he turned to the purple alicorn, the first smile he had given her in days.
"Now hold still" Twilight instructed Big Mac as purple magical lights surrounded first Rainbow Dash, then him. Surrounding both ponies in flashing, glowing waves of Twilight's magic.
Sunny stepped back a little as he watched the magical transformation take place. After several moments of being encased in Twilight's magical aura, the light flared, blinding everypony for a moment just as Applejack trotted up to see what all the commotion was about. Just as she reached Sunny's side, the flash died down, and revealed two ponies standing on either side of her.
"Big Mac? Is that you?" Applejack asked, narrowing her eyes on the red blur of a pony.
When the red stallion with a light orange mane and freckles stood up, muscles relaxing and cooling off from the transformation, he instantly felt something... different. When everypony was quiet, a mighty pair of red feathered wing emerged from either side of him. At first, Big Mac could hardly believe the feeling of having two more limbs on his back. As he moved them, he thought they felt a little light, too easy to move. But as he shuffled around his hooves, he soon realized his whole body felt light as a feather!
"You ready to fly, Big Guy?" Rainbow Dash asked as she stood up strait, flexing her wings.
"Eh'yep!" Big Mac said with great enthusiasm, his body tingling all over with enthusiasm. His dream was finally coming true! He was going to fly! Not only that, but he was going to have one of Equeatria's greatest Wonderbolts as an instructor!
Rainbow Dash began explaining he finer details of flying to Big Mac, Sunny leaned over and started to whisper to Twilight. "Thank you for helping him."
"You're welcome" Twilight replied, just now realizing that she was starting to relax a bit around Sunny, despite everything that had gone on. "It was really nice of you to do this for him. But mind if I ask why you would go this far?"
Taking a deep breath, Sunny's light expression suddenly aged 1000 years. "I would have figured the princess of friendship wouldn't have to ask 'why a pony would go out of their way to help a friend'. Despite what you and Discord believe, I do have 'real' friends."
"Are you two done talking?" Rainbow Dash snapped. "We're ready for take off!"
"Oh! I defiantly want a picture of this!" Pinkie said as she somehow appeared out of nowhere with a camera in her hooves.
"Ugh, Pinkie, where did ya-" Applejack started to ask, only to have a pink hoof stop her mid-sentence.
"Sssshhhh" Pinkie whispered as she refocused on the scene before her.
Big Mac began to do as Rainbow Dash instructed, readying himself for a big kick off. The winged farm pony could feel his muscles being lowered by his eager excitement. He already felt like he was light as a feather, and soon he's be above the clouds! He waited for Rainbow Dash's signal. And there it was! She waved a wing, and with all his strength, Big Mac kicked off as hard as he could from the ground, sending the stallion several feet into the air.
Remembering what Rainbow had told him, Big Mac needed to start flapping as hard as he could at first, making sure that his wings were in sync with each other, then when he was safely in the air, his flapping could ease up a little.Starting off, the Big Mac had a hard getting his wings to flat together at once, but after a few shaky moments, he was doing it! He started to flap as hard as he could, not wanting to have to restart the lift off, but when he opened his eyes and looked down, he realized he was well above the clouds!
"Nice one, Big guy" Rainbow commented as she popped her head out of the clouds. "Now let's glide down a little and start flying with everypony."
"Everypony?" Big Mac asked, thinking the Wonderbolts had already finished up their training for the day.
"Well yeah, everypony heard about Sunny wanting to help you fly and came out to cheer you on!" Rainbow said, now popping out of the cloud fully and stretching on the cloud. "What say we give them all a show they'll never forget?"
"Eh'yep!" Big Mac said with a wide smile growing wider on his face.
Rainbow Dash jumped lightly into the air, then maneuvered her wings to allow her to gently glide down, allowing everypony to see her. Big Mac followed suit and copied her actions. The two began to float gently down, but not too close to the ground. As they got closer and closer to the ground, a large crowd of ponies became visible to Big Mac, all were cheering for him. The two were soon met by a flock of other pegusi, some even members of the Wonderbolts!
"Hey Big Mac! What's up man? Well other then you?" Thunderlane jokes as he high hooves his no longer ground bound friend.
"Dude! This is awesome!" Soarin approached Big Mac and shared a high hoof with him as well.
"What do ya say, rookie? Wanna fly with us?" Spitfire appeared shooting Big Mac a half smile.
"Eh'yep!" Was Big Mac's only response a shis wide smile seemed to grow even wider!
The rest of the pegusi, lead by Spitfire and followed up by Rainbow Dash, who was keeping an eye on Big Mac, began souring gently into the sky. As the pegusi bounced off of clouds, performed barrel rolls and flips, Big Mac couldn't help but notice hot air balloons carrying earthbound ponies up and into the air, all waving and smiling at him. It was the most wonderful sight Big Mac had ever seen. He could even hear somepony singing in the background.
Everypony was having such a wonderful time in the sky, no pony ever wanted to come down. It was like, up there, amongst the clouds, all the problems and worries just floated away like balloons. All that could weigh you down turned lighter then air. Big Mac himself was having a blast performing ticks that every pegusi was all too happy to teach him. While still flying, Big Mac played ball games with ponies both flying as well as floating with the hot air balloons. Passing beach balls around and launching paper airplanes betwen everypony. Even Derpy and Doctor Whooves who appeared a little later brought bubbles for everypony. Applejack herself joined in and floated up with Sunny in their own hot air balloon, bringing refreshments and snacks for everypony. It was a party nopony ever wanted to end. But a little after the stars and moon came out, ponies began to tire. It was time to called it a night. Even Big Mac had to admit that his wings were starting to get sore from all the flying.
As he landed where Sunny, Applejack, Twilight and the rest did, he decided to do one last flip into an epic landing, urning him one last wave of applause and cheers from his friends. The spell that had turned Big Mac into a Pegasus had now warn off, leaving Twilight feeling a little light headed, but otherwise still smiling.
Before anypony could say anything, Big Mac approached Sunny, smiled lightly at him before offering him a hoof. "Sorry 'bout throwin' fertilizer in yer face."
"It's ok" Sunny replied, taking his hoof into a hoof bump.
"And... thank ya fer helping mah dream come true" Big Mac almost felt too embarrassed to say, but his huge smile never shrunk.
"Big Mac" Applejack approached her older brother with her hat held in re hooves. "Ah'm sorry.... ah should have been supportive of you and yer dream. Ah was a bad sister to ya."
But the big red farm pony just pulled his sister into a hug. "'S'all right, sis. All worked out in th' end. Sides, if ya never said nothin' ta Sunny, ah'd have never gotten ta fly at all!"
Sunny smiled as he readjusted his Stetson hat. "Hey, ya wanna Join me, Thunderlane, and a few of our pals for ah camp in' trip sometime next week?"
It was then that it hit him. Big Mac realized why he wanted to always be alone. He thought if he could just focus on work, that he would never have to share his dream with anypony else. He would never have to hear how his dreams would never come true from anypony else. But looking back on today, it was only because of sharing his dream with somepony else that Big Mac was able to enjoy himself and have fun. It was beyond fun for him to fly, but what made it better was sharing the fun and laughs with friends. He was never going to miss having fun and sharing laughs with friends again.
"You bet, partner!" Big Mac smiled and nodded.
When Big Mac and Applejack went back to the house, Sunny asked for a moment to speak with Twilight and Rainbow about something. Applejack hesitated, but thought it best to just let him be. He probably just wanted to thank them for their help. Everypony waited until the Applejack and Big Mac were out of ear shot before speaking.
"Don't think this changes anything" Rainbow Dash spat at Sunny.
"I didn't expect it to" Sunny's tone went flat and emotionless again. "But the I did want to thank you again for helping Big Mac. I know it meant the world to him."
"I don't mind helping Big Mac" Rainbow continued to hiss. "But keep that in mind. I helped only for Big Mac, not you."
"Got that" Sunny admitted then looked to Twilight. "And thank you... Twilight?"
"You have a lot of work ahead of you before you can relax when saying my name" Twilight told the yellow unicorn, also holding back any and all emotion. "But if you keep this up, you might get there."
With one last nod, Sunny began walking back to the Apple family barn house, ready to call it a night.
"I still don't trust him" Rainbow told her alicorn friend, eyes still locked on the yellow unicorn.
"It's going to take a lot for me to trust him too" Twilight agreed. "But he is doing better then Discord."
It was a long ride for Radiant Hope as she was carried up the high snow covered bodies of the Foal Mountains, higher then anypony could travel on hoof. She was amazed at the strength of the ponies pulling the metal cart she was traveling in. But whoever designed the metal cart either focused too much on concealing those it was transporting, or happened to be a fan of pitch black darkness. The nearly all metal cart looked like it could survive being thrown off the mountain several times, with the inside looking as though somepony just added cushioned seating to it last moment, with a lantern hanging from the roof at the center of the cart.
The light source of the lamp started to solidify Radiant's suspicions on who 'really' wanted to see her. A green colored crystal fueled with unicorn magic filled the otherwise dark room with a frightening green light. The guards told we nothing, only stared at her with blank expressions and eyes of green and red. But the Crystal, and it's color, told Radiant exactly who she was going to see. She could only guess why he sent for her as he did, rather then seek her out himself.
Upon arriving at the Prison, the gates opened immediately without stopping for the normally mandatory check in. No pony would dare try and break into the prison now, not with what lay inside for them. As the hatch to the cart flipped open, a dark grey unicorn stallion wearing a top hat stood there, waiting for her.
"Miss Hope?" The stallion's voice was slick and sharp like a jagged piece of broken glass. He stood almost as tall at Princess Cadence, maybe off by an inch or two, with a white and dark grey mane. His face held a toothy smile, teeth jagged like a predictor, along with a pair of eyes like a snake. "My master is expecting you. Please, follow me."
Without hesitation, and despite the feeling Radiant was getting from this formal yet very haunting stallion, she followed him. He wasn't just going to have her brought here to hurt her. If that was the plan, why send a whole team to grab transport her to this place? Why not have somepony hurt her back at the Crystal empire? Somewhere between the two places? Or why not drop her off the mountain on the way up here? No, she specifically was being called here for some reason.
The iron fortress before Radiant was once an inescapable prison, now it appeared to have been transformed into an impenetrable fortress of iron and ice. Several guard towers stood high in the freezing sky, keeping a look out over the snow covered mountain side, thick spikes were planted facing out to keep unwanted intruders at bay, while chains that were used to transport materials for the actual purpose of the prison still hung up high, connecting the main structure to the various walls. Who knows what the 'master' has planned.
The guards at the door saluted the grey stallion with a top hat, then knocked on the doors to signal the ponies inside to open up. Slowly the large metal doors parted, allowing the warmth of the inside to escape a little, as if it were the breath of a large dragon as it yawned, instantly pushing the chill from Radiant's coat.
"This way, miss" The top hat stallion instructed, a smug grin still present on his face. "The one you seek is just down this hall."
"And who is the 'one I seek'?" Radiant asked, feeling the presumptuous statement was rather annoying and egotistical.
"Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answers to?" The top hat stallion answered her question with another question. "If I were you, I'd focus more of that energy on helping him. After transforming this place into his new palace, he's very weak. If we didn't find you as fast as we did, he might not have made it. But after hearing we found you, he held on."
Fear struck the medical mare as she started running as fast as she could down the hallway, quickly followed by the top hat stallion who seemed to be enjoying her panic. Radiant was so focused on getting to him, that she ignored all the frightening images around her. If the purple unicorn had payed attention, she would have noticed enough spiked ebony colored armor and weapons to outfit an entire army, a make shift steel forging area that was used to make the armor and weapons, teams of ponies training and practice fighting, learning to take on royal guards as well as being shown weaknesses in their moves, as well as large crowds of ponies who had just been released from their cells, ready for some payback for being locked up in the prison to freeze. But none of that mattered, the only thing that mattered was getting to 'him'.
Upon arriving at the end of the hall, Radiant was met by a simple metal door that once had the name 'Warden' written on it, but sense then the name had been scratched off. The top hat stallion reappeared beside the door, flipped off his top hat revealing a rather long and sharp looking unicorn's horn that glowed with a dark green magical aura, an aura that wrapped itself around the door handle and twisted it slowly, and just as slowly, pulled the door open with a long and drawn out creaking.
Radiant had grown annoyed by the top hat unicorn's antics and burst through the door as soon as she could. She frantically looked around, eyes darting all around, seeking 'him' out. The room appeared to be a rather plain looking office, with the only inhabitant being a dark grey unicorn sitting behind a rather large wooden desk. He had a buzz cut and a rather large scar across one of his eyes. She was slightly amazed that that eye wasn't dead from such an injury, he was very lucky to not have been blinded.
"Radiant Hope" the unicorn said, as he stood up, almost falling to his knees, but last moment he grabbed hold of the wooden table, catching himself. It was then that Radiant noticed the sunken look in the stallion's eyes, the slight stubble around his muzzle, and the unnatural whitening of what little mane he had. This stallion was very, very sick in deed. "Do not worry about me. It is my master who you need to worry about."
"Where is he?" Radiant asked, tired of playing games. "Where is Sombra!?"
"I'm right here..." the shadow king's deep voice seemed to echo and rattle the walls of the office. Moments after Sombra answered, the warden of the prison collapsed and passed out, body almost falling to the ground, but was caught at the last moment by the dark green magical aura belonging to the top hat unicorn. Turning her attention back to the warden, Radiant watched as something black began to seep out of his mouth, eyes and ears. A black smoke like substance that began to grow and expand, filling up the entire room, hiding the forms of both the top hat unicorn and the warden within it's dark mass. "Radiant Hope... my oldest and... only friend..."
"Sombra?" Radiant spoke his name without fear. Most ponies would be terrified at the predicament they were in, just the smoke surrounding them would be enough to frighten even the bravest of ponies. But Radiant knew who was behind the smoke screen, and feared him the least of anypony in Equestria. "Sombra, are you ok?"
"No... not ok..." the former king of the Crystal Empire spoke once more as his red and green eyes appeared in the densest part of the smoke. A face subtly began to appear as well, appearing as just a grey outline in the black miasma. "Need... help... heal me... like before..."
With less hesitation then when she ran through the dark prison to make it to the office, Radiant began channeling her magic as best she could from her horn then into the darkest part of the black smoke. The smoke itself began to gather at that dark mass, collecting itself , giving form to one that had almost lost itself. Radiant began to feel weak, light headed, but refused to give up. Despite what others may thought about him, Radiant knew Sombra better then anypony else. They grew up as kids in the orphanage, back at the Crystal Empire. They played together, ate together, did their homework together. They were like siblings. She knew there was good in Sombra, and couldn't figure out what had caused him to change as drastically as he did. But she would find out. It was that determination that pushed Radiant to try harder and focus more on healing the fallen king.
As the black smoke reformed and condensed into an actual solid form, Radiant's head had become too light, and the medical mare passed out. As she fainted, her body was caught by a strong, grey, front hoof that was connected to a pony who was all too familiar to her. The last thing Radiant saw before giving into her dizziness was Sombra's face. His eyes may have not resembled how they used to be, kind and gentle, yet strong and firm as emerald stones, but they were eyes unclouded by rage and anger. A pair of ruby colored eyes looked down upon the unicorn mare as she fell gently to sleep.
Sombra carried her over to the couch in the office and gently laid his oldest friend down, then covered her with a throw blanket. He would get her a much more comfortable one as well as the softest pillow in his new castle, as soon as he got the chance. Sombra ran a hoof over her face, brushing a strand of her mane off to the side. Radiant smiled and spoke his name in her sleep.
"Master" The top hat unicorn spoke up, still levitating a sickly looking Snowstorm in his dark green magical aura. "What should I do with him? Toss him off the side of the mountain?"
"Let's get one thing strait, Charming" Sombra's deep voice, despite being very weak, not only demanded respect, it held it with chains thicker and stronger then any the prison could offer. "I am not a monster. I know you are, and you became one for your own reasons. But I'm grateful to the colt for his sacrifice."
Snowstorm wasn't even able to open his eyes, but part of him could hear the conversation that was going on. He expected Charming to not care much about him once Sombra was released, but for Sombra to come to his aid? It touched the warden of the prison. That was something... something even his own father didn't do, which lead to his sentence as the warden of the IronLock prison.
"Take him down to the medical station, have Surgical put him on this..." Sombra then began scribbling some medications that he knew the prison had in stock. It wasn't the best, but it would do for the moment.
"As you wish, Master" Charming said with a bow as he placed his top hat over his chest then back to the top of his head, before disappearing in a flash of green light, taking Snowstorm with him.
Once he knew they were gone, Sombra took several deep breaths before casting a spell to recreate his old red cloak. A rather simple spell for a skilled magic user such as himself, but even it had a toll on his mind. He would have to take it easy before attempting more intricate and taxing spells. Despite the lightheaded feeling he was experiencing, Sombra stood his ground and cast another. This one took several bits of metal from around the room and condensed them, reshaping them into his former crown. As he levitated the crown to the top of his head, his black mane began to flow again, like a black mist. Taking another deep breath to steady himself, Sombra marched out of the office and down the hall that lead into the former prison. He walked tall and proud, as he had all those years ago in his former empire.
Royal guards under his spell as well as prisoners alike who had been occupied with training, smithing armor and weapons, or just consuming food and drinks, all stopped as the dark grey unicorn emerged from the hallway and casually walked over and up to the front gates of the prison, catching everypony's attention. The walls that once echoed with roars, chants, cursing, and yelling were now still and silent. Turning his head and looking at everypony in his presents, King Sombra made sure to meet everypony's gaze at least for a moment.
"I am King Sombra" he called out, his thundering voice rang out and spread to even the deepest part of the prison. "From this moment on, you will obey my every word! 'I' and your king! We all have a common enemy. An enemy that saw fit to imprison us in these cold walls! Cast us out of the home that was rightfully ours! They took away our rights, our possessions, and our lives! But now, I think it's time we took it all back!"
The silent prisoners began to cheer, the guards merely sat and listened to the king's speech.
"I will lead you into a glorious revolution to dethrone the Princesses and princess of Equestria!" King Sombra continued. "And when they are in chains, stuck below with not even the light of the sun nor the illumination of the moon to liberate them from the darkness, they will know what it was like for you! For me! And for anypony they would dean unworthy to walk free!"
The prisoners all cheered again, a slight tingling sensation starting to work its way in the back of their heads. Little did they know that a small charm was being cast on them, one that was written in a forgotten language and almost lost to the hands of time. Luckily Sombra had learned the language, even teaching it to his son. He told his son that it was their own 'made up' language, and to keep it a secret. That would secure his secret and make the counter charm impossible for anypony but them to cast. Originally, Sombra only wished to keep the dark spells between him and his son, so as to only be used as a last resort. Never before did Sombra ever believe he would be using it on a bunch of ruthless prisoners to influence them to join him and a full revolution. But many things he never thought would ever happen, have happened.
'I trusted you, and you betrayed me...' Sombra's thoughts fueled his inner fire as he called out to the crowd, finishing off the charm and sealing it within the backs of their minds. "We will rule Equestria now! The King has returned! LONG LIVE THE KING!"
"LONG LIVE THE KING! LONG LIVE THE KING! LONG LIVE THE KING!" All the now charmed prisoners as well as the hypnotized royal guards began chanting together in honor of their new king. The future ruler of Equestria.
The sun had set just a little while ago, But Sunny was too hard at work to notice. That day, while bucking several barrels worth of apples from the orchard, he had come across several short but thick branches that had fallen from the trees. Instantly his mind began to reel with the possibilities of what he could turn them into. But one idea stuck out above all the rest. And so, immediately after his daily chores were done, the yellow unicorn went right to work, trying to turn the chunk of apple wood into something he saw in his mind's eye.
Wishing he had taken some pointers from Somepony who was better at whittling then he was. He had already wasted most of the chunks of wood he collected, and now was working on the last one. At first, Sunny attempted to whittle the wood while holding the chunk and tools with his magical aura. But ultimately ended up using his own two front hooves. It felt more natural to do so. As Sunny continued to whittle away, somepony looked over and noticed the yellow unicorn, and thought to help him out by hanging a lantern just at the edge of the porch where he sat working.
"Huh? What?" Sunny half mumbled to himself, his eyes adjusting to the new light.
"It ain't ah smart thing ta be workin' with sharp tools in th' dark" Applejack said as she finished positioning the lantern. When she did, she looked down at what Sunny was working on. "What cha got there?"
Feeling slightly ashamed at his terrible work, Sunny hid the crudely done carving from Applejack. "Oh! Ugh, well... ah kinda found some spare chunks of wood in the orchard and..."
"May ah see?" Applejack asked, giving Sunny those innocent and sweet down home eyes that he could never say no to. Someponies like Rarity or Fluttershy could easily sway ponies with their eyes at will. But Applejack had a different way of using her feminine charm. She just had a way of making Sunny feel safe and comfortable, despite everything that is going on that should have made Sunny want to lock himself away and never come out. There was just something about her, the way her eyes just shined and glimmered like freshly cut grass but seemed more rare then the finest emeralds. Sunny just couldn't say no to.
Taking a deep breath to gather the courage, Sunny revealed to the orange farm pony what he had been hiding. The work was crudely done, so details on it were hard to make out, but one thing was clear to say the least. The figure carved out appeared to resemble a pony of some sort.
"Wow, ya'll did this?" Applejack asked, taking the figure in her hoof.
"Yeah..." Sunny admitted, his ears hanging low and close to his head. "It sucks, but it's th' best one Ah've been able ta do."
"He he. Well, none too bad fer ah pony who never worked with carvin' tools before" Applejack commented as she turned the figure around in her hooves. "So who's it supposed ta be?"
That, Sunny was grateful for his terrible work. He didn't want anypony to be able to recognize the figure yet. If he had made a perfect one, Sunny would have put it up in his room, simply to look at when he wanted to remember what the 'he' looked like. But thanks to the horrible craftsmanship on the wooden figure, Applejack would never be able to piece together 'who' it really was.
Judging by his silence, Applejack could only guess one of two ponies who it could be. And by the look of the basic build, she was guessing it was a male. "It's yer pa, ain't it?"
His heart sunk. Sunny could no longer look Applejack in the eye, shame and fear once again over came his heart, and his peaceful and safe world was again shaken. Seeing this, Applejack felt slightly bad for bringing it up, and tried to think of a way to lessen the blow.
"Ya know... ifin' yer pa ever came around, wantin' ta make right by you one day, he's welcome here anytime" Applejack tried to sound open to the idea for Sunny.
"If you knew what he did, you would never offer such a kind gesture..." Sunny spoke in a low and solemn tone, his head dipping down lower.
"Ah... ah know he hurt ya, and that's more then enough reason for me ta want ta buck him ta th' moon" Applejack continued to say. "But ya know... he must mean a lot to ya if ya keep thinkin' bout him, even after he hurt ya that much.
"Ya know Sunny" Applejack sat down close to the yellow stallion. "Sometimes, well, ponies make mistakes. Sometimes we do wrong. 'Specially ta those we care 'bout th' most. Ah don't think ah could ever forgive him for hurtin' ya as he did. But ya know, if he didn't, we might never have met. So, there's a silver lining."
That thought had never occurred to Sunny before. That without his father, Sunny would never had met Applejack, her family, or even his friends from town. He would still be living in the castle, alone, secretly miserable with all his duties and responsibilities.
"He... he always tried to be there for me" Sunny started to say, referencing to his father. "He was strict when he needed to be, but never cruel... he was my greatest teacher, my greatest guardian, and my best friend.
"He taught me how to use magic, how to laugh and relax, he helped me with my homework when Pappy couldn't" Sunny started to smile, remembering some of the old days.
"Pappy?" Applejack asked, "like ah Grandpappy?"
"Well, kinda" Sunny smiled and inched closer to Applejack as he spoke. "He looked after me when mah dad couldn't. He helped me with mah homework, with mah lessons, but ah sure gave him some trouble."
Applejack couldn't help but laugh at the last statement. "You? Cause trouble? Nah, ah can't see it."
The sarcasm was so thick you could cut through it with a knife. But Sunny was enjoying himself. "And you? Ah heard some funny stories from Granny 'bout you scarin' th' cows an pigs when ya'll were younger!"
The two farm ponies laughed and shared stories about their childhoods until it was dinner time. They couldn't even tell how long exactly they had been out there, just telling stories like a couple of old ponies reliving their youth. But as the two walked back into the farm house, Sunny paused and took a second glance at his crudely carved figure of his father. He hesitated only for a moment before going back to it, grabbing it, and placing it right at the front steps of the farm house, right next to the support beam, allowing the figure to gaze out onto the farm.
"One day dad, ah hope you can come here, be apart of this family, mah family, an we could let the past go..." Sunny spoke to the figure, knowing full well it wasn't his father. But he hoped that reciting the words then, would help to give him strength down the road when he confronted his father, King Sombra, for real.
"Well who-wee! That sure was a heck of ah show!" Applejack said as she and Rarity exited the map room of Twilight's castle, having just returned from a friendship mission.
"I agree. I think we both deserve a nice trip to the spa to celebrate" Rarity suggested as she happily trotted close by her orange friend.
Applejack chuckled lightly "he he, anything ta get ta th' spa, huh Rares?"
"Oh Applejack, you need to treat yourself a little" the prissy white unicorn commented as she flipped a curl of her mane. "After all how are you going to entice that charming Sunny to sweep you off your hooves when your covered in dirt and sweat all the-"
"HEY THERE SUNNY!" Applejack shouted over Rarity, hoping to have drowned out what her fashionista friend had been talking about.
"Oh, hey Applejack, howdy Rarity" Sunny half smiled acknowledged both the mares standing before him. The yellow unicorn appeared to be standing around, just waiting down the hall from the map room. "Ugh, is Twilight in th' map room?"
"Why yes, we just informed her on our recent friendship mission" Rarity chimed with glee. "Twilight loves to document all friendship missions for future use. I thinks she said something about making a book or something down the line."
"Is everythin' ok, partner?" Applejack asked, noticing how Sunny seemed to lack his usual shine. She admired and gawked at him when he worked or was running around with his friends, he seemed to just shine like the sun to her. She could tell when something was bothering him whenever he lost that shine.
"I'm fine" Sunny said, eyes looking away from Applejack's for a split second. "I just need to talk to Twilight about a friendship problem."
"Well... ok" Applejack replied, readjusting her hat.
"You know, darling, we may not be the 'princess of friendship' but we do solve friendship issues" Rarity started to say, motioning to herself and Applejack. "You 'can' come to us and talk if you ever need to."
"Thank you, Rarity" Sunny forced another smile. "But I think I need Twilight's help on this one."
With a bow, Sunny then casually walked past the two mares and shot strait for the map room. Both Applejack and Rarity watched as he seemed to almost march down the hall. As soon as he walked in and the door closed behind him, Rarity caught her farm pony friend's attention.
"I think now we really have a reason to go to the spa, there's no better place for girls to talk about stallions then there in the sauna" Rarity offered her advice once again.
"You win Rarity" Applejack said as she tore her eyes from the door to the map room. "But only 'cuz ah need ah mare ta talk to."
Walking into the map room, Sunny quickly found Twilight sitting at her throne writing a million words per second in a hard covered book. Approaching cautiously, Sunny cleared his threat to alert Twilight of his presence. But the purple alicorn just kept writing away. The former prince hesitated, wondering if this was some form of retaliation, her ignoring him. Coughing once again, Sunny tried to at least get some notification out of her. But the princess of friendship kept smiling and writing away in her book.
It wasn't until Twilight was done with her entry and placed her quill down that she even was aware she was no longer alone in the map room. "Oh, Sunny! When did you get here?"
"Ugh, I've been here, trying to get your attention" Sunny flatly said then remembered how Twilight was super focus with reading and how hard it was for someponies to get her attention. That same focus must transfer over to when she's writing. "I need to talk to you about something."
"Is it Sombra related?" Twilight's relaxed and upbeat expression turned grim with the thoughts of Sombra's possible plots.
"Well, kinda..." Sunny said while nervously scratching under his hat. "It's more of a... 'Spike' related issue."
"Did you apologize to him yet?" Twilight's expression didn't soften as she got up and started walking over to a book shelf she kept in the map room, the book she was writing trailing right behind her floating in her purple magical aura.
"I've apologized several times since we last spoke" Sunny stated as he walked behind the princess of friendship. "But nothing seems to reach him."
"I wouldn't expect him to jump at the chance to forgive you" Twilight spat as she placed the book back with the others. "I still haven't forgiven you for anything yet, you know."
Sighing heavily, Sunny's head felt like it began to spin faster then the speed of light. "Ugh!... How can I ever make any of this right?"
"One step at a time" Twilight's expression softened as she turned to the yellow unicorn, seeing his frustration. "I kinda understand why you did what you did. It wasn't the smartest move, but you still did it, and you have to make it right."
"I've... I've never had to fix such a big mess before" Sunny admitted. "I've never had to apologize and make right something on this scale."
"You've never had a fight with a friend before?" Twilight asked, raising a brow.
"I've never had 'real' friends before" Sunny explained, taking several deep breaths. "I had 'friends' once, long ago, when I was a Foal. But they... weren't real friends. I never forgave them, never really talked to them after what happened. And anytime I needed to face something I've done wrong, I was able to make it right. I always found a way to fix it. But I don't know how to fix what I did to Spike.
"I was just as terrible a friend to him as the other foals were to me back then." Sunny hand his head admitting how badly he had screwed up.
Watching the yellow unicorn and his internal struggle, Twilight slowly started to see something in Sunny she almost forgot about. It was like an internal light, a flickering flame that showed he wanted to to good. It reminded her of Sunset Shimmer back at the fall formal. A look in their eyes showed they truest were looking to make things right. She made a change, maybe Sunny could too.
Twilight placed a hoof on Sunny's shoulder, which redirected the yellow unicorn's attention to her. As he looked at her with confused and sheepish green eyes, Twilight felt the strength of her inner princess at work. "I'll talk with Spike. He's partly hurt because he thinks he hurt me. I'll let him know that 'I' forgive him, and talk to him about forgiving you. In the mean time, why don't you go and get him something, like eh, a peace offering."
"A peace offering? Like what" Sunny started to think back to when he would perform such feats. But unlike Grtffins or other pony groups, dragons must like different things and hold various objects in higher or lower standing when it came to such.
"Spike loves gems, and I think you two talked about comic books a bit? Maybe start there?" Twilight said with a smile, hoping Sunny would know where to pick it up from there.
"Yeah! I got it now!" A light flickered on in Sunny's mind as the conversations with Spike began to reel in his head. He was about o zoom out of the map room to hit the market when he paused and looked back.
It hurt him to look Twilight in the eye, but taking in another deep breath, Sunny forced himself to lock eyes with Twilight. "I'm... I'm sorry, Twilight. For everything I did. For lying to Spike. For making a mess of your library. For everything. I know I said you weren't really 'my' friend when I was on trial. But I guess 'I' want much of a friend to you. I'm sorry."
Thinking back to the trial, Twilight remembered burning with anger from Sunny's betrayal. But looking at the yellow unicorn now, Twilight saw somepony different. Sunny did all of that because he was scared, but when there wasn't anything to fear, Sunny could feel free to be himself. Looking at him now, Twilight was starting to see 'who' Sunny really was.
"I forgive you for trashing my library" Twilight told him. "And I'll forgive you for what you did to Spike when he forgives 'you'. As for my brother-"
"Twilight" Sunny interrupted her. "I'm not apologizing for what I did to him. I'm not sorry. Some lessons are hard, but necessary. I'll take whatever comes from that. But he needed that."
Twilight's sympathy shook a little for the former prince. She broke her gaze from him, feeling her anger starting to build up again. "Maybe you should just go get the stuff."
With one last nod, Sunny left the map room and made a strait shot for the market, leaving Twilight to think about everything that went on, wondering what was right and what was wrong. What was needing to be done about the former prince, and what should be left alone. "Why can't things be easy. Why is everything so grey?"
Taking several long moments to calm herself down and gather her thoughts, Twilight began her long and drawn out walk to her number one assistant's bedroom. She stood there a moment, trying to piece together all of what she was going to say to the little purple dragon. She knew him since the day he was hatched, took care of him and grew up with him. Now somepony had driven a stake between them by forcing him to tell her lies. What's more, Twilight had to try and convince Spike to forgive said pony. With one last deep breath, Twilight knocked on the dragon's bedroom door.
"Spike?" Twilight casually called out, trying to keep her tone both soft yet loud enough for the baby dragon to hear through the door. "May I come in?"
Moments passed before the door cracked open, revealing a small purple and green dragon standing there, half of his body and face hidden behind the door, a pitch black room behind him. "Is there something I can do for you, Twilight?"
"Can I come in?" Twilight spoke softer as she looked down to her dragon assistant. "I think we need to talk."
Without another word, Spike stepped out from behind the door, opening it to allow Twilight passage into his dark room. As she stepped inside, the princess of friendship noticed that Spike had not only closed his curtains, but had also blocked out any and all sunlight with a wall of books from his room's own bookshelf. After lighting a few small candles on his desk and taking a seat on his bed, Spike waited for his scolding to begin. Something he had been waiting for since Sunny's secrets were brought to light. He knew he deserved worse, expecting Twilight to even disown him and fire him from being her assistant.
Taking a seat next to him, Twilight brushed her mane a little behind her ear, not quite making eye contact as she began the conversation she rehearsed prior to coming. "Spike, listen, I know you're really upset about everything that happened-"
"Upset?" Spike repeated the word, low at first but his voice began to grow like wild fire as his emotions began to burn him from the inside out. "Upset?... Twilight... I'm sorry. No! I'm 'more' then sorry! This is all my fault. If I had just come to you, told you what lies Sunny had told me, we wouldn't be in this mess! I was so stupid to believe him!... I guess... I guess I wanted to just keep you safe..."
"Keep me safe?" It was Twilight's turn to repeat what Spike had said. "Keep me safe from what?"
Still not looking Twilight in the eye, Spike began recalling what Sunny hat told him. "Sunny said if you started to read those books, that you would become corrupt, crazy, mean, like king Sombra. I didn't want that. And when he told me he was a royal guard, and showed me his secret cave and stuff, I believed him. I just wanted to protect you. I don't know what I would do without you, Twilight... but... but I guess I don't deserve to be your assistant..."
Hopping off the bed, Spike pulled a suit case out from the space between the bed and the floor, and started packing his toys, comic books and candy he had in his night stand. "I hope your next assistant does a better hone then-"
"What are you talking about?" Twilight interrupted the little purple dragon. "Spike, the only assistant I want is you! Besides, nopony could ever take your place."
Spike stopped packing and looked up at Twilight, it was then that she realized that the whole time, the little purple dragon kept his face hidden to hide the fact that tears were running down his cheeks. "Y-you meant it? N-n-no other dragon either?"
"No pony or dragon or even griffin could replace you, Spike" Twilight said as she used one of her wings to pull Spike into her for a hug. "You're more then just my number one assistant. You're like a brother to me. I could never replace you."
"But..." Spike started to sniffle. "But I lied to you! I betrayed your trust! Aren't you angry with me?! Don't you want to get rid of me and find somepony you trust more?"
"I know you never meant to hurt me, Spike" Twilight began to explain. "And after seeing you like this, I know you'll never do this again. But you know, you are entitled to your own secrets. You're getting older, and the older you get, the more things are going to start to happen in your life. Maybe even thing's that are more 'guy' things, or like what you do on your days off."
"You mean eat gems, sniff my feet and read comic books?" Spike's tears started to clear up as he looked up at the purple alicorn.
"Yes, yes all of that" Twilight commented, not really wanting to know why her assistant felt the need to smell his feet, or if it was just a guy thing. "But what I'm saying, is that I 'want' you to feel like you can talk to me about anything. Whether it's about your feet or somepony hiding secrets. I wasn't upset with you about hiding secrets from me, I was upset somepony used you to hide secrets from me."
Cleansing his claws and glaring at the ground, Spike spat out his next words. "I. Hate. Sunny."
The conversation wasn't quite going in the direction Twilight planned for. Thinking quickly, something occurred to her. Hopefully something that would redirect the baby dragon's anger. "Spike, I want you to think about how you jest felt. When you thought that I didn't want you to be my assistant anymore, and that I wanted you to leave."
That claimed the baby dragon down a little. "Ugh, ok. But why?"
"Would you have done anything to prevent that from happening?" Twilight asked, leading the baby dragon more to the point.
"Not to take Sunny's side on this, but that's exactly why he did what he did" Twilight explained, putting her own mixed feelings aside. "He's afraid of losing his friends, and being disowned by them and Applejack."
"But I'm not the son of king Sombra! I'm not running around getting ponies to lie to each other and hiding things!" Spike moved to defend himself.
"I'm not saying what he did was right" Twilight continued, keeping her voice calm and cool. "I'm just saying, if you were afraid of losing me, you'd do anything to prevent that from happening, wouldn't you?"
After several deep breaths, Spike calmed down and replied. "I guess..."
"I'm not asking you to forgive him" Twilight continued her lecture. "I'm just asking that you'll hear him out and consider it. Having friends, even disappointing them, that's all new to Sunny. Remember what Sunset Shimmer was like before we helped her?"
"Yeah, mean and nasty" Spike replied, thinking of his first adventure to Canterlot High.
"Sunny's just a few steps behind where she was" Twilight elaborated. "I don't want to see him have to go through what she did. Especially seeing what he means to Applejack and her family. I think there's good in him. He just needs good friends to help guide him in the right direction."
Spike started thinking about it, scratched his head, then looked back to Twilight. "If you think I should give him another try, I'll do it. But only because he's important to Applejack."
Smiling at the little purple and green dragon, Twilight pulled him into another hug. As he returned the hug, Twilight thought to add "Also, he's out right now getting you a 'peace offering'. I told him what kind of things you like."
"Really?!" That really peeked the baby dragon up, his tail wagging. "Like gems and gem covered cup cakes?!"
"And comic books" Spike added as she hopped off the bed. "I think he'll be back in a few hours.
"That's awesome!" Spike began jumping slightly for joy. He stopped and looked back at Twilight once more. "Twilight... thanks for not getting rid of me."
"Like I said before, Spike, nopony or dragon could replace you" Twilight repeated herself, shooting her number one assistant an honest smile.
Sunny had shot from Twilight's castle to the next town over as fast as he could. He had heard all the latest comic books first came to that town before being sent over to Ponyville, and although he could have just stopped by the local comics stand, Sunny wanted to get some comics he knew Spike wouldn't have. Gems were everywhere, although not cheap. But Sunny wasn't worried about money, he was worried about urning forgiveness. Something that isn't bought with bits or gems, but has to be given. Like Twilight suggested, a peace offering might do the trick.
When Sunny arrived at the comics shop after picking up a large bag of gems, he began to calm himself by taking a few deep breaths. He wanted to make sure that the comics he chose were up Spike's alley, something he would like. Looking around there were many rare and expensive comics in cases and protective sleeves. One in particular caught the yellow unicorn's eye.
Picking the comic up, Sunny studied the cover for a moment then flipped it open. "Power Ponies vs The Evil Black Shadow Knight"
"Ah! Yes!" A grey stallion behind the counter commented when he saw Sunny reading one of his comics. The elderly earth pony had a long, braided, purple mane, wore traditional clothing of some sort, and had a small pair of reading glasses resting at the edge of his muzzle. "That one just arrived! It was hard finding them, but worth every bit! I was able to charge ten times the price almost immediately due to their rarity!"
Sunny looked over the cover again, his eyes hardened at the image he focused on. The Power Ponies appeared to be taking on an opponent in black armor, with a muzzle hidden behind a black mask, and purple flames that emerged from the corners of it's eyes. The character looked far more menacing then Sunny ever did. "Great... ugh, I'm looking to pick up some comics for a friend of mine."
"Well you're in luck! Normally I charge 700 bits for that comic, but for you... 500 bits" the stallion said in a generous tone as he pushed his glasses up with one hoof.
"I... don't think he'd like that one..." Sunny tried to make up an excuse to push away the overly priced comic, putting it back gently in a glass case. "He does like the Power Ponies, though. But I'm not sure all of what he has..."
"Ah! How about this?" The shop owner pulled a comic out from behind the stand. It was a Power Ponies comic, appearing to be signed by somepony Sunny couldn't recognize. "The original creator of the comics sighted it herself! Worth quite a bit ! But again, I'm feeling generous. Normally 900 bits, but for you, 650. A really generous offer. You are a very lucky guy."
Scratching his mane under his hat, Sunny started to think about it when something caught his eye. Out of the corner of his vision was the total of a comic that seemed familiar. 'The Dark Detective; Raise of Frost Bite!'
Forgetting about the signed comic for the moment, Sunny trotted over to the comic that seemed out of place and pushed off to the corner. Levitating the comic up in his magical aura and flipping though the pages, a smile began to grow on his muzzle. The shop owner saw this and a similar smile began to grown on his own.
"I think I'll take this one" Sunny asked, closing the comic and holding it in his magical aura. He then looked around quickly and picked a few more comics that Spike might like. Ones that seemed up his alley, but were ones that appeared to be new to print. 'Giant jujitsu fighting lizards', 'The amazing Wall Crawler' and 'Defenders; Equestria's mightiest heros'. They all sounded decent, but obviously 'The Dark Detective' was the center piece. Sunny placed the comics up on the check stand. "And these two, how much do I owe you?"
"Hmmmm...." the stallion at the register looked the comics over for a bit before calculating in his head how much he wanted to charge for the comics. He was so busy working out the numbers, he failed to see more two ponies walk in. One was a dark grey, grim looking unicorn, the other was a lighter grey Pegasus with a rather determined look about her. As the two ponies looked around, the shop owner finished his calculating and smiled at the yellow unicorn. "That will be... 900 bits."
"900 BITS?!" Sunny repeated, feeling outraged. "For four comics?!"
Sunny's repeating of the price seemed to alert the grim looking unicorn who was just inspecting an odd item in a glass case.
"The 'Dark Detective' comics are rare, most are out of print. This one was particularly hard to come by" the shop owner claimed. "If you don't want it, then just 15 bits for the rest."
Taking a deep sigh, Sunny was about to actually fork out the outrageous amount for the comic, But as Sunny reached up into his Stetson hat, a dark grey hoof stopped him from retreaving his money.
"Hold on, just one moment..." the dark grey unicorn said, a few sparks of electricity jumping from his horn. He reached out and picked the comic book in question up with his hoof and began to carefully examine it. "Just as I thought."
"Can I help you?" The shop owners was quickly becoming annoyed at the grey stallion's interference. "Unless 'you' wish to buy the comic, I suggest-"
"It's a fake" the dark grey unicorn stated, slamming the comic as hard as he could onto the counter. "And it's not the only one. I do my research, and I can spot a fake comic a mile away. Your case is filled with comics that are signed most likely by 'you' trying to mimic the illustrator's signature."
"What?! Why! I never!" The shop owner was appalled. "How dare you insult me in my own shop! Get out! All of you! No comics for anypony!"
"I wonder how many ponies you've scammed out of their hard urned bits like this?" The grey unicorn narrowed his dark green eyes at the shop owner who began to sweat uncontrollable as he looked nervously around his shop, glad that it was a rather quiet day. "I think we passed some royal guards on our way here. Didn't we, honey?"
"I think we did, Sweetie" the lighter grey Pegasus mare said as she quickly trotted up next to her husband. "I wonder what 'they' would have to say about you charging this much for fake merchandise?"
Shaking off his fear, the shop owner narrowed his eyes on the dark grey unicorn, completely ignoring Sunny. "What do you want from me?"
"First" the Dark grey unicorn started to calmly say, appearing to be focusing hard on something. "I want you to give this guy all his comics for free."
"What?!" The shop owner grew furious by the demand. But his rage melted away when he thought he saw a Pegasus guard walk past the window. Swallowing his pride, the shop owner nodded. "Fine! They're free. Take them and get out! I don't want to see you in my shop again!"
Sunny took the comics and placed them safely in a paper bag. He paused to look back at the couple, shooting them a small smile. "Thank you. Ah owe ya one."
"Don't worry about it" the unicorn sad with a half smile, then turned his attention back to the shop owner. "But you may want to leave. I have a few questions for this gentlecolt."
Taking one last glance at the couple before he left, Sunny wanted to etch their images into his mind so he could remember to whom he owed thanks to. After leaving the shop behind, Sunny casually walked down the street and hit the road that would eventually lead him back to Ponyville. The whole trip itself would take a few hours, but it would be a good time to relax and think about what he was going to say to Spike.
Meanwhile, back in the comic shop, Thunder Veil grabbed the 'Power Ponies vs The Dark Shadow Knight' comic and placed it on the counter, narrowing his eyes on the shop owner, who also shot a hard glare back at the dark unicorn.
"That one is 100% real, that I can assure you" the shop owner said, a sharp tone in his voice.
"I know that" Thunder said as his wife, White Out, checked the rest of the shop for items also carrying it's image. "I want to know where you got this. Who sold it to you?"
"I forgot" the shop owner smiled slyly as he lied to the dark grey unicorn.
Sighing heavily, Thunder Veil closed his eyes and shook his head. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."
"Oh! What are you going to do? Tell the royal guards I just gave away fake merchandise? You don't have proof I sold anything else to anypony else. And by the time you get back with a royal guard, I would have changed the merchandise and the product. You two would have no proof that I ever did anything wrong!" The shop owner mocked Thunder Veil, then chuckled lightly. "You don't scare me."
Normally, such an insult would push Thunder to the brink of an electrical outburst, but this time, Thunder was going to have a little fun. Without taking his eyes off the shop owner, the dark grey unicorn smiled over at his wife. "Hey honey?"
"Yes Sweetie?" White out called out, with absolutely no concern in her tone, having looked over all the rest of the products in the shop, and coming up empty hooved.
"Can you step outside for a moment?" Thunder asked. "This gentlecolt and I need to have a private word. Stallion to stallion."
"Ok, would you like me to go and talk to that nice guard we met on the way over?" White Out asked as she walked over to her husband and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Yes please, and make sure he's distracted and far away from the shop" Thunder added, his dark eyes appearing to glow a brighter green now. "I don't need him bursting in while we're 'talking'."
"Will do. I think I'll bring that rickety sign at the edge of town to his attention. It could fall and hurt somepony" White Out suggested as she was halfway out the door. "That's enough of an ice breaker, maybe I'll get him to talk more about himself. I could keep him going for quite some time."
"Oh! And please lock the door and turn the sign over so it says 'Sorry, we're closed" Thunder added, a smile cracking in his muzzle.
The shop owner gulped a little as the light grey mare walked out of the shop, doing as her husband asked from her. Now it was just him and the dark grey unicorn who's horn seemed to be sparking quite a bit more then earlier.
"You want me to be honest, Mr. Shop owner?" Thunder asked as his eyes began to glow brighter and brighter. "I was hoping you would chose 'the hard way'."
The entire walk back to Twilight's castle, Sunny rehearsed, revised and reworked what he was going to tell Spike. He thought about just handing the comics and gems over and quickly apologizing before leaving the purple dragon to enjoy the peace offering. But that might make it seem like Sunny didn't really care. Another thing he could do was give the comics to Spike and tell him about how he acquired them, but that made it sound like he was not only cheap but egotistical and possibly self absorbed as well. No, the best opening Sunny settled on was giving Spike the gifts, waiting a moment, then he would try and get the baby dragon to talk about the contents and characters more. Last time Sunny gave Spike a comic, the baby dragon was really excited and eager to talk about it. It was something Spike liked and it made him happy to share the knowledge with somepony. Besides, Sunny kinda liked to hear about the comic book heroes.
After arriving back at Twilight's castle, the princess of friendship herself smiled at Sunny's return and lead him right back to Spike's bedroom door. Without a word, Twilight shot Sunny a look that let him know that she talked to him and wished the yellow unicorn 'good luck'. After Twilight left, giving Sunny and Spike room to work things out, Sunny took a deep breath, ready to take on his hardest challenge yet. Making up with a friend.
His yellow hoof knocked several times on the bedroom door before Spike's muffled voice could be heard. "Come in..."
Taking another deep breath, Sunny levitated the 'peace offerings' with him as he walked slowly inside the baby dragon's room. It was still relatively dark, but there was just enough light to make out the shape of a small dragon off in the corner, curled up on a rather large bed. Growing extremely nervous, Sunny's mind wiped everything out of it that he planned on saying. All his preparation, every motion and procedure the yellow unicorn planned on taking to ensure the purple dragon would forgive him, out he door!
As his heart began to race, Sunny thought back to what Applejack told him once. 'Just be yerself. Take it easy, and act natural.'
Sure Applejack giving Sunny a pep talk right before he went out on his first day of running the Apple stand in town, but the same basic principals apply. Taking another deep breath, Sunny decided it would be best if he just played it cool and acted like himself, talking to anypony, and not Somepony who he tricked and manipulated to cove up for himself and his own blunders. "Ugh, Spike? It's me, Sunny."
"Yeah? What do you want?" The purple dragon kicked his covers off and sat up, but kept his back to the yellow unicorn.
"I... I wanted to give you these..." Sunny levitated the bag of gems and the comic books over to the purple dragon and put them right beside him.
Looking over at them, part of Spike wanted to dive into the gems, but his dragon's pride prevented him from doing so. "You think this makes things right?"
Sunny's head hung lower as he looked away from the purple dragon. "I know it doesn't make it right. What I did was wrong, I know that. I wish I could go back in time and stop myself from doing all of that. But I can't... I just want you to know how sorry I am. I know this doesn't make it right, but atleast it shows I want to make things right."
Spike said nothing, he just sat there in the dark, thinking maybe. Sunny felt like it was a good time to leave Spike to do some thinking as he himself had done. Slowly leaving the room and closing the door behind him, Sunny exhausted his held breath. 'Was it always this difficult to make things right with a friend? I wonder how long it would take till things were ok between-"
"UGH!!!!" Spike's scream could be heard from outside his bedroom door.
Sunny immediately slid back into the little dragon's room, only to come face to face with a bright and blinding light that appeared to be pulling Spike into the ground. Instantly, Sunny jumped and grabbed ahold of Spike's claws, trying to pull him out of the mouth of the bright light. After several moments of struggling, the pull seemed to grow stronger and stronger, until it lifted Sunny up as well and sucked both the former prince and the dragon assistant into it. On the ground lay an open comic book, it's page's contents half finished. Right before it closed, a small message could be seen in the middle of the page;
'A hero is needed, to heal a vengeful heart. Set things right and you'll return where you start'
Then issue of 'the Dark Detective vs Frost Bite!' Shut closed, leaving the room dark and quiet.
The city of Trotum; once it was a beautiful and plentiful place. The buildings shined and glimmered in the light of the sun. The streets were clear and well kept. It was a place where small businesses were prospered,a pony could make a comfortable living, and everypony could trust one another. That was many years ago, when Buck Billionbits was a young Foal, and his father ran the largest and most powerful company in the city, Billionbits Enterprises. The company payed for most of the public's projects. Road and building repairs, waste management, grounds keeping of the trees and parks around the city, even the police force and hospitals received large donations from the Billionbits family. But when Buck's father and mother did not return from an exposition at sea, the rights of the company went to the board members, who thought such spending was too costly for the company and payed no profit. In a short year, what had been once a wonderful city, crumbled and turned dark.
The city became dirty and grimy, ponies lost their shops, forcing more and more to turn to a life of crime or become homeless. The police were unable to keep up with all the crime that seemed to fuel the dark city. They needed a hero.
They needed somepony who would fight to keep the city safe. Buck, now of age, tried to take back the company that was his birthright, but ultimately was unable to. Still, he could not stand by and watch as his beloved home, the city his father and mother believed in, to remain a crime ridden trash can. Dawning a black cloak, mask, and hat, as well as arming himself with a number of gadgets, Buck Billionbits became the protector of Trotum. The dark avenger. The Dark Detective...
Spike was sure he didn't fall, but the shock his body felt argued otherwise. His head felt like he had sat through another one of Pinkie's Drum solo's. As the little purple dragon got to his feet, he stumbled around a bit before getting a good look at his surroundings. "Woah, guess I'm not in Ponyville anymore..."
Gathering that he was on top of some sort of building, Spike wobbled over to the edge to get a better look at his surroundings. The little purple dragon was shocked by what he saw! He rubbed his eyes once, thinking he was seeing things, maybe even just waking up from a dream, but no, it was all real!
"Holy Haberdashery! I'm in Trotum!" Spike exclaimed as his eyes darted all over the city below. Most ponies appeared to be glaring at one another, keeping to themselves as they quickly made their way between the buildings and down the sidewalks to get to wherever their busy city lives took them.
"Where th' hay is Trotum?" Sunny's voice groggled behind Spike, as he himself awoke from a possible fall. As the yellow unicorn shook his head clear and got to his hooves, he took a second look at Spike and grew slightly confused. "Ugh, Spike? Why are ya wearin' that get up for?"
Forcing himself to take his eyes off the amazing city from one of his favorite comic books, Spike turned to look at the unicorn standing behind him. The purple dragon was shocked at 'who' he actually thought he saw standing tall and proud before him in his signature black coat and matching mask and hat. It wasn't until Spike took a second glance did he realize that the pony standing before him wasn't actually the 'Dark Detective', but rather the last pony in Equestria he ever wanted to end up in another comic book with. "Great. It's you, Sunny."
"Ugh, well yeah, but what's with yer get up?" The masked unicorn asked, motioning to Spike with a gloved hoof. At that moment, Sunny realized he too was wearing some sort of an outfit. "What in Granny's green girdle?!"
Looking around him, Sunny spotted a metal air vent that's reflective surface would act as a mirror. Running over to it, Sunny looked himself up and down, even opening the coat he was wearing to reveal many many pockets, all lines with various small gadgets and doodads. "What happened?! Why are we dressed like this?"
"We're in a comic book" Spike began to explain, a know-it-all attitude thick in his tone as he walked over to where Sunny had been looking over himself. "I've done this before. Kinda sucks that I'm stuck as Hum Drum, again. But it looks like 'you' are the Dark Detective."
Pausing to think for a moment, something reminded Sunny of a chapter he read about in 'the elements of harmony; a reference guide'. Then a light flipped on in his head. "This is just like th' time you and th' girls got sucked into th' Power Pony's comic, right?"
"I guess so" Spike said, thinking back to that awesome adventure. Then a sharp scowl popped into his face. "That means one of the comics you got me was from the Magic comics shop! They suck ponies into their pages until try beat the bad guys! It's your fault we're here!"
Just as a heated argument was about to break out between the city's two greatest heroes, an explosion quickly followed by the sound of an alarm and the screams of ponies interrupted their possible fight.
"We'll settle this later" Sunny said as he ran over to the ledge of the building. Immediately, the Dark Detective caught sight of the cause of the ruckus.
Joining him, Hum Drum gripped into the ledge, his eyes quickly zoning in on a near by bank that was now on fire! The front doors had been blown out and some shady looking goons in black outfits were making their get away in the heat of the commotion.
"We have to stop them!" The Dark Detective declared, his eyes narrowing on the bad guys. "But how do we get down there?"
"In the top pocket on the left side of your coat should be your grappling hook" Hum Drum instructed the hero. "If you fire it just ahead and above where those guys are, we could catch up to them and stop them!"
"Great idea, Spi-ugh, I mean, Hum Drum" The masked hero corrected himself. "Guess we better use those names while we're here, right?"
"Yeah. Sure. Whatever" Spike said, annoyed that he had to be called by the name of the lamest sidekick in any comic book he's ever read. Hopping onto the Dark Detective's back, the sidekick added "I just want you to know, I still haven't forgiven you. For anything."
"Noted" the masked hero said as he pushed all thoughts of redemption out of his mind and started running to the edge of the building.
When the Dark Detective reached the edge of the roof, he took as wide of a leap as he could, before pulling out his grappling hook and fire if it at the direction Spike suggested. It would have been great if the hook had actually caught onto where it was supposed to. And in comics, that happened most of the time. However, this time was different. As the hook neared the ledge of another building where the Dark Detective planned for it to go, the hook instead hit the ledge and bounced, and failed to grip anything.
"Ugh oh..." the masked hero said as he and his sidekick continued to fall faster and faster to the ground!
"Ahhhh! Grab something else!" Hum Drum said in a panic.
"What else does this guy have?!" The Dark Detective asked as he began rummaging through the various pockets of the large black coat. Items he had no idea about began to fall out of their respective pockets, none of which the masked stallion knew what they were.
"Just grab something, anything!" Hum Drum snapped as the ground below was approaching them and fast!
Grabbing a small black box from another pocket, the Dark Detective pressed a button on the side, activating what he hoped was something that could help them fly. Unfortunately for them, it was the Dark raft, which was just a water raft painted black. But fortunately For them, that gave Spike an idea! Thinking quickly, Spike, dressed as Hum Drum, grabbed the grappling hook, reeled it back in, and repositioned him and Sunny, dressed as the Dark Detective, into the raft. When the raft was just a few yards from the ground, it hit a flag pole. The pole bent, but didn't break. Instead, it flung the dark raft along with the two heroes through the air! As the two heroes hung on for dear life, Spike grabbed hold of Sunny and fired the grappling hook once more, this time when the hook was fired, it grabbed hold of it's target.
Passing the grappling hook to the unicorn dressed in all black, Spike then hopped onto the Dark Detective's back and held on tight. Having a second chance, Sunny wasn't going to mess it up this time. He smacked the button on the grappling hook's side that caused the gadget to begin retracting, and began pulling him back in the direction of the escaping back robbers!
As the two heroes drew closer and closer to the escaping back robbers, the Dark Detective felt himself losing his grip on the device retracting the grappling hook, and tried to readjust his hooves so as. It to lose his grip. Only, when he did so, his hoof accidentally hit the release button, and Trotum's two heroes were then hurled and landed onto the bank robbers, knocking most of them out cold.
When the Dark Detective got up and brushed some of the dirt off of himself, the last conscious robber quickly regained his composure and jumped to the Dark Detective! The masked hero wasn't even aware of the danger, but was aware his hat had fallen from his head. As he bent down to pick it up, the robber who was jumping at the Dark Detective and was in mid air, ended up missing his target and landed face first into a fire hydrant! And without any idea he as done it, the Dark Detective defeated the aggressive bank robber without raising a single hoof.
"Ah hate ta see anythin' happen ta ah good hat" The Dark Detective said as he brushed the dirt off the hat before placing it back on top of his head.
"Oh yeah, hate for anything to happen to a hat that doesn't belong to you!" Hum Drum snapped. The sidekick, unfortunately, was stuck underneath the pile of knocked out bank robbers. "Now can you get me up?"
"Sure thing" the masked hero said as he started to shove the bad guys off his aid.
Not two moments later did a large group of police ponies arrive at the scene, ready with handcuffs and police carts to take the bad guys to jail. Distracted by not only the police who showed up to collect and detain the robbers but a crowd that had begun to form, the Dark Detective forgot about freeing his sidekick and gawked at the crowd around him. Ponies from off the street who had seen everything unravel had gathered and were cheering, actually cheering, for the Dark Detective! Shouting his name, yelling thanks of all kinds, and once more, cheering!
Sunny stood in awe, taking in all the words of thanks and applause from the ponies of Trotum, and started to actually smile. In the past, Sunny had received such treatment when he returned from a victorious battle, when he fought off giant monsters who threatened the Empire, or other such tasks. Never before had it ever meant so much to him though. Maybe because, before, it was all expected of him to protect them and he didn't feel 'he' was actually receiving the applause. Sunny felt as though the applause was more for the fact that the conflict had been resolved. And so the prince would just take it and move to the next task. But this, this was actual applause for 'him'! For something 'he' got done! Kinda.
"Thanks for the help" Spike snapped as a police pony pulled a bank robber off the small mask and cape wearing dragon.
"Sp-ugh, Hum Drum, do ya hear that?" The Dark Detective asked as the crowd cheered.
Pausing for a moment to listen to the crowd, the scowl Spike wore earlier returned as e grew even more annoyed. "Yeah, I do. They're cheering for you, Mr. Hero."
"You bet they are!" A dark brown stallion approached the Dark Detective and Hum Drum. He had a thick, short, white mane, a small mustache to match, and a pair of beady little eyes that rested behind a thick pair of square glasses. "Great job today, both of you."
"It would have gone better if 'somepony' didn't mess up with his grappling hook" Spike said under his breath.
"Thank ya, ugh..." Sunny started to say to the elderly stallion, ignoring Spike's snide comment, but honestly had no idea who the stallion was.
"It's me, Dark" the stallion said, appearing a little confused that the city's greatest hero didn't recognize him. "Oh! I get it. I shaved off my goatee and trimmed my mustache. Now you hardly recognize your old pal on the police force. The commissioner. Right?"
"Ugh, right! That's it!" The masked hero tried to recover. "Ya look so much younger now."
"Weeeeell thank you" the elderly stallion smiled as he stroked his trimmed facial hair. "I'd love to stand around and chat, but I'm afraid we got more problems. Here..."
The police commissioner handed a file over to the Dark Detective.
"We've had another lab hit last night while you two took out that villain, Rumble Weed" the commissioner continued to explain. "This time not only was the lab hit, but the museum as well! Our boys still can't figure it out. But if anypony can crack the case, it's you, Dark Detective."
Feeling extremely confident, Sunny smiled and took the file in hoof, saluting the police commissioner. "Ah'll have this bad guy bagged and ready for ya in no time, commissioner. Ya'll can count on me!"
"Yeah, if you ever figure out how to use your equipment..." Spike said as he dusted off his cape.
"Hop on, Hum Drum" Sunny said in the most heroic tone he could muster, wanting to put on a dramatic exit for the crowd. "There's evil afoot. It's up ta us ta round it up and hog tie it!"
"Great, the sooner we get this done the better..." Spike said as he hopped onto Sunny's back, holding on with all his might.
As he took aim, Sunny made sure to keep his hooves away from the quick release as he gripped the grappling hook tightly and fired it into the sky. Once it hooked onto the ledge of a building, Sunny gave the hook a quick tug, activating the automatic reel system of the gadget. Kicking off the ground, both the Dark Detective and his sidekick were shot into the air! The crowd once again cheering and applauding for their heroes.
"We should probably head to the Dark Detective's secret hide out" Spike suggested. "There we could-"
The little purple dragon was interrupted as the two heroes turned slightly in mid air and collided with a balcony. Well, mainly it was Spike who collided with the balcony, having taken most of the blow by accident.
"Sorry partner, Ah'm still gettin' used ta this darn thing" Sunny admitted and tried to apologize to Spike who was rubbing his back to relieve some of the pain.
"Ugh! Pay attention!" The masked sidekick snapped. "Head towards the peer, there we-"
But before Spike could explain further, they hit another flag pole, this time Sunny saw the threat and ducked, but forgot to warn Spike to do the same. The poor baby dragon didn't even see the pole coming until it was too late! After smacking his head on the pole, Spike started to rub his nose, which had grown to three times its normal size and turned a bright shade of red.
"I'm really sorry, S-ugh, Hum Drum" the Dark Detective started to say. "Ah ain't used ta carryin' anypony on my back, neither !"
"Just go that way!" Spike had had enough and focused more on his own safety then instructing the yellow unicorn. 'Think I'd be safer with the villains in their lair as bait then with this guy...'
At the edge of the City, over looking a cliff side was the Billionbits manner. And beneath it, in deep dark caves that the duo were able to access through an underwater passageway, was the legendary Dark Cave! The place where the Dark Detective not only stored his gadgets, made them, repaired them, but also looked over and studied criminal activity. It was also a place where he kept items from his previous encounters with various villains. He had a giant animatronic hydra from when the Toy Creator tried to take over the city with giant animatronic creatures. He had a giant bit hanging from the ceiling, a dummy that was 'supposedly' the mastermind behind a crime spree involving a gang and a ventriloquist, as well several other outfits used for specific environments and situations. Sunny was so amazed my everything that e failed to notice a smoothly dressed elderly stallion off in the corner.
"Welcome back, master Dark, master Hum" the stallion said with an unreadable muzzle. He was rather thin and tall, his coat was a light cream color, his mane was thin and grey. And just like the police commissioner, he too had a mustache. But his was rather thin. His eyes too were tiny black pebbles at the top of his head. "Shall I prepare your normal returning beverages?"
"Ugh, sure?" Sunny said as he scratched under his hat. As the butler disappeared, Sunny leaned in and whispered into Spike's ear "who was that?"
"Him? That was just Penny Worth, Dark Detective and Hum Drum's butler. Now come on, we got work to do" Spike said as he took his mask off, allowing his face a chance to breath.
Feeling a little hot himself, Sunny also removed his mask and hat. He then was offered a large cup of hot chocolate by Penny who reappeared out of nowhere, shocking Sunny so much he almost spilled the cup! Regaining his composure, Sunny took the cup, smiled and thanked Penny, then proceeded to where Spike was to see what the little dragon was working on. Standing at a large, square table, Spike had taken the file the commissioner had given the Dark Detective, opened it, and spread the contents all over the table.
"Ok, I think I know who's behind this..." Spike said mostly to himself, trying to ignore Sunny's presence entirely.
"Really? That fast?" Sunny tried to sound impressed to complement the young dragon.
"Wasn't that hard" Spike snapped before turning to Penny Worth. "Would you mind bringing me every news paper from the last month?"
"Of course, sir" the butler replied, leaving a slightly smaller cup of hot chocolate for Spike before vanishing again.
Sunny took a sip as he looked over Spike's shoulder to try and piece things together as well. He didn't know much about the new Dark Detective comics, and it had been a while since he even picked up a comic himself, but he still retained what Spike had told him a little while ago and wanted to try and stay on the same page as his dragon companion.
Noticing this, Spike stepped aside, rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms across his chest. After a long and annoying moment of waiting for Sunny to give up, Spike just sighed heavily and asked. "Any idea who could have done this?"
Looking at the pictures, Sunny could see similarities in the robberies. All the pictures taken of the crime scenes had large holes surrounded by chunks of ice, with half of the building still frozen. Some of the notes stated that only one or two items were taken, and nopony noticed anypony leaving the scene of the crime.
"Ugh.... Dr.Chillzone?" Sunny guessed sheepishly.
"Dr.Chillzone?" Spike raised a brow, a frown still etched in on his face. "He hasn't been in the Dark Detective comics since issue 78, when the Dark Detective and Hum Drum reunited him with his long lost daughter and got him to turn over a new leaf."
"Maybe it's his daughter and him workin' together?" Sunny suggested, still trying to do his best to keep up with Spike.
Spike smacked his face with his dominant claw in frustration before shooting Sunny a rather annoyed look. "Ok, even if this 'is' a comic book, and stuff like that happens to bring back old time favorites, what was the title of the comic?"
That's when a lightbulb clicked on in Sunny's head, causing him to jerk a little, spilling some of his hot chocolate onto Spike. "Ah ha! It's Frost Bite!.... but who's Frost-"
"Hot! Hot! Hot!" Spike was hastily trying to cool his scales that were now doused in boiling hot chocolate. After a few moments Spike's scales began to cool and he narrowed his eyes on Sunny. "Yeah. Bingo. You pieced it together. It wasn't that hard. Anypony could have figured it out."
At that time, Penny returned with the papers Spike had asked him to acquire. Spike then began looking through them, and as he found what he was looking for, the little dragon folded the paper open to the designated page and put it aside. Sunny watched, wishing he could help, but thought it best to just stay out of Spike's way for the time being. The purple dragon knew more about comic books then he did.
Wandering around a little, Sunny found himself looking at all the various gadgets that the Dark Detective had made and used on a regular basis. Some of which were clearly labeled, but others were harder to figure out. Ones in canisters had been labeled 'anti-hair spray', 'fire in a can', 'emergency breath freshener' and oddly enough 'shark repellent'. Putting the shark repellent aside, Sunny moved on to the gadgets that didn't have labels and started fiddling with them. They all were odd shapes with parts that either popped open or twisted to become something else. Sunny then looked back at Spike. The little dragon was putting his mask back on, appeared for to prepare for an encounter with this 'Frost Bite'.
"So... who's this 'Frost Bite' again?" Sunny asked, his voice very faint and monotone so as not to antagonize the little dragon.
"She used to be called Sunday Sprinkles" Spike started to say as he grabbed a few gadgets, not even bothering to look Sunny in the eye. "She was a chemist working on a project to flash freeze food so it wouldn't be effected by freezer burn. Supposedly she came up with a chemical that could keep food frozen for years without any damage done to it. But an accident in the lab splashed the chemical all over her and she turned into a super powered pony who could freeze the air around her or anything she touched. Drawback to her powers; she has to be kept in freezing temperatures otherwise she gets really sick. So she made a giant, metal suit to keep her cool. She's strong and dangerous. Maybe even a little crazy."
"Strong, metal suit, freezing powers, crazy. Got it" Sunny repeated the key words as he began to load up on gadgets as well. "What have ya found out?"
Spike brought Sunny over to the table once they were done gathering what they needed. The papers were all spread out mapping the incidents and linking them to one common area. "More then half of these places were hit by the Maneiac when she built her weapon to make everypony's mane's go out of control like her own, so I'm assuming Frost Bite is doing something similar.
"But it looks like she grabbed some extra things. A few rare sapphires and gems, along with some other electronic equipment" Spike continued, pointing to all the areas. "No pony had seen her around and there were no large hoof prints leaving the scene of the crime. She needs that suit she made, there's no way she could function without it. And it's too big to move without being seen or leaving tracks."
"So how did she do it?" Sunny asked, picking up his hot chocolate now that it cooled.
"Look here, at all the sights, there's one thing connecting them all..." Spike pointed out something he circled in all the pictures.
Narrowing his eyes on the pictures, it took him a moment, but then it hit Sunny. "Th' sewers? She escaped through th' sewers?"
"If the sewers were big enough for Crocpony to fight the Dark Detective in, then they are big enough for Frost Bite to use for a quick and unseen escape" Spike noted. "And all the sewers lead up to one place..."
Looking at the papers again, Sunny's eyes focused on the one place at the heart of it all. "Th' old observatory?"
"Whatever she has planned, Im willing to bet it's there and I'm sure it isn't good" Spike clenched his fist. "We have to stop her!"
"Wow, not bad for ah sidekick, Spike" Sunny said without thinking as he finished the last of his hot chocolate.
"Excuse me?" Spike snapped, his anger now focused on the yellow unicorn.
"Well, ugh... I mean, ya are playing th' role of th' sidekick, right?" Sunny tried to recover, but it was too late.
"No, I get it. That's all you see me as. A 'sidekick' a 'lacky'" Spike's voice started to rise, heavily armed with knives and venom. "That's why you used me against Twilight, isn't it? 'Oh, Spike is just a dumb sidekick, he won't figure out that I'm using him!"
"Spike, I never meant to 'use' you" Sunny's country accent began to fade as he began to panic. "You just... kinda came in by accident..."
"OH! That makes it ok, doesn't it?!" Spike continued, his eyes narrowing on the yellow unicorn. "I wasn't part of your 'master plan' but you used me anyway! You know , Sunny, I used to think you were really cool! Even before the lies about being a Canterlot knight. But now I see you for who you really are!
"You're just a-a-a giant jerk!" Spike spat out. "It's no wonder you didn't have any 'friends' before! If you treated any of them half like you treated me, Twilight and the others! Even Big Mac and Thunderlane! Is that all friends are to you?! Spomepony to use and throw away?! Just pawns?!"
"Master Hum" Penny appeared beside Spike, trying to get his attention.
"No, Penny! He needs to hear this!" Spike snapped at the butler, quickly silencing him before turning back to Sunny. "You don't deserve friends! 'Real' friends don't use each other! 'Real' friends don't lie to each other, or keep secrets, or do anything 'you' have done!"
"Master Hum-" Penny tried once more to stop Spike.
But trying to stop Spike just made his voice rise. "YOU DON'T DESERVE FRIENDS! I HOPE EVERPONY FINDS OUT JUST 'WHO' YOU REALLY ARE AND ALL TURN THEIR BACKS ON YOU! YOU INSENSITIVE, HEARTLESS, MANIPULITIVE-!"
"That's enough, Spike" Penny said, putting a hoof on the little dragon's shoulder to actually stop him.
Taking his eyes off Sunny for a moment, Spike looked to Penny and realized that he had been shouting this whole time. Feeling short of breath and a little light headed, Spike looked over at the yellow stallion he was just yelling at. Sunny's usual glow seemed to have been bleached, his muzzle now expressionless, but his eyes looked slightly watery. Sunny said nothing as he simply grabbed the Dark Detective's mask and put it on, followed by the Dark Detective's hat. "I know I hurt you Spike... I never meant to hurt anypony. But I know now that what I did was wrong. I know making it right won't be easy, but I need to try. I apologized to you, telling you how sorry I was. That's the first step. Even if you didn't accept it, I had to try.
"I'll deal with Frost Bite, then we can go home" Sunny said as he grabbed the grappling hook and fired it up into the endless darkness above. The gadget clicked and began to pull Sunny into the highest and most well hidden point of the Dark Cave. Once out of sight, Spike sighed and walked over to the table, looking through the newspapers for the funnies sections. That should entertain him until all of this was over.
"Master Hum" Penny approached the young dragon. "May I say something?"
"Let me guess, you think I was too harsh on him, don't you?" Spike asked in a rather annoyed tone. "Trust me, I wasn't."
"Maybe you were, maybe you weren't" Penny started to say. "But you know he means well. He may have hurt you in the past, but everypony makes mistakes. You of all ponies should know that."
"It's one thing to make a mistake, it's something else to lie and manipulate others" Spike snapped as he finally found the desired newspaper comics.
"That is also true" the butler agreed. "But you can make a 'mistake' in succeeding at the wrong thing just as much as you can make a 'mistake' at failing to do something right."
"What's your point?" Spike snapped, still feeling slightly angers from the fight.
"My point, master Hum Drum, is anypony can make a mistake, and we all have to face them at one point or another" the butler started to say. "But it takes a big pony, even bigger then a masked hero, to be able to look past those mistakes and try and work for a better tomorrow."
Spike paused and took in everything Penny Worth had to say. It was true that Sunny had lied to him and used Spike to keep his secret. But there was more to the yellow unicorn then that. Thinking back, Spike remembered seeing Sunny help Rumble and Button Mash deal with Race and his siblings, or the time Sunny helped the Cutie Mark Crusaders with their science project when Twilight and the others were out of town, heck, Pinkie even told Spike how Sunny's hole ordeal with even coming to Ponyville was to originally find help with his memory loss, but he ended up putting his own needs aside to help the Apples with their large order! 'Maybe... maybe he isn't all bad.'
Without a second to lose, Spike got up, tightened his mask and cape, grabbed a spare grappling hook, then bolted after Su-, er , the Dark Detective. Penny simply watched and smiled, thinking to himself 'good luck, Spike.'
After arriving atop the old observatory, The Dark Detective paused and looked around, make sure that he wasn't about to fall into a trap. When the coast looked clear, the masked hero lowered a line and dropped down into the old observatory. He didn't know how this place eluded him or the police of Trotum. From the outside the entire place appeared to be glowing blue, the light pulsing as if it were alive. It didn't take the Dark Detective long to find the source of the blue light. At the center of the observatory was what must have been the main telescope, but now it hardly resembled one. The shaft and large end of the telescope appeared almost unaltered. However, the smaller end and all around the bottom of the large telescope had stuff added to it and looked much like the Maneiac's machine. There were differences between the two, like a metallic ring around the base of the telescope lined with the missing jewels, as well as several computers that were all hooked up to the telescope, all now with the same thing on their monitors. The image of '57%' were on every one of them. Then it changed to '58%', then to '59%' and continued to steadily raise.
"I have to shut this down and fast" the Dark Detective said to himself as he walked up to one of the computers. Although Buck Billionbits was a wiz with computers, Sunny had never seen one before.
"Welcome Dark Detective" a mare's voice echoed off the metal walls. "I've been expecting you!"
As Sunny turned around, something big, cold, and hard hit him, sending the masked hero flying across the room. The Dark Detective's back hit a pillar before a quick and sudden chill blasted him, like a harsh arctic wind blowing and covering him. When the chilling wind stopped, Sunny took a better look at himself and gasped. He had been plastered to the pillar in a thick coating of ice!
"You know it's not nice to keep a mare waiting" the voice called out again as a pair of red eyes glared at the masked hero from the shadows. Stepping forward, with every hoof step seemed to rattle the entire observatory, was a giant metal pony. The design of the machine that stood before the Dark Detective appeared to mimic that of what the telescope had. The giant metal pony appeared to also have several parts glowing bright blue, with tubes connecting it every leg, and two to each side of the pony's metal face. It's head had a dome like reflective helmet, where it's muzzle appeared to have a metal grate for teeth that allowed it's cold breath to escape. The over all one of the pony was three, maybe four times that of Big Mac!
"Surprised by what you see?" The pony asked. "Well take a good look, it's the last time you'll ever see this hideous monstrosity! Once the computers are done loading, I'll be free from this metal prison!"
"What are you planning, Frost Bite?" The Dark Detective asked as he tried to think of a way out of this situation.
"What am I planning? Well I'll tell you, Dark Detective" her voice echoed off her metallic suit. "But one last thing..."
The giant pony lifted it's large left hoof, the suit popping off it's hoof to reveal a powder white pony hoof about 8 times smaller then it. In a flash, another arctic blast shot out and hit somepony hiding in the darkness! The pony then slid out of the darkness, body completely frozen in a block of ice. When they emerged from the shadows, it was revealed to not even be a pony at all! It was Spike, er, Him Drum!
"What are you doing here?" The Dark Detective asked. "I thought you were-"
After a moment of trying to break free from the ice, the little dragon gave up and looked over at Sunny. "I know... I was super mad at you... but... I guess I had a change of heart. We can talk about it later."
"Awwww don't let me or the count down stop you" Frost Bite commented in a mocking tone. "I mean, it's only at 70%, you two have all the time in the world to talk! Even more once I'm done."
"What is your plan, you dastardly fiend?!" Hum Drum snapped.
"My plan is simple. And now that I have you two both securely locked away, I don't mind sharing that with you..." Frost Bite said as she took several steps away and looked out onto Trotum.
"I've turned the telescope into a weather converter! " The super powered mare began to explain. "I will walk the streets once more, without this metal suit, be able to sing and dance like any other pony, once all of Trotum is coated in ice! I will unleash a storm so powerful it will turn this dark city into a frozen paradise!"
"So... you're going to cause another winter?" Sunny asked, slightly confused.
"No! When I freeze over Trotum, it will be three times as cold as any winter before to ensure my stability in it! And this winter will last FOREVER!" The mare within the metal suit proclaimed as she began laughing out loud. Her voice even creepier thanks to it bouncing off the metal walls of her suit.
"But you can't do that!" Hum Drum said frantically.
"Yeah! What about all the other ponies in Trotum?! They won't be able to even leave their homes! They'll be stuck there or forced to leave!"
"I fail to see how that's 'my' problem" Frost Bite snapped as she turned away from the window and took several steps towards the Dark Detective. "Besides, when everypony is homeless and cold, they'll have you to thank for all of this. If not for you're blundering, I would still be able to walk around town, eat hot foods, and enjoy a day at the beach like anypony else!"
The Dark Detective appeared confused to both Spike and Frost Bite. Seeing this, the metal suited mare looked over to a monitor and pressed a button in her armor. The screen went from the count down at '81%' to a black and white video of a mare;
The mare had on a thick pair of glasses, her mane tied back in a bun, freckles, and bucked teeth. She had inform of her a head of lettuce and a few vials of light blue liquid. "Hello everypony. My name is Sunday Sprinkles, and what I have here is the final product of my flash freeze potion. Just one drop can freeze even the most temperature sensitive foods, like this lettuce here, and perfectly preserve it for many, many years! The potion itself consists of-"
Just as the mare was about to go into explaining what the potion was made out of, a grappling hook came smashing through a window, breaking the vials of the potion and splattering it all over Sunday! The mare on the screen began to writhe in pain as the potion began to absorb into her coat! The tape stops on an image of the mare falling to the floor.
"That was the recording from my accident! That stupid hook look familiar?!" Frost Bite growled.
Both Sunny and Spike gulped as they noticed it was one of the Dark Detective's own grappling hooks!
"It was because of 'you' that i became like this!" Frost Bite's suit then shook a little, the chest part opening allowing a regular sized mare to be seen. Her light blue mane flowed freely as the Snow White mare popped her head out of the suit. Her cobalt colored eyes looked out and found the hero and his side kick easily in the darkness.
"My eye sight improved to being 20/20" the mare explained in a soothing voice that had previously been masked by the metallic echo of the suit. "My teeth bent back into shape, and even my coat now could rival some models, but it's all a waste! Thanks to you I'm forced to hide in that hideous suit I made!
"When I was taken to the hospital, the doctors couldn't do a thing for me! They ran every test they could, but all they could do to stabilize me was put me in the hospital's walk in freezer! The walk in freezer! Do you know how I felt?!" The mare hissed then coughed, feeling the room temperature too much for her chilled body to withstand, she retreated back into her suit, closing it. After she took a few deep breaths in the suit, Frost Bite began again.
"After that, I put this suit together so I could work on finding a cure myself" Frost Bite continued to explain as she took deep breaths in her icy cold refrigerator suit. The helmet's red eyes once again focused on the Dark Detective. "But attempt after attempt failed. So I thought 'why not just live the rest of my life in this suit?' Big mistake. Everywhere I went ponies would point and stair, some even took photos with 'the metal mister of Trotum' as yet called me!
"I quickly grew sick of this suit, and realized if I was ever to go back to the way I used to live, I would have to change all of Trotum, not myself! So I came up with a plan" the scheming tone in Frost Bite's voice returned. "In a matter of moments, Trotum is scheduled a rain storm that will last until the morning. My device will blast the rain cloud and turn it into a snow cloud, then multiply it's strength ten full!
"When all of Trotum is as cold as I am, I can once again go to the grocery store without gawking eyes, walk down the street without smashing anything, and enjoy a nice day on the beach without anypony pointing, joking, and whispering about me! I'll be free! Free! FREE!" The mare in the metal suit began to laugh once again.
"You won't be free" The Dark Detective stated, his voice low and cold.
"What did you say to me?!" Frost Bite asked, stopping her rant.
"You won't be free" the masked hero repeated himself. "You'll just extend the walls of your prison."
"What do you mean?! I'll be able to go-" Frost Bite almost repeated herself, but was cut off.
"Go where? To a store that's close because ponies can go there to unlock it's doors? Down an empty street with no pony around? Or to an empty, and most likely frozen over beach? Where is the 'living' in all of that?"
"Shut up!" Frost Bit screamed as she arched back on her hind hooves, then stomped down as hard as she could with her front ones. "You have no right to talk to me like that! This is all you're fault!"
"I know it is..." the masked hero replied, even though Sunny himself had not done it, Frost Bite needed to hear this from 'the Dark Detective'. "And for that, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
Frost Bite paused, her expression impossible to see within the confines of her metal suit.
Before the mad mare could say anything else, Sunny continued. "What I did was wrong, and how the ponies in town treated you was just as wrong, but doing this is even worse then that! Sunday, I know you're still in there, somewhere. Please, don't do this."
"Sunday Sprinkles! I know you!" Spike popped up. "You were the president of the Dark Detective fan club several years ago! We met with you and the other club members to attend a 'Q and A' and to pass out signatures!"
"Shut up! That was a long time ago!" The mare in the metal suit snapped. "I was young and foolish then! To look up to such a bumbling, glory hog such as the Dark Detective!"
"But you had a good heart" Sunny spoke up, drawing the mare's attention back to the masked hero. "And I know deep down, you still do. Saying I was sorry was just the first step, now I want to do whatever 'I' can to help you, if you'll give me a chance..."
Frost Bite thought for a moment, looked at her the monitors that all read '89%... 90%...', then back to the masked hero. "What makes you think 'you' could do anything to help me when nopony else could?"
"Hope" Sunny replied simply. "Hope. I never give up on my city, I never give up on my friends, and I never give up on those closest to me, no matter how hard they fall or how dark a situation looks. Because... because that's what a hero does. He doesn't fight evil for fun, he doesn't do it for the glory, he does it to set things right and to spark hope in the hearts of others. Others who had given up on those around them and themselves.
"What do you say, Sunday?" The Dark Detective asked, looking into the glowing red eyes of the suit's helmet, knowing Sunday was looking back at him through it. "It's your choice now. 'You' could be the hero, or you could just let Trotum freeze over. It's your call..."
Looking from the Dark Detective, to the computer screen that read '95%... 96%...', then back to her childhood hero, the suit's mask exhaled a gust of chilled breath. "The whole city will hate me, I've committed crimes, I'll go to prison."
"I'm good friends with the commissioner, I can talk to him for you" the masked hero stated. "Besides, all of this is technically 'my' fault. Please...let me help you."
The screens all read '97%... 98%.... 99%...' all before going completely blank. Frost Bite had pulled the main power cord, shutting it down and stippling her own plans to freeze over Trotum. She had hopped out of her suit last moment to do so, and now looked back at the Dark Detective with glossy cobolt colored eyes.
"Please... help me... I'm sorry... I'm really sorry..." she said in a shaky voice as tears trailed down her cheeks.
Back at the Dark Cave
"Hold still..." the Masked Matterhorn said as she looked over Sunday once more.
"Can I look yet?" The mare said with great enthusiasm, almost unable to hold in her excitement.
After going over the hit once more, the Masked Matterhorn smiled and nodded, pleased with her work. "Ok, you can open your eyes now."
As Sunday Sprinkles did, she looked into a set of three mirrors, each one showing a different side of herself. She moved and posed to see the different sides of her new body suit. It was white and pink in color, stretching all over her body, with goggles covering her eyes.
"Wow! I look really cute! I love it!" Sunday said as she started bouncing up and down.
"The suit is fairly sturdy, and shouldn't tear or rip easily" the Masked Matterhorn started to explain. "It's fully insulated with the fabric being able to keep in all your body's chilled atmosphere. So even if you, for some reason, found yourself in the middle of the desert, you'll still feel as chilled as you would in a freezer."
"Ugh, what about the touch?" Sunday asked, remembering how the doctors at the hospital had to wear special gloves just to touch her. Everything she touched with her hooves froze.
A quick way to demostrait the strength of the suit was for the Matterhorn to reach out and grab Sunday by the hoof. After holding her hoof for several moments, the masked Matterhorn smiled. "See? You can still slightly feel through the suit, but you won't freeze anything or anypony unless you focus your powers on it."
"That's great! Now all I need to do is-" Sunday started to cheer when a certain mask wearing hero reentered the room.
"Wait for me to get back with the good news?" Sunny asked as he and Spike still masquerading as the Dark Detective and Hum Drum emerged from the shadows. "I talked things over with the police commissioner as well as the Mayor. I explained to them the situation, and they granted me, 'the Dark Detective', fully responsible for the robberies as well as your accident."
"After all he's done for the city, and after we returned all the stolen things and offered to pay for the repairs, your slates are totally clean" Hum Drum added victoriously.
"Well... mostly clean" Sunny admitted. "The ponies of Trotum don't trust you yet. We need to show them that you're good. And you know, there's no way better to do that then by joining me and Hum Drum in cleaning up the city of crime."
There was a dead silence as Sunday processed all of that the Dark Detective was saying. "Wait.... you mean... I... join you two? In fighting crime? And saving the day?...."
"If you want to" Sunny said as he readjusted the Dark Detective's hat. "Or if you want, you could always join the Power Ponies in Maretropoolis."
"I know the others would love to have you join us" Th Masked Matter horn said with a smile.
"The choice, once again, is up to you" Sunny said with a smile.
A small smile began to grow on Sunday's face as she jumped at The Dark Detective, giving hug the biggest hug she could. When she released him, she looked around the room to give everypony her answer. "For the time being, I think I'll stay here and make things right. Besides, Trotum is my home. And I can't just leave it up to these two clowns."
"Please take care of them for us" the Masked Matterhorn told her. "And if you or the Detective need anything, we're just a phone call away. And Hum Drum, will we see you around some time again?"
"I'm sure once things smooth out here, I'll come back" the sidekick said.
"Then what do you say team? Shall we go patrol the city?" the Dark Detective asked as he pointed his grappling hook up it the dark ceiling of the Dark Cave. The gadget kicked back and pulled the Dark Detective into it's shadows.
"Let's do it!" Sunday said as she thrusted her hooves down, projecting herself into the sky with the last of her arctic wind. The snow that her blasts made dissipated in a moment after she left.
"Here we go again" Hum Drum exclaimed as he too shot off his grappling gun and soared through the air.
The Masked Matterhorn smiled and shook her head. "I guess all a pony really needs is a second chance. Good for you Sunday. Take care of those boys..."
Twilight's castle, Spike's room
The Dark Detective comic on the ground began to shake as it flipped open and spat out both Sunny and Spike in a flash of white light. As the two boys moved and flipped into their upright position, looking themselves offer as they straitened themselves out, the comic book disappeared.
"Well that was interesting, but Ah wouldn't really pay 900 bits to do it all again fer ah comic that would just disappear" Sunny said as he picked up his stetson had and brushed the dirt off of it.
"You payed 900 bits for that comic?" Spike asked, shocked that Sunny overplayed that much for it. "I only payed 3 bits for my last magic comic."
"Well... ta be honest, ah got it fer free" Sunny hated to tell Spike that Truth and sound cheep, but he needed to be honest. "Th' guy got busted free sellin' fake merchandise and ah got those comics fer free. Sorry."
Looking at the comics, Spike shrugged. "Eh, sounds like a fair deal to me, besides, I have another idea of what we can do with those bits."
"What would that be?" Sunny asked, sounding nervous.
"You ever been to a comic convention?" Spike asked as he quickly went rummaging through the papers on his desk, pulling out and showing Sunny a poster advertising the event. "There's one coming up in Caneterlot next month! Ponies dress in costumes, buy and trade stuff, there are games as contests, and lots of other stuff! I always wanted to go but Twilight thinks it's a waste of bits. Everything's really expensive."
"So... if we go, you'll forgive me?" Sunny asked in a slightly nervous and timid tone.
Scratching the back of his head, Spike tore his eyes from the poster of the comic convention to the yellow unicorn. "I already forgave you, Sunny. I just though..."
"That you'd like ta take ah friend to go and check it out who loved comic books as much as ya'll do?" Sunny said as he shot Spike a smile. "Well ah may not be as inta comics as much as ya, but that sure was ah heck of ah lot of fun dressin' up like ah super hero! Let's do it!"
"Awesome! Now we need to make some costumes" Spike said as he started pacing around, thingking of possible costume ideas.
"No offense ta th' Dark Detective, but ah think I'd like ta go as somepony else" Sunny said. "But ah don't really know that many comic book heroes."
"Yeah, I'm kinda tired of being Hum Drum. Besides, most ponies go as Hum Drum anyway" Spike said as he scratched the back of his head.
"Wanna go out fer ice cream and brainstorm ideas?" Sunny suggested.
"Heck yeah! That sounds awesome!" Spike said, throwing his fisted claws into the air. "Hey, ugh.... my legs are kinda tired, would you mind if I... got a ride from you?"
Without a second thought, Sunny wrapped his green magical aura around Spike and levitated him onto his back. After the baby dragon was secure on the yellow unicorn's back, Sunny trotted out of Spike's room and down the hall that lead to the front doors. Both of the boys were chanting 'ICE CREAM' the whole way.
Down the hall, Fluttershy and Twilight had just come back from a friendship mission, carrying with them books that Twilight obtained on that same mission. The purple alicorn was very please with herself for the haul and Fluttershy was more then willing to help her friend pull the large basket of books into her castle's library.
"Thank you for all your help, Fluttershy" Twilight said as she held the door open for her timid yellow friend. "It's rare that I come across books I don't yet have in my collection. And when I saw so many, I couldn't help myself."
"Oh, it's not a problem, Twilight" Fluttershy started to say. Then the light blue eyes of the Pegasus mare locked onto a fast approaching duo.
Sunny with Spike ridding on his back quickly dashed down the hallway, almost running right past Twilight and Fluttershy. The yellow unicorn was able to put on the breaks last minute, skidding to a stop.
"Where are you guys going in such a hury?" Twilight asked, a single brow raised at the two boys, surprised that they appeared to be getting along.
"Well, ugh, I talked about it with Sunny..." Spike started to say, but was having a hard time getting the words out.
"Spike told me 'bout ah comic convention goin' on in 'bout ah month. Would it be ok with you, Twilight, if we went?" Sunny finished asking for the little purple dragon, knowing that that was probably the hardest part Spike had to do.
Twilight looked at Sunny and Spike both, a little shocked at what she saw. Not maybe an hour ago the two weren't even on speaking terms, now Sunny was letting Spike ride in his back and they wanted to go to a convention together? The princess of friendship took a longer look at the two, studying their expressions and the looks in their eyes. Eventually a small smile grew on her face as she nodded. "Alright. Is anypony else going?"
"Maybe Thunderlane and Rumble would like to go" Sunny's mind first hopped to the only other stallion he knew who collected comics.
"I know Big Mac would like to go too, if we invite him that is" Spike added. "He wouldn't want to come out and ask us himself."
"Cool! We could all get together an' think up some costume ideas" Sunny beamed, growing more and more excited. Then something he remembered from the comic book store struck him, making him cringe. "Ugh... but we need ta stay away from wearing black armor. Apparently they put the 'Black Knight' in as ah new villain in th Power Pony comics."
"Really?!" Spike sounded surprised, but rebound from it as he and Sunny started casually walking away, still heading to meet the others for ice cream. "Why didn't you grab that one? That would have been cool! Hay! If I get one, would you sign it as the Black Knight?... maybe?"
Sunny sighed and shook his head as he carried Spike out of the castle. "Let's just get some ice cream first."
Watching the two boys go off to have some fun, Twilight released a held breath. "It's good to see those two finally getting along. And over comic books? Boys are weird."
"I knew they would work it out" Fluttershy said as she finished pulling the books into the library. "Spike is very sweet, and Sunny is a nice guy when you get to know him."
"I'm just..." Twilight started to say, but had too many words to end that sentence with.
"I trust Sunny" Fluttershy said as she started to take the books out of her cart. "He's really a nice guy at heart."
Sighing a little as she organized some books onto her shelf, Twilight couldn't help but lose herself in thought. 'He needs to show me more of this 'nice guy' Fluttershy seems to see before I'll even consider forgiving him and letting go of everything he did.'
In the farthest corner of the Ironlock Prison stood the medical unit, a place where most of the time royal guards, who worked at the prison, would be taken after receiving injury or fallen ill from some disease. It was where Surgical Scalpel was placed when he was sent to the prison. It's where he had aided in the healing and restoration of the guard's health. On occasion, Surgical was ordered to aid a prisoner with similar ailments, but for the most part, Surgical's skills were needed for the guards. It was rare that an inmate was injured enough to find themselves under his care. Most of the ponies imprisoned were too afraid of what he might do to them to even request medical assistance. The whole situation left the medically trained pony feeling rather frustrated.
He felt like a school nurse helping foals with coughs and sneezes whenever a guard came in with a bad cut, broken bone, or head injury. He had been trained by one of Equestria's greatest medical ponies, and yet this is his fate. He could be out there, curing diseases, making medical history, but instead he was lock up here for 'crimes against pony kind'.
Sure, he may have obtained samples of increasingly terrible and seemingly incurable diseases, and he 'may' or 'may not' have directly exposed innocent ponies with no health issues to those said diseases in order to study them and harvest more samples, but was it really worth putting him in this prison? Was it really so bad? With all the diseases he had collected, Surgical could have eventually cured them all and written a number of medical books. Bokks that could aid 'pony kind' for generations to come! He would have not only shown just how much brighter he outshines his fellow students, but he would have surpassed even his teacher! If only he hadn't been found out. Once Celestia found out what Surgical was doing, he was put in chains immediately. Labeled a monster, and thrown up onto this frozen mountain to provide first aid to a bunch of guards who still watched him like a hawk.
But as Surgical put down his clip board and pushed up his glasses, he looked over at his most recent patient. The sight of Snowstorm passed out on one of the medical beds, suffering from a number of physical ailments, due to some unknown reason, caused a smile to grow on Surgical's muzzle.
"Well well well, old friend" Surgical said as he slid over and began speaking to the still out cold Snowstorm. "Things are starting to get interesting around here, but it seems you've fallen a little under the weather. Don't worry, i'll nurse you back to full health. Just as soon as I'm done recording everything I can about the observations of your illness. I've never even heard of a pony who underwent what you did. Harboring a pony made of pure shadow inside your own body.
"Still, I can't help but wonder why a 'loyal' guard such as yourself would do such a thing as harboring one of Equestria's most dangerous and wanted ponies inside your own body. Willingly even!" Surgical continued on as his cracked smile seemed to grow.
"Fear can make a pony do many things" a deep, dark voice bellowed from the hallway as King Sombra appeared, a hard but slightly forlorn look on his muzzle. But the sudden appearance of the shadow king didn't even shake the mad Doctor. Surgical just looked over in Sombra's direction and began taking mental note of the former king's own physical state. "How is your patient?"
"He's stable, for the moment" the medical stallion commented as his smile faded with the presence of the dark king. "Coming to check up on him, your majesty? Shouldn't you be, I don't know, rallying the troops or something?"
As king Sombra approached the resting warden of the Ironlock prison, his expression softened. For a moment, he remembered what Sunny looked like while he resting. Sombra wondered if his son still looked just as peaceful now as he did back then. No matter how much Sunny resented being a prince, Sombra couldn't help but see how much like a prince his son appeared to be while he slept. So peaceful. So refined. And so at peace.
"I owe this young one my life" Sombra finally spoke in response to Surgical's questions. "Despite his original motives stemming from fear, this young guard chose to keep me safe within himself, despite what it did to him, purely out of loyalty... Celestia should have been proud to have such a devoted soldier serving her."
"Yeah, well them's the breaks. Make a bad enough mistake and you end up 'here'" Surgical said as he picked up his clip board and approached the shadow king. "Another matter I should bring up to you; I need to study and monitor your own body, if you don't mind. I need to see what I'm working off of. If I learn how your body works, I should be able to help Snowstorm more easily, and with less trial and error."
Tearing his gaze from Snowstorm, Sombra's hard glare fell upon the medical pony who's smile began to grow back. Looking into Surgical's eyes, Sombra saw no need to turn him into a fear blinded zompony like the others. This medical pony's motives alone are enough to keep him in line. That, and working off of Surgical's motives to be recognized in the medical community would be easy enough for Sombra to work with. A pony powered by their own drives work harder then ponies who's wills are being bent to obey. "As you wish. But will you have time? Didn't Salted Carmel leave for the changeling nest this morning?"
"He did" Surgical said as he began gathering several utensils he planned to use on King Sombra for various tests. "I expect him back by dinner time. The coordinates showed it not to be too far off. I'll have Changelings to study and experiment on with my desert!"
Sighing slightly as he took a seat, Sombra thought about the pony Snowstorm report the location of the changing to. Sombra had been aware of everything Snowstorm said and did, even communicated with the unicorn in his head. So Sombra knew what kind of a monster would be tracking down Queen Chrysalis. Clearing the image of that pony's red, anger filled eyes out of his head, Sombra turned and looked to Surgical. "I'll let you examine me so long as you use what you gather to help Snowstorm."
"But of course" Surgical replied with a sly grin.
"And if you delay or do anything that would extend or increase Snowstorm's suffering, I won't hesitate to do to you what I did to them..." Sombra's hoof pointed to two mind wiped ponies in the corner. Film and Flam were sitting on their back legs as long rivers of drool ran down the sides of their mouths as their glossy eyes darted around the ceiling.
"Noted, now please, lay down..." Surgical pulled a curtain back to reveal another medical bed. "I won't take any longer then absolutely nessisary. Relax, and please, answer my questions honestly and to the best of your knowledge. This 'is' for medical science."
At the edge of a thick jungle, miles and miles away from the snowy mountain prison, beyond the Everfree forest, past the boarders of Dodge Junction, a stallion accompanied by a small team of soldiers, stood facing a well camouflaged changing hive. The stallion in question couldn't pull his fury filled red eyes from it. They burned with the rage and hatred he harbors in his heart for the insect like creatures. More specifically for their Queen. The one who ruined his life. The one who made him what he is today. Today was the day he 'thanked' her for what she and her underlings did, all those years ago....
Today the sun was shinning high in the sky, the weather was clear, and the Ponyville school yard was alive with the hustle and bustle of students eager to show off their science fair project. Just like the years before, the annual school science fair had come around, where students could show off their projects and what they learned from doing them.
"Thanks again for helping me with my project, Sunny" Button Mash said as he finished setting up the sign for his project. 'Growing Crystals !'
"No problem, Button. It was really fun" Sunny admitted. He never had such a thing back when he was in school. But science had come along way since w was in school 1000 plus years ago.
Button Mash's mom had to go out of town for the week to aid a sick relative. So not only was Button crashing at the Apple farm, but he also needed an older pony to help with his science fair project. Looking around at the other students, one could clearly see their adult pony aids. Scootaloo with her mini-roller coaster explaining g-force aided by Rainbow Dash, Apple Bloom had shown how different elements of environment effect plant growth with the help of her older sister, Applejack, even Snips and Snails had help from Snips's mom with their project, explaining what worked best to get gum out of one's mane and the chemical reaction involving it. But there were some little ponies who's actual relatives couldn't make it or help, like Sweetie Bell and Diamond Tiara, who received aid from a close relative like figure. Sweetie showed how music effects sleep with the help of Fluttershy, and Diamond Tiara got help from her butler, Ralph, on the chemical changes of gold and silver with different polishes and cleaners. All in all, taking a step back, Sunny was very impressed with how much school has changed and knowledge has grown. He himself was looking forward to going the around and seeing the different projects before the judging.
"Ugh oh..." Button Mash commented, his ears falling flat against his head as he looked strait ahead across the crowd.
"What is it, Button? Do we need more tape?" Sunny asked, then tried to look in the same direction the little brown earth pony was. Narrowing his sight, the yellow unicorn caught sight of another familiar foal. "Is that Rumble?"
Setting up a stand alone was Button Mash's best pal in all of Ponyville, Rumble, a little grey Pegasus who hasn't yet earned a cutie mark, but didn't really need it to enjoy his fun filled life in Ponyville. But what Sunny noticed was off was the poor little pony was setting up his project all alone. The board for his project looked like it was thrown together at the last moment, with scratches, scribbles and tame in odd places trying to explain the project. What was worse was the 'project' itself. From what Rumble's board said, it was supposed to be a volcano that used baking soda and vinegar to explain a chemical reaction between the two house hold items. However, the 'volcano' looked a little... well... like a cow pie. An almost flat brown mass with a hole in the middle.
"I had a feeling this would happen" Button admitted with a heavy sigh.
"Why? What happened, Button?" Sunny asked, genuinely concerned for the little grey Pegasus.
"His big brother was supposed to be helping him all week with his project" Button started explaining. "But lately, Thunderlane's been too busy to lend a hoof. I'm willing to bet that Rumble did that all last night when he knew Thunderlane wouldn't help him at all."
'I need to have a talk with Thunderlane about this' was Sunny's initial response. Then he noticed Cheerrilee walking over toward's Rumble's stand with a clipboard in hoof. "Let's get over there."
"Right" Button agreed and followed quickly behind the yellow unicorn.
"Wow, ugh... interesting display, Rumble" Cherrilee commented through a forced smile. "Ugh... So this is a 'working' model?"
"Yeah..." Rumble replied with very little to no enthusiasm in his voice.
Just as Sunny and Button Mash reached the display, Rumble had grabbed a glass of vinegar, and poured some into the mouth of the volcano. Everypony paused and watched, expecting the volcano to erupt with bright pink 'lava', like most of the volcano projects did. But after several moments of patient waiting, the rather flat looking volcano jus oozed with pink foamy bubbles out the sides.
"Well... that was unexpected. But sometimes that happens in science-" miss Cherrilee started to say, trying to still sound optimistic for the little pony.
"IT SUCKS!" Rumble snapped, glaring at the ground, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "This project is stupid! Science is stupid! School is stupid!"
The little grey Pegasus began yelling as he grabbed his project and tossed it onto the ground before stomping on it as hard as he could, smashing it to bits! Everypony in the fair had turned their attention to the little grey Pegasus throwing his tantrum. Before anypony could stop him, Rumble dashed off, pushing his way past his fellow students and their parents in his desperate attempt to get as far away as possible.
After Rumble ran off, Sunny approached a shaken Cherrelee, the poor teacher not really knowing what to do. "That wasn't exactly a normal reaction... was it?"
"I'm afraid not" the school teacher replied as she shook her head. "Sunny, you're friends with his brother, Thunderlane, right? I hate to ask you, but could you talk to him about Rumble?"
"Ah planned to, miss Cherrelee" Sunny said as she straitened his Stetson hat. "Ya'll can count on me."
After a quick visit to Twilight's castle, and making a request for some magical aid, Sunny then found himself floating up towards the city in the sky, Cloudsdale in a rented hot air balloon. Ponies in town had told Sunny that Thunderlane and Flitter were on a date up at Cloudsdale. Sunny hated to crash their fun, but this was important. As the hot air balloon slowly rose from the ground up, Sunny grew more and more nervous. Dragons he could deal with. An army of barbarian ponies on the charge, no problem. But two things he couldn't deal with; Spiders and heights. But this was for a friend. And if there's one thing the yellow unicorn knew, it was a pony should always go out of his/her way to help a friend. Even if it meant facing one of your greatest fears, like falling from miles and miles above the ground.
After arriving at the edge of the floating cloud city, Sunny nervously set a hoof on the ground made of cloud. He half expected his hoof to fall right through. But to his surprise, Sunny's hoof felt like it was pressing down on solid ground, not fluffy cloud. After testing it a bit more, Sunny finally hopped onto the cloud. He turned around and tipped the pony running the hot air balloon ride, asked her to stick around for a bit, then ran off to find his friend.
Dashing and zooming all around Cloudsdale, Sunny hurried to try and find his Pegasus friend as fast as possible, not just because Twilight said the walking-on-clouds-spell would only last for a few hours, but because it really bothered Sunny to see Rumble that upset and angry. The yellow unicorn remembered when he was frustrated with 'his' school work, all he needed was a little reassurance and help from his father and he could do anything he set his mind to.
'If there's anypony who can help Rumble, it's Thinderlane' Sunny thought to himself as he continued to run around town.
As the yellow Stetson wearing pony ran past Cloudsdale's movie theater, his ears picked up the sound of two very familiar voices. Sunny put on the breaks so suddenly he tore up some of the cloud ground. Looking back over his shoulder, Sunny was relieved that his ears weren't deceiving him. Walking out of the theater were Thunderlane and Flitter!
"Thunderlane!" Sunny called out as he dashed over to his friend. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"
Both pegusi were a little shocked to see Sunny around their home town, especially since Thunderlane told Flitter about Sunny's fear of heights.
"Sunny? What's up? I mean, other then you being 'here' I mean" Thunderlane joked as he held out a hoof for a hoof bump.
Sunny bumped his own hoof to Thunderlane's extended one as quickly as he could while catching his breath. "You need... to come... with me... it's about... about Rumble..."
"Oh my! Did something happen to him?!" Flitter nervously asked.
"Wait, let me guess, he's causing trouble, again?" Thunderlane put his hoof down, his light hearted expression faded from his muzzle.
"Yeah, there was some trouble at the science fair, and-" Sunny started to explain, only to be cut off by his winged pal.
"UGH! I don't know what I'm going to do with him!" Thunderlane spat out, his expression now flaring with annoyed anger.
"Has this been happenin' ah lot?" Sunny asked, now breathing regularly.
"For the past month or so he's been running around causing trouble" Thunderlane admitted, Flitter nudging him lightly on the side to help her Special somepony keep calm. It helped, and Thunderlane went back to explaining the situation to Sunny. "I've heard from ponies all around town that he's been getting into trouble, but every time I try and sit him down, he doesn't say a word. I don't know what to do, man. I mean, he's my little bro, but I can't figure out what's eatin' him."
Sitting there and thinking for a moment, Sunny started to unsuringly suggest "why don't 'I' try and talk to him for you?"
"You would do that, bro?!" Thunderlane's light hearted expression quickly returned with a hint of excited relief. "That would really help me out! If 'you' could talk to him, I know you'd get through! Besides, Flitter and I were just about to grab some lunch. Last thing I want to do is leave her hanging' while I go and try and get through to him."
"Ugh... maybe you should go, Thunder" Flitter said almost under her breath.
Thunderlane must have heard her though. "Nah! Sunny's got this! He helps Ponies out all the time! Right Sunny?!"
Before Sunny could agree or disagree, Thunderlane put a wing around Flitter and started to direct her down the street to a near by diner. Sighing slightly, Sunny retreated back to the hot air balloon that gently floated him back down to the nice, safe ground below. All the while, Sunny began thinking of how his father would approach him when Sunny himself had a problem like this.
After arriving at the ground, Sunny walked back into town, heading towards the house that he knew belonged to Thunderlane. After knocking on the front door, Sunny was then greeted by the foal he was hoping to talk to.
Rumble looked up at Sunny with a mad, but more upset glare. "What is it Sunny? My brother isn't home."
"I know" Sunny admitted. "I actually came here to talk to you, if that's ok?"
"Sure. Whatever..." Rumble rolled his eyes and opened the door the rest of the way.
Walking inside, Sunny couldn't help but notice something was off. There was a pile of dishes built up in the sink, the garbage can was overflowing, and it looked like very little tidying up had been done in quite a while.
"Has Thunderlane been ah little too busy ta get his chores done?" Sunny lightly asked, not wanting to be rude.
"Yeah, he's been a little too busy to do anything else other then obsess over his girlfriend" there was a sharpness in Rumble's voice when he said the last word.
Sunny watched as Rumble opened the fridge, looked at the expectation date on a jug of milk, cringe at the fact that it was over a week past the date, then grab a dirty glass from the sink. As Rumble started to wash it out as best he could before filling it with water from the tap, Sunny put a hoof on his.
"Why don't ya come back ta sweet apple Acres and we talk about what's been goin' on?" Sunny suggested, feeling like he might throw up if he saw anypony drink from the still dirty glass.
"Fine" Rumble said as he tossed the glass back in the sink.
Ponyville Spa
"Ah don't know what ta do, Rares..." Applejack admitted as she and her girlier friend sat in the relaxing, steaming sauna. "Sunny's been spendin' ah whole lot of time talkin' an hangin' 'round Twilight. She's mah friend, but... but ah don't wanna lose Sunny ta her."
"Trust me darling, I don't think you have anything to worry about with Twilight" Rarity commented as she stretched out a little bit, enjoying the pore clearing steam. "But you 'do' have something to worry about. I know you, ugh, have a hard time when dealing with stallions."
"Is this 'bout that one Hearts and Hooves dance, 'gain?" Applejack asked flatly.
"Not to kick a horse when it's down" Rarity replied. "But Caramel wasn't the same after you bucked him into that pile of hay."
"That's different!" Applejack snapped. "We were just friends! 'Sides, ifin' that ever happened ta Sunny, he'd just laugh it off. Like th' time ah rolled ah barrel over ta him and he couldn' catch it ta stop it. He ended up rolling on top ah it all the' way inta th' barn! We sure had ah hoot then!"
Rarity watched as Applejack's worry seemed to melt away as she went on about having to clean up the mess in the barn. Even if she did have more work to do from one of Sunny's goof ups, the yellow unicorn made Applejack happy. And Rarity was not about to let Applejack's happiness slip through we hooves!
"Alright, Applejack, its time to set things into motion" Rarity declared, readjusting the towel she had wrapped around her head.
"What do ya mean, Rares?" Applejack asked, slightly confused by the fasionista's bold statement.
"What I mean, is we're going to get Sunny to confess his love for you before the Gala, and you two will attend and have your first, really magical, super glamorous, unforgettable first dance as special someponies!" Rarity didn't know it, but her voice had steadily climbed to almost yelling. When she realized how loud she had actually become, the white unicorn blushed a little and sat back down in her seat.
"That sounds really wonderful Rares, but how do ah do that?" Applejack asked, questioning her friend on the means to get to that goal.
"First thing's first" Rarity started to say as she sat back down and began to relax on the bench again. "From what you told me, Sunny already told you quite a bit, say for his past. That shows he trusts you. You two seem to know each other fairly well, but other then working on the farm, what else do you two do together?"
"Ugh... well we... we... oh shoot! That's bout all we do is work on th' farm, cook, clean, and relax at th' farm" Applejack realized.
"Then we need to get you two to spend some time away from the farm, or doing something other then work" the white unicorn mare instructed Applejack. "Otherwise all he's going to think of you is somepony he works and lives with! Like a sister!"
Fear stuck Applejack to the core with that thought. "What do ah do, Rarity?! Help me!"
"Not to worry, darling" Rarity put a calming hoof on her friend. "Although Twilight is the famous avid reader, I pride myself on knowing almost every romance novel offered in town. I'll help you come up with full proof ideas on how to win your stallion over. Let's brainstorm some ideas while we get a well over do back massage..."
Heading back to the farm, Applejack's head was slightly spinning with everything she and Rarity came up with to spend more time with the yellow unicorn. But now the orange farm mare was more confident then ever that she could win Sunny's heart. Walking down the dirt road, Applejack was surprised to see Rumble playing tag with Apple Bloom and the girls. But she didn't think much about it since they all seemed to be having fun. As Applejack neared the farm house, she was shaken by one pony who appeared to not be having fun.
Sunny was gazing out into the orchard, once again, deep in thought. Looking at him when he was like this, Applejack would almost not recognize him. He looked so much older, official, colder almost. Like a castle wall. What bothered the farm mare the most about when Sunny got like this was the look in his eyes. Those bright emerald green eyes, normally so full of life, looked like they were gazing out into an oncoming storm. It was worse when the topic of his father came up. But from what Applejack could tell, things weren't quite 'that' bad.
"Everythin' ok, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked as she sat next to the yellow unicorn.
"Applejack, have ya ever had a Special somepony?" Sunny plainly asked, turning his head slightly over to Applejack.
Applejack was taken back by the question, not really knowing how to answer. "What?! Ugh, w-well, ah, ah've had one er two... kinda, why?"
"Well... it's Thunderlane" Sunny finally said, turning his whole body to face Applejack. "Ah went ta talk ta him 'bout his little brother actin' up at school, but he was on ah date, so ah offered ta talk ta Rumble mahself. Come ta find out th' little fella's been havin' ah hard time with his school work, not just with his science project. And his brother who used ta help him ain't doin' it no more."
"Really?" Applejack began to relax as she took a seat next to Sunny. "Why's he been leavin' him high and dry?"
"Ah think ah know why, but that ain't the only thing he's been neglectin'" Sunny continued, readjusting his hat.
"What else has been goin' on, partner. Don't leave me guessin'" Applejack said, sounding more and more concerned.
"Well... ah don't know how much of this is true, but from what Rumble's told me, Thunder's not only been letting his house hold chores go undone, leavin' piles of dirty dishes piled up, layers of dust in everything, and bags of trash ta gather in th' corner, but he's been callin' off a lot from work."
"That ain't good..." Applejack commented, growing more and more concerned.
"That still ain't th' worst of it" Sunny added, his worry starting to come to a full boil. "Rumble said that Thunder's even gone and 'quit' th' Wonderbolts academy!"
"Quit th' achedemy?! But why?" Applejack was shocked to hear this and hoped Rainbow wasn't napping in a near by tree to ease drop.
"From what ah gathered, and from what Rumble's said, Thunder's been spendin' all his free time either with Flitter or tryin' ta set up fun an' excitin' dates" Sunny said with a sigh as he dropped his head, his worry pot now taken off the burner. "That's why ah asked ya 'bout havin' ah special somepony. Ah can't remember mah Ma, so ah don't remember what ah relationship between mah Ma and Pa was like. Are all relationships like that? Should ah just keep mah yap shut? Or should ah go talk ta Thunder? An what would ah say?... ah just don't know Applejack..."
Sunny was surprised to feel Applejack's dominant hoof land on top of his. Looking from the ground to her hoof, he then trailed all the way up her leg until his emerald green eyes met hers. Applejack just shot him a small smile, and for some unknown reason, that simple smile seemed to take all the worry off of the yellow unicorn, making him feel like everything would be alright.
"Ah think ya should have ah word with yer friend" Applejack broke the standing silence. "Ya can't tell ah full grown pony what ta do with their' life, but ya can let em' know when ya feel like something ain't right. That's what ah 'true' friend would do."
Taking her words in, the light that normally filled Sunny up, and gave him a faint shine returned along with it a new sense of strength and direction. He pulled his hoof out from under Applejack's and embraced her with a big, warm, loving hug. "Thanks, Applejack. Ah'm sure lucky ta have somepony like you in mah life."
Releasing her from his hug, Sunny ran as fast as he could down the dirt road, kicking up a cloud of dust behind him as he ran faster then he ever had before, leaving Applejack on the farm house porch to calm her fast beating heart. A huge smile plastered all across her face as she repeated Sunny's words over and over in her head.
Racing through town, Sunny quickly looked all round, asking th everypony once again if they had seen Thunderlane. After about ten minutes or so of searching, Sunny was surprised to see Thunderlane and Flitter through a window, sharing a tall milkshake togeather at Sugar Cube corner.
As the couple drank their milk shake down about half way, Sunny burst trough the front doors and stood there in a battle ready position as if he was ready for a showdown. "Thunderlane, ah need ta have ah word with ya."
Shocked to see his friend there taking such an battle ready stance in such a normally calm environment (or what could be described as 'calm' with somepony like Pinkie working there), Thunderlane froze for a moment before Flitter broke free from her own frozen position and nudged her boyfriend with her wing.
"Ugh, y-yeah, sure" Thunder said hesitating a little as he got up from the table and followed his unicorn friend outside. Once he was certain they were out of ear shot,Thunder looked to his friend appearing slightly confused and annoyed. "What's this about, dude? If you can't tell, I'm on a date."
"Ah talk with yer brother 'bout how you've been acting and what ya'll have been up to recently and Ah'm concerned" Sunny started to say.
"Whoah, dude, whatever my little bro had to say, I'm sure he was just blowing things out of proportion. You know kids" Thunderlane immediately went on the defensive without hearing what Sunny had to say.
"Then ah want ta hear it from you" Sunny put his hoof down. "Ah saw yer house, it was ah mess. Rumble couldn't even get ah glass of water 'couse every glass was filthy. He then tells me ya been spendin' all yer time out and 'bout in these 'dates' and settin' 'em up and what not. Even calling in form work ta do so."
"He's exaggerating" Thunderlane's tone grew increasingly heavy as his brows sank, narrowing his eyes at Sunny. "Besides, its not really any of 'your' business what I do with my life anyway. It's 'my' house and 'my' job. What does it matter to you how 'I' deal with it?"
"It matters to me when my friend quits the Wonderbolts Achademy and gives up on his dreams of being a Wonderbolt!" Sunny couldn't keep his composure any longer. He lost his country accent and seemed to stand towering over Thunderlane, speaking with great authority. "I watched you practice and train to just get in there! We spent days just talking about how wonderful it will be for you to fly with the greats and how you were going to be one of them! Now you just go and throw it all away?!"
Thunderlane had never seen this side of Sunny before. Sure, he had seen and heard Sunny speak without the accent, but now he was... it's like he was somepony else entirely. But Thunder managed to gain his footing and speak. "I... I originally wanted to just join to meet girls, ya know? All that came after..."
"But am I wrong?" Sunny continued to speak demanding respect with every word. "Did you not have those dreams? Those goals? Did you not work that hard to reach them? And now you're not only throwing 'your' life away, you're pushing everypony aside just for Flitter!
"I know she's important to you, trust me, I know" Sunny's tone softened as he put a hoof on his friend. "But there are other ponies in your life who want to be a part of your life. Like me, Big Mac, and your brother. When's the last time we all hung out as a group? Just chillin' and talking?"
Thunderlane's head hung a little, he found it hard to look Sunny in the eye. "It's been... kinda a while..."
"I didn't want to press the matter because I knew you were with somepony important to you, and I knew when you came down off of cloud 9, eventually, we would hang out again. But Rumble needed you, he still does." Sunny looked down and forced Thunder to look him in the eye. "Rumble looks up to you, and needs you to be a positive roll model. There's no doubt in my mind that you can do this, but you need to find a balance between time with your girlfriend and the other aspects of your life."
"Is all that true, Thundy?" Flitter's light voice sprang up from behind the dark grey Pegasus.
Looking up, Sunny and Thunderlane saw Flitter standing maybe three yards from them, a shocked look on her face.
"...Yeah... it's all true... " Thunderlane sighed before raising his head. "I'm sorry Flitter. I just.... I've never had a special somepony like you. Somepony who's smart, funny, pretty, cute, and makes me happy to be around, and... and I guess I just didn't want to lose you..."
Flitter casually walked over and nudged Thunderlane playfully on the side. "You won't lose me because you have to do some chores or go to work. I do those things too, silly. Maybe we can even do them together. One day I'll help you with your chores, the next day you help me with mine, and if you ask nicely and apologize to Rumble, maybe, just maybe, I'll be nice and help you two with his science project."
Thunderlane's smile returned as he looked up at his marefriend and gave her a big hug, his wings wrap it around her. "Thanks Flitter... I'm happy to have you in my life."
Glitter in turn lasted her head on his chest and smiled back. "I'm happy to have you in mine. But let's get things in order ok?"
"Yeah, I better go find Rumble and be a good big brother" Thunder said as he broke the hug and unwrapped his wings from around Flitter.
"I'll go talk to Spitfire and see if I can re-enroll you in the achademy" Flitter said as she hopped up into the air. And with one last wave, flew off towards the Wonderbolt's academy.
As the light purple Pegasus mare disappeared out of sight, Thunder released a heavy sigh before turning to Sunny. "Hey man... thanks. I'm sorry I was such a jerk."
"No worries, partner" Sunny answered with a smile, his accent returning.
"You're a real friend" Thudner said as he offered a hoof to Sunny.
"Takes one ta know one" The yellow unicorn replied as he met Thunder's hoof with his own for a hoof bump.
"Maybe I'll settle the score and pull your backside out of a bad situation some time" Thunderlane added before stretching, ready to take off and find his brother.
"Friendship ain't 'bout keepin' score" Sunny noted, still smiling. "It's 'bout bein' there whenever ah friend needs ya."
"True that" Thunderlane nodded in agreement as he flew off to find Rumble.
The sun was setting on the farm when Sunny returned, walking up the same familiar dirt road he left on hours ago. Applejack and Apple Bloom had dinner just about ready when he walked into the farm house with a big smile on his muzzle.
"Get everythin' sorted out, sugarcube?" Applejack asked as she looked over and shot the yellow unicorn a half smile.
"'Yep" Sunny said as he went over to the sink to wash his hooves. "Sorry ah got back so late. Ah'll get th' dishes tanight."
"Normally Ah'm let ya do that 'cause it was yer night ta cook" Applejack started to say playfully. "But ah guess ah could give ya ah hoof with those dishes, ifin' ya don't mind."
Taking in the whole picture, Sunny couldn't help but feel greatful and happy that, despite everything he's gone through and everything threatening to destroy his peaceful life, right now, everything is alright. All that mattered was this family he became apart of, and the wonderful mare who's eyes he quickly became lost in. 'I'm glad ta have you in mah life, Applejack. More then ya might know.' "Mighty thanks, partner."
"Flashlights?" Applejack asked as she nervously paced back and forth in Sunny's room.
"Check!" Sunny called out as he held up several flashlights in his green magical aura, placing them in his hiking bag.
"Sleepin' bags?" Applejack asked the next think on her mind.
"Check!" Sunny replied, motioning to a few sleeping bags he piled off to the side.
"First aid kit?" Applejack asked, now worrying what would happen if one of them got hurt.
"Got two of 'em " Sunny smiled triumphantly as he pulled two first aid kits out of his bag before putting them back. " 'long with marshmallows, chocolate bars, gram crackers, emergency provisions, a compass, and ah map of th' area."
Sighing heavily, unable to calm down, Applejack continued to pace. "Oh...Ah sound more nervous then ah long tailed cat in ah room full ah rockin' chairs."
But Sunny just smiled and finished tying down his bag, first making sure to slip in his small lavender bag, then turned and out a hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "Ah understand yer nervous, Applejack. But we're strong guys, we can handle ah few days of hoofin' it in th' woods."
"Have ya'll ever been campin' before?" The orange farm pony asked, her curiosity now slightly overshadowing her worry.
"Well.... kinda..." Sunny replied honestly. There were many times he and his group of fellow guards had to endure harsh conditions out past the safety of pony society in order to complete a mission. The closest he could honestly say he had gotten to 'camping' was a stalemate he and his fellow guards had with a group of bandits that held themselves up in a cave at the bottom of a gorge. Sunny and the others had them closed off and just needed to wait for them to give up and come out. But the bandits were stubborn, and waited a full five days before realizing they couldn't tunnel a way out with a spoon, and eventually came out. During that time, Sunny and the other guards took shifts between gathering food, fetching fresh water, and building/rebuilding makeshift tents and a camp fire. That sounds like camping, right?
"Ah just don't want nothin' ta happen to ya'll" Applejack admitted, her worries once again taking full control. "What if there's ah storm? Or ya'll get lost?!"
"Applejack, it will be ok" Sunny shot her a calm, laid back grin. "Even if I don't have any experience at all, Big Mac and Thunderlane had both been camping before. Even Doctor is coming along, and from what he's told me of his recent adventures, camping should be a breeze."
"Well... a'right" taking a few deep breaths, Applejack tried to calm herself down more. "An'.... an' if anythin' happens, ya'll come right back here, right?"
"Scout's honor" Sunny said as he saluted Applejack in an unfamiliar fashion.
This left Applejack kind of stunned. "... ya'll were ah scout?"
".... something like that." Sunny hesitated but eventually answered. 'Does a junior guards academy student count as a scout?'
Everypony who was leaving for the trip met Sunny and Big Mac at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. The party not only included Thunderlane, Rumble, and Doctor, but Spike, Snips, Snails, and Button Mash. It was meant to be a male bonding experience. Just stallions and colts ruffing it in the woods. Them against the elements.
"This is going to be awesome!" Spike said with great enthusiasm, jumping up into the air with a large purple back pack attached to his back.
"Heck yeah it is!" Rumble said joining Spike in for a high hoof. "No school, girls, just us guys against the wilderness!"
"Still don't see why I couldn't bring any video games..." Button mumbled under his breath, a rather annoyed look on his face.
"I understand your feelings, young Button" Doctor added. "Sunny told my I wasn't to bring any of my scientific instruments along either. Even though a water purifier, demolecular atomizer, or even a sonic screwdriver would have proven most handy in our venture into the wilderness."
"Guys, we aren't going into the Everfree or Froggy Bottom Bog" Thunderlane said as he flew between them and put his hooves around their shoulders. "It's just the same old forest at the edge of the Apple's orchard. It's as 'tame' as you can get."
"Not so tame that we can't have fun" Sunny added.
"Eh'nope" Big Mac agreed as he readjusted his own backpack.
"And we'll make s'mores" Snails stated as he began licking his lips at the thought of the favored campfire treat.
"And scary stories, right!" Snips asked looking from one older pony to the other.
"Right ya are, partner" Sunny answered with a sly grin. "And ah had ah idear. Ah'll tell ya'll when we stop ta make camp fer th' night."
"And idea? What kind?" Button's annoyed expression softened as he looked over at the yellow unicorn.
"Let's get ah move on, Ah'll explain on th' way. Might help if ah give ya'll some time ta prepare" Sunny chuckled to himself as he really started to enjoy himself.
"Hey! Wait up!" A voice called out over the hill. Everypony turned and saw some white stallion with a blue and black mane running up to them. It wasn't until the mystery colt got closer that Sunny realized the stallion was actually a Pegasus. But from what the yellow unicorn could see, the white Pegasus had his wings bandaged up and pressed to his sides. "Leaving without me?"
"Oh man, I'm so sorry!" Thunderlane smacked his hoof against his head before turning to the group. "You guys don't mind if my old buddy, Heart Patch, comes along, do you?"
"Eh'nope" Big Mac said with a grin.
"Sounds ok with me" Sunny said as he offered a hoof to the new stallion. "Name's Sunny. Pleasure ta meet ya."
"Heart Patch" the Pegasus replied, shaking Sunny's hoof. "My mates call me Heart. So you're the new bloke working in the Apple farm. I've seen ya around town, but never put two and two together."
"We can talk along the way" Thunderlane said, interrupting the two stallions. "Let's get a move on. We're burning day light."
"Thunder's right" Doctor added, bringing out a compass and a map. "If we're going to reach the camp site by sundown, we have to get going now."
"Alrigh' then, let's hit 'em up and move 'em out everypony!" Sunny said as he began to lead the group into the woods.
Every colt or baby dragon was paired with an older pony. Button Mash stuck with Doctor, Big Mac took Snails, Thunderlane had his brother close to him, Heart Patch watched over Snips, and Sunny partnered up with Spike. Ever since their little adventure in the comic book universe, Sunny and Spike not only make up, but have gotten really close. Everypony sticking together, the group of guys began their long walk to the designated camping sight. It would take them the better half of the day to get there, leaving them a short time once they got there to set up camp.
Along the way, the group decided to stop for a quick lunch. Sunny was about to break open the bags of trail mix to pass around, when he looked around and noticed a few members of their group where missing.
"Hey guys, where did Heart Patch and Snips go?" Sunny asked, taking a third look around.
Right as everypony began to look around and slightly panic, the two missing ponies popped out of the bushes, with large anmounts of odd looking fruits and root vegetables in their hooves.
"Sorry to worry ya, mates" Heart said as he put his harvest down in the center of them. "Me and the little guy were getting hungry, and I couldn't help but notice several goodies around us."
Taking a second look at the various vegetation Heart harvested, Big Mac and Sunny shot each other a nervous look. Sunny turned back to look at Heart. "Ugh... ya'll sure this stuff is good ta eat?"
"Yeah! Heart knows a lot of stuff about wild fruits and vegetables!" Snips spoke up.
"No worries, mates" Heart replied as he picked up an odd looking yellow fruit and took a bite. "Ah... tastes like mango, with a minty after taste. Here!"
The white Pegasus tossed Sunny another yellow fruit. Sunny hesitated for a moment, then took a nervous bite. After a few chews, a smile grew on Sunny's muzzle. As the yellow unicorn took another bite followed quickly by another after that, the rest of the group dug in. Between the ten of them, the boys polished off the gathered fruits and vegetables in no time, then continued their journey to the camp site.
As they walked, Sunny and Spike kicked back to walk closer to Heart and Snips, leaving Big Mac and Snails to take the lead. Sunny shot the white Pegasus a half smile. "Good call on them goodies. How'd ya learn 'bout all that scavengin' and what not?"
"I used to be a royal guard, mate" Heart replied, a half smile growing on his own muzzle. "I've had to survive in the wilderness with nothing but my wits before."
"Really? That's mighty impressive" Sunny admitted, happy to know that the royal guard hadn't gone soft in the 1000 years he's been away. That was a slight fear of his that Sunny wasn't willing to admit, but he was glad to put it to rest.
Not long after that, the boys arrived at the camping ground. Button and Doctor both let out a huge sigh of relief as the rest of the group either stretched or took a seat around the fire pit.
"That... was... exhausting..." Doctor admitted, obviously showing he didn't get out much.
"What.... he said..." Rumble agreed, also out of breath.
"You two just need to get out more" Rumble rolled his eyes.
"Let's set up camp" Thunder told the group, before remembering something Sunny said earlier. "Hey man, didn't you have something you wanted to tell us?"
"Right! One sec..." the yellow unicorn began digging around him his bag before finding what he was looking for. Without pulling it out of his bag just yet, Sunny faced the group with a deviant look on his muzzle. "Ah'right everypony! We're Ah'll tough guys here, no scared little fillies here, right?"
All the members of the camping party turned to each other and in one form or another, either in the form of a nod or a muttered 'yeah' agreed with Sunny.
"So ah propose ah competition! Tonight, after we settle in, camp all set up, and we're gorgin' ourselves on s'mores ta our hearts content, we will be telling the most frightenin', terrifyin', campfire stories we can!
"The pony who tells the scariest story gets this!" Sunny said with glee as he held up a tiny golden trophy with a pony figure on the top. "We'll put it to ah vote when we're all done, write th' name of the best creepy story teller on slips of paper, and one of us will read 'em out loud."
Pausing for a moment, Sunny tried to read the reactions of all the other ponies. Some of them proved harder to read then others. But Thunderlane and Heart Patch looked all aboard for it. The only pony who seemed slightly nervous about the whole thing was Snips, who looked to Heart and took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.
"Sounds like fun" Big Mac broke the silence, managing a small grin.
"Yeah, plus that trophy will look awesome on my night stand!" Thunder smirked.
"I think you mean 'my' night stand, mate" Heart gave Thunder a playful nudge.
"Let's get camp all set up" Sunny redirected their attention. "While we work, think of some good ideas fer yer stories! Remember, make 'em as scary as ya can!"
With that Everypony went off to gather wood, water and food for tonight. With the exception of Button Mash and Doctor, who stayed behind to set up the tents.
Later that night, after a good healthy meal and some campfire songs, Sunny began passing out the marshmallows and sticks. Big Mac and Thunder joined in and passed out gram crackers and chunks of chocolate bars. Once Everypony had all they needed to make their s'mores, Sunny stood up and called all their attention together.
"Ah'right guys, it's time! Let the fright fest begin! Ya don't 'have' ta take part in story tellin' but ya will still need ta vote. Now who would like to start us off?" Sunny asked as he looked around the camp fire.
"OH! OH! I got a good one!" Button Mash called out, waving his hooves in the air.
"Ah' right, partner" Sunny said as he took a seat and began roasting a marshmallow. "Ya'll start us off."
"Make it a good one, man!" Rumble cheered his friend on.
"Alright then, let me ask you guys this; how many of you play video games?" The little brown earthpony asked, his tone seeming innocent. With a show of hooves, less then three ponies in the group answered.
"But all of you know about them, right?" Rumble asked again, this time Everypony nodded, even Sunny. "Then let me ask you this; what if you were stuck in one? Unable to get out?!
"Little, ugh... High Score! Yeah! Little High Score was obsessed with video games, couldn't get enough of them! His mother always warned him not to spend too much time playing them, but he ignored her. Chalked it up to her being a mom.
"But one day, when little High Score was in his room, playing Block Master, a package arrived for him with no return address. Curious, High Score walked over and opened the package. Inside was a game that even 'he' had not heard of! It was called... ugh... Magic... Sword... Quest? Y-yeah! That's it! Magic Sword Quest!
"Without waiting another moment, High Score plugged the game into his JoyBoy and began to play... when the lights flickered on though, sparks began to fly off of the JoyBoy. But High Score was too excited to pay attention to that... then the screen to start popped up and said 'the world of Magic Sword Quest is a dangerous one. Once you enter, you can't leave until the game is complete!...Do you still wish to start?" Button paused and looked around at all the other guys, glad to see they all were focused on him and his story.
"High Score, only half reading what the start screen said eagerly hit 'yes'!... as he sat there, now looking at a blank screen, his JoyBoy began to suck him in, like, a black whole! A magic portal opened up and sucked High Score into the game itself! High Score then landed in the magical world of Magic Sword Quest! With his only way out being to win the game!"
Everypony paused, wondering if there was more to the story. After a long pause from Button, they realized that was it, and they all smiled and stomped their hooves in applause.
"That was good, bro" Thunderlane commented. "Interesting, but... kinda lacking in the 'scary' department."
The happy little earth pony's joy filled expression faded slightly until Sunny tossed him a s'more and shot him a half smile. "But ah liked where ya were goin' with that. Maybe ya'll should write that down. Maybe make it into ah book some day."
"I'd read that!" Heart Patch further encouraged Button.
"Eh'yep" Big Mac threw in his two cents.
After receiving the praise from the older stallions, Button relaxed enough to begin chomping down his s'more.
"Who's next?" Doctor asked, keeping his own scary story in mind.
"You ready, Doctor?" Sunny looked over at his time traveling companion with great curiosity. Wondering what Doctor could have up his sleeve.
"Well... I'm not very good at 'making up stories'. But I do have a rather interesting tale from my adventures" The scientist admitted as he took a small bite of his own s'more.
"Don't leave us in suspense, mate" Heart replied on the edge of his seat. "Tell us your story!"
"Well... it was a few days ago..." Doctor began to tell his own tail. "Derpy and I had traveled about fifty years or so into the past, right when Manehatten was at it's wildest. The city was ruled by organized crime, the music was loud, the nights were long, and life in the city was one long casual jazz party.
"Derpy said she always wanted to go out dancing in the big city, so who was I to deny her the rare opportunity to enjoy the wildest night in pony history, when the great Al'Capony Senior was throwing a wild dance to celebrate his wedding night?! The entire city was out celebrating, including us!" The Doctor's happy expression turned grim, with the light of the flames changing the characteristics of his muzzle as he angled his head down, his eyes appear more sunken. "That was... until 'they' came..."
"Who?..." Rumble asked, growing more and more intrigued by the story.
"The pegusi... the weeping pegusi..." Doctor said in a dark tone.
"The... who?" Thunderlane said as he raised an eyebrow at Doctor.
"They look like statues" Doctor said as his terror filled eyes struck fear in the hearts of Everypony listening. "Just statues of pegusi, appearing to cry into their hooves or wings, keeping their faces hidden.... until they strike!
"You wouldn't know it by looking at them, but they are beings who exited at the beginning of time! Quantum locked to appear like statues of pegusi, these creatures need only touch you to send you hurdling back in time! And when they do, you never make it back to where you began. Not even with a time machine.... and why do they do this, you ask?"
Doctor paused and smirked as he noticed everypony leaning on the edge of their seats.
"Because they feed on the energy you create by being sent back in time!" Doctor finally answered. "When they send a pony back in time it creates a great deal of energy. Energy they need to survive. They don't care 'who' they send back in time, so long as they get to eat. Mares, fillys, colts, all sent years and years into the past by a simple touch!"
"That's supper creepy!" Thunder said under his breath.
"How did you get away from them?!" Snips asked nervously, bitting his hooves.
"The only thing that can stop them is starring at them" Doctor continued to explain. "If somepony is looking at them, they can't move. But the moment you blink, look away, or if the area goes dark for some reason, a weeping pegusi can move. And they are super fast... they can strike faster then lightning...And they will...."
Doctor paused, looking up and past the ponies, Big Mac and Heart Patch, who were sitting across from him. He gulped as he raised a nervous hoof. "Big Mac... Heart Patch... don't... move..."
Everypony froze, afraid to make a sound or anything. Even afraid to blink, not fully understanding how the 'weeping pegusi' work. Everypony held their breath for what seemed like forever... until... something... like a hoof... TOUCHED BIG MAC AND HEART'S SHOULDERS WITH THEIR HOOVES!!!
"AHHHHHH!" Both the big red farm pony and the former guard screamed and jumped forward.
Laughing behind them were Button Mash and Snails who managed to slip away while Everypony was listening to Doctor's story. The two colts were on the ground laughing as hard as they could, their sides starting to hurt from enjoying the scare they both got in. Even Big Mac and Heart managed to laugh it off a little when they calmed down and realized there were no weeping pegusi around.
"Great job, Doc!" Spike said as he stuffed another s'more into his mouth.
"Now we're kicking it off!" Thunderlane agreed.
"Who's next?" Sunny asked, placing a toasted mashmellow between gram crackers and a chunk of chocolate bar.
"I got this one" Spike stepped forward. "This one even scared Twilight, but I have to change it up a bit for us guys. So it all begins with a gentle colt working in the big city. He's an average guy working at a very demanding job. He works 8-10 hours a day, goes home to cook and clean for his wife who is unemployed and refused to do any house hold work. All the poor guys wants to do is sit down and read a comic book or two. He's a subscriber to a monthly comic book box subscription, and gets all the latest ones sent to him in a box at the end of the month.
"But lately he hasn't even been able to crack one open" Spike continued, taking a quick bite of his s'more before it got cold. "One day, the guy was at work and went on his lunch break. But he was so tired, he decided to take a nap instead. And the only place to get any quiet around the big city he lived in was in the building's cellar. He went down there, took off his glasses, and fell right asleep in a pile of old news papers.
"When he work up, he was shocked to see that he had slept through his entire work shift!" Spike continued, adding a little more emphasis to his tone. "He rushed upstairs, ready to beg his boss not to fire him...but no pony was there. Not just upstairs, but everywhere! The stallion walked out of the building and around the city, but Everypony was gone! Not even birds were flying in the sky! He was completely alone! The noisy city was silent!
"The stallion panicked for a bit, but thought 'it must have been some spell gone wrong, the princesses's fix it' and decided to enjoy th silence and peace for a while by, how else, catching up on his reading. Returning home as fast as he could, the stallion gathered all of the boxes of comics and took them to the roof to enjoy reading his comics in the sunlight and fresh air.
"Everything was perfect. The stallion had several boxes worth of comics, snacks, drinks, and a very comfy arm chair to read in. All he needed to do was sit back and enjoy. Only, when the stallion shifted in his seat, his glasses fell from his muzzle, bounced off his chair, and flew through the air, right off the building! The stallion watched in horror as his glasses fell, fell, fell down, landing with a loud 'crack'!
"Desperate, the stallion ran down the stairs to the bottom floor and outside, only to find his glasses in a million pieces! He didn't have any back up pairs, and the lenses had to be specially made for him! He knew then that he would never be able to read any of his comic books! The array of feelings began to boil up inside of him until be began screaming onto the air 'no! ... no! No! There was time now!.... there was time now!... that's not fair! THERE WAS TIME NOW!!!"
As Spike paused, several of the stallions stomped their hooves for a creepy twist to the story's ending. Spike took a bow as he stepped back and sat back on his seat next to Sunny.
"Ah could only imagine that Twilight would have nightmares 'bout that one" Sunny said with a half grin as he gave Spike a hoof bump.
"Oh Shinning used to scare her with that one all the time when they were younger" the little dragon chuckled.
"Nice one, mate" Heart said as he stood up and looked into the fire, a solemn look was cast over his muzzle as he gazed into the fire. "This story is a true one. One that will both scare you and, with any luck, keep you from making the same mistakes my friend made...
"Not that long ago, I was a captain in the Canterlot royal guard. I had made it there with ease thanks to my determination, quick wit, and ability to adapt. That, and with my special talent being compassion for others, the princesses saw fit to have a pony put in charge who not only could get the job done, but would put the safety of everypony first, before the sake of a mission. There had been an incident some time before I was appointed to my position where the previous captain was lacking in that department, but that's another story.
"Getting back to it, I had a very talented buddy of mine, who, if he had wanted, could have easily had my job. But he wanted something else" Heart Patch looked deep into the camp fire as memories of the past flickered back into his mind. "His name was Charming. Charming Knight. He was a brilliant bloke. He came from some backwater town in the middle of nowhere, but had more brains then anypony I knew. He was as skilled a fighter as he was a wizard. Although 'wizard' isn't a term he preferred. He preferred either 'mage' or more so 'magical researcher', and even took charge of the department of magical research in Canterlot.
"One day, a certain magical item came into his possession. The Alicorn Amulet!" If Heart Patch didn't have the crowd's full attention before, he sure did now. Everypony remembered what life was like when Trixie returned to Ponyville with the amulet and took it over. They knew the item was powerful and dangerous.
"Charming knew the power it had, having done more research on such items then anypony else, and knew of it's corrupting side effect. When he approached the princesses about using the amulet in some testing, they were hesitant. But he assured them that he was able to brew up a potion that would numb the corrupting power of the amulet. They still weren't sure about letting him take the amulet. To further win them over, Charming suggested to test the amulet and the potion on an earth pony and Pegasus volentier first before a unicorn would even be considered. The amulet not only amplified a unicorn's magic, but an earth pony and Pegasus as well. He theorized that with the power of the amulet, a single earth pony could cultivate and maintain ten times the land than a regular earth pony farmer, lift twenty times their own body weight, their muscles strengthened and their endurance stretched beyond that of anypony. The same could be said for a pegusas. With that, the Pegasus could fly faster, higher, and longer then ever before. They could even take on dangerous storm clouds that only skilled teams could before. And to be honest, it worked."
"Wait, it worked?" Thunder was surprised by the results.
"...You were the Pegasus who volentiered, weren't ya" Sunny asked, his expression an unreadable stone.
"...That I was..." Heart admitted. "The princesses allowed Charming to test the amulet on earth ponies and pegusi alike, but with the Princesses themselves supervising every test, of course. Test after test proved positive, with no side effects. But the princesses wouldn't let Charming proceed with testing on unicorn's until they found the right candidate themselves. Charming didn't like that.
"Then, late one night, while I was leaving the office, I swore I heard something. Almost like somepony laughing. Looking around, I swore I saw the shadows move and shift, taking the form of a smiling, toothy smile. That's when I heard a weak cry for help. I ran down the hall that I heard the voice and eventually came across no pony else but Charming. He had been taking the potion secretly as well as testing the amulet on himself without the princesses knowing it. He was desperate to take his research to the next step, and had payed the price. The potion may have kept the amulet from corrupting earth ponies and pegusi, but looking at him, it seemed it didn't have as strong of an effect on unicorns. He looked as though he hadn't slept in days, his breathing was heavy and weak, and he could barely stand up. I wanted to immediately take him into a hospital, but he insisted I take the alicorn amulet away from him. That 'that' was what was most important. He started to scare me with how desperate he sounded, pleading for me to get the amulet away from him. Against my better judgment, I complied and took the amulet and rushed as fast as I could to the princess's royal chambers. Ready to tell them everything and safely out the item back in their possession... Only, not long after I left my dear friend, did the laugher I heard earlier grow louder...and louder. I knew then I wasn't just hearing things.
"I began running faster and faster, trying desperately to put distance between me and the laughing as I raced to get closer and closer to the princesses. As I turned one more corner, though, just a few more turns away from the princess's chamber. That's when 'he' intercepted me." Heart's eyes showed that his mind had traveled years into the past a the words left his lips. His heart began to race as the horrible night replayed before him in the camp fire.
"He stood there, a good foot or two taller then myself, with a dark grey muscular body, yet so thin like a shadow on the wall. His mane, like my friends, was white and grey, but longer and more wild. His smile revealed two rows of sharp teeth, and just above those monster like teeth were dark green eyes that seemed to pierce and glow in the dark. Those green eyes... I will never forget how they looked down at me, like a snake would a mouse.
" 'Give me back 'my' amulet' he told me with that same grin on his muzzle as he took a calm step towards me. 'I don't want to have to hurt you. But I will.'
" 'You'll never get the amulet' I told him and started to fly away, trying desperately to put as much distance between him and me as possible. Only, as I continued to fly further and further away from him, the more I realized I couldn't escape. I don't know how he did it, but at every turn I took, he was there, waiting for me. Always two steps ahead.
" 'I tire of these games' he told me after several failed escape attempts on my part. 'Give me back my amulet now.'
" 'And what are you planning to do with it?' I asked the friend, speaking loudly enough to where I hoped my voice would be heard by somepony.
" 'I'm going to make Equestria a peaceful place' the tall unicorn told me, tipping his hat slightly. 'With my amulet, I can put all fighting and conflict to an end. More so then what even the princesses have done.' Then he hid his toothy grin, but remained smiling as he took his hat off and bowed slightly to me. 'Why don't you join me? Help me make Equestria a better place for all? You'll be a hero. They'll write about you in the history books for ages to come, sing songs of our team work. All you have to do is give me my amulet.'
"I'm not going to lie to you, I hesitated. I thought for a moment that 'this guy looks creepy, but he might be honest and telling the truth... but... but something seems off about him. Something was defiantly not right! Before he could read my distrust, I took off like a lightning bolt back towards the princess's chambers, yelling for help.
" 'I so hopped it wouldn't come to this' the tall, dark grey unicorn muttered just loud enough for me to hear. Then, without any hesitation on his side, he began charging up a dark green magic around his horn. The magic was sparking and made the air all around fence and hard to breath. I tried to make it harder for him to concentrate on me by performing the barrel rolls and quick turns as I continued towards the Princesses, but nothing could stop his next move. Although I didn't see him, I felt the air pressure in the area change, and suddenly, I felt a powerful blow hit my back, like I was a fly being swatted out of the air.
"I couldn't breath as I was sent flying, landing hard against the wall just ahead of me. For a long moment, I couldn't breath, move or think. My body was in so much pain, I almost wished the world would just go black. Worst of all, I caught a quick glimpse of my left wing. It was bent in a way that it was never meant to bend. That was the last thing I saw. Only my hearing remained.
" 'Now then, back to business' I heard the grey unicorn say as he approached me. I could hear his hoof steps as he casually got closer and closer. But then he stopped, his hoof steps stumbled a little. I could hear his breathing quicken. His voice seemed to grow lighter as it changed to a more familiar voice. 'No... no, what have I done?! Brother...'
"That's all I remembered from that night" Heart said as he looked up from the camp fire to Everypony around it. "A week later I awoke in a hospital, only to be met by one piece of unfortunate news after another. Not only had Charming been quarantined, but he refused to even see me. I couldn't believe what they told me about him either. Not May ponies were informed about that night, but because I was directly involved, the Princesses found it proper to tell me everything. I had a right to know... the dark unicorn that attacked me and did that to me to get the amulet... it was Charming. He had been transformed by the power of the alicorn amulet, and had taken the name 'Charming Knightmare'... though both princesses told me he had reverted to his normal form, he still ran the risk of reverting to his nightmarish state. And because of what he did, he never wanted to see me again...
"My wings, from what the doctors told me... they told me I'd never be able to fly again. I can't even use them as an extra set of hooves. From what they could see, it was like the bones were all taken out and thrown back in at random. I could have dealt with that, but because of my injuries, I had to leave the royal guard.
"They told me I could stay on, possibly as a ground night guard, but that would have made me feel more handicapped then I actually am. So with what was left of my pride, I packed up and moved to this small town, where I work in the quill and sofa shop" Heart said as he took a few more sticks and added them to the camp fire to keep it alive.
"Wow..." Rumble commented, the first of anypony to say anything.
Big Mac an Thunder knew that Heart had to leave the guard because of his injury, but they never knew to what degree.
"Have you ever thought about going to see Radiant Hope in the Crystal Empire?" Sunny asked, his thoughts popping to a solution to Heart's problem.
"No Doctor could help me, not even the princesses could-" Heart's tone was forlorn, oozing with sorrow.
"Auntie Radiant could fix up anypony" Sunny said with great confidence. "If you ever want to look her up, she's the head nurse in the Crystal empire. And the best Doctor equestria's ever had."
"I might do that, mate" Heart gave Sunny a half smile, mainly just wanting to drop the topic. He had given up hope long ago and just got used to living life on the ground.
"Soooo.... that Knightmare guy is, like, gone for good. Right?!" Button burst out, a nervous sweat starting to run down the side of his head.
"That, I'm afraid, is the most haunting part of my tale" Heart said as he stood up and looked at Everypony as he stood over the fire. "There is a darker reason why I thought to share this unfortunate tale with all of you. There were rumors of ponies, all throughout Equestria, having nightmares about a polite sounding unicorn stallion with a top hat, glowing green eyes, and razor sharp teeth asking 'have you seen my amulet?'
"My friend, Charming, had sense been rehabilitated by Princess Luna, who helped him to suppress the Knightmare, but the whole thing must have left my bro's mind split. From what my buddies tell me, he looks like he's always fighting with himself. Either trying to keep control or keep the Knightmare at bay. But at night, when Chamring sleeps, the Knightmare goes off, looking in other ponies dreams, searching for his amulet so he could finish his plans to rule Equestria!"
Everypony fell silent around the campfire. Even Snips and Snails who had enjoyed three times the s'mores then anypony else found it hard to swallow another bite.
"I'm so sorry..." Sunny was the one to break the silence.
"Sorry?" Heart asked, confused as to who Sunny was directing the apology to.
"Yes... I'm so sorry to you, and to him" Sunny sighed as we looked into the camp fire. "It's not that he doesn't want to see you because he's angry with you or anything. He can't face what he's down to you. He's taken everything away from you. Your position in the royal guard, your dreams, even your ability to fly...He probably thinks you hate him."
Heart jumped out across the fire and landed in front of Sunny, ready to slug him. "You don't know anything mate! How dare you even-"
"One thing I do know, it's that look in your eyes" Sunny answered as his calm expression flashed in Heart Patch's eyes, stopping the former guard dead in his tracks. "You hold no grudge against him, even though it was his fault you got hurt, and while you still have nightmares about everything that happened... you just want to see him again."
Heart studied the yellow unicorn before him, really taking a good look at him. There was something to him, something that Heart saw everyday he woke up and looked in a mirror. He had those same eyes. The grounded Pegasus whispered the question "Who hurt you..."
"My first friend and the only pony I thought I could trust before I came to Ponyville" Sunny said with other sad smile as he too took some fire wood and added it to the flames, breaking eye contact with Heart. "My father..."
Standing up now, leaving Everypony speechless, Sunny knew what he had to do to get this camping trip out of the blues and back in the groove of having fun. He grabbed one of the sleeping bags with his green magical aura and levitated it towards him, laying it over a few branches to make a flat surface that he could use to make shadow puppets.
"I hope y'all weren' wantin' ta get any sleep tanight" Sunny said with a grin. "Cuz Ah'm 'bout ta blow all ya'll stories out of th' water! This here story mah pa used ta tell me every harvestin' season!"
"Harvesting season?" Heart mumbles as he looked to Thunderlane, who in turn, just shrugged and looked back towards Sunny.
"Now, our story takes place thousands of years ago...
Back before the the princesses ruled Equestria, and brought peace and harmony to the lands, the world was a very frightening place, filled with monsters and creatures alike. Where ponies were too afraid to leave their homes after sundown, and locked themselves away in their homes that they hoped were safe. For creatures of pure darkness, arose from the shadows once the light of day went away, to torture and install fear into hearts of ponies, the action they considered foal's play.
Ponies who were unfortunate enough to be out durning the night would come face to face with the monsters. Beasts who fead on fear, and love to corner any pony or living thing, scaring them into a fetal like state with their worst nightmares come to life. Most ponies never saw what the creatures looked like. They only heard the scraping and scratching of their hooves and teeth on the walls and windows, as the monsters tried to get into the pony's houses. Screams and yells could be heard echoing all outside as the monsters ran about, searching for their next victim to feed on.
"I've never seen one myself, but I knew a mare who did" Sunny continued, the camp fire creating frightening shadows around his eyes, as his eyes almost seemed to glow brighter and brighter as Everypony began to listen more and more intently to the story
"She was too scared to tell me at first, but thought that if she did, she would spare me from ever being foolish enough to venture out on my own to look for them!" Sunny continued, enjoying how Everypony seemed to be on the edge of their seats. "She said, when she saw one, it looked like a sickly little old pony at first, but as she got closer, she realized it was hardly a pony at all. It did look sickly, with a thin skeleton like body, a long mouth like a crocodile, and oddly enough, torn and misshapen wings of a butterfly on it's back. But what bothered her the most wasn't it's smoke like body, or the way it seemed to not hold much of a solid form, but it's eyes. She couldn't look away from it's eyes. Two small red and green lights inside sunken black holes in it's head. The creature, she said, when it saw her, didn't look away, and got up from its sitting position to slowly walk over to her. She plead and begged for it to leave her alone. But all it did was stare at her and click it's teeth on occasion. It seemed to start to grow in size the more she panicked and backed away from it. By the time she was backed up into a wall, unable to escape, she said the monster easily towered over her, nearly triple her size! And it's green and red eyes we're now on fire with black and purple flames! Right as it opened it's mouth to breath a foul breath on her, somepony flung open their door and flashed several bright lanterns on the creature!
"the monster let out a haunting whale and ran off, the bright light hurting it, and the mare ran to her savior. Everypony knew what sent the beasts away was bright light, for the monsters who fed on ponie's fear also had one major weakness, light. But light alone didn't always expel the beasts. Had the stallion who saved the mare been filled with fear, the beast would have stayed and thrived on his fear as well. No, when the monsters are confronted, you need to not only flash them away with light as bright as the sun, but you must do so with valor. Without a single drop of fear in your own heart!
"Now ya'll are probably wonderin' 'why haven't ah ever seen them beasts before' right?" Sunny asked as he raised a brow.
"Actually, I was wondering if we could keep the fire going, like, all night" Snips replied as he paused from butting his hooves nervously.
"Ugh, yeah, that sounds like a good plan" Snails agreed.
"Now now, fellas, ya'll don't have much ta worry 'bout;
"Over a thousand years ago, a wise unicorn mare came forth and, with the help of a magical item, sealed the monsters away. The magical item, now powered by the hopes, joy, love and all a pony's heart had to offer without fear or anger, kept the monsters sealed away in a world of darkness and shadow. But, rumor has it, that a few of them escaped their prison, and wonder Equestria..."
Sunny used his hooves to make shadow puppets on the make shift screen he had made from a sleeping bag. "They wonder dark, spooky places at night, searching for ponies foolish enough to get caught out in abandoned castles, caves, or even the woods at night! ... because if they do, the mosnter'll find you... and... gobble you up!"
In a flash, Sunny grabbed some of the broken branches and fire wood, levitating it up by the fire close enough to make a giant pony shaped skeleton on the make shift screen, one that resembled the monsters in his story. The colts screamed while Big Mac just froze with fear, and Thunderlane with Doctor fell out of their seats and hid behind the logs. Heart on the other hand cheered and smacked his knee.
"Good one on ya mate!" the now cheer filled Pegasus said with a great smile on his muzzle. "Blow's my story out of the water! But eh, what are them beasties called? Do they have a name?"
With his eyes glowing bright green over the fire, Sunny smiled as his gaze traveled over Everypony around the campfire once they calmed down. "They are monsters that started monster stories. The original creatures that went 'bump' in the night before the word 'bump' was invented. And it's said that they themselves created fear in the hearts of all before anypony knew what it was to fear. They are called the Umbrum. And trust me, this is no story. They are real. They could even be listening from the shadows, as we speak..."
Everypony found it somewhat hard to sleep that night, even Sunny who suggested the scary story contest couldn't seem to find a way into slumber land. When the moon was high in the night sky, Sunny gave up on sleep and decided to try and take a walk to tire himself out. It had been the first time in a long time that he couldn't fall right to sleep, and he couldn't tell if it was due to his body being used to the strenuous farm work that helped tire him to sleep, or if it actually was the stories that seemed to fill him with some sort of odd energy. That's what he felt. Energy. He didn't feel scared, if anything he kinda wanted to tell other ponies about the Umbrum story his father told him. He bet Twilight would have loved to document it. But if she had visited the Crystal Empire library, should would surely have come across it in a children's story book at least. It was a popular one. As Sunny continued to walk further and further away from camp, more and more thoughts began to bubble into his head.
'I bet Granny has some good scary stories she could tell' the yellow unicorn thought. 'Oh! Maybe Pinkie as a few to scare up some laughs at Nightmare Night parties! Or Applejack....'
A thought stopped the yellow unicorn in his tracks. He had gotten so excited about the looks on everypony's muzzles and their youthful reactions, that he never stopped to think about how Appeljack would react to such things. 'It would all be in good fun. I'd love to send chills down Rainbow Dash's back, maybe even see how Octavia or Derpy handle a scary story. But Applejack... I... I don't want to scare her... but... why not? Wasn't it all just in good fun?'...if so, then why did the thought of scaring her make him sad? The image of Applejack even slightly afraid made Sunny want to jump to her aid rather then enjoy the frightened look on her muzzle.
"Awful late at night to just be wondering around, mate" a familiar voice broke Sunny free from his thoughts, causing the yellow farm pony to turn around and come face to face with one of his camping buddies.
"Oh, hey Heart" Sunny said with a little then less enthusiasm, his thoughts still on Applejack.
"It's a girl, isn't it?" Heart Patch said with a smile looking at the faded expression on Sunny's muzzle.
"What? Eh, yeah, kinda..." Sunny's reply was shaky to say the least. Other then not wanting to scare the freckled farm mare, his heart ached with the fear of her finding out his secret. He knows that Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy would all keep his secret. But Rainbow Dash, the pony who represented 'Loyalty' would be another thing. And it made him more nervous to leave that cyan colored mare back in town with Applejack. What if Rainbow felt it was more her duty to Applejack to tell her Sunny's horrible secret then it was to keep her promise to Fluttershy and Twilight?
"I wouldn't worry mate, your an odd one, but you aren't the worst stallion I've ever met" the grounded Pegasus said as he walked over to Sunny.
"Gee, thanks. I guess?" Sunny replied unsure if that was really a complement or not.
"About that story, though, your pop used to tell you that? Like, right before bed or something?" Heart asked, thinking that that story about such creatures would give any colts nightmares. He was willing to bet the young ones back at camp were still shaking in their sleeping bags.
Remembering when his father told him the story actually brought a smile back to Sunny's muzzle. "Ta be honest, he used ta tell me that story around ah make-shift camp site ah set up in our... our house. I always wanted ta go camping fer real when ah was younger, but for a number of reasons, I couldn't. So Pappy and ah would make a tent in my room with bed sheets and chairs. And when my pa got home at night, if I was still awake, we'd make snores together and he'd tell me scary stories. That one was one he was told when he was a foal."
"So I guess you and your pop were really close" Heart commented, remembering the scuffle that almost happened earlier. "I'm.... I'm sorry about what happened earlier. When you said you knew how I felt..."
"Don't worry" Sunny looked away from Heart, kicking a rock over with his hoof, his country accent once again leaving him. "... my father had done things later in our lives that are unforgivable. And I'm sure most ponies don't even remember how kind, wise, protective, gentle, and wonderful he was. So I think I need to just keep those memories alive... I don't know if I could even help him go back to the way he was. I just..."
"You don't know how to help him, if even trying to go out of your way 'to' help him would be best for the situation. You wonder if it's even your place, or if you should let other ponies handle it for you. Ponies who are used to dealing with problems like that...." Heart finished Sunny's thoughts perfectly.
Smiling at the Pegasus, Sunny nodded as he readjusted his hat, relaxing and allowing his country accent to return. "That Charming feller sure is ah lucky feller ta have ah friend like you-"
Their conversation was interrupted by high pitched screaming that came from the direction of camp. Looking to each other once and nodding, both Heart and Sunny took off, runnning back to camp as fast as their hooves could carry them. As they reached the camp site, they were shocked to not only find the camp fire extinguished, but it seemed that Everypony was gone! They checked every tent, opened every sleeping bag, looked behind every rock and tree in the area, and even looked under the tents themselves, but no sign of anypony anywhere!
"What in Celestia's name happened here?!" Heart muttered to himself.
"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling, look..." Sunny commented as he relit the camp fire to give them some illumination. Doing so revealed to them multiple hoof prints on the ground.
"Judging by the position and length between the hoof prints, as well as the size and depth of each one, I'd say these belonged to our friends..." Heart explained, pointing out the various hoof prints and how they lined up with the tents.
"But something else was here..." Sunny added, pointing to another set of hoof prints.
"Another pony?" Heart asked, taking a closer look.
"I don't know, but whatever it was, it walked on only two hooves" Sunny stated, pointing out a few details to Heart about the hoof prints. "The depth, hoof angle, and distance between it's steps points to that conclusion."
"I wanna say I'm impressed, mate. But right now I'm kinda more concerned about our missing friends." Heart told Sunny, then looked out to the woods.
"We'd make more headway if we split up" Sunny added, the idea sounding exceptionally stupid. "Will you be ok on your own out there?"
"You kidding? I was breed for this!" Heart said with a cocky grin, then began to follow one set of tracks. "You may want to follow those two sets of little tracks first, mate. Probably Snips and Snails."
"Good idea, let's bring Everypony back here when we find them" Sunny suggested.
Both stallions then went their separate ways, desperate to find their missing friends, not fully knowing what was leaking in the woods, watching them at that very moment...
Somewhere deep in the woods, Big Mac had run off, with Button Mash clinging to his neck for dear life. When the monster attacked the camp site, Big Mac panicked and ran off. A fact he wasn't none too proud of, but it was true. Unfortunately, he left his traveling buddy back at the camp site. But he was sure the little guy was ok and most likely with his best friend.
"You worried about Snips and Snails, Mr. Big Mac?" Button asked, still ridding on the red farm pony's back.
"Eh'yep..." guilt began to set in again.
"I wouldn't worry about them-" just then, the little gamer pony heard a branch snap in the distance, which got his heart racing. His eyes grew wide as dinner plates as he began frantically looking around. "What was that?!"
"What was what?" Big Mac asked, having not heard the noise.
"That!" Button heard the sound again.
"Ah didn't hear nothin" Big Mac tried to sound calm, but even 'he' was starting to get jittery again.
With both sets of their eyes darting around, searching for any sign of movement in the dark, Big Mac and Button's imaginations were beginning to run away with them. They started to remember the monsters in the stories they were just told, about weeping pegusi statues, Knightmare stallions that haunt your dreams and shadow like ponies that fead on fear. The two earth ponies began to see the monsters everywhere, lurking in the dark, behind every tree, inside every bush, just waiting for their chance to strike!
"Well hello there!" A relaxed and familiar voice casually called out, as a certain brown earthpony popped out of the bushes, sending both Big Mac and Button Mash into a panicked frenzy. After several long moments of them screaming and holding onto each other for dear life, they were able to calm down and realize who it was who was in front of them. "And a 'hello' to you too. Seriously gentle colts, get a hold of yourselves. We need to find that being that wandered into our camp site."
"Why do we 'need' to find it?!" Button asked. "Can't we just, I don't know, pretend we never saw it and run back home?! Maybe finish up our camping trip where it's safe, like, in my living room?!"
"Eh'yep" Big Mac commented nervously, frightened still by his vague memory of the creature.
"Now now, that creature could need our help. One must never judge a book by it's cover, I believe Princess Twilight would agree to that" Doctor said as he pulled out an odd looking instrument. It looked some what like a pen or more like a screwdriver, with a long metal body, but a small, blue light at the end of it. "I know Sunny said 'no scientific instruments', but I thought it best to have it on hoof and just not use it unless absolutely needed. Looks like I was right to do so."
As Doctor began pointing it at the ground, scanning it for something he was tracking earlier that lead him to his two companions, both the two other earth ponies just watched and sat silently confused for a moment. Doctor ignored them as he continued to track something odd left in the dirt. According to his readings, they were levels of a rather high and unfamiliar magical source. One he had not seen in Ponyville or on any of his travels. As he began to walk away, Big Mac and Button decided to follow him, deciding that it would be best to face the creature in a group rather then encounter it by mistake as a smaller group. Doctor ventured after the trail without fear, quickly followed by his two companions who couldn't get their teeth to stop chattering nor their knees to stop shaking.
"Hmmm... that's strange..." Doctor said, looking over his scientific instrument again. He looked up and was facing a tree. Just a tree. Looking around, he had hoped to spot something out of the ordinary hiding close by. But nothing.
"W-what is it, doc?" Button asked nervously.
"Well, up until now I was following a rather odd trail of magic. But just now it disappeared. Right at this tree. Almost as if it just-" Doctor started to say when a small rustling came from above, followed by some clicking.
All the ponie's hearts sank as they gulped and looked up. Only one of them had heard that sound before, and knew exactly what it was. As their eyes traveled up the trunk of the tree towards the leafy brush above, their eyes quickly met a pair of green glowing lights inside a wood and metal head. The wooden pony figure stared back with it's cold, haunting green eyes as it clicked it's wooden jaw open and shut several times, as if trying to speak words at a million miles per hour that it couldn't. The rouge pony puppet jumped down from the tree, landed right in the middle of the group, causing the three ponies to scatter a bit, before it dashed off into the forest.
As he got up, Button looked to Doctor as he rubbed his aching head "why didn't you shoot it with your what-cha-Ma-calls-it?"
"My sonic screwdriver?" Doctor said as he got up and straitened his tie. "It's a scientific instrument, not a water pistol. Besides, it doesn't work on wood."
After hearing that, Button turned and faced Big Mac, shooting him a rather confused look. Only to see Big Mac himself reflecting his own confused look right back at him, before they both turned back to look at Doctor Whooves.
"Ugh... why doesn't it work on wood?" Button asked the obvious question
Doctor paused and turned back around, holding his instrument in his dominant hoof to his two companions. "Its's a 'sonic' screwdriver. And to save a very long explanation that I'm sure neither of you would fully understand, let's just say it doesn't work on wood and leave it at that. Metal, yes. Stone, yes. Living organisms and air particles, defiantly. Wood, no."
That's when the three stallions heard it again. Like a ghostly howl echoing through the trees. As soon as they saw the eerie blue light, they all ducked into a near by bush. Holding their breaths as they watched the creature that attacked their camp passed over head, floating just above the ground with it's fish like tail swaying, as if the creature were still in water...
About a good mile or so north of camp, Thunder and Rumble stopped flying, landing to catch their breath. Whatever had chased them was far behind them now. Or so they hoped.
"What...." Rumble started to ask as he tried to catch his breath. "What was ... that thing?..."
"I don't know!" Thunder admitted, his voice sounding really high pitched, as it normally did when he was panicked. When Thunderlane caught his own breath, he reiterated his previous statement. "But one thing's for sure, we need to go back. The others might be in trouble."
"Go back?!" Rumble's voice squeaked this time. "B-b-but that 'thing' is back there!!! Who knows what it is, or what it wants! For all we know it wants to gobble us up!"
"Then we defiantly need to go back" Thunder's expression turned hard, shocking Rumble. "Our friends are back there and could be in trouble. I'm not leaving any of them."
Rumble stood looking at the lightning in his brother's eyes, amazed at how different Thunderlane seemed then from a month ago, before the whole incident with the science experiment. The payed back, glazed over look his brother normally had was gone, and a sharp, determined look took it's place.
Unable to suppress the feeling of courage his brother was flaring with, Rumble smiled back at him and nodded. "Alright, let's do this!"
Both Pegasus brothers smacked hooves before turning around to head back to camp. Rumble's wings were exhausted, and Thunderlane was too tired from the hike to fly 'and' carry his brother. So both pegusi took to walking. Only, when they started to walk, both brothers slipped and fell down a steep hill, unable to stop themselves from falling into a watery pond of grey mud water. When they both emerged, the two pegusi were completely covered in the stuff. Still, they refused to let a little mud stop them. But as they both struggled to get out of the mud, they both agreed that if there was a river or clear pond along the way, that they would stop and wash up...
Sunny had been following the tracks from camp for quite some time, but managed to lose them when a fog began to roll in and hid the ground and all it's contents from him. Still, Sunny pressed on, guessing from where the hoof prints were leading too. Moments after the fog arrived, Sunny started to hear an odd yet familiar sound. It was low and echoed all throughout the trees. Gradually, as the yellow unicorn continued to venture deeper into the woods, the sound started to grow. His heart began to race as the sound seemed right on top of him. The former prince's eyes darted all around, trying to spot some movement to find the source of the sound. It wasn't until everything fell quiet, and Sunny was left with nothing but the sound of his own heart beat that he finally recognized the odd sound.
Straitening up and sighing, Sunny looked around for the cause of the noise the he now recognized. After looking left, then right, seeing nothing around him, he turned and looked left again, and as if by magic, somepony was standing there. She was an odd looking earth pony, covered from head to hoof in light pink fur that turned her body into a giant ball of fluff. Her aqua marine colored eyes and face were the only things that showed of her actual body, besides a few Stubbs for her hooves and two fluffy ears at the top of her head.
"Fluffle Puff, what are ya doin' here?" Sunny asked, more annoyed then afraid. The mare was infamous around Ponyville for being either innocently mischievous or foal like playful. Sunny was surprised the first time he saw her, he had never seen a pony with such... well, fluff. But like the rest of Ponyville, he had gotten used to her foal like antics.
The pink fluffy pony only stuck her tongue out and continued to blow raspberries, which Sunny realized moments before she showed up, were the sound that was echoing though the woods.
Sunny was about to ask Fluffle Puff if she had seen any of his friends, when out of nowhere she smacked him with a pillow. The pillow stuck to his head, thanks to his horn, and obscured his vision. Sunny paused and sighed again. This wasn't the first time she had done something like this. A little annoyed now, Sunny removed the pillow, knowing full well that the pink fluffy mare would have vanished without a trace when he did. And he was right. After removing the pillow, Sunny saw no traces of the pink, fluffy mare anywhere. He rolled his eyes and tossed the pillow aside before continuing his search.
"Lost, Sunny?..." a mare's voice called out in almost a hushed tone.
"Looking for somepony?..." Another cried out.
"Maybe we could help..." a third spoke up, this time, directing Sunny as to their actual direction.
The yellow unicorn looked strait ahead and saw a clearing in the fog. Atop a small hill were three ponies in dark cloaks, one dark red, one dark green, and the last dark blue. From the sound of their whispering voices, Sunny guessed that they were mares. Curiosity overtook Sunny's caution for the most part and he approached the three mares.
"Y-yes" Sunny replied. "Ah'm lookin' fer mah friends" Sunny started to explain.
But the mare in the dark red cloak raised a hoof to silence him. "We know why you are here, prince of the Crystal empire."
Hearing the hooded mare speak this shocked Sunny, he wanted to play it off that they mistook him for somepony else, but the one in the dark blue cloak spoke up before he could try. "We all met over 1000 years ago, remember? Or are you still missing some of your memories?"
"Be polite, sister" the mare in the dark green cloak instructed. "He's suffered quite a bit. Strong is his body, but his mind and spirit are still fairly weak."
"My mind and spirit are just fine, thank you!" Sunny snapped, hating being talked about like that.
"You are growing stronger every day, I must admit" the mare in the dark blue cloak replied.
"But you can't go off fighting alone as you did 1000 years ago" the mare in the dark green cloak added.
"We feel the need to remind you of our warning, the one we spoke to you of last we met" the one in the dark red cloak replied. "As well as to offer you an answer. You have earned the right for just 'one' answer right now. But continue down this virtuous path, and we might give you one more."
"An answer?" Sunny repeated the mare's words, slightly confused as to what exactly they were offering.
"1000 years ago, you came to us for the answer to cure a small village who had fallen ill, as well as a remedy for their quickly dying crops." The mare in the dark blue cloak answered.
"A noble effort, sense no pony had ever been brave enough to even approach our hut" the mare in the dark green cloak added.
"We gave you the cure, but only after you payed tribute with knowlage 'we' wanted" the mare in the dark red cloak added. "We then gave you the answer, as well as a warning that was going to aid you in this present time. Now, 1000 years later, we offer you the same deal.
"For your noble efforts, if you answer our question, we shall answer 'one' of yours, as well as share a warning to aid you in the near future" the mare in the dark red cloak concluded.
"So... ya'll are psychic?" Sunny asked, raising a questioning brow at the three hooded mares.
"We see much of our world" the mare in the dark read cloak replied.
"Past..." the mare in the dark Blue cloak stated.
"Present..." the mare in the dark green cloak added.
"And Future" the mare in the dark red cloak finished. "But there is still a bit that even eluded 'our' sight. And we wish to rectify this."
Patting his chin with his hoof, Sunny thought about it for a moment. These mares did seem to know him, but could he trust what they say? They could be changelings trying to mess with him for Queen Chrysalis for all he knew.
"If you don't trust us, or you lack the creativity you did 1000 years ago enough to not come up with a decent question, please, move along" the mare in the dark blue cloak stated.
"We wish not to deceive you, Soleggiato" the mare in the dark read cloak restated. "If you wish, we can simply leave you to wander around aimlessly in the dark."
Looking the three hooded mares over, something did seem familiar about them, but Sunny couldn't quite put his hoof on it. Regardless, he did have something he wanted to ask, but Sunny didn't think they would know the answer.
"Yes, we do" the mare in the dark green cloak stated. "We see all, and can answer any and all questions you have."
"That is why we only offer one" the dark blue cloaked mare added quickly. "Knowledge is a powerful thing. And too much of it could cause some serious damage."
"But before you ask your question, let us ask ours" the mare in the dark red cloak spoke up.
Nodding, Sunny looked onto the three mares with a harder gaze now, taking them more seriously then before. "As you wish. What do you want to know."
"Prince of the Crystal Empire, tell us..." the mare in the dark red cloak began.
"When you traveled back to your home, and gazed into the Crystal Heart..." the mare in the dark blue cloak picked up where the other left off.
"What was it you saw? What resides deep in your heart?" The mare in the dark green cloak continued.
"Answer us truthfully" the mare in the dark red cloak spoke again. "We will know if you are lying."
Sighing a little, Sunny looked at all three of the mares as he spoke. "Ah saw th' Appel farm. Sweet Apple Acres. An' th' Apples, they were there too, lookin' right back at me.... and... Applejack... she was..."
Raising a hoof, the mare in the red cloak silenced the prince once more. "That is all we need to know. Now, ask 'your' question."
Thinking about it for several long moments, Sunny considered asking about his father, about why his father turned into an evil king and imprisoned and enslaved everypony. That question had kept Sunny up at night for so long. To finally get an answer would put his mind at ease... but that answer was not theirs to give. It was one Sunny would have to ask his father himself.
"Where are mah friends? Are they ok? Where can ah find them?" Sunny asked, readjusting his Stetson hat.
"That's technically 'three' questions" the mare in the dark green commented.
"But all can be answered with one statement" the mare in the dark red noted, before turning her attention back to Sunny. "Head back to camp when we are all done speaking. Your friends will meet you there. And it is there that you shall encounter the creature that calls these woods home."
Nodding, Sunny secured his Stetson hat on his head, ready to book it back to camp.
"So impatient" the mare in the dark blue cloak commented.
"We haven't even given you your warning yet" the mare in the dark green cloak noted.
Sunny paused and looked back at the mares. "Oh... right, sorry."
"It is good to see you care more for your friends then your own safety" the mare in the dark green stated.
"But to keep them safe, you yourself must be safe as well" the mare in the dark red cloak said.
"Now, 1000 years ago, we told you that your greatest battle would not be against an army or monstrous beast, but one fought within." The mare in the dark green cloak repeated their statement from 1000 years ago.
"Honesty is still your hardest concept to master" the mare in the dark blue cloak noted.
"We understand your want to keep your true identity a secret, prince Soleggiato, son of the shadow king." The mare in the dark red began to explain. "But as you are starting to learn, some ponies can be trusted with such a dark truth."
It didn't take much for Sunny to figure out what the three cloaked mares were talking about. He knew they meant telling his friends, and more so, telling Applejack, about who he really was.
"And now, for your warning" the mare in the dark red stated.
Sunny looked up, raising a brow. "Ugh... wasn't that-"
"We were repeating ourselves from the past" the mare in the dark blue cloak stated.
"Unless you don't want another friendly warning as to what is to come" the mare in the dark green harshly stated.
Laughing nervously, Sunny forced a smile as he apologized. "N-no, Ah'm sorry, please, go on."
The three hooded mares laughed lightly amongst themselves for a moment.
"He really is kind of cute when he's nervous" the mare in the dark blue cloak commented.
"Looks aside, sister" the mare in the red cloak got their attention as they focused once again on Sunny. "You still have many trials ahead of you, young prince. Some of them you'll face with ease, others will test you to the fullest."
"But do not lose hope" the mare in the dark green cloak answered. "You won't have to face it all alone. Your friends will be there with you."
"You have already began to help their inner lights glow" the mare in the dark blue cloak added. "You just need to keep the flames lit."
"And the best way to do that" the mare in the dark red cloak started to say as the fog all around them began to grow thicker and engulf them. "Is to just be who you are, Sunny Knight. Not the prince... not the farmer... not the Black Knight... but the pony..."
Sunny watched as the fog that engulfed the three cloaked sisters began to disappear, even the fog on the ground seemed to dissipate and reveal the tracks of hoof prints Sunny had been tracking. Taking a deep breath and trying his best to remember all the three cloaked mares had to say, Sunny began galloping back towards camp, following his own hoof steps this time...
Heading around and around in circles without even knowing it, Snips and Snails eventually tuckered themselves out not maybe twenty yards from the campsite. When the Spector appeared in a frightening glowing light, they had run off as fast as they could, forgetting about staying together and only thinking to put as much distance between them and the alleged ghost as possible.
Now, collapsed on the ground, their chests raising and falling heavily as they both tried desperately to catch their breath, the two unicorns began to wonder what that 'thing' really was.
"Hey.... Snips..." Snails started to say.
"Yeah?..." his pudgy friend replied.
"W-was that thing... one of those... weeping... things Doctor... told us... about ?" The rather slow and patient colt asked, the Doctor's story being the one that was keeping him up that night.
"Nah.... those things were... like, statues..." Snips said as he and his friend got to their hooves. "And they were-"
"Pegasuses?!" Snails added, his eyes growing wide as he looked past his shorter friend, something drawing the lengthy unicorn's full attention to it.
"Yeah" Snips competed, not catching onto his friend's fearful expression. "And they were, like, made of stone and covering their eyes, right?"
"S-S-Snips..." Snails started to say as his lengthy knees began to shake.
"What?" Snips asked before finally catching on to his pal's expression, and turned around.
Now both of the unicorn colts were panicking as they looked at two pegusi that appeared to be made of stone, whipping their eyes with their hooves and moaning. As the two stone creatures drew closer and closer to Snips and Snails, the duo decided it was best to get out of there!
Tuning and running away as fast as they could, neither Snips nor Snails even heard when one of the 'statues' called out to them in Rumble's voice.
"Hey guys! Wait up!" Rumble called out without success, both he and his older brother were still covered in grey mud that had now hardened to their bodies.
"Ugh! This stuff is making my eyes burn!" Thunder commented, trying to rub some pollen out of his eyes.
They both had run into an odd looking bush covered completely in flowers, and and managed to get coated in its pollen.
"Guess we should just head back to camp" Rumble suggested. The little Pegasus watched for a moment as his older brother started wandering around, unable to see anything. Yeah little colt watched and waited, and was rewarded for his patience when his brother wandered into a tree, hitting it with a loud 'thud'. Thunderlane just stood there for a moment in pain, listening to his little brother's chuckles...
As fate would have it, Everypony eventually found their way back to the campsite, guessing everypony else would be thinking the same thing and that they would all be safer together. Almost Everypony was on guard, worried that that 'ghost' or 'monster' might come back and be looking for them to gobble them up or something. All except Sunny and Heart, that is. Sunny was more curious then anything, which could explain why when he returned to the camp site, he was the first one to actually stand out in the open while the others who arrived moments before he did remained hidden.
"Is anypony here? ...Hello?!" Sunny called out, not wanting to draw too much attention to himself, whatever was lurking out there might not be alone. In which case, Sunny would need to be on his guard.
Just when the yellow unicorn thought he was the only one there, one of the surrounding bushes began to shake. A pony shaped figure emerged from it, shaking itself free from leaves and debris.
"Who's there? Big Mac? Thunderlane? Doctor?" Sunny asked, narrowing his eyes on the figure.
Without getting an answer, the figure jumped out at Sunny. In mid air, the yellow unicorn quickly recognized that it wasn't one of his friends at all! But rather one of the rouge pony puppets! It was all happening too fast for Sunny to process in time to create a shield or come up with a counter spell. Now inches from Sunny, the puppet was ready to do some real damage to it's former master, when out of nowhere, Thunderlane bolted though the air, landing a hard kick against the temple of the puppet's head. The puppet itself was then sent soaring through the air, crashing into a tree before shattering into pieces.
Doing a flip and landing on his hooves, Thunder shot Sunny a smile. "Got your back, bro!"
"Thanks, partner!" Sunny said as he got to his hooves. "Ya really saved mah backside."
"No prob-" Thunderlane started to say when the second pony puppet popped out and launched his attack this time.
When the pony puppet was just barley inches from Thunderlane, it was met with a quick, red right hoof, sending the puppet flying into a giant rock where it too burst into pieces. Looking over at his savior, Thunderlane began to relax when he noticed the red hoof belonging to none other then Big Macintosh himself.
"Wow! Thanks Big Mac" Thunderlane began to relax, exhausting a held breath.
"No problem" Big Mac said as he was quickly joined by Doctor and Button Mash who emerged out of the busy that he just hopped out of. Following behind a Thunderlane was Rumble, who they both still had some remnants of the grey mud on them, but for the most part, it had chipped and fallen off. No longer seeing the weeping pegusi, Snips and Snails came out of their hiding spots behind a few trees and rejoined their group.
"Is Everypony ok?" Sunny asked, doing a head count.
"Is Everypony here?" Doctor asked, looking around as well.
"Where's Heart?" Thunder asked, noticing the last missing pony.
Just as Everypony began looking around for the former royal guard, an eerie noise began to fill the air. Everypony turned and looked up the trail that lead them to the camp site originally, to see something floating in the air just above the ground. It's dark silhouette outlined by a eerie glowing blue light. It let out a hiss as air escaped it's nostrils.
"T-that's the monster from before!" Snips frantically said as he and Snails hid behind Big Mac.
"Stand together, Everypony" Sunny called out, taking a defensive stance. "Keep the colts behind us. Defend them at all cost."
His short speech surprisingly jogged Thunder, Big Mac, and Doctor top arms, they all readied themselves for a fight, with all fear disappearing from their hearts. The creature began floating over towards the group, slowly, as if to give them the chance to run. But no pony was running away this time.
Just as the dark creature neared the edge of the camp site, something fell from above! It was a net! A net that appeared to be made of vines and some of the rope Everypony brought with them! It snared the creature and brought it to the ground with a thud! Landing after the net with a flip from the tree tops was none other then Heart Patch himself!
"Heart!" Thunderlane said as he jumped over to his pal, quickly joined by Everypony else. "Should have known you'd try something crazy like this, you nut!"
"Had to come up with a plan B" Heart admitted before going into a full explanation of his plan. "At first, I thought it might be those three stooges from the weather factory, but after I observed the creature, I noticed it wasn't some half baked plan to scare us all."
"I'm glad you figured that out!" The creature called out from under the net. "Now, if you don't mind, get me out of this! I hate nets!"
Everypony watched in awe as the creature that chased them off appeared to speak in a female voice. The fact that it could speak at all was amazing, but they all were humiliated that they were scared off by a girl.
"Wait one moment" Doctor said as he pulled his sonic screwdriver out and held it to the net bound individual. It glowed blue for a while and made an odd noise as he scanned the creature.
"Hey! Watch it with that thing!" The creature snapped.
But Doctor ignored her and began analyzing the data the screwdriver obtained, leaving the others to interrogate the creature.
"Who-what are you?" Sunny asked as he lifted part of the net off of the creature.
With just it's head free, the creature took a deep breath and struggled a little bit. "Mind getting this thing off of me?!"
"Not until we know you aren't gunna attack us, again" Heart explained, trying to figure out what exactly this creature was. But with just it's head showing it was hard to tell.
"I never attacked you in the first place!" The creature snapped. "I heard you all talking, saw the camp fire, and went to go check it out. But by the time I got out of my lake, you all went to sleep, so I had a look around. i was wondering what you were doing in 'my' forest. Then a few of your colts saw me, screamed, and Everypony ran away."
Big Mac and Thunderlane then pulled off the net, sheepishly avoiding eye contact with the creature. Once she was free, Everypony got a good look at her in the moon light. She appeared to have the front hooves, upper body, and head of a pony, but the lower body similar to a fish. Her mane consisted half of actual hair and half a fish like fin. Her coat was a light green, with spots of smooth scales scattered all around. Although she was clearly annoyed, her sea weed colored eyes appeared no more hostile then anypony else's.
"Ah! I got it!" Doctor said as he rejoined the group. "She's a kelpy!"
"Ah what?" Big Mac asked the question on everypony's mind.
"It's a pony like creature who's origin dates back to the sea rather then the land. They have great magical and telekinetic powers and supposedly can live for centuries!" Doctor continued, fascinated and excited to share his knowledge with others.
"Wait, isn't that like a siren?" Sunny asked, his eyes cautiously keeping the kelpie in the corner of his vision. "Twilight faced three of them in the other world, they... weren't the nicest of ponies, from what I read."
"Kelpies, Sirens, and merponies all come from the sea" the Kelpie began to explain, still a little annoyed. "But unlike our other aquatic sisters, Kelpies don't use anger to fuel our magic. Like unicorn's, our magic is channeled through out minds, and grows the more we practice with it."
"Ok, so why are you here, wandering around in the forest, at night?" Thunderlane asked the obvious question. "Shouldn't you, like, be swimming around in the ocean somewhere?"
The kelpie was silent for a while, appearing to not want to talk about it, but she forced herself to tell her tale. "I was lost in a violent storm years ago. One so powerful it ripped me right out of the ocean. When I awoke, I found myself in a near by lake, just floating near the surface. That's where an old mare found me, built her house on the lake, and took care of me.
"She said she was the protector f the forests in Equestria. She created these big dogs made of sticks and bark to guard and patrol her forests. She was really smart and knew a lot about magic. She taught me many things, like how to see though the eyes of her dogs telepathically so I could see the outside world, how to move things with my mind, and how to strengthen my telepathic powers. But she also taught me about the many different plants in the forest, the various types of rocks, the animal life, and about basic forest survival." the Kelpie began to explain, a smile grew inner muzzle. But it quickly faded as her story went on.
"One day, I couldn't find the old mare, only a note telling me she had to tend to another forest of hers. She left me in charge of this forest and left a few of her wood dogs with me. Over the years I practiced magic to hone it so I could eventually leave the lake and find the old mare, maybe even return home to the sea. But it's taken me this log to just learn to levitate. And I can't do it for very long." The kelpy continued, flipping her tail fin to add emphasis.
"Wait one apple pickin' moment!" Sunny stomped his hoof. "Are ya tellin' me 'you' were in control of them Timber Wolves th' whole time?!"
"Timber wolves?" The kelpie repeated the name, putting a hoof to her chin. "That's a way better name then wood dog. But no. The old mare created them to act together as a pack. I just used my magic to help me see through their eyes. I couldn't control them. But something must have happened to them. I haven't been able to see or sense them anywhere for quite a while."
Sunny gulped and scratched the back of his head, not really wanting to explain that 'he' was the one who caused their disappearance.
"So what's your name?" Rumble asked as he stepped out from behind his brother, no longer feeling any fear or danger.
"The old mare called me 'Ipsy'" the Kelpy responded, smiling at the young colt. "I hate to be rude, but I need help to get back to my lake. I used up all my magic chasing you guys, and it's too far to just flop back over too... would you guys mind lending me a hoof? I don't do so well outside of water for so long."
After nodding in agreement, Big Mac and Thunderlane lifted Ipsy up and started carrying her as Sunny and Heart applied water from their cantinas to her sides to keep her from dehydrating. The colts followed quickly behind, eagerly asking Ipsy question after question as they popped into their young minds. Questions about what it was like to breath under water, what it was like at the bottom of the lake, what she liked best about the forest, and did she talk with the other animals in the forest? All to which she seemed more then happy to answer.
Once back at the lake, the guys gently put Ipsy back into the water. She swam around for a moment before coming back to the edge to talk to the ponies once more. The colts couldn't get enough of talking with her, and she seemed to really enjoy talking to them too. Noticing this, Sunny pulled Thunder, Big Mac, Doctor and Heart aside to speak with them out of ear shot.
"Guys, we can't just leave her here" Sunny stated. "Look at her, she's all alone out here."
"I agree, she seems really lonely" Heart added, watching her face light up as she talked and laughed with the colts.
"But what can we do?" Big Mac asked. "Me an' Thunder can't carry her all th' way back to town."
"Besides, she needs salt water" Doctor added, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. "Fresh water is ok in small doses, but she'll need a large supply of salt water to keep herself healthy. And this lake is the only salt water lake from here to the nearest ocean."
The guys bounced idea another idea off of each other for a good long while before setting on a few suggestions that they would bring to Ipsy.
"Hey Ipsy" Sunny called out as he and the other stallions trotted over to her and the colts.
"Yes?" She answered, her face still seeming to beam with joy.
"Ifin' ya want ta hear 'em, we have ah few ideas that might help ya out" Sunny started to say.
Ipsy was confused for a moment, but also intrigued to hear about the stallion's ideas...
Several weeks later, the group of Sunny, Thunder, Big Mac, Heart and even Doctor, almost with the same colts who joined them on their first camping trip went back to the-visit the forest and check up on their new friend. As they neared her salt water lake, they caught the last tail end of her class.
"And remember kids, the forest is your friend, but you need to take care of it if you want it to take care of you" Ipsy said with a huge grin on her muzzle as she hung half out of the water. The foals all listening to her cheered. Once they quieted down, she nudged them along. "Now run along and enjoy your camping trip!"
"Thanks miss Ipsy!" The foals all cheered as they rejoined their parents who were relaxing from the long trail walk into the forest.
"Howdy, Ipsy!" Sunny said as he and the others approached her.
"Hey guys! How have you all been?" Ipsy asked as she waves a hoof at her pony friends.
"We learned about long division in school!" Rumble said eagerly, running up to his kelpy friend.
"And I learned to not eat too many raisens" Snails added, causing some ponies to cringe.
"Sounds like you've all had a fun week" the Kelpy said with a smile at stretched all across her muzzle.
"It's actually been a few weeks" Sunny corrected her. "Time must fly now that. You're the official park ranger."
"It does!" Ipsy said with glee as she happily stomped he hooves and splashed her tail. "I can't thank you all enough for all the work you've put into turning the forest into a national park! Now I can share what the old mare taught me with all the ponies who come to visit! And there are so many who are eager to learn! It just makes me so happy!"
"Do you think you'll ever want to go back to the sea?" Button asked.
"Maybe one day, for a visit" Ipsy answered honestly before turning away from her pony friends and looking out onto the national park, her park. "But this lake, this forest, 'this' is my home. And I'll always protect it."
After catching up a bit with Ipsy, the guys decided to let the colts sit through one of her nature classes with another group of foals while the ventured out for a bit.
Along the way, somepony Sunny was not expecting popped out of nowhere.
"Good job, Sunny" Twilight Sparkle approached the yellow unicorn. "I would never have guessed that a Kelpy was living here, so close to Ponyville. Much less expect her to have a friendship problem."
"I don't think it was so much a 'friendship' problem" Sunny commented, approaching Twilight. "More like ah problem in general. Ya come out ta take one of her classes?"
"I've actually sat down trough quite a few" Twilight admitted with a sheepish grin. "But that's not important. I just wanted to let you know that my brother and Cadence are coming to Ponyville next week."
Sunny's heart began to race a million miles per hour at the fearful thought that they now knew of his secret.
Seeing this, Twilight continued. "Don't worry! They still have no idea about your secret. They're just going over with me a few plans they had for the Crystal Ball."
"Wait... 'the' Crystal Ball?" Sunny asked, raising a brow. "The Crystal Empire equivalent to the Grand Galloping Galla?"
"Yes" Twilight smirked a little. "It's going to be a few months after the Galla, so we have time to prepare, but I offered my hoof in helping with the planning. Would you like to help too? I'm sure you've been to more then your fair share of them."
Rolling his eyes at the notion, Twilight wasn't wrong. But Sunny never really enjoyed them. Something he didn't want to go into right now. "Tell you what. I'll go over what you, Cadence, as Shinning come up with after they leave. Can't have them figuring out who I really am, can we?"
"Of course" Twilight nodded in agreement. "Well, I'm heading back to the castle. I'll see you later. Oh! And Sunny..."
Sunny was about half way to rejoining his friends when Twilight caught his attention.
"You're doing a good job" She said with a sincere smile. "Keep it up."
To that, the yellow unicorn tipped his hat to the princess of friendship before trotting off to rejoin his pals.
It had been a long day at the Weather Factory, a long day that was quickly coming to a close. One of the last workers to always leave was a timid stallion by the name of Mr. Shy. He didn't leave last because he always had the night shift or because he was asked to stay late all the time, although his boss probably could get away with that with him. That's not the case here. You see, sense the stallion started working at the factory when he was a young colt, he's collected samples of the clouds starting on his first day of work. It was a simple hobby, but it was one that gave the stallion something to sit back and admire after a long day at work. He was looking forward to the day when he would cap the lid on his last cloud sample and would begin enjoying his retirement days with his wife.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it Mr.Shy?" A firm and confident voice asked from the shadows.
The sudden presence of another pony startled the elderly stallion, causing him to almost drop his newest cloud sample. As he gripped the glass jar in his hooves, Mr.Shy slowly turned his head around to try and find the owner of the voice. In a weak and frightened tone, Mr.Shy replied "W-W-Who's t-t-there?..."
Stepping out of the shadows was a cyan colored stallion with a mane of grey hair. "Why, don't you remember your old flight school buddy? It's me, Wind Rider."
"W-W-Wind Rider?" Mr.Shy repeated the name. "W-What are you doing here?! N-n-not that I'm saying you 'can't' be here, but, well, the factory's closing for the night, and well-"
"No worries, old pal" Wind said as he casually walked over to the timid, light amateurish grey Pegasus. "I made a few new friends a while ago, and one of them was very, very interested to take a look at a certain factory. When I heard that an old pal of mine had a key to the factory, I just knew I had to ask. After all, what are friends for?"
Now standing right beside him, Wind Rider put a wing around Mr.Shy and shot his a rather relaxed and friendly look. Despite his attempts to win Mr.Shy over, though, Wind just made Mr.Shy more paranoid and fearful. The timid stallion just slid out from under Wind Rider's wing and forced a fake laugh.
"Gosh, I'd love help you out, really I would. But well, you see, the misses is expecting me home soon" Mr.Shy started to say as he backed away from Wind Rider, never turning his back to him. "And I hate for her dinner to get cold. She's making her famous 6-bean-"
Before the timid Pegasus could continue with his excuses, he backed up into somepony else, causing himself to almost drop his jar again. Catching it once more, Mr.Shy looked back to see what or who he ran into. Whoever it was kept themselves in the shadows. But something pierced though the dark. Two bright green lights. Mr.Shy watched as a small slit split in the darkness, releasing two rows of bright white teeth that broke through the darkness just like the glowing green eyes.
As the teeth formed a smile, a pony's form began to emerge from the concealing darkness, a twisted, toying voice broke the silence. "Awwww... you can't stick around to play with us a bit?"
A pony form began to emerge from the shadows. He was a dark grey Pegasus with a bleach white mane. But what frightened Mr.Shy the most about the stallion wasn't his ghost colored mane, his taunting smile, or even the way the stallion seemed to be toying with him in that tone. No, the most frightening thing about this new Pegasus were his eyes. Small green lights surrounded by pools of pure darkness. Darkness void of any kind or happy feeling, despite the large smile the stallion wore, there was only a cold, cruel hatred in the grey Pegasus's eyes. Mr.Shy had never been in all his life even heard tales of a creature being so...monstrous.
"But I understand" the new pony said as he jumped, landing next to Mr. Shy with one of his wings wrapped around the timid, elderly pony as Wind Rider had done moments ago. As he smiled and beamed his glowing green eyes at Mr.Shy, the new pony made a clicking sound as the bladed glove-like attachment latched to his wing also wrapped themselves around the factory worker. "But before you go, I want you to show me the factory. Not this stupid dump. But the good one! The famous one! The one Celestia stupidly shut down. The one my old cell mate rambled on and on about."
The grey Pegasus's smile grew and grew until all Mr.Shy could see of the stallion's face were his glowing green eyes and that twisted, vile grin of his.
"Take us to the Rainbow Factory!" The grey Pegasus hissed as he ran a single blade across Mr.Shy's cheek.
Gulping for the tenth time in the past few minutes, Mr.Shy fumbled with the lock in his hooves. The lock itself was an industrial sized one, specifically made of iron for the abandoned building in the sky. The Rainbow Factory was a place of urban legend that most ponies would rather forget about. It was defiantly one place Mr.Shy would rather forget about.
He remembered being told about the horrible events that took place in this dark place. It was made during the rainbow drought, before the discovery of the endless supply provided by the Rainbow Falls. There were only a select few who actually needed to work in the Rainbow Factory, which is probably how it's horrible secret was kept. The leader of the factory was a Pegasus stallion by the name of Wooden Toaster.
Toaster's operation flourished until a brave few foals escaped from the facility and made their way to help. Once the royal guards in Cloudsdale caught wind of what they were doing, princess Celestia and Princess Luna jumped into action. Not only did they shut down the Rainbow Factory project permanently, but they sent all who worked there or knew of what went on in those horrible metal walls but chose to keep quiet, were sent strait to the Ironlock maximum security prison. A fate that was well suited for such horrible, unspeakable crimes.
With one final twist, the giant iron lock popped open, and the iron chains that held the doors shut, locking in all the terrors of the facility's past within it, fell loud and hard. It was impossible for anypony near by to not hear the loud clad of the chains as they hit the ground. Mr.Shy hoped with all his heart that somepony would come along and save him from these two trouble makers.
With a forceful nudge, Cynical pulled Mr.Shy back to the present. "No time for day dreaming, pops. Open the front doors! I'm so excited! It's like Hearths-Warming eve back at the prison!"
Pushing his way past the timid Pegasus stallion, Cynical burst through the front doors of the old factory, quickly followed by Wind Rider who made sure to bring Mr.Shy with him. Even though Cynical could care less about the older gentle colt, Wind knew that if they just left Mr.Shy alone, he would go off and warn somepony of their presence.
Cynical was lost in awe as he skipped all around the dust covered facility that was once known as 'the Rainbow Factory'. Although the machines were beginning to fall apart to to lack of maintenance, a layer of dust and cobwebs covered almost everything, and a lack of power left the entire facility blacker then a moonless night, it was the most beautiful thing Cynical had seen in a long, long time.
"O' to joy! I can hear the chorus of screams now! Such a wonderful, uplifting sound!" Cynical began to cheer as he made his way, dancing back to the two elderly, and rather unamused, pegusi. "We have such BIG plans for this wonderful place! First a good washing and cleaning! This place deserves to shine like an assassins' dagger! And of course I'll send for my old pal, Wooden, so he can-"
"Ugh... pardon me" Mr.Shy spoke up nervously, breaking Cynical from his joy filled rant. "But, ugh... if you don't mind, I promise I won't say anything about either of you two being here. It's not really any of my business anyway, but, well, I would really like to be getting home now. It's been a long night, and like I said earlier, my wife is cooking dinner-"
"Oh! Where are my manners?! Of course! Go home to your loving wife, enjoy dinner and get a good night's rest..." This time it was Cynical's turn to interrupt. With a softened smile, the grey Pegasus nodded as he took off his bladed wing weapon, letting it fall to the ground as his wings now flapped freely in the air. He put a hoof behind Mr.Shy and began to lead him to the door, feeling a little more relaxed now that not only was one of his captor's unarmed, but that he was actually about to leave the condemned Factory and get back to his wife and safe home.
Wind Rider could hardly believe what he was hearing. He raised a brow at Cynical as the grey Pegasus started to lead Mr.Shy out of the Rainbow Factory, then narrowed his eyes when he saw a crooked smirk begin to grow on Cynical's muzzle again. He was up to something.
"Now be sure to get a good, log rest" Cynical sounded falsely sincere in his tone as he gently patted Mr.Shy on the back, urging him to head home.
"Ugh, ok. I will" Mr.Shy replied nervously, feeling something wasn't right, but cared more about getting away from the frightening looking pony with the black and green eyes then he did about piecing things together.
Kicking off lightly from the cloud the Rainbow Factory had been built on, Mr.Shy started to steadily fly back in the direction of his home, too afraid to look back. But he should have really looked back.
Without a warning, Mr.Shy was tackled lightly by something. It held on tightly and seemed to carry him as the elderly stallion struggled to break free of whatever had him. When he looked behind him, Mr.Shy's heart sank as he came face to face once again with the deviant muzzle of Cynical Storm.
"W-w-what are you doing?!" Mr.Shy asked, his voice shaking more from fear then the turbulence he was experiencing.
"Who? Me?" Cynical playfully asked. "Why, in just helping an old stallion fly home. You looked like you were having some trouble, so I thought I'd lend a wing!"
Not waiting for a response from Mr.Shy, Cynical began flying faster and faster, swerving just slightly out of the way of other buildings and houses that were made and built on clouds. Even though the structures made by pegusi to float in the sky as clouds do, were often made of cloud, that didn't mean that it still wouldn't hurt to run into it. Mr.Shy was too scared to keep his eyes open any longer and not only covered them with his hooves, but some what curled up with his wings into a fetal position.
"Don't be scared! This is the best part! You're gunna want to see this!" Cynical called out with his usual twisted sense of enthusiasm.
Still very afraid, but curious as to what he was supposed to be afraid of, Mr.Shy peaked trough his hooves only to be fully engulfed by fear as he and Cynical plummeted to the ground! Not just any ground, but some how Cynical had carried Mr.Shy from the Rainbow Factory on the far side of Cloudsdale all the way to the Wonderbolt's academy!
"Looks like I overshot your home a little bit!" Cynical spike up over the air current. "But don't worry! I'm sure you'll get there! Whenever you get out of the hospital, that is!"
"What?!" Was all Mr.Shy could ask as he and Cynical began to plummet towards the ground at dangerous speeds! Cynical locked his wings to his sides and began to dive strait down at the academy. His body, along with the dead weight of Mr.Shy's curled up body, allowed them to gain enough speed that Cynical couldn't even get a laugh out. The air was quickly escaping both their lungs, forcing Mr.Shy to pass out. Cynical, on the other hoof was wide awake on adrenaline, and quickly changed directions, curving his wings open at the last possible second and releasing Mr.Shy at the last moment to send the passed out pony hurdling into the wonderbolt's storage shed. The entire shed fell to pieces around Fluttershy's elderly father, who know was completely out cold with several broken bones.
When the grey Pegasus with the bleach white mane stood back to admire his handy work, he was quickly intercepted by Wind Raider. "What do you think you are doing?! Sombra never told you you could hurt anypony!"
But the pony with the black and glowing green eyes just waved a hoof. "He didn't say I 'couldn't' either. Besides, I wouldn't worry about the old timer. The writer would never let anything bad happen to anypony. Even one as cowardly as this one."
"Will you knock it off with this 'writer' and 'narrator' hog wash?!" Wind stomped his hooves, outraged by his companion's actions. "We need to call somepony! Mr.Shy could be-"
The wind was knocked out of Wind Rider when a hoof grabbed this throat. As he was forced to gaze into Cynical's eyes, the former wonderbolt was reminded just who and what he had allied himself with.
"Listen here, old timer" Cynical began to say as his grip around Wind's throat tightened. "I just put the old pony in a coma, if you don't want the same done to you, I suggest you not ruin my fun. Is that understood? Or would you rather be my 'next' plaything?"
Knowing full well the demented Pegasus's back story and what exactly he meant by 'plaything', Wind shook his head in response and was quickly released.
"Good! Now we have some work to do before we have some 'real' fun!" Cynical said with a chuckle as he took off, zooming back to the Rainbow Factory.
Wind Raider rubbed his now free throat before looking back at a beaten and bruised Mr.Shy. He seemed ok, and from what Wind could see at the Wonderbolt's barracks, somepony was already stirred awake by the ruckus. Releasing a heavy sigh, Wind took off, leaving Mr.Shy behind to enjoy a nice, long sleep, as Cynical suggested he should...
Looking out the train's window, Sunny could hardly contain himself with excitement. "This is so cool! I've been to Manehatten before, but never to actually site-see! Thanks for taking me along, Octavia!"
"Now rememberY Sunny, we aren't just here to 'site-see'" Octavia restated as she sat down next to him with a small tray of food. "I've been given the honor to play for one of the most prestigious musical professors in all of Equestria,Professor Arrow Song. Who will have the power and influence to get me into the Silver Notes! The greatest musical orchestra Equestria has ever known! If I secure a position in their very prestigious group, it is assured that my musical career will be full or riches and wonder!"
Scratching his head, Sunny took all of what she said in, but couldn't figure out something. "That's mighty great and all, but why do ya need me ta coma long with ya then instead of yer other musically gifted pal, Vynal Scratch?"
After sitting down and taking a small sip of a tall glass of water, the cello player sighed as she wiped her mouth. "I would have loved for Vynal to come, but she had a gig in Vanhoofer. And right now, I really need a friend to help keep me calm. I always feel better when I have somepony I personally know and can rely on at my side."
"Well shucks, now ah feel honored Octy" Sunny said with a grin as he shifted his hat.
After chewing a small bite of her salad, Octavia picked up a napkin and cleaned her still neat mouth before replying. "Please, Sunny, Call me Octavia. Vynel calls me Octy, and she knows it gets on my nerves."
"Oh... ugh, sorry Octavia" Sunny gulped.
"Don't worry too much about it, Sunny" Octavia replied as she waves a hoof at him then took another small bite.
Watching Octavia eat her salad and drink down her tall glass of cucumber water made Sunny's mouth run dry and his stomach growl. "Say, Octavia, where did you get that Salad?"
"I ordered it before we took our seats. It's a few hours until we reach our stop and I need to be well nourished and hydrated for my practice as well as my performance" Octavia explained, closing her eyes to enjoy the full taste of her salad.
"Will anypony be by to take orders?" Sunny asked, his stomach growing again.
This time Octavia heard his stomach and noticed how her traveling companion eyed her salad. Rolling her eyes, annoyed at Sunny's lack of consideration, the cello player grabbed the package of crackers her salad came with and tossed them over to him. "Here. Next time, plan a little ahead."
"Gee, thanks..." Sunny said as he picked the crackers up then glanced at the tall glass of water Octavia began drinking down. Suddenly, the yellow unicorn lost his appetite...
Manhattan was a large city with buildings that stretched to the skies, and everywhere you looked there were shops of all sized, carts running around carrying and pulled by ponies, stands set up where there was free space, and ponies running all around. It was so much to take it that every turn Sunny took made everything seem new. Which only lead to Octavia growing more and more annoyed whenever she had to clear her throat and redirect his attention to the matter at hoof.
The two ponies were on their way to check in at the Diamond Stables hotel that Octavia had made reservations at months in advance. It was the fanciest and tallest building Sunny had ever seen! Walking inside, Sunny and Octavia reached the counter and were instantly greeted by a few stallions who offered to take their bags up to their room after they checked in. Sunny was more then willing to let them do so, especially after Octavia told him they were on the 32nd floor! While Octavia talked to the mare up at the desk about their room, Sunny chatted with the bell hops a bit, telling them a few jokes Pinkie shared with him and Big Mac. After earning a few laughs from the gentlecolts, Sunny's next punchline was interrupted by Octavia's outraged voice.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU OVER BOOKED?!" The cello player snapped at the mare at the desk.
Sunny took that as a sign to interview and see what all the hallabaloo was all about. Leaving the bellhops behind as he joined Octavia at the desk, the yellow unicorn looked between his angry friend and the nervous mare behind the desk. "What's goin' on?"
Octavia was the first to answer, her tone sharp from her heavy breathing. "From what this mare told me, the hotel manager foolishly overbooked this week end and used 'my' room, that I booked months in advance, to compensate by renting it out to somepony else who 'didn't' have a reservation!"
The last part of her rant Octavia directed more at the mare behind the desk then at Sunny, raising her voice yet again.
"I-I-I'm really, really sorry Miss Octavia" the mare nervously fumbled around her papers avoiding eye contact. "M-maybe I can get you another room! How about one on the 21st floor! We-"
"THE 21st FLOOR?!" Octavia raised her voice, outraged by the mare's suggestion. "Let me get this strait! You not only over book, booting me out of the room I booked 'MONTHS' in advance, when I am a regular here at this hotel. But now to try and make it up to me, a loyal customer, you want to put me on a 'LOWER' floor?? A LOWER FLOOR?!"
The mare had shrunk behind the desk with her ears stuck to the side of her head. As the poor, frightened mare cowered behind the desk, a rather official looking stallion in a suit appeared to Octavia's side.
"Miss Octavia, I'm so terribly sorry for the mistake" the stallion shot the cello player a huge smile. "I'm the new manager, and under my new supervision, it seems you slipped through the cracks. Please, take the penthouse suit in the 35th floor, all expenses on us."
Calming herself down and brushing the strands of her mane out of her face, regaining her composure, Octavia cleared her throat and turned to face the stallion now. "Now that is how you deal with a mistake. I accept your offer."
"How long would you be staying?" The manager asked, still promoting his large smile. "Shall I have some food prepared for you? A couple bottles of cider perhaps?"
"We'll be staying for a few days" Octavia replied with a small smile of her own. "My friend and I are in town for some rather important business today, but will be enjoying the city, site seeing and the like, after today."
"I'll have some bottles of cider put on ice for the both of you, ready upon your arrival" the manager lowered his head in a small bow as he stepped back. "Terribly sorry for the mix up, I promise I'll never forget you again."
Raising her head in a proud and triumphant stance, Octavia casually walked past Sunny heading towards the elevator. Not really wanting to say anything at the moment about what just happened, Sunny followed quietly behind her. He didn't care for how his refined friend handled the situation, it seemed kinda... well, wrong. But Manehatten is different then Ponyville, maybe this was how things were handled here. Before the elevated doors closed, Sunny caught one final look of the secretary, who was on the verge of tears. Without a doubt, Sunny knew he would have to have a good long talk with his friend about how she handled that situation.
After relaxing in the penthouse for a bit while Octavia rehearsed, Sunny thought about how best to talk to her about what happened down stairs. He casually listened to the gentle, but heart breaking songs Octavia produces as he let his mind dance around the topic. But by the end of her practice, it was time to head to the tryout, and Sunny still had no idea how to talk to her.
'Maybe it's best I wait until afterwords anyway' Sunny thought as he followed Octavia into the elevator once more, heading back down to the lobby. 'I don't want to distract her and mess up her chances of nailing this tryout.'
Traveling down and out of the fancy hotel, Sunny and Octavia steadily as ether way towards the theater. Octavia wanted to be sure to have as much time to practice back stage as possible, despite having spent hours practicing back at the hotel, so the two friends left early and planned to arrive hours ahead of schedule. Wanting to still take in some of the sights, Sunny couldn't help but let his eyes wander as he continued to listen to Octavia go on about these 'Silver Notes'.
"... all the greatest musicians either started with, or ended up as a member of the Silver Notes" Octavia happily continued, holding her head up high. "It was about time I received a letter of recommendation to their tryouts. Once they hear me play, I know they'll-"
"Pardon me, miss" a dirty pony in rags hopped out from behind a trash can, looking up at Octavia with the biggest, saddest eyes he could muster. His ratty red mane spread out around his head but kept down by a wool beanie, with a pair of blue eyes sticking out between the parts where the rather lengthy mop parted. The stallion's orange coat was mainly covered up by a dirty jacket, but where it did show, it was mainly smudged with some sort of black substance that looked and smelled like a combination of dirt and sludge. Sunny had never seen a pony more in need of a mane cut and a bath. Or six. His voice was weak, but he spoke up as best he could to the cello player. "Could you please spare a bit or two? I haven't eaten in-"
But Octavia ignored the homeless stallion and kept walking and continued where she left off. "I couldn't decide whether I should go with my silk purple bow tie or if I should go with my casual black one. Ultimately, I thought purple to be the best rout."
Sunny watched in horror as Octavia just passed by the homeless stallion without even giving him a second glance. The yellow unicorn, however, found it impossible to ignore such a pony in need. Remembering that he packed some emergency provisions, Sunny lifted his Stetson hat off the top of his head to reveal a full, signature Apple family apple pie. While Octavia continued to talk and casually stroll further and further away, Sunny stopped in front of the homeless orange stallion.
"Here you go, partner." Sunny said with a smile, looking into the poor stallion's blue eyes. "Baked it fresh this mornin'. Ain't nothin' like ah Apple Family pie."
The homeless stallion paused and looked from Sunny, down at the pie in front of him, then back at Sunny. He did this several times before finally speaking weakly. "Is... is this whole thing for me?..."
"Sure it is," Sunny said with a growing grin as he readjusted his Stetson hat. "Eat up. But enjoy it. The Apple family make the best apple pies in all Equestria."
For a long moment, Sunny couldn't read the stallion's face. But that moment quickly passed, and the homeless pony's face exploded in tears as he jumped up and gave Sunny a great big hug, Making sure to carefully miss stepping in his apple pie. Octavia watched, wide eyed as the homeless stallion thanked Sunny profusely while squeezing him in a bear hug. Right as Sunny's face started to turn red due to a lack of oxygen, the homeless orange pony released him, picked the apple pie up, thanked him again, then ran off with the pie, cheering and skipping until he vanished from Sunny and Octavia's sight.
Bearing a wide half smile, Sunny chuckled as e rejoined Octavia. "Well now, ah think he might like pie."
"You may want to check your wallet" Octavia said flatly, her expression unamused.
"What? Why?" Sunny asked with a raised brow as he rejoined his friend.
"I know you like believing Everypony is good and pure, but that was just an odd way to thank somepony for just a pie. I'm willing to bet my bow tie he hugged you to throw you off and get close to you to pick your pockets." Octavia explained monotone as Sunny took his hat off and double checked for his wallet.
Both the wallet and his magical lavender bag were still there in the rim of his hat. As he counted the bits in there, his smile returned when he finished counting. "Yep, still there, all bits present and accounted for."
"Well that's surprising" Octavia commented as she rolled her eyes and continued down the street, heading towards the theater.
"Ah know ya'll have been in busy cities and fancy places like this before, Octavia" Sunny started to say as he caught up with her, walking to her right. "But ya know, maybe ya could give someponies the benefit of the doubt. Not Everypony is out ta get ya."
Chuckling lightly, Octavia cracked a small smile, but not because she was happy. "Sunny, Sunny, Sunny. I love the fact that you always see the brighter side of things, and see the good inside Everypony, even if there is none. Don't take this the wrong way, but you wouldn't last a week in a place like Manehatten."
Before Sunny could ask why, he and Octavia were approached by a pair of rather confused looking adolescent mares. One holding a map approached Sunny first. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to bother you two, but it's our first time here. And we're trying to find my grandmother's retirement home. Do either of you know where-"
"I'm sorry, we're in a rush" Octavia said coldly as she walked past the two younger mares. "There's a police pony down the way directing traffic, you can ask him."
Once again, Octavia rises her head and proceeded to simply walk away from a pony in need. Sunny, on the other hoof, couldn't just let the two fillies wander around aimlessly. Even if they did find the cop Octavia and he passed, the cop was directing traffic and couldn't really do much to help them. Stepping closer to the two fillies, Sunny looked at the map they were holding.
The place they had circled in red was called 'Golden Arch Acres Retirement', which Sunny assumed to be where they were looking for. He noted a few land marks on the map that would be hard to miss; A statue at the center of a round about, a small park with a lake at it's heart, and a musings that was parallel to the retirement living area.
"Ok, it looks like your Grandmother lives here..." Sunny pointed out with his hoof to the circle on the map. "And if you look up, we're here, just a few streets over. I noticed this statue on our way here. So if you take this street down, then head over about three streets south, you'll come to a museum, and just on the other side of that is your destination. But if you hit this park here, you've gone too far."
"Oh! That makes sense" one of the two fillies said, taking another look at the map.
"Now I see it" the other commented, pointing out several spots on the map. "We went too far here, and made a wrong then here..."
Both fillies shot Sunny a smile and thanked him as they started down the street, heading in the right direction this time.
"Again, you could have just let them get help from the traffic cop" Octavia noted, annoyance heavily in her voice now. "If you're all done doing good deeds , I'd like to get to the theater to have ample time to practice."
As Octavia began to walk angrily down the street again, stopping at a cross walk, allowing Sunny to catch up, she tried desperately to focus on the task at hoof. But Sunny wasn't going to let any of this go.
"Why do ya have such ah hard time helpin' out others in need?" Sunny himself was beginning to sound annoyed but kept his cool. "Ah mean, all those girls needed was a little help with directions. It took me only ah few moments ta figure out where they needed ta go."
"I'm not against helping others" Octavia said, her tone flatter then week old soda. As the light turned green indicating it was safe to walk, Octavia crossed, allowing Sunny to keep up with her pace. "But I know this city, and other cities like it. Ponies here aren't like ponies back in Ponyville. They're always looking to make a quick bit. They look out for themselves first, and others much much later. You can't always trust what they say, and 'you' need to be more on your guard."
Quickening his pace, Sunny started to walk ahead of his regal friend. "Did... did somepony hurt you?"
Sighing heavily, Octavia just turned and began to walk away. "I'm not going to have any time to rehearse if we don't get a move on. Let's go."
Sunny didn't say anything further on the matter and just followed quickly behind his friend. The rest of the walk to the theater was silent. Sunny didn't want to upset Octavia before her tryout, but that was proving more and more difficult by the moment.
Rounding the corner of the street, both Sunny and Octavia were met with the light and up beat techno sound of a piano. It wasn't too hard to find the source of the light hearted music. It was technically a 'piano' but a smaller version that the colt could balance on his lap while a strap connected to each end also wrapped around the back of his neck. A hat was placed in front of him with a sign saying 'raising money for music school'.
The song the little blue colt was playing was an original piece Sunny had never heard of. Octavia on the other hoof had heard her roommate and best friend play the song on more the one occasion. It was a beginners song, most pianists knew how to play it, just given an electric twist. Needless to say, Octavia was both unamused and unmoved by his song. Sunny on the other hoof was completely moved. Not just by the colt's playing, but also by the effort and heart he put into every key and every note. The foal was so passionate about his music, Sunny was surprised he didn't already have a cutie mark for some talent involving music. But the blue colt with a light brown mop of hair still continued to play with all his might on the edge of the concrete, hoping to raise enough money to attend a music school.
No longer surprising Sunny, Octavia walked past the colt without a second glance or hesitation. But the colt remained unscathed by her cold atmosphere and continued to play, almost as if nothing could break his spirit. Sunny made sure to walk a few steps behind Octavia so he could pause and drop a few bits into the colt's hat. The colt, happy that somepony so gerously gave him a few bits, changed the music to a brighter, louder, and more complex song to show off his gratitude.
"What do you think you are doing?" Octavia appeared by Sunny's side and began to rush him along. "My tryouts are in less then an hour. I'm hardly going to have any time to practice if we keep stopping!"
As quickly as they could, Sunny and Octavia walked past the corner and rushed down the street. Now out of ear shot, Octavia began her lecture. "Sunny, you can't possibly believe that that colt is honestly attempting to enter into a music school."
"Why not? He was really good" Sunny guickly responded.
"Here's something you might not yet know" Octavia began to explain, actually pausing to look Sunny in the eye rather then continue on their walk towards the theater. "Keyboards, like the one he has, can have settings in them that play music for them, without them even having to actually hit a note. I've seen it before. Ponies just pretend that they're tying to better themselves, get back up on their hooves, or even really younger ones without cutie marks, pretend to be musically talented and get a key board with songs in the settings, and pretend to play. When in reality, it's the key board doing all the work."
Sunny felt a little taken back. It wasn't that he actually believed Octavia... well... not 100%, anyway... He had seen how his grey friend reacts with the other ponies of the city, and how she assumed the worst. But what really got Sunny doubting himself was the fact that he had little to no idea about the technology that ponies had now or days. It's possible that some pony could have pulled the wool over his eyes thanks to Sunny's ignorance of machines and devices ponies had in this recent day and age.
But despite his hesitation, Sunny was able to clear his mind once more and meet Octavia eye to eye. "Octavia, all day ya'll have been assuming th' worst of ponies, thinkin' they were out ta con ya. But even if that's true, and ah ain't sayin' it is, what harm could giving a little colt ah bit or two for his troubles? Even if th' feller ain't really musically talented, you and ah don't know that he ain't gunna be one day. For all we know, th' little guy wants ta be but really can't afford music school. What if that were th' case?"
Sighing heavily, now completely done with trying to reason with the yellow unicorn, Octavia looked away for a moment, trying to compose herself before she said something she'd latter regret.
When she got her breathing back down to normal, Octavia once again looked at Sunny with colder eyes then before. "Let's just get to the theater. I'm tired of talking about this, and want to have a clear mind when I perform."
And that was all that was said between the two ponies for what seemed like hours, even though, realistically, it was only a matter of minute until they reached their destination.
Walking up to the theater, Octavia presented the bouncers at the door with two silver tickets. Both bouncers nodded and allowed Sunny and Octavia inside. The two friends didn't say a single word as Octavia checked in, walked down a hall to a private room where she could rehearse, and settled in. After tuning her cello again, Octavia readied herself to practice the piece she had specially written for the tryouts for the Silver Notes, at least one last time before she went on. She felt it was her finest piece yet, and had practiced it for hours before hoof. But like every good musician knows, one can never get in enough practice.
Sunny remained with Octavia in the private room, listening to her wonderful piece in until it was time for Octavia to take her place in front of the judges, leaving only once to fetch him and Octavia some water when his friend looked a little dehydrated. Once it was Octavia's turn to perform, Sunny was lead out into a sea of empty seats while Octavia quickly set up on a large theater stage. Three judges sat upfront at a small table. Two Sunny recognized as Fancy Pants and Hoity Toity, from pictures Rarity and Pinkie Pie had shared about some of their adventures. But the third, the pony who sat on the far left, was somepony Sunny didn't recognize, but guessed that it was this Professor Arrow Song, that Octavia had told him about earlier. She was a taller mare then Sunny was used to seeing, with a cream colored coat, blue eyes and a dark brown mane. But what Sunny found most peculiar was the red streak designs in her mane. All three judges put in their best poker faces as Octavia cleared her throat, letting her know she was ready.
"Thank you all for taking the time to see me today" Octavia began with a virtuous smile and slight bow.
"Thank you for coming" Fancy Pants, who was seated on the far right said with a slight smile, still trying not to show favoritism. "What is it you will be playing for us today?"
"It's a piece I've written myself" Octavia began to explain, catching the attention of all the judges. "I wrote it just for the occasion. I hope you all enjoy..."
Taking her seat, Octavia closed her eyes and began to let the magic inside her flow. Like most earth ponies, the magic inside of Octavia is channeled in a very subtle way. Rather then allowing her to fly and control weather, or levitate and teleport objects, Octavia channels magic from deep within her, then into her hooves, allowing her to play her signature instrument with little to no flaw. It was a talent she had discovered at a young age, and since spent years learning, expanding her knowledge, and delving deeper into the art. Now it was time for her to take it to the next level, and join the most prestigious musical group in all of Equestria, the Silver Notes. All she would have to do is put her best hoof forward and show the judges what she was made of.
But several notes into her song, not even past the first line of notes, Octavia's melody was silenced when the Judge on the far left raised a hoof and yelled out "that will be all, miss Octavia."
"What? Really? That's all you needed to hear?" Octavia was a little shocked, but relieved that Professor Arrow Song was so sure of her decision. "I'm honored that you think I'm talented enough to join the Silver Notes. I won't let you-"
"I'm sorry, Miss Octavia" Arrow Song interrupted the grey earth pony once more. "I think you're mistaken. I'm not stopping you because I want you in the Silver Notes. I stopped you because I can see by your... self written song, that you are far from joining the Silver Notes."
"W-what?..." Octavia's eyes went wide as her heart sunk, her legs feeling weak and wanting to give in beneath her.
"I'm sorry, Miss Octavia" Arrow continued, sighing as she flipped a stand of her mane back out of her face. "But it didn't take me long to see just what kind a musician you are. I've secured the position of judge for the Silver Notes strictly because of my own talent."
Sunny hadn't looked at the Professor much until that point, but the rather tall and lengthy unicorn had a cutie mark of a music note with an angled arrow layered behind it. He had no idea what that meant, but at the moment, the yellow unicorn could care less. Turning his attention away from the Professor, Sunny thought it best to begin an advance towards the stage as the Professor began again.
"I can tell where a musician's career is going just based on how they play, I can tell what direction a musician should take their career or education, and whether they could rise up to become a member of the Silver Notes, taking their careers on the road with solo acts, or even end up just as subtle entertainment at foal's parties. It's a sad, cold fact. But to save you years and years of trying to be something you're not, miss Octavia, I'm going to tell you now that you are-"
"The greatest cello player in all of Equestria" a thundering voice boomed as a certain yellow stallion walked onto the stage. A stage hoof tried to stop him, but with a single, hard glance, Sunny silenced the pony, stopping him dead in his tracks, and continued to join his friend on stage.
"And who might you be to make such a bold statement?" Hoity Toity asked as he lowered his sunglasses and shot Sunny a sharp glance.
"I'm her friend" Sunny stated, taking another step closer to Octavia as his own eyes returned a sharper glance back at the small, purple coated earth pony. "And I'll have you know that even though my knowlage of musicians in this time are a little dated, I have heard ponies play from all over Equestria, on instruments of every shape and size, but no pony, and I mean NO PONY, plays with half the heart as Octavia. Miss Arrow, you are making a foolish move to let Octavia walk away from joining your group."
Raining a brow for a moment, Arrow song sighed as she rubbed the top of her muzzle, breaking eye contact with Sunny, who's gaze felt like it was burning her to the core. "Mr..."
"Sunny" the yellow unicorn answered. "The name Sunny Knight".
"Mr.Sunny" Arrow said as she took another breath and looked him in the eye as best she could. "Your friend is very talented, that's true. And you're right, there are few ponies in all of Equestria as good as she is. But from what I can see, she is best as a solo act. Despite the Power and control she seems to have with the cello, she projects well enough to not only outshine and overpower anypony else in an orchestra if she wanted, but her tone is what I'm most afraid of."
"I'm afraid I'll have to agree" Fancy Pants admitted as he levitated his Monica's off of his face and began cleaning it. "I've heard Octavia play with ponies before in a small orchestra. And I'll admit, I've seen a great progress on her part. But despite her... achievements and growth, she still lacks in the proper 'tone' that is expected of the Silver Notes."
"Which, before you ask what 'tone' we are actually talking about" Arrow jumped in when she could before Sunny could speak further. "I hear a very sad, secluded song in Octavia. It's very refined, very polished to shine, but ultimately it is a dark feel. The Silver Tones don't need to shine as brightly as gold, thus the name, but they all do need to shine, as well as blend together as one. Music that brings great strength to others, that lifts them up to touch the stars in the sky.
"I'm afraid that at her best, Octavia is just a dark solo act" Arrow said as she once again looked Octavia in the eye. "I'm sorry, but that's the cold, hard fact."
Before anypony could say anything else, be it Sunny defending Octavia, or any of the judges shooting her down, Octavia quickly grabbed her stuff, packed it up, and rushed off stage. Sunny hesitated, jumping from soft and concerned emotions for his friend, and cold earth for the judges, but chose to leave with his friend. The last thing either of them heard from the judges as they rushed out of the theater was Arrow Song calling 'NEXT'.
Octavia made sure to keep her head down as she walked quickly enough to stay just ahead of Sunny, who so desperately wanted to be by her side.
"Octavia, what up!" Sunny called out several times before his musical friend finally stopped, her head still hanging low enough to have her eyes hidden by her mane.
"What do you want, Sunny?" Octavia's words were hard and harp as they slid out through her teeth.
"Octavia, ya know yer waaaaay better then half th' ponies trying out fer them stuck up snobs" Sunny started to say while catching his breath. "Ah wouldn't listen to that crazy, old Arrow Song anywho. Ah love your music. It's-"
"Dark and depressing!" Octavia snapped, her voice growing into a yell. "You don't have to lie to me Sunny! I know my music is dreary! It's not all 'sunshine and rainbows' like the Silver Tones! I know! I've tried to practice such pieces! But you know what Sunny?! I JUST CANT PLAY IT!"
Finally able to look her in the eye, Sunny saw tears had been streaming from Octavia's purple colored eyes, probably since they left the theater. Her blood shot eyes along with the rivers that ran down her cheeks shocked the yellow unicorn, and once again, like with Thunderlane and Big Mac, he didn't really know what to do to make the situation better.
"Octavia... I..." Sunny's glow faded as he broke eye contact with the grey mare.
"Just leave me alone!" Octavia pushed past Sunny, carrying her cello over her back and running as fast as she could, to where, not even she knew. All Sunny could do was watch as she ran down the street and out of sight...
Sunny had wondered around looking for Octavia for hours. The sun was beginning to set and he was starting to worry. He thought she might show up back at the hotel, but she wasn't in the room and no pony had seen her. As time passed, Sunny thought to take to the streets and search for his troubled friend. He wanted to take in the sights, but not like this, not on a hunt for his hurt friend.
After what felt like walking the streets for hours, Sunny felt his legs grow tired, and he fell back on his haunches on the edge of the sidewalk. He sighed with frustration. The yellow unicorn wanted to keep looking, to keep pressing on, but he hadn't walked this much sense the march onto Griffinstone over 1000 years ago. Reluctantly, the yellow unicorn pulled out a harmonica that Applejack gave him and began to play.
For some reason unknown to Sunny, Applejack thought it would be a fun idea for the two of them to play instruments together. Not like start a band, but just for fun. She tried to teach him the banjo, but that was a disaster. Then she had the idea to let him try the harmonica. And although it took some practice, Sunny actually started to get pretty good at playing the instrument. He didn't know what he was playing, but Sunny found himself playing a song of some sort.
As he continued to play, some ponies walked by and began dropping a bit or two into a hat that was anyone about three or four feet away from him. When Sunny looked up and over to the hat, he noticed the little blue colt sitting there, admiring him and his playing.
"Wow, mister! You're really good!" The colt said with a wide smile, digging the gold could ponies dropped out of his hat. "Here, these are yours!"
Sunny smiled, shook his head and pushed the coins back to the colt. "Take 'em. Ah hear music school's expensive."
"I thought you as your friend didn't believe me when you ran off like that" the colt said as he happily added the bits to a small compartment underneath his key board, leaving only one or two in the hat.
"Ah believe ya" Sunny admitted with a grin. "And ya should never give up on yer hopes and dreams. Ya'll get there one day. Just don't ever give up, ya hear?"
"I won't!" The colt said with a grin and offered a hoof out to Sunny. "The name's Blue, Blue Sparks. My friends call me Blue, but my mom calls me Sparks or Sparky."
Meeting his hoof with a hoof bump, Sunny smiled and tipped his hat. "Name's Sunny, Sunny Knight. Friends Call me Sunny. It's ah pleasure ta meet ya Blue."
"Same" Blue said with a smile. "Hey, where's your friend? The lady with the cello?"
Sighing and looking away from the little blue colt, Sunny lowered his hat more over his face. "She... ran off..."
"Where did she go?" Blue asked innocently.
"Ah have no idea" Sunny continued and looked out onto the street. "I've been looking for her for hours. Ah'm gettin' mighty worried."
"Hey mister!" Somepony called out as she ran up to Sunny. Instantly, Sunny recognized her as one of the two fillies he helped out earlier. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I saw your friend enter the park a few minute ago! Come on! I'll show you!"
"You will?! Thank you!" Sunny got up and began to follow the filly, with Blue tagging along, tossing his keyboard over his back and his hat atop his head.
The trio were quickly joined by the second filly that Sunny help earlier along with an elderly mare in a wheelchair that the second filly pushed. Together the new team ventured into the park, but the sun was quickly setting, soon it would be impossible for anypony to find anypony alone in the park.
Luckily for them, Sunny's ears quickly caught the faint tone of a deep, stringed instrument, one that he had heard before and recognized easily as Octavia. As he lead the foals and elderly mare in the direction of his friend, Sunny found Octavia subtly playing her cello half heartedly on a park bench. He raised a hoof to the group, signaling them to remain hidden behind some trees as he carefully approached his friend, knowing she was in an emotionally fragile state.
Taking a few, slow steps towards the cellist, Sunny didn't want to alter her to his presence just yet. Unfortunately for him, he didn't secure the harmonica in his hat as best as he normally did, and about half way to hug friend, the instrument fell out. As it flew to the ground, wind was caught and shot through it, making a loud and high pitches noise.
Octavia looked up, saw Sunny and sighed. "I'm not in the mood to talk Sunny. Even you with your bold statements, commanding voice, and regal tongue couldn't help me... just leave me alone..."
Not wanting to give up, Sunny at first thought to try something Twilight would do for one of her friends. But he had never read about an adventurer that the princess of friendship had that was similar to this situation. If there was one, the yellow unicorn certainly couldn't think of it at the moment. Instead, Sunny's eyes fell on the instrument that he dropped. It was then that the glow inside of him returned and a crazy idea came to mind. It was worth a shot. And Octavia did say 'no words' right?
Slowly, and starting off a little off key and low, Sunny started playing his harmonica for his down trotted friend. The tone and rhythm was slow and gentle at first, lacking in the instrument's own natural voice. But Sunny didn't want to scare off his friend. Octavia stopped her playing and actually watched her yellow friend as he tried to speak to her through the power of music.
He was starting to win her over, but the sadness was still there in her eyes. Sunny needed help. Look my over at Blue, Sunny played his harmonica, hitting a higher stream of notes that the harmonica was naturally meant to play, giving it more of the 'blues' tone that the harmonica was meant to play. Blue tossed his key board in front of him and began playing, mimicking the notes Sunny was hitting and gradually made his way to Sunny side, now facing Octavia.
Shocked to see the little colt who had joined him, Octavia watched with wide eyes as Sunny and Blue played off each other, note for note. But despite the duo's tag team, it still wasn't lifting Octavia's spirits up to were she needed to be. That's when the two fillies and their grandmother joined in. They had no instruments to play, true, but something the two fillies loved doing when they visited their grandmother was sing with her. Their grandmother retired from singing at a fairly young age to raise her child, but had never given up the art. And instead, passed it on to her daughter and now to her daughter's daughters. With Sunny and Blue on their instruments, and the three mares singing back up tones, the only thing the group needed was a leader and direction.
That's all she needed.
No long able to stand by and just take it all in, Octavia stood up, grabbed her cello, ran the bow across the stings, and began to play with all her heart once more. This time, something else inside sprang to life, a new light. She no longer kept her eyes shut to conceal herself and focus on her music. This time, Octavia's eyes were kept wide open as she played without even having to look at her own hoof movements. She wanted to keep an eye on her new band mates, to take in the wonderful sight before her, and create a wonderful memory from it. Their small band had grown so loud and was so full of life and energy that it actually started to draw a crowd to the park!
Most ponies kept away from the park after dark, especially in the big city where muggers and other criminals could be lurking in the shadows. But after hearing the wonderful music that was emerging out of the park, ponies couldn't help but be drawn to it. Some had left a concert a couple of weeks ago, one that stared a new up and coming filly who sang about overthrowing the royal based government and finding the strength within to govern themselves. That music had filled them and driven them with anger and hate. But hearing his small band had some how flushed that violent music out of them. Those ponies who attended the concert couldn't remember why they felt that way before. The music that Octavia and her band of misfit friends were playing now filled the ponies with sense of joy, adding. Spring in their step and an uplifting tone in their hearts.
As the song came to a close, Octavia looked away from her group and realized that a full crowd had gathered to hear them play. Her eyes had grown unusually wide for the second time today as she watched ponies cheer and stomp their hooves in applause.
"You were great, Octavia!" Sunny said as he put a hoof on her shoulder. "I told you you were the greatest cellist in all Equestria."
"You were... half right, Sunny" Octavia said as she turned to the ponies who had joined their little 'band', and gave them an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry... for being so short and nasty with all of you. There is no excuse for the way I acted."
"Eh, it's all good" Blue said as he tipped his hat.
"You looked like you kinda had a lot on your mind" one of the fillies said with a grin.
"Besides, your coltfriend was kind enough to help us out" the other filly said with a light giggle.
"We're just friends" Sunny and Octavia said at the same time, paused, looked at each other, smiled and then let out a light laugh.
"Congratulations, miss Octavia" somepony said as she stepped out of the crowd, the familiar voice running chills up Sunny and Octavia's backs as both turned to see Professor Arrow Song join the group, stepping out of the crowd. "I must say, it's been a long, long time since the last time I've had to say this about a fellow musician, but I was wrong. I swore I had you pegged as somepony completely different when I first heard you play. So dark, cold, solid like stone, standing alone like a monolith. But seeing you up here, playing with this group of misfits, all playing in harmony, with instruments that aren't naturally supposed to even be together, I'm more surprised today then I ever have been!
"Miss Octavia" the cream colored pony stepped forward and offered a hoof, "would you do me the honor of not only joining the Silver Tones, but also becoming my apprentice? By my side, I know you can do great things. Maybe even replace me in ushering in a new wave of musically gifted youngsters. What do you say?"
Looking at her hoof, Octavia hesitated. Hours ago she would have been jumping for joy at the chance to be offered such an honor. But now... now she felt something wasn't right. She looked back at the ponies who had come to her aid, even after the way she had treated all of them. With another sigh, Octavia turned back to Arrow Song and simply said "No."
Everypony was shocked to hear the cellist's answer, and immediately Sunny jumped to her side. "Octavia, this is what ya wanted, ain't it? What ya've been dreaming 'bout fer years?"
"You're right, Sunny. It was..." Octavia started to say as she turned to the group of 'misfits' she had just played with, smiling happily as she could at them. "But today, I learned something. Music is a gift. A gift that can't be wrapped up in gold and silver. A gift that can lift us up when we are at our lowest. But I still have a lot to learn about giving before I can expect to receive any credit at all."
Shocked at first, Arrow son cracked a smile and nodded. "I don't know what's changed you in the past few hours, miss Octavia, but I see a bright future ahead of you. Anytime in the future you decide you are ready, I'll be waiting."
"Speaking of futures" Octavia said as she pulled the little blue colt closer to her and Arrow Song. "This little guy wants to go to music school, but lacks in the financial aid. Do you think you could help him?"
Looking at the little blue guy, Arrow bobbed her head for a moment before turning back to Octavia. "That all depends, do you think he's destined for greatness?"
"I think if he applies himself like he did today, he'll be better then even you or I one day" Octavia stated with great confidence, not just generous words.
"Anypony 'you' recommend, I will defiantly aid" Arrow said, cracking a smile as she looked down to Blue. "How's a full scholarship to the 'Manehatten school of Musical Arts' sound?"
Blue didn't know what to make of it. "... you mean... I wouldn't have to perform on the streets anymore?"
"Not unless you wanted to" Arrow answered.
"And... and my mom wound have to work two jobs anymore?" Blue asked, his hat dropping off his head.
"Again, not unless she wants to" Arrow repeated herself. "And trust me, I don't think any sane mare would want to work two jobs."
"SPARKS! SPARKS!" A light blue Pegasus mare in royal guard armor made her way though the crowd. She had an electric blue mane and tail that seemed to glow off the golden armor she wore. When she looked over and saw her son surrounded by ponies, carrying his key board and hat, she knew what he was up to. As the Pegasus guard closed the space between her and her son, ignoring Everypony around her, her voice began to grow louder and louder. "SPARKS! How many times have I told you, NO MORE STREET PERFORMING! What if something happens to you!? You could have gotten foal-napped! Or hurt!"
"Mom guess what?! I just got a full scholarship to go to music school!" Blue said excitedly, ignoring his mother's lecturing.
"I don't care how many bits you got today! I told you with my second job I can..." it took the Pegasus mare a while but the words finally caught up to her. But when they did, the poor mare felt faint. "You... got a scholarship?"
"Yes he did" Octavia said, stepping forward and helping the unsteady looking mare onto the park bench. "Your son has a great talent that I can't wait to see blossom. He'll be going to the 'Manehatten school of Musical Arts'."
Looking up at Octavia, the Pegasus mare in royal armor couldn't believe what she was hearing. "This... this is really happening? My little Sparky can go to that fancy of a school?"
"Indeed" Octavia replied with a nod. Before she could say anything else, the guard gave Octavia the biggest hug she had ever revived.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!" The light blue mare replied as her helmet fell to the ground, revealing a rather short cut mane. "I don't know how to thank you enough!"
"Actually, the thanks goes to Proffesor Arrow Song..." Octavia managed to squeeze out. "She offered-"
"I only said I would take anypony 'you' recommend, Miss Octavia" Arrow said with a half smile. "So the tanks actually goes to you, for your generous support."
Releasing Her from the hug, the guard held Octavia's hooves in her own as she looked her right in the eye. It was the guard's time to cry, but this time, tears of joy. "My name is Rhapsody, and if there is anything I can do, or you find yourself ever in need, please, call upon the guard named Rhapsody!"
"Hey Sunny" Blue nudged the yellow unicorn. "Aren't you a guard too?"
"What?! M-me?! No! No!" Sunny tripped over his words. "I'm just a farmer. What would give you an idea like that?"
"Well, your name is Knight, so I thought..." Blue started to say but trailed off.
"Wait! Your name is Knight?" Rhapsody said as she let Octavia go and ran right up to Sunny. "Tell me, do you know a 'Charming' 'Knight'?"
Shaking his head, Sunny just watched as the light blue mare with a short cut mane sighed and hung her head slightly. "Sorry, it's just... somepony I used to know went by that name... anywho, I say this calls for a celebration!"
"I couldn't agree more!" Octavia said, stepping forward. "Let's all head back to the Diamond Stables hotel! Party on the 35th floor!"
As Octavia made the announcement to the entire crowd, the sea of ponies cheered as they all galloped to the prestigious hotel that loomed over the entire city.
"That's mighty generous of you, Octavia" Sunny said with a grin as they walked over with their new group of 'misfit' friends. "Gunna be awful pricy."
"I can handle it" Octavia sad as she pranced along, almost as if she weren't carting the second most heavy instrument on her back. "Besides, it feels really good to give to others, even if I don't know them all very well. Which reminds me...
"Would you do a favor and invite that sweat little mare behind the counter at the hotel to our party? I want to apologize in person for my rude behavior and try and make it up to her as best I can." Octavia's spring in her step slowed as she thought about how she had been acting all day.
Playfully, Sunny nudged her in the side, pulling her out of her dark pit. "I'm sure she needs the break and would love to come. And Octavia... I'm proud of you."
Hearing that come from Sunny for some odd reason really made Octavia feel better then she had in years. Like a light just flickered on inside her. 'There's something about him that I really admire. Applejack better tie him down or I might just run away with him.' "Thank you, Sunny. But if you want, you can call me Octy."
(Mature content warning! Due to violent actions, I'm giving you, the reader, a fair warning that this could hater will be more violent the or envious chapters. But do enjoy the chapter.)
'It' was well hidden, having been rebuilt at the farthest southern point of Equestria. Far enough away that most ponies wouldn't look for it there. Even if they did, 'It' was well camouflaged to look too much like a tree covered mountain. After escaping their last castle, after being imprisoned there by Twilight Sparkle and her friends, 'she' and her followers had to relocate 'it' to a place where no pony would find it. Where 'she' could raise a new army. An army she planned to use to exact revenge on not only Twilight and her friends, but against the other princesses as well! 'She' will stop at nothing until she claims all of Equestria for her own.
Such a shame that 'she' will never get the chance. 'It' was about to fall. And 'HE' was going to be the one to do it...
Salted Carmel looked out over the valley where the changeling's new hive hid amongst the tree covered mountains. The surrounding area was uninhabited forests for miles and miles. Perfect for a changeling hive to hide in. Never even blinking, Salted kept his eyes locked on his target as several of Sombra's brainwashed guards, along with the prison's doctor, approached the mute inmate.
"Well Salted, it's finally come" Surgical Scalpel was sure to keep his distance from the behemoth of a pony. "Revenge is a dish best served cold. And you're one of the coldest ponie's I've ever met. Still, do keep in mind to leave us a few changelings of us to use. Creatures who can change their shape, appearance and even voice can be useful to Sombra."
Salted let out a deep and feral growl, as he kept looking at the hive. The home of the creatures that stole his life, making him into the monster he is today. He lost all concept as to what was real and was was not after that day. The only things he knew to be true were the changelings were to blame, and he was angry. All other memories were lost to him. Even his real name. 'Salted Carmel' was a name given to him when the royal guard found him attacking on the edge of Canterlot. Not a week after his attack was the wedding of Princess Cadence and Captain Shinning Armor scheduled. For whatever reason, Salted had warn out his use to the changelings and their Queen and only would serve as a distraction. And quite the distraction he was.
Royal guard after royal guard fell at the hooves of the earthpony like titan. Using his strength to overpower the pegusi guards, and his battle experience that seemed to be locked into muscle memory to evade the magic of the unicorns, Salted took on and defeated fifty two royal guards before the final reinforcements arrived. Princesses Celestia and Luna held such great magical strength to move the sun and moon, so even Equestria's strongest earth pony was no match for them.
With the royal guard's forces weakened, it was easy for Queen Chisalis to slip in, trade places with princess Cadence, and have her own troops ready and waiting for her signal to attack Canterlot. All the while Salted was hauled off to the Ironlock maximum security prison.
Unlucky for the changeling queen, Salted was now free and out for revenge.
One of the Sombra guards carried a boom box over to Salted Carmel and presented it to him. Salted broke eye contact from the hive for an instant to look from it to Surgical, knowing full well that the Sombra guards spoke even less then he did.
"Cynical said that this would make your whole 'chapter about taking down the changeling hive' much more epic" the doctor quoted as he pushed his glasses higher up his muzzle with his hoof. "You have a rather interesting friend. But if you would rather keep the element of surprise, we could always-"
Salted grabbed the boom box and began running down the hill side as fast as he could, his target in sight once more of his burning red eyes. A glimpse into the future. A hive set aflame.
Surgical yawned and sat back to enjoy the show. He looked over at the mindless Sombra soldiers and sighed, annoyed at their statue like presence. "Follow behind him, but don't get in his way. Pick up any changelings that we might be able to use. But remember, he wants their queen. We don't need her."
With a nod, the soldiers began marching after Salted, making sure to leave him with more then enough of a lead to do what he planned to do. Destroy the hive with his own bare hooves, then return the favor to Queen Chrysalis.
At the hive, a changeling stationed at one entrance, sent to sentry duty couldn't help but notice a small brown cloud raising up out of the forest's canopy. Looking trough a pair of binoculars, the sentry had hoped to find the source of the brown cloud. Was it a dust storm? Dirt devil? Fire? Stampeding animal?
As he tried to focus on the fast approaching brown cloud, the sentry's Superior officer approached him, and asked what he saw. Still unable to identify the cause of the brown cloud, he passed the binoculars off to his superior officer, hoping 'he' could recognize it. The hire ranking changeling gazed through the binoculars at the worst possible time. By the time the changeling had realized what was happening, it was too late for him or the sentry to move out of the way, and without warning, several trees that had been ripped up by their roots began falling into the changing hive like giant arrows!
Dozens upon dozens of changelings began to fly out of the hive, like a swarm of bees, to see what the commotion was as well as to ward off any possible attack. They didn't know just how in over their heads they were.
The first platoon was aiding the sentry group who had been injured in the attack just moments ago, while the second platoon was readying to go on the offensive. They would swarm out of the hive, seek out, and eliminate the threat to the hive and the Queen. Unfortunately for them, they didn't have to go far.
Breaking down a supporting wall to the hive with a bolder five times his size, a pony, a single pony entered the hive. A thick cloud of dust hid his finer details from the rest of the changelings. But those who had the unfortunate experience of dealing with 'that' specific pony in the past, began to tremble with terror and sent word to have the rest of the hive retreat. For they knew there would be no victory against this pony.
Standing there as the dust settled, with his burning red eyes glaring at all the changelings before him, Salted paused, Narrowed his eyes on all the soon-to-be victims before him, then gently set the boom box down and hit play. As soon as he did, he knew the song Cynical had picked for this battle. It was completely appropriate, and would truly embed his image in the minds of every lowly insect in this foul hive. It would be the anthem tribute of the day the hive fell and Salted exacted his revenge on their Queen.
As several brave changing lunged at Salted all at once, trained to using sheer numbers in lieu of individual strength. But Salted only needed to grab one for all to fall. Grabbing the head of the changeling on the far right of him with his bare hoof, the brown earth pony only swing his hoof in a horizontal motion, to have the now captive changeling crashing into the others. Hitting one after another after another like dominos, each time one changeling was hit by Salted Carmel using the one changeling as a weapon, was enough to knock the other changelings out cold.
While Salted was supposedly distracted, Half a dozen more changeling had circled him in the air while the other half dozen were clung to the wall, ready for the second wave strike after their flying brothers. That was their plan anyway.
Before the air strike to attack, Salted unwrapped on of the chains shackled to his forelegs. With a quick flick of his front leg, the chain cut through the air and wrapped itself around the throat of a changeling. Pulling the still airborne changeling he had captured down with one powerful thrust, Salted quickly made the creature airborne again, using him as a weight on the chain as he knocked changeling after changeling out of the sky. Before all the first strike of flying changelings could fall, the second one mobilized, only to meet a similar fate. Before any of them could get close enough to Salted, the mute pony was sure to strike them down with his chain and changeling weight. More changelings entered the battle through various entrances of the castle, hoping to catch the assailant off guard. They, like their comrades, were not successful.
In a matter of moments, five platoons of armored changelings were taken down. Salted growled lightly as he released a held breath, not even feeling the least bit threatened by the insect like creatures. Picking up the boom box, Salted made his way deeper into the hive, knowing the loud music would draw the changelings to him like a moth to a flame.
A little down the hallway, Salted heard something familiar. Cries for help, but not in changeling voices. Curious, and feeling absolutely zero threats from the area, the behemoth made his way to the source of the crying. When he arrived, Salted found several dozen fillies and colts in individual cages carved into the changeling's hive wall.
"Mister, please! Help us!" An orange filly with a bright yellow mane cried out and reached out through her cage.
"I want my mommy!" A colt started to cry from his cage.
"Please help us!" A light blue filly wiped some tears away.
"The keys are over there, mister!" A little green colt with a blue mane pointed to the wall on the far side of the room.
Salted took one small glance over at the wall, saw the keys, then looked back at them. There was one thing that was odd. It was normal for changelings to kidnap and lock up ponies to feed off of after hypnotizing, Salted was sure that's what happened to him, but something in the far corner of the room was different. It was a larger cage made of glass with several small wholes in the glass. But the creature inside it was not a pony of any kind, but a changeling. A single changeling that was chained up in his cell. The creature had cracks in his armor as well as scars all across his face. It was obvious from the claw marks on the walls of his cell and the glass that he was much more aggressive then any other changeling Salted had come across. But what really caught the monster of a pony's attention were the changling's eyes.
His eyes were wild and vicious, like a feral jungle cat. Looking into the creature's eyes, Salted saw something he not only liked, but what he knew he could trust. This changeling wasn't part of the hive like the other changelings, he was a rogue. And that meant that Salted could trust him. Well, trust him as far as one wild animal could another.
Ignoring the cries and pleads of the foals in their cages, Salted walked over to the cage that held the rogue changeling, put one hoof on the glass to stabilize himself, then raised his other hoof with the chain now rewrapped around it, and slammed it as hard as he could on the glass. The first hit seemed to just rattle the whole room. The second hit actually cracked the glass. And by the third hit, Salted's strength broke the magically reinforced glass.
"Watch out mister!" One of the fillies called out.
"Yeah! He's a monster like them!" A colt tried to warn Salted.
"He's really nasty!" A different filly commented with her muzzle pressed to the edge of the cage.
But their words meant little to nothing to Salted. He had a plan and he wasn't going to let anything ruin it. Besides, Salted wasn't as foolish as they took him for.
"He'll attack you!" Another cried out in a last ditch attempt as she hit her hooves against her cage door.
But their cries and pleads were but raindrops or radio static to him. Salted grabbed the lock with his hoof and with one swift motion of his chain wrapped hoof, broke the iron lock.
The muscular earth pony was so focused on the chained up changeling prisoner, that he failed to pay attention to the slight sound of squeaking cage doors or the flittering sound of the imprisoned ponies' wings. It wasn't until the chains began to unwrap from the scared changeling that Salted even heard the hissing noise come from behind him.
Like a swarm of anger bees, the no longer caged colts and fillies began attacking Salted. Diving and jumping at him, with tooth and hooves bared. They began tearing out chunks of his fur and mane, and for a very, very short time, the little monsters thought they had the upperhoof on him.
They were wrong.
For no amount of damage done to the pony's physical body could douse the raging fire in his ever burning, hate filled spirit. Nothing would stop Salted Carmel until he had his revenge.
Spinning around like a spinning top of doom, Salted was able to fling the tiny colts and fillies off of him. Despite them attacking him violently, the beings before him still looked cute, innocent, and to a point, frightened. But they made one tactical error. They attacked him. That made them his enemy. And out of the many things you don't want to be, Salted's enemy was one of them.
Unwinding both of his chains from his hooves now, Salted let them fall to the floor with a loud clang. The shackles being the only thing connecting the pony to the chains made it appear that he had two dead tentacles attached to his hooves. The fillies and colts gave up their innocent and frightened looks to attack Salted once more, realizing there was no mercy in the pony's heart. With quick flicks of his wrists and a swing from each front leg, both chains flung out and quickly wrapped each of their ends around the necks of a young looking pony. The ponies struggled to free themselves from the chains as they fell to the floor, but before they could, they were quickly flung through the air again. Their targets, the other fillies and colts. Watching with wide eyes and no time to dodge, the other fillies and colts who weren't being used as weights on the ends of the chains were knocked out of the air or off the wall with a loud 'crunch' or 'thud' indicating something broke. In a matter of moments all the young looking ponies hit the ground, and in a flash of green light, reverted to their true forms. Changelings. The young ponies still wrapped at the end of Salted's chains found it hard to breath, and with one quick tug by Salted at the other end, forced them to revert to their natural state as they passed out.
Loosening the chain's grips on the now passed out changelings, Salted rewrapped the chains around his for legs. He kept his former restraints with him for more then just an intimidating look or a simple weapon. The chains themselves have a spell on them that nullifies anypony's magic who is restrained by them. Unicorns can't use their arcana magic, pegusi can't fly or manipulate the weather, and earth ponies can't use their strength or culinary related skills. Salted had been restrained by the chains for years, and they still continue to keep his true strength locked up. He would only let that go when he faced the Queen. 'She' was the only real target.
More chains hit the ground behind Salted as the previously imprisoned changeling with the scares landed on his hooves. It fluttered it's wings and stretched out it's legs before turning its attention back to Salted. The two stared each other down before the changeling broke eye contact by casually walking past Salted and heading out into the hallway.
Salted paused and waited, not fully knowing what it was doing. When the changeling realized Salted wasn't following him, it poked it's head back inside the room and said one word. "Queen."
Knowing exactly what it meant by that one word and the expression the changeling had on it's insect like muzzle, Salted nodded and began to follow. Changelings were lower then dirt to Salted, having been the drones of that wretched Queen Chrysalis, but this one seemed different. A look in it's eye told Salted that it craved something that he himself also loved need for. Revenge. Cold, bitter sweet, and long awaited Revenge...
Chrysalis was relaxing in her chamber, enjoying a rejuvenating bath in a pool of crystal clear water obtained from a near by spring, trying to clear her mind before she concocted her next big plan to rule Equestria. Unfortunately for her and her hive, any and all plans she would have come up with were about to be shattered to pieces.
Through the only doors leading in and out of her private chambers, the two sentries stationed out front were sent flying though the doors, landing against the far wall with a loud thud! Chrysalis could hardly believe her eyes as she stood up out of her bath and gazed down upon her fallen soldiers. Not only was their armor bent inwards and broken in several places, but their own exoskeletons had been beaten so much it began to crack in a number of places! The only thing that tore the Queen of the changeling's attention away from her savagely beaten guards was a low but very present growl. If there had been the simple sound of the water running or even if the Queen had been singing to herself, the low growl would still have been heard.
"YOU?!" The changeling queen hissed as she took a few steps closer to Salted who stood at the doorway, the scared changeling standing behind him, guarding the door. "I'm a little surprised that somepony as worthless as you actually found out hive, let alone-"
The Queen's rant was cut short, Salted was in no mood for her long and drawn out speeches. He immediately flung one of his chains at her, wrapping it around her throat, causing the insect like queen to nearly gag. Salted knew what she was doing. She was trying to buy time for her 'loyal subjects' to come to her aid.
But Salted had waited too long for this moment, and despite knowing he could easily take on her whole army, his real target was standing before him. It was pay back time!
Pulling with all his might, Salted flung Chrysalis off her hooves and soaring towards him! Thinking quickly, the changeling queen started to fly, planning a counter to his direct attack. Thinking it might throw him off a bit, Chrysalis wanted to get Salted airborne then strike him with one of her spells.
'I'll hypnotize him like I did back then...' the changeling queen thought as she flew closer and closer to the ceiling, feeling the increase in weight as she lifted the muscular earth pony up off the ground.
Unfortunately for her, rage had kicked in and Salted's warrior mind was kicked into over drive. He had a counter for everything she could throw at him. He had played out anything and everything Queen Chrysalis could possibly throw at him, while he was locked up. That way, his revenge would be secured. Releasing his second chain from around his less dominant hoof, Salted began swirling it around and around before striking out with it, wrapping it around the queen changeling's wings this time!
Unable to fly, both Chrysalis and Salted began falling down towards the ground! The changeling queen struggled to get free from the chains, but something was wrong. When she tried to use her magic, nothing happened. Under stress, magic was supposed to amplify in power by sacrificing control. But there was no power and no control. There was nothing!
'What is going on?! Why won't my magic work?!' The evil queen thought to herself as the ground grew closer and closer.
Before they hit the ground, Salted pulled himself closer to the Queen, wrapping the chains fully around the changeling queen now, preventing her from escaping. Bracing herself mentally for the inevitable impact, Chrysalis closed her eyes and waited for the wave of pain.
It hit her like a bolt of lightning, and like that, the world went black....
Chrysalis didn't know when she regained consciousness, only that when she awoke, the heavy smell of fire filled we nostrils. Raising her aching head, the changeling Queen looked around, horrified by what she saw.
All around her were her loyal subjects, the other changelings of the hive, all beaten to a pulp with bruises, broken wings, cracked exoskeletons, and missing fangs. Anger and outrage rather then sympathy and concern filled Chrysalis as she roared into the sky.
Another low growl caused the changeling queen to flicker her ear and fling her whole body 180 degrees, allowing her to come face to face with the pony responsible for taking out the entire changeling army! No pony else other then Salted Carmel.
The stallion just stood there, fiddling with his chains and shackles as his burning eyes locked with Queen Chrysalis's.
"How... HOW DARE YOU!!!" Chrysalis began to his as she lowered her now glowing green horn, aiming it right at Salted. Whatever was wrong with her magic before was gone now. Her power backed up by anger and fury was quickly coursing through her large and misshapen horn. "A STUPID PONY LIKE YOU?! TAKE ON ME AND MY ARMY?! I AM QUEEN CHRYSALIS! THE MOST POWERFUL CHANGELING! FUTURE RULER OF EQUESTRIA! I WILL NOT BE BEATEN BY SOME LOWLY CREATURE LIKE-"
The changeling queen was silenced once more, this time, by the sound of a lock clicking. Like a bronze bell of war, Salted's shackles hit the ground with a loud thud, signaling that play time was indeed over.
Chrysalis paused and took in everything she saw. The earth pony called Salted Carmel began to breath heavier and deeper, his eyes becoming bloodshot and more enraged then ever before. His whole body began to shake violently as a transformation began to take hold. Muscles began to double, then triple in size on his body as veins popped up like red tree roots. His mane began to grow in length, covering his now very broad back. With the last thing changing being his jaw structure, his lower jaw dropping down slightly, making the earth pony to appear more like some sort of wild ape creature rather then a pony at all, Salted's transformation was complete. All without explanation to the Queen.
It was true that Salted's chains that he wore had a magical charm on them that was used to restrict one's magical flow. Whether the individual was a pony or other magical creature, they would restrict any and all magical flow. Which meant that the whole time Salted was imprisoned, he was building up his muscle's own natural physical strength. For years he had spend getting his body to where it was before he was imprisoned and cut off from the earth pony's magically enhanced strength, endurance, and speed. Now that he has removed the magic restriction shackles and chains, the flood gates have poured open, taking Salted's power to a whole new level not known by pony kind. He had become a behemoth. A true titan. And one who was gunning for the queen of the changelings.
Chrysalis hesitated but for a moment before she took to the sky, still trying to put as much distance between her and her monstrous opponent so she could begin charging an attack. 'One good shot, that's all I need!'
But even with the tall ceiling of the hive, Chrysalis would never be able to fly out of Salted's reach. The monstrous pony grabbed one of his chained shackles, and with one mighty throw, launched it at Chrysalis faster then a meteor crashing down to Equestria! The force of the impact pushed the changeling queen's body several inches deep into the wall of her hive. Trying to bounce back from the attack, Chrysalis struggled to free her limbs. But she was too slow, and was soon met by Salted's newly transformed gigantic hoof! It knocked the wind out of her and stopped any and all magical force she began to build up! Hit after hit, punch after punch, the changeling queen sank deeper and deeper into the hive wall before her body unwillingly breaking through to the next room. Taking a breath while she could, Chrysalis reached up with one free hoof to try and crawl away. Her heart sank as she felt something grab her and began pulling her back into the other room where her assailant continued his savage beating. Salted shifted the chains around the broken and beaten changeling queen, preventing her from using magic, flying or teleporting away. Once the shackle was secured, locked in place around the queens neck, Salted took great pleasure in bringing her up to his face and staring her down one last time.
Despite her injured state, Chrysalis still mustered the strength to glare Salted down and snarl weakly at him before the monsterous pony flung the queen as hard as he could down to the ground. She hit the ground hard, but couldn't relax before Salted jumped from the wall and slammed down as hard as he could on top of her, causing the changeling queen to scream out in pain. Salted proceeded to lift her up by her back legs and began thrashing her body about, slamming her repeatedly down into the ground, again, and again and again, before flinging the changeling queen as hard as he could up into the air. For a brief second, the changeling queen was able to breath and open her eyes. But what she saw were her worst fears come to life. All the time while she was knocked out cold, ponies in black, spiked armor were caging up her loyal subjects and carting them away like wild animals. The changelings couldn't even fight back after what Salted did to them.
The brief moment ended as Salted reappeared beside the Changeling queen, and with one final blow, putting both his hooves together, struck the changeling queen as hard as she could, sending her hurdling towards the ground! Her body made a deep crater as she landed, having passed out from the impact while still in the air, Chrysalis felt no further pain. And wouldn't until she woke up from her forced slumber.
Landing on the ground, Salted's heavy breathing began to relax as he gazed at Chrysalis's broken body. Something he had been waiting years to see. Something he wished would finally bring him some closure and possibly restore his missing memories. To his dissatisfaction, nothing else came with the defeat of his most hated enemy. Well, other then the pleasure he felt from seeing her writhe like a worm under his hoof. That was it's own reward.
Stomping his hoof, Salted summoned one of Sombra's guards to his side. The guard who answered the call carried with him the other shackle and chain the earth pony didn't use on Chrysalis. Placing the charmed restraint back onto his dominant hoof, the monsterous earth pony cut off the magical flow to his body, and once again regained his less muscular but still large and intimidating form.
Leaving the room and Chrysalis behind, Salted was joined by the changeling with scars and Sombra's guards. As they left the hive, the unicorn guards began charging up their magic. And with one mighty blast from several points surrounding the hive, the unicorn guards blasted through the hive's support beams, burying Chrysalis in the hive's rubble.
And so the Shadow king had taken the Changeling Queen with a rogue rook. And in doing so, gained many, many more pawns.
(Mature contents warning! Just like in he previous chapters, the next two chapters will contain violent or frightening content that's hasn't shown up in the fic until now. But it was all was necessary. Again, enjoy the chapter...)
Zooming through the sky faster then she ever had before, leaving an after image of a rainbow stream behind her, Rainbow Dash raced as fast as she could, a bouquet of flowers in her hooves. Bursting through the front doors of the Cloudsdale hospital, Rainbow looked frantically around before jumping at the nurse at the front desk.
"Mr.Shy! HIS ROOM! WHERE IS IT?! PLEASE!!!" Rainbow yelled out, a foreign nervousness to her voice.
The nurse was so taken back by Rainbow's panicked attitude that she didn't bother to tell her it was family visits only. "Ugh... room 225, go down the-"
Before the mare could Finnish her sentence, Rainbow took off once again, shooting down the hallway, not even knowing if it was the right one. All she needed to know was the room number. Rainbow could fly around the whole hospital by the time the nurse finished giving her directions she wouldn't even remember.
After running into several nurses, two doctors, and almost nocking a patient in a wheelchair out a window, Rainbow finally found the room Fluttershy's dad was in. Taking a deep breath, Rainbow, as calmly as she could, entered the room where the elderly stallion was recuperating. The room was kept dimly lit so as not to hurt Mr.Shy's eyes if he awoke, but it added a grim feeling to the whole thing.
Looking at the elderly stallion in a hospital bed filled Rainbow with heartbreaking dread. By his right side was the equally timid wife of Mr.Shy and Fluttershy's mother, Mrs.Shy. Fluttershy on his other side. Both with tears in their bloodshot eyes. It was the hardest thing for Rainbow Dash to see. 'How could this have happened?! Especially to somepony as nice as Mr.Shy?!'
"Excuse me" a Pegasus guard in gold armor whispered after tapping on Rainbow's shoulder. "Can I have a word with you, Miss Dash?"
"Ugh... sure..." Rainbow said timidly, still very shaken by the sight of the elderly stallion she had known for years and the family she's been considered a part of, now going trough this horrible ordeal. She placed the flowers in a near by empty vase and proceeded to follow the guard.
Stepping out and into the hallway, Rainbow noticed another Pegasus guard waiting for them, as well as two more guards that appeared to be talking to a Doctor and a few nurses just down the hall.
"I'm sorry, I know you just got here" the guard who pulled Rainbow from the room started talking first. "But we have a few questions to ask you involving the incident."
"I don't really know much about all that happened..." Rainbow dropped her head a little before bouncing it back and looking the guard in the eye. "But I'll tell you anything I know if it will help."
"Thank you" the first guard nodded to the second who pulled up a clipboard.
"So how did you know the patient?" The guard asked in a more monotone voice.
"He's my friend's father, but he's like a dad to me too. I've known him for years" Rainbow began remembering back to when Fluttershy first brought her over to meet her parents. They welcomed Rainbow with open hooves.
"Does he have any enemies? Anypony who would wish him harm?" The second guard asked the next question, trying to keep that question as low as possible.
"Not that I know of..." something suddenly hit Rainbow about that question. "Wait... why? Do you think somepony did this to him?! Like, intentionally?!"
Rainbow's voice had grown louder without her realizing it and had gathered the unwanted attention of Everypony in the hallway. Even the guards questioning the medical staff at the end of the hall looked over at them.
The first guard put a hoof to his lips as he shot Rainbow Dash a cold stair. "We don't know anything for sure yet. But it appeared that he had somepony else's hoof prints on him. Like they had wrapped their legs around him, possibly pulling him down to the ground."
Grabbing the first guard by his chest piece, and pulling him so close that Rainbow's anger filled eyes were the only thin the guard could see. Her voice was sharp and hard as she spoke in a more hushed tone. "Tell me everything you know! NOW!"
The second guard cleared his throat, hoping that redirecting the cyan colored mare's attention would cause her to release his partner. As she looked over at him, Rainbow did in fact release the first guard. "All we know is his hoof size, and the fact that he has green eyes."
Her temper subsiding, Rainbow raised a brow. "How would you know that?"
"Because..." the first started to add in as he gathered himself. "As he was being brought here, he kept whispering 'green eyes... green eyes... those horrible green eyes...'."
"We're checking out Everypony in Cloudsdale with green eyes who's hooves match the prints we got off of Mr.Shy" the second guard continued. "But so far, we have no matches."
'Green eyes...' Rainbow thought for a moment, then an image of a certain stallion came to mind. A certain pony who's directly linked with a major bad guy already, who also has green eyes, who she always knew was defiantly up to no good. And this just proved it! "I think I actually might know somepony who might be involved. He lives in Ponyville, at the Apple farm. His name is Sunny, Sunny Knight."
Wiping off a forehead of sweat, Sunny looked back on his work and began beaming with pride. He had plowed the field all on his own this time, and had actually done a very decent job for a non-earth pony. Sure it had taken him twice as long to do it, but when Applejack was panicked this morning over some news she had received but needed the field plowed today, Sunny knew what he had to do. Big Mac was out of town, Granny's too old, and Apple Bloom's too little. So Sunny stepped forward and told Applejack he would handle it.
Without putting much more thought into it, Applejack thanked Sunny with a hug before running off in the direction of Twilight's castle for some reason. That was several hours ago.
As Sunny reached the farm house porch he was a little surprised and annoyed to spot Rainbow Dash off in the distance, just sitting atop a cloud, glaring at him. He had caught her doing so several times within the past month or so, ever since his identity was reviled. He learned to ignore her and just carry on with his work.
"Excuse me" a firm and unfamiliar stallion's voice spoke up, redirecting Sunny's attention from the glaring mare above.
Looking away, Sunny's eyes went wide as he realized that there were several royal guards present on the porch with him. There were at least four that he could count, Two who stepped forward and two who took a sentry post just at the steps. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Sunny forced a smile as he looked at the guard who had approached him. "Ugh, y-yeah. What can ah do ya for?"
"Are you Sunny Knight?" The royal guard's tone was flat and emotionless as his eyes remained locked on Sunny.
The yellow unicorn gulped and tried to remain as cool as he could be. "Y-yeah... what can ah-"
Before Sunny could repeat himself, a Pegasus guard with a clip board interrupted. "We need to ask you a few questions. There's been an incident. And unfortunately we don't have much to go off of. Just a few hoof prints and one character trait that you share with the alleged suspect."
"Oh! Wow, ugh... mind tellin' me what it is Ah'm bein' accused of?" Sunny tried to play it cool, but was growing more and more nervous by the minute.
"You aren't being accused of anything" the first guard commented as he placed several sheets of paper before Sunny along with an ink pad. "We need your hoof prints, if you don't mind."
Gulping, Sunny put his hooves on the ink pad before putting them on the paper. Repeating the same process for his hind legs. The second guard waited a moment for the prints to dry, then collected them in a neat pile. Returning his attention to the yellow unicorn, the second guard cleared his throat. "Mind telling us where you were the night before last?"
Taking a relaxing deep breath, Sunny began recalling two nights ago. "Well... to be honest, after dinner, which was around 6, I helped with the dishes, came out here to do some whittling, went back inside to help Apple Bloom with some math homework, then took a quick shower before bed. Which was right around 10pm."
"And you didn't leave the house 'all night'?" The first guard asked. He had been eyeing Sunny's nervous reactions with great suspicion.
"Eh'nope" Sunny answered, finally able to relax. "Not till ah woke up and went right ta work th' next mornin'. Ran th' apple stand in town that day, startin' bright and early at 6am."
"Do you have anypony to validate your alibi for the night?" The fist guard shot the next question, eyes locked into Sunny's.
Raising an eye brow at the guard, Sunny's answers now came out more and more casually. "Do I know anypony who watches me sleep at night?"
"I asked if you have anypony who can vouch for you" the first guard was getting annoyed.
"Well shoot, ah can do that!" Granny popped her head out of the farm house window, shooting both Sunny and the guards her wide, wrinkly smile.
This was a little bit of a shock to Sunny. He tore his eyes off of the guard and looked nervously at Granny. "Ya can?..."
"Well sure! Ah always take a late night walk ta check up on mah grandkids!" Granny said as she walked around and through the front door. "Apple Bloom and Applejack were sleeping soundly, Bug Mac was having that dream where he was sleepin' on ah big old hot fudge Sunday. Ah know cuz he always ends up eating half his pillow on nights when he has that dream!"
'That explains how we go through so many pillows...' Sunny thought to himself, now one household mystery solved.
"But what about Sunny?" The guard asked Granny, his expression still hard and cold.
Sunny began to panic a little. He most of the time kept his door locked, so there would be no way for granny to-
"Well, th' newest member of our apple clan likes his privacy, but ah still worry 'bout him. So ah pick the lock with one of mah bobby pins!" Granny pulled out one of her pins from her mane and held it up with a big grin. "So, yep. He was sleepin' in his bed when ah came around just ah little Shy after midnight. Poor feller was havin' ah mighty terrible dream again."
"Bad dreams, you say?" The first guard noted then looked over back at Sunny. "Got something on your mind?"
"I have a lot of things on my mind" Sunny answered the question by simply rephrasing the guard's question. Both narrowed their eyes at each other.
"Mr.Knight" the second guard who was tired of remaining silent stepped forward with his quill and clip board. "We received an anonymous tip that you had a 'history' with various members of Equestria's most wanted. Care to explain what they meant?"
'Now I see!' Sunny's eyes shit right up at the cloud where Rainbow was watching from, wearing a smug grin as she hid behind a lump of the cloud. 'That... that witch!'
Sighing again, Sunny returned his attention to the second royal guard. "Yes, actually... it all started not long after I got to the Apple farm..."
A rough hour passed and the guards began flying away from the farm, with Sunny and Granny on the farm house porch watching them fly away with their notes and hoof prints. Rainbow watched, wide eyed, shocked that Sunny wasn't being taken away.
Immediately she flew up to the first guard she had spoken to, who seemed to be the most reasonable to speak too. "Well?! What happened?! You have your guy! Aren't you going to book him?!"
The rather annoyed second guard stopped flying and soared back to where Rainbow was talking with his partner. "This isn't a civilian matter, miss Dash. Leave the detective work to royal guards."
"Hey bub! I'm not just 'some civilian'" Rainbow started in at the second guard. "I'm an element of harmony! And one of the princess's best friends! I've helped to save Equestria a whole bunch of times!"
"He didn't mean to undermine your accomplishments, miss Dash" the first guard spoke up before waving his wing at his partner. His silent way of saying 'I'll handle this, go on ahead and I'll catch up.'
Reluctantly, the seconded guard released a held sigh before flying off to join the other two guards who were working on the investigation.
"Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash, Sunny's story checks out" the guard said with a sigh. "And as much as it seems to eat away at me, I have to let it go. My detective instincts are going nuts and telling me something's not right and that he's hiding something, but I can't quite put my hoof on just what..."
It was then Rainbow had to make a hard decision. She could sell Sunny out and tell the guard that yellow unicorn was actually the Son of King Sombra as well as the Black knight who attacked and hurt Shinning Armor. It would be so easy too! And Rainbow could justify it by saying how Sunny was also, well probably, guilty for hurting Mr.Shy! It was all justified. But something... something deep in the back of her mind kept her from doing so. She made a promise to Twilight that she would keep the secret, for now. And it was that promise that kept the cyan colored Pegasus's mouth shut.
"But we do have his hoof prints" the guards stated with a weak smile. "If any match the ones we took off Mr.Shy, we can at least hold him in content. But if you find anything else, or he so much as steps one hoof out of line, let me know."
Rainbow nodded as she looked the guard right in the eye and saluted him. After he returned the salute, and flew off, Rainbow shot down and landed hard on the ground right in front of Sunny. He was just about to head to the barn to grab some more gardening tools while Granny went inside to make him and her some lunch.
Needless to say, when Rainbow shot Sunny an anger filled glare, he returned it with a rather weight filled look of disappointment. "What do you want?"
His hard voice shook Rainbow a little, she had never heard such a tone come from the yellow unicorn. But she shook it off and gritted her teeth. "What did you tell them? No way they flew off knowing who you were!"
"They simply asked me how I had a 'history' with some of Equestria's most wanted. I told them about seeing Sombra in the orchard when I first started living here on the farm, and it turned out to just be a statue. They had that innocent on file for reference. Then I told them about how Chrysalis tried to kidnap me by pretending to be my mother. They actually have had several changeling related cases like that." Sunny began filling in the blanks for Rainbow, his tone was flat and emotionless. "As for anything else, I've actually had 'less' of a history with Equestria's villains then most ponies in town. So they took their papers and left. Now, 'I' have nothing more to say to 'you', miss Dash. But I do have chores to get done."
"Don't give me that!" Rainbow slammed the barn door shut right as Sunny was about to walk inside and walk away from the conversation. "I know it was you! And if the guards can't find proof. I will!"
Rainbow then flew up, made a motion with her hoof signaling to Sunny 'in watching you' then flew up and into the clouds where she took a post, watching Sunny's every move. Sunny on the other hoof, just raised a brow slightly as he thought to himself 'ugh... what exactly did I do?'
They rest of that day Rainbow Dash had spent watching Sunny do chores and hang out with Derpy and Thunderlane while she sat atop a cloud and glared down at him. But Sunny did nothing suspicious the rest of the day. The cyan colored wonderbolt had even skipped her early morning, and late afternoon naps to just keep an eye on the yellow unicorn. That may sound like a wimpy reason for Rainbow's groggy attitude today at the wonderbolts practice, but for pegusi who burn up a lot of energy with all their flying and whether controlling, there were only two things to keep them functioning properly. They either eat large amounts of sweets or they took frequent naps. Rainbow was among the latter of the two.
'Ugh! Training today sucked!' Rainbow thought to herself as she slammed her locker door shut. Most of the wonderbolts had left or were getting cleaned up with a nice shower. Rainbow, however, still couldn't get over the fact that not only had she fallen asleep on the sidelines and was yelled at by Spitfire for it, but also started to doze off or have blurred vision when they were going through the routine. "It's all Sunny's fault!... I can't wait until he gets kicked off his high horse-"
"Who's Sunny?" A lime green Pegasus mare, with a four toned mane of red, orange, brown and green, asked as she appeared behind Rainbow. "Is he, like, your coltfriend?"
"Buck no! There's now way I'd ever be special someponies with that jerk!" Rainbow continued to punch her locker, hardly even paying attention to the pony beside her.
"Oh, wow. Remind me not to step on your hooves!" The mare half joked, forcing a nervous chuckle.
It was at that moment that Rainbow finally snapped out of her rage and glanced over at the mare. "Ugh, in sorry, do I know you?"
"Probably not" the mare answered honestly and a little playfully. "My name's Firefly. I'm just an achademy student. But I really, really want to be a wonderbolt, just like you! I got awesome skills-"
"Yeah, ok, i don't need your life story" Rainbow snapped, sounding more and more groggy by the minute. "Hate to cut you off, but I've had a rough day, and it's not over yet..."
"Maybe this might cheer you up!" Firefly reached into her own locker and pulled out a gold, thin, and elegant bracelet.
Looking from Firefly to the bracelet and back, Rainbow gave a weak smile. "No offense kid, I think it really looks nice. But friendship bracelets aren't really my thing. Besides, it'll just fly off when I'm up there."
"This isn't just a friendship bracelet!" The young lime green mare started to say with great enthusiasm. "It's a magically charmed one! It helps to relax and rejuvenate you! Like getting a week's worth of sleep and good all in a matter of moments! All you do is keep it on you all day, then take it off at night before you go to sleep! My friend Fleet Foot used it just a month ago before the Wonderbolt's big show in canterlot."
Taking a second look at the bracelet in question, Rainbow Dash did notice some kind of writing on it, but she couldn't make it out. "Well... if it really works, and Fleet Foot used it, I guess I wouldn't mind borrowing it for a while."
"Right! Don't want to look and sound like a cranky old griffin out there, right?" Firefly said with seemingly innocent and naive tone.
Rainbow narrowed her eyes at Firefly for the comment, but guessed that the filly wasn't 100% wrong about how Rainbow had been acting. Griffins were cranky naturally, but the older they got, the snappier and nastier they became.
"Well, here it goes..." Rainbow said as she grabbed the bracelet and put it around her none dominant, front hoof.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Firefly added, motioning to the bracelet. "To tighten it, just twist it three times clockwise, so it doesn't fly off. And to loosen it, three times opposite of that."
As Rainbow began tightening the bracelet, the charm began to glow where the writing was, it's magical charm activating.
Rainbow smiled and looked up to thank the young academy student. But when she did, the lime green mare was gone! Not thinking too much about it, Rainbow just shrugged and started walking towards the shower to clean herself up. Along the way, she did start to feel a little more relaxed. But then she felt a sharp strain in her back. When Rainbow out her hoof back there to rub it, she felt sharp scratches on her back rather then her soft hoof. Flinging her appendage forward, Rainbow Dash was shocked to see her hoof was no longer a hoof! But a claw! A sharp, bird like, and shaky claw! As the mare's heart began to race, she looked behind her and saw that she had begun loosing her feathers! Leaving a small trail leading up to where she stood in the shower!
"Wh-what's happening to me?!" Rainbow tried to say, but her voice... her voice sounded muffled and weak, like she was trying to speak with a mouth full of tapioca pudding!
Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, the steam from the shower cleared, and Rainbow got a good look at herself in the mirror! A loud screech echoed off the locker room tiled walls and floors, growing and filling the air through the entire Wonderbolt's achademy!
Taking several deep breaths, Sunny tried to relax himself enough to enjoy a nice book in the library. He had talked to Twilight earlier about what happened with the guards and Rainbow Dash. The princess of friendship was able to clarify what exactly happened and why the guards were on the look out for somepony, even taking hoof prints. Sunny felt terrible for Fluttershy and her mother. It also explained where Applejack went running off to in such a hurry with no explanation.
While Twilight was explaining, though, she and Spike were packing for a trip to Canterlot. They didn't know how long they would be gone for, but they prepared for a week. They had already pushed their trip back by half a day so they could stop by the hospital and see how Mr.Shy was doing. But from what princess Luna had said in a letter to Twilight, she was in desperate need of her help. Not all the girls were needed, so just Twilight, Spike, as Pinkie were going while the rest of the girls stayed behind to watch over Fluttershy's dad.
Sunny himself offered to stay behind and watch the castle for Twilight since Spike would be going too. She thanked the yellow unicorn and made a few suggestions for a good read. Reading always helped calmed Twilight down, and heck, some of the books she suggested sounded interesting. Twilight also said how she would have a talk with Rainbow Dash when she got back about what she did, which also helped to calm Sunny down a bit.
So there Sunny was, enjoying a nice Daring Do adventure book, finally able to relax, when without warning several loud knocks came at the front doors.
'Did I lock the front doors by accident?' Sunny asked himself as he placed a book mark on the open page and began lightly galloping down the hall. Twilight wanted him to watch the castle but also to keep the front doors open for anypony to come in who wished to use the library.
After reaching the front doors and unlocking them, Sunny stood back for a moment and slowly opened the door with his magic. A light blue, almost white, blur flew by and slammed the door shut immediately. The yellow unicorn was shocked to see what creature was standing before him. It appeared to be an elderly griffin, and elderly was putting it mildly. Her coat must have been a sky blue at one point but was turned almost white by time and appeared to be missing patches in places. Her head where most of her feathers would be was almost completely bald, as were her wings. She had crusty stuff at the far edges of her mouth, in her nose, her ears, and at the corners of her eyes. One eye looked glazed over as if she was half blind, and her mane, well, what was left of a mane was a small patch of bleached over rainbow colors. Over all, the poor creature looked like she had seen better days... like 200 years ago or so.
"Can I help you, ma'am?" Sunny asked, trying to be polite.
The creature was breathing heavily with her claws and back sprawled out over the front door as if she were trying to keep something or somepony out.
It was possible that she hadn't heard Sunny, so he cleared his thoat and spoke again, this time a little louder. "Can I help you, ma'am!"
"Shut up, you loud mouthed whipper snapper!" The elderly griffin snapped at Sunny before pausing suddenly putting both claws over her mouth.
There was a long, still silence before Sunny attempted to speak again, no wanting to aggravate the old griffin. "Ugh... would you like to sit down?"
"Actually, that sounds lovely-WH-NO!" The elderly Griffin started to go along with Sunny before she started to fight with herself. "Ugh! Where's Twilight?! I need Twilight!"
"I'm sorry, Princess Twilight's out. She'll be back in a week or so" Sunny started to explain.
"A WEEK?!" The light blue creature screamed out as she started to panic, pacing slowly back and forth not really knowing what to do. "A week... a week... I can't wait a week..."
In an attempt to aid the elderly creature, Sunny stepped forward and tipped his hat. "Ma'am, ah ain't Princess Twilight, but is there anything ah can do?"
The griffin paused and glared at the yellow unicorn. "Like I'd trust you! I rather my wings fall off then trust you! You may have the guards fooled, but I know it was you who hurt Mr.Shy!"
Sunny was confused for a moment as he repeated the griffin's statement once, twice, tree times over in his head. By the forth time he repeated the words of the elderly creature, his pupils shrank to the size of apple seeds, quickly followed by a dropping jaw. "R-R-RAINBOW D-DASH?!?!"
"No, it's the tooth fairy!" The elderly Griffin snapped. "Yes it's me!"
"W-what happened?! You look, er... different" Sunny threaded lightly, not wanting to say how old she looked.
"I don't know! But I need Twilight's help to change back" the panicked Rainbow Dash started to say as she looked at her thin and frail claws. "I can't remain like this! I have a Wonderbolt's show tonight! If I'm not there, I could get kicked off the team! I worked so hard to get on there! It's taken me most of my life to become a Wonderbolt! I can't get kicked out! Not now!"
That's when Sunny noticed something odd around Rainbow Dash's hoof, er, claw. "Hey Rainbow, what's that?"
Looking at her wrist, Rainbow noticed an elegant looking bracelet that she almost forgot that she even had on. "Oh... ugh... I got this... somewhere... was it a gift? Ugh! I can't remember where I got it! It's Pretty though."
"May I see it?" Sunny asked, his expression deadpan.
"Oh! Now you want to steal my jewelry! It's not bad enough you hurt some poor, elderly stallion, now you're trying to steal from-" Rainbow Dash began to half ramble half rant at Sunny.
"Enough!" Sunny snapped, silencing the elderly griffin Rainbow Dash. As she watched Sunny with wide, half scared eyes, Sunny softened his tone a little. "Show me that bracelet."
Rainbow Dash didn't put up a fight this time, half realizing what was going on again, and held out the claw that had the gifted bracelet around it. It was becoming harder and harder for Rainbow Dash to concentrate and keep her mind clear. She may have really been a young and sharp Pegasus at heart, but her body as a really, really old griffin, which was all effecting her mind.
Sunny looked the bracelet over, able to read the symbols on the bracelet with ease and slight concern. It was like the language he and his father knew, the one Sunny thought was just something they made up. Not only had the bracelet proved that to be false, but it also proved a legend to be true.
"Rainbow, do you have any idea what this is?!" Sunny asked as he released her claw.
"Isn't it just some pretty charm bracelet?" Rainbow asked as she raised a feathery brow at the yellow unicorn.
"Unfortunately, no" Sunny's accent became lost in his forlorn tone. "This is the Monster Bracelet. An ancient and legendary item, forged long ago, said to bring the wearer great misfortune by bringing to the surface the monster in their heart."
"And what is that supposed to mean?!" Rainbow Dash snapped and screeched at Sunny. But he ignored her ill temper and pressed on.
"I've heard stories where meek little ponies who envied their strong peers turning into beasts that harbors great strength. Or ponies who thought they were ugly turned into creatures of awe and beauty. But there was always a catch" Sunny continued, remembering the stories he read about. "Ones who wished deeply to be strong couldn't control their animal like instinct and began destroying all in their way. The ones who became beautiful creatures then quickly turned hideous and were shunned by the ones who once saw them as beautiful.
"I suppose, for you, that means you envy Griffins for their strength or something... but you, I'm just guessing... are afraid of getting old? Losing your youth that keeps you strong and fast?" Sunny continued to explain, not trying to upset Rainbow Dash.
Her reaction shocked him. Sunny could have sworn that she'd swipe at him or start a screeching again out of protest. But instead, the elderly griffin just sat back in her hind legs and began to steadily cry. Her breaths became heavy and sorrowful as rivers began to pour from the corners of her eyes. As her crying grew louder and louder, Sunny hesitated, but eventually found the courage to put a hoof on her back and began rubbing around in circles to try and comfort her.
"W-what am I going to d-d-do?! I-I'm going to be k-kicked out of the w-w-wonderbolts! M-my friends won't want to e-even look at me!" Rainbow Dash began to stutter through her sobbing.
"Ugh... Rainbow, this is all reversible" Sunny said in a low tone, hoping not to anger the elderly griffin.
Rainbow snapped out of her crying and grabbed hold of Sunny with both her claws, hiding onto him, digging her talons deep into him. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT BEFORE?! HOW DO WE MAKE ME NORMAL AGAIN?!"
Partly happy that Rainbow snapped out of it, but still very scared, Sunny spoke as strongly as he could while being squeezed by Rainbow's new Griffin talons. Despite their old age, they were still very strong and very sharp. "Ugh! Lighten your grip would you!..."
When Rainbow realized she was hurting him, she loosened her grip and set him down, but her expression hardly softened. "How do we do it?! How do we change me back?!"
"I need to do a little research" Sunny started to say. "I don't know much more about the bracelet, but I-"
"Just get it off me!" Rainbow screeched, then put her claws over her beak sheepishly. More tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes. "Please... I... I can't stay like this. The wonderbolts have a show tonight, and I'm supposed to take part in it. I can't do that like this! And if I don't show up, they'll probably kick me out!... please... please help me..."
Sighing heavily, Sunny knew of one way to get the bracelet off, or so the legends all said worked. But he had no idea if it really really did work. Since the legendary cursed relic actually existed, that might mean the legends were all true. "Fine. I'll help you, but you have to do something first..."
Moments later, Rainbow Dash found herself still a confused and elderly griffin, standing in front of Sunny who himself stood in front of a pair of heavy set doors with a spell cast on some locks and chains.
"Do you understand what to do, Rainbow Dash?" Sunny asked for the third time, growing a little annoyed while still trying to remain sympathetic to the elderly griffin's mental state.
"Sure I do..." Rainbow Dash said with a grin. "Buuuut to be safe, you better go over it again with me."
Smacking his forehead with his hoof again, Sunny began to explain for a fourth time. "Ok... again. I'm going to grasp your hoof. You have to look at me and say 'I offer you the monster bracelet' and I'll say 'I accept the monster bracelet'. The bracket will then crawl over from you to me. The curse will travel with it, and should make you normal again."
"Oh good" Rainbow started to say as she yawned, feeling very, very tired, and looking years older then she did when she first arrived looking for Twilight. Then something finally connected in Rainbow Dash's mind and all exhaustion was washed from her. "Wait! Won't that turn you into-"
"I have no idea what I will become" Sunny's firm, refined voice had returned. "That is why I asked you to push me into this room and shut the doors after the bracelet latches onto me. It will take a moment for the bracelet's curse to kick in. But when it does, I don't want anypony to get hurt. That's why I used a spell on these chains, locks, and the doors. After the doors shut, only a really powerful unicorn or a team of them can open it. I'll be sealed away until Twilight can get back."
"But that will take a week! You'll be-" Rianbow started to say, but was quickly interrupted.
"I know" Sunny said flatly. "But right now, this is the only way. Now, give me your hoof. We don't have much time before your show."
The elderly griffin with now just a few stands of her Rainbow colored mane just sat there and looked from Sunny's hoof up to his green eyes. She was so confused. Before, her gut instinct and everything she knew about Sunny told her that he was no good. Trouble. Not somepony to be trusted. But here he was, offering her this much help. After the way she treated him, talked down to him, even sent the royal guards after him. "But... why?... why are you doing this for me?"
Not breaking eye contact, Sunny took in a deep breath before slowly releasing it. "If you really need to know before you can trust me, it's for a number of reasons. You're a good friend to some of my friends, Applejack, Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and even Thunderlane. But also... I don't fully blame you for being so suspicious and not trusting me. If roles were reversed, I don't think I'd trust 'you' either.
"I did a lot of bad things" Sunny continued, thinking back to the lies he told, the damage he had done. "And although I'm trying to make up for it, I'm scared. I'm scared it won't matter how much I do. I'm scared that no matter what, all I'll always be seen as just 'the son of the evil king Sombra'... I know you only know my father as the villain you saw back at the Crystal Empire, so you really have no real reason to trust me. But one thing you can trust; I'm friends with you're friends. And as much as find you to be annoying, pushy, and egotistical, I know they still value you as a true friend. And that's all the reason I need."
Normally, the elderly griffin would have fallen asleep at such a long speech, but what Sunny had told Rainbow Dash really spoke to her. She never really thought about it before, but Sunny was kinda... well, a friend of a friend. She should give him the benefit of the doubt on this one, and trust him at least this once. What did she have to lose? She had already lost almost all of her mane.
Nodding, Rainbow took Sunny's hoof and began to repeat the words he told her to say. "I offer you the monster bracelet."
The golden bracelet began to glow, with the weighting on it turning from a dark gold to a hot iron red. Taking one last deep breath, Sunny spoke clearly "I accept the monster bracelet."
The item the traveled from Rainbow Dash's claw and seemed to crawl down and latch itself onto Sunny's hoof. Right as it latched on and twisted itself three times, security it's hold on his wrist, Sunny gave Rainbow Dash the signal. As she started to change back to her normal, youthful Pegasus self, she quickly pushed the yellow stallion into the room behind him and shut the doors quickly. Once the doors shut, the cains and locks came to life, sealing the doors shut, and securing their prisoner within.
Taking a moment to let her body catch up, Rainbow took several deep breaths as she looked at the doors before her. She could hardly believe what had just happened. The event reeled in her mind several times over before a loud tump came from the door, the chains and locks rattling.
"What are you waiting for?!" A deep and commanding voice seeped through the cracks of the door. "Get going!"
Taking to the sky, Rainbow wanted to fly as fast as she could back to the Wonderbolt's academy to prepare for the show. But something deep inside stopped her from bolting off like she normally would. The cyan colored pegusi looked back at the double doors that sealed Sunny within. All her paranoia, fear, and anger seemed to grow numb at the moment. She actually began to feel bad for him as she muttered under her breath "thank you, big guy... hold on. After the show, I'll run and grab Twilight myself for you..."
With that, the fastest flier in all Equestria took off to her first show with the Wonderbolts, then fly over to Canterlot to retrieve Twilight.
Inside the room Sunny had locked himself in, the yellow stallion sat in the corner, curled up in a fetal position, his hooves holding his stomach as violent bursts of pain shot through his body in powerful convulsions. He hadn't felt this sick sense he got the pony flu over 1000 years ago when he was but a colt. His body felt cold and hot at the same time, and he felt like he was going to toss his lunch any moment now. But the yellow unicorn knew his suffering wasn't going to be that light. No. What awaited him was much, much worse. If Rainbow Dash became a cranky old Griffin just from a fun filled want to be a griffin plus her fear of growing old, what would happen to Sunny with all his paranoid insecurities?! All his deep dark secrets?!
As his breathing became sharper and his shaking body became harder and harder to control, something deep inside Sunny told him 'just let go...'
The yellow unciron's clenched eyes opened, turning from white and green to green and brining hot red, cracks began to appear in his yellow coat as black smoke began to rise up from them. And a voice deep inside began to chuckle, with a twisted laugh that echoed and rattled the halls of Twilight's castle...
Guilt began to engulf Rainbow Dash as she stood in front of her locker getting suited up for the show. She knew that Sunny had done what he did for her as... a friend of a friend, all so she could go and perform tonight and not get kicked out of the Wonderbolts. But part of her couldn't help but want to fly strait out of there at that exact moment and fly with everything she had over to grab Twilight from Canterlot to help get that thing off of him.
"Huh..." the cyan colored mare sighed as she finished zipping up.
"First show giters?" Fleet Foot appeared beside Rainbow, nearly sending the mare with a Rainbow mane into a panic attack.
"Ugh, yeah. I guess you could say that" Rainbow half lied as she calmed herself down.
"I couldn't worry, you're a pro! In no time, you might give me and Spitfire a run for our money" The senior wonderbolt joked as she put a hoof on Rainbow Dash. "Just remember, we're a team. We all work together and look out for each other out there. Just breath and clear your head. It will all come together."
After patting Rainbow one more time on the back, Fleet Foot left the locker room to join the rest of the Wonderbolt's on the field, leaving Rainbow Dash alone with her thoughts.
'I know what I have to do' Rainbow said as she stood up and began to fly as fast as she could to where she knew Spitfire and the others would be.
As Rainbow began zipping down the hall, a familiar, and very unwanted voice caught her ear, making the rainbow maned wonderbolt stop mid flight. The voice came from just around a corner. With her back against the wall, Rainbow Dash decided to listen in. "So she took the bait?"
"Hook, line, and sinker!" Another voice said, this one Rainbow Dash remembered belonging to that mare who gave her the monster bracelet! "Just like you said she would, captain."
"Excellent!" The first voice said. Peeking around the corner just slightly, Rainbow Dash confirmed the voice belonged to who she thought it did. Nopony else other then the ex-wonderbolt, Wind Rider! He was talking with that filly Rainbow had met in the locker room, both had sinister looks on their muzzles. "And you saw her fly off towards Princess Twilight's castle?"
"Yep!" The filly answered again. "She transformed even sooner then you said she would!"
"Ha! I wonder what that bird brain turned into" Wind chucked at the though, all the while Rainbow was finding it harder and harder to keep quiet.
"Oh! You'll love this!" Firefly began, her sly smile growing larger and thinner. "She started losing her feathers and mane and became a Wrinkly, senile, old griffin!"
Both ponies began laughing, which was really starting to make Rainbow's blood boil. 'So they were working together on this! I need to tell Spitfire!'
"All is going according to plan..." Wind spoke up again, stopping Rainbow in her tracks. As much as she wanted to fly off and inform Spitfire about what Wind and Firefly had done, there might be more to it then just them pulling some stupid prank on her. So the normally hot headed mare cooled her jets and listened.
"Yep! When I saw Rainbow leave Princess Twilight's castle, not only was she back to normal, but the Princess wasn't with her!" Spitfire informed Wind Rider.
"Oh, most excellent" Wind's own smile began to grow more and more crooked. "A team of other Shadowbolts will already be at the castle now to retrieve her. We knew Rainbow Dash would go to her friends for help. And with half of her friends in the hospital and the other half out on a stupid 'friendship mission', that arrogant dodo had no choice but to go to Princess Twilight! And from our intel, Twilight had already read several books involving the bracket, but none with any other way to remove it other then by transferring it! So she took the bracelet from her friend and is most likely trying to do research on how to remove it! No matter what form the princess takes, they should be able to capture her and bring her back to the king. Two down, and two to go!"
'So that was their plan all along! They weren't trying to get me! They were trying to get Twilight!' Rainbow Dash thought to herself, then began to smile as well. 'Joke's on them! They don't know Twilight wasn't home, and Sunny actually was-'
Just when Rainbow thought things couldn't get any hairier, a flash of gold wizard past her, barley screeching to a halt in front of Wind Raider and Firefly. Rainbow Dash couldn't believe her eyes when she saw who it was! It was her old rival/enemy, Lightning Dust! Wearing a Shadowbolt's uniform none the less!
"Dust?! What are you doing here? What happened?!" Wind asked, his malicious tone completely vanished.
Trying to catch we breath, Lightning glared at Firefly before pushing the filly against the wall. "You idiot! You gave us the signal that Twilight had the bracket on! But she wasn't even home!"
"W-w-what do you mean?! Who else could-" Firefly tried to speak but could barely get air into her lungs.
"IT'S THE KINGS SON!" Lightning Dust snapped. "Rainbow Dash gave the bracelet to Soleggiato! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT JUST HAPPENS TO ME AND MY TEAM?!"
That's when Wind took a good look at his granddaughter, her flight suit was torn and she suffered some minor scratches, but more importantly, she appeared to be alone.
"Where is your team, Lightning?" Wind Rider asked as his expression turned cold and hard.
"That... that THING got to them!" The seafoam colored mare with a lightning colored mane answered her grandfather, her voice still shaking as she remembered what exactly happened to them when they entered the castle of friendship....
Sitting and waiting up on the cliff overlooking Twilight's castle, Lightning Dust and a team of seven other pegusi and several of Sombra's unicorn guards waited for the signal from their scout and newest member. Watching a pony shoot off towards the Wonderbolt's academy with a rainbow trail behind her, Lightning knew what would come next, but she waited to confirm.
Flying up as fast as her wings could carry her, the little filly known as Firefly flew up and saluted Lightning Dust. "Ma'am, I'm pleased to report that Rainbow Dash no longer has the monster bracelet, and it is now in possession of Twilight Sparkle, who had Rainbow hold her up in her private study, probably so she could get some research done on the bracelet."
Firefly hadn't really seen things all that well. Unfortunately, the whole lower level of the castle windows consisted of stained glass images, which, although were magnificent to look at, didn't allow anypony to see clearly inside. But what the little filly did see was somepony in the shape of a unicorn take the bracelet from Rainbow. That was pretty much all she was sure of. Even the color of the magical aura she wasn't sure of. But she assumed nopony else would be in the castle alone except for the Princess of the castle.
"Excellent work, private" Lightning Dust began rubbing her hooves together. "Let's go get ourselves a princess, boys!"
As Lightning Dust whistled to her group, the pegusi took to the skies while the unicorns simply teleported down. As Firefly took off to inform Captain Wind Raider of the news, Lightning and her crew of unicorns and pegusi kicked open the front doors to the castle of friendship. All appeared to be quiet, but Lightning didn't want to take chances.
"The pegusi start searching for that stooge of an assistant Twilight keeps around" The lightning haired mare ordered. "Unicorns, come with me. Let's go pay the princess a little visit..."
As her fellow Shadowbolts flew off in search of Spike, Lightning Dust lead the unicorns to where Firefly said Twilight was held up. When the team arrived, Lightning took quick notice that the room was sealed up as tight as a cell block F cell back as IronLock.
"He he, 'oh! No pony look at me! I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, have become a hideous monster! I'll locked myself up so no pony sees me until I'm cured!'" Lightning Dust did her best at mocking Twilight by speaking in the sissiest voice she could. The unicorns, if they could think for themselves, would have laughed or forced a fake laugh. But knowing she was practically talking to herself, Lightning just gave them their orders. "Open those doors! Break the locks, turn the chains into spaghetti if you have to! Just open those doors and nab the princess!"
Taking a few steps back to a safe distance, Lightning watched as the team of unicorns stood together and focused all their magical energies together before shooting the metal door with one, large, blast of arcane unicorn magic! The spell that was previously put on the locks and chains broke, and all fell to the floor with a loud 'clang'. Just at that moment, the Shadowbolt pegusi returned, with empty hooves.
"She must have locked that pip-squeak up with her" Lightning deducted, then returned to the matter at hoof. "Alright! Break down the doors and bring me that princess!"
Readying some magically enforced nets, the Shadowbolts and unicorn guards moved in, ready to take on the worst of the worst.
They couldn't have prepared for what lay just beyond those doors...
One of the unicorn guards was about to use his unicorn magic to pull the doors open when they both slowly creaked open, without anypony seeming to help them. The guards remained ready to catch anything that came at them, expecting the princess to, at worst, be a giant monster as big as the room.
Several moments passed, and no pony came out. The room itself, from what Lightning Dust could see, was pitch black. As if less then no light was available inside the room.
'There's no way the princess was reading in that dim of light. Was she expecting us?' Lightning started asking herself. Before turning to her second fastest flier. "You! Go draw her out!"
"W-what?! Me? Why me?" The Shadowbolts nervously asked.
"Quit being such a foal and get in there!" Lightning snapped at the stallion.
"B-but I-I-I kinda have a fear of-" the Pegasus started to say as he stared into the hark void.
Lightning just rolled her eyes as she flew up next to him, then kicked the stallion into the dark room. "I said get in there and bring her out!"
The stallion fell and bounced into the dark room. No sooner had he entered the shadows did all sign of his color fade to grey. As the nervous Shadowbolt nervously wandered into the dark, his whole body disappeared into the black emptiness. Lightning and the others waited, some of the other Shadowbolts began to worry about their commerad when they noticed how the sun was starting to set.
"Ugh! What is taking him so long?!" Lightning snapped before turning to two more Shadowbolts. "Ok, change of plans, we're all going to rush in, using some of the unicorn to light the way with their magic. When we find her, we corner her and take her with force!"
"Yes Ma'am!" Almost all the Shadowbolts answered, all except one nervously looking mare, who's eyes were drawn to the stained glass window behind them.
This didn't go unnoticed. Lightning stood over the mare in a flash, looking down at the mare. "And what could be so important about the window that you lose focus, private?!"
"M-m-m-Ma'am, I think you should take a look at..." the mare couldn't finish her sentence, it was taking all her strength to not just run away right then and there.
"I don't care how nice the windows..." Lightning started to yell as she turned to the stained glass window where the sun appeared to be setting, her eyes slowly found what was scaring the mare.
The other Shadowbolts nervously looked to the window as well, leaving the hypnotized unicorn guards to be the only ones still facing the open doors to the study, ready to charge in upon command. In the window was originally an image of Twilight and her friends using the elements of harmony against Nightmare moon, their first victory as a team. But something was covering it. It appeared to be solid, like tar or taffy, but it slid and slithered like melted chocolate. But as it moved, it appeared to glide along whatever surface it touched like smoke. The sun wasn't setting, the substance was enveloping the entire window! As it slithered over the image of Nighmare Moon, a separation of the liquid started to take place. Then two more just above that! The large separation began to grow long pointed teeth, and at the two spots above that, two bright green lights flickered on! A face began to form as an entire yellow pony head began to press out of the window!
"Retreat!" A Shadowbolt called out, and like roaches when a lights flicker on, they all scattered. Even the unicorn guards who were awaiting orders started for the nearest exit, followed the orders that were just screamed into the air!
But no pony could escape...
As fast and as skilled of fliers as the Shadowbolts were, they were not paying attention when the doors to the study first opened. The same substance that covered the stained glass window had creeped steadily though the shadows naturally produced from the doors, completely unnoticed, and traveled through the cracks high above the ceiling. Within a matter of moments, the dark substance had already engulfed the castle's entire first floor. Exits and all.
Not wanting to fail in her mission, Lightning Dust grabbed the net they had brought and dove into the dark room herself, forgetting about the loser teammates she brought with her. The room appeared to be slightly lighter then before, to a point that she could make out the finer details of various things. A desk and chair sat in a corner of the room, along with two or three book shelves filled with books just to the other side of that. And kiddie corner to the desks appeared to be a large globe. Others then that, there was only one thing that stood out. A pony shaped form.
Without a second thought, Lightning took the net and flung it over the pony form, making full contact and trapping it within the net!
"Gotcha!" She cheered triumphantly, only for her victory to fall to pieces as the pony figure fell over with a 'thump'.
Getting a little closer for a better look, Lightning Dust quickly realized just 'what' or rather 'who' she had caught it was the wonderbolt she sent in earlier! Somehow he had become as hard as stone! Taking a closer look at the stallion, Lightning grasped and flew out of the room as fast as she could.
The stallion wasn't just as hard as stone, he had been petrified into a stone statue! With the most fright filled look on his muzzle!
As fast as her wings could carry her, Lightning tried to look for a way out, forgetting all about her team mates and Sombra's unicorn guards. 'They can take care of themselves! It's Everypony for herself now!'
Flying for several moments, Lightning eventually made it back to the front doors, only to see a pony who half their body was engulfed by the darkness. The pony in question was a yellow unicorn with a two toned mop of messy orange hair. His front hooves were completely engulfed by the black tar like substance and had wrapped around the Shadowbolt mare who flew off in such a hurry. Lightning couldn't be sure, but it looked like the yellow unicorn was sucks something out of the mare. A kind of yellowish light that escaped from the mare trough her mouth and eyes. Lightning swore she could hear the mare screaming, but it was as if the mare were screaming though a pillow. Just when Lightning thought it couldn't get any worse, it did.
As the muffled screams began to fade, the screaming mare's lower body starting with her hooves, began to petrify and also turn to stone. Once the yellow light stopped streaming from the mare, her face became petrified, and the yellow unicorn's body began to wrap itself up in darkness, all except his head. His green and red eyes then quickly turned and spotted Lightning Dust. His nostrils flared and a toothy grin grew on his muzzle, exposing two rows of sharp teeth.
"Delicious... fear..." a deep voice called out from behind the sharp teeth as the Black mass with the unicorn's head began traveling towards Lightning Dust.
Instinct kicked in and Lightning bolted faster then she ever had before. She travled too fast and was too focused on running away to pay much attention, but if she had looked down, she would have seen the stone statues of her former Shadowbolts and the unicorn guards, all petrified and frozen with looks of fear upon their faces. The spell cast on the unicorn guards to make them obedient puppets was broken just long enough for the monster to feed on their fear.
Faster and faster she flew, but not matter how hard she tried, Lightning couldn't fly fast enough to get away from the shadow monster chasing her. It was then that something clicked in her head. Something that King Sombra had told her before she left.
Stopping in mid air, Lighting called out the name of Sombra's son. "Soleggiato Cavalere!"
The shadow creature paused, and looked at the mare with more curious look, while still hungering for the fear in her heart.
Feeling a little better now that the creature had stopped, Lightning took a few deep breaths before nervously laughing. "Oh boy! So it is you! Thank goodness! Sorry about the whole, you know, net thing. We thought you were somepony else..."
Even though she tried to remain level headed and calm, Lightning couldn't help but notice all around her the darkness was growing more and more dense, details of the castle began to fade to black, as the yellow unicorn head kept it's glowing red and green eyes locked on her.
"W-well, ugh, we weren't looking for 'you' per say, but, ugh, h-his about this?" Lightning was starting to lose it. "How about I take it to your dad, and you don't turn me into a statue?... deal?..."
But the yellow unicorn's mouth just cracked an even larger smile as his glowing green eyes narrowed on the leader of the Shadowbolts. "You... are so afraid... of so many things... it's... delicious!"
Through the shifting shadows, Lightning noticed a small glimmer of light and decided it was her best bet to get out of there. She flung up her wings and bolted as fast as she could around in a circle, creating a mini tornado. As the tornado began to form, several dark tendrils lashed out at her, cutting right trough her Shadowbolt uniform and gave her a few minor cuts. She endured long enough to notice some of the shadow began to part around the dim light from the window. With a quick change of direction, Lightning Dust bolted right through the opening, breaking through the window, and up towards the Wonderbolt's academy!
"DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!" Lightning was hissing with eyes of fire burning onto Fire fly.
"I-I'm sorry! I-" the little filly tried her best to apologize, but everypony's attention was redirected towards the Wonderbolt's field as several screams erupted, followed by a deep, loud chuckle that Rainbow could have sworn was Sombra.
"You lead him right here!" Wind snapped at his granddaughter.
"Where was I supposed to go?! I can't fly as long distance and you can, gramps! There was no way I could lead him back to the hide out!" Lightning started to defend herself.
Realizing she was right, Wind just nodded and thought of the next course. "If he's here, that means he left the castle unprotected. I'll send some guards to pick up your teams and bring them back. I'm sure the king can fix them up."
"Forget about them! What about us?! That THING is out there!" Lightning said, frantically looking around the hallway, keeping an eye out for moving shadows.
More screams came from outside, followed by more deep chuckles.
"It sounds like he's busy out there! You and Firefly get going back to the hide out, I'll grab 'your' team with the team 'I' brought" Wind ordered then signaled for the two to get going.
As the two mares flew off, Wind started with a gallop down the hallway Rainbow was hiding at. When he turned the corner, Rainbow quickly acted, tripping the old timer and rolling hill up in a wonderbolts tapestry.
"Nice to see you again, Wind Rider!" Rainbow Dash said with a grin as she tied a knot in the tapestry good and tight, to prevent the former wonderbolt from escaping.
After several moments of struggling, the stallion shot Rainbow a glare and snarled at her. "You spoiled little-"
Before he could say anything else, Rainbow took some dirty gym socks and shoved them in his mouth to silence him. They weren't hers, she had technically just found them in the locker room and planned to pull a prank on Soarin to lighten her mood, but this was a much better use.
"Stick around, old timer" Rainbow Dash stretched the 'old' part of her sentence as she took to the sky. "I have a few things to deal with, then I'll be back to take care of you!"
Flying off, leaving an after image of a rainbow behind her, Rainbow Dash flew as fast as she could down the halls and onto the air field where the Wonderbolts were going to have their air show that night. Only, once she got a good look at the area, she knew there wouldn't be any show there anytime soon.
There, on the field that the other Wonderbolts had practiced for hours and done numerous shows on, was now a torn and demolished area, occupied by rubble and destroyed foliage, all with one nasty looking creature at the heart of it all. It's body seemed to be pony in shape, but black with smoke covering it's body. The creature stood an easy thirty feet tall, with it's small yellow head poking out of the top. It had grabbed several ponies in it's large black front hooves and was holding them up to it's mouth. It had planned to consume all the ponies fear, just like it did back at Twilight's castle. But right as it opened it's jaws, it was quickly hit by some flying object.
Spitfire had gained it's attention while the other Wonderbolts rounded up the civilians and were getting them to safety. Soarin and Fleetfoot attacked the creature's front hooves and forced it to release the fear filled captives. After carrying them to safety, the two heros went to further drive the creature away.
"We need to push it off the cliff!" Spitfire ordered
"How?! That thing's huge!" Soarin commented. "And I don't think it has pressure points in its back hooves like it's front ones!"
"We aim for the head!" Fleet Foot commented as she pointed out the smallest body part in the creature that wasn't covered in black smoke.
"Alright! You two lead the attack! I'll follow behind it and-" Spitfire started to say when Rainbow Dash quickly flew up and intervened.
"WAIT! Wait!" She screamed trying to catch her breath. Other wonderbolts who had been distracting the creature had flown up and joined in the conversation. "Let me talk to him! I think I can get through to him."
"Talk to 'him'?!" Spitfire couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Have you lost your mind, Dash?! That thing just tried to eat civilians!"
"No way! That thing was going to eat their fear!" Thunderlane added, joining the group. "My pal Sunny told me about those things! It's an umbrum! We need to chase it off with a tone of lanterns and-"
"That 'thing' is Sunny!" Rainbow Dash interrupted again.
"Wait! WHAT?!" Thunderlane's jaw dropped.
"You know that 'thing'?!" Spitfire asked, turning to look at the creature down below making a mess of the field as it looked for more victims.
"I do, and he's not a monster!" Rainbow stated, then her eyes fell heavily on the monster Sunny had become down below. "He's like this because he was helping me out. Please, let me talk with him. I can get him to stop."
"Sunny's a good guy" Thunderlane added. "Of he's in there, seeing us will help calm him down and bring him back."
Spitfire sighed and looked down at the field to better judge the situation. After a quick moment of thinking, she narrowed her eyes at Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane, "alright, you two have two minutes, starting now, to get him under control. And Dash, I want a full explanation after all this is over! Got it!"
"Yes Ma'am!" Rainbow saluted her CO, then together with Thunderlane, shot strait down to where the Sunny monster was now trashing the stands, growling like a mad beast.
Sunny had made short work of the stands, and caught sight of the academy building, ready to make that his next target when two familiar faces caught his eye. He stopped his rampage as something deep inside shook the hold the darkness had over him. Looking Sunny in the eye, both Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane couldn't believe this creature was their same friend.
"Sunny, that you in there bro?" Thunderlane was the first to speak up.
That caused the creature Sunny had become to stop and look down at his own giant hooves. A dark miasma engulfed any physical form they had, bringing the creatures Sunny used to fear to life. He had become and umbrum. Tears began to fall from his eyes as he quickly realized what had become of him.
"Hey, hey, it's ok big guy" Rainbow quickly moved to massage his hoof just like he had done for her when she was an cranky old griffin. "Don't worry, we'll make this all better. Just give me back the bracelet."
"I'm... a monster..." his voice was deep when the yellow unicorn spoke.
"This isn't you, bro. You would never do this" Thunderlane tried to get his attention again. "Just do what Rainbow says. We'll make this all better, ya know?"
He wanted to believe them, but Sunny's green eyes looked all around the Wonderbolt's field and what he had done to it. "What... have i... done..."
"This isn't you, Sunny" Rainbow pulled his attention back to them. "We're you're friends! We know you wouldn't do this!"
"'You'?... friend?" Despite his face being slightly distorted, Rainbow Dash could still make out a questioning raised brow Sunny shot at her.
Looking back over her shoulder at the other Wonderbolts, the Rainbow maned Pegasus then called out to the other friend of Sunny who was currently present. "Hey, Thunderlane! Go tell Spitfire and the others not to do anything and to let them know we're going to work this out. But they need to check on the civilians."
Looking from Rainbow to Sunny and back, Thunderlane's facial expression made it obvious that he did not want to leave his best bud, especially in his current state. But looking at Rainbow Dash, he knew something else was up. He turned back to Sunny and shot him a weary smile. "Hang in there bro, I'll be back in a minute, ok?"
With that, the grey Pegasus with a two toned Mohawk flew up and began filling the rest of the wonderbolts in.
Once he was out of ear shot, Rainbow moved in closer to speak so only Sunny would hear. "Listen... I'm sorry I was so, well, mean to you."
"I deserved it..." Sunny's deep and monstrous sounding voice no longer sounded threatening. More like the tone of a gentle giant.
"Well... maybe... a little" Rainbow started to agree, but when she noticed Sunny's eyes fall back on the rubble and destroyed field, Rainbow pulled back his attention to her. "But I should have given you a chance, like Twilight and Fluttershy said. I guess I was just... scared."
"Good reason... to be..." Sunny replied as he tried to look away from Rainbow once more.
But she wouldn't let him break away. Not now. "Quit feeling sorry for yourself! You don't get it! I was scared because you out smarted my smartest friend and kept that big of a secret from Everypony for that long! I guess.... I guess I was worried that if you wanted to, you could have fooled us better then Chrysalis, Discord, or anypony else put together!
"And I guess... I guess I was scared that I wouldn't be able to protect my friends" Rainbow admitted, sighing heavily as she dropped her shoulders. "That's why I was on you so much. I didn't want anypony else to get hurt. And when I found out about Mr.Shy, I guess I kinda... lost it. I'm sorry. And after everything you did for me. If it weren't for you, I probably would have just taken a nap and slept on Twilight's couch for the next week and forgotten even who I was by the time she got back."
Ignoring everything else, Sunny began really taking in everything Rainbow was saying.
"I guess what I'm really trying to say is; thank you for being a friend. I was wrong about you. You aren't a monster. And I don't think you're a bad guy..." both ponies looked down at the ground and sheepishly back at each other. "Ugh... but I guess you could be if you wanted too. But to be honest, I rather be a cool monster like you then a bald, senile griffin."
That statement was just what Sunny needed to lighten the mood. With a chuckle, the yellow unicorn monster agreed. "Me... too."
Flying around to the same hoof Sunny had the bracelet attached too, Rainbow put her hoof on his. "What do you say we get you back to normal and get this mess all sorted out. You won't believe the story behind this thing."
Nodding, Sunny started to say the chant. "I offer you-"
Just at that moment, as the golden bracelet with the now glowing writing appeared out of the black smog and muck hoof of Sunny's, a flash of light slightly blinded both Rainbow Dash and the cursed yellow unicorn. When they both could once again see, they were shocked to see who was standing there.
"Oh my! You sound my mother's missing bracelet!" Discord said as he looked over the cursed jewelry wrapped tightly around Sunny's forehoof. "I've been looking everywhere for that! Soooo glad you found it for me!"
With a snap of his claw, the bracelet disappeared from Sunny's forehoof and reappeared floating just in Discord's open claw, the master of chaos made sure that it never touched him.
With the monster bracelet no longer around his hoof, the sludge and miasma that coated Sunny began to dissipate, leaving the yellow unicorn with his old, none monster like, unicorn body. Shaking his head clear, Sunny tried to collect his thoughts and piece together all that had happened. He was able to recall the whole conversation with Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane, but everything before that was a bit of a blur. The only thing he remembered was a voice... it told him to feed... but feed on what?
"Thank you two again!" Discord said as he snapped his fingers, causing the bracket to disappear in a flash. "We'll have to do this again some time."
"Hey, Discord!" Rainbow Dash spoke up before the draconiquis was able to flash away himself. "Before you leave, would you mind fixing up the damage Sunny did to the field and the school?"
Raising a brow at the mare with the Rainbow colored mane, then looking all around him, Discord just gave a slight shrug. "I don't know, I likes like the new look. Besides, what have either of you two done for me lately?"
"Please, Discord..." Sunny spoke up, taking a few steps towards the master of chaos. Both eyes locked with his. "I would really appreciate it... and helping each other, without keeping score, is kinda something friends do."
For once, Discord didn't really have a snappy come back. He had never seen Sunny just come up to him, or anypony except his own father, and ask for help in such a way. Rolling his eyes, Discord spoke in his usual tone of half annoyed half disgust, a he usually did when things got too touchy feely. "Fine! Whatever! If it will please his majesty, I will clean up his mess!"
And right as Discord waved his bear claw in a circular motion, his body dispersing behind him, leaving just his bear claw behind, he snapped his claw, and without hardly any effort at all, the destruction and rubble made by Sunny in his monstrous form had been reversed, without a single indication that any harm had been done to the surrounding area. The wonderbolts, civilian audience, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane and Sunny all looked around in awe, amazed that Discord could do such a helpful thing.
Turning to face Spitfire and the rest of the wonderbolts, Rainbow nudged Sunny with her hoof. "I can handle explaining things to them if you want to head on home. I think you've earned a nap."
But when Sunny didn't reply, Rainbow looked over at him and smiled. The yellow unicorn had already fallen asleep on his hooves, as some ponies sometimes didn't wen they were too tired to even find a comfortable place to rest.
"I'll take him home" Thunderlane said as he struggled to pick up his farming friend.
Just as he managed to lift Sunny up a few inches from the ground, Flitter joined Thunderlane and together the two started the journey of carrying their friend back to Sweet Apple Acres, where he could get a good nights sleep...
After arriving in Canterlot, Twilight wanted to check in with her parents, but knew duty came before pleasure. Pinkie, on the other hoof, said she had other business to attend to and would be along shortly. The pink pony told Twilight not to worry, that she wouldn't be needed in this chapter and had to set something up for a future one, whatever that meant. The purple alicorn chalked it up to 'Pinkie being Pinkie' and left it as is without putting in much thought. Twilight and Spike made their way right through the front doors of the Canterlot castle, from there they were lead down a hallway and into Luna's private study. It was there that Twilight came face to face, er, muzzle to muzzle with a very tired looking princess Luna.
"We are glad you could make the journey on such short notice, Twilight Sparkle" Luna commented, then shot a small smile at both her and her assistant a small grin. "We only wish our meeting could be on better terms."
"It's ok, Princess Luna" Twilight shot the other alicorn a gentle smile. "What's the matter? What can I help with?"
"As I'm sure you are aware, our sister is on... a leave of absence" Luna began, walking over to a table and gathering some vacuous papers. "I assume you kept this a secret, as she and I requested?"
"I have" Twilight started, eyes veering over to the papers Luna had in front of her. "Is Princess Celestia ok? Will she be returning soon?"
Pain and worry shot across Luna's muzzle as she forced herself to look away. "We wish not to force our sister's return. She... needs time to heal from ... a loss."
Not wanting to press the matter further, Twilight changed the subject. "What are those papers?"
"These are reports and as much information that could be gathered on a rather disturbing phenomenon...." Luna began to explain as she levitated the pile of papers over to Twilight, pulling a few out to present separately as visual aid. "There have been riots all throughout Equestria, all with a similar theme; 'anarchy'. "
"'Anarchy'?" Spike repeated the word as he scratched his head, looking over a picture of an alicorn statue being pulled down by several angers looking ponies.
"It seems that large groups of ponies started a movement to remove out sister and the rest of royals from power, seeing us as tyrants and abusing our powers." Luna explained, pulling out a few documents in particular.
"But that's ridiculous!" Twilight was beside herself. "You, Cadence and Princess Celestia all have protected the ponies of Equestria and earned your right to rule!"
"We agree with you, Twilight Sparkle" Luna passed the document over to Twilight after she went over it to make sure it was the correct one. "Which is why I wanted you to see this..."
Taking the paper form Luna, Twilight began reading at top speed to absorb the information the fastest. She paused once she finished reading the paper, then reread it to make sure what she read was true.
"You have dealt with a similar incident not that long ago, did you not?" Luna asked, referring to when Twilight revisited Canterlot High.
"So... you think the sirens are up to this?" Twilight asked, looking at the picture of a new up and coming pop star filly.
"No, Twilight Sparkle. We believe that somepony is forcing that young one to perform against her will." Luna explained. "When you go over the other papers, you'll find documentation of a trio of siren sisters, different from the ones you've encountered, that our sister had aided long ago. The filly in the picture looks identical to the youngest siren sister we have on file."
"So you want me and the girls help the siren eacape?" Twilight raised a brow to Luna.
"We're afraid it is not that simple" the princess of the night explained further. "From what information we could gather, the younger one is the only one of the three sisters ever seen in the open. That means the other two are elsewhere, possibly being held prisoner. We would try and use the dream realm to seek them out, but somepony is blocking me, preventing us from doing so.
"Which is why we need you and your friends to get to the bottom of this" Luna sighed as she put a hoof to her head. The papers she was levitating fell when she did.
"Princess Luna!" Twilight ran to Luna's aid, followed by Spike who had acquired a glass of water.
"Ugh... we... we are ok, Twilight Sparkle" Luna told the younger alicorn. "We have just... been tired. Raising both sun and moon is taxing enough, but there are the common royal duties that we must deal with now as well."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Twilight helped Luna up and over to a chair.
As princess Luna sat, she forced a smile at Twilight. "Putting a stop to these riots 'will' help, Princess Twilight. We trust you can do this."
Gathering all the papers and placing them in a neat little pile, Twilight shinned with bravado and pride as she told Luna "don't worry, Princess Luna. We'll have those riots stopped in no time!"
Luna smiled at Twilight's confidents, but deep down, the princess of the night was very worried. 'For our sister's sake, we hope so...'
Later that night, after a wonderful and relaxed dinner with her mom and dad, Twilight and Spike settled into Twilight's old room (which her mom made sure to keep just the way Twilight left it.) for a good night's rest. Pinkie had joined them shortly after dinner, and had taken to Shinning's old room for the night. They would need all the rest they could get for the task at hoof.
The next concert was in a week, and she would need to sit down and talk with the girls about a possible plan. But just like any other time when Twilight's mind was full of worry, she couldn't sleep. Looking over at the clock, she saw it was two in the morning. With a sigh, the princess of friendship forced herself up and out of bed. There was only one remedy for her not being able to sleep, it was a trick her mother found out when Twilight was but a little filly. And that was a tall glass of milk. The same trick had helped the princess of friendship for years, there was little doubt that it wouldn't work now.
Walking out of her room, quietly down the hall and slipping past her parents room, trying not to wake them, Twilight arrived in the kitchen. She flicked on a candle and set it on the counter, that was thankfully clear of any and all items. But after grabbing the milk from the fridge and a glass from the cabinet, Twilight returned to the counter to find something waiting for her there.
Placing the milk and glass gently down, Twilight picked up the item and looked it over. It was a book. More importantly, it was a book from 'her' castle's library back in Ponyville. "How did this get here?"
Looking around and casting a light glowing spell, Twilight saw that she was indeed all alone in the kitchen with no sign that anypony had been there. Turning back to the book, Twilight looked it over and smiled. It was one of her favorite children's story books. There were tales of knights, wizards, monsters, and all sorts of magical adventures bound within it's pages. But something out of place immediately caught her eye. Somepony had left a book mark in the book. Curious and cautious, Twilight opened the book and looked at the marked page.
"The pony who woke up the mountains..." Twilight remembered reading this story a few times when she was younger but thought it was kind of lacking in a lot of departments. The story was short, lacked much conflict, and honestly seemed to be missing some larger part of the story. Like somepony just took part of a really long story and put it randomly in another book. Right when Twilight was about to close the book and forget about about the whole thing, the book mark caught her eye.
Looking it over, the book mark had titles of other books written all over it, along with certain page numbers. Putting a hoof to her chin and patting it as Twilight often did when she began thinking about something, the princess of friendship then turned to the story and began reading it for the first time in years;
There once was a wide mountain range that stretched on for miles and miles. The mountains themselves were black as coal, and nothing ever grew on them. Ponies who tried to build on the mountain soon found their structures demolished either by an earth quake or burned down mysteriously. Most ponies stayed far away from the mountain. But one day, a yellow unicorn appeared in a near by village, looking with narrow eyes at the supposedly cursed mountain.
He had asked the ponies in the near by village if they had a hot air balloon he could barrow, along with a telescope. He claimed he wanted to get a better look at the mountain side. The towns folk provided the yellow stranger with what he asked for, and watched him ascend into the sky. The strander floated until he was just a speck in air. After several moments, the stranger returned to the ground and thanked the townsfolk for their aid, paying them a fair amount of gold before running off towards the cursed mountains.
The townsfolk thought he was odd, but it was not uncommon for ponies to want to examine and study their cursed mountains. And so, Everypony went back to what they were doing before the yellow stranger came to town.
Not long after the stranger left, was there an earthquake, not just one that shook the mountain, but one that shook the surrounding villages and the forests as well. That was when Everypony turned and watched as the black mountains of the west began to shake and move!
From beneath them, several large limbs arose, pushing large amounts of dirt, rocks and trees along with them! Large bat like wings spread all across the sky, casting a shadow over the towns and near by forests. Just when Everypony was panicking and packing to leave the village with their families, the mountains gathered and formed a mighty beast!
A dragon larger then mountains themselves now stretched and yawned as it arched its neck and its fiery eyes looked down and saw what had awoken it.
Before it stood the yellow pony from before. Looking up at it with no fear in his heart what so ever.
"What is it....you desire?!" The dragon's booming voice could be heard for miles as he spoke to the yellow stranger.
Whatever the yellow stranger told him, only the large black dragon could hear.
The black dragon's eyes narrowed on the yellow stranger before releasing small flames from it's mighty nostrils. "A noble cause... very well...Knight....I shall give you... what you ...desire. Keep in... mind... I shall... be keeping... an eye... on you..."
Moments after placing his claws over the yellow stranger, the giant black dragon stood fully up, it's head reaching up and into the clouds, and with a single mighty jump, vanished into the sky!
Many ponies had many questions about what exactly just happened. But after that, the yellow stranger, now clad in armor as black as the mountains once were, raced too fast through town, unwilling to stop to answer those questions. To this day, no pony knows what the stranger asked the mighty black mountain dragon, nor why the stranger was in such a hurry.
But what is for sure is in this magical world of wonder, no pony should see things as just the way they look. Or rather, things are not always as they seem...
Twilight stood there, looking at the book for a good long minute. Just starting. She had read that story before, passed it up several times to read more about the prince and the merpony, but never had she ever put much thought into it. Now, after hearing and learning about Sunny's true identity and his story of how he obtained his Black Knight armor and title, her mind was blank for a moment with shock.
The moment of shock and awe was short lived as Twilight looked at the page number on the story she just reread and the bookmark that had several more reference book titles and numbers written down. 'The pony who woke up the mountains' was the first book on the list. Looking over the list again, Twilight was shocked to see that all the books she had back at her library!
"I think I have some reading to do" Twilight said with an eager grin.
Standing atop the railing that overlooked the haunting facility, Cynical Storm gazed over the dark and recently cleaned facility. The chains that hung from the creaking ceiling and sparkled like fangs in the darkness, with the glowing red lights of the various machines becoming their eyes.
'What a splendid new playground I have! I can't wait to share it!' Cynical thought to himself as his smile slithered from ear to ear. 'I just have sooooo many possible playmates, I can't choose!'
"Lost in thought, Cynical?" A pony called out from the dark. He was a light green Pegasus, with a sharp mane style that often hung from one side. His mane and eyes were the same shade of green, just a few shades or so darker then his coat. An average looking pony to say the least, but the peculiar thing about him was his cutie mark. A toaster that appeared to be made out of wood, and on fire! Which is where the pony drew his new name from.
"Well well well, if it isn't WoodenToaster!" The words seemed to slither out of Cynical's mouth as he turned, his black and green eyes turning and focusing on the new arrival. "I'm glad you could join us. But I'm afraid the party isn't quite ready yet."
WoodenToaster castually strolled up to stand beside the black eyed Pegasus and looked out into the factory that he was so familiar with. "It's been a long time. But it looks like I've finally been reunited with my greatest masterpiece!"
"Do you think you can get it up and running?" Cynical asked, peaking at WoodenToaster from the side.
Almost seeming insulted, Wooden turned sharply to the side and narrowed his eyes at Cynical for a moment before cracking a smile. "My friend, I will get it up and running better then ever! But first, we need to flush out it's gears and pipes."
A light clicked on in Cynical's head. "Ah! How about we start the machine up to run a big, nasty, almost out of control, rain storm! That should clean it right out!"
Thinking it over for a moment, Wooden's smile began to grow. "After it cleans out the Rainbow factory, the storm would make it's way to the nearest town and cause quite a bit of trouble."
"Don't worry, the nearest town is Ponyville, some backwater place nopony really cares about" Cynical reassured the mad scientist, lying about it all.
"Eh, good enough for me!" Wooden said as he jumped down from the railing and began messing with his machine. Hitting various buttons, flipping certain switches, twisting a few pressure gages.
"Besides" Cynical muttered to himself as he joined his new 'friend' down on the factory's floor. "If anypony asks, we could always blame gremlins. They've been causing a little bit of trouble in Cloudsdale recently."
The horrible machines began to breath to life in the sound of turning gears, rattling chains, whistles, hoots, and electric charges that brought them to life. One bad storm coming up....
"It's going to be great, Granny!" Applejack said as she raced around the living room late that night, gathering various items for her camping trip. "Just me, Sunny, the elements and no distractions!"
"Yep" Granny said as she sat back in her rocker, trying to catch a light nap before bed. But each time she started to feel the gentle touch of sleep, her eldest granddaughter woke her up with her packing.
The yellow unicorn in question had gone with Apple Bloom and Big Mac to catch some fireflies out in the field, since he had time to pack this morning while Applejack met with her friends to discuss who would look over the castle while Twilight was away. Amazingly, Rarity insisted on the first watch, despite her built work schedule. With the Grand Galloping Gala as well as the Crystal Ball both right around the corner, the fashionista had quite a bit of work to do. But Rarity insisted on taking he first few nights. Especially since Twilight's castle was big enough for her to work on multiple projects, store them, then when she wasn't working, Rarity could go off and relax several rooms away if she wanted. Applejack didn't care who took the first watch so long as she could have a few days to work on her 'spending quality time with Sunny' plan.
"Ah gotta say" Applejack started to pat herself on the back as she leaned up against a well stuffed back pack. "Rarity surprised me with the idea. Ah told her Sunny and th' guys went campin' and had a hoot of ah good time, even making ah friend too! So she thought if he and ah could get some alone time, that would give him ah chance ta get ta know th' real me. Not just th' me who works on the farm or sleeps in th' room next ta his."
Bobbing her head, Granny just agreed to whatever Appljack was going on about. "Hmmmm... yeah.... sure...."
"Oh it will be a hoot of ah great time too!" Applejack continued as she packed her bag full of stuff. "Ah'm pulling out all th' stops! We'll start things off with ah early mornin' hike, ah'll cook us up some breakfast while he sets up camp. Then we'll take ah dip in th' lake, ah could also meet his friend, Epsy. After ah good long day of swimmin' an showin' off mah nature survival skills, we'll sit down around the campfire. We'll tell stories, ah'll teach him ah few campfire songs. Then, right as we're 'bout ta call it ah night, we'll just sit there, in th' dark, and look up at th' stars..."
Applejack was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Granny had fallen fast asleep or hear her siblings or Sunny enter the house. They weren't present for most of what Applejack had said, but Sunny took great interest in hearing the last bit of Appljack's list of fun things on her camping to do list.
"That all sounds like a real hoot of ah good time, Applejack" Sunny commented with a grin as he put several jars containing fireflies in front of her. "And ah grabbed these for you. Big Mac and Apple Bloom told me we just release them later. And ah wanted ya'll ta be able to join us."
Trying her best to play things off as calmly as she could, wondering how long Sunny and the others had been standing there, Applejack just forced a small laugh as she looked around nervously. Her siblings just smiled and held back their own natural giggles from their sister's awkwardness. "A-sure! That sounds great! Thank ya, Sunny."
Taking the jar in hoof, Applejack looked though the jar, past the fireflies, and directly at the yellow stallion in the other side. Despite his image being slightly warped by the jar's shape, he still was so captivating. Applejack wanted nothing more then to tell that happy go lucky, sunshine in his pocket pony how she really felt about him. But something she had never felt before was keeping her from behind honest with him about her true feelings.
Her fear of rejection.
Looking back at the orange, freckled mare, Sunny felt something. Not the usual feelings he normally felt being around Applejack, but... something else. Something like he knew she was... afraid. That was it, he felt she was afraid of something. But what? What could somepony as brave strong as Applejack be afraid of?
"We better let them critters go" Granny said, waking up from her slumber with a little yawn.
"Yeah! Let's go!" Apple Bloom said as she and Big Mac rushed out the front door, Quickly followed by Sunny, who held the door open for Applejack and Granny.
Once outside, the small herd of Apples made their way down the dirt road to the archway at the edge of the farm, then one by one, they began to set the fireflies free from the jars. Big Mac amazingly beat Apple Bloom to opening his jar first. As the fireflies flew free from their jars, it looked almost as if the Apple family were releasing more stars into Luna's night sky.
Applejack and Sunny sat close by each other, watching the fireflies scatter and shine. It had been a long time since Applejack and her siblings caught and released the glowing bugs, and Sunny had never in all his life ever done it. Looking away from the fireflies and to each other, they both simultaneously smiled at one another. It was truly a magical moment that neither one of them would forget.
"Hey look!" Apple Bloom shouted as she pointed her hoof to the sky.
Looking away from each other, Applejack and Sunny liked to the sky where Apple Bloom was pointing to see the amazing sight of a shooting star!
"Make ah wish!" Big Mac said then closed his eyes and silently made his wish.
Apple Bloom and Granny did the same, closing their eyes and saying in their minds the wishes they hoped would come true.
Closing his eyes, Sunny thought for a moment what he would want the most. Peaking one eye open and looking around, he came up with a wish that he said in his mind as well.
Applejack, on the other hoof, didn't need any time to think about what she wished the most for. Looking back over at the yellow unicorn sitting next to her, then back at the falling star as it was nearly out of sight, the orange farm pony made her wish. 'Please... please let him like me as much as ah like him....'
As the falling star disappeared into the distance and the fireflies traveled back to their homes, the Apple family made their way back to the farm house. Granny paused for a moment to look back into the sky, narrowing her eyes in the direction of Cloudsdale. The elderly farm pony rubbed her chin as she continued to focus her eyes and narrow her sight on the blurred image in the distance.
"Everything alright, Granny?"Applejack asked her grandmother, looking at the green mare with slight concern.
"Ah got ah funny feelin' ah storm's ah comin'" Granny said as she turned her attention back to her eldest granddaughter.
"Are ya sure?" Applejack didn't want to believe her grandmother was right, but Granny normals had a 6th sense about these sorts of things. "Ah mean, th' weather report for the week said-"
"Somethin' ain't right 'bout it" Granny said as she once again looked off into the distance. Seeing the worry she was bringing to Applejack, Granny just chucked to herself and walked past the orange farm pony. "Oh ah wouldn't worry nothin' 'bout it now. Go on an' get some rest. Ya'll have ah busy day tomorrow, what with all ya' have planned, don'cha?"
"Ah guess yer right..." Reluctantly, Applejack walked back into the farm house to go over we list of supplies again, thinking two things. 1)She hoped there would be no storm and everything would go smoothly tomorrow. And 2) Twilight would be proud at her diligence with the list she had made and her dedication to it.
That night, Applejack found it hard to get to sleep, but was finally able to drift off into a sound slumber. She began dreaming about her and Sunny, sitting by a campfire, her playing her guitar, and him just gazing deep into her eyes. Without knowing it, the two of them began to slowly lean in closer and closer to each other as Applejack stopped playing. The only thing mattering to either of them were each other. But just as she could almost feel his lips grace hers, the orange farm mare was awaken from her gentle slumber by a loud crack of thunder!
Falling out of bed, Applejack took a moment to fully wake up. When she did, she walked over to her bedroom window and looked out of it. Her heart sank as she saw heavy rain, violent winds, and dark clouds just on the other side of her window. 'Ah guess that means no camping trip today...'
Shaking her head clear of her disappointment, Applejack began to go into full farm protector mode. With a storm this violent, she had to secure several things and get the animals to safety. Luckily most of the apples that were ready for bucking had already been harvested and safely stored in the barn. But Applejack would need to bring in the pigs, cows, and maybe even the chickens into the barn. The storm looked like it might blow away their coop.
As Applejack struggled to quickly throw on her galoshes and rain slicker, she heard fumbaling around in the room next to her and Sunny bursts into her room moments later, already dressed in his rain ready attire.
"Th' storm came outa nowhere!" The yellow unicorn said as he helped Applejack get the last of her big rubber boots on.
"We need ta get th' animals inta th' barn" Applejack stated, walking with him out of her room. "Where's Big Mac?"
"Out cold" Sunny informed Applejack. "I really can't wake him up."
"Ugh, anytime he hears rain, his mind says 'it's ah day we don't do much farm work' and th' lug sleeps in" Applejack clarified with slight frustration. "Ain't no way ta wake him up now. Looks like it's just you and me, partner."
"I'm ok with that" Sunny said with a smile, shooting Applejack a quick glance before looking strait ahead as they raced to the front door.
The look Applejack received would normally make her stomach flutter like it was full of butterflies, but as she also reached the front door and peered out into the storm, the orange mare knew now was not the time for that. The storm was indeed violent, large branches from trees, chunks of roof shingles, and other various debris began flying through the air!
"What in th' hay was th' Weather Factory thinking? Makin' ah storm this big!" Sunny screamed over the roaring wind and falling water.
"Ah don't know, but if ah know Rainbow, she and th' others are probably tryin' ta get this under control as we speak!" Applejack replied as she looked all around the farm. It was going to be a heck of a mess to clean up later, but right now, the livestock were the biggest concern. "Go get th' cows into th' barn! Ah'll grab th' pigs!"
"Shouldn't we work together?" Sunny asked nervously, not wanting to leave Applejack alone to face the storm.
"No time! Them critters need ta get ta safety!" Applejack called out before jumping right into the rain, shooting off towards the pig pen.
A small half smile cracked across Sunny's face as he watched the mare leap right into battle with no fear. 'What ah mare...'
But he also knew it wasn't the time for that, and began fighting against the wind and rain, steadily making his way towards the area where the cows were normally kept. After pressing his way through the mud, his boots sinking deeper and deeper into the soaked earth, Sunny finally reached the cow's pen. They all were frantic, scared, and soaked by the rain. As lightning flashed across the sky, the cows began to panic further and started trying to tackle the fence that caged them in.
Just as the cows were about to break free, a voice deep within Sunny, a loud and commanding voice that seemed to even overpower the cries of the cows and howling of the wind.
"GOOD MILK BEARING COWS OF SWEET APPLE ACRES!!!" Sunny's thundering voice echoed loud enough to where Applejack gathering the scared pigs could hear him. "FOLLOW ME TO SAFETY! OBEY MY COMMAND, AND NO HARM SHALL COME TO YOU OR YOURS!!! YOU HAVE MY WORD!!!"
The thunderous voice seemed to calm and relax the cows, as if the voice itself were a tool used by royals throughout the ages to silence and stop whole wars, riots, and battles to lead the listeners to a better state of peace. Following Sunny's orders, the cows began to follow the yellow unicorn across the muddy field and into the safety of the barn. Once all were securely inside, Sunny looked back, happy to see Applejack bringing with her a large group of frightened, waddling pigs. As the pigs joined the cows, Sunny met Applejack with a high-hoof.
"Nice work, partner" Sunny said with a grin.
"'Not time fer celebration yet" Applejack noted as her smile faded and her eyes turned towards the chicken coop. "Ah have no idea how we can get all them chickens into th' barn without them being pulled off by th' wind..."
An idea came to mind for Sunny. "Ah think ah know. But Ah'm gunna need yer help."
"What ya got partner?" Applejack asked immediately, seeing the cogs inside Sunny's head working. She knew he had something up his sleeve, and was starting to like it when he did.
Back at the barn, Apple Bloom was finally woken up by the loud sound of thunder that rattled her windows. Immediately, the filly still in her pajamas, ran down the stairs and out to the front porch. She looked around in horror as the storm continued to rage on.
"What in th' hay?!" Apple Bloom asked as she couldn't believe her eyes.
"Ah know, it's a wold one" Granny said as she sat back in we rocker and gazed out into th' storm.
"Granny, where are Applejack and Big Mac?" Apple Bloom asked as she began throwing of her pjs, ready to hop in and save the farm animals, thinking just as her sister did.
"Yer brother is sleeping harder then ah grizzly bear in th' middle of winter" Granny said as she rolled her eyes, amazed her grandson could sleep in all this ruckus. But her eyes looked strait ahead as a small smile broke out across her wrinkly muzzle. "Yer sister, on th' later hoof, is workin' with Sunny ta get things under control..."
Raising a shaky green hoof, Granny pointed out into the storm where the silhouette of two ponies could be made out just barley in the vertical rain. As Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes on the image, the sight became more and more clear. Sunny was walking with one hoof wrapped around Applejack's back, his eyes closed and his horn glowing bright green as he focused on keeping his concentration. While he did so, Applejack continued to press on, her eyes focused on the barn ahead as a strong smile shinned on her muzzle. Just above the two, floating in a green bubble of Sunny's magical aura, was the entire chicken coop with all the chickens, nests, and eggs floating safely inside. Sunny could lift that much weight without harming anything inside, but he had to fully concentrate on it, so he put all the walking and directing to Applejack, who in turn, also carried half his body weight on her back.
"Ah gotta say, those two work better together then ah ever expected 'em to" Granny said with a slight chuckle before getting up and stretching her back. "Come on, Apple Bloom. Ain't nothin' we can do now 'cept get some breakfast and hot cider ready fer when they's all done."
"Ok, Granny" Apple Bloom started to follow her grandmother but paused pick up her pajamas. When she did, she got one last glance of the two ponies working together to carry the chickens to safety. She smiled, then made her way towards the kitchen.
After all the animals were secure, with Winona keeping an eye on them in the barn, Applejack and Sunny made their way back to the house, smiling and laughing all the way. Once there, they took off their muddy boots and rain slickers, setting them securely on the front porch. The two smelled the delicious scent in the air and were about to make their way into the kitchen when Granny shot them a hard stare and told them to go wash up. Letting Applejack use the shower first, Sunny waited in the hallway, meeting Big Mac as he exited his room. The wonderful smell of a hot breakfast woke him up finally. The big red stallion made his way downstairs only to be filled in by the events by Granny and Apple Bloom. From the sound of it, Big Mac felt guilty for sleeping through the whole thing. As Sunny started to think of a way to take some of the guilt off of his friend, the bathroom door opened. Steam steadily escaped the room as Applejack came casually trotting out in a light green bathrobe.
She mumbled something to Sunny, but Sunny couldn't really understand what she was saying. He was too entranced by the wonderful image of Applejack with her mane glowing wet and freely down. It was a wonderful sight he had never seen before. Both that she looked bad with her mane tied with a ribbon, but when her golden mane flowed freely, combined with her sparkaling emeralf green eyes, she was truly a breath taking sight. 'Wow... she's so... so beautiful...'
"You ok, Sugar cube?" Applejack's voice, now coming in clear, shook Sunny free from his intense starring and brought him back to reality.
"Ugh, y-yeah, what did you say?" Sunny tried to recover, hoping he didn't seem weird or creepy to Applejack.
"Ah said, yer up" Applejack said as she moved aside, allowing Sunny to enter the bathroom. "And feel free ta use Big Mac's Bathrobe. He probably won't mind."
"Thank you" Sunny said as he forced himself to look away from Applejack and enter into the bathroom to get all cleaned up.
As Applejack descended the stairs and made it into the kitchen, she was greeted by the warm scent of a hardy and large breakfast. Sitting down at the table next to her little sister, Applejack took in image of the whole spread. "Golly! This all looks great."
"Well you two deserve it" Granny said as she poured Applejack a tall glass of warm apple cider. "Ah watched you two work ta keep th' farm critters safe and put them up in th' barn."
"It was so cool!" Apple Bloom spoke up, wearing a milk mustache.
"Ah'm awful sorry 'bout not wakin' up ta help" Big Mac said as his head slightly sunk.
"It's ah'll right, Big Mac" Applejack said as she playfully hit her big brother on the shoulder. The orange farm pony's eyes then darted to the window to see the storm didn't appear to be letting up. Her heart sank as she realized what that would mean.
"Hey now, what's got you down, Applejack?" Granny asked as she put a gentle but firm hoof on her oldest granddaughter.
"Our camping trip..." the orange farm pony said as she fought back her emotions. "Guess we'll have ta postpone it... ah just wanted ta spend some time with Sunny, ya know, not workin'. Like what his other friends do. They all get ta joke with him, go places outside of Ponyville, and have wonderful adventures. Ah kinda just wanted us ta have one of them adventures too..."
"I think today was quite an adventure in itself" Sunny's voice rang as he entered the kitchen, wearing a darker green bathrobe, taking the seat across from Applejack. As he looked up at the orange mare across from him, he shot her his signature smile.
"Yer right, though, Applejack" Sunny said as he poured himself a glass of warm cider. "We don't get out of Ponyville tagether much, but that don't mean we don't have our own adventures here. 'Sides, when this storm clears, and we get everything back under control, we can go on that trip. It ain't like Ah'm goin' anywhere."
Hearing him say that put Appeljack's mind and emotions at ease. Suddenly, despite the chaotic storm outside her house, Applejack's world was once again at peace. Not knowing what really to say, Applejack just raised her glass and held it up to Sunny. "Ah'll hold ya to that."
Smiling back, Sunny raised his own glass and lightly hit it against Applejack's. "Ya better."
"Ain't no pony's goin' nowhere" Granny cleared we throat. "Apple Bloom and ah worked hard on this breakfast, now ya'll are gunna eat it!"
Laughing at Granny's comment, Everypony began to dig in. They all laughed, joked and told stories about other times when they had to run around and get things under control around the farm. Sunny took in every story, enjoying the light hearted humor, while Applejack took in the look of his smiling muzzle and the light in his eyes. He was unlike anypony she had ever met before. Not saying he was better, but something about him made her, well, happy. At peace with herself. I. More like, she had found a piece of herself that she didn't know she was missing. And like nothing bad could ever happen when he was around.
Later, after a long breakfast that somewhat fed into lunch time, Rainbow Dash swung by to check on the Apples to make sure everything was alright. When she saw that they were just fine, the cyan colored mare told them she and the other members of the weather team were attempting to clear the storm up, even calling in special storm chasers from Cloudsdale and Manehatten to help with the storm. Rainbow then shot the farm ponies a quick salute before flying off to join the others at attacking the storm.
Once the dishes were done and every household chore was complete, the Apple family found themselves board out of their gored.
"Applejack, Ah'm sooooo board!" Apple Bloom said as she hung upside down off the couch.
"Why don't ya go an' clean up yer room?" Applejack suggested, just staring out the window, wishing Sunny didn't lock himself up in his room again.
"Ah already did that" Apple Bloom said with a sigh, then added before Applejack could suggest it. "And got all mah homework for th' week done."
Sighing in defeat, Applejack tried to think of something she and her little sister could do when Sunny and Big Mac appeared, both with smiles on their muzzles.
"Ah'm ah little worried ta ask what you two have been doin" Applejack raised a brow at the two stallions.
"Well, ah was gunna get some readin' done...." Sunny started to say.
"Eh'yep" Big Mac added.
"But Big Mac said he saw you two just loafin' around an' had a great idea" Sunny's smile became more and more cocky as he continued.
"Eh'yep" Big Mac repeated himself.
"Big Mac then asked fer mah help on somethin' and ah agreed" Sunny concluded.
"Eh'yep" Big Mac said his infamous catchphrase once more.
Applejack and Apple Bloom paused and looked strait at the two stallions, still confused but silent for a good long moment.
"And?..." Applejack finally broke the silence.
"We got ah surprise for ya'll" Big Mac said, then he and Sunny began leading the girls down into the cellar.
As the two ladies followed the stallion's down into the cellar, they were amazed by what they saw! All around were various stations of games! There was an area for bobbing for apples, one corner had a dart board set up, another corner had horse shoe toss, a little ways from that had a card table set up with several decks of cards and poker chips, next to that were squares drawn on the ground and a ball for four square.
"What in the transition?" Applejack said as she and Apple Bloom explored the area.
"It was mainly Big Mac's idea" Sunny admitted, appearing out of the corner of Applejack's eye.
As Everypony turned to the big red farm stallion, he just smiled and bowed his head a little. "Ah hated ta see ya'll so board. Thought we could have some fun, even though we're stuck inside."
Surprised by her brother's reasoning, Applejack didn't know what to think at first. But after a moment of looking around again, she walked over and playfully punched Big Mac again on the shoulder. "Good call, Big Mac. Let's play!"
That was all Sunny and Apple Bloom needed. The fist thing they went to was the four Square area. All four began playing, not even really keeping score, just enjoying it. After that, Big Mac and Applejack went to play some darts awhile Apple Bloom challenged Sunny to bobbing for Apples. The yellow unicorn wasn't very good at it, but the little yellow filly was able to give him some pointers. Half way through, Granny awake from her nap and joined them all for a couple rounds of poker, teaching them how the ponies up in Los Pegasus played at the tables, and how to get the most bits from the poker tables. Sunny was amazed at how many different kinds of poker there were, and more amazed that Granny not only knew them all, but that she also new tips and tricks to them all.
"Ah spent quite some time with mah cousins in Los Pegasus" she explained with a toothy grin. "Even dated ah feller who ran ah few casinos. He taught me ah trick or two. Never would have guessed that ah'd almost clean him out. We didn't really last long."
After that, things started to wind down. Applejack went upstairs to get dinner ready while Big Mac and Sunny cleaned things up in the cellar and put things back to the way they were. As the mares cooked, Applejack looked outside to see the wild storm was clearing up, leaving only a slight trickle of the rain. That earned a half smiled from the orange mare as she set the table for her and her family.
Dinner went rather smoothly, and after things were cleaned up, Apple Bloom was found passed out asleep, tuckered out by all the indoor fun of the day. Big Mac offered to tuck her into bed, and carried his little sister on his back and up the stairs into her room. A huge yawn erupted from Granny as she bid Everypony else good night as well. It was at that time that Sunny looked outside and noticed the rain had stopped.
"Ah think ah'll go check on them critters in th' barn" Sunny said as he stepped out into the porch.
As he finished putting his goulashes and rain slicker back on, Sunny noticed he wasn't alone on the porch. Applejack had joined him in gearing up in their muddy and still slightly damp rain gear.
"Ya don't have ta join me" Sunny said with a half grin. "Ah can check on th' critters mah self."
"Ah know ya can" Applejack replied as she finished tying her rain slicker on. "But we started this tagether, seems right we end it tagether."
Chuckling a little to himself, Sunny knew it would be an easier thing to move all of the trees in the orchard two inches to the left then it would be to change Applejack's mind. "Well, ah wouldn't mind the company."
Trying to come off smooth, Sunny threw his rain slicker up into the air, it landing perfectly on him. He quickly tied the strings around his neck and started to walk off the porch when Applejack tugged on the back of his slicker. As Sunny turned around, he was met face to face with Applejack. Their faces were inches apart as they seemed lost in each other's green eyes. It took her a moment, but Applejack began to lean forward into Sunny. The yellow unicorn began to turn red, but tried to keep his composure as best he could, closing his eyes and puckering his lips.
But several seconds of him just puckering his lips, he decided to open his eyes. That's when Sunny noticed that Applejack had leaned in and was actually fixing his slicker's collar. Before Applejack noticed him, Sunny quickly puckered his loops and opened his eyes wide open, trying to divert them by looking into the night sky.
"There" Applejack said as she pulled back and looked at her work. "Lookin' good there, slick."
"You talking to me or the slicker?" Sunny smiled and played the whole thing off.
"Wouldn't you like ta know" Applejack teased as she casually trotted past Sunny, jumping off the front steps and into the mud, sinking a few inches. But she quickly recovered and started walking towards the barn, a small, smug smile on her own muzzle as she ignored Sunny for a moment to empower her tease.
Sunny only watched in amazement as the orange farm mare he had grown rather fond of walk away with a playful spring in her step. 'Was she...? Was she flirting with me?'
Pausing for a moment when she realized that he wasn't following her, Applejack looked back and wondered if her efforts were in vein. 'Did mah flirtin not work?'
Her answer came moments later when Sunny, mimicking her jump, followed quickly behind her with a smile on his muzzle. He started to run past her, but managed to spit out "race ya there!"
It shocked Applejack, but she realized that he was actually flirting back! He was flirting back with her! Did he know 'she' had been flirting with him? She shook off her thoughts and put in her most competitive face. "Oh, ya'll 'bout ta get schooled in mud racin'!"
The two started bouncing and running around harder in the mud, kicking more of the wet ground up and getting coated in it worse then before. They would both need to get washed up again, maybe even using the hose outside first before taking another shower, but it was worth it. This was a good first date to both of them. The rain didn't ruin the day, it just changed the way yet shared it.
It has been weeks since Sombra was released from Snowstorm, but still the young unicorn guard remained in a weakened slumber. The former warden of the IronLock prison occupied a bed in the emergency wing right next to the one a weakened Radiant Hope rested in. Both Sombra visited often, worried for their health. As the proud unicorn King stood at the entertainment way, he noticed Snowstorm began to stir. In a moment, a grey cloud slithered from the slumbering colts ears and gathered behind Sombra.
"How is he doing?" Sombra asked his 'faithful' servant.
"Still having nightmares about his father" the grey smoke answered as it took its true form of a tall, grey unicorn with a top hat and sharp teeth. His toothy grin was kept humble as he took his top hat off and bowed slightly for his king. "It's not easy keeping princess Luna out of all these inmate's dreams, as well as your son's. But the Moon princess does grow weaker by the day."
"...Celestia's duties are great" Sombra found it hard to speak her name after all these years of burning hatred. "But she and the others will be dealt with soon enough. Go see how that mad scientist is doing with his new toys."
Chuckling a bit, Charming Knightmare found it hilarious that the former doctor of the prison had become twisted enough to be called a 'mad scientist' by somepony such as King Sombra. "As you wish, your majesty...."
Waiting until Knightmare was gone, Sombra felt at ease to think freely. 'That one will betray me one of these days, but for now I'll keep him around. His power over the dream realm is most useful.'
Just then, Sombra caught sight of Radiant stirring in her bed, and slowly, her eyes began to open. Not wanting to frighten her, Sombra slowly entered the medical wing, making his way over to her.
The former king of the Crystal Empire was the first thing Radiant saw, and despite his darker appearance, she still recognize and smiled at her oldest friend. "You're looking better..."
"Take it easy, Hope" Sombra said in a soft and hushed tone. The most gentle he had spoken in over 1000 years, say for the time he spoke with Sunny in the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters. "Are you thirsty?"
The unicorn mare nodded weakly, still smiling and looking up at Sombra through half lidded eyes.
Knowing just what would pick her up, Sombra had a pitcher of her favorite fruit mix prepared. It was a concoction of Radiant's own creation. She had taught it to Sombra 1000 years ago, before he ever became a Crystal guard. It was one of his few memories he still cherished fondly.
After pouring her a glass, Sombra used his green magical aura to lightly lift Radiant up, helping her to drink. She smiled when she saw the silly straw he had put in the drink. The two had grown up together, so he knew what to do to make her happy.
After a few sips, Radiant pulled away, not wanting to drink too much and make herself sick. "Thank you, Sombra..."
"Your welcome, Hope" Sombra replied with a weak smile, but quickly broke eye contact, setting the glass aside, ready to walk away and leave Radiant to rest. "Get some sleep. You're still weak from healing me."
But before the king could leave, Radiant Hope grabbed ahold of his cloak, forcing him to face her. Looking her in the eye, he knew she wouldn't let him go without answering a few questions. "What happened, Sombra?... Why did you turn your back on the Empire? Why did you Enslave the Crystal Ponies?"
Sighing and hanging his head, Sombra readied himself for the inevitable; telling the story to explain his actions. To be honest, he would rather all of Equestria just see him as a bad guy doing bad things for petty reasons such as obsession or greed. But the truth to his actions were far darker then that, and far more painful.
Taking a seat between Radiant and Snowstorm, Sombra dusted off the old memories he tried to suppress. "It all started about a week before that faithful night... the night Sunny's mother showed her true colors, and betrayed us..."
Little did either Radiant or Sombra know that Snowstorm was wide awake and listening to every word Sombra said...
Traveling deeper into the former prison, Charming Knightmare did as his master commanded of him, and went to check on the 'mad scientist', who had set up shop in the empty cell block 'E'. Well... to say it was completely empty would be a lie. The pony prisoners who were in there had been removed and recruited into Sombra's army (either due to their own choosing or through fear-powered hypnotization). The 'new' prisoners were much more lively, last time Charming checked. As the dark grey unicorn rounded the corner, though, he was amazed to see all the Changelings in their various cells were now standing in single file lines, like obedient toy soldiers. All their eyes now glowing red as their breathing showed they were in a mentally relaxed state. Which was more then Charming could say for the pony in a lab coat at his work bench.
Hunched over and breathing heavily, Surgical Scalpel could barely contain the amount of saliva his mouth he was creating. His now red eyes were wide and darting everywhere, like a parasprite that couldn't decide what to consume first at an all you can eat buffet.
"So... much... power..." the earthpony doctor started to say, breathing after every word. "There's... so... much... going.... on...."
Charming smirked as he approached the doctor, knowing that Surgical was dangerous, but well aware that there was nothing the mad doctor could do to hurt him in his current state. "You're feeling the strain of multiple minds running through yours. It's a lot to take in."
Turning his head slightly, Charming saw the good doctor's face had grown more pale, his irises shrunk and changed to a reddish color to match the changelings. A wide and crooked smile stretched all across the stallion's muzzle as he blankly started at Charming. Atop Surgical's head was a specially crafted crown that Sombra and Charming made together to keep the changelings under control, linking their minds with the wearer. Special red gems embedded into the iron crown allowed the wearer to bend the changeling's will to their own, with negative side effects of course. But neither King Sombra nor Charming Knightmare knew the extent of the 'side effects', which is why they allowed Surgical to be the ginny pig. Ironic for somepony who used to use others for his own testing.
"Say, I have an idea" Charming chimed in, looking at the twisted pony before him. "How about a rehearsal before we prepare for the main event?"
"Yes.... YES.... YES!!!" Surgical began screaming, causing the changelings to shake to life, hissing and clicking as they flew all around their cells, eager to be released into the world once more.
The top hat wearing unicorn smiled as he adjusted his hat, flashing small and refined smile. "Glad to see you're on board. I'm technically not supposed to show my face in Ponyville ever again, but for this, I think I can break my own promise. It's for the ultimate good, after all..."
"There! That one kinda looks like Apple Bloom!" Applejack said as she pointed out a cluster of stars in the sky.
"Ah see it!" Sunny chuckled as he noted the resemblance. "Oh! There! It's a clown on a unicycle!"
Squinting her yes for a moment and turning her head slightly, Applejack finally saw what Sunny saw. "Hey! Not bad, Sugar cube!"
"Thanks, Partner..." Sunny smiled as he closed his eyes for a moment.
The two had taken the opportunity with the newly cleared skies to do a little star gazing. At first, Sunny amazed Applejack with how much he knew about the constellations and stars, but after noticing how awkward it made her feel, not knowing any herself, the yellow unicorn came up with a more fun idea. While the two ponies lay on their back atop a lush as grassy hill, they simply looked up at the stars and said what they thought they looked like, kinda making up their own constellations. It may sound silly to anypony else, but to them, it was a relaxing way to have fun. And after the hard day they both had putting the farm back together, they deserved some relaxing fun.
The two ponies remained silent for a good long while, Sunny just enjoying the moment. But Applejack was full of questions. Sunny started to notice she was shuffling her back hooves from the sound of rustling grass. He learned that Applejack often did this when she was thinking or nervous.
Wanting to relieve her of this uneasy feeling, Sunny simply asked "somethin' on yer mind, partner?"
Holding her breath for a moment, Applejack sighed and looked over at Sunny. "Sugar cube... ah don't mean ta pry... but... can ya tell me ah little bit more 'bout ya?"
Sunny turned his head away, his heart beginning to race.
"Not... not 'bout yer Pappy. But 'bout you... what ya were like before ya lost yer memory." Applejack corrected herself seeing Sunny's uneasy feelings.
Smiling to himself, Sunny looked back up into the star filled sky. "Well, alright. But ta be fair, how 'bout we go back and forth. Ah'll answer one of yer questions, but after, you have ta answer one of mine. Deal?"
A little shocked that Sunny would have questions about her, after living with each other as long as they have, kind of surprised the orange apple farmer. But then again, she lived with him just as long and still didn't know much about him. "Ah'll right. Deal. But ladies first; what did ya like ta do for fun where ya grew up?"
"That's quite ah lost there" Sunny said with glee. "Ah liked ta practice magic, takin' things like clocks apart, even if ah never figured it how ta put 'me back together again, practice fencing, sword play, and pulling pranks-"
"Ya'll know how ta use ah sword?" Applejack was surprised that somepony like Sunny knew such an art. "Why would ya need ya know that? Did ya want ta become ah royal guard or somethin'."
Not wanting to lie, Sunny had to think quick. "Well... technically that's two questions. Before ah answer any more, you have ta answer one of mine."
Sighing in defeat, Applejack rolled her eyes. "Fine. What cha got?"
"What's yer favorite color?" Sunny asked, a small smile on his muzzle.
"Ya'll don't know mah favorite color?" Applejack asked, slightly surprised.
"Ah think ah know, but ah wanna make sure" Sunny replied.
"Ah think ah know yours too" Applejack added, sitting up just as Sunny did the same. Both ponies now facing each other. "On '3' we'll say what we think the other's favorite color is, ok?"
"Sounds fine to me" Sunny said with a not and a half smile.
"Ok... one... two..." Applejack started counting down, both ponies ready to tell the answer. "Three!"
"GREEN!" Both Sunny and Applejack answered simultaneously.
The two ponies paused for a moment, their expressions shocked but also hard to read. Then, slowly, a smile appreared on both of their muzzles. Both fell back laughing for a moment.
"Guess we have the same favorite color" Applejack commented.
"It's the color of your eyes..." Sunny said under his breath.
"What was that?" Applejack asked, only hearing his mumbling.
"Hay! Technically I still get ta ask 'you' ah question" Sunny pointed out. "Ah answered two of yours, but you only answered one of mine!"
"Technically, ah never asked ah question, sugar cube" Applejack said with a small smirk. "But thanks for th' freebie."
Chuckling to himself, Sunny felt like he finally met a mare who can match his wits. "Well, ah guess ya earned yer answer then... ah said, ah like green 'cause of yer eyes..."
After hearing that, Applejack's heart began to beat loud enough to were she swore Sunny could hear it too! Her face turned bright red and her ears began to burn. She was glad that Sunny's wasn't able to see her, it was really embarrassing.
After several moments of silence, Sunny spoke up to break the awkwardness he was afraid he made. "But before ah met you, ah preferred black."
"... black's ah good color on you" Applejack replied, trying to calm herself down.
The comment brought a thought to Sunny's mind. He thought about how he would look in in his tuxedo that Rarity had made for him for the Gala, and what Applejack would be wearing. That thought made him think deeper into the dancing portion of the Gala. Would Applejack want to dance with him?... like... slow dance?...
To clear his head, feeling his own cheeks were now on fire, Sunny cleared his theist and asked "so what kind of things did you like doing when you were younger? What did 'you' learn in school?"
Bringing herself back down to earth, Applejack thought about it for a moment. "Well... ah kinda just really likes takin' care of th' farm, helpin' Granny bake and cook. 'Course ah liked playin' with mah friends, and we did some fun stuff at school too. Like learn ta make paper mache masks, readin' an' writtin' and th' what not. Math sure came in handy, 'specially with runnin' th' farm."
A thought then occurred to Applejack. "Now, Ah'm gunna guess ya'll went ta some fancy-smancy school, since ya know so much 'bout stars and readin' so much..."
"I guess you could say that" Sunny replied, not thinking the Crystal Empire academy was anything really fancy. Granted, it was bigger then the one Apple Bloom and her friends go to, and there were a lot of recreational activities available, plus his father made sure the school had quite a bit of funding from the royal treasury, but they still served basic lunches, had regular books and supplies like any other school.
"Did ya'll have ah' lot of friends growin' up?" Applejack was nervous to ask, but managed to get the question out without stuttering or hesitating.
That trip down memory lane was one Sunny wasn't fond of. But it wouldn't reveal 'who' he was to Applejack, technically. Sunny knew would have to be careful about what he did say. "No... I... I didn't have any friends. Not really..."
Sending the awkward atmosphere, Applejack thought it was best to move on. "Yer question-"
"It ok, Applejack" Sunny interrupted, knowing the orange farm mare just wanted to move on because the question might upset him. "I... I don't want to hide things from you... if I can help it.... I had some 'friends' when I was younger. Ones who played with me, hung out with me, sat with me at lunch, smiled and waved to me and even went to my birthday parties with me..."
"What happened?..." Applejack asked. Turning over on her side so she was now side by side with the yellow unicorn. Applejack propped her head up on her hoof so she could look at Sunny, her eyes full of nervous concern.
With a sigh, Sunny looked down and continued. "It was on my birthday... the last birthday I had before I got my cutie mark... I invited all my 'friends' to a birthday party. At one point I had to step away and use the bathroom, but as I was coming back... I heard them making fun of me and my father... saying how I was a loser, and I would probably never get my cutie mark. They laughed at me, saying how if I wasn't... well... in the financial situation I was in, they would never be friends with me. But because I had all the coolest toys, had the best parties and could introduce them to all the important ponies around, they forced themselves to be my friends..."
Sunny could no longer keep the pain inside and took several deep breaths to fight against the tears.
"If ah ever see any of those jerks, ah'll, AH'll!..." Applejack started to think of a million and one ways she would make Sunny's fake friends regret what they did to him.
But the freckled farm pony was quickly silenced as Sunny's hoof grabbed hers. "It's ok, Applejack... if it wasn't for them, ah wouldn't know what 'real' friends were like. 'Real' friends stick with ya whether ya have ah mountain of gold, or nothing. They listen when ya need somepony ta talk to. And when yer feeling hurt or down, they do what they can ta make it all better."
Applejack was a little shocked to say the least. Sunny was obviously hurt from those jerks in the past, but rather then continue to let it hurt him, he used that pain to help him find true friendship. The rage that had been gathering up in Applejack had dissipated and she met his gaze with hers and smiled softly at him. "Yer one amazing fella, ya know that?"
"And ah bit of ah trouble maker" Sunny added with a small wink. "Ah ever told ya how me and Pappy, not mah dad, but Pappy the elderly stallion who helped ta take care of me, well, how we used ta pull pranks on th' maids?"
"Ah recall ya mentionin' somethin' bout Pappy" Applejack started to say. "But ain't it yer turn ta ask me ah question?"
"Well...ah thought 'both that" Sunny started to say. "Ah have a lot of questions ah wanna ask ya, but it's gettin awful late, and we have ta be up early. Ah was figurin' we could spend ah little more time just talkin' no keepin' score, then head ta' bed... and maybe, if ya want... we could do this again tomorrow night...If ya ain't busy."
Taken back by what he was asking, a small smile began to grow and grow on Applejack until it reached from one of her ears to the next. 'Ah second date?! He wants ta go on ah second date?! And find out more 'bout me?!' "Well, Sugar cube, ta be honest...that sounds really nice."
Looking over at Applejack with his own smile, Sunny added. "Glad ta hear it. Maybe ah'll grab ah bottle of Granny's special aged cider fer us ta share."
"Ifin' she don't catch ya first" Applejack laughed as she plopped back on the ground next to Sunny, her eyes now looking strait up at the stars.
"Ah can be sneaky" Sunny replied as he turned his gaze to the sky as well. "But fer sure, tomorrow?"
"Ah doubt there'll be any friendship missions that'll take over night" Applejack stated. "But that'd be th' only thing that could keep me away."
"Then it's ah date" Sunny said with a chuckaling smile.
'DATE! HE REALLY USED TH' WORD DATE!' Applejack's internal voice was screaming with joy. If it wouldn't seem too weird, the farm pony felt like she could buck the entire orchard on her own from just hearing that. But playing it cool, while still showing interest like Rarity told her to do, Applejack replied with "you bet. Better be here, sugar cube."
"Wild yeti couldn't keep me away" Sunny joked.
"Yeti? Like them big furry critters up north?... are they real?!" Applejack gulped, remembering we Granny telling her scary stories about them when she was a filly.
"Eh'yep. Ah met one o'them one time" Sunny stated with a grin. "Nice feller, made ah great cup of tea."
"Are ya'll pullin' mah leg?" Applejack asked as she raised a brow at the yellow unicorn.
"Ah could either tell ya 'that' story, or ah could tell ya 'bout th' time me and Pappy his over 100 rubber snakes and bugs 'round fer th' maids ta find" Sunny smiled back at Applejack.
"Let's stick with Pappy's story" Applejack said as she rolled back over, starring up at the stars.
"What's th' matter? Ya'll ain't 'fraid of yetis, are ya?" Sunny playfully nudged Applejack.
"Well... Granny told some pretty good campfire stories when me an' Big Mac were little" Applejack admitted without giving a full answer.
"Bet Granny's stories ain't got nothin' on mah' dad's" Sunny said with a smirk. Confident that his father's tale of the Umbram would trample anything Granny could come up with involving Yeti.
"Save those stories for tomorrow, ok Sugar Cube?" Applejack rolled her eyes again.
"Ah'll right, ah won't scare ya tonight" Sunny chucked. "Well, one day, I went up ta Pappy while he was workin' and he gave me ah whole bag full of rubber snakes and bugs. He knew ah knew exactly where ta put 'me so th' maids would fun 'em. This one ah was mighty proud of..."
Longer into the night then they expected did Applejack and Sunny talk on and on, sharing stories of their past, things they liked, things they didn't, and much, much more. They eventually called it a night and went off to bed. Both with pleasant dreams of each other. Sunny dreamt about dancing with Applejack at the Gala, while Applejack started to have a nightmare about a yeti attacking the farm. But at the last moment, Sunny showed up and fought it off with a giant carrot before it gave up and made them all the best tea Applejack had ever tasted.
Another day had passed, and Twilight Sparkle found herself ready to fall right sleep as she plopped into bed. She had been staying in the Canterlot castle guest room suit, just right down the hall from Luna's room. Spike had fallen asleep hours ago, not long after dinner. He was able to gorge himself on the many gems that were offered to him. Canterlot was in no short supply of them. Twilight, on the other hoof, was often too tired or had too much on her mind to eat hardly anything. Lucky for her, her number one assistant forced the purple alicorn to have at least a few small meals a day.
Since the night when Twilight found that bookmark and the book that told of when Sunny acquired the armor of the Black Knight after waking up Garganda, the her mind was racing with curiosity. All the books the bookmark referenced were in her library, true, but Twilight couldn't just rush back to Ponyville to grab her books and leave Princess Luna here on her own. Lucky for her, Canterlot had some of the books on the list. It just bothered her to read them out of order. But Twilight's curious side overpowered her OCD, and she planned to read up on whenever she could. After a long day of royal duties, settling disputes in Canterlot's royal court, attending meetings with the Canterlot royal guards, and overseeing various events, Twilight really needed to sit down with a good book.
A smile broke across Twilight's face as her tired but restless eyes fell upon one of the books she asked Spike to grab for her; 'Tales of the eastern Snow lands'
Flipping to the page the book mark noted, Twilight began to read about the 'Frost Beast of Frozen Troff'...
Over 1000 years ago
There he stood, the prince from the Crystal Empire, dawned in his favored black armor, climbing up the mountain side of the mighty peak that overlooked the town of Troff. Wanting to aid his fellow pony as well as strengthen the bonds of the nobleponies, Soleggiato leaped at the opportunity. His own guards offered to aid him, but the prince turned them down. The prince claimed he could do it all on his own, and if needed, there would be ponies in town he was sure to aid him. It wasn't that the prince didn't think the Crystal guards were competent. It's that something about the whole ordeal didn't sit well with Soleggiato.
Earlier as the prince traveled through the town, he noticed the ponies in town were rather... tired looking. Bags hung under their eyes as they dragged their hooves through town, even occasionally bumping into one another and not having the energy to say anything. They just kept moving. The town prospered on a mine at the base of a large mountain. The mountain was rich with ore of all kinds, bringing great wealth to the town and it's lord. But the mining seems to have awoken something atop the mountain.
As Soleggiato pressed on despite the raging storm, he thought about his meeting with the Lord of Troff. He was an elderly earth pony stallion with a rough looking beard. Truth be told, he was the Lord's uncle who took to the thrown after the accident. Apparently, in the dead of night, a large hairy, ape like creature broke into the castle, attacked and gobbled up the prince!
The guards were able to fend it off before it took anypony else, but the prince was gone. Immediately, the Uncle took his nephew's place and began his rule. Again, something didn't sit right. Soleggiato could sense something wasn't right. That's why when news hit the Crystal Empire, Soleggiato took action.
About halfway up the mountain, the prince in black armor now come face to face with a large, bipedal beast, covered from head to toe in white fur, with blue skin where there was no fur and large blue lips.
Both pony and beast froze when they saw each other. Soleggiato did not want to start an unnecessary fight if he could avoid it. His father always warned the prince about jumping to action to early. As the prince felt before, something was off about the whole ordeal. The creature may have gobbled up the young lord, but maybe it could listen to reason.
"Are you from Troff?" The creature asked, trying to speak over the howling winds.
The armor clad unicorn prince was shocked to hear the creature speak in such a regal tone, much less speak at all. "Ugh... I was sent by them, yes."
"Please, follow me..." the creature said and began leading the prince into a small cave, hidden by a blanket of snow.
Inside the cave, Soleggiato was surprised to have found the young lord, who the beast supposedly 'gobbled up', resting happily in a makeshift bed. The young lord had cuts and bruises all over his body and face that appeared to already be healing.
"Sir, a knight has finally come to aid you" the beast spoke.
The young lord forced his eyes open and saw Soleggiato removing his black hemet, allowing his orange mane to fall freely into place. With a smile, the lord spoke weakly. "Thank Celestia you came..."
The young lord explained everything that happened to Soleggiato as the beast, named Charles the yeti, served ice berry tea. The young lord explained that his uncle had been planning something for quite some time, but the young lord never would have guessed that he would attempt to attack him in the dead of night. The guards most loyal to his uncle attacked the young lord and through him in chains. The uncle's plan was simple; to make it appear that the young lord couldn't handle the responsibilities of his throne and ran away, leaving his uncle to rule, while the young lord spent the rest of his days in a secret dungeon underneith the castle!
But that was when Charles broke into the castle and saved the young lord. Charles and he had been good friends for years, since the young lord was a little colt. They would meet in secret and play togeather. Most ponies were too afraid of yeti to even think twice about meeting with one. But as Charles showed the young lord, you can't judge a pony, or yeti by his looks.
It was then that the prince, Charles and the young lord began working in a plan to take back the town of Troff.
The next morning, as the sun rose and the lord Uncle stepped out into his balcony to make his public announcement to extend the hours at the mining tunnels from 18 hours to 20 hours, he looked down in horror as his guards lay tied together in chains with the towns ponies standing and staring angrily back at the uncle lord. Amongst them were Soleggiato, Charles, and the young lord in the yeti's arms, still unable to walk on his own.
The three of them had snuck into the mines late that night and began informing everypony of what had happened, and that their young lord was mostly ok, but who had 'really' attacked him. After seeing the young lord themselves, as well as being introduced to the well mannered yeti, the towns folk began to rally together, urning the attention of the guards who were loyal to the uncle lord. That was when Soleggiato cast a spell to bound them in chains before the had a chance to even raise their swords against the townsfolk.
The lord uncle, a coward himself, tried to run but was intercepted by the new trio of friends. As the young lord yelled out for his uncle's arrests, still being held safely by his yeti friend, prince Soleggiato cast his chain spell once more on the uncle. The uncle pleaded for his nephew's mercy, and he received it.
As the uncle had forced the town's ponies to work long, grooling shifts, the uncle was tasked with the same. For the next five to ten years, the uncle would work 18 hour work shifts in the mines, and spend the rest of his time in a cell in the dungeon. He would be fed well to keep up his strength, and would be working along side his no longer loyal guards, who were taked with a similar fate as he.
The town of Troff thanked the prince in black armor for his help, and the prince waved goodby to the townsfolk, young lord, and the yeti who became the town's sheriff.
Twilight could hardly believe what she was reading. She had never run into an actual yeti! And if she did, she didn't think she could keep her composure as well as Sunny did.
Still excited, Twilight grabbed the next book that she could, and flipped it open to the page she had marked; 'A prince visits the swamp! , by Raft Rider."
1000 years ago....
I remember it all like it was yesterday, back when I was but a colt running a raft in a small town near a large swamp. I'll never forget the summer of the fire locus nor the prince who came to save us all...
Traveling on a make shift raft, the prince from the Crystal Empire made his was deeper and deeper into the swamp of the supposed witch, Baba Yaga. I myself, just small colt who had lived in the swamp all my life, was offered to take him to the witch for a few bits. The prince obliged and through in a Crystal berry muffin he had brought with him, seeing how skinny I was. After I gobbled the muffin up, enjoying every bite, I took the prince aboard my vessel.
The swamp's mist made it impossible to see anything more then a foot in front of us. Prince Soleggiato was unsure of how I could properly navigate until just moments before the raft hit something, I told the prince simply "we're here..."
Gathering himself, the prince thanked me and gave me another bit to stick around. I nodded, but told the prince I would need to navigate him through the mist or he ever wished to find Baba Yaga.
Accepting the my offer, Soleggiato followed me through the muddy lands and up a small hill, where atop of it stood three mares in dark cloaks. One in a dark green cloak, one in a dark blue cloak, and the middle one in a dark red cloak. All of their cloak's hoods shrouding their muzzles in darkness. Leaving the prince, I waited just far enough to where he thought his conversation would be private. But I was in perfect ear shot. If there was anything I knew about Baba Yaga, it was the show was never dull.
As the prince approached them, he bowed his head and asked "which of you three is the great witch Baba Yaga?"
All three looked up and began to chuckle.
"Why, if it isn't the Black Knight himself!" The one in the dark Blue cloak stated.
"Is he? I thought he was the Apple farmer?" The one in the green cloak responded.
Taking a moment to look at Soleggiato, the mare in the dark red cloak added "Hmmmm... he's not yet the golden prince. Look at his eyes, still too dark. The elements have not yet worked their magic into him."
Clearing his throat, Soleggiato spoke once more, ignoring the mare's banter. "I seek the witch, Baba Yaga. Are any of you three her?"
And once again, all three mares laughed.
"She is 'all' three, young prince!" The one in the dark red cloak answered.
"I believe he is aiding the village that suffered from the drought and the fire locusts" the one in the dark green cloak answered.
"Ah yes" the one in the dark blue cloak commented. "Very, very poor harvest."
Annoyed, the prince's tone grew deeper. "If you knew of their suffering, why did you not aid them you selves?"
"'You' needed to come to 'us' for the answers, not the other way around" the one in the dark red cloak responded, seeing the prince's frustration. "We will tell you how to deal with them, but first, you must pay the price..."
As the prince began to pull out a large bag of gold, the mares laughed at him once more.
"Gold and gems are worthless to us" the mare in the dark blue cloak stated.
"Then what do you want?" Prince grew more and more annoyed by the moment. The laughter wasn't helping.
"Relax, dear prince" the mare in the green cloak cooed.
"Answer our questions three, then not only will we provide you with what you seek, but what you will need" the mare in the red cloak stated.
"Answer three questions" the prince repeated. "I'll do my best. What do you want to know?"
The three witches mumbled amongst earth other for a moment before turning back to the prince. The one in the dark Blue cloak was the first to ask her question "why did you come seeking he great witch sisters, Baba Yaga? Why not simply ask somepony like Star-Swirl the bearded, or another great wizard for aid?"
This brought a small smile to Soleggiato's muzzle. "It should please you to know that the 'great wizard', know as Star-Swirl the bearded, acknowledged that the witch, er, witch sisters knew more then he did and could solve this problem better then he."
"I'm afraid he lied to you" the witch in the green cloak responded.
"The wizard is working on something, crafting something powerful. He didn't want you snooping around when you came looking for his aid and simply used your hatred of him against you" the mare in the red cloak responded.
"He knew you would come here seeking us, and that would keep you out of his beard for the time being" the mare in the dark blue cloak added.
"WHAT?!" The prince couldn't believe it at first, but had a strong feeling to listen to the sisters.
"Do not worry, young prince" the mare in the dark red cloak added. "The wizard won't be successful in his endeavors for many years. Until then, it is best to pretend you know nothing of his actions and watch from afar."
Taking a deep breath, Soleggiato turned back to the witches. "... you're second question? Provided the first was worth the answer."
"The answer was for you to have, a gift like the others to follow" the mare in the blue cloak stated.
"Now, tell us prince, if my sisters and I were to transform into owls, would we still be the three Baba Yaga sisters?" The mare in the dark green cloak asked.
The prince raised a brow at the question, wondering if it was a trick of some sort. "Ugh... well, yes?..."
"You sound unsure" the mare in the dark red cloak stated.
"It's hard to say" the prince began to explain. "You technically would be, ugh, owls, yes, but I suppose deep down you would still be the mares you were. And I suppose you could always use magic to change back, right?"
The three sisters chuckle to themselves lightly before the one in the dark green cloak continued. "You will do well to keep that in mind. No matter 'what' you are, you could always go back to 'who' you are, so long as you know 'who' that is."
"A lesson well learned, sister" the one in the red cloak commented before turning to face Soleggiato herself. "Final question; who are you? And what do you want out of life?"
Raising a brow at them, the prince asked "isn't that technically 'two' questions?"
"Two sentences" the mare in the dark blue cloak commented.
"One meaning" the one in the dark green cloak added.
"Can you or can't you answer?" The mare in the dark red cloak asked, her tone becoming more deep and echoed through the woods.
Taking a deep breath, the prince answered "I am Prince Soleggiato Cavelere, prince of the Crystal Empire, Son of it's current King, King Sombra. And I want to help the ponies in the town to fix their drout and their infestation of fire locusts..."
This time, all three mares sighed in response, disappointed the the prince's answer.
"... you still have a lot to learn" the mare in the dark blue cloak responded.
"Much, much to learn" added the mare in the dark green cloak.
"Your lineage and royal status don't define 'who' you are" the mare in the dark red cloak declared. "Nor do your short adventurous quests mark what you want out of life. We all know you mean well and wish to aid the townsfolk, but once that is done, and they no longer need you, you will simply leave them to head back home, without a second thought."
"Who you are is defined by your actions, hopes and dreams" the mare in the Blue cloak began to explain. "A greedy pony will do whatever they can to satisfy their greed, just as a kind and generous pony will seek only to give with little in return."
"That is how both questions are one" the mare in the dark green cloak clarified.
"But do not worry, young prince" the mare in the dark red cloak continued. "One day, you will find out 'who' you are and what you truly want. But only by doing one thing; accepting honesty into your heart..."
"No more walls to keep ponies away from you..." the Blue cloaked mare stated.
"No more hiding secrets..." the green cloaked mare continued.
"There will be somepony to show you the way who will offer you everything you've ever wanted, even if you or they know it. Just be honest with them when the time comes..." the mare in the dark red cloak finished before pulling out a large sack and tossing it to the prince.
Prince Soleggiato took the bag and examined it. He glared back at the cloaked mares. "What is this?! Chicken feed?"
"Sprinkle it on the fields" the mare in the blue cloak responded.
"Trust us, young prince" the mare in the green cloak spoke.
"We want peace and prosperity throughout the lands as much as you do, maybe even more" the one in the dark red cloak stated.
Looking back from the feed to the three witches, Soleggiato noticed the fog began to grow denser as it covered the three sisters.
"We will meet again, young prince... in a distant land... a long time... from now... farewell!" the three witches stated as they started to laugh again. When the fog lifted, the three witches were gone.
The prince took everything in, but a lot of what the three Baba Yaga sisters had said didn't make sense, like it was only a small portion of a much larger story. Regardless, Soleggiato couldn't leave the village as it was. He and I traveled back to the village and did as the witch sisters instructed, pouring the chicken feed all over the crops where the fire locust were.
The villagers, the prince, and myself all watched and waited for several long moments. Our patience was rewarded when a flock of crazy chickens came clucking like mad, but instead of going for the feed, the chickens went right for the fire locusts! The locus panicked and began to fly as fast as they could north of the village, high into the snowy mountains. As they traveled, the hot air created by their flapping wings started to melt a lot of the ice. The melted ice began to run and travel down hill, eventually becoming water that filled the dried up rivers that surrounded the village!
Needless to say, the prince and the villagers were dumbfounded to see that crazy trick actually worked. I wasn't too surprised, not after seeing what other crazy answers the Baba Yaga sisters offered other ponies. Since that day, everypony in that town kept chickens and bags of chicken feed well stocked in their house.
Twilight paused for a moment to take quick notes on the notion that if there was ever a fire locus swarm in Ponyville, to just ask Applejack and Fluttershy for some chickens and chicken feed. She put the note right next to the cure for cutie pox and how to get rid of parasprites.
Taking a small break to get a cup of hot chocolate, Twilight thought about how many thing's she and her friends have done, wondering if anypony's written about them. Then the purple alicorn remembered that book Sunny originally brought to her a while back, that special edition of the elements of harmony. Not only did it have all of their accomplishments, but the life lessons that Twilight hoped would help future generations. Smiling and sighing, remembering all her and her friends had done together, Twilight returned to the guest room she was staying in, wanting to continue her reading for just a little longer.
Picking up the next book in line, Twilight's eyes skimmed over the title; 'Tales of a popper turned Knight, by Fife'
It was many years ago that I lived with my sister and her child on the street. Poor and hungry, I am ashamed to admit it, but I took to being a thief. I was too young to do any real work, my sister was often too sick to work, and our parents were nowhere to be found. Life was hard. It was harder since our small town seemed to always be in a civil war. There was poverty, the sick, and destruction everywhere as a result of it.
I learned quickly the arts of my trade; silence, swiftness, a quick hoof, and how to act to both seem innocent and to avoid conflict. The times where I got caught were far and few between, I was one of the best thieves in town. Not something I was ever proud of or would openly boast about. I only stole what my sister, nephew, and I needed to survive, nothing more.
Then one day, a carriage came into town, made of what appeared to be Crystal, bringing with it several heavily armored guards and inside a prince. Stepping out of the carriage, the yellow unicorn prince looked over the town with his green eyes and sneered.
'Another stuck up prince like all the rest' I thought. 'To turn his nose up at those less fortunate, how would he know our-'
At that time, my thoughts were interrupted by cannon fire. I thought I would be struck by a big iron cannon ball for sure, and held by eyes tightly, waiting for the inevitable pain. But as moments went by, and I felt no pain, I gained the courage to open my eyes. I saw a magical green shield had covered me, protecting my from the canons!
And not just me, but the other homeless ponies of my home town as well! The poor ponies of Cobble Stone had been protected during the battle, but by who? Looking around, I saw the guards who just arrived had begun fighting with the revolutionists of the town, fending them off. But they were all earth ponies and pegusi, who was the one creating the shield? That was when I looked back at the prince, the one who turned his nose up at us. It was him! Only later did I realize that he wasn't turning his nose up at us, he had smelled gunpowder and glared out to see where the enemy had stationed their cannons!
Later that night, after the battle was over, I had gone over to the camp where the new guards and the prince had set up camp. I begged to see the prince who had saved my life. He happily obliged and had shown me around his tent when he noticed my wondering eyes falling upon his many suits of shinning armor and wide array of weapons.
He had shown me a suit of black armor that had a spell out on it that made it impervious to dragon fire or harm from a dragon. But one problem with it, I discovered when I tried to put on it's helmet, was it wouldn't let me. The prince stated that only a pony who Garganda, some giant dragon, deems worthy can wear 'that' armor.
But my interest was quickly recaptured by another suit of armor, one of pure gold! I had never seen so much gold in my whole life! Bits in our town were rare, we normally bartered with silver or bronze rather then gold coins. The prince continued to talk to me, showing me around and all his weapons, but I kept turning back to look at that one suit of armor. The golden one. The one that could put my sister and nephew up in the biggest house in town and keep us well fed for years!
That night, after the prince had fallen asleep, I did what I needed to do. I stole the suit of armor and attempted to take it to the next town over to sell it. Only half way there, I was caught by the prince's royal guards.
Tying me up and taking the stolen armor from me, the guards wanted to bring me to the town's own guards, but thought it best to bring me back to the prince. I lied to them when they first found me, telling them that I was given the armor as a gift from the prince. They laughed and knew I was lying.
When they dropped me off at the hooves of the yellow unicorn prince, they told him how they caught me at the edge of the town with his golden suit of armor, and that I had the nerve to say he gave it to me.
What came next I will never forget, at this very moment my entire life changed simply because of this prince's, this pony's choice.
"That is right" the yellow prince told the guards. "I had given him the suit of armor, telling him how much it cost. I told him he could either go and cash it in for a large sum of bits for he and his family, or, he could join the royal guard, and urn a good amount that he could send back to his family."
The guards were shocked, I was shocked. The prince just lied to his loyal guards to help a poor, dirty, little thief like myself.
Turning and looking at me, shooting me a small smile, his eyes full of understanding, the prince continued. "I assume you couldn't decide and wanted to go tell your family of my offer, but to prove it to them, you needed to show them the armor. And of course, you couldn't wait till morning, and borrowed the armor to show them."
He turned back to his guards, thanked them for their efforts and upholding their duty and to have some cider from the town on him. After dismissing them, the prince turned back to me. I couldn't look him in the eye, couldn't speak, could barely breath. This prince, this pony had saved me from being sent to prison for at least twenty years! He had saved me.
"My offer still stands" the prince said, his smile never fading. "I see great potential in you. For one so young, you've seen and done much that I wouldn't never have dreamed of doing when I was your age. Your life has been tough, but I offer you one of those two ways to make your life better, for you and your family."
"Why?...." I asked the prince. "Why would you help me?"
Still smiling, the prince just said "sometimes, all we need is a single generous moment to do something great. My father showed me that, and taught me that lesson many years ago."
That day, I was given another gift, a small sack of gold bits that would keep my sister and my nephew off the streets and well fed until my paychecks came in. It was on that day that I said goodby to Cobble Stone, a town who's civil war was stopped in one day thanks to the valiant efforts of the Crystal Empire and it's prince, and set out to joining them. On that day, I became a Crystal guard in training...
Twilight could barely believe what she had read! There was possibly a guard here who's life Sunny had saved, and helped to improve his life so drastically! Even lying to his guards to help a poor colt he knew nothing about! Twilight couldn't stop reading, she kept on going and grabbed the next book; 'A tale of two princes by Curtain Call'
Over 1000 years ago....
In the settlement that would grow to be manehatten, there are many tales one could tell of how the town came about, but none more true then this one. For one thing the loud and busy town is known for is it's many, many theaters. One theater in particular started it all. Before the tall towers were built, Manehatten was mostly a small trading post. Ponies from across the seas would come and trade with the ponies of Equestria. But back then, the boats were very slow, and trading happened only once or twice a week. So not many ponies stuck around.
Then it happened! I giant boom! Somepony had the idea to set up a theatrical stage to keep ponies around for at least a few hours at a time. Shows of all kinds would be performed by the very first Manehatten theatrical society! Comedies, tragedies, plays about romance and betrayal! When ponies stuck around, other businesses were needed, such as restaurants for when they got hungry and inns for when they wished to stay over night. Eventually homes were built as well for the owners of the shops and their families. But as time went on, other ponies sought to take control of the biggest money maker in Manehatten.
The Hoof Stomper theater was the theater that started it all, and was the target of a local gang who wanted to control the money flow of what would be a growing city. The owner, a mare by the name of Hoof Stomper, was troubled by damages done to props and the set, as well as threats done to her cast members. The poor stage director was beside herself. She could either sell the theater and all it's rights to the gang, or stand her ground and lose not only her theater and friends, but possibly doom any future Manehatten could have had!
One day, as Hoof Stomper was looming over the many 'business' letters the gang had written her, somepony burst into her theater, claiming to be a great actor. He brought with him several of his fellow actors to aid Hoof Stomper after hearing of her dilemma, claiming they wouldn't be threatened by some gang of hoodlums.
Feeling a spark of hope, Hoof Stomper began writing a new play, one that would surely pull in a great crowd! One about a reluctant hero from the swamp who goes off to save a princess and ends up making friends along the way and falling in love! The idea was so original, that Hoof even went as far as to add in the names of the various shops around town to help publicize their businesses! It was all going to work out perfectly!
Or so she thought.
That night night, there had been a huge fire, and the entire theater was practically burned to the ground! Hoof Stomper could only watch as her hopes and dreams went up in flames. The gang had won. Or so the director thought.
Reappearing by her side was the lead actor, who addressed himself originally as Sunny, but now reintroduced himself as Prince Soleggiato of the Crystal Empire! And his fellow actors were none other then his most trusted Knights of the Empire! They had been tasked by Princess Celestia to deal with the hoodlums causing trouble for the newly developing city. Witnessing the gang set fire to the theater was all the evidence the prince needed, and he and his guards then put the gang in chains, ready to cart them off to Canterlot for their trial.
Only, not all was well.
The prince look a second me look at the stage and pain broke across his face as he put a hoof to Hoof Stomper's shoulder. He whistled and another guard brought out the props and costumes that they were able to save, which wasn't very much. It was then that the prince instructed half his guards to take the gang members to Canterlot for their trial, while the other half, along with the prince stayed behind. Hoof Stomper could hardly believe herself when she heard the prince's order. She could believe herself even less when she saw them beginning to work to rebuild the destroyed structure.
There was a show that night, but there was no way, even with magic and skilled craftsmen, to rebuild the entire theater by that time. The prince knew that, but he simply told Hoof that all they needed was a stage, right? That's what she started with, and that's what they'll start with again.
The prince and his guards, along with a few of Hoof's previous actors, put on the play that night, bringing some more business back to the small city of Manehatten. After the show, the actors gathered around for a picture to commemorate the efforts and the memory of all who helped make Hoof's dreams come true.
To this day, a bronzed picture of those ponies still stands in front of the theater, serving as a memory of those who never gave up on their friends or their friend's dreams.
"Twilight? What are you still doing up?" Spike's groggy voice finally reached the mare who was glued to her book.
Turning around, Twilighht was shocked to see her number one assistant standing there with his stuffed rarity under claw. "Spike you won't believe this! Do you remember that story Sunny told us about him getting that armor from Garganda?"
Rubbing his eyes, Spike walked over to Twilight's side to see what she was working on. Unsurprising to him, Spike found a pile of books in front of Twilight. "Yeah, why?"
"Well, I found a book that was actual documentation of him finding it! Written by Somepony who lived in a village and witnessed him approaching Garganda and ridding off with the black armor!"
"Really? That's kinda cool" Spike said with a yawn.
"Not just that! But I've found a tones of things that he's done in the past! Take this one here..."
As Twilight started to read, Spike began to nod off to sleep.
'Happy Troll endings'
1000 years ago....
Grazingfeild was a small town in the middle on nowhere, with a little of everything. A baker, soap and candle shop, carriage repair station, and farmer stands all around. Ponies traveled often through Grazzingfeild on long trips to pick up supplies or get their carriages fixed up for the long journeys. Nothing bad ever really happened in Grazingfeild. Nothing until one day.
Without warning, a giant troll appeared, angery, yelling the same thing over and over. "Want happy ending! Want happy ending Now!"
The townsfolk could hardly believe what was going on as the troll smashed stores, turned houses to rubble, and scared most of the visitors out of town. Most of them, except for one.
There was one visitor who was passing by with his group of fellow guards, and thought they would enjoy a home cooked meal at the local inn while their carriages were worked on. The guard in charge was an odd fellow with black armor that no pony had ever seen before. Whispers began to spread, appropriately calling him the Black Knight.
As the troll continued to destroy the town around him, the Black Knight's yellow horn began to glow green with his magical aura. He then disappeared and reappeared in front of the troll, just when he was about to smash a cabbage cart owned by a eater cranky old stallion!
The troll stopped and stared at the Black Knight, pausing long enough for the Knight to ask him "what is the meaning of this outburst?"
The troll then tossed vegetable stand held in his large hand aside, shattering it, then pulled a small book out from his loincloth's pocket. The troll opened the book and held it open to the Black Knight. "No ending! Story need ending! Want happy ending!!!"
But the page the troll opened to, the last page, had several pages torn from it. Looking at the book, the knight quickly deducted that the troll must have fallen asleep while reading it and some animals clawed the page's out to make a nest or something. Looking at the cover, the Black Knight unfortunately had never read the book. He asked to barrow the book to get the troll a new copy. He told the troll that if he behaved like a good boy, he would even read him the story.
The troll got excited and looked around and wondered how the town became such a mess. Thinking quickly, the Black Knight told the troll that he made the mess and if he wanted a happy ending, to help the townsfolk clean up and repair what they could of the damages. Wanting a happy ending to the story that the troll loved so much, one he had read over and over, but never remembered how it ended, the troll went right to work, helping to repair shops and houses.
The Black Knight went over to his fellow guards and asked if anypony had read the book in question. But none of them had. The Black Knight then went to ask the townsfolk, asking if any had a copy of it or knew how it ended so they could rewrite the missing pages. But no pony had ever heard of the book, and the book store lay in rubble.
It was then that a mare in town, one who worked at the inn, stepped forward and offered her assistance. She may have just been a server at the inn, but she had a talent for writing. She asked if she could read the book then she would be able to come up with a decent ending.
Thinking this was a good idea, the Black Knight handed the book to the mare. But as the mare began to flip through the pages, her expression turned more and more grim. For the page's had been smudged and warped by what appeared to be sweat and slobber, leaving only A few broken sentences on every page or so.
That meant there was only one thing to do, write an entirely new book. But such a thing would take weeks, maybe even months! Thinking quickly, he told the mare to go to everypony in town and have each of them tell one of their favorite breezietales, the server would find a chapter that it fits into and add it. The Knight didn't know what kind of a book it was before, but they were going to give the troll a story he would never forget.
When the town was cleaned up, mostly, say for a few heads of smashed cabbages and the occasional broken window, the Black Knight called the troll over and the server who helped to write the book, and he began to read her work. Everypony in town had slowly gathered to listen to hear the story. To everypony's surprise, the one troll wasn't the only one of his kind around. Apparently a few dozen trolls who had remained hidden in the surrounding forests had come out to hear the stories, all of them loving each tale told.
As he reached the last page, the Black Knight saw it was left blank, with a note telling him that this was his page. The ending was his to make what he saw fit. The yellow unicorn in black armor felt the strength and efforts of everypony in town, everypony who helped to make this book, and knew the ending it deserved. "Standing together, the princess, her friends, and the royal guards watched the sunset, no longer afraid of the dark, living happily ever after."
The trolls all paused for a long moment, the ponies nervous as to what they might do if they didn't like the ending. After a long silence, the main troll stood up, his face deadpan, then tears began to fall from his eyes as he applauded the reader.
"Good story! Happy ending! Happy ending for everypony!" The troll yelled, soon joined by his other fellow trolls and the townsfolk.
From that day on, the trolls promised to protect the town and all who live in or travel trough it, so long as once a day, somepony from town goes and reads to them a story they haven't heard before. Which isn't hard given the troll's memories aren't that good. To this day, seven books originally written by the inn server, are read to them. One for each day. And every week, the trolls forget and enjoy the story again when it is told in seven days. But one thing no pony or troll will ever forget, is the day the Black Knight came to town and stood up to the Troll on a rampage, and rather then attack and hurt the troll, made him pick up his mess and read him a story.
By the time Twilight was done reading the story, she turned to Spike only to see her number one assistant passed out asleep on the ground, cuddling with his little stuffed Rarity toy. Levitating the baby dragon up and gently putting him back into bed, she tucked Spike in and kissed his forehead.
"Good night, Spike" Twilight told him, before letting out a yawn herself.
Turning back to her bed, the princess of friendship decided it was best she too get some rest. She had a few more days in Canterlot to help Luna out before returning to Princess Ponyville, and she would need her strength.
Late one night, Cadence was once again woken up by another nightmare of her dear, loving husband being attacked by the fiendish stallion known only as 'the Black Knight'. It had been a while since the incident at the Crystal Fair, but the haunting memory of the event grows worse by the day. Looking over at the sleeping white stallion beside her, a small smile grow on her muzzle and she begins to relax. Shinning Armor was sound asleep, snoring lightly as he mumbled about some dream he was having.
'At least he's not having any problems' Cadence thought to herself as she hoped out of bed, put on her robe and begins her short journey down the hallway to the kitchen. True, Cadence could have just asked a guard to fetch her a drink, but the walk over would help her calm her nerves.
About half way to the kitchen, though, the princess of love noticed somepony else was up as well. She paused, waiting to see who was with her there in the dark so late at night. From where we stood, Cadence could make out the familiar form belonging to the eldest member of the Crystal Empire staff, Pappy.
Sighing in relief, Cadence was about to walk away when she noticed Pappy carton with him a rather large container of pine wax and a rag.
'Ok, either Pappy is going to do some late night waxing or he thinks he is and might start a fire' Cadence thought to herself before following behind the elderly stallion.
But something didn't feel right.
Cadence watched the elderly stallion as he walked down a hallway that nopony ever went down. Even she and Shinning Armor stayed away from it for some odd reason. She almost forgot it was even there to tell the truth. But for some reason, Pappy seemed to know his way around it even in the dark. Why was Pappy so familiar with it?
Pushing open a large pair of dark purple crystal doors, the elderly stallion dragged the wax and the rag into the room, ready to get to work. Cadence stopped just short of the door and peered inside, she couldn't see anything at first, the room was pitch black. But after Pappy lit a few candles, Cadence was shocked to see what was actually hidden in those shadows.
The elderly stallion went right to work, pulling out a feather duster to get the layers of dust off before he used the wax to touch up the wooden frame of the giant picture before him. The prostrate was one that used to hang in the front entry way, to show how kind and welcome the masters of the castle were, but after the initial fall of the empire, Pappy thought to hide it away before somepony destroyed it.
"Now with th' return of th' young prince, ah'm sure Cadence and Shinning Armor won' mind th' portrait goin' back up" Pappy thought he was speaking to himself. "Maybe right in th' west wing, right next ta Princess Amore's portrait."
Stepping forward, Cadence decided she had remained in the dark long enough. As she stepped forward, Princess Cadence spoke to Pappy with great assertiveness in her tone, her eyes fixated on the portrait. "What is the meaning of this?"
The elderly stallion looked up at the princess, but couldn't understand the reasoning for being so upset. "Eh? Oh! Young princess! Ah'm sorry, did Ah wake ya up? Ah was just wantin' ta get this old Painting fixed up looking like new, so when th' young prince comes back, he can see we took great care of-"
"And what, may I ask, is the prince's name?" Cadence said, her eyes still glued to the painting as if her hard gaze could burn trough it.
"Well, funny thing" Pappy started to say as he rubbed his chin. "Th' young prince went bah many ah names. Th' ponies, dragons, griffins, an' other beasts alike all had their own name fer him."
"Was one of them 'the Black Knight'?" Cadence asked, her voice sharper then any sword or dagger in the armory.
"Well yes" Pappy answered hosnsetly, remembering back to the day the young prince acquired said armor. "Ah remember it like it was yesterday, he got that black armor and -"
"So that's it" Cadence snapped, lining up the pieces to a puzzle. "Why he was so angry the first time he came here. And all the times he showed up as the Black Knight and his coat was a different color, he wanted to remain hidden. The whole reason why he attacked Shinning in the first place... Sunny is King Sombra's son!
"We'll rally the guards and head to Ponyville at once" Cadence said to herself. "We'll find him and bring him back here to the Empire to pay for his crimes to both the thrown, and for what he did to Shinning."
Realizing just how angry Cadence was and just 'who' she actually was anger at, Pappy gulped as his eyes moved from the pink alicorn to the painting and back.
"Princess, wait! Ah don't think ya fully understand!" Pappy raced to try and stop Cadence as she rushed out of the room.
In his hurry to catch Cadence, Pappy accidentally knocked over a candle. The candle rolled around in the ground and illuminated the painting Pappy was about to work on. The painting of King Sombra and Prince Soleggiato that they had made on Father's Day, over 1000 years ago...
After completing another friendship mission in Canterlot, Pinkie Pie and Rarity began walking back to Twilight's castle to report their mission and it's details to their purple alicorn friend. It was a mission that not only tested their ability to help others, but how to play off of eachother's strengths. Each mission, when it called upon somepony in specific, had a reason for it, even if it didn't make sense at the time.
"I suppose the map just knows what it's doing" Rarity commented to her pink friend as she bounce beside the fasionista. "And it is rather interesting to see how it all plays out, which is probably why Twilight enjoys documenting everything."
"You can say that again" Pinkie commented as she continue to bounce down the road leading to the castle. "I mean, it's all works out so well, it's like we live in a cartoon or something meant to teach others to work together and learn about friendship, or something."
Raising a brow, Rarity looked questioningly her friend before letting out a light chuckle. "Oh Pinkie! You come up with the oddest ideas, it's just so refreshing."
"Thanks! I do my best!" Pinkie squeaked before pushing the front door to Twilight's castle open allowing her prim and proper friend to enter first.
"Thank you darling" Rarity said before stepping in.
As Pinkie followed quickly behind, the two went strait for the map room, guessing that would be where Twilight would be. Along the way, though, the two overheard Twilight's voice and followed it to the library, another place they were equally likely to find their book loving friend. But she wasn't alone.
Another voice could be heard from within the library, a familiar voice to both Pinkie and Rarity. A stallion's voice. At that exact moment, through the magical means that allows Pinkie to predict various events, Pinkie's entire body began to tremble, indicating a doozy of something was going to soon happen. Unaware of it though, Rarity focused on peering through the crack in the library doors to try and eavesdrop on their conversation.
"... And is it true you once saved a town's young lord from from his evil uncle and befriended a yeti?! Like a 'real' yeti?" Twilight asked, a huge smile on her muzzle as her eyes darted from Sunny to her book and back.
"Who? Brass Hoof and Charles?" Sunny asked as he began skimmming another book Twilight brought back with we from Canterlot. "Yeah. They were really good folks, and Charles knew how ta brew one heck of ah cup of tea."
"And I couldn't find much documentation on it, say for a few mentions of it here and there" Twilight now levitated several books that were all opened to various pages. "But here, here, and here state that you used to meet semi-annually with the griffins! Is that true?!"
"Weeeeell" Sunny thought back to the past, then shot Twilight a small smile. "One Griffin in specific, th' king's younger cousin and ah had ah bit of ah history. See, he challenged the Black Knight ta combat one day, but th' fight dragged on for three days and nights. After we both passed out from lack of sleep or nourishment, we both were taken to th' same hospital, and even funnier, shared them same room! We got inta talkin' and found we weren't so different...."
Remembering that Griffin brought something else to Sunny's mind, causing his smile to vanish.
Twilight noticed this immediately. She closed the books and set them down gently before approaching Sunny and putting a hoof on his shoulder. "Are you ok?"
Forcing a smile and shrugging, Sunny forced the words out of his mouth. "Ah just remembered, that Griffin, Razor Claw, he asked me at our last meetin' if ah would be his best stallion at his weddin'... 1000 years ago..."
Shock and surprise hit both Rarity and Twilight. But Twilight was able to gather herself and tried to comfort Sunny while Rarity began to wonder what secrets exactly Sunny was hiding. But before Rarity could walk in and demand to know what was going on, Pinkie quickly grabbed her, with one hoof around the white unicorn's mouth and one around her torso, and pulled her into a nearby closet, just as several ponies began to march up to the library doors.
"I'm sure he'd understand, given what happened to you..." Twilight started to say, trying her best to comfort the down trotted yellow unicorn. "Friends forgive friends."
"I didn't have friends back then, Twilight" Sunny said looking to the purple alicorn. But before he could say anything further, the two were interrupted by the library doors bursting open. Standing there were Shinning Armor and Princess Cadence, both with the angriest expressions on their muzzles.
"Shinning? Cadence?" Twilight said surprised, taking a few steps closer to her brother and sister-in-law. "I wasn't expecting you for another few weeks."
"What ah wonderful surprise" Sunny said with a forced smile. Noticing the tension in the atmosphere, Sunny thought it best to leave Twilight with her family to work out whatever was wrong and head back to the farm. "Well don't mind me, ah should probably be getting back ta th' farm. Granny could probably use some help with her-"
"You aren't going anywhere!" Shinning Armor stomped his hoof as he glared at the yellow unicorn, stopping Sunny in his tracks.
Both Twilight and Sunny tensed up as Shinning's Hoof stomp echoed though the entire castle, silencing any and all other sounds. The silence was quickly filled by the sound of pounding hooves and shuffling armor as a dozen or so Crystal guards filed into the library, surrounding Sunny and Twilight, making sure to block any and all exits.
Taking a step forward, Cadence's hard gaze shot directly at Sunny. "Prince Soleggiato Cavalere, also known as 'the Black Knight', and son of the evil king Sombra, ...."
As Cadence began her speech, Sunny and Twilight both felt their hearts sink, knowing the jig was up. At the same time, the hidden Rarity and Pinkie Pie were shocked by the entire sight. Rarity almost fainted when she heard the truth about Sunny, but forced herself to stay conscious.
"... you are here by under arrest for crimes against the Empire, conspiring with a criminal, as well as being responsible for an attack on a member of the royal family" Cadence narrowed her almost flaming eyes on Sunny, the rage that had been building up easily mirrored that of her husband's own anger, who stepped forward to stand next to his wife. Both of their eyes burning into Sunny as Cadence asked "How do you plead?"
Twilight began to panic as her eyes darted from Cadence and Shinning Armor and Sunny, and back. Her mind was hastily trying to think of a possible solution out of the situation. 'Maybe I can tell them that he's under my jurisdiction? That I already gave him a fair trial and sentence? Maybe I could try and reason with them?... although looking at them, I doubt they would listen... oh! What do I do?! What would Princess Celestia do?'
"I'll plead guilty to at least one of those crimes and come quietly" Sunny said, Shocking not only Twilight, the hidden Pinkie and Rarity, but also all the Crystal guards who had accompanied the princess and prince. "I'll come quietly under one condition."
"You don't get 'condition'" Shinning Armor spat.
"'One' condition" Sunny repeated himself, his voice and facial expression hard and unmoving like mountain stone. "I won't put up a fight so long as my arrest, transport back to the Empire, trial, and imprisonment are all kept secret, say for all the ponies here."
"And what makes you think you get to ask for such treatment?" Cadence asked, her anger giving slight way to her curiosity.
"This can go one of two ways" Sunny simply said. "Either no pony knows about any of this, or everypony will find out about a huge battle that will take place in the castle of Friendship."
"Ha! We outnumber you 14 to 1!" Shinning Armor began to mock the yellow unicorn. "What makes you think you can take all of us?"
Looking around at the various guards, Sunny's stone expression remained the same. "You now have a choice, Prince Shinning Armor, Princess Cadence. A choice that can outline what kind of rulers you two are. Will you start a fight to wave victory over a foe at the cost of you're guard's well being? Or will you seek out a peaceful solution through a peaceful compromise."
Sunny's speech shocked half the ponies listening. For a moment, the anger that had grown inside Shinning Armor and Cadence had flickered. The guards that surrounded Sunny seemed to refrain from smiling, but were happy that the whole ordeal might not lead to violence. Even Twilight was amazed by Sunny's bold statement. But despite her awe for the yellow unicorn's diplomatic solution, she still needed to find away to get him out of this. But how?!
"Twilight" Sunny caught the purple alicorn's attention. "I need you to do me a favor too... but as a friend."
"Ugh, sure" Twilight answered, part of her mind still looking for a way out of this. "What do you need?"
"If I go with them peacefully, will you give a letter to Applejack?" Sunny started to say. As he spoke, Twilight could see tears in far edges of his eyes, that the former prince fought desperately against as he spoke. "I'll write a letter explaining that I had to go away, and deal with some 'family' related matters. Not entirely lying. And I'll write and sign it, Applejack knows my hoofwriting-"
"SIGN IT!" Twilight jumped up for joy having just realized a way out of the situation! A solution that would keep Sunny right there in Ponyville.
"Ugh... yes? Applejack will know it's -" Sunny started to say only to be grabbed around the shoulders by Twilight as she pulled his muzzle slider to her own. She looked at him with wide eyes and a almost frightening smile as she shook him.
"No! No! Don't you get it?!" Twilight started to say as she now hovered slightly in the air, wearing a wide smile as she looked to her older brother. "Shinning Armor! Did you or didn't you sign a waver before the jousting tournament? One that included a section about injuries sustained during the tournament?"
"Er, well..." Shinning was caught off guard and unable to see what Twilight was getting at.
"Actually, yes he did" An elderly stallion warbled out from behind the crowd of armored stallion's, carrying several pages of legal documents in his good hoof, holding them out to Twilight "Your majesty, ah believe ya might need these."
"Thank you, Pappy" Twilight said as she took the papers and began her speech. "What I hold in my hooves, ladies and gentlecolts, as you all can plainly see, are the official wavers for the jousting competition in the Crystal Empire. And at the designated areas, stating that the participants knew the dangers and were ok with the risk, are the signatures of my brother, Prince Shinning Armor, and Sunny, who chose to participate under another official name, 'the Black Knight'.
"Aaaaaand if I turn to page three of this official document" Twilight continued her statement. "You'll see there is a section on damage received during the event. Ehem... it reads 'anypony who sustains an injury during the match, is responsible for their own safety. By entering a competition involving actual weapons, a pony takes his/her safety into their own hooves. Also, anypony found cheating or conducting any manner of foul play will here by be banned from any and all competitions at the Crystal Fair..."
Twilight read the last part with a slight cringe, but turned to her yellow friend only to see he was smiling back at her with grateful eyes.
"So as you can see" Twilight landed and passed the legal documents back to Pappy, who held tightly into them. "In conclusion, my friend, Sunny Knight, Prince Soleggiato, 'the Black Knight' or whatever you want to call him, is not guilty of any threats against the crown, only of being a poor sport."
The yellow unicorn's shoulders slumped a little at Twilight's last statement. "Gee... thanks Twilight."
Shinning didn't know what to think as he just stared at Twilight in disbelief. Why had she helped the son of king Sombra?! The stallion who purposefully crippled her brother for weeks!
"Well I think that about ties up all the lose ends" Sunny started to say, somewhat refraining from a smile as he took a few steps closer. "I didn't aid my Father in the enslavement of the Crystal Empire back then, and I've seen him once since that time... you have nothing to fear from him. He couldn't take over the Empire if he wanted to..."
"And we're just supposed to believe you?" Cadence snapped at Sunny.
The former prince stomped his hoof on the ground lightly. "Twilight has a spell cast on this room that prevents anypony from lying while they're here. Ask her yourself."
Cadence turned to Twilight, raising a brow. Twilight in turn nodded with a slight, but sure, smile. Things were turning from awkward and fearful to horribly distasteful. Looking from Twilight to Shinning Armor and reading their expressions, Cadence could see the whole thing was starting to create a rift between the two.
But before anypony could say anything else, Spike ran into the room, a panicked look on his face as he called out for Twilight. Catching everypony off guard, they all now focused on the baby dragon who was also a legendary hero of the Crystal Empire.
"What is it, Spike?" Twilight asked, walking over to her number one assistant.
Once he caught his breath, Spike looked from Twilight to Sunny, completely ignoring the guards, Cadence and Shinning. "You two... need... to come... quick!"
Twilight turned to Sunny and nodded. Both began to follow Spike as fast as they could out of the library, only to be quickly followed by the Crystal guards, then by Shinning Armor and Cadence. The scenery seemed to blur as the group moved faster and faster down the hall until they reached the front doors, only to be stopped dead in their tracks by somepony nopony was expecting. Everypony gazed at the guest, wide eyed as he stood there, tall and regale, starring back at the others with his green colored eyes. Standing at the front doors to the castle of friendship was none other then Sunny's father. King Sombra!
He wore no armor, no clothing of any sort. His mane was slickly pulled back, not flowing like wild smoke, and his smile was small and refined, rather then a sharp toothed grin. It was a Sombra most ponies forgot about. All except the one who could never forget about him.
His son.
The first pony to break the stillness was Sunny, who took several steps forward and looked onto the grey unicorn before him. It had been over 1000 years since Sunny last saw his father like this. His heart was a maelstrom of emotion, and Sunny was unable to pick one out of the mess to act on.
Seeing this, the king smiled. "It's good to see you too, my son... let's go. We've caused enough trouble to these ponies."
It was then that the guards actually moved and raised their swords and spears, pointing them at the king.
"King Sombra!" Cadence stepped forward, followed by her husband. "You are under arrest! For crimes against the Empire and conspiring against the rulers of Equestria! How do you-"
But before anypony could say anything further, Sunny flipped around, raised his back two hooves, and with all his might, bucked but father in the chest! Sending the grey unicorn flying! When Sombra hit the front doors, he cried out in pain as he passed out.
"Sunny! Why would you-" Twilight started to ask, but watched as the yellow unicorn walked over and picked the stallion up by his mane.
Slowly, the image of the former king of the Crystal Empire began to fade and gave way to the creature's true form. A changeling. The king who showed up was merely a changeling in disguise.
"... First she pretended to be my mother, now my father?! How long is that insect going to pull at my heart strings?!" Sunny hissed under his breath before letting the out cold changeling fall to the floor.
Just then, a loud buzzing sound began to echo through the castle walls as shifting shadows moved over the outside of the castle windows. Then, window by window shattered, glass flying through the air, as Twilight's castle was invaded by changeling after changeling. A whole swarm! All of their burning red eyes fixated on one pony. Sunny.
"Cobalt!" Sunny called out to one of the guards. The guard in question stepped forward and saluted him. As Sunny turned around and shot him a rage filled look, he began to bark orders. "Protect the princesses and prince! Formation Delta. Don't let anypony out of your sight! Not for a moment!"
"Sir?" Cobolt hesitated, not knowing what to do.
"Who are you to order around 'our' guards?" Shinning stepped forward.
"Shinning Armor, stand down!" Sunny ordered him, his attention now on Twilight's brother. "As your senior officer, and previous captain of the Crystal Empire, I order you to protect your sister and wife. Or would you rather go play with giant bugs?"
As Sunny started for the front doors, all the changelings attention returned to him, clicking and hissing filled the air as the yellow unicorn opened the front door.
"Sunny! What are you doing?!" Twilight called out to her friend.
Sunny paused and looked back, shooting Twilight a cocky grin. "They want me, they can have me. Their Queen's gone too far this time. I won't remain silent."
Before anypony could stop him, Sunny ran trough the front doors and as far away from the castle as he could, all the changeling following him. All the ones who had broken Into the castle all flew out like a swarm of bees, after the yellow unicorn. The guards had already taken the defensive stance Sunny ordered them to, and were giving 100% of their attention to remaining on high alert.
"We can't just sit around here!" Twilight tried to reason with the guards as she teleported out from their protective stance. "Sunny needs us!"
"Why do you want to help him so much, Twilight?" Cadence asked, looking over at the youngest alicorn.
"Because... because he's my friend" Twilight told her sister-in-law. "And not just that, I've seen him do so much good. He's helped ponies all over Equestria! Not just here in Ponyville! And never once did he ask for anything in return, except for his identity to remain a secret!"
"Yeah, I wonder why..." Shinning rolled his eyes.
"I know it's asking a lot" Twilight turned to her brother, Sister-in-law, and the rest of the guards. "But I can't do this alone, and neither can Sunny. Shinning... please... I need your help, BBBFF."
After hearing the nickname his little sister gave him so many years ago, Shinning's anger seemed to vanish. With a sigh, the prince of the Crystal Empire turned to his wife, wondering what she thought. Cadence took a moment to think about the situation, but her thoughts were interrupted by a shriveled little hoof.
Looking down Cadence saw Pappy looking up at her, a worried look on his muzzle. "Princess... please... you promised to keep the young prince safe. He acts tuff, but he still is only one pony. Help him... please..."
Remembering back to that night that Cadence said she would help 'the young prince' she knew now that the 'young prince' Pappy asked for was none other then Sunny. With a small sigh, Cadence looked back to her husband, smiled and nodded. Shinning Armor then cast a spell to summon his purple captains armor, put it on, and struck a fighting pose.
"Alright men! Let's go save Sunny!" Shinning called out, the guards cheered and stomped their hooves.
Following Sunny's hoof tracks and the loud sound of the buzzing and hissing changelings, Twilight, Cadence, Shinning Armor and the guards quickly caught up to where the yellow unicorn had lead the changelings. Sunny was in a clearing, with the swarm circling all around him, keeping him from running away, with no Queen Chrysalis in sight.
"Alright men, let's attack on my command" Shinning called out to the guards.
"Oh? I wouldn't do that if I were you, your majesty..." an eerie voice echoed in everypony's ears. But as they all looked around, the owner of the voice couldn't be located.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" Shinning ordered out loud as his eyes darted all around.
"As you command, your majesty..." the voice replied. From the very ground below, a grey smoke began to gather, like an eerie mist on nightmare night. Everypony watched as the clouds of smoke gathered and took a new form. The owner of the voice was a rather tall stallion, slightly taller then Shinning Armor, with a top hat, cufflinks, and a bow tie. As the new stallion opened his dark green colored eyes, he cracked a smile revealing two rows of sharp teeth. "Greetings, one and all."
"Who...are you?" Twilight asked, squinting her eyes at the familiar stallion.
"I am but a humble servant" the stallion said as he bowed and used a dark green magical aura to remove his hat and place it over his chest. As the stallion rose and put his hat back atop his head, his reptilian like eyes looked directly at Twilight. "My name is Charming. Charming Knightmare. And I'm afraid I can't allow you to interfere."
"What? Why not?" Twilight asked. "Are you working with Queen Chrysalis?"
Charming chuckled at the thought. "Oh dear me, no! And you won't have to worry about that mean old Queen any more. See, we sent a friend of ours out to throw her a party, and let's just say, he really 'brought the house down.'"
All the guards looked slightly away from Charming to look to each other, wondering what he meant.
"So are you controlling the changelings?" Cadence asked the tall unicorn stallion in a top hat.
"Me? Im afraid not. But why don't you all just sit back and watch the show. I Assure you, it will be very... informative" the unicorn stated with a toothy grin. "You see, the changelings are about to remind your, ehem, 'friend', of some nightmares he used to have. And trust me, I know everything about 'his' nightmares!"
Everypony watched as the Sunny bucked and punched every changeling that came his way. The yellow stallion's endurance and stamina seemed limitless until his hoof almost collided with a crystal pony. All the guards recognized the mare as the flower store owner from the Crystal Empire. Sunny immediately dropped his hoof, not wanting to strike the mare. All the other changelings settled down in a wide circle surrounding the yellow unicorn, their red eyes all fixated on him.
"It's all your fault..." the mare spoke with a great amount of hurt in her tone.
"It's because of you that we all suffered" another mare from the Crystal Empire stepped forward from the sea of changelings.
"You failed us..." a crystal stallion stepped forward after her, chains around his hooves.
"It's your fault we were enslaved!" another stallion stepped out of the swarm, rattaling chains that were shackled to every one of his hooves.
Taking several deep breaths and closing his eyes, Sunny calmed himself down enough to speak. "You aren't real. You're all just a nightmare. And I'm not afraid-"
"What in th' hay is all this 'bout?" A familiar voice interrupted Sunny's firm and bold statement. The yellow unicorn's eyes flung wide open as he looked over to see Applejack emerging from the crowd, appearing confused. His heart stopped when she reached him. "Are ya'll ok, sugarcube?"
"A-Applejack?! W-what are you doing-" Sunny stumbled over his words, but couldn't speak fast enough.
"Get away from him!" One of the Crystal ponies shouted at Applejack.
"He's a monster!" The flower shop owner yelled out.
"He's the son of the evil king Sombra!" The Crystal stallion in chains yelled out.
Sunny's heart began to beat faster and faster until it's beat echoed that of a drum line before the start of a great battle. He couldn't get his breathing under control as his eyes darted around, catching a glimpse of all the ponies from his past as they emerged from the sea of changelings. They all began yelling just like they did in his nightmares, but what was worse, they yelled out how he was his father's son, that he was the son of King Sombra!
The yelling stopped for a moment, just long enough for the yellow stallion's ears to catch the words "is all that true, Sugarcube?"
Looking into Applejack's big green eyes, Sunny felt absolutely defeated. His deepest, darkest secret revealed to the last pony he ever wanted to find it out. Taking a deep breath in a futile effort to calm himself, Sunny looked to Applejack, hoping with all his heart that she, out of anypony, would see that he's not just 'the son of an evil king' but that he's 'Sunny'. "It's true... I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Applejack.... I guess I was just scared that you'd reject me..."
After a long pause, Sunny looked up only for his heart to sink completely into his stomach. With fear and anger in her eyes, Applejack began to step back, glaring at Sunny. "You... you lied to me! Ya'll told me ah could trust ya! But ya lied ta me! This whole time!"
"N-no! Applejack! I didn't lie!" Sunny reached out with a hoof, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. "Please!... I... I need you!"
"Well that's too darn bad" Applejack spat at Sunny, every word colder then ice. "Ya'll ain't wanted at th' farm or anywhere near me or mah family! Just stay away from us! You- you monster!"
With that, Applejack ran trough the crowd of changelings, up the hill towards where Twilight and the others were, leaving Sunny collapsed on his knees, two heavy flowing rivers running from his eyes. That had done it. That had broken the wall Sunny had built around his heart, with all the debris falling on the former prince.
"Stay away from me!" The changelings around Sunny now took the form of Applejack as began yelling at him, quoting the outraged Applejack.
"Ya lied ta me!" Another Applejack changeling yelled out to Sunny.
"Yer ah monster!" Another called out as every changeling began to transform into Applejack now.
"Ya lied ta me!" Several Applejacks began yelling the same chanted quote all at once, giving it that much more power.
"Just stay away from us!" More began to yell as the Applejack's began closing in on him.
"Please.... I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry I lied..." was All the broken Sunny could say as he curled up on the ground, tears running from his eyes, powered by a broken heart...
Back atop the hill, Twilight had had enough and teleported herself right in front of Charming Knightmare and was now starring him down. "Let him go! Or I'll-!"
"Ya'll do what, Sugarcube?" The Applejack who had broken Sunny's spirit had happily galloped up to the group, a vile and smug smile plastered all across her freckles face.
"Ah yes! Brilliant work, drone" Charming said, tipping his top hat to the orange mare. Slowly, the Applejack that stood there in front of everypony changed in a flash of green light, reverting to her original, insect like form.
"A changeling?!" Cadence spoke out.
"What did you do to the captain?!" One of the guards snapped and broke formation to charge at Charming, holding his spear right at the tall, grey unicorn.
"Me?" Charming sounded appalled. "Why, I did nothing to him that 'he' didn't already do to himself!
"I've watched over that colt, night after night, guarding his dreams from princess Luna to keep his life a secret. And all he does to entertain me is have dreams about that wretched mare!" Charming spat out the last sentence as if it all left a nasty taste in his mouth. "It's always picnics, dancing at the gala, and even worse and most distasteful, ugh! A wedding! Could you believe that?! A stallion like him? Marrying an element of harmony? Ha! That would be like Discord marrying Fluttershy!"
The grey unicorn began to chuckle, but was quickly silenced as a blue magical aura wrapped around his muzzle, sealing it shut. Everypony turned to the mare that the aura belonged to. The princess of love herself, Princess Cadence.
"And what exactly is wrong with that?" Cadence asked, her eyes showing her lack of amusement. "He may be the son of King Sombra, and the Black Knight, and the guy who broke my husbands leg. But if Twilight says he's a good guy and a friend of hers, that means he deserves to be happy. And if Applejack makes him happy, then 'she' is the one who makes that call. Not 'you'!"
Releasing Charming from her spell, Cadence and Shinning stepped closer to the tall, top hat wearing unicorn, everypony ready for a fight. Not wanting to drag things out any further, Charming Knightmare just smiled slightly before calling out with a large whistle that he made with his own dark green magical aura. As if being controlled by the whistle itself, all the changelings that were tormenting Sunny looked up, reverted to their original forms, and took to the skies in one big swarm.
"As you command, dearest princess" Charming said before his own body began to dissipate into smoke. "Until we meet again, your majesties..."
Just as quickly as he arrived, Charming Knightmare was gone, leaving behind one emotionally shattered former prince, with a broken heart...
Hours later, after the Crystal guards finished cleaning up the broken glass and damage. Shinning Armor and Twilight were able to use a glass repairing spell, that Twilight had been wanting to try out, to fix the castle windows. All this was going on while Sunny sat on the castle front steps, with a cup of hot chocolate in his hooves, just starting at the setting sun.
He hadn't said a word since Twilight and the others picked him up and carried him back to the castle. Looking at him now, watching him from afar, Cadence couldn't believe that this was still the legendary 'Black Knight' who broke her husbands leg, the stallion who barked orders to their guards and got them to obey him, much less even the son of the Empire's number one enemy. He just seemed so... so frail. Like a China doll that was already starting to crack. Cadence didn't know what to do, whether to leave him alone or to go over and try and comfort him.
"Ah've never seen him that broken hearted before..." Pappy seemed to magically appear next to Cadence, shocking the pink alicorn. "Sorry ta catch you off guard, princess Amore."
"Ugh... that's Mi Amore, Pappy" Cadence corrected him. "But I told you, you could just call me Cadence."
Turning and looking at the alicorn beside him, Pappy squinted his eyes trying to focus her image. "Ah, Cadence!... please, go ta Sunny. His hearts' broken, and Ah fear that he might end up followin' in his father's hoof steps."
"You think he'll be like his father?" Cadence felt shaken by Pappy's prediction.
"Exactly the same... Sunny'll walk a lonely path, just as his father did when his heart got broken. They both were so kind hearted, so carefree in their youth... everypony needs somepony there for 'em. Somepony they can turn to when they need help, somepony they care fer an' trust. That's why Sunny broke Shinning Armor's leg."
"Wait, WHAT?!" Cadence nearly screamed, but caught herself. "What do you mean, Pappy? Why would breaking Shinning's leg-?"
"He saw how sad ya were" Pappy continued, interrupting the princess. "Ah was there on that day of th' Crystal fair. I was lookin' fer th' funnel cake stand an' spotted Sunny wanderin around.
"He can disguise himself all he likes, but ah helped raise that pup. Ah know him ah mile away. Ah watched him from ahfar, waitin' till he was all alone. Ah watched him follow you and yer husband go behind the tents, so ah followed him. That's when he saw yer argument. He saw how broken hearted ya were, and knew he had ta beat Shinning at jousting..." Pappy said as he looked from Sunny to Shinning Armor. "Ah watched him closely as he went head ta head 'genst Shinning. As good as Sunny was, he's out ah practice and by no means a match fer yer hubby. So he did what he needed ta do ta make things right. Even if it meant becoming public enemy number one ta th' whole Empire. To the place he grew up. His first home..."
'His home....' Cadende thought as her mind jumped back to the argument Sunny had with them the first time he and Twilight came to visit. "I never thought about how he felt... we just took his home from him. Not just from his father... but him too."
"Ah wouldn't worry too much 'bout that" Pappy nudged Cadence a little to shake her from her thoughts. "He's got ah new home now. One with ponies he obviously cares a lot about. Well, at least one really pretty filly."
"Applejack..." Cadence spoke her name.
"Ah'd very much like ta meet this 'Applejack'" Pappy said with a grin. "Ah've seen th' young prince turn down dozens of beautiful, eligible princesses who traveled from all over Equestria ta court him. None ever won him over. This Applejack must really be somethin'."
No longer hesitating on what she had to do, Cadence walked over to Sunny, not really knowing what she would say, leaving Pappy just smiling as he stood there and thought about when he was young and in love.
The hot chocolate had long since grown cold and the whipped cream on top of It had turned to a mushy puddle of white goo. But none of that had mattered to Sunny. He didn't know what to think. Part of him wished he had turned to stone, part of him wanted to continue crying, but a bigger part just felt numb. A concept worse then a thousand year nightmare was revealed to him. A concept that is 'what if Applejack didn't accept me?'
"Hey..." Cadence spoke up, causing the yellow stallion to look up momentarily, then turn his attention back to the setting sun. In that split second, Cadence saw such sadness in his eyes, like a candle light that had been blown out. Taking a deep breath, Cadence sat beside Sunny, unsure of what to say, but started to speak. "I... I know why you did what you did now..."
"Did Twilight tell you?" Sunny asked almost immediately, his voice completely deprived of any and all emotion.
"No... but it doesn't matter" Cadence tried to reassure the yellow unicorn. "You... you've had it kind of rough, haven't you?"
Sunny didn't answer Cadence's rhetorical question. He just continued to watch the sun set.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is... I'm sorry..." Cadence spoke as softly as she could
"'You' did nothing wrong" Sunny answered this time, but kept his eyes locked to the horizon.
"No... but you know, you didn't either" Cadence's words were able to tear Sunny's attention away from the setting sun now. She had his full attention. "You aren't a bad guy, Sunny. Misguided, irrational, thick headed, but hey, that's most guys. That's why we girls need to stick around and keep you in check. That's why you need Applejack."
Hearing her name made the tears begin to gather in Sunny's eyes again. Cadence had to act fast.
"Listen, Sunny, I know Applejack pretty well. She would never talk to you or act like that" Cadence tried to reassure him. "And think about this, if she means that much to you, don't you think 'you' might mean something to her too? And maybe she actually would accept you no matter who you are or who your father is?"
Sunny took a moment to think about that. He had been so afraid to hear Applejack reject him, that he never considered if she actually would look past all that or not.
"Am I wrong in saying that you two have had some really good times together?" Cadence asked, a small smile growing on her face as she felt the power of love healing Sunny's broken heart. "I'm sure Applejack will feel the same about you as you do about her. But only if you tell her how you feel and be honest with her."
"... do you... do you really think so?" Sunny's shaky voice asked under his breath.
"I know so, remember..." Cadence's small smile grew with her confidence. "I'm the princess of 'love' remember? So if there's one thing I know, it's how to bring two ponies together."
More tears began to gather inside Sunny's eyes as he looked back at Cadence. "Why are you being so nice to me?... you know 'why' I broke Shinning Armor's leg, but I'm still your worst enemy's son."
"Actually, I kinda think of Chrysalis as my worst enemy. And it seems like you and I are on the same page with not lurking her" Cadence joked, urning a small smile from Sunny. But the smile quickly vanished.
Cadence put a wing over Sunny as she smiled at him. "Come on, cheer up. We're ok now. Friends."
"Friends?..." Sunny repeated the word. That word that he's used so much more in the past few months then he's had his entire life. "Do you... do you mean it?"
"Sure I do. If Twilight was willing to stick up for you against me and her brother, that means you're a really good friend to her. And being her friend means we're friends too." Cadence said as she playfully nudged Sunny as Pappy often did to her, urning a small smile from the yellow unicorn. "And hey, maybe after I talk it over with Shinning, would you like to come back to the Empire some time? As a guest?"
Hesitation struck Sunny at the thought. He would like nothing more then to go back... but not yet, not this soon. Maybe by the time Cadence took to smooth Shinning Armor over, maybe Shinning would have time to forgive him as well. Then, maybe it would be ok. Hopefully, by then, Sunny could bring the Apples, and show them where he grew up.
"I think I'd like that... thanks Cadence" Sunny relied with a weak smile. Then leaned in and gave the pink alicorn a great big hug.
"That ah boy" Pappy said as he appeared beside Sunny with a fresh cup of hot chocolate. "Now drink up, chocolate's good for ya. Yer gunna need all yer strength."
"Why? Is there some inevitable battle, like an oncoming storm, that is in our near future?" Sunny asked, his heart being to race with anxiety.
"Eh, maybe?" Pappy said as he scratched his chin. "But ah was talkin' bout ya carrying yer old Pappy back ta th' Apple farm. Taday's been awful hard on yer old Pappy, so ah was hopin' ya wouldn't mind givin' me ah lift. What with those new strong leg muscles ya have there. Probably got 'me from working that farm all day."
Both Sunny and Cadence shared a moment of confusion as they looked from the elderly earth pony, to each other, then back to Pappy.
"Ugh Pappy, ain't ya gunna go back With Cadence and Shinning Armor?" Sunny asked, regaining his country accent.
"Ah would, but ah made ah promise ta yer mother, Sunny, that ah'd look after ya" Pappy started to say as he scratched his chin. "Now that yer back, ah guess Ah better join ya on th' farm, ifin that's ok with yer new family and Cadence."
The pink alicorn was shocked to hear that Pappy was actually willing to go with Sunny, but saw the smile he and Sunny both seemed to share. "I'm ok with it. Besides, you've been needing to take a vacation anyway, Pappy."
"Ah'll try and not be gone too long" Pappy exclaimed. "Just long enough ta make sure this little pup can fend fer himself."
"Then ah guess it's ok" Sunny said with a big grin. He turned to Pappy, his smile doubling in size. "Ready ta meet th' family?"
"Any pretty mares who like older gentle colts?" Pappy said then chuckled to himself.
Another horrified scream filled the halls of the former IronLock prison as Charming Knightmare fell to his knees, steam raising from his body as King Sombra stood over him. The shadow king glared down at the so called 'humble servant'.
"Forgive me, sir..." the grey unicorn pleaded as he looked up at Sombra. "I... I only meant..."
"To make your guard shifts over my son's dreams more 'bearable'?" Sombra growled as he shot more dark magic from his horn at Charming Knightmare, causing him great pain. After several more long moments, Sombra stopped the flow of dark magic and put his dominant hoof on Chamring's head, applying enough pressure to make the stallion cry out in pain. "Know this, my son is free to dream about anything he wants. Including getting married. I want my son to pursue a life that he will enjoy. And if you interfere with that, or cause him any more harm, I won't hesitate to rip that amulet out of you and shove you in the darkest cell this prison has to offer. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"
Sombra's roar echoed off the walls and filled the entire Prison. Every soldier, every inmate shivered as his voice hit them. They knew Charming Knightmare had gone behind the king's back, but in what what way, none of them were sure. But the experience served as a warning to all; if anypony was thinking of betraying the king, they best forget those thoughts and bury them deep, deep down in the farthest corners of their minds.
As Sombra lifted his hoof from Charming, the shadow king took a few steps back, thinking of his next plan of action. "But despite your motivations and intentions, you did prove the changelings and their handler are ready for the next phase. Have Surgical send a teams to the island, Canterlot, and the Empire. It's time to get out plans into action."
"I want in" a stallion's familiar voice called out from the entry way. Looking over at the pony, Sombra and Charming were surprised to see Snowstorm standing there, ready for orders in his royal armor, a determined look in his eye.
Sighing slightly, Sombra went over to the former warden of the prison. "Snowstorm, I appreciate everything you did for me. But this is-"
"Sir! Forgive me for speaking out of turn!" Snowstorm began to say. "But I am fully aware of the situation and the risks, sir. And I wish to fight along side you!... please, sir. Let me do what I feel is right."
Sombra was half ready to wipe the stallion's mind and drop him in a near by village, up until he said that last phrase. The words reminded the king so much of his son. 'Let me do what I feel is right...'
Sighing, Sombra nodded. "As you wish, Snowstorm. But take this as my only warning; betray me or go against my wishes, and you'll suffer a worse fate then Charming over there..."
The tall grey unicorn steadied himself and withheld a glare he so eagerly wished to shoot at Sombra as he picked up his top hat and dusted it off.
" I understand, sir" Snowstorm said then saluted the king. "I await my orders, sir!"
It had been a few short weeks since Salted Carmel took down the changeling hive. The thrill he got from watching it all topple down on Chrysalis's head was better then he could have imagined. He had finally gotten his revenge, and then some. Stealing all her 'loyal' subjects was an excellent bonus. But despite all he had accomplished, something felt wrong.
The amazingly strong earth pony sat around a camp fire about three miles from the base of the foal mountains where the IronLock prison stood. It was there that the earth-pony set up camp to enjoy his newly found freedom. Unfortunately his celebrating was less then enjoyable.
Looking up across the camp fire, the muscular earth pony saw his traveling companion, the changeling he had saved from the hive. The changeling didn't say much when they first met and left the hive behind, but once the creature was free from his tormentors, and his exoskeleton began to heal, leaving barely noticeable scars, the Changeling actually gave Salted his name. Thorax.
His head shooting up from gazing deep into the fire, Thorax looked across at Salted, wondering what he was thinking. He didn't know how to break the ice with ponies, but the changeling was willing to try. "Ugh... Mr. Salted? What do we do now?"
Salted looked to Thorax, then back to the fire, saying nothing. Not even a low growl.
"I mean..." Thorax didn't want to pry into a sensitive areas, given the fact that Salted hated changelings but still spoken on Thorax's behalf when that crazy doctor wanted to experiment on him back at the prison. Thorax was grateful. But... there still was so much the changeling felt was missing from his life. Including meaning. "... I just don't know what we should do after this..."
Sighing, Salted looked around and picked up a stick. Knowing that Cynical was the only pony who could understand him, Salted began writing a message out to Thorax in the dirt bedside him. As he wrote, Thorax couldn't help but peek across at what Salted was writing;
'Chrysalis is no more. You go find purpose. I stay here.'
When Thorax finished reading the message, he could hardly believe his eyes. He grasped and frantically looked to Salted. "B-b-but you're my only friend! Nopony likes changelings! And with the hive gone..."
Salted brushed the old message away with his hoof then began writing a new one;
'You were like me, Wild, angry, animal. You're not anymore. You're free. I'm nopony's friend. I serve no more purpose. Still animal.'
After spitting the stick out of his mouth, Salted let Thorax read the message over and over again. After the changeling did, his head sunk, and both of them found each other looking into the fire for the longest time. Both taking in what Salted had written. Even though he was the one who wrote the message, Salted could hardly believe that's how he felt. But it was true. He knew it was true. The muscular stallion never gave his life any more purpose except to end Chrysalis's rein. Which he did.
"... I... I was thinking about checking out Ponyville..." Thorax broke the silence. "... I know it sounds stupid. But I want more to my life then just feeding off of love. I want to have friends. Real friends. And they say that Ponyville is home to the 'Princess of Friendship'. If there's anypony who can help me make friends, its her... if I 'can' make make friends with other ponies... you could come with me, you know..."
Growing tired of the conversation, Salted wrote in the dirt with his hoof one last short message;
'Go to bed'
Then the chained earth pony rolled over and started to fall asleep.
The changeling could hardly believe that Salted was being so cold to him after saving him from the hive. But understood where he was coming from. Even though Throax had nothing to do with anypony's kidnapping, he knew what was going on. How Chrysalis was taking ponies form their homes and bringing them to the hive to hypnotize them into believing the disguised changelings were their loved ones and that the hive was their home. The tricked ponies never saw the hive as the hive, but rather whatever their homes looked like. Salted was one of the ponies taken. But unlike the rest, something snapped inside of him. And rage replaced love as the last bit of love was drained from him.
'What a hard life he's lived.... he doesn't even remember who he was before all this happened... he lost all memory of his previous life and only lives with anger and rage. If there was anypony who would need a friend, it was him...' sighing and deciding it was best to just get some sleep, Thorax rolled over and covered himself with a pile of leaves.
Before the changeling went right to sleep, he turned his head slightly and said to Salted "no matter what you say, I still think of you as my friend... I hope I can repay your kindness one day."
But the muscular Salted appeared to be fast sleep. With thinking his words went unheard, Thorax went right to sleep himself, knowing he would need the rest for his long journey tomorrow for Ponyville. Little did he know that Salted was wide away, with a small tear running down his cheek.
Chrysalis's head was spinning as she slept. She could barely keep her thoughts together as the nightmares turned to just darkness. Like the very darkness she and her changelings were born into, on that horrid day many, many years ago. But darkness was preferable to the monstrous images and haunting pain of what she had gone though. That behemoth of a pony, who knew he would come back, let alone with that kind of power. At the very thought of him, Salted's monstrous face flashed before her eyes and Chrysalis jolted awake.
"AH!...." looking around, the changeling queen soon relized she was not in the rubble that was her hive, rather, she was laying down in a big, plushy, and fluffy pink bed. "How... did I get here?"
As Chrysalis looked around, she began to cringe at her surroundings. Not only was the bed fluffy and pink, but so was the carpeting in the room, the lamp shades, even the picture frames were covered in pink fur! The furniture, on the other hoof, were just pink. Everything was a slightly different shade of pink, but pink none the less.
Just as Chrysalis was about to get up and out of bed, she felt a sharp pain in her chest and fell back into the bed. Looking down at her abdomen, she was surprised to see somepony had bandaged her up. The pain still lingered, but she could have been a lot worse off.
Chrysalis was about to fall back asleep, sensing no immediate danger, she heard a rather disgusting noise, like somepony passing gas. Looking up, the changeling queen immediately found the source. It was a big ball of fur, like a pillow with legs. Her bright blue eyes, ears, and a red tongue that stuck out of a tiny muzzle were the only signs that this creature wasn't a actually a piece of furniture.
The odd fur creature had been blowing raspberries to grab Chrysalis's attention. When she felt she had it, the pinkie fluffy creature set a tray of food in front of Chrysalis. Two sandwiches in the shape of hearts, two fudge brownies in a similar shape, a tall glass of milk, and a small pill with a note behind it saying 'pain killer'.
Chrysalis was very confused by the notion that somepony would aid her in any way. But if somepony really wanted to hurt her, they could have left her where she was. The Queen hesitated for a moment, looking back and forth between the food being offered to her and the odd looking... pony?... who was offering it. Ultimately, Chrysalis's hunger won out, and the queen of the changelings began to dig into the food.
Fluffle Puff who actually saved Chrysalis after Salted and the others left, watched happily and grasped with joy as she watched her new house guest eat her first meal in days. Fluffle Puff knew they were destined to be the best of friends! The pink fluff ball began fantasizing about her and Chrysalis decorating for Hearthswarming, or dressing up for nightmare night, and maybe even traveling together!
Flufflepuff had great plans in store for her and her new friend. But only after Chrissy was all healed up. And Fluffle Puff wouldn't leave Chrysalis's side until the changeling queen was 100% healed.
Looking up to the setting sun in the sky, Celestia sighed as she hung her head. She knew she had been away for long enough. She had put her duties off on Luna for far too long. It was time she returned to active duty.
"What's the matter, Celestia?" One of the mares of the island asked as she plopped her surfboard in the sand next to where Celestia had been sitting to watch the sunset
"Nothing you need to worry about, young one... but I think it's about time I be leaving" Celestia admitted, shocking a dozen island dwelling ponies that were in earshot. "I'll leave in the morning, after raising the sun. I'll send a letter to my sister tonight to let her know that I'll have the morning covered. That way she can get a good morning's rest."
"But your majasty, you still seem so.... so down" one of the other mares approached the sun princess.
"You need to relax a little longer" a stallion who was asleep on the beach woke up and looked over at the princess.
"It's not good for you to try and tackle all that responsibility in your state" another stallion added.
"That is enough" the elderly mare of the island, the one who Celestia had always been fond of and had confide in previously, silenced the other island dwelling ponies as she walked up to the sun princess while speaking to the others still. "Celestia has protected and watched over Equestria for over 1000 years, she has faced many great and terrible things. 'She' knows when she is ready."
"Thank you, Miss" Celestia thanked the elder mare.
"You are most welcome, Celestia" the elderly mare shot the princess a wrinkly smile.
"Would you... maybe want to show us your legendary surfing skills before you leave?" A younger mare asked, looking up at the sun princess.
"Yeah! You're a surfing legend around here!" The stallion from before threw out there.
"Well..." Celestia thought about it. It had been quite a while since she even picked up a surf board, but she remembered the great joy it brought to her. Celestia was on the fence about it, until two mares brought out her old surf board and presented it to her. They had polished it up like new and kept up on it's maintenance all these years so the wood would be as strong as ever.
"Well, since you took such good care of my board... and it is my last night, why not! Surf's up everypony!" The sun princess smiled as she grabbed the long white surfboard in her golden magical aura and took to the ocean.
As she began to peddle out to sea, feeling the waves begin to gain momentum, Celestia felt young again. The smell of the ocean, the feel of the water, it all washed away her worries. As the ponies on shore watched as Celestia coated herself in her own golden magical aura, illuminating her body and the water around her, they picked up several instruments and began to play one of their favorite surfing songs. The music combined with the visual aid of princess Celestia shredding across the nightly waters with her golden glow was a sight to behold. The ponies on shore couldn't help but begin singing along with the sound of the music...
After surfing for what felt like hours, Celestia finally came back to the shore and was greeted with cheers and applause from everypony.
"Well I must say, that was fun!" Celestia said as she wiped some sweat from her brow. She was about to ask for a drink when somepony offered her a fruity drink served in a coconut shell. "Why thank you. I was getting rather thirsty."
As the princess began to drink down the entire coconut full, several of the island ponies watched with vile smiles that grew on their muzzles as mischievous red eyes watched. The sounds of flickering wings and the subtle hissing of their tongues went unnoticed as Celestia drank down her beverage. But once the princess was down with her drink, the overly excited island ponies returned to their usual state.
"Oh... wow... I guess surfing took more out of me then I thought" Celestia commented as she raised a hoof to her head. "I think... I better get some rest..."
"As you wish, your majesty" one of the island ponies said, aiding the along the princess back to her room. When Celestia was far enough off the beach, several of the mares and stallion's who appeared to be native to the island chuckled and gave each other high hooves. "Rest as long as you like..."
Over 1000 years ago, before the fall of the Crystal Empire....
Prince Soleggiato had just left a meeting with his father and the delicates from the Griffin Kingdom. The yellow unicorn prince enjoyed seeing Razor Claw again, and was deeply honored that he had asked the prince to be his best stallion at his wedding in a few months. That put much of the ceremony's preparation on his half. Soleggiato would have to leave almost immediately to begin some of the preparations. The unicorn purine had observed wedding ceremonies before, and knew they took a lot of work. But never had he before attended one for a pair of griffins, much less as the best stallion!
"You look excited" Radiant Hope popped up beside her nephew, a wide smile on her muzzle, as always.
"I am, auntie" Sunny admitted, but his pleased smile wavered slightly. "But also a bit nervous. What if I mess up? What if I get some part of their cultural ceremony wrong? Or what if I get called away ok some big important mission and miss it?!"
Jumping ahead of the prince and putting a hoof out to stop him, Radiant shot her nephew a look that showed that she thought he was overreacting. "You need to relax, Sunny. I know you'll do fine. You hang out with those griffins more then the dragon's some times. And Razor Claw wouldn't have picked you if he didn't think you could do it."
"And if something comes up?" Soleggiato signed and stepped away from his aunt's hoof to look out one of the Crystal Castle's windows. "Equestria is always on the brink of a war with one species or another, or there's some monster attack or a natural disaster."
Putting a hoof on Soleggiato's shoulder, Radiant switched to 'sweet-caring-aunt' mode. "You worry about the Empire and Equestria too much. You're only 'one' prince, you know. You can rely on others to help you. You mother, father, me, your other aunt, the other princess and princesses, why, I'm sure even Star-Swirl-"
"That old fool only loves to 'cause' more chaos" the yellow unicorn prince interrupted Radiant, his eyes narrowing as he thought about the last time he and the world famous wizard were even in the same room together. Needless to say, the little dinner party ended with both the prince and Star-Swirl storming out, not speaking to each other and a giant mess left for the maids to clean up. "If I never see him again, it will be too soon..."
Before Radiant could say anything else, an odd noise began to fill the room. A noise that Radiant had only heard once before. But it is a sound that echoes throughout all time and space. A sound that has begun to inspire hope in some and fear in others. The sound of the TARDIS.
A big blue box slowly began to appear out of thin air in the hallway of the Crystal Castle, catching the attention of both Soleggiato and Radiant Hope. When the odd looking box appeared solid and stopped making it's 'whooshing' noise, the front door opened and a pony popped out that Soleggiato hoped would never see again. It was none other then Doctor Whooves. Annoyed, Soleggiato sighed and rolled his eyes, wishing anypony, literally 'anypony' would show up, rather then one of Star-Swirl's lackeys.
"Not again" the unicorn prince sighed annoyingly. "I have more important matters to deal with then the likes of you."
"There's no time to explain!" Doctor began to say, ignoring Soleggiato's obvious feelings towards him. "Please, it's a matter of the utmost urgency! I need you to come with me! Please, trust me!"
"How did you guys get in here?" Radiant Hope chimed in. "I mean, neither you or Derpy are unicorns, how did you use magic to pop into the castle?"
"Not magic, my dear Radiant" Doctor began to explain as he opened the door allowing both Soleggiato and his aunt to walk inside. Once inside the TARDIS, the two ponie's jaws dropped at the wonders inside the big blue box. Inside the small box appeared to be a room as big as the castle's thrown room, with rooms attached to it! And at the heart of it all appeared to be a pillar of some sort, made of metal and glass, brought to life by electricity. The big blue box was a lot bigger on the inside the the outside, to say the least! "Science! Science that proved travel through time and space is possible! I give you both, the TARDIS! Time And Relative Dimension In Space!"
Looking around, Radiant was amazed by what she saw, Soleggiato on the other hoof was very questioning of it all. It didn't make sence how somepony could come up with such a thing without the use of magic.
"So it appears Star-Swirl has made you a rather interesting toy box" the yellow unicorn commented, turning a questioning eye towards Doctor and Derpy. "But I've seen such things written down in scrolls before. I even have a small lavender bag that allows me to carry 10,000 times it's normal amount. So forgive me if I don't fall for your-"
"THIS IS SOOOOO COOOOL!!!" Radiant squeaked as she began zooming all around the TARDIS. "You know who would love this, Sunny?! Your father! Wait right here! I'll go and get him!"
Without another word, Radiant Hope dashed out of the TARDIS as fast as she could, eager to show her best friend the coolest thing she's seen all week! But once Radiant stepped out of the TARDIS, Doctor Whooves stomped his right hoof, telepathically ordering the doors to shut.
The prince's heart skipped a beat and kicked into over drive sensing possible danger. Soleggiato narrowed his eyes and slowly turned to the two ponies who he still believed to be working for Star-Swirl the bearded. "I knew it! You two are conspiring against me with that crazy old magician! Release me at once and I'll make sure your cell in the Crystal Dungeon will be comfortable!"
But Doctor ignored Soleggiato and rushed over to the control panel at the heart of the TARDIS, flipping random switches, pushing different buttons, and constantly checking the screen in front of him.
Nervous about everything that was happening, Derpy flew over to Doctor Whooves and mumbled loud enough for her best friend to hear "Doctor, what's going on? What are we doing?"
"I'm sorry, Derpy" Doctor started to say, but continued to input the coordinates for a certain place and time into the TARDIS's navigational system. "But we need to show Sunny what's going to happen to the Empire before it happened so he can prevent it!"
"What?! But Doctor, I thought you said-" Derpy started to say, but was stopped when the Doctor flipped a toggle switch, causing all the lights to turn off, even the pillar at the center of the TARDIS that always glowed bright green turned dark.
For a long moment, everypony just stood in the dark. Then, just as Soleggiato was about to leave the box the same way he entered, the entire time machine sprang back to life, more so then before! The TARDIS was moving! Not just through time! But through space as well! The entire craft was shaking worse then a tumble weed in a tornado! Grabbing onto whatever they could and holding on with all their might, Doctor, Derpy and Soleggiato braced themselves as best they could.
"What's going on, Doctor?!" Derpy yelled out as she held onto the control panel.
"What madness is this?!" Soleggiato screamed as his body flung in every which way, his hooves holding onto the nearest pipe mounted to the ground.
"I don't know!" Doctor honestly answered, also holding onto the control panel, trying to see where the TARDIS was taking them. "This hasn't happened before! Not this bad, at least!"
"When this is over! I'm going to have you two thrown in chains and that old stallion committed!!!" Soleggiato yelled at the top of his lungs as he held his eyes closed shut.
After a moment longer of being tossed around inside the blue box that's bigger on the inside, the trio suddenly stopped and hit the ground. The TARDIS made a slight 'whooshing' noice once, then almost all the power died down, leaving just the green pillar of light on at the center of the TARDIS.
Getting to their hooves, Derpy and Doctor shook their heads and looked at one another, making sure the other was ok. Just as they were able to conclude that everypony was alright, Doctor half expected to see Soleggiato standing over him with a rather angry glare, ready to toss him and Derpy in a prison cell. To his surprise, though, the prince was standing at the front doors, gazing out at the surroundings with his mouth wide open, jaw dropped almost to the ground.
Getting his footing back, Doctor wobbled with Derpy over to the front doors, where Soleggiato stood mesmerized by their new surroundings. It didn't take Doctor or Derpy long to realize why.
Peering outside the TARDIS's front windows, the trio saw into a world they had never seen before. It appeared to be half a wild jungle, but off in the distance, just beyond a large gorge, stood a city three times the size of the Crystal Empire! Unlike the glistening gem of Equestria, however, this new Metropolis appeared to be made out of a type of metal that shinned in the sun like freshly polished armor!
Stepping out of the TARDIS, Soleggiato was amazed by the new world they had apparently traveled too. "If this is all an illusion that Star-Swirl came up with, I have to give it to him. I thought the old one was losing his touch..."
"Sunny, get back in here this minute!" Doctor called out as the prince was now twenty hooves away from the TARDIS. "We don't know if the air is breathable or not! You could be breathing in poison!"
Something snapped the prince from his trance and cleared away the awe. The yellow unicorn tore his eyes away from the new world before him and shot a cold glance back at Doctor sticking his head just barely out of the TARDIS. "First of all, 'Doctor', if that is your real name, no pony, and I mean NO PONY, is allowed to call me 'Sunny' besides Those I give permission to! The rest of you may call me by the name I was given at birth! Soleggiato, Soleggiato Cavalere! Or the Black Knight! Do I make myself clear?!"
"But you always let us call you Sunny, Sunny" Derpy said, sticking her head out of the TARDIS, her head just below Doctor's.
"I have only met you two clowns twice now, and I don't recall ever giving you permission to call me 'Sunny'" Soleggiato explained.
"We can discuss this more back in the TARDIS, now please, get back in here!" Doctor continued to rush.
But just as Soleggiato was about to argue with the time traveler further, all three heard a scream and a cry for help. Instantly, Soleggiato turned and ran towards the direction the scream had come from. Following the prince was Derpy, followed quickly by Doctor after he locked the front door to the TARDIS, then continued to follow the other two.
The trio of travelers made their way steadily through the thick brush and odd vegetation of the new place they were at and found themselves looking down another edge of a deep gorge. While their side of the gorge was lush with green life, the other was dry and bare, much like a desert. The split between the two sides was deep enough that no pony could even see the bottom. The cries for help appeared to be coming from deep below, from one side of the cavern's wall.
Looking all around, Soleggiato could barely make out the outline of a pony in the darkness. "There! But they're too far for me to throw my magic."
"The TARDIS has a rope in it, but I doubt it's long big enough to reach" Doctor started to say as he began calculating out the distance in his mind as well as other contributing factors such as the stability of the edge of the gorge, the possible weight of the pony, how sharp the edge of the gorge was.
Soleggiato then turned to the grey mare hovering nervously close by. "Derpy, was it? You'll need to go down there and carry them out."
"W-what?! M-m-me?!" Derpy stuttered, shuffal no her hooves nervously. "I.... I don't know if I can. I'm not that strong. I could drop them!"
"I hate to disagree to such a bold and noble statement" Doctor chimed in. "But Derpy's right. Her coordination could prove... unfavorable, if she did try and lift that foal from their spot, it may do more harm then good."
Another scream came from the gorge followed by the sound of crumbling rocks.
"We have to act fast or that foal will quickly find out what's at the bottom of that cavern" Soleggiato stated then began looking around. "Doctor, what about those!"
The yellow unicorn prince pointed over to the jungle where large, thick vines connected several trees together. The vines appeared to be just slightly thicker then the average rope, but just the perfect size for a pony to put their teeth and or hooves around. Doctor Whooves approached the alien vines and began looking them over.
After a long moment, Doctor turned to his companions with a smile. "Sunny, you're brilliant! This could work!"
"I told you, don't call me Sunny!" After hearing a few more cries for help, Soleggiato turned to Derpy. "While Doctor and I gather the vines and get this all ready, you'll need to fly down there and keep the foal calm. The more they panic, the more whatever support is keeping them from falling will crumble."
"What?! B-but Su-, sr, Mr Prince, I don't think I can-" the blond mare with a wall-eyed stare started to say as she looked down and fidgeted with her hooves even more nervously then before.
"You'll need to" Soleggiato stated firmly. "There's a foal down there who's scared out of their mind with no idea that help has even arrived. You need to fly down there for their sake and keep them calm. Got it?"
"B-but even if I do go down there, and I don't bump into a wall and cause an avalanche or something, what do I say? How do I keep them calm?!" Derpy's heart began to race, she had never expected that somepony would ever need her as much as this mysterious foal did.
"Tell them about where you come from, ask them questions about them, it doesn't matter, just keep them calm" the prince stated as calmly as he could as Doctor went right to work on the vines. Knowing they needed to act fast, he looked Derpy in the eye one last time and told her "I know you have kindness in your heart. I can see it as plain as the sun in the sky. You just need to think about how to use that kindness. Go! That foal needs somepony there for them. We'll throw the vine rope down as soon as we can."
Derpy watched as Soleggiato ran over and started ripping the vines down with Doctor as fast as they could, going right to work making as long and sturdy of a rope as they could. The grey mare then turned her yellow eyes to the gorge, nervously bitting her lip. Derpy was terribly afraid she was going to mess things up again. She may deliver the mail to the wrong address back home, or occasionally cause some structural damage to a building, but she couldn't afford to mess this up. A foal depended on her. As her heart began to race faster and faster with the horrible images of her failure filling Derpy's mind, something Soleggiato said to her silenced her internal storm. 'I know you have kindness in your heart... I can see it...'
Taking one last deep breath, summoning all the courage she could muster, the grey mare dove right into the gorge and began immediately looking around for the foal in question. Derpy's eyes actually came in handy when looking, allowing her to look all around in different angles for the foal. Almost right away, Derpy spotted a little filly hanging on the side of a crumbling ledge about fifty yards down. She was a little green, earth pony filly, with a short brown mane and dark green freckles. Her chest kept raising and falling as her eyes seemed to be glued to the dark chasm beneath her, rivers of tears flowing from them.
"Hey there!" Derpy lightly called out as she flew up to the little filly. The filly was able to tear her eyes away from the darkness below and gazed at Derpy the same way Soleggiato had the world they ended up in. Wonder and amazement as something she had never seen before. "Don't worry, my friends and I are going to get you out."
"Are... are you real?" The filly spoke just barely above a whisper. "A real winged-one?!"
"Yep, sure am" Derpy said with a smile, but as the ground beneath the filly's hooves began to crumble slightly, the grey pegasus remembered Soleggiato told her to keep the filly calm. "Ugh, hey! After we get out of here, how about I treat you to a muffin or two! I know I like having one after a hard day."
"W-what's a muffin?" The filly shot Derpy a questioning look when the ground began to collapse more, shaking the filly, causing her to whimper.
"It's ok, it's going to be ok" Derpy did her best to calm the foal down so she didn't panic more.
"I-I'm scared" the foal admitted as tears began to gather in the corners of her eyes once again.
Derpy tried to think fast, the more the filly panicked,the more she moved and could cause the ground to give way beneath her. Then Derpy had an idea. "So you've never tried muffins before?"
The little filly shook her head a little, trying not to move and cause herself to fall.
"When we get you of here, we'll have you try all kinds of muffins! Like Banana nut, chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate chip, poppyseed, blue berry" the grey pegasus went on and on about the many different kinds of muffins with a small smile on her muzzle.
"I-I've never even heard of any of those things before" the filly tried to focus on the mare floating before her.
Just then, a rope made of vines fell from above. Derpy grabbed hold of it and reached out to the little green filly. Just then, as the filly reached it with her hoof to grab Derpy's, the cliff beneither her hooves gave way, and the filly began to plummet into the darkness below!
As the filly began to scream, her body jerked as something caught her. Gathering enough courage to open her eyes, the filly was surprised and glad to see that the 'winged-one' she had just met was holding her and lifting her up slowly with all the might her grey wings could muster. Little did the filly realize the struggle for Derpy wasn't just with the extra weight, but also against her natural clumsiness. It took everything Derpy had to keep herself steadily raising up back to the edge of the vine rope Doctor and Soleggiato had made. The end of it was just slightly out of her reach. But after several long moments, the grey pegasus reached her destination and quickly grabbed the rope and pulled herself and the filly as close as she could to it before looking up towards the mouth of the gorge and yelling at her two companions "PULL!"
With that signal, Doctor Whooves and Soleggiato began pulling the rope up with all their strength. Soleggiato even cast a spell on himself to give him the strength of several earth ponies, causing his whole body to become incased in his magical green aura. It would take several moments, but the two stallion's were going to pull their friend and the filly out.
"T-thank you Ma'am" the filly finally said as she clung to Derpy for dear life, her hooves wrapped tightly around her grey body.
Seeing how the little filly was still very scared and shaking, Derpy continued to try her best to help the little pony relax. Stretching out her wings and wrapping them around the filly as an extra shield, Derpy then began to hum a lullaby her mother sang to her when she was a scared little filly. By the time Doctor and Soleggiato got Derpy and the filly to the top and out of danger, the filly had been free from her fears for quite some time.
"Thank you all so much!" The filly cheered as she continued to hug Derpy.
"Thank you all indeed" a mare's voice came from the bushes just behind the group of time travelers. Stepping out of the bushes was a mare disguised in various leaves and vines, with some kind of tribal markings on her muzzle. Accompanying her were two other ponies, a mare and a stallion, both dressed similarly to the mare that spoke up. The little green filly ran over to the leading mare and gave her a hug.
"Mommy! These three saved me!" The filly cheered and pointed to Doctor, Derpy, and prince Soleggiato with her hoof.
"I saw that" the mare smiled at her daughter, which quickly turned to a frown. "I told you never to play around here! What if the kaleds had seen you?!"
"I... I'm sorry mom... I just thought..." the filly' ears sunk to the side of her head as her eyes fell to the ground.
The mare didn't continue her lecture, thinking how traumatized her daughter might be, but instead pulled the filly a hug, holding her as tight as she could. "I was so worried about you. I'm glad you're ok..."
Something struck at Soleggiato, giving him a strong case of the feels, forcing him to avert his eyes from the heart warming scene.
"Greetings, I'm Doctor, Doctor Whooves. These are my two companions, Derpy Hooves and Su, er, Prince Soleggiato. On behalf of our home world of Equestria, I offer my hoof in friendship." Doctor stuck out his hoof to the mare in charge, who looked from his hoof to the metal city and sneered.
"We're all in danger here, come" the mare informed the trio, picking up her daughter and tossing her on her back. "We'll talk back at camp. Let's go!"
On her word, the other two ponies who accompanied the wild looking mare began to blend back into the forest and disappeared. Doctor and Derpy hesitated for a moment, but Soleggiato jumped and began to follow the jungle adapted mare. Following suit, Derpy and Doctor ventured into the jungle as well, never aware that they were all being watched...
The trio from Equestria were lead through the thick jungle, over a lake of boiling water, past many boobytraps, and eventually found themselves at a small clearing near the mouth of a cave of a small mountain. Once there, the mare leading the team made a wild bird call unlike any the three ponies have ever heard, signaling others of her group. Everypony watched as the scenery began to shift, all the surrounding trees and bushes began to break away from their various poses, revealing their true forms. Like the mare and her accomplices, the rest of their group appeared to be earth-ponies dressed in leaves and vines of various types allowing them not only to blend into their jungle surroundings, but to disappear all together! Once everypony was in sight, the inhabitants of the jungle stared at the trio of time travelers in awe, mostly of Derpy, smiles growing on their muzzles as they whispered amongst themselves.
"Welcome friends, this is our village, we are the Thals, or all that remains" the mare's voice was proud and strong until she muttered that last verse. She quickly regained her composure and smiled brightly as she addressed her 'village'. "These strangers arrived in a magical blue box and saved my daughter! Not only have they for-filled the prophecy! But they have shown comparison and bravery by saving her from the bottomless gorge! Tonight we celebrate in their honor! Bring our finest food and drinks!"
Everypony cheered, even Derpy, who wasn't entirely sure of what was going on except that everypony was happy. Doctor and Soleggiato shot each other questioning looks as if asking each other 'can we trust these ponies?' But unltimatly, Soleggiato shrugged off his worry and smiled. What harm could it do to celebrate a little after all?
As the food was brought out, Doctor leaned over to the mare who was obviously in charge and spoke just above a whisper "if you don't mind, miss, er... I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch your name."
"I'm sorry, I forget my mannars. We just haven't had visitors in, well, ever" the mare spoke with a large smile still on her muzzle as she motioned to herself and her younger daughter who sat beside her. "I am chief Prim Rose, and this mischievous little one is my daughter, Rose Bud."
"A pleasure, Chief Prim Rose" Soleggiato spoke up and extended his hoof. "I am prince Soleggiato Cavelere, of the Crystal Empire."
"A Kaled prince, eh?" Prom Rose commented with a grin. "Good to see they still hold strong to their noble titles."
"A what?" Doctor asked, raising a brow as he watched Derpy dance with the foals off in the distance around the camp fire. "What is a 'Kaled'?"
"It is what we call the ones with horns who use their minds to create" Prim Rose motioned to Sunny's horn. "They are the Kaleds. We,who create with our hooves, are called the Thals. And the race who create and control the weather with their wings, like your friend over there dancing with others over by the fire, we call a winged-one."
"Interesting..." Doctor commented as he patted his chin with his hoof, wishing he had a quill and some parchment to write all this down. "We call them 'unicorns', 'earth-ponies' and 'pegusi', well, at least where we come from."
"Which brings up another good question" Soleggiato spoke up again. "Where exactly are we? I know we are nowhere near Equestria, the whole sun feels... different. And well... there are three moons."
Doctor paused and looked up into the night sky. He was shocked to not only see one large moon, but a medium and smaller one accompanying it in the sky! "My word, how long have those been up there?!"
"About two hours after the sun finished setting" Soleggiato commented, knowing exactly when the time changed.
"It sounds like you three come from an entirely different planet" Prim Rose noted with a half smile. "That just proves the prophecy is at long last, finally coming true."
"And what is this 'prophesy'?" Doctor asked before Soleggiato had a chance to.
"It was prophesied long ago that the three tribes, the Thals, the Kelads, and the winged-ones, would be reunited once more by a trio from the stars who would guide the way and lead us to our once harmonious existence, and teach the three tribes how to work once again as a whole." The mare's eyes shinned as she told the tale that her tribe had carried down for generations.
"How long have the tribes been separated?" Soleggiato looked around, trying to think of how any of the three pony tribes could survive without working with one another.
"A little over two hundred years" Prim Rose answered. "We survived and were able to grow our own food source without the aid of the good weather from the winged ones, nor the regularity of a set night and day from the kelads, but.... everything has a price."
"Ewww!" Derpy spat out a bite of fruit she was offered. Turning to her, Doctor and Soleggiato could see the fruit was dark green, almost black in color, and even from where they stood, they could smell it's horrid stench.
"My word, has that fruit gone bad?!" Doctor pinched the base of his nostrils, feeling as though he was going to be sick.
"It reminds me of when the Empire first put in a sewage system..." the prince added, covering his own nose.
"I'm afraid not much grows without decent weather or rest at night, or the regular heat of the day" Prim Rose sighed. "Our tribe survives on these fruits as best we can... but even the freshest of them smell and look like, well, you know..."
"Dirty Jim socks?" Derpy noted as she passed the fruit back to the filly who offered it to her. The filly sighed and took it back reluctantly, also very tired of the horrid fruit.
"So where are the other tribes?" Soleggiato wanted to get right to the point and aid these Thals before they had to stomach much more of those horrible fruits.
"The winged-ones, I'm afraid, left long ago... the Thals and the Kelads were at war with one another, and the winged-ones watched from above as we destroyed the land we fought over." Prim Rose gazed into the fire as she recalled her mother telling her the horrific tale of their origins. "The Thals were skilled guardians and warriors, even though most of us were farmers and bakers, our bodies are stronger and more suitable for combat. But the Kaleds made up for their lack of body strength with their magic and science. They built walls and traps to keep the Thals out, and had weapons ready for when the Thals broke into their metal cities.
"During the final days of the 100 year war, the Thals stole one of the Kelad's greatest weapons, and planned to use it on their capital, the city you all saw earlier. It was a type of cannon that harnesses the power of sunlight and could fire what it gathered." Prim Rose paused to point over to the direction of the gorge where they came from. "But the Kelads had a brilliant scientist working for them. And he created a weapon that would counter, and over power the ones the Thals stole. Both weapons were fired, but the collision caused great destruction to the planet, and caused all the winged-ones to disappear without a trace.
"Some say the winged-ones flew to the stars and watch down on us, hoping for peace one day" the first explanation was so light hearted it even caused Soleggiato to relax a bit. But Prim Rose's expression turned hard in a flash "Others claim the exploration did something to them... there were legends of statues of the winged-ones found in the waste lands, just standing there. But when no pony was looking, or in the blackest of nights when you can't see your hoof in front of your own muzzle, they strike! The statues move and when they touch you, you disappear! Never to be seen again!"
"Hey Doctor! That sounds like the weeping pegusi, didn't it?" Derpy said as she started passing out muffins she had from a huge basket.
"Derpy, where did you get all those muffins?!" Doctor asked as he watched all the Thal foals, elderly, and everypony in between line up and graciously took one, overjoyed with the wonderful taste.
"I had a feeling a giant basket of muffins might come in handy, so I pack one for every trip!" Derpy said with a smile as she handed one to Prim Rose.
The Thal leader looked at the muffin for a moment, unsure of what to make of it. She sniffed it for a moment, then stuck her tongue out on it and tasted the Carmel glazed outside. Her eyes went wide as her taste buds did a joyful back flip. The stoic leader became a filly again as she took a large bite of the 'muffin' and enjoyed every second it melted in her mouth. "It's... it's the greatest thing I've ever had..."
"Seeing what you have to stomach, I'm not supposed" Soleggiato commented then looked in the direction of metal city.
"The stars shine brightly on us tonight my tribe!" Prim Rose stood up and addressed all the Thouls present. "Not only has the legendary trio come to bring harmony to the planet Skaro once more! But the first winged-one to descend to us had brought us the greatest gift we have received in over 100 years!"
"A dessert you can eat for breakfast!" Derpy yelled out, causing the entire crowd to erupt into stomping applause and cheers.
As the Thals cheered and celebrated with Derpy around the camp fire, singing and performing their native dances, Doctor and Soleggiato looked through the trees and over at the metal city that remained dark in the night.
"We need to help them" Soleggiato said as he kept his eyes locked on the dark city.
"We have other matters to attend to" Doctor stated. "I presume by now you know that we're not who you thought we are, and all of this is real."
"Not even that crazy old wizard could create something as beautiful, as wonderful, and horrific as all of this." Soleggiato shot Doctor a half smile. "Besides, he hates Sci-fi."
"Good, now we have another matter to attend to" Doctor started to say.
"First we need to get into that city and speak to the Kaled leaders" Soleggiato interrupted.
"'We' have more important matters to deal with" Doctor put his hoof down, getting rather annoyed. "Your subjects, the ponies of the Crystal Empire, are in danger."
"My father can handle it" Soleggiato stated again, little to no worry in his voice. "He is at good health once more. Nopony can harm the Empire now."
"'Your father 'is' the reason for concern!" Doctor was starting to lose his patience, and would have said more if somepony hadn't popped up beside them.
"Is all well, friends?" Prim Rose appeared, then noticed where the two stallion's eyes had drifted to. "Ah, I see. Hard at work planning to bring our tribes to feather once more. I shouldn't have expected any less from the heroes of prophecy. But come! We celebrate tonight, then in the morning, we make peace with the Kelads!"
Watching the village chief run off and joint the others, Doctor waited until Soleggiato and he were alone to continue the conversation.
"If we don't act fast, the Crystal Empire will fall" Doctor stated, shoring Soleggiato a hard look. "Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"
"My father is a great king, a knight worthy of his place in the hall of greatness, and stands strong with the rest of the Crystal Guards" Soleggiato repeated himself. "The Empire will be fine. But these ponies, they need us to help set things right. I can't help but feel like we were brought here for a reason."
"We weren't" Doctor stomped his hoof. "It was all a mistake, the TARDIS has been acting up lately. This was all just a mistake. We need to focus on the ponies of Equestria! To those who should matter the most to 'you'. Their prince!"
Taking a deep breath and looking Doctor right in the eye, Soleggiato's green eyes never seemed more firm as emerald, yet passionate as fire. "Everypony matters, Doctor, not just the ones you see everyday, or the ones you live next door to. But everypony. I would think somepony such as yourself would know that, given your profession."
That shook the brown earth pony for a moment, softening hit tone. "Actually, I'm not a 'doctor', per say. I'm a scientist, not a physician."
"And for what purpose to you study 'Science'?" Now Soleggiato's tone and expression relaxed.
"Well... I just enjoy it. I enjoy studying and exploring things, discovering answers and means to reach end results them without the use of magic" Doctor started to explain his reasoning. Not a lot of ponies ever really talked to him, much less sat down and asked him such questions. Outside Derpy and Sunny, Doctor never really had 'friends'.
"It's funny, Doctor" Soleggiato continued as he looked from Doctor Whooves to the ponies around the campfire. "You seem to have a thirst for knowlage, and know so much, but your mind is a closed library. A fountain of knowledge that you wish to keep all to yourself and shut everypony out. If only you could see the good you could bring to others."
"That's what I'm trying to do" Doctor was now speaking though his teeth. "You think the Empire is safe and well, but according to a book I borrowed from the Canterlot royal library, the day I picked you up in my TARDIS was the day before it fell! We need to-"
"Shake your tail!!" Derpy jumped in and grabbed Doctor by the hips forcing him to now be the new lead in a conga line!
"W-what is the meaning of this! No! No! No! I don't dance!" Doctor began to protest, although his hoof and leg movements would suggest otherwise.
"Enjoy a dance or two, Doctor!" Soleggiato yelled over the crowd with a half grin as he watched the scientist pony continue to conga.
Hours seem to fly by before Doctor could get away from the dancing, the gracious hoof shaking, the curious foal or two, and of course the various ways the Thals seemed to prepare that foul smelling fruit! But when he did, Doctor noticed Soleggiato was passed out asleep, sleeping with his back against a large rock and one of the Thal's spears in his hooves. A blanket made of a large leaf was placed around him by one of the Thals themselves.
"That prince you travel with, he's an interesting one" Prim Rose appeared to be awake still even after most of the others were partied out.
"You have no idea" Doctor agreed and shook his head, annoyed that they were losing time. Despite having a machine that could 'theoretically' take you anywhen you want to go, Doctor had no idea if he could actually program it to take them back to the desired time to prevent the fall of the Crystal Empire.
"You are troubled?" Prom Rose asked, looking at Doctor with very concerned eyes. "Perhaps you should take a lesson from your mare friend over there..."
Looking over near the campfire site, Doctor was surprised to see Derpy asleep with several of the foals all cuddled around her, her wings doing their best to safely wrap them in close to her.
"She's truly amazing, isn't she?" Doctor smiled at the sight, never wanting to take his eyes off her. "Before today, I've never seen her go so far out of her way, try so hard and achieve such results for other ponies."
"She isn't as popular where 'you' come from?" Prom rose asked, a little shocked.
"Well... Derpy isn't the most fortunate when it comes to getting things done. She's a little, well, klutzy, and other ponies... they grow rather annoyed with her, really fast." Doctor began to explain, trying to be nice about his friend's tendencies.
"Really?! She seemed to do so well on her hooves when dancing, and she passed out those wonderful 'muffins' without dropping or crumbling any of them." The Thal village leader thought back to the party.
This forced Doctor to refresh the entire party in his mind. "You know... I think you're right."
"Do you think coming here might have done something to her?" Prom Rose suggested.
"Possible, maybe the change in climate, or the differance in gravitational pull between Skaro and it's moons could-" Doctor began to ramble on about possible theories before Prim Rose interrupted him.
"No, I mean, do you think getting away from where you are from, and coming here and being appreciated had anything to do with it?" The village leader clarified her statement.
"Oh?... no, not likely" Doctor flatly answered. "We've been on numerous trips before, from one end of the time stream to the next, but this one is the first that Derpy seems to be doing her best."
"I see" Prim Rose softly spoke, then turned and looked over at the sleeping yellow unicorn. "Do you think the Kelad prince you travel with had anything to do with it? One of my watchers told me he saw him speak with Derpy before she dove in to save my daughter."
"Did he?" Doctor turned his attention back to Soleggiato once again, watching him sleep, Doctor could see a big difference between who he is now, as opposed to who he will become when he starts his life in Ponyville. He seems so solid, so secluded and refined, like a sword. Back in Ponyville, Doctor took note that he was just a goof ball, fun loving, regular, care free stallion like most in town. Where did the change happen?
"He is an interesting Kelad, I must admit" Prim Rose added. "All the stories about them said they used magic to solve their problems, preferring their minds to their hooves. But not once has he used a single spell."
"Sunny doesn't use spells often" Doctor replied, then cracked a half smile. "But it was thanks to him that I have my TARDIS and can travel all of time and space."
"He helped you to do that?" Prom Rose was slightly astonished.
"He did indeed" Doctor proudly noted. "That's why I've come back to help him in the past. To prevent something terrible from happening. He's... he's my friend."
"Well, you have a great-" Prim Rose started to say with a smile but her expression turned grim as she looked up and saw that Soleggiato was no longer at his post! "Where did he go?"
Looking over, Doctor simply shrugged. "To the bathroom, maybe. He did consume a lot at the party."
"No! That's not good! There are all kinds of dangers in the jungle! Monsters that mutated after the war! They aren't safe!" Prom Rose's face turned several shades lighter with fear.
"We need to find him!" Doctor's expression turned slightly more urgent as he realized the danger.
"I'll wake up some of my watchers and trackers, they'll find your friend" Prim Rose started to say, but before she could do so, she ran into an awakened Derpy.
"Morning everypony" Derpy said with a smile. "What's for breakfast? Should I grab the second basket of muffins?"
"You have more?!" Prim Rose asked with a wide smile, temporarily forgetting about Soleggiato.
"Derpy, we need to hurry! Sunny went off into the jungle! He could get lost or eaten!" Doctor's voice awoke some of the Thal watchers and trackers for Prim Rose. Some woke up when they heard the words 'more' and 'muffins' spoken.
One of the trackers was already hard at work and found a set of hoof prints, male, starting from where Soleggiato was sleeping and leading into the forest. "I found his tracks! Let's hurry! They're still fresh!"
The group of Doctor, Derpy, Prim Rose, two frackers and three watchers all moves as swiftly as they could trough the wild jungle. It reminded Doctor and Derpy heavily of the Everfree forest back in Equestria, minus the cool old castle at it's heart or the wise shaman zebra. It didn't take the group long to find where the tracks lead to.
The group had followed Soleggiato's hoof tracks back to the gorge where they first found Rose Bud. Soleggiato's tracks lead to the gorge, disappeared as a large log was carefully placed, stretching over the gorge, reaching over to the other side. The hoof prints continued from there, leading towards the metal city of the Keldeks.
"I guess we have no choice, we have to go to the city" Doctor said, an annoyed since in his voice.
"Yeah! An adventure right in the morning! Good thing I packed more muffins!" Derpy said as she pulled out a smaller basket of muffins.
"We wish we could accompany you two, but the prophecy clearly stated that only the trio may enter the city without conflict. If we even accompanied you to the front doors, I fear we would begin another war" Prim Rose and the other Thals bowed and kneeled. "We wish you the best of luck on your journey. Our fates are in your hooves..."
"Ugh, right..." Doctor didn't know why, but he didn't like the feeling that the weight of a possible war rested with him. 'This is the kind of thing a princess could handle. I'm just a scientist. I rather be at home, inventing a new kind of screwdriver.'
"Don't worry! We'll get this all sorted out! Then we can all enjoy muffins in the morning, together!" Derpy proclaimed with glee, earning another cheer from the other Thals.
"Oh glory to the trio!" One Thal cried out with great bravado.
"GLORY TO THE TRIO!" The others repeated.
"Be safe on your quest, my friends" Prim Rose smiled at both Doctor and Derpy.
"We will, thank you!" Doctor replied hastily as he pulled on Derpy's tail, instructing her to hurry along. 'Ok, new plan. Get Sunny, force him back to the TARDIS, take him back, show him what happens to the Crystal Empire, help him save 'those' ponies. This war is not ours to fight, and to be honest, I can't stand war.'
Doctor and Derpy steadily made their way across the desert, hoping with all luck that Sunny was ok, not knowing that the watchful eye of an enemy tracked their every move....
In a dark room, somepony sat in a machanical wheel chair, the eyes the individual was born with were sealed shut, but one mechanical eye in the middle of their forehead remained wide and watched as two ponies moved across the screen before them. The big blue mechanical eye watched as the grey Pegasus and brown earth-pony traveled across the desert. The watchful eye took great interest in the brown earth-pony's cutie mark.
"Well well, it seems we meet again, Doctor..." the pony in the wheel chair said with spiteful glee. "You can change your muzzle but not your cutie mark. I'll finally have a chance to repay you for what you did to me and my children before..."
With the one free front hoof, the pony in a wheel chair slammed down a mechanical like appendage that replaced his organic hoof. The artificial appendage hit a button, bringing several blue glowing lights alive all around the disabled pony.
"We have a guest" the disabled pony stated. "Go and welcome him and his newest companions."
"WE OBAY!" Mechanized voices yelled as the blue lights moved and shadows shifted in the darkness.
The metal city from afar looked pretty easy to get into, just a simple wall that stood no more then a few yards high surrounded it, with no doors in sight, or sentries patrolling the walls. Only problem Soleggiato found out when he reached it, is if anypony or anything touched it, they would be hit with an electric shock that was coursing through the entire wall. The prince had never seen magic like this and was very curious to find out how it all worked. Little did he know that the actual source of the wall's defenses lied in a more scientific method then a magical one. The walls were not only lined with wires to produce an electric shock to keep out invading forces, but once a shock went off, it alerted the inhabitants of a possible intruder or pending attack.
"Excuse me! I wish to speak to the Kaleds!" Soleggiato called out as loudly as he could. "I am prince Soleggiato, son of King Sombra, and a Knight of the Crystal Empire of Equestria! I mean you no harm! I come here to speak in the Thal's behalf, in hopes to-"
"What do you think you are doing?!" A very annoyed Doctor Whooves called out as he and Derpy rejoined Soleggiato.
"Doctor? Derpy? What are you two-" the unicorn prince was interrupted once his two companions rejoined him and a sink whole opened up beneath them! Panicking, Derpy clung to Doctor for safety, preventing her from flying away, and all three fell into the pit.
What must have been a few hours later, the trio awoke and found themselves in a dark room.
"Ugh... my head..." Soleggiato moaned as he tried to get to his hooves.
"Where are we?" Derpy asked as she looked around in the dark.
"Could you please use some sort of spell to create illumination, Sun-, er, Soleggiato?" Doctor Whooves still sounded annoyed when w made his request.
Taking a deep breath, Soleggiato focused his magic and began to shine a bright glowing green light. The light spread as best it could though the area, showing that the trio had landed in a room completely made of metal rather then stone or wood. There were no lights around what so ever. And other then the room they were in, there were three hallways leading out.
"Maybe we should split up" Soleggiato stated, counting the hallways.
"B-but I'm scared of the dark!" Derpy's teeth began to chatter as she clung once more to Doctor.
"I think you've had enough bright ideas for one day, mister" Doctor began speaking to Soleggiato in a tone very few ever have.
"Excuse me?" The prince was insulted, arching his neck back, he looked down at Doctor with an annoyed look of his own.
"Running off like that? What were you thinking?! For all you knew, you could have been swallowed up by a giant monster in the jungle! Or fallen into quick sand! Or something!" Doctor started to say, his voice raising. Once the time traveler noticed how loud he had become, he cleared his throat, took a few deep breaths, and readjusted his tie before speaking once more. "We need to stick together. We came here together, we leave here together."
"You would prefer the latter of your statements happen sooner rather then later" Soleggiato spat at Doctor.
"What does he mean by that, Doctor?" Derpy pulled herself off of Doctor Whooves, shooting him a confused look.
Before Doctor could defend himself, Soleggiato jumped back in. "The good Doctor wanted to just up and leave the Thals and the Kelads to struggle on their own, saying how it 'had nothing do do with us'. Ah I right, Doctor?"
"What?! But Doctor, Prince Rose and the others are our friends! We can't just abandon them!" Derpy's eyes started to water lightly with the fear of hurting her new friends.
With Soleggiato's narrowing hard eyes and Derpy's sorrow filled gaze both chilling and breaking his heart, Doctor fumbled around his words, unable to speak. "W-w-well, you see, it's sort of... it isn't like... it was more... ugh! I can't take it anymore!
"Yes! I wanted to leave this planet and it's inhabitants to their own devices!" Doctor began yelling. "We have more important matters on our hooves then the rest of the universe to worry about! We need to just focus on helping 'our' own kind! The ponies back in Equestria! If we don't get back before tomorrow, the Crystal Empire will-"
"What do you care about the Crystal Empire, anyway?!" Soleggiato's words were cold, like the arctic area surrounding his home, as he took a step closer to Doctor. "You speak like you want to help others, to right wrongs, but I see right through you, Doctor. You don't really care about helping others. If you did, you'd see the ponies who needed us right now, the Thals and the Kelads. You'd know 'they' were in more need then the Empire, and you'd never stop until everypony were safe. Because everypony matters.
"That's why I left when I did" Soleggiato stepped away, breaking eye contact with Doctor. "I left to speak with the Kelads on my own. To see if they would work together and make pease with the Thals. I've accomplished more difficult negotiations before. I'm sure I could have won them over."
"Maybe you could have" a voice echoed off the metallic walls. Everypony held their breath and looked around, wondering where the source of the voice was. As they did, several lights built into the ceiling flashed on, temporarily blinding the trio. As their eyes adjusted, a flat screen began to descend from the ceiling. On it was a really old and sickly looking earth-pony. He had wrinkly skin that sagged heavily from his face, eyes that appeared sunken in and closed, with no mane atop his head or any sign that any ever did reside there. But what replaced a mane were several rods and wires that connected at his temples and the back of his head. The most haunting thing about the stallion was a glowing, electric blue, inorganic eye in the middle of his forehead. It never moved, but all three ponies felt it looking at them. "It's good to see you again, Doctor. Though you've changed your face once more, and your companions."
"Do I...know you?" Doctor asked as he looked at the pony in the screen. "I don't think we've ever met."
"We've met several times before, Doctor" the elderly pony replied with a deviant grin. "But it appears that you don't recognize me, or my home planet. Perhaps my children will refresh your memory..."
The stallion on the screen flipped a swish off screen, causing something still hidden in the darkness of the hallways to come to life. Blue lights flickered on and metallic voices began to gargle to life. "AWAITING ORDERS!"
Doctor, Derpy and Soleggiato watched as monsterous forms began to file out of the tunnels. The tunneled fitting their shape perfectly. The creatures had metal cylinder like bodies with odd orbs lining their bottom half. They were shaped much like very tall trash cans with a wider base. At what could be designated as their torso, in lue of hooves, claws or anything of the like, they had what appeared to be a plunger and possibly a weird looking whisk. Their heads were directly connected with their necks, but on their domed heads appeared to be another long rod with a odd looking bulb at the end, which gave off that oddly eerie blue light. Also atop their heads appeared to be two glass bulbs that lit up anytime they spoke. Nopony had seen anything like it before. They were possibly the most alien thing any of them had ever seen.
"Still not remembering them, Doctor?" The elderly stallion on the screen spoke. "No matter. What I have planned won't require your memory. And your lack there of might prove more useful. Now, Daleks, take the Kaled to the lab. I want to analyze him before we put him to work. As for the Doctor and his companion... hmmm, holding block C should have a lovely view of the forest where the Thals are hiding. Put them there so they can witness their demise!"
"Wait!" Soleggiato spoke up, catching the attention of the older looking stallion in the screen. "I don't know who you are, but the Thals are not your enemy! They just wish for peace. They want to put an end to the conflict. Please, hear them out..."
The elderly stallion paused and rubbed his chin with the metal appendage attached to his hoof. It's claw rubbing gently against his wrinkles. With a small smile, he answered. "Bring the yellow Kaled to my lab, I can't wait to experiment on him!
"As for the rest, okay my orders " the older stallion's smile grew, revealing his yellow teeth. "I want Doctor and his companion to witness the fall of an entire race. I can't wait to see the look on his muzzle when he realizes he's failed to save hundreds of ponies who believed in him. This time, Doctor, you lose!"
As the screen flickered off and began to recede back into the ceiling, some of the creatures the old stallion called 'Daleks' began forcing Soleggiato down the hallway. "COME WITH US! AND NO HARM WILL COME TO YOU!"
"What can a bunch of tin cans do?!" Soleggiato cried out as he reared his back legs, kicking one of the Daleks as hard as he could, sending it flying across the room, landing with a hard smash.
"RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!" Another one called out as it fired some sort of magical blast from it's whisk like appendage. As the beam hit Soleggiato, the yellow prince cried out in pain, his body tenses up and he hit the floor.
"What did you do to him?!" Derpy swooped in and took to Soleggiato's side, checking him over.
"PARALYZED HIS BODY! HE SHOULD NOT HAVE STRUGGLED!" The Dalek who fired the shot answered.
"STAND BACK OR YOU WILL ALSO BE SHOT" another Dalek told Derpy.
"I-I'm fine, Derpy" Soleggiato whispered painfully. "I-I think they want me for something... get the Doctor and get out. Warn the Thals. Please..."
"THERE IS NO ESCAPE!" A third Dalek stepped forward. "NOW MOVE! DAVROS IS WAITING!"
Two Daleks picked Soleggiato's numb body up with their plunger like appendages and began carrying him off. Leaving four Daleks behind.
"WE WILL RETRIEVE THE INJURED DALEK LATER!" Another Dalek addressed the other three. "WE WILL PREPARE THEIR CELL! KEEP AN EYE ON THEM UNTIL WE RETURN!"
"I OBEY!" One of the Daleks replied then turned around and kept a watchful eye on Doctor and Derpy.
When the two other metal creatures left, Derpy quickly turned to Doctor, fear and panic heavy in her voice. "What are we going to do, Doctor! They took Sunny!"
"There's not much we can do..." Doctor said with a sigh. "I'm... I'm no hero. I'm just a scientist. I couldn't even prevent the fall of the Crystal Empire with the power of time travel at my hooves... what made me even think I could do such a thing..."
"Because, Doctor" Derpy put a hoof on Doctor's shoulder. "You found out Sunny came from there and wanted to prevent something bad from happening to him. It was all for friendship."
"But... but it makes no sense!" Doctor huffed and broke away from Derpy. "Why?! Why would I do such a thing?! Why would I want to go out of my way to change Equestrian history?! Just for the sale of one pony?! And why do I feel so guilty for leaving the Thals?! For wanting to leave them behind? Why do Sunny's words still haunt me, echoing in my head! WHY DO I FEEL BAD!"
"Because he's your friend" Derpy plainly said, causing Doctor to turn to her. "And so are the Thals. They danced and sang with us, took us in and looked to us for hope. They needed our help, and Sunny wouldn't want to let them down. And you know, Doctor, if you left, 'that' Sunny would be sad. You don't want to do that to him, because he's your friend and you mean that much to him."
Looking at Derpy, Doctor swore she was looking at an entirely different pony then the mare he's known for so many years. She seemed so... so brilliant! Looking into her yellow eyes, Doctor saw something new. Something he had never seen before in her. Something you couldn't measure with any instrument or device. Something that couldn't be explained in words of any kind. Whatever it was, it mixed with all of SunnyMs words that were impressed inside Doctor's head and awoke something inside the scientist. That something told him that his friend needed his help.
"ENOUGH TALKING!" One of the Daleks left behind yelled as it began to take aim at Derpy with his whisk like appendage.
"Don't you touch her!" Doctor yelled out as he slid to the side of the Dalek, and mimicking Soleggiato's movements, kicked the metal creature at the same angle as the yellow unicorn. The Dalek wasn't sent flying into the wall like the one that was knocked over by Soleggiato, but the kick did manage to throw the creature off balance enough have it fall over, unable to get up.
"I HAVE BEEN ATTACKED! SEND MORE-" the Dalek began to call out for his companions, but right before it sent the message, it's head was crushed by the buns of steel that belonged to ponyville's mail mare. Her backside was strong enough to break steady wood without trying. With effort, she could crunch metal even as strong as steel.
"Great job Derpy!" Doctor said with glee. "Maybe we can take these machines apart and figure out how to-"
"Ugh... my head..." a non-metallic voice cried out from the first fallen Dalek that Soleggiato had kicked into a wall.
Derpy and Doctor rushed over to it and were shocked by what they saw! Beneath the cold and threatening alien exterior was a unicorn mare hooked up to some sort of helmet and some wires. She was bright pink with what appears to be a light blue mane, cut short.
"Please... can you get me out of here?" She spoke out in a weak tone.
"Hold on, we'll have you out in a sec..." Doctor told her as he and Derpy turned the Dalek shell around. The chest part that held the odd appendages on it had snapped right off and allowed the pony inside to break slightly free. After they pulled several more parts and wires off of her, Doctor and Derpy were able to free the unicorn mare from the wreckage. "I say, how did you get in there?!"
"Did the Dalek eat you?" Derpy asked curiously as she nudged the broken eye of the Dalek over with her hoof.
"No..." the mare could hardly stand, but did her best to speak. "It was... Davros."
"Davros..." Doctor repeated the name. "That older pony we just saw on the screen? 'He' did this to you?"
"He did this... to all of us" the mare explained as she looked over at the other fallen Dalek. "He put us in those 'things'. He claimed they would protect us from anything our planet could throw at us. Monsters, mutants, the Thals. Nothing could harm us. They were suppose to be the ultimate suit, used for exploring the planet and retrieving valuable materials. But what he didn't tell us, was he was actually turning us into his own army..."
"An army?... but for what?" Doctor padded his chin with his hoof as Derpy walked over to the other Dalek, smashed it's head with her backside, like she had the first one. Then she proceeded to pull another pony from it's chest cavity. Noticing this, Doctor moved immediately to aid her. This time, they pulled a light blue unicorn mare from the Dalek.
"I don't know..." the pink mare answered when she caught her breath and able to stand, though her legs were still wobbly. "I just know that when we went into his lab to be fitted for our battle suits, he did something that put us under his control."
"Doctor, he might try and do the same thing with Sunny!" Derpy gasped, putting her hooves to her cheeks.
"Then we have no time to lose" Doctor stated, then turned to the pink unicorn once again. "Do you know where his lab is?"
"It's down the middle hallway, take a left then go all the way down" the pink unicorn mare explained as she helped the light blue one to her hooves. "But there are guards! More Daleks! At least a dozen or so guarding it."
Taking a moment to examine one of the Daleks suits, Doctor's mind began to race with a number of different ideas. "Not to worry! I have a plan!"
Deep in Davors's lab, the mad scientist ordered his mechanical 'children' to lock Soleggiato down to a table at the center of the room. Unable to move meant very little struggling on the prince's end. But he still could slightly speak.
"W-why are you d-d-doing this?" The yellow unicorn asked as his eyes turned to view Davros stepping into the light.
"Why? Why you ask would I raise an unstoppable army of fearless creatures all following 'my' command?" Stepping out of the shadows, Soleggiato could hardly believe who it what he was looking at. The top half appeared to be what he saw on the screen a short while ago. A wrinkly old stallion with one large blue eye to replace the two that were shut, with wires stuck in his head, his left hoof hidden out of sight, and one ghastly metal claw on his right hoof that appeared to be controlling a keyboard before him. The lower half, however, appeared similar to the Dalek's own bodies. With the exception that it had a control panel with buttons and a directional nob. The mechanical claw moved the nob which commanded the lower half of the scientist. "Because, dear 'prince of the Crystal Empire' I can! I 'can' raise an army to concur all the universe! I 'can' make more Daleks to obey my command! And I 'can' spread my rule across the universe, and beyond!
"When I look out the window, I see a world that was almost destroyed by petty squabbles between single minded individuals" the mad stallion continued. "But with my help, all will be under a single mind, a singular ideal! A perfect universe! A universe ruled by me! A universe of Daleks!"
Struggling to break free, feeling returning to his body, Soleggiato forced his head in the direction of Davors. "Please stop this, Davors! You can still turn back, set things right!"
The plea caught the mad scientist's attention.
"I can see you care nothing for war or what it brings to the world you care about! I know how you feel! Trust me. But this isn't the way." Soleggiato continued, forcing his muscles in his face to make a smile. "If you let me go, we can work things out with the Thals and bring peace back to your world. They don't want to fight like this anymore! They want peace too! Please... let's make the future a better one..."
Davros paused and looked at the unicorn, something he had seen in himself once glimmered in the yellow stallion's eyes. What was it? Hope maybe? Yes. It was just that. Hope for peace. Hope for a better world. Hope for the wrench of a stallion he was trying to reach out to. But cracking a vile smile again, Davors began to chuckle, shattering the hope in Soleggiato's eyes.
"What a young fool you are!" Davors began to degrade the prince. "Even if I did want 'peace', which I never said I 'hated' war, my dream is simply to create a perfect universe! And the only way to do that is to have my Daleks rule it all! THIS IS MY LEGACY!"
"I'm so sorry you feel that way" an all too familiar voice to Dacors and Soleggiato chimed in as both turned to the source, who just so happen to be standing at the doorway. Standing at the only entrance to the room were Doctor and Derpy, standing with triumphant grins on their muzzles. "Seems like we just can't see eye to eye. Shame, because it looks like you only have one good eye anyway."
Teeth cleansing in outrage and anger, Davros slammed his metal claw on his control panel and yelled out orders to his Daleks. "SEIZE THEM! DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO STOP THEM! EXTERMINATE!"
"EXTERMINATE!" The Daleks began yelling out. "EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"
But as the mechanized monsters raised their whisk like appendages, they dropped down, along with their plunder and eye like appendages as well, a metallic sound of losing energy rang from every one of the Daleks.
Shocked and beside himself with panic, Davros looked to and from every one of his 'children'. "What have you done! What have you done to my creations of perfection?!"
"Weeeeeell, you see..." Doctor started to distract the mad scientist with his long explanation while Derpy snuck around and undid Soleggiato's restraints. "After taking a few of you 'children' down, I had a better look at the 'suits' you outfitted the Keldeks with to bend them to your every word. I noticed the helmet not only blocks out any individual thought and forced them to obey yours, but it also sucked the magical force from their horns. You were using their own magic to fuel their suite, but oh! That's not all! Far from it!
"On our way here I came across another room, a very interesting one" Doctor continued to distract Davros, allowing Soleggiato and Derpy to get to the captive Kaleds and release them from the Dalek suits. "In this room, I not only found the schematics to the Dalek suits, but also to your Factory where you were making them. I must admit, I was very impressed. You were harvesting the magical energies from the Kaleds you imprisoned in the Dalek suits to make more Dalek suits by transferring 15% or all their magical energy, through the floor, all the way to the factor's reactor! That's why all the city's made of metal! To act as a conductor!"
But the vile smile of Davros returned to his muzzle. Before saying anything, his mechanical claw quickly flipped a switch on his control panel. "Clever as always, Doctor. But not clever enough. It's true that 15% of the magical energy from the Dalek suits 'were' transferred into the Dalek factory, but something you didn't notice was an additional 10% was taken else where!
"I planned to take the Thals out at the rise of the morning sun and force you to watch it, but you have forced my hoof!" Davros continued, flipping another switch and pressing a few buttons. Another screen popped out of the ceiling, on it was another building in the metal city. The building's roof opened, and out of it emerged something that looked like a giant cannon with a metal flower at the end of it! "Behold, Doctor! This cannon has been aborning energy from all of my Daleks for months! And now it can fulfill it's destiny! AND DESTROY THE THALS ONCE AND FOR-"
But as Davros was about to conclude his rant, the giant cannon burst into a million pieces! Almost nothing remaining of it as the building beneath it collapsed.
"Sorry, so sorry" Doctor smugly replied with a yawn. "I actually was informed by one of the Kelads I rescued. She told me about your 'ultimate weapon' and how to easily disarm it. So while I worked on that, She and Derpy freed all the Daleks in the building. So no worries, no pony was harmed in the destruction of your plans."
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Davors's blue eye seemed to glare at Doctor and his sly grin. "Very clever, Doctor. Especially for not remembering me."
"Still hung up on that? Well don't worry! You'll have more to think about when you're answering for your crimes against your planet" Doctor's confident tone turned dark.
"Oh? How do you figure that?" Davros half grinned, but his smug look disappeared as he got a better look around.
All the Kelads who were once held prisoner in the Dalek suits had been released by Soleggiato and Derpy and had enough time of stretching their achy muscles, catch their breath, and gather their thoughts. Their thoughts mostly consisted of throwing the old stallion in chains and behind bars.
Stepping forward, a red mare with a golden blond mane glared at Davors with her bright blue eyes. "Davros! You are accused of crimes against pony kind including; enslavement, illegal experiments, and plotting to spread such madness beyond our home planet. How do you plead?"
With all eyes on him, Davros breathed heavily through his nostrils and examined. "Plead? No. I have just three words, dear commander. EMERGENCY TEMPORAL SHIFT!" Hitting another button on his control panel, Davros chucked as he turned into beams of bright golden light and vanished from the room entirely! Escaping his capture, for the moment.
"Where did he go?" Soleggiato asked as he looked all around.
"If what he stated was true..." Doctor sighed, feeling defeated. "Then he used a last resort technique. It basically takes you from one time and space and shifts you to another. It's uncontrollable and a a real gamble. But if you have no other option, it's favorable."
"Will he be back?" Derpy nervously asked, padding the area where Davors stood.
"Possibly. He didn't seem like the kind to give up easily" Doctor answered honestly, before turning to the released Kelads, and shooting them an honest smile. "But for now, the sun is up, and we would like to invite you to brunch, one with you neighbors who want to make amends."
It was amazing to say the least. Soleggiato watched as the two groups of Thals and Kaleds (earth-ponies and unicorns) came together and began celebrating a newly found truce. Who would have guessed that such peace could be made over a simple brunch. Well... to be fare, Soleggiato him self had done such a thing once or twice before. But what amazed the unicorn prince more then the peace made by a whole planet of extraterrestrial ponies, more then how many muffins Derpy not only brought but made on the TARDIS and fed every pony, but it was how social and friendly Doctor was being with everypony. He had not only lead the Thals an Kaleds in the brunch toast, but he personally went around and made sure there were no long lasting side effects from being trapped in Dalek suits.
Shaking his head and wearing a small grin, Soleggiato approached Doctor as he finished checking out another mare for any conditions she might have suffered from. "You're all good, miss. Just be sure to get some sleep tonight."
"Will do, Doctor" the mare said as she jumped up, gave him a hug, then rejoined a group who must have been her family.
"I must say, you really have changed in the hour or so I was gone" Soleggiato playfully nudged Doctor on the shoulder.
Chuckling lightly, Doctor ran a hoof of his though his mane. "Well, it took two really good friends of mine to realize that 'everypony is important'. It took one pony trying to drill it into my mind with a long, rather sappy, speech. Then it took seeing the change you brought out in my closest friend to realize it. So... thank you, Soleggiato."
Finally getting his name right almost made the prince tell doctor to call him 'Sunny'. Almost. "Well, Doctor, should we be off? Peace is established here, and I think they just finished carving a statue to honor us."
"Really?" Doctor looked around and was shocked to see two Thals hard at work with two more Kaleds to carve his, Derpy and Soleggiato's images into the side of a mountain. "I feel honored, but... a little..."
"Like it's too much?" Soleggiato finished Doctor's statement. "Part of the reason I don't stick around. I do the job, make sure everypony's ok, then head out. Remember, mister hero with a magical box, never do it for the fame. Do it because it's right."
"In doing the right thing, you turn a stranger into somepony, and that somepony into a friend" Doctor stated then looked to Soleggiato. "I bet you have a whole bunch of friends from your many adventures. Even if you don't know it yet. A lot who owe you-"
"I don't do 'friends', Doctor" Soleggiato interrupted possibly another long speech, his expression completely deadpan. "It's time to go. Why don't you get Derpy? I'll wait in the, ugh, TARDIS, was it?"
"Right, TARDIS..." Doctor replied, his smile faded as he watched Soleggiato walk into the time machine. When the yellow prince was out of sight, Doctor looked over and saw Derpy playing with the foals some sort of game with ribbons made from thin and long jungle leaves. "Derpy! It's time! We have to hurry!"
As Derpy jumped up and rejoined Doctor by his side, Prim Rose and the red Keldeks mare from before met up with them.
"We don't know how to thank you three enough" Prim Rose spoke up first, her smile stretching from ear to ear.
"Thanks to you three, maybe we can get our planet back on track and build a better future, for everypony." The red mare with a golden mane smiled and bowed.
"We were glad to help" Derpy smiled at the both of them, then passed them a sheet of paper. "Here's the recipe for my favorite kind of muffins! I know you guys'll like them, when you are able to grow the ingredients, I mean."
"Thank you again, winged-one" Prim Rose took the paper and held it tightly.
"We'll make them every day in your honor!" The red mare noted.
"Hey Doctor!" Soleggiato stuck his head out of the TARDIS, a panicked expression on his muzzle. "I think we have a problem! This thing's going crazy!"
Just as he said that, the TARDIS started to make it's usual take off 'whooshing' noises, indicating it was ready to go! With or without the two aboard!
"Gotta go!" Derpy said as she jumped it out the big blue box.
"Or as I like to say, Allons-y!" Doctor yelled out as he waved to the Kaleds and Thals.
He had barely made in back into the TARDIS when it began to vanish and enter into the time stream once more.
"What's going on?!" Doctor yelled out as the entire ship began rocking back and forth. Derpy was spinning around on a wheelie chair, a smile spread wide across her face a saw spun around and around, enjoying the chaos of the situation. Meanwhile Soleggiato's eyes were locked into the main screen, his jaw dropped and hooves locked tightly around the control panel.
Moving as best he could across the rocking TARDIS bay, Doctor eventually made his way to the monitor and saw what Soleggiato was looking at with such dismay. On the screen appeared to be an image of the Crystal Empire, but the once lush green felled were dry and barren, the sky's were brown instead of their clear blue, and the once glimmering castle that shunned like a diamond of Equestria was not a monolith of an obsidian castle!
"How... how could this... what happened..." Soleggiato muttered more to himself then to Doctor.
"I'm sorry... I tried to tell you" Doctor started to say, his voice very weak. But before he could say much more, the TARDIS landed hard wherever it was going.
"Where are we now?" Derpy asked as she hung from one of the sideways pillars of the structure.
Rushing to look outside, Soleggiato narrowed his eyes and peered through one of the TARDIS's windows. His breathing began to pick up as his heart began to race. "Home."
"Home? Do you mean?..." Doctor started to say, but was interrupted when Soleggiato grabbed him by his tie.
"Doctor, tell me, with all the rooms you have in this thing, that in at least one of them, you have a suit of armor" the yellow unicorn's expression was more serious and more fierce then Doctor had ever seen before, past or present.
Shaken and slightly afraid of the prince's wrath, Doctor thought quickly and remembered he did stock up on several different centuries of clothing, including a suit of armor from the Crystal Empire. "D-down the hall and to the left. There's a closet with-"
Before Doctor could explain further, Soleggiato teleported in a green flash out of sight only to reappear down the hall where Doctor directed him. Grabbing and tearing various articles of clothing from their hangers and onto the floor in a fashion that would have made Rarity faint, Soleggiato eventually dug his way though to the desired suit of armor. It was a basic guard's armor, but one from the Crystal Empire. The prince would have preferred his favored Black Knight armor, but he left that in his secret bedroom in the castle.
Teleporting back to the deck of the TARDIS, Soleggiato paused and saluted Doctor and Derpy before reaching for the front door. He paused once more as he cracked the door open and turned his head slightly so the duo appeared just out of his peripheral vision. "I'm sorry.... I should have listened.... this is my fight now. You two get out of here to someplace safe."
"But Sunny, we're-" Derpy started to say, but the armor clad prince ran out of the TARDIS and down the dirt road that would inevitable lead him back to the Crystal Empire Castle. Derpy's ears and head sunk as Soleggiato vanished from her sight. "... we're friends..."
Seeing Derpy so down filled Doctor Whooves with a fire that began to grow. He wasn't about to let his friend take such a challenge on all by himself. "We're not done yet, Derpy!"
Doctor ran over to the control panel to the TARDIS and began punching in new coordinates. "We could theoretically go back just a little bit before we arrived the first time and meet the King himself, maybe talk with him of this future, and change his-"
The TARDIS began acting up on it's own again. This time trashing the two travalars inside it around even more violently then ever before! The glowing green spiral engine at it's center began to move faster and faster, its green glow starting to change color, almost to a bright goldish-white! When the two thought that things couldn't get any worse, it suddenly stopped to a halt. But rather then the two slamming down suddenly, it was like they both were safely floated down to the ground.
Taking a few moments to catch their breath, Doctor and Derpy looked each other, making sure no hard had come to one another before taking a look at themselves. Before either of them could say or do anything else, there were several knocks on the door. Both ponies held their breaths as their eyes fell upon the door, worried as to what could be just beyond it.
After a second series of knocks, an elderly stallion spoke up, his voice seeping through the cracks of the TARDIS's front door. "You two are late! Hurry up, will you? We mustn't keep the others waiting."
Doctor and Derpy just stared at the door for a moment, unsure if they should answer it, just speak through the door, or pretend that they weren't home. Looking over at the monitor, Doctor cringed at the fact that it was black. Either the power to the TARDIS was low and surviving off it's backup power, or something was interfering with it.
"Are you going to come out?" The elderly voice called out again. "We may have time machines, but we don't have all the time in the universe."
"What's taking them so long?" A secondary voice asked, this one also sounding elderly and male in tone.
"Perhaps we should offer them some jelly beans" a third voice ran in, this one male as well, but sounding slightly younger.
"For Pete sakes! We don't have time to play around!" An even older voice then the first two spoke up, sounding more gruff then the others. His voice was followed by several loud knocks. "Come on out Doctor, and any companions he may have! We need to get things underway!"
"We have jelly beans and love to share!" The third voice spoke up again.
"I don't know if we should-" Doctor spoke in a quiet tone to Derpy while staring at the door. But as he turned to face her, Doctor quickly realized she was gone! Knowing there was only one way in or out of the TARDIS, Doctor looked to the door to see Derpy opening it with a huge smile on her muzzle.
"I'd love some jelly beans, mister!" The grey mare sad with a wide smile.
Standing at the TARDIS's front door where four stallions, all varying in ages by a decade or two it seemed.
"See? Sincerity is rewarded" a stallion commented as a stepped into the TARDIS. He was an odd looking stallion to say the least. Atop his head he wore some sort of hat over a large amount of messy, curly dark brown hair. Around his cream colored body was a large brown trench coat, but what surprised Doctor Whooves the most was an extremely long scarf that strongly resembled one he wore to Cranky and Matilda's wedding. The stallion in question just smiled and offered a paper bag out to Derpy. "Have a few, I find they calm them nerves."
"Thanks mister!" Derpy said as he dug her hoof into the bag, grabbing as many as she could with one hoof.
Three more stallions walked inside, but rather then be amazed at the TARDIS and how it defied all laws of time and space, not just by being a time machine, but also being bigger on the inside then the outside, they simply looked around until their eyes fell open the box's owner. When they found him, three of the four smiled, the eldest looking one just sighed and walked over to him.
"We don't have time to lay around like a foal on the weekend" the scruff stallion huffed, grabbing Doctor by his front right leg and lifting him up to his hooves. This elderly stallion had many wrinkles, specifically under his eyes. Most of his face was covered up by short muzzle hair that formed a small mustache goatee. His clothes seemed ragged and burned, almost as if they had seen battle, and not the good end of one. But his eyes were what really shook Doctor Whooves. Looking into them, Doctor saw so much pain, so much sorrow. "Come on then! Quit lying about."
"There's no need to be so rough with the lad, WAR" one of the other elderly stallions said with a slight chuckle as he stepped further into the TARDIS. "We may be on a time limit, but let's not lose our manners over it. I'm sure he'll come along willingly once we tell him who we are. He is a curious one, after all."
After releasing Doctor Whooves from his grip, the stallion known as 'WAR' shook his head and walked over to rejoin the group. "We don't have the time for luxuries such as 'manners', ONE. We need to get going. My dimension is in the middle of a war! I know yours is at peace now, but-"
"But time doesn't pass here the same it does where we come from" the final stallion standing at the front door to the TARDIS spoke up. He appeared to be dressed in very formal wear, with a light green coat of fur showing through at the hooves and on his face, with a thick whitish-grey, curly mane on top of his head. Unlike ONE, he appeared to be less relaxed, but not quite as uptight as WAR. "But let's get a move on. I do have things I need to tend to."
"Wait just one moment!" Doctor Whooves finally asked as his head darted from one stallion to the next, a small part of his mind thinking that he had seen them somewhere before. "Who in Celestia's name are you gentlecolts?!"
"Come with us and we'll explain everything" the unnamed one wearing a scarf said as WAR, ONE, and the formally dressed one stepped out of the TARDIS.
Derpy turned to Doctor and smiled, remains of jelly bean in her teeth when she shot him a carefree smile. "I like that one with the candy. Should we go after them?"
Thinking about it for a quick second, Doctor nodded and began to walk through the TARDIS's doors. Something was defiantly going on. Something big. And he wanted to know what. As Doctor stepped out of his TARDIS and looked around, he wasn't fully surprised that they had landed somewhere not of Equestria. He and Derpy had visited other planets before. Seen while planets made of ice, magma, even diamond! But something was off about this place.
The TARDIS appeared to have landed on some asteroid deep in outer space. The asteroid had a rocky trail leading to another asteroid where it appeared other ponies have gathered. The group of four stallions began to rejoin them walking safely on the trail. As Doctor and Derpy began to follow suite, Derpy's wondering eyes couldn't help but notice something peculiar. She was about to say something when the poor mare tripped over her own hooves and fell. But rather then falling off the asteroid trail, the grey mare began to float in the air!
"Wheeeee!" Derpy began to scream out as she began spinning around in circles, doing cart wheels and spins without using her wings! "Doctor you should try this!"
"Derpy?! Get down from there! It's dangerous!" Doctor called out as he began running after his friend and traveling companion.
"Oh, no worries!" Another stallion sitting in a white chair called out from the circle of ponies. This one wasn't one of the four who Doctor had met previously. This one had on a white suit and Sunday hat. His coat was a light green, and his mane was thin, short and black. Unlike the others, this one appeared rather portly, but around the same age as the one wearing the scarf. Doctor noticed on his cane, both sides of his shirt's collar and ontop of his hat were red question marks. "The gravity here is just very weak, but not so weak that she'll fly away. She'll be joining us fairly soon. In the mean time, care for some tea?"
Pausing for a moment, Doctor began looking around at all the ponies, each of them appeared radically different, but there was something similar about them all, something Doctor couldn't quite point out. It was something that appeared to be staring him right in the face. As the time lord began to grow more frustrated with his confusion, his best friend fell on top of him, landing with her backside on his back. While Doctor fell to the ground, his lungs pushing out the rest of the air they held, Derpy happily sat there unaware that she had once again, used Doctor to cushion her fall.
"Doctor? Where are you?" Derpy asked as she nervously looked around.
"Down... here..." a faint voice called from below.
As she looked down, Derpy smiled as she found her best friend was just safely resting on the ground, as she often found Doctor doing. But he must have been bad at resting, every time she found him like that, he always appeared tired, slightly red, and out of breath. "Doctor, you won't believe it! There are more blue boxes!"
As he was helped to his hooves, Doctor began dusting himself off then looked to his friend. "What do you...."
But Doctor didn't need to finish asking his question. Ignoring all the ponies who had gathered on the asteroid, Doctor's jaw dropped when he saw what stood just slightly behind each of them. A TARDIS. Or rather 10 of them! Ten TARDISes! But how was that possible?!
"Looks like almost everypony is here" a slightly younger stallion spoke up. Younger and slightly more edgy in appearance with the others, this stallion had his mane cut short, his coat appeared to be a rougher navy blue, and rather then a suit, this stallion wore a leather jacket.
"Yes, it appears so" ONE spoke again, clearing his throat. "We were expecting maybe one or two more, but they may come in a little later."
"We should get started" WAR chinned in. "We can bring the others up to speed later."
"Alright, this second meeting of the Doctors has thus come to order" ONE declared, smiling at everypony around.
"Meeting... of doctors?" Doctor Whooves repeated ONE's words, still confused.
"Let me explain" the leather jacket wearing stallion spoke up. "I'm sure a smart fellow like yourself understands the 'muti-verse theory'."
"The theory that multiple universes exist where some differences separate one from the other? Like the result of choosing one thing over the other?" Doctor Whooves replied, almost repeating word for word what he read in a text book he borrowed from Twilight.
"Exactly, well. Well, sort of" the blue stallion continued. "There are an infinite amount of possibilities for universes. One where I put sugar in my tea, one where I didn't, one where I put sugar and cream, and so on and so on.
"Well, we are all especially 'you'" the rough blue stallion continued. "Or 'you' are 'us' whichever way you like it. It really doesn't matter. The point is, the time lines are in trouble. And it's our job, as Time Lords, to fix it."
"The time lines?! Up to us? Why us?... and... and..." Doctor Whooves felt light headed and was about to fall flat on his back side when a pair of hooves held him up.
Looking over his shoulder, Doctor followed the hooves holding him up a pair of front legs leading to a face that seemed slightly familiar but different. His muzzle was gifted with a rather large chin, smaller eyes, and a mane that seemed to budge forward and to the left. But the most interesting thing about his muzzle was his small but child like smile. It slightly reminded Doctor of Derpy with her rather innocent approach to things.
"Got cha" the stallion said as he helped Doctor Whooves steady himself.
"Ah, ELEVEN! I'm glad you could make it!" The scarf wearing one cheered.
"Glad to be here, FOUR" ELEVEN replied, still smiling as he seemed to wiggle over to the scarf wearing FOUR. "Still got some custard flavored jelly beans?"
"Picked some more up, just for you" FOUR smiled as he pulled a smaller paper bag out of another pocket and tossed them to ELEVEN.
"Did I ever tell you that really long scarfs are cool?" ELEVEN caught the bag and took a seat next to Doctor Whooves and Derpy. After having a few of the jelly beans himself, ELEVEN noticed Derpy eyeing his bag of candy and offered her some.
"So let me get this strait...." Doctor Whooves began taking deep breaths. "You all... are different versions of me?"
"Fascinating, isn't it?" ONE chuckled again.
"And the names? ONE? FOUR? ELEVEN?" Doctor asked, noticing it couldn't have anything to do with their age, FOUR looked younger then ONE but older then ELEVEN.
"It's just the order in which we arrived here in this pocket universe" FOUR answered this time. "Otherwise we'd all just be called 'Doctor', 'Doctor Whooves', 'Profeccor Whooves' and all the like. That could get quite confusing. I was the fourth to arrive in 'my' TARDIS, so that makes me FOUR."
"I'm NINE" the blue stallion in the leather jacket spoke up, shooting Doctor a half smile and a nod.
"I'm THREE" the well dressed stallion with the curly white mane and green coat from before spoke up.
"I'm SEVEN, pleasure to meet you" the other well dressed portly pony spoke up, appearing more cheerful then both NINE and THREE.
"I'm TWO" a light turquoise colored pony with a thin black mane called out next. He wore what appeared to be a dress shirt hidden beneath a tailed jacket and a pair of plaid dress pants. And Doctor wasn't 100% sure, but he swore he saw some sort of flute like instrument in the pocket of his jacket.
"I'm FIVE, it's a pleasure" another well dressed stallion in a cream colored suit spoke up. Unlike the rest of the Doctors, FIVE appeared to be the youngest. His mane was golden in color, which complemented his light orange coat and brought out the gold accents on his suit.
"I'm who they call SIX" a slightly older stallion then FIVE, but younger then FOUR, introduced himself. His outfit, unlike the rest of the Doctors, wasn't much of a dress suit. Well, at least not one Doctor Whooves had ever seen. It appeared to be made up of all different kind of materials patched together. Like SEVEN he had question marks on the flaps of his shirt collar. But what Doctor found most odd about SIX was the piece of celery that was pinned to his jacket. Noticing this, SIX smiled and patted the vegetable. "Half of us have a rare condition that we can't have some pain killers, it's poison to us. So I like to keep a stock of celery on me. It's the only cure for the poisoning, you know."
"Interesting..." Doctor noted then continued to look around the room.
"I'm EIGHT" a thinner looking stallion smiled and nodded to Doctor. His long curly mane bounced slightly as he nodded. His coat was a slightly bleached shade of maroon, but not quite red.
"And im sure you pieces together that I'm called 'WAR', what with these colts calling it out every two seconds" the scruffiest, least civil stallion spoke up, his eyes weighing on Doctor. "As for why I'm called that instead of a number, that's not important right now."
"And you, my dear boy, are now TEN" ONE stated as he smiled over at Doctor Whooves.
"And of course, that makes me ELEVEN" the stallion who caught TEN earlier and was now sharing custard jelly beans with Derpy smiled and waved his hoof. Doctor took a second look at ELEVEN, noticing the only differences between him and the rather cheerful ELEVEN appeared to be some slightly different facial structures, a different mane style, and a tone or two difference in their coats. "So, I take it we all weren't brought here in our Big Blue boxes just to play a game of hoof ball? But if we are, I just got this lovely new ball from the Sontarans. They thought it was some immortal doomsday weapon, but it turned out to be the galaxies' most indestructible rubber ball!"
Raising a brow at ELEVEN, the Doctor Whooves that at this meeting and amongst the other Doctors will be known as TEN, couldn't help but think this Doctor was a bit... off his rocker. But looking from him to Derpy, 'she' seemed to trust him. So TEN figured he should give him a chance.
"How I wish that were the case. But I'm afraid we have a more urgent matter to attend to " ONE declared, stomping his hoof to gather everypony's attention. "Now the last time we met, or rather five of us, we were gathered by the same individual, know as Star-Swirl the bearded, to prevent a collapse of multiple universes. Now even more of us are summoned to do the same. But this time it's far worse then collapsing universes, I'm afraid."
"This time, we have a matter more close to the rest of us then the previous one..." ONE nodded, signaling FIVE and NINE to go ahead and bring something in. The something appeared to be a large ball, like a crystal ball that could be found in the possession of a carnival fortune teller. Once the orb was gently placed in the center of the group, random images began to swirl around inside, unable to focus on one individual picture. "A certain ancient threat, one that all the universes share, is storing, trying to break free. And it threatens to engulf all of existence."
Placing his hoof on the orb, NINE looked to the group, his sly expression turned forlorn. "In my universe, unless something is changed, the world of Equestria falls to darkness..."
The orb, reading NINE's touch, begins to focus itself on images relating to him and his world. Shifting shadows appear all around the orb. Faint lights like burneing red coals appear every now and again, but disappear once their owners lose interest. But nothing else could be seen. No sun nor moon, no sky or earth. No life of any kind other then the creatures. Just darkness.
"... I was the only one to escape..." NINE said, his voice a little shaken as he is haunted by the memories of the screaming ponies as the creatures of darkness captured them.
"I'm... in so sorry..." TEN spoke up, his eyes glued to NINE, seeing the pain and loss in his face, TEN didn't think 'that's how I would look if 'I' lost it all', but more 'he's lost everypony. All his friends, family, his home.... what pain is sown into his eyes.'
"You're lucky" WAR spoke up, earning the glare from every other Doctor as well as Derpy in the room.
"Lucky?" NINE repeated the word as if it was a curse. "You think I'm 'lucky'?! Lucky to have everything I've ever known swallowed up by darkness?! By those monsters?!"
"You're lucky in the since that they didn't have much of a fight" WAR snapped back, narrowing his eyes on NINE. "I've suffered a worse loss then that. Yes, you lost it all, but so have I..."
Pausing to gather his thoughts and stroke his small goatee, summoning haunting memories of his past to him, from the farthest reaches of his mind. "The ponies of 'my' Equestria were well advanced in technology, combining it with magic much like how we acquired our individual TARDISes...But nothing could stop those monsters, those shadow beasts.
"Once they were freed, my ponies fought hard with no fear. It almost looked like they could win, but then 'HE' showed up! That vile prince theirs! Casting an eclipse to give them power! Strengthening the shadows!... we never stood a chance even with fearless hearts..."
"Hold up one moment" TEN spoke up. "Who are these 'monsters' you all are speaking of?"
Taking a deep breath and focusing his thoughts on the moment he had come face to face with one, NINE used the Crystal orb to reveal to TEN and ELEVEN the enemy they too would soon face. The darkness on the orb swirls around and collected, taking form of what looked to be a very tall pony, but as the image cleared, a monsterous creature was revealed. It's body appeared to be made of smoke, its teeth stood at the far edge of it's mouth, twisted wings resided on it's back, and glowing red eyes hid in the back of it's sunken eye sockets. The Beast on the orb screamed a horrible cry as it arched to it's back legs.
"These" NINE stared at the beast that stole everything from him. "These are the Umbrum."
"Umbrum..." Doctor repeated the word. "A friend of mine told me a tale his father told him in his youth about the Umbrum. I thought it was just some old pony's tale. Something to inspire courage in foals to not be afraid of the dark."
"I'm afraid they are very real" FOUR stated as he popped a few jelly beans into his own mouth, then offered some to NINE, who happily took a few. "ONE, TWO, THREE, FIVE and myself were lucky to save our universes all at once."
"Some of us even avoided confrontation all together from working with various companions and friends" SEVEN stated, nodding to SIX and EIGHT.
"But unfortunately for WAR and I" NINE tore his eyes off of TEN and looked back to the orb that started to change once more. The Umbrum image smiled maliciously as it held in it's hooves what appeared to be the world that Equestria resides on.the umbrum opened it's vile mouth, and with one large bite, swallowed it whole. "We weren't so lucky..."
"Which is why we gathered here" ONE spoke again, collecting everypony's attention. "We need to prevent what happened in NINE and WAR's universes from reoccurring in yours."
"Wait, but can't you guys just travel back in time and stop those creepy ponies from eating the world?" Derpy spoke up, not fully understanding the imagery presented, but still making a very valid point.
"Such innocent thoughts" WAR stated, shaking his head. "Fixed points in time cannot be changed. Some things about the past are meant to happen, even if we do go back and change a thing or two, what was meant to be, was meant to be."
"WAR here tried to take on the prince alone" FOUR spoke up. "Using the most powerful technology he had at his disposal."
"But that did no good, did it?" NINE huffed. "You just angered the prince's mother. Then fire rained from the skies as the umbrum continued their attack."
"If I had done nothing, the prince would still have cast the world into darkness!" WAR shot up, stomping his hooves. "He's the worst of them all! That horrid prince of theirs! Tricking the ponies of Equestria then using them as slaves! Why, if I had another chance-!"
"Who is the prince?" TEN interrupted, hoping to prevent a fight. "Sunny never mentioned a prince Umbrum."
"Sunny?" ONE said under his breath, raising a brow at TEN.
"A good friend of mine" Doctor said with a smile. "We've been on quite a few adventures together now. From camping, birthday parties, to discovering monsters and freeing an entire world from the clutches of a mad pony bent on concurring the galaxy."
"Let me guess, Davros?" SEVEN spoke up with a light chuckle, several other doctors also laughed lightly.
Raising a brow, TEN turned his focus on SEVEN. "Yes... how did you know?"
"Oh, we've all had the unpleasant experience of dealing with him and his 'Daleks'" TWO spoke up this time. "He keeps trying to make them better each time we see him, but there's only so much one can do to a tin can, a whisk, and a plunger."
"Yes, quite" ONE nodded as TWO chuckled to himself.
"I still think it's funny that he thinks we can 'regenerate'" FOUR admitted with a laugh. "Something about changing our muzzles, ages and what not. Poor fellow's been cooped up in the lab for too long."
"If that were the only thing wrong with him" TEN stated, thinking how Davros appeared to be half machine himself, even with a creepy big blue eye in the middle of his head.
"I just feel bad for the pones trapped inside those things" EIGHT spoke up for the first time this entire meeting.
"Don't worry, dear boy" ONE sighed as he looked to the orb at the center of the room. "One day we'll find a way to free them."
A force of unknown origins compelled TEN to step forward and touch the orb, concentrating hard on the adventure he, Soleggiato and Derpy just had. "Maybe 'we' already did."
Images of the planet Skaro appeared on the orb. Pictures of the Thals, the wild jungle, of Derpy saving the filly, of the celebratory party, of Prim Rose. Then an image flashed of Prince Soleggiato, somehow capturing the full attention from everypony in the room. But TEN remained focused on the adventure. ShowIng everypony Soleggiato fighting valently to free the Kelads, how Doctor and Derpy pushed and were able to free them from their Dalek suits, as one final image from before Soleggiato was taken. A memory that caused the orb to glow gold;
"Everypony matters, Doctor, not just the ones you see everyday, or the ones you live next door to. But everypony. I would think somepony such as yourself would know that, given your profession....You'd know 'they' were in more need then the Empire, and you'd never stop until everypony were safe. Because everypony matters..."
The fire in the prince's eyes showed not only passion for his cause, but a burning desire to protect and defend. Something that sparked something deep inside TEN, inside Doctor Whooves.
"Truly inspiriting words" WAR was the first to speak up, but a hint of bitterness lingered in his tone. "But that's all they are. Words. And we need action. As Time Lords, we are given the responsibility to uphold the balance of time and space. This, Sunny, as you call him, you can not trust him."
Taking his hoof off of the orb, TEN looked to all the other doctors and began to speak from the heart. "I don't know about the rest of you, but almost all my life I've been alone. I was different then the other ponies I grew up with. Where they all wanted to be magicians, princesses, knight, things that involved Magic, I chose another path. One of science. My odd ideas and calculating abilities left me alone, most ponies thought I was just too weird, say for my best friend Derpy. But outside us I thought friends were pointless. Then this pony, Soleggiato Cavelere, or Sunny Knight as he calls himself later, showed me the strength of friendship and taught me that everypony is important. I learned not to shut others out, and that I don't have to just rely on myself to get things done. I have friends to rely on. And I will do just that. And we will save our world."
"You're making a mistake" WAR said, narrowing his eyes on the image of Soleggiato on the orb. "He's the son of King Sombra, he cannot be trusted!"
"And what was he to you, WAR?" TEN snapped. "Was he a friend? An enemy? What was he to you before all that happened? Did you even bother to get to know him? To know that he likes telling scary stories? Or he likes sharing snacks with friends? Or that his favorite type of ice cream is strawberry? And that he always likes sprinkles on it? Did you know he goes out of his way to help everypony he can? That he struggles to do jobs meant for ponies twice his size, but he never gives up? And not only is able to get it done, but when he is though, he looks back on his work with a smile on his face. Pleased and contempt with an honest day's job?!"
WAR remained silent but never took his eyes off of TEN.
"Without him I would never have been able to bring my TARDIS to life" TEN continued to speak, Derpy and the other Doctors watched in awe of his loyalty, devotion and admiration to his friend. "I traveled back in time to stop his father from casting that spell and sealing Sunny away for 1000 years, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. A fixed point. And I've seen the possible future of Equestria, my universe. It's a desolate place filled with the statues of it's inhabitants who tried to defend it, including Sunny!
"But we will not let this come to pass!" TEN stomped his hoof down as hard as he could. "I believe in our friends, I believe in myself, and I believe in Sunny!"
There was a long pause as TEN looked WAR in the eye. But slowly a riot of hoof stomps began to break out as the other Doctors began applauding TEN, ONE, NINE and ELEVEN stomped the hardest, or so it seemed.
"Brilliant speech!" ELEVEN complemented TEN as he jumped up and began to slink away. "This all has been very interesting, but I think I know now what I need to do. So until we meet again, GERONIMO!"
With that, every doctor say for TEN watched as ELEVEN hopped back into his own TARDIS and started it up. The big blue box began to make it's usual whooshing noise as it began to disappear.
Once it was a half way gone, TEN and Derpy slipped away inside their own TARDIS without anypony noticing. Once ELEVEN was fully gone, TEN stuck his was out of the TARDIS and smiled at the rest of the Doctors. "I guess it's time to save the world! Allons-y!"
With that final farewell, Doctor shut the front door and ran over to the control panel. After inputting the coordinates to bring them home, he smiled over at Derpy, a new shine in his eyes as he told her "Hold on tight!"
As TEN's TARDIS began to make it's whooshing noise and began to vanish, the image of Sunny on the Apple farm appeared on the orb. He was playing some sort of game with Applejack, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom while Granny watched from the porch. WAR could hardly believe such a wonderful world existed and thought he might enjoy a trip there one of these days.
It was a rather productive day on Sweet Apple Acres as Sunny relaxed in his room for a bit, reading up on some of Applejack's past adventures in 'the Elements of Harmony; a reference guide and then some' book. It was just about dinner time when he put the book down and looked up at the ceiling, thinking about his dream from last night.
He had begun to worry that the incident with the changelings would leave him with nothing but nightmares, but it appeared that was not the case. Once again, Sunny had one of his favorite dreams. It was of him and Applejack, laying on a checkerboard blanket in one of the open fields on the farm. But it was slightly different this time. This time rather then looking up at the stars or the clouds, they were enjoying the sight of a solar eclipse. One that Sunny himself had caused. The former prince of the Crystal Empire had just had a dream where he opened up more to Applejack and showed her how he got his cutie mark, and she wasn't freaked out by it! He possibly had Cadence to thank for such a wonderful dream.
While he got up and put the book back on his desk, Sunny thought about actually coming clean with Applejack and her family about who he was. But as he tossed on the idea around in his head, his eyes tracked over to the crude figure he was carving of his father. Then the part of the 'elements of harmony' book about his father and the empire flashed in his mind.
'They might except me...' the yellow unicorn thought. 'But would they treat me differently?.... would I stop being 'Sunny' to them and start being 'the son of the evil king?'
"Worried there, prince Soleggiato?" A deviant chuckle began to erupt from all around the yellow unicorn. A voice that Sunny was by now familiar with.
"A little late in the day for you to be causing trouble, isn't it, Discord?" Sunny asked out loud, his monotone voice was kept just quiet enough to not alert anypony else in the house of the conversation. Hopefully Discord would do the same.
At the mentioning of his name, Discord appeared, wearing a straw hat and a pair of overalls, a stick of wheat sticking out of his mouth. "Well now, that ain't ah way ta talk ta yer ok' buddy an' pal, is it?"
Rolling his eyes, Sunny just continued to get ready for dinner while trying his best to tolerate the trouble maker and what he might be up to. "So ya have ah fun day? Wearin' that Ah'm guessin' ya wanted ta help out 'round th' farm? Or did ya work with Fluttershy ta care fer her critters?"
"Oh this old thing?" Discord stretched and struck a few poses. "I just borrowed this from Rarity. I want to look my best for the Gala. I assume you're going."
Pausing to think about it, Sunny wondered if it would be a wise thing. "Ah... ah want to. But... but what if th' princesses recognize me? What if mah secret is revealed and-"
"Oh, you're still harping on that?!" Discord spit out the wheat that was sticking out of his mouth and snapped his fingers, causing him to disappear and reappear right next to Sunny, but this time he had on a pink unicorn horn, a pair of cardboard wings painted pink, and a wig that looked just like Cadence's mane. He pulled Sunny over to the mirror that hung on a wall in his room and forced a smile the yellow unicorn to with his claws. "Didn't somepony tell you that you should open up and let a certain special somepony in? That maybe they'd look past who your father is and see who you were?"
"You wouldn't understand, Discord" Sunny sighed as he walked away from the mirror and took a seat on his freshly made bed.
"Oh I don't, do I?" Discord, now appearing annoyed and slightly hurt snapped his fingers again, disappearing from beside the mirror, losing the get up and reappearing as a tinnier version of himself on Sunny's shoulder. "Listen Sunny, once upon a time; I was the most powerful being in all Equestria, no pony could stop my rein of terror! Of course I was stopped by the princesses, then again by Twilight and her pals, but that's beside the point. I ruled all of Equestria! Covering it's Skies with Cotten candy clouds that rained chocolate! The fields were checkerboard! The ponies I left not knowing up from down! It was all a masterpiece!
"But one day, a little pony showed me that maybe, chaos isn't all I wanted" Discord's cheery and powerful expression changed and a unfamiliar, humble side appeared, causing Sunny to pay even more attention to him. "I was so happy to have a friend who accepted me and my wacky antics, that it didn't matter that I wasn't spreading my chaos all over Equestria. I know I get on her nerves some times, but Fluttershy accepts who I am and what I like. She is a real friend, and I would do anything for her. That aside, any idiot with eyes can see you're crazy for Applejack!"
To further his point, Discord popped his eyes out of his head. They rolled down Sunny's shoulder and onto the floor. Once they stopped rolling, the eyes blinked a few times and began to grow back to their normal size. As they twirled around and looked back at Sunny, Discord's mouth appeared on the wood floor just below his yellow and red eyeballs. "Trust me, if Twilight and her friends tolerate me, and seem to like you, Applejack and her family won't really care if you're a prince, the son of an evil king, or if you were even made of wood!"
With the last comment, Discord's bird like claw appeared and pulled his outline from the wooden floor, dragging his eyes and mouth along with it. As the draconequus regained his form, he shot Sunny a small smile. "What do you say? Talk to her? I'm getting really tired of these filler chapters. And really tired of your character being stuck in the suffering-sparklely-vampire phase."
Not really knowing what Discord meant by any of his last comments, Sunny focused on his other words. "... I'll do it. Slowly, but I think I know how to break the ice."
Turning to the master of chaos, Sunny stuck out a hoof to Discord, along with flashing him a small smile. The mixed up creature looked at the hoof with a raised eyebrow. "Ugh... what's that for?"
"It's ah hoof bump" Sunny answered. "Like ah friendly hoof shake, but more between friends. Ya said you were mah friend, an' Ah'm surprised ta see you going outta' yer way time and time again ta help me. Ah just want ya ta know ah really appreciate ya and everythin' ya do fer me."
A little taken back by the yellow unicorn's statement, Discord hesitated, but forced a smile and met Sunny's hoof bump with his clenched bird claw.
"Ah was just about ta head down fer supper" Sunny put his hoof back down. "Would ya like ya come and join us? Ah'm sure the others wouldn't mind one more if ah tell 'em it's ah friend."
"Oh no, no, no" Discord waved his hooves. "I was just stopping by to see you and to move the story along. But there is one more thing I wanted to ask of you."
Pausing to look back at Discord, Sunny shot him a some what curious look. "Oh? What could ah do fer ya?"
"Well, you see, I was going to do a stand up comedy job at the Gala this year, and I would really like it if you came and cheered me on. You know, laugh if nopony else laughs" Discord started to make up a believable lie. "And since it's a mascarad, you should have no problem hiding from the princesses. I mean, you do have tickets for you and several of your friends anyway, and you did get those arts and craft supplies for your birthday. It waould be a shame to let it all go to waste."
"True..." Sunny thought about it as he pawed at his chin with his hoof. "An makin' mask tagether with Applejack would be fun. Sure! Ah'll go an' support ya!"
"And maybe get to dance with a certain freckled, farm mare? Hmmm? A lovely slow dance, perhaps?" Discord nudged Sunny with his elbow, earning a laugh from the yellow unicorn.
Once Sunny stopped chuckling, he realized Discord was right, he had almost nothing to worry about and was being over paranoid. "Yeah yeah, all that an' more. And hey, if ya need somepony ta practice yer routine, Ah'm available this tomorrow afternoon. Maybe ah could get Pinkie or Thunderlane ta come too, they're pretty good at jokes."
"Oh no worries about a that" Discord replied as he motioned to a large studio audience that appeared behind him, everypony in the stands being little versions of himself of course. All cheering and waving signs saying 'DISCORD #1' and 'DISCORD JOKE MASTER'. "As you can see, I have quite the audience. Now run along and do your thing, Sunny."
With a nod, Sunny left his room, eager to make it down to breakfast, ready to tell everypony the truth at last! Once the yellow unicorn was gone, Discord simply snapped his fingers, making himself disappear once more only to appear in Canterlot to make sure a certain somepony was fulfilling her role as well.
Down stairs, the rest of the Apples had already started eating supper without Sunny. The yellow unicorn didn't mind, he was technically running late. Just outside the kitchen entrance, Sunny paused, took a breath, gathered his courage, and walked into the kitchen where he was greeted by the ponies he considered family.
"Ah hope yer hungry !" Granny greeted Sunny as she put another plop of Apple caesural surprise on her plate. Pappy happily sat next to granny, pretending he was going to steal a bite off her plate. But during the few days that Pappy had been living ok the farm, Granny grew wise to the old trickster's antics. Before he could even touch some of her food, Granny smacked Pappy's hoof with her fork.
"Fallin' asleep up there , partner?" Applejack joked as she smiled at him, showing a pair of cute freckled dimples. Sunny always thought her dimples were cute as can be. Combine them with Applejack's enchanting emerald green eyes, and you had a face worthy of a princess.
Shaking himself from those thoughts, Sunny cleared his throat. "Oh, ugh, n-not exactly. I was talkin' with ah friend."
"Really? Did Thunderlane swing by yer window again?" Applejack passed Sunny a plate filled with all kinds of nutritious goodies, she knew all his favorites and how to make them just how he liked it. Thinking about it now, Sunny got the hint that she actually might like him too if she went so far out of her way to learn and always prepare all of that.
"No, it was actually Discord" Sunny replied as he sat down with his plate right next to Apple Bloom, who, for some odd reason was looking at his flank.
"Discord?" Applejack repeated the name, sounding a little shocked. "Ah had no idea you two were friends."
"Yeah, well, he's helped me out with ah few things an' ah got ta know him ah bit" Sunny replied honestly, still leaving out he details. 'Why am I still hiding everything?! I just need to come clean! But... but how? I can't just blurt it all out.'
"Hey Sunny, mind if ah ask ya how ya got yer cutie mark?" Apple Bloom tore Aunmy from his thoughts as she looked up from his flank.
"Apple Bloom! Ya know ah told ya not ta ask Sunny 'bout stuff like that!" Applejack tried to say all under a hushed tone, but Sunny could still clearly hear.
Looking out the window, the sun was still high in the sky, which gave Sunny an excellent idea on how to lean into his big reveal! "It's ok, Applejack. To be honest... I'm tired."
The broad statement shocked and worried everypony at the table, especially Apple Bloom. Pappy just raised his head and focused on the yellow stallion. The little filly worried that she had pushed Sunny into wanting to leave again or something.
"Ugh... care ta clarify, sugar cube?" Applejack's shaky voice barely spoke above Fluttershy's tone.
With a small half smile, Sunny looked around at all the members of the Apple family before his own emerald colored eyes met Applejack's. "what ah mean is, Ah'm tired of hiddin' everything. Ah'm tired of worryin' that ya'll won't accept me fer who ah was before ah came here.
"Since ah arrived in Ponyville ah started living ah more enriched life then all th' gold in Canterlot could buy. Ah have friends, an have ponies who treat me like family, and..." the yellow unicorn wanted to wait on saying 'ah have th' love of mah life' until he actually could confess to Applejack. "and ah shouldn' have ta worry 'bout them accepting' me. Ah am who ah am. And ah ain't mah father. His mistakes ain't mine ta make up fer."
Turning to Apple Bloom, Sunny shot her a small smile. "Ya wanna see how ah got mah cutie mark? Ah remember bits and pieces of how it all happened."
"Ya really mean it?" Apple Bloom began to relax, feeling now she wasn't in trouble anymore.
"Ah mean it" Sunny nodded then turned to the rest of the Apple fmaily as he got up from the table without eating a bite. "Follow me outside and ah'll show ya'll."
A little confused, but very curious, the entire Apple family got up and followed behind the yellow unicorn. As they moved out of the house and into the field, everypony couldn't help but wonder what Sunny's talent was. He liked puppets, but he didn't have some cutie mark to indicate that that was his talent. He was ok with magic, not as good as Twilight, but nopony was as good at magic as Twilight. It wasn't a farming type cutie mark, that's for sure... or was it? It was a sun of some sort, from what everypony could tell.
Looking around once he reached the top of a small hill, Sunny realized this was the same spot he kept having dreams about. A suitable place as any. He turns to the Apples and began to speak in the voice and tone he had before he started living with the Apples, but it was lighter hearted then before. He smiled as his horn began to glow with his green magical aura.
"Along time ago, when I was just a colt a little younger then you, Apple Bloom" Sunny started to say. "My father had me go and view the eclipse celebration in Canterlot, where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna showed how they worked together to raise the sun and moon as a sign that they worked togeather to keep harmony in Equestria. The eclipse was always a symbol of 'unity'. But whenever I saw an eclipse I saw more of the light that shinned though the unknown darkness. And so, that was what my talent became.
"My talent is the ability to see and bring out the good in everypony and everything..." Sunny's explanation of his talent made sense to the Apples who took in everything he said, But they still couldn't figure out why he dragged them out in the middle of the field. But they didn't have long to wonder.
Behind Sunny was the actual Sun, but as his horn began to flare with the yellow unicorn concentrating more of his magic trough it, forcing something to happen outside it's scheduled time! The world all around grew dark as something large rose high in the sky. Something large enough that no unicorn should be able to lift it, something large enough to draw the attention of everypony all around Equestria, something large enough to almost block out the sun!
All the Apples and Pappy watched in amazement as a large solar eclipse took place in the sky behind Sunny, who's eyes were shut while focusing all of his magic into making such an event happen. The first pony to realized it was actually Sunny making it happen was Pappy, who smiled and stepped forward.
"Ah remember th' very first time ya did it, too" the old stallion began reminiscing. "Yer mother watched with amazement as pride. She was so happy. Yer father wished that he could have been there too..."
As the eclipse came into full circle,the sun's ring around the moon flashed and just like the last time, a sea of colors showered down over all Equestria below. Just as amazing as the legendary sonic rainboom. This type of eclipse had inspired others all over the world, filling them with awe and a since of peace.
High into the Iron filled mountains, a stallion takes a break from mining iron ore to wipe the sweat from his brow. As he glanced up at the sky, wishing it was his day to tend the crop fields instead of the mines, he saw something he had never seen before. A black orb had engulfed the sun and began to shoot down a veil of rainbows onto the land!
"T-the prophecy! I-I-it's finally come to be!" The stallion dropped his pick ax and ran as fast as his earth pony hooves could carry him.
Down into the town below, a town that had stood for over 1000 years despite the threat of bandits, of constant battles with diamond dogs, and even dragons! The town thrived off of the bounty of the mountain and the rich ore held within. They always have. Through the town the stallion ran, moving past ponies who had either not noticed the anomaly or were just beginning to notice it and stare right up at it.
He had finally reached town hall and flung open the mayor's doors."sir! It's happened! IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENED!!!"
"I can see that, Mr. Digsite" the mayor was gazing out the large windows of his office. His eyes narrowed at the sky. "I've seen quite a few eclipses in my life time, but only this one and the last come close to the legend of that dark worrier who rampaged through our town over 1000 years ago..."
"What should we do, sir?!" Digsite nervously looked to his town's mayor, then to the old carvings forged out of a single slab of raw iron that was hung on the wall since before he was born.
The slab was carved over 1000 years ago when a knight in black armor visited their town. A knight both legendary and infamous. The Black Knight. It was said that when he first arrived, he created a similar eclipse, one that flashed a rainbow of colors all across the sky. It was a warning and a sign of his power. His trade mark. After that day, the townsponies had to rebuild everything from the ground up. The Black Knight had destroyed it all!
"We've prepares long ago for his return" the Mayor answered as he walked over to a wordrobe that he normally kept locked. But today was the day he dawned it's contents. Unlocking several of the door's locks, the mayor flung the doors open and grabbed something heavy and so onyx in color it itself was almost black. Placing it on top of his head and securing it in place, the mayor turned to Digsite and stomped his hoof. Upon his head was a thick and fierce, but light weight, iron helmet, forged to look similar to a dragon's armored head.
"Gather the descendants of the iron worriers" the mayor ordered, a fire burning in his eyes. "It's time we 'repay' the Black Knight for what he did 1000 years ago!"
In the land of dragons, just off to the east coast of Equestria, the current Dragon Emperor, a large creature ,that rivaled the buildings of Manehatten, by the name of Emperor Tourch was enjoying a nice soak in his private lava pool. He had been burdened with the passing of his crown and how to go about it.
'When my father passed the crown and power down to me, it was obvious. expected even' Torch thought, enjoying the heat of the molten rock on his scales. 'I was large and strong! The strongest worrier in our clan! No dragon could take me on!... I wish my daughter was larger, then she could just have earn the respect of the clan by fighting off every other member, as I did.
'But she's so...so small!' Torch sighed as his dominant claw popped a few lava bubbles forming around the mouth of the molten crater. 'How can 'she' ever protect, defend, demand or control any dragon or any challenge?! Sure the Bloodstone scepter gives her power over all dragons, but she needs to be able to fight-'
Touch's internal monologue was interrupted by something bright in the sky. Not the sun, but something else. Something he had seen quite a lot over the last 1000 years, but it had been a long time since he had seen one as remarkable as this one. Gazing up at the sky, Torch's eyes widened as an eclipse creating a rainbow effect, replacing the blue in the sky.
"Only one pony could do that" Torch growled as he slammed his fist into the lava rock around him, turning it into rubble. "And when I see you again, Black Knight, I'm going to peel that armor right off of you for what you did all those years ago!"
Working in his library up in Gryffonstone, Silent Wingbeat was enjoying another great novel by one of his favorite authors, A. K. Yearling. Despite the aggression most griffons held towards ponykind, Silent Wingbeat, a white coated Griffin with a head and large eyes resembling that of a snowy owl and body that of a white tiger, often enjoyed reading about the many adventures the mare had. He thought them to be only works of fiction until one incident years ago, when he actually ran into the adventurer as she was retrieving a golden ring. Since then, the literary Griffon had enjoyed the novels. Even going as far as to order several copies of her books to add to the Griffonstone library. He only wished his kinsmen could see the value in them as he did.
"DADDY! DADDY!" Two hatchlings burst into the library, screaming at the top of their lungs. Both partly white and partly brown, resembling both their mother and their father. Their two eggs were amazingly layed at the same time and hatched but moments apart. The daughter, technically the oldest by a few seconds and never let her brother forget it, hopped up onto Silent's lap, almost making him drop the book he was reading.
"DADDY! You have to look outside!" The little filly said with a few screeches.
"Yeah dad! It's super cool!" The colt added as he clawed his way up to his father's shoulder.
Laughing lightly to himself, happy to see he raised his foals to act more warmly and close to their kind then the rest of the younger griffons. Most Griffon foals were taught at a young age to keep to themselves and never share what they had. Luckily, Silent's father had taught him a different path, and he passed it down to his kids as his father did to him, and his father to him, and so on and so on. It all starting with their ancestor, a prince nearly every Griffon seemed to have forgotten about.
"Why? What's going on, kids? Is it raining?" Silent joked as he gently set his book down.
"Yeah! It's raining rainbows!" The filly said as she jumped up, not being able to fly, but still trying.
"Yeah dad! Rainbows everywhere! And a black sun!" The colt added.
This struck something in Silent Wingbeat, causing his smile to somewhat fade. "A black sun?...."
After gently setting his kids down, Silent made his way slowly towards the window and gazed out it, his eyes narrowing on the image that matched not only what his children where telling him, but also the stories that were passed down to him from his father, and to his father from his father, and so on, and so on.
"Kids..." Silent began to speak in a more harsh tone. "I think the day has come for me to tell you about a prince. A prince named Soleggiato. A prince who betrayed our ancestor over 1000 years ago..."
Back at the farm, Sunny's breathing had become heavy as the magic flowing through him began to take it's effect. It probably wasn't the wisest thing to do, casting such a spell outside the scheduled eclipse time after a long hard day's work and no food in his stomach. Knowing his limitations, Sunny began to end the spell and brought the eclipse to a close. As the moon began to slowly move out of the way of the sun, Sunny smiled at the Apples and Pappy, his face and cheeks red with exhaustion.
"Pretty cool, eh?..." was all the yellow unicorn could say before he started to pass out.
Before he hit the floor, Pappy's instincts kicked in and he dashed towards the yellow stallion, catching him right before he hit the ground. "Feller hasn't quite gotten his strength back. Well, at least he hasn't lost his touch when it comes ta presentation."
"Here, ah'll take him to his room" Applejack said as she stepped forward to take Sunny from Pappy.
Pappy smiled at the freckles farm mare and gladly passed his young prince off to her. "Some bed rest is ah'll he'll need."
"Ya sure he'll be ok?" Apple Bloom nervously looked over at Applejack who was carrying Sunny's limp body back to the barn.
"Ah've helped raise that colt since he was ah short little sprout" Pappy petted Apple Bloom on her head. "Ah good night's rest an' he'll be up again in no time. Don't you worry!"
"It's so nice ta meet Sunny's kin" Granny stated as she stepped closer to Pappy. "Ah see where he get's his charm from."
"I'd like ta take th' credit fer that one" Pappy smiled as he slicked back his thin mane. "But th' credit fer that goes ta his Father and Mother. They raised their boy right, given th' circumstances."
"Circumstances?" Apple Bloom repeated the word, wanting to learn more about Sunny.
"We'll talk 'bout it later" Pappy smiled down at the cute little filly once more. "But right now, ah could go fer ah nap on that there patio rocker."
"Oh no ya don't!" Granny shot Pappy a hard eye. "We have ah sayin' here on th' farm. 'Those who don't work, don't eat!' Ya ate, now ya work. And those dishes need some scrubbin'!"
Smiling in defeats at the elderly mare's iron hoof control, the prince's caregiver gave up and casually walked back to the barn with the rest of the Apples, knowing that a mountain of dishes awaited him...
Taking a break from the mountain of paperwork that she still had not completed, even with the week long aid of Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna stepped out onto her balcony to enjoy a little fresh air. As the wind hit her face, and a cool breeze carried with it a slight fruity scent, the princess of the moon couldn't help but wonder when her dear sister would return.
It's true that Luna wanted her dear sister to relax and... heal emotionally over the loss of one very important pony, but how long was too long? Ugh! If only Celestia's assistant, Kibitz hadn't suffered an emotional break down and pulled a 180 with his character, Luna could have confided in him about Celestia's situation.
"Excuse me, your majesty" a royal guard appeared, pulling princess Luna from her thoughts. "This just arrived for you from the Crystal Empire. It was marked as urgent."
The letter was levitated out of the guard's hoof by princess Luna's dark blue magical aura. The guard remained at attention until Luna released him back to his usual duties. As the guard left, the princess of the moon couldn't help but wish it was some emergency that would require her immediate action, as terrible as that sounded.
'Perhaps it's just Cadence seeking out more advice about Shinning Armor' Luna thought. 'Only our sister would have that kind of advice to give. Being stuck on the moon as an evil enchantress really doesn't make dating easy for somepony...'
As she tore open the envelope and began to read the letter, Princess Luna quickly recognized the hoof writing as Radiant Hope's. Reading the letter slowly at first, Luna's pace quickly picked up after reading a certain passage. She read the letter over and over again, wondering if it was true or not.
"This... can this be?! We must tell our sister! Immediately!" Luna proclaimed, then left to go and find Kinitz and shake him out of his funk so she might rush to her sister's side while 'he' finished the paper work.
After overseeing the production of armor, the crafting of the various weapons, as well as the martial arts and basic defense classes all taking place in the newly reformed IronLock prison, King Sombra, accompanied closely by Snowstorm, made their way back to his 'office'/new thrown room. Along their way, the two were intercepted by one of the flying inmate guards that were allowed to keep their minds.
"Sirs! Something's happening outside, and the rest of the guards and myself don't really know what it means. But we figure it can't be good..." the inmate guard landed into a bow just several hooves away from the king.
Simply nodding, Sombra followed the winged guard over to the prison's front gates. As brainwashed former royal guards were used to pull the large iron gates open, Sombra, Snowstorm and the winged guard all walked outside into the rather calm outside.
Since Sombra had taken over the prison and the mountain, the Windigos who haunted the area like hungry ghosts feeding off the inmates and guards mutual hatred for each other, had become rather obedient to the shadow king and began to feed instead on the ponies in the surrounding areas, spreading the blanket of snow further.
With the sky now open, everypony, whether mindless royal guard, reformed inmate guard, or the King and he loyalest guards themselves could see the phenomenon occurring in the sky. Like the rest of Equestria, they were amazed and left speechless by the black orb in the sky and the rainbow effect it was causing.
"It's him, isn't it, your majesty?" Snowstorm was the first to speak, feeling less moved by the eclipse then anypony else.
"It is" Sombra spoke, taking in a deep breath, as he often did when he had to make a decision he didn't want to. "I wished he had remained in the dark a little longer. But it seems my son has awakened to his true power."
"Should I assemble a strike force to bring him here?" Snowstorm hated that thought, thinking that having 'him' here would be more problematic then anything. And he wished that the King would say 'no'.
"That will not be nessisary" Sombra replied as he turned around and retreated back into the prison. "I think it's time to let Charming Knightmare redeem himself. Collect him and accompany him back to my office. It's time Sunny learned the truth..."
Unable to shake Kibitz out of his 'chilled-out' funk. Luna resorted to waiting until nightfall to find her sister within the dream realm. The day was long and seemed to pass very slowly. Possibly because Princess Luna's mind was occupied with great confusion over what Radiant Hope had written to her sister.
'It just doesn't make sense...' Luna began thinking as she took another deep breath, forgetting she was in a meeting with the Canterlot royal guard trying to figure out a solution to the riots in the major cities. The guards paused and just shot princess Luna a concerned look before pressing on, knowing the princess of the moon was under a great deal of stress. 'Radiant said he doesn't fully remember 'who' he is, yet he goes and makes a Solar eclipse? Was he provoked and needed to show his power?hmmmm... no. The Eclipse was too pure for that. More or less he was probably showing somepony what he can do.... but where is he? Manehatten? Vanhoofer? I doubt Canterlot or the Crystal Empire, he would have been spotted.... and why remain in hiding?'
After the meeting, which only ended when the guards suggested more reinforcements around the clock in the various cities, to which Princess Luna agreed and signed for, the lunar princess rushed though her other duties and anxiously awaited for the time when she would lower the sun and bring forth her Moon to begin the night. She had to hit the ground running if she was to find her sister's dream to tell her about Soleggiato.
Feeling slightly impatient, Princess Luna decided to lower the sun and bring forth the night about an hour or so early. No pony questioned her, most simply just assumed they lost track of time and shifted over to their nightly business. Retiring to her room, Princess Luna put herself in a meditative state to enter the dream realm. She found it hard to concentrate and calm herself, but was eventually able to put herself in that relaxed state and enter the realm of dreams.
Once in her element, Princess Luna went right to work in searching out her sister. Many ponies were dreaming hard that night, a lot of foals were suffering from an array of different nightmares, ones she couldn't leave them alone with and stopped her search to aid them. Time may move differently in the dream realm, but it still did move. Which meant Princess Luna was racing against the clock. And about 37 Nightmares later, Princess Luna was once again in her search.
It was hard trying to track her own sister within the realm that night. Normally Luna could just feel her sister's presence and home in on her dreams location. But tonight, something felt off... almost as if her sister wasn't dreaming at all. Before Luna could assume the worst, she sensed a flicker of her sister's dream and began following it like a bloodhound. The sense eventually lead princess Luna to a rather small dream bubble. Small, but it was her sister's. Focusing on the bubble, Luna was able to slide inside and found her sister rather quickly.
The princess of the sun was simply dreaming about being on a beach, possibly the beach on their secret island, but Luna couldn't tell. Only a small patch of sand connecting with the ocean and a small patch of sand with two palm trees actually existed in the dream, along with a rather gentle wave that came in and went out in a smooth motion. Princess Celestia herself was sleeping in a hammock that was tied to the palm trees, and swung gently back and forth. The princess herself appeared to be sleeping so hard that she was even sleeping in her own dream. Celestia was indeed in a relaxed, if very uneventful dream.
Stepping forward, Luna persisted to wake her sister with a gentle hoof. But her sister remained asleep. Taking a little breath, not wanting to wake her sister from her actual slumber, less Luna lose her chance to speak to her, the princess of the moon spoke very softly as she nudged her sister again. "Sister... sister wake up. I have to tell you something."
But Celestia just rolled over and fell deeper in her sleep. This annoyed Luna and it took a great amount of self restraint to not flip her older sister over in her dream's hammock.
Growing rather annoyed with her sister, Princess Luna rocked the sleeping pearl colored alicorn harder and spoke in a slightly louder voice. "Sister! We need to speak with you! It's about Soleggiato! Please, wake up!"
But princess Celestia just continued to sleep, slightly snoring and muttering as if having a dream within a dream.
Finally reaching the point beyond minor annoyance and no longer caring if she woke her sister up fully and forced herself out of Celestia's dream, Princess Luna started yelling in the royal Canterlot voice. "CELESTIA! BRINGER OF THE SUN AND PRINCESS OF EQUESTRIA! WE, THE BRINGER OF THE MOON, COMMAND YOU TO AWAKEN FROM YOUR SLUMBER!"
This yielded little to a suffle from the slumbering alicorn princess and a few light snores.
Stumped for a moment, Princess Luna took a closer look at her sister. Grabbing Celestia's forehoof, raising it up and dropping it, princess Luna gasped. "Either my sister is under some sort of sleeping spell, or somepony'a slipped her a slumber potion!
"We need to venture to the island immediately!" Luna monologued to herself as she often did when nopony was around to listen.
Flying as fast as she could, the princess who ruled over the night and dreams of everypony in Equestria, made her way out of her sister's dream and through the dream realm back to her own mind. Princess Luna was so focused on her goal that she completely missed the two intruders of her domaine.
Two shadowy figures hidden behind a few dream bubbles, waiting to enter a certain pony's dream...
It had been a good long, hard day of working on the farm again, but Sunny was glad to say he was starting to get the hang of it. Tasks that once took him forever to complete and left him physically drained were done in no time, and he still had energy to spare. When he's not using that energy helping others or learning about friendship through the various adventures with his friends, Sunny enjoyed spending quality time with the Apple family. More specifically, a certain orange, blond mare with freckles and the most hypnotizing eyes the former prince has ever seen. And today, Sunny had her all to himself. But what worried him was what he had been planning all day on doing.
Taking Applejack to his favorite spot on top of the hill, just outside the west orchard, Sunny took several deep breaths as he turned to face the lovely farm mare. "A-Applejack... there's.... there's something I've been meaning to tell you..."
Seeing his hesitation and sensing the change in his voice, tone, and accent, Applejack just shot him a weary smile and put a hoof on his shoulder. "Sugar cube, ya know ya can tell me anything. What is it?"
Tanking one last deep breath, Sunny faced Applejack, having gathered all the courage he could muster, looked her in the eye and began his heartfelt confession. "Applejack... my real name is Soleggiato Cavelere, prince Soleggiato Cavelere. I ruled along side my father over the Crystal Empire 1000 years ago... my father is King Sombra... I've... I've been afraid to tell you because I didn't want to lose you... Applejack, I... I l-"
"Oh please stop, I feel like I'm about to lose my lunch" a dark and sinister voice spat out in distaste at what he was seeing.
Looking all around, Sunny's eyes darted in every direction, trying to find the owner of the voice. "Who's there?! SHOW YOURSELF!"
"No need to use the Royal Canterlot voice on me, your majesty..." the voice seemed to echo from every angle replied. Then, as Sunny moved to protect Applejack, standing in front of her, grey smoke began to cover the ground like ash from an active volcano.
As the sky tuned black and the scenery seemed to vanish, leaving only the black abyss and the grey smoke, Sunny realized that he must be dreaming. As he finished that thought, a tall stallion wearing a top hat popped out of the grey smoke in front of him. The stallion smiled a toothy grin, flashing his sharp teeth at Sunny as he bowed and placed his top hat over his chest. "Hello again, Soleggiato. Or, may 'I' call you 'Sunny'?"
"Who are you? And how did you get into my dream?" Sunny's tone was hard as stome as he narrows his eyes on the grey stallion placing his top hat back atop his head.
"I am but a humble servant" the stallion replied. "But my master has been waiting to talk to you for quite some time. I believe you two may know each other..."
"You talk too much, Knightmare" a deeper voice echoed from above, shaking the sky like thunder.
Looking into the darkened sky, Sunny looked for the owner of the new voice. This pony he knew. It was somepony he could never forget, well, not for long. Somepony from his past, present, and surely his future. The same pony Sunny used to look up to, aspire to be, and even fought over 1000 years ago. His father. "Where are you, my father the former king?"
As if being summoned into the dream by his son's words, Sombra's face appeared in the black sky above, appearing to be outlined by shifting clouds of smoke and shadow. His eyes mad of stars set ablaze as he looked upon his son. "I am still King. But my crown holds little importance compared to your safety, my son the prince."
"Former prince" Sunny reversed his father's own response. "Are we finally going to have that heart to heart talk? About why you enslaved the entire empire, betrayed our allies and put that curse on me and sealing me away for 1000 years?"
Sunny's harsh words were understandable to the shadow king. He had hurt Sunny, and his son did deserve to know the truth. "Yes, we will. You'll need to travel to the foal mountains. At the base I'll have a carriage awaiting to take you to my new castle, the former IronLock prison. I'll explain everything there. But right now, you are in danger."
Raising a brow and being a little more then skeptical, Sunny took in what his father said and focused on what his father seemed to be emphasizing. " 'In Danger'? From what, may I ask?"
"The princesses will come for you" Sombra started to say.
"Let them" Sunny spat out. "I have done nothing wrong, broken no law. They will have no reason to-"
"Listen to me!" Sombra's voice rose over Sunny's. Silencing the yellow unicorn and shocking him into paying full attention to his father. "It was 1000 years ago that I confided in princess Celestia, somepony who I thought to be my dearest friend. Only she planned to betray me, returning my body to shadow then sealing me away in the arctic!
"I could have forgiven that, or even just run away from it," the shadow king admitted, the image of pain in his starry eyes. "But one thing I could never forgive was what she planned to do to you... a halfling that she said 'didn't deserve to exist'..."
"Halfling?" Sunny repeated the confusing word.
"Yes... you are half pony, Sunny" Sombra continued, facing his son again. "But it is because of your other half, and the fear that Celestia had of you that... that pushed her to her decision."
"What do you mean my 'other half'?" Sunny's voice began to grown with his panicking concern.
"I overheard Celestia speaking to herself as she wrote a letter to her sister, as she often did" Sombra continued, ignoring his son's question momentarily. "She said that after I was dealt with... she planned to turn you into stone, and lock you away in the deepest and darkest corners of the Canterlot caves, where no pony could find you..."
"But WHY?! WHY would princess Celestia do that?!" Sunny started to scream, tears running down his eyes for some unknown reason. "What had I done?! And what do you mean I'm 'half a pony'?! I AM A FULL PONY!!!"
"No... I'm afraid you're not..." Sombra's confession felt harder then the many times he had rehearsed it, but it all needed to be said. "Sunny, my wonderful, kind hearted, smart son... I.. I am an umbrum..."
The statement came as a shock to the former prince of the Crystal Empire, leaving him nearly speechless. "No.... its not true... it can't be... Since when?..."
"My whole life..." Sombra admitted. "And I'm afraid, that makes you-"
"NO! NO! It can't be true!" Sunny fell to his knees, his front hooves covering his ears as best he could to block out his father's voice. "I'M NOT A MONSTER! I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE THINGS! I'M A PONY! A PONY! A NORMAL PONY!"
"Sunny please!" Sombra tried to reach out to his son, But Charming Knightmare was beginning to lose his grip on the dreamer, weakening their presence in his mind. "There is no time! You need to come to me! Find me in the IronLock prison! I can keep you safe-"
"NOOOOOOO!!!" With one loud, royal Canterlot voice scream, something deep inside of Sunny broke free, awakening from it's slumber. The side of his father that rested deep inside the happy-go-lucky pony had been released and was now fighting Sunny for control!
Sombra had remained in a meditative state as Charming Knightmare used the king's mind as an anchor while he carried them both into the dream realm to speak with Sombra's son. But when they were pushed out of the dream by the great force that the son had released, the grey unicorn's body quickly manifested and was flung into the wall. Sombra himself had jolted awake and was breathing heavily.
When Charming could speak once more, he turned to his king and asked in a weakened breath "what is... the plan now, sir?"
After collecting this own breath until he was fully able to speak, Sombra merely answered "we move to plan 'B'. I'll have somepony go and bring Sunny to me. And I know just the prisoner..."
Back at the farm, Applejack was having the most amazing dream. She was at the rodeo in Appaloosa, winning all kinds of blue ribbons, with Sunny and her family cheering her on from the side lines, when the sound of somepony awoke her from her otherwise perfect dream.
Shaking the sleep out of her eyes, Applejack quickly realized just who was making all that racket. Jumping out of bed and rushing out her bedroom door and into the room next door to hers, Applejack found Sunny shaking violently in his sleep, almost screaming 'no... no... it can't be true...'
She felt his head and was shocked to find he was colder then a cider cellar in the middle of winter, his body soaked in a cold sweat. She didn't know what to do but to try and awake him from his nightmare. "Sunny! Sunny wake up! Please! Sunny, Ah'm here for ya! Please wake up!"
She got her wish. But she would soon regret it....
Sunny's body ached as he found himself on all four of his knees, gasping for air, feeling like his body was half made of wiggly cotton candy and the other half peanut brittle. When he could gather his thoughts, Sunny took a few deep breaths and noticed the faint muttering of somepony else in the room. As he turned his head, his heart sank.
"No... please... anypony else... let this be a nightmare..." the yellow unicorn pleaded as his eyes fell upon a familiar orange farm pony. Her body was shivering as her glazed over red and green eyes darted back and forth. Moving closer to Applejack, Sunny put a hoof over her head to move her mane from her eyes. He wished she remained unresponsive, but the poor mare flinched as if somepony was about to hurt her.
Wanting to look away, Sunny couldn't help but notice something out of the corner of his eye. At first he thought it was his imagination. But a second glance not only proved the threat to be real, but more horrifying then anything the yellow unicorn had ever seen. Sunny was staring at what must have been his own reflection, but he couldn't be sure. The thing in the mirror didn't look like him, well, not fully.
But as he took several small foal steps closer to the mirror, with every action he performed the reflection mimicked it, the former prince's heart sank further and farther into his stomach as the details became more and more clear. Now just inches from the mirror, Sunny outstretched his hoof and touched it's cold surface. The hoof he thought he reached out with was nowhere to be seen, but in its place a smoky grey one resided.
Looking into his reflection, Sunny saw half of his face was missing, having been engulfed by grey smoke while the other had changed his eye. The eye that was once white and emerald green was now poison green and hot coal red, with purple flames emerging from the far corners of his eyes. It was then that Sunny understood what those purple flames were. They weren't some side effect of dark magic or some darker force that simply installed more fear... they were tears. The ones who used dark magic were in pain and couldn't cry, but instead released purple flames from their eyes, creating more fear from those who gazed upon the dark magic user.
Looking back to Applejack, Sunny's eye flames grew larger and larger as he kneeled down over the orange mare who was lost in her own worst nightmare. He could barely speak, but forced himself to tell her "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
There came a sudden knocking at Sunny's door, pulling his attention away from the fear stricken Applejack. The muffled voices sounded like everypony else in the house, but Granny's voice spoke up over the others. "Sunny?! You in there? Is everything ok?"
Looking from the door to Applejack, Sunny knew what he had to do.
He grabbed the black cloak he stored under his mattress, flung it onto himself, used what magic he could muster to levitate Applejack underneath his cloak, took one last look at his room, knowing that he had reached the point of no return, and with one large burst of energy, broke though the window and the wall of his former room. He knew there was only one pony who could cure Applejack, only one pony he could trust to save her.
After hearing the large crash, sound of shattering glass and splintering wood, Granny had Big Mac bust down Sunny's bedroom door. The big red farm pony did as she was told, tackling it down with ease, then stepped aside. The rest of the Apple family and Pappy filed in, only to witness a rather confusing scene.
Sunny's room looked like it had been attacked by a tornado! The bed was flung apart, the large mirror was shattered, and worse, a giant hole existed where his window unused to be! Looking around and calling out for Applejack and Sunny, the Apples began to worry for both of their safety. All except Pappy who seemed to just be staring at Sunny's broken mirror, and the hoof shaped indent in it...
Deep beneath Equestria's surface, in the darkest realm of existence lies the realm of Tartarus. A place where the most vile, most destructive, and unforgivable creatures reside. Locked up for all eternity, the monsters that are forced to call this terrible place home are guarded by a creature that harbors even greater strength then them. Emissary of Tartarus itself, the mighty three-headed dog, Cerberus. Day and night, the Beast guards the monsters are in their holding cells, making sure none of them escape. Despite their own frightening, terrible and awesome power, none could compete with Cerberus. His might was a force of nature. Not many could tame or bend him to their will. Not anything until Tartarus, that is.
Gifted with an heightened sense of smell, eagle like sight for all three pairs of eyes, and a sixth sense that could alert him to any trouble that could or is going down, Cerberus is the ultimate guard dog. There's just one thing that could elude him.
As the three-headed black dog walked up and down the cells, making sure they all were secure, something in the shadows began to move. Instantly, Cerberus jumped into action and began barking. After a moment, the giant three headed dog sniffed the air. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. So with one huff from his nostrils, the beast continued his rounds, missing the shadows moving once more.
Jumping from one dark place to another, the shadows shot from one cell to another, coming across many fierce and terrible creatures, each one lashing out at it. But their attacks just went right through as if they were grabbing smoke.
Eventually the shadows came up to a cell that was secluded from the rest. Sitting atop a stalagmite pillar, a single cage sat atop like a trophy. The creature inside was the shadow's target. A lowly beast with four horse like legs, an upper body like a hairless ape, and two small horns that rested on either side of his head. As mighty as the creature once was, formerly bursting with muscles, horns that reached to the sky, and enough magical power contained within to demolish all of Equestria, he was nothing more now then a shriveled up shadow of his former self. Irony seems to be a theme within the world that holds so much magic.
The shadows themselves shifted and slithered all around, winding their way all around the rocky pillar as they made their way to the creature's cage. Once there, the shadows no longer found the need to hide. The creature held inside his cage looked up as he saw some dark form beginning to grow from the darkness. As more color came to the black form and it gained more of an outline, the caged creature sneered at it. Still not fully formed, but enough to where the imprisoned centaur could tell what it was, the prisoner spoke up.
"I get so tired of seeing ponies" Tirek spoke in a shaky, weak voice. He had been reverted back to the state of an older stallion after his fight with Twilight Sparkle and her friends, being stripped of all the magic he stole. "They only bring trouble. Be gone! And leave me to my solitude."
"Awww, that's the matter?" A deep, dark voice spoke up as the shadows revealed their true form. "Did somepony wake up on the wrong side of his cage?"
Taking a second look at the visitor, Tirek was no longer sure what he saw was a pony at all. Yes it had four hooves, a mane and tale, and a horn atop it's head, but it was... different. Something about the look in it's eyes. There was a sharp, vicious tone to them. The red and green eyes that stared back at Tirek almost scared him.
"What... are you?" The centaur asked, his black and yellow eyes opened slightly wider to get a better look at the stallion before him.
The creature had a unicorn's shape, that is true. But his coat was dark grey, his mane seemed to flow like black smoke, and his horn was unlike any Tirek had ever seen. It was dark at the base but turned bright reds almost white at the tip, as if it was hot metal.
"I'm the one who's come to set you free" the unicorn like creature stated as he tossed a red colored Crystal into the cage. "But first, eat that. Don't worry, it's not poisonous."
After picking up the red Crystal, Tirek held it up to the light to get a better look at it. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the dark unicorn casting a spell, seeming to fuse another Crystal into the cage itself this time, a blue colored one. "And what, prey tell, is the purpose of me consuming this?"
"It's a promise" the unicorn like creature answered. "If you complete my task and obey my every command until the task is complete, I'll give you the third Crystal of this trio. If you consume that one as well, you will never be able to return to Tartarus again. You'll be free."
"And if I fail or disobey you?" Tirek pressed as he continued to turn the Crystal around in his hands.
"Then I smash the last of the trio and send you back to your cozy little cell, where you'll spend all of eternity" the unicorn like creature noted, then his eyes darted back to Tirek. Purple flames began to emerge from the corners of his eyes as his gaze burned into Tirek's. "do we have a deal? Or should I enlist the help of another creature doomed to this terrible place?"
Trying not to seem too eager, Tirek looked from the unicorn like creature, to the red crystal still in his hand, then back to him. "What is the task? If you don't mind me asking."
A small smile began to grow on the unicorn creature's muzzle. "Go to Ponyville and retrieve my son. He will be alone, for sure, and bring him safely back to my new castle atop the Foal mountains. Do this, and you will be forever free."
"Ponyville?!" Tirek shuttered at the name, remembering that was the very place he took on Twilight Sparkle and her friends. He may have been a classic, power hungry 'villain', but Tirek was no fool. He knew that even with all the power of the ponies in Equestria, he some how couldn't defeat the meddlesome alicorn princess and her annoying friends. "No thanks. I've had my fill of that 'Twilight Sparkle' and her 'friends' for more then 1000 years. Find somepony else."
As Tirek tossed the crystal back at the unicorn like creature, a purple, bubbling magical aura appeared around the stone. It levitated to the creature's side, his smile still unwavering. "Your fear is well placed. Should Twilight Sparkle and her friends be there, you would easily fail. But they are... going to be taken care of, by a servant of mine."
Tirek's brow rose at the statement, and he began to reconsider. If what the unicorn like creature said was true, then Tirek could just rush into the town, grab the brat, and bolt like lightning up this 'Foal mountains', then forever be free from this terrible place.
The thundering stomps of Cerberus began to grow louder and louder as Tirek thought about the offer. The unicorn like creature had nothing to fear, having the ability to turn into shadow and slip away, but Tirek would have to make a decision fast.
"Alright" the centaur answered and popped the Crystal in his mouth, swallowing it hole. At the very least, he thought he could expel the Crystal from his body once he was free from Tartarus once more. "You have a deal! Now release me!"
"You will not give me orders" the unicorn's creature's voice bellowed, raising it loud enough that it alerted Cerberus. But the unicorn like creature did not care if the giant dog heard or not. From atop his red hot horn, black magic began to bubble up again, this time, growing all around the imprisoned centaur. As both the unicorn like creature and Tirek were engulfed in the dark magical aura, Cerberus turned the corner and began running at top speed.
Jumping and lunging at where the two trouble makers were a second ago, Cerberus opened all three of his mighty jaws, ready to but down in the intruder. But as he landed, his jaws came up empty. As the dark magical cloud lifted, nothing and nopony was around, say for an empty cage.
"Alright everypony, let's get started" Twilight Sparkle promptly said as she sat on her thrown in the castle of friendship, all her friends sitting in their respective seats, say for Applejack who hadn't arrived yet. "I spoke with Princess Luna about the recent waves of riots and raids, and it seems to be following a pattern starting at Los Pegasus, and heading steadily back and forth around Equestria leading eventually to Canterlot. If the pattern continues as is, the night of the Gala there will be trouble right at Canterlot.
"We have strong reason to believe that..." Twilight looked up at all of her friends as she spoke after pointing out the various places on the map. All of her friends present were paying close attention, well, all except for a certain white unicorn. "Is something the matter, Rarity?"
"I do say, there 'is' something very wrong!" The fashionista stood up, obviously very upset by something. When all her friend's attention were on her, Rarity started her rant. "Why was 'I' the last of us to find out about Sunny?! How long have you all known?! And why, prey tell, did you keep me in the dark?!"
"You actually aren't the last to find out" Twilight started to explain.
But before the alicorn princess could exaggerate, Rarity pieced something together that she didn't even think about before. "My gosh! Applejack doesn't know, does she?!"
"Nopony else knows, besides us" Rainbow Dash said with a small sigh. Although she had come to accept Sunny for who he was, and didn't have much of a problem with him anymore, she still felt bad for keeping her friends in the dark.
"Sunny was, well, afraid what ponies would do or think of him if they knew" Fluttershy spoke up, knowing how the yellow unicorn felt.
"We never meant to leave you or Applejack out, Rarity" Twilight tried to throw in, desperate to douse the fire. "We just wanted Sunny to be able to tell you both on his own terms."
The anger melted away from Rarity's face as she began thinking of their farming, freckled friend. "Poor Applejack... she has no idea who she's in love with."
"Wait, WHAT?!" Rainbow Dash's mood changed to shock and surprise. "She's in LOVE with him?!"
"Well Duuuuuhhhh!" Pinkie giggled as she pulled out a glass of milk from seemingly no where to help enjoy the cookies she was pulling out of her mane. "I could have told you that after he came back from the Crystal Empire! They're always making those eyes at each other! Have you ever tried the cookies they baked togearher?! You can taste the love in them!"
Rainbow Dash paused and narrowed her eyes on her pink friend. "...I'm not going to try one if the only ones you have are in your mane-"
Interrupting the meeting's already derailed conversation, Spike burst through the double doors, pupils the size of pin heads and out of breath. All the girls turned to him, but before anypony could ask what was the matter, Spike looked over at Twilight and spoke in a raspy voice "Applejack! Help! Now! Front doors!"
"Let's go girls!" Twilight shot up out of her seat and flew out of the room, quickly followed by her friends who also took the call to action, afraid that something terrible might have happened to their friend.
Moving as fast as their hooves and wings could carry them, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy (who was carrying Spike on her back) raced through the castle, desperate to make it to the room just before the front doors. When they finally arrived, they couldn't believe their eyes.
Laying on the ground in some sort of bed made of blankets and a few pillows, was none other then their friend Applejack. Her eyes now closed, but they remained red and green still beneath her eye lids. She continued to toss and turn in her sleep-like state, her body broken out in a cold sweat. As she tossed and turned, the orange mare seemed to be mumbling something under her breath, but no pony could make it out. As frightening as that was, it still wasn't as horrifying as the thing that stood over her.
Covered beneath a black cloak, there was somepony or something about two or three times the height of even Big Mac. It kept it's face hidden, but a black miasma and tendrils appeared to peak out just where the cloak ended. Unfortunately for the creature, it's cloak appeared to be made for a pony of regular size, so it had to resort to hunching over in order to keep most of itself hidden. But the real reason for it's hunched position was to not take it's eyes off of Applejack. The more it watched, the brighter and larger purple flames seemed to appear from it's eyes, revealing more and more of it's hideous face.
"Get away from her!" Twilight bellowed as she, Rainbow Dash and Rarity jumped at it, trying to scare it away from her.
The creature staggered a bit, but was able to keep his footing. With a sigh, the creature turned his head and started to leave, whispering just one thing, in a deep, almost haunting voice that sounded slightly familiar to everypony there. "Please... help her..."
With that, the creature burst through the front doors of the castle, slamming them behind it. Immediately Rainbow flung the door open, but all she saw was the regular scenery, no sign or trace of the creature anywhere. With no monster to fight, Rainbow returned to see if there was anything she could do to help her ill friend.
Twilight was looking Applejack over, trying to figure out what was wrong with her while Fluttershy and Rarity left to gather some medical supplies from the east wing. Meanwhile, Pinkie's mane seemed to have deflated as she stared out the window, appearing more concerned with what was outside then what was going on with Applejack. When Rarity and Fluttershy had returned and rejoined the rest of the group, they realized that the medical supplies may not have been needed.
Taking a defensive stance with her legs stretched and locked, Twilight began to focus her magic in her horn, but this time, as magic gathered at her horn, small flames began to flare out the far corners of her eyes. Black and purple bubbles began to form at the alicorn's horn as she focused on the spell needed to free Applejack. Twilight quickly recognized Applejack being in the same state that Hoops and the others were in after Sunny accidentally cursed them, so luckily Twilight had experience casting the spell and successfully breaking the curse.
As Twilight shot a purple blast of magic at Applejack, the farm pony's body tensed up and shook lightly. But after the curse was broken and Twilight stopped the flow of dark magic, eyes and horn returning to normal, Applejack remained asleep.
"Is... is she going to be ok?" Rainbow Dahs asked as she took a step closer towards her freckles friend.
"The spell is broken" Twilight replied, feeling a little light headed herself. Fluttershy and Rarity on either side of her, stabilizing their friend. "She should wake up here in a bit... but what was that 'THING'?"
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's gounna pay!" Rainbow Dash jumped up, ready to dart out and search all of Ponyville and beyond if she had to.
"I don't think it did this to her on purpose, whatever it was" Fluttershy spoke up, catching everypony's attention.
"What makes you say that, Darling?" Rarity asked before anypony else had the chance.
"Well... I mean, if it did, why would it bring her here?" Fluttershy stated, half hiding behind her mane.
All the girls paused and looked at Applejack who seemed to be in a dreamless sleep, no longer in any kind of pain.
"I suppose..." Twilight started to say when she suddenly realized something. "WAIT! This happened before!"
"What?! Don't leave me out of the loop" Rarity chimed in. "When did this happen?!"
"Oh! I think you mean that one time during winter wrap up! Or just a few days before!" Pinkie popped in. "Right! Hoops, Dumb-bell, and Score all were left at Fluttershy's door step left in an even worse condition then Applejack! And for months we couldn't figure out how to help them then..."
Usually Pinkie's banter and rambling has no breaks, but as she managed to catch up with her mouth, her heart sank, and she knew the answer to what had done that to her (very distant) cousin.
Twilight paused and looked over at her sleeping friend, ready to continue Pinkie's sentence. "...Then Sunny came forward and admitted he lost control of his emotions. He cursed them out of anger... he couldn't figure out a counter curse, so he gave me the material and I cast the spell and set those three free... Sunny knew who could cast the counter curse..."
"W-well that doesn't mean 'he' did this!" Pinkie jumped in.
"I doubt Sunny would ever do anything to hurt Applejack" Rarity added. "Even if he 'is' the son of that horrible, King Sombra."
"But did you see him?" Rainbow Dash butted in. "Something happened to him again! Like when he took that monster bracelet from me! I bet Discord had something to do with it! He took the bracelet and-"
"Did Somepony say 'my' name?" A familiar voice echoed through Twilight's castle as the owner popped up in an arm chair that floated above everypony, Discord was dressed in an evening robe, a pipe blowing chocolate bubbles in his mouth, a pair of reading glasses rested on his muzzle, and an unfamiliar book in his mismatched claws. As he looked over everypony, he took special notice in Applejack. "Oh, I see... so he's finally awakened 'those' powers. Only took him 1000 years."
"What do you know about this Discord?" Twilight put her hoof down.
"You didn't have anything to do with this, did you, Discord?" Fluttershy tried an easier approach, one that she knew would melt Discord's heart as she looked up at his with her sad, big blue eyes.
The sight of her did melt his heart, and pushed away any mind games he wanted to play with Twilight and the others. With a sigh and a snap of his fingers, Discord's outfit, the chair, and the book all disappeared. He floated down and avoided eye contact with his best friend for the longest time as he explained. "I had nothing to do with this... but... I did know that something like 'this' would eventually happen."
"Where's the monster bracelet?! If you put it on Sunny again, I'm gunna-!" Rainbow Dash jumped at Discord, ready to sock him right in his messed up muzzle.
"Oh? You mean, this monster bracket?" Discord smugly asked as he snapped his fingers and made the same cursed item appear out of nowhere, floating in the palm of his paw. "If you think his transformation was of my or this lovely trinket's doing, I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken."
"Then... what happened to Sunny? How-" Twilight started to say when Discord's bird like claw raised a finger and put it to her mouth, silencing the alicorn.
"Perhaps who could answer better is the one who cast the curse, who brought Applejack to you, and who is currently running away with no place to go... well... maybe almost no place to go." Discord said with a smug look on his muzzle.
As Twilight looked into Disocrd's taunting and mischievous red and yellow eyes, a thought popped into her head. Something Sunny told her back when he confessed everything to her on his trial. Turning to her friends, Twilight spoke with commanding authority. "Girls, I think I know where to find him. We need to get to the castle of the two pony sisters!"
"Can we leave Applejack all on her own?" Rarity asked as she turned to her still sleeping friend. "I mean, she will wake up eventually and wonder where everypony was and why he's in the castle."
"I'll stay and keep an eye on her!" Spike offered as he straitened his back, puffed out his chest, and stiffened his muscles to look more intimidating and official.
"Oh, what a brave dragon you are, Spike" Rarity gave Spike a kiss on his forehead, making the baby dragon break his pose and almost melt into a puddle as hearts formed in his eyes.
"That settles it" Twilight said as she and her friends were about to leave.
"One more thing, Twilight!" Discord popped up beside the princess of friendship, holding up a poster. "You may want to attend this."
Taking the poster in her hoof, Twilight read the cation out loud. "Dreamer's delight Circus?... where all your dreams come true and never end... showing first in Ponyville after Sundown?"
The poster appeared to be an image of a stage with a smiling clown on one side balancing act on a ball, a pony juggling bowling pins on the other, and at the center was a tall grey stallion. The stallion hid the top half of his muzzle with a twisted looking tip hat, but one thing that was easily seen was his sharp toothy smile that seemed to stretch farther up his head then normal.
"That's Charming Knightmare!" Twilight cried out, catching the attention of everypony once again, except Rarity, who was beginning to really feel out of the loop.
"He isn't here, yet" Discord explained. "But the show is tonight. So you best find Sunny and get everything sorted out by sundown. You may want to crash the show before that 'dastardly villain' does whatever he plans to do. And you know it isn't good."
Not enjoying the fact that she was on such a crunched time limit, Twilight sighed and looked back to her friends, trying to appear as confident as ever. "Looks like we have a lot of work to do. Let's get going girls. First we find Sunny."
"Then we kick Charming Knightmare's flank!" Rainbow Dash said as she punched her open hoof, a battle ready expression on her muzzle.
"Will somepony PLEASE tell me who this 'Charming' fellow is?!" Rarity was getting more and more annoyed at how very little she was kept up on.
"I'll explain on the way!" Pinkie jumped up beside her fashion obsessed friend. "There's a lot we need to bring our up to speed on! Not to worry! Ol'Pinkie's gunna learn ya it all!"
As the girls ran as fast as they could, through Ponyville and into the Everfree forest, Discord sat and watched from afar. Loving how well played out all of this was. Almost as if somepony were pulling all the strings.
Rushing into town, the Apple Family and Pappy began asking everypony if they'd seen Applejack or Sunny, fearing the worst. At one point, Pappy disappeared out of the Apple's eyes, but he family of farmers kept their search going.
"Whoah! Whoah Big Mac!" Thunderlane put his hooves up to motion his friend to calm down. "Take this story back a few steps. What happened?"
"It's like ah said!" Big Mac repeated himself, trying to keep his cool. "We all woke up and found Sunny's room trashed and neither he or Applejack were around! We need ta find them!"
"Are you sure they didn't go off somewhere? Like, together?" Thunderlane suggested then made a few Kissing motions, that were interrupted when Octavia smacked him upside the head.
The cello player had met Thunderlane for a quick brunch to discuss her and her group playing at the Wonderbolt's ball.
"This is serious, Thunderlane" Octavia stated, party from the saverity of the situation, as well as from jealousy over Applejack. "Our friends could be in danger. We need to go looking for them."
"Ah wouldn' worry none 'bout Applejack" Pappy said as he stepped out of a dark alleyway. He noticed some freshly baked bread at Thunderlane and Octavia's table, smiled, and helped himself to it. After a few chew, he noticed everypony was waiting for him to continue. He swallowed most of his bite, then the elderly stallion took a drink of Thunderlane's orange juice and continued. "Ah saw them girls all run into th' Everfree forest. Ah think ah saw her with 'em. Proabably on some sort ah 'friendship mission' or what not. Ah hear they do a lot of that."
"Well, that figures" Big Mac sighed in relief. "So AJ's safe."
"But what about Sunny?" Octavia asked, just as everypony was beginning to relax. "Was he with them?"
"Ah'm 'fraid not" the elderly stallion replied, taking another bite of bread. "But ah wouldn't worry yer pretty little head 'bout it. If there's ah group of ponies ya can trust ta get th' job done, it's them. Ah'm sure they'll find Sunny an' set this whole mess strait. After all, they are the ponies who represent the elements of harmony. They've saved Equestria so many times before. Eh'yep. Just them six little ponies and ah baby dragon..."
Pappy began mumbling to himself as he casually took the entire basket of bread from the table and the rest of Thinderlane's orange juice and slowly made his way back tot he apple farm.
"I guess he's right" Thunderlane broke the silence, his eyes falling to the table.
"Ah reckon so..." Big Mac cratchex the back d his leg with his other leg, looking at the ground.
"Maybe we should just go back to what we were doing and let the professionals do what they do" Octavia stated, looking back at the paperwork she had brought.
And as fast as three ponies were about to embark on a quest to aid a friend, the three of them returned to their daily routine, as if nothing were wrong....
Racing though the woods as fast as his new body could travel, Sunny, now made of smoke and shadow, seemed to just fly thought he brush and trees of the wild forest, as if just running in an open field. His smoke like body just moved around and past all obstacles that would have stopped a physical body. His body now powered by fear and sorrow pushed him to go faster then he ever had before.
As he traveled though the dangerous forest, the umbrum that was formerly the yellow unicorn, passed by many strange and unusual creatures. Hydra, giant snakes, alligators with scales of rock, giant spiders, half gorilla half owl creatures, Manticores, giant pony eating plants, and at one point an out of place brown earth-pony with one of his hooves wrapped up in chains. But every creature that looked at Sunny seemed to back off, frightened by the very presence of him, as if he himself embodied everything they feared. Sunny did his best to just push their frightened eyes from his mind as he pressed on, reaching out to the only place he found he could escape to. Not his cave, not the Crystal Empire, not his aunt Radiant's out of the way home in the arctic tundra, but someplace few ponies would dare to look. For some reason, that place really felt like home to the yellow stallion.
A certain room in the castle of the two pony sisters. The same room Sunny had found his father in not so long ago, the room 'he' himself retreated to after the fight over Alister, and now, the room was calling to him, as if somepony were there waiting for him. Somepony who would outstretch her wings and hold him tight, telling him that the monsters would never get him. In a normal state, Sunny could have pieced it all together, but his mind wasn't in a rational state. Everything was foggy and unclear. All he knew was where it was safe for him there.
Reaching the rope bridge that would lead across to the run down castle, Sunny started to hover over it, his smoked body able to just roll over the wooden planks. But something else caught his eye.
Looking down into the gorge, Sunny's gaze caught sight of something glowing deep in the mist. Something as bright as a falling star. In a rational mind, Sunny might have approached it with caution, but in his current state he was more like a foal, curious and irrational, eager to satisfy his desires. Drawn to the glimmer, Sunny's smoky body fazed though the wooden boards and down into the mist. The white mist that normally filled the gorge seemed to engulf him as he ventured deeper into it, searching for the glimmering source.
Just as the last of Sunny's shadowy body disappeared into the mist surrounding the castle's moat, five mares of different colors and tribes reached the edge of the forest and the beginning of the rope bridge.
"He's got to be in there!" Twilight told her group of friends. "Lets cross slowly, and search every inch of the castle!"
"We don't have time to look anywhere else if we do that" Rarity chimed in. "Not if we expect to get back to town before that horrible 'Charming Knightmare' puts on his show."
"Then we need to make the most of our time" Twilight continued to say as she, Fluttersy and Rainbow flew across, allowing Rarity and Pinkie to take the bridge. "I'll search the catacombs. I have it all mentally mapped out. Rainbow, you'll look in the towers. Fluttershy, you and Rarity can..."
As the girls planned their search, their words muffled and hidden from Sunny by the mist, the umbrum like creature made his way through the sound and sight repelling magical mist, the only thing giving him direction was the glimmering light. Sunny seemed to float for hours until he reached the edge of the castle's cliff, where a cave was hidden on the far side, safely tucked away from anypony just casually wandering around.
Without fear, Sunny stepped into the glowing cave, his foal like curiosity peaking as the light dimmed slightly and revealed its source. A Crystal like tree with several branches and identifying smaller crystals attached to them!
"The tree of harmony..." Sunny stated as he yawned, feeling extremely tired all of a sudden. Despite the bright glowing light emanating from the tree, Sunny felt the strongest need to rest.
Having no strength to climb back to the top of the gorge, Sunny decided this was a good enough place to take a small nap. Feeling a small sense of peace and more relaxed then he had been in a long time, Sunny's smoke like body fell to the ground. And as the stallion began to drift off into slumber, a branch on the tree of harmony began to glow. One that had an orange apple shaped gem on it. It's light began to pour over Sunny, reverting his body to it's previous state. Now, a unicorn once more, a smile returned to Sunny's muzzle as he was able to return to a pleasant dream he enjoyed having. One of him and Applejack sitting in a checkerboard blanket on that same grassy hill at the farm. Maybe this time he'll have the courage to tell her how he really feels...
Back at the castle of friendship, Spike watched over Applejack while re-reading one of his favorite comics, looking between it and her ever half page or so. But the orange mare appeared to be sleeping very soundly, experiencing a dream she had grown rather fond of. It was like the dreams she had before, where she and Sunny were on the farm, on a specific hill at the edge of the orchard, sprawled out over a checkerboard blanket, just looking into each other's eyes....
Near the edge of the Everfree forest, a swirling purple portal opened up, made of dark magic and shadow, with something big emerging from it. The creature stood on four hooves that shook the ground with every step that he took. Stretching his bulging red muscles and waving his now grown horns to the sky, the creature roared as he felt free from his prison. Tirek had regained 15% of his full power, and a healthy and stronger body, thanks to the aid of King Sombra. To keep it, all he would have to do is deliver his brat to the shadow king himself. Easy enough. Then the centaur would have his revenge on those who imprisoned him. Starting with that annoying alicorn, Twilight Sparkle!
It had been several hours since the girls left to go and find Sunny and left Spike all alone to watch Applejack. After re-reading his entire stack of comics several times, the little dragon tuckered himself out and fell asleep with his most recent 'Star Pony Gardians' on his face. Applejack, on the other hoof, began to stir awake from her pleasant dream.
As she looked around, Applejack only saw Spike fast asleep and the sun beginning to set in the west. "How long have ah been asleep?"
Mumbling in his sleep, Spike turned over with his comic sliding down and used as a small blanket. Not wanting the little fella to catch a chill, Applejack took the blanket that was put around her on him, and placed the pillow she was using gently under his head. After the baby dragon looked comfortable, Applejack went to the map room to see if her friends were around.
A quick search of the castle revealed that nopony outside Applejack and Spike were inside. Determined to find out what happened, and having no memory other then trying to wake Sunny up that morning, Applejack casually made her way past a sleeping Spike, out the front doors of the castle, and down the dirt road leading to Ponyville...
"We've been searching forever!" Rainbow Dash threw we hooves up in frustration. "Where is he?!"
"I thought for sure he's come here..." Twilight said to herself. "Where else would he go?"
The girls had searched the ruins of the castle of the Two pony sisters for hours, desperate to fiend their missing friend.
"Maybe back to the Apple farm?" Fluttershy suggested.
"Not to sound rude, darling" Rarity started. "But if I hurt one of my friends, the last place 'I' would want to go is back to their home."
"Wait! What about that secret cave thing?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Scoots knows where it is. She watched Sunny sneaking out of it one time. I'm sure she could-"
"There's no time!" Twilight grasped when she looked at the setting sun in the window. "We'll have to continue our search later! Right now we have to deal with Charming Knigntmare and whatever 'he' is planning."
"But what about Sunny?!" Pinkie Pie popped her head out of an old vase on a pedestal lining the hallway. "We can't just leave him here! In the dark! Alone and scared!"
"We don't really have a choice, Pinkie" Twilight hung her head and sighed. "I hate to leave him in that state, but we need to stop Knightmare and protect the ponies of Ponyville."
"But... but we'll come back and help him, r-right?" It was obvious that Pinkie was really upset about leaving her friend behind. She was his first friend when he came to Ponyville, and it was thanks to her that he went to Sweet Apple Acres and met the Apple family. She felt a strong responsibility towards him, and it tore her apart to have to leave him all alone.
A hoof landed on Pinkie's shoulder, just as a few tears were about to fall. Pinkie traced the hoof all the way back to it's owner, Rainbow Dash. Standing beside her best friend, Rainbow shot Pinkie a confident smile. "Don't worry! We'll take this Knightmare guy down, then come back and save Sunny. Pinkie promise!"
At the same time, Rainbow and Pinkie began the 'Pinkie-promise-ritual-chant'. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"
Rainbow going through the motions that Pinkie originally came up with for her 'pinkie promises' braught back a smile to Pinkie's muzzle. With that, the girls went back to Ponyville, unsure of what exactly they would be facing...
Octavia had concluded all the nessisary arrangements that she and Thunderlane needed to discuss, but for some reason couldn't find the strength to leave the cafe. It had been hours since that old stallion told her and the boys that Twilight and her friends were off to find Sunny. But something just wasn't sitting right with her. Her mother would have called it her 'mare's intuition'. And she might have been right. As the entire town prepared for a one night special event, Octavia was slowly sipping away on her 12th cup of tea, eyes glued down the dirt road leading into Ponyville that Twilight and her friends were sure to come down.
"More tea, miss Octavia?" The waiter asked once more. He had been polite the whole time Octavia was there. Most ponies would assume she was broke and waiting for them to just kick her out. But the waiter of this cafe knew Octavia better then that, and could since something was wrong.
"Oh, ugh, yes please" Octavia replied, snapping her self back to the cafe.
"Is it a stallion?" The waiter asked, not trying to pry too much.
"Yes..." Octavia replied as he finished pouring her some more passion fruit tea. Realizing how it must have sounded, Octavia quickly added "A-A-A good friend! A good Stallion friend! A friend who is a good stallion! I mean... a friend."
The waiter laughed lightly. "He must be for you to worry this much about him. Shame on him for making you wait this long."
"We weren't going to meet up here..." Octavia answered. "He's... missing."
"He is?" The waiter sounded surprised. "Is somepony out looking for him?"
"Yes..." Octavia's ears dropped, her wart sinking with the answer she was about o give. "The best ponies for the job are."
Catching the grey mare's distress, the waiter decided to do something out of his normal character, offer advice. "You know, one would think one more pony out there looking couldn't hurt. I mean, who's to say whether you 'should' or 'shouldn't' go help a friend. You obviously worry about him this much. Who's to stop a friend from helping a friend out."
"But..." Octavia thought about the whole reason she and the guys didn't go and look for Sunny. "But I'm just a musician. I don't save ponies on a regular basis like princess Twilight and her friends."
"Before Twilight Sparkle was a princess, she was just a pony. A bit of a shut-in book worm, from what I hear. And yet, by taking a stand and following what she believed was right, she and her friends did extraordinary things" the waiter finished his speech and began to walk off. "But that's just me thinking out loud. You should do what 'you' feel is best."
Tanking a moment to think, Octavia knew what she needed to do. A small light flickered in her eyes, like a rainbow's flash. The grey mare dug into her purse, pulled out a small bag of bits, at least twice what she owed for her meal and tea. As she jumped up and ran past the waiter, she handed him the small bag and thanked him with a kiss on his cheek.
Taking the bag of bits in his hoof, the waiter watched as Octavia ran through town, heading to Sweet Apple Acres. Once she was out of sight, the waiter slipped out of sight himself, past the back doors of the cafe where the real waiter was bound and gagged to a chair. The waiter Octavia had spoken to pulled out a black orb, the one Sunny had gotten from his father for his birthday. Holding it in his hoof and chanting an ancient spell, the 'fake' waiter's form began to shift and change, reversing the spell and turning him back to his actual form. No longer masquerading as the waiter, Pappy stood with the orb in hoof, turning his attention back to the ‘real’ waiter.
"Sorry 'bout that pal" Pappy said with a smile as he looked down at the waiter. "Ah needed ta give somepony a quick kick in th' backside. Here, this will more then cover her meal and yer silence. Th' Crystal Empire appreciates yer cooperation."
After untying the nervous waiter, Pappy happily strolled back to the Apple Farm, wondering how mad Granny would be when she realized Pappy tricked Apple Bloom into doing the dishes for him.
Racing as fast as her hooves could carry her, Octavia raced down the dirt road towards Sweet Apple Acres, where she hopped to either find Sunny or get some clues as to where he could be. Maybe she would be lucky and he would be there, but something deep down inside told her that he wouldn't be. When Octavia arrived, she was shocked to see a giant whole in the side of the farm house and had a sickening feeling that that came from Sunny's room. Whatever made the whole was strong enough to break solid wood with ease. Big Mac appeared to be hard at work trying to patch it up, making little to no head way.
The stallion would need to replace most of the wall, and that would require quite a bit of wood. Wood they didn't have at the moment. So Big Mac was just going to have to close the whole off with some plywood until he could get the materials he needed to properly repair it.
"Big Mac!" Somepony called out to him, catching his attention. Turning around, Big Mac was surprised to see Octavia standing there almost out of breath. He almost felt relieved to see her, hoping she had come all this way to tell him that she saw Sunny walking into town with Applejack and the girls. But with one simple question, all of Big Mac's hope shattered. "Is Sunny here?"
A little shaken, Big Mac simply replied, "eh'nope."
"Did Applejack and the others come back yet?" Octavia continued to ask.
"Don't think so" Big Mac began to grow more and more nervous.
"Guys!" A third pony flew in as fast as he could, smacking into the side of the farm house, unable to stop. When he did, all the work Big Mac had put into repairing the side of the farmhouse had crumbled to pieces and fallen off. Not realizing the damage he had done, Thunderlane stood up, shook his head and turned to the other two ponies. "I just saw Princess Twilight and her friends coming back from the Everfree forest, looking supper worried! Without Sunny!"
"WHAT?!" Octavia gasped, feeling lightheaded and slightly nauseous.
"What 'bout mah sis?!" Big Mac began to grow more conceded, breaking it into a nervous sweat.
"I saw her leaving Twilight's castle a little while ago" Thunderlane told his worried friend. "She seemed fine. Fine enough to run almost as fast as I could fly. I think she's going to meet the girls in town. I overheard them talking about that circus going on tonight."
"Sunny's missing and they're going to a circus?!" Octavia started to turn red with outrage.
"Well... I think they might have said something about the guy in charge of it" Thunderlane tried to douse Octavia's burning rage. "Maybe he's a bad guy up to no good, or something, and they need to stop him."
Taking a few deep breaths, Octavia gathered herself, straitened her mane, then calmly told Thunderlane and Big Mac "we need to go find him ourselves."
"Who? Find Sunny?" Thunderlane tried to clarify.
"Ourselves?" Big Mac repeated her last word.
"Are we or are we not his friends?" Octavia started her speech. "What kind of friends leave others to save their friend while they themselves just go about their day as if nothing is wrong?! Are we or are we not his friends?! And do we not stick by our friends, in good times and bad?!"
Another rainbow flash flared across both Big Mac and Thinderlane's eyes as Octavia finished her speech. All of them looked to each other with glowing, confident smiles.
"Let's go save our friend!" Thunderlane declared as he stuck out his hoof.
"Let's bring him home" Big Mac put his hoof over Thunderlane's.
"Safe and sound" Octavia added as she put her hoof over Big Mac's.
Just as they all were about to head out and make the dangerous journey through the Everfree forest, some strange noise filled the night air. A loud and almost alien sound. A loud scrapping 'whooshing' noise. As the wind began to kick up, Octavia and the boys turned to see something appearing out of nowhere. A faint image at first, like a ghost, becoming more and more solid, a big Blue box began to appear. Once it was a solid image, the 'whooshing' noise stopped, and somepony popped their head out of one of it's doors. Octavia, Thunderlane, and Big Mac all recognized the pony sticking his head out of the box as Doctor Whooves.
Looking around and finally catching the sight of the other three ponies just staring at him and his box, Doctor smiled and stepped out of the TARDIS. "Ah... ugh... I can explain."
"No time" Octavia waved a hoof. "Sunny's in trouble. We need to find him. He's lost somewhere in the Everfree forest."
"Lost you say?" Doctor padded his chin then retreated into his blue box.
"Sunny's missing?!" Derpy flew out of the box and landed on her face, but quickly got up and dusted herself off. "We have to go and find him!"
"That's the plan!" Thunderlane beamed, wings out, ready cut through the air.
Smiling up at Thunderlane, Derpy's eyes, although still pointing in opposite directions, also flared with a rainbow for a split second as she smiled, happy that they were going to help their friend.
"Let's make our search a little easier!" Doctor exclaimed as he returned from his box with an odd device that he hadn't used since the TARDIS became fully operational. It was a hoof held device with several flashing lights and wires on it, that made a beeping sound every few seconds. As he held it triumphantly in the air, Doctor turned to the group of misfit friends and proclaimed "let's go save Sunny!"
As the others cheered and the thought of going out of his way to help a friend filled Doctor's mind, a rainbow flashed across the time lord's eyes as well...
Sunny had been fast asleep, enjoying his peaceful dream when the ground shaking beneath his hooves suddenly awoke him from his slumber! Shaken awake, Sunny didn't have time to think about how he returned to pony form or even how he had gotten to the tree of harmony. All that happened that day was a blur, like a bad dream. Running outside the cave and leaving the free of harmony behind, Sunny saw what had been causing all the commotion.
A giant red and black centaur was attacking the ruins of the castle above, the castle of the two pony sisters! The mighty creature continued to attack the castle as he called out "Soleggiato! Come out or I will turn this castle to rubble!"
Thinking quickly, Sunny focused his magic and teleported himself to the cliff just behind the castle. Looking back at were the centaur stood, Sunny called out "who are you and what do you want with me?"
After hearing the pony's voice, the centaur stopped his attack on the old castle. "I was sent here to pick you up and take you to your father, King Sombra. I mean you no harm. Forgive my harsh actions, I simply lost my temper."
Sunny had dealt with many characters in his past and more in his present enough to know the centaur was simply trying to sweet talk him. He could see it in the beast's eyes. But if the giant knew Sunny's real name and of his father, he might be telling the truth. But before Sunny could think up his next move, a giant red hand reached out and grabbed him, plucking the yellow unicorn from his hiding spot!
"There you are!" The centaur smiled as he narrowed his Black and yellow eyes on Sunny. "Once I turn you over to your father, I'll be free to exact my revenge on those who imprisoned me!"
Struggling against the monster's grasps, Sunny started to channel his magic into his horn, ready to teleport away when he suddenly found himself trapped in a orange sphere!
"I don't need you causing me any more problems" the centaur noted and began to walk away in the direction of the foal mountains.
Just as he began his journey, the giant centaur felt his front legs catch something. As he was about to look down to see what was obstructing his movements, something fast hit him in the stomach, slightly knocking the wind out of him. Before he could recover, something else came down in him from above, hitting him with the force of two tones! Feeling lightheaded, the centaur collapsed to his knees and landed face first on the ground, dropping the orb that contained Sunny!
Once the orb fell and shattered, Sunny quickly looked around and saw his friends! Doctor, Derpy, Octavia, Thunderlane, and Big Mac! Running up to his friends, they all bombarded him with affectionate hugs. "Guys... ugh... great to see you too.. but-"
"We're so glad you're safe!" Octavia interrupted him.
"We were worried!" Big Mac added.
"That's great... but-" Sunny could barely speak through the right hug. But this time, somepony else interrupted him.
Orange orbs engulfed all of Sunny's friends, separating them from their hug and levitated them up off the ground. The centaur who the group had take down moments ago had regained consciousness and cast some sort of spell to separate the group. The scene was so familiar to the muscular being, that is almost made him worry. The last time a group of ponies came to aid a target of his, he wound up back in Tartarus. But this time, he was going to make sure not to leave a single drop of magical energy in them!
"Looks like I have a little snack" the centaur narrowed his eyes on Sunny's friends as he licked his lips.
"NO!" Sunny cried out in a loud and commanding voice that actually managed to shake the giant centaur. Pausing a moment, Sunny sighed, knowing he was defeated. "I'll... I'll go with you. Just don't hurt my friends. Please."
"No Sunny!" Thunderlane called out as he began tackling the side of his bubble in an attempt to break loose. Derpy began cannon balling, butt first, to try and achieve the same result, with no success.
"You can't go with that fiend!" Octavia added as she began punching at her bubble with her hooves, knowing her strength could break boulders. Big Mac tried bucking his bubble as well, but neither bubbles showed the slightest hint of weakness.
"That's Tirek! He attacked Ponyville and Equestria before! He'll surely do it again!" Doctor staged as he pulled out an odd looking wand shaped device and began waving it at his bubble. The item made a loud screeching noise, but ultimately wasn't effective.
"Guys... it's ok" Sunny sighed again as he walked over to Tirek, ready to tell them the horrible truth, knowing the truth would set him free. The truth would show them that 'he' himself was a monster like Tirek, like his father. And when they saw that, they would want nothing more to do with him. As much as it would pain him, putting emotional distance between him and his friends was the best thing for them right now. It was time to tell them the truth, to be honest with them... “He's going to take me to my father... to King Sombra..."
"King... Sombra?" Big Mac paused his bucking to look at his yellow pal.
"Isn't that...." Thunderlane stated to say, but couldn't find the strength to complete his sentence.
"He's the evil king who brought the Crystal Empire to it's knees" Doctor spat it item out of his mouth. "The one Princess Twilight and her friends had to fight when the Empire returned."
"Sunny... you're a prince?!" Octavia's first response was a rather unexpected one to Sunny.
"Not really the point I was making" Sunny flatly said, avoiding eye contact with his friends complexly, but still speaking loud enough for them to hear. "Tirek, I'm ready. I'll go..."
"Good" the red and black centaur raised a hand over Sunny and cast him in a similar orange orb like his friends. Having given up the fight despite his friend's plea, Sunny sat down like a good little colt in the bubble, ready to be taken where he was told. "But first, a snack!"
Sunny's eyes jolted open as he watched Tirek levitate the orb with Thunderlane inside it up to his face. The Black eyed beast opened his mouth as wide as it could stretch. As Thunderlane pressed himself up to the farthest edge of the bubble that he could, trying as best as he could to put as much space between him and Tirek as possible. But his actions were pointless, he was unable to escape the centaur's hunger. Sunny watched as an orange and yellow energy was sucked from his close friend and swallowed up by Tirek!
"THAT WASN'T PART OF THE DEAL!!!" Sunny yelled as loud as he could, jumping to his hooves and banging on his orb. "I TOLD YOU TO LET THEM GO AND I'D-"
"Silence, foal" Tirek snapped as he put Thunderlane's orb down, the grey Pegasus stallion now a lighter shade of grey and all the color removed from his eyes. As Tirek picked up Big Mac's orb, he shot a quick glance at Sunny who was desperately trying to break out of his own orange ball. "I made no such 'deal' with you. 'My' only deal with with your father, to deliver you safe and sound to him. Your 'friends' are a snack I'll need for the journey. So relax and say your final goodbyes!"
Sunny watched in horror again as Tirek opened his mouth up wide and began observing the magic from Big Mac. The sight was too much for Sunny to bear and he continued to fight, trying to buck, punch, or blast with magic against the walls of his prison. All with no success. Once Big Mac was fully drained, and left as a grey image of his former self, Tirek reached for Octavia's orb next.
As Octavia was lifted up to the giant beast, she looked down to Sunny and tried her best to call to him. "Sunny! I believe in you! If there's anypony who can save us, it's y-"
But the musical mare was interrupted as Tirek started absorbing the magic from her too. Sunny stopped his attempts to break free to watch through tear filled eyes as every last drop of magic was drained from Octavia, just like with Thunderlane and Big Mac. Once all magic had been taken from her, Tirek added her to the small pile of ponies still in their orange prisons that were also drained, before reaching and grabbing Derpy's orb. The poor grey mare could only shiver and shake as Tirek's large red hand reached out and grabbed her orb prison.
"You need to do something Sunny!" Doctor yelled out from his prison, caring the unicorn's attention.
"I... I don't know what else I can do! I'm not Twilight Sparkle!" He admitted, bitting his lip as he said it. "I'm just a former prince... I don't know half the spells Twilight, or even the other unicorn's in town probably know! I'm not as strong as Big Mac! I can't-"
"Quite telling yourself what you ‘can't’ do!" Doctor snapped. "I saw you risk your life for ponies you didn't even know! You've taken on armies before all on your own!"
"Armies that were just ponies! Or griffins! Or creatures that weren't the size of buildings!" Sunny snapped back, motioning to Tirek. "And certainly not something like him!"
"What you're facing doesn't matter!" Doctor's expression remained unchanged as he tried to focus less on Derpy, his oldest and dearest friend, being drained of all her magic, and tried to focus on Sunny. "I know you can do this! You just have to look deep inside yourself!... as a stallion of science, I don't normally say this, but find the magic inside of you!"
"Magic... inside of me?" Sunny repeated Doctor's words as he watched Doctor's orb rise up to Tirek's mouth, and, like the others, began to lose all the magic from within him.
'Magic within!' Sunny shut his eyes to focus as he mentally chanted the thought. 'Magic within! Magic within! MAGIC WITHIN!'
Throwing Doctor Whooves's orb to the rest of the ponies in the pile, Tirek snapped his fingers, breaking the orbs they were kept in. As the image of the ponies falling to the ground, all weak and deprived of their natural glow, flashed across Sunny's eyes, carving the memory into the stallion's mind, something began to bubble inside. Something dark and deep. Something that Sunny remembered. And a voice spoke out again. 'Let it go.'
"That was a nice snack" Tirek chuckled, satisfied with his actions. "But it's time to get this foal to his daddy. I want my revenge, and I've waited long enough to..."
Tirek stopped his monologue when he noticed the orb that contained Sunny began to fill with a black kind of smoke. The orange orb that helped the former prince began to warp and, at some points, break. Tirek watched, unable to react out of curiosity. Right as his red hand was about to reach out for the orb, though, it shattered, causing the centaur to retract his hand to protect his face.
When he felt it was safe to open his eyes, the centaur couldn't believe what he was looking at. A thick black miasma seemed to be covering the ground and spreading through the entire area as a pair of burning red eyes pierced the black smoke where Sunny once stood.
"What magic is this?" Tirek asked as he tried to blow the smoke away with waves of his large arms.
"The magic... of FEAR!!!" Sunny called out from the black smoke. A pony like figure then jumped out from the miasma and lashed out at Tirek, striking him in the chest. The blow was great and slightly knocked the wind out of Tirek. But the centaur just landed on his hooves, quickly recovering only to be attacked again from the side! Sunny hit a second powerful blow hit Tirek’s ribs before vanishing in lot smoke and reappearing behind the giant centaur and landing another blow at his lower back!
Strike after strike, Sunny now in a full umbrum form, continued to lash out as hard as he could. Kicking, bucking, punching, even bitting Tirek whenever he could. The giant centaur tried to retaliate, striking back with back hands, fists, as even swinging his large horns, but every attack just passed through Sunny's smoke like body. In a short time, Sunny had mastered his birthright form inherited from his father, simply through the power of rage and anger. But it was the source of anger that would lead to his greatest weakness. As monstrous as Tirek was, he had a sharp and calculating mind, not a sharp as someponues, but he was smart enough to realize something when his eye caught sight of all the drained ponies he left in a pile off to his side.
Realizing Sunny’s possible weakness, Tirek stopped trying to block and attack the umbrum like pony and started to gather energy into his left hand. "I’d stop attacking if I were you!
"Unless you wish to see your 'friends' turned to ash!" Tirek chucked as he turned the giant energy ball towards Doctor, Derpy, Octavia, Thunderlane and Big Mac, who were all still drained of all their magic, too weak to stand let alone run away from danger.
Understanding the danger his friends were in, Sunny stopped his attacks immediately. His voice echoed like howls in the dark after midnight, his glowing red eyes turned back to their usual green color as he looked from his opponent to his friends. “No! You wouldn't!"
"Try me!" Tirek's toothy grin grew as the magical orb of energy grew larger in his tending hand, seeming to gather fiery rings around it. "You surrender and come with me! Or they pay the price!"
Looking from Tirek then to his friends, Sunny's anger quickly subsided, and with it, his umbrum like form. As the yellow unicorn began to revert to his previous state, appeareing the same as he did the first day he came to Ponyville, he hung his head in defeat. Sunny could never let his anger overpower his love for his friends. The only friends he had, aside from family. As the miasma began to clear, and the last of Sunny's shadowy body solidified, Tirek began to reach down with one mighty hand to grab him, his other hand dispensing the energy ball into nothing. As he did, Sunny put up a small shield, not enough to completely block the attack, but enough to stop Tirek from grabbing him. She shield faded shortly after Tirek touched it.
"What is the meaning of this?! Still defiant?!" Tirek snapped, narrowing his eyes on the little yellow unicorn.
"I'll go willingly" Sunny stated. "Just... just give me a second to say goodbye to my friends..."
"Why would I do that?!" Tirek asked. "The longer I wait, the longer it takes to-"
"Give. Me. A. Second" Sunny's voice rang deep like a bronze bell, his eyes flaring as they shot a hard look at Tirek.
The giant red and black centaur hesitated for a moment, remembering that same gaze and tone that Sombra used on him. Trying to hide his hesitation, Tirek grunted and narrowed his eyes on the little pony. "You have one minute. Then we leave. Staring now."
Not wanting to waste any time, Sunny ran over to his friends as fast as he could. Only, as he reached them, the former prince was suddenly at a loss for words until one of them spoke up.
"You... you aren't really going... are you?" Big Mac asked, his voice sounding so weak. Sunny had never heard the red stallion sound so tired before
"If I do, he'll leave you alone" Sunny replied, his eyes avoiding contact.
"He'll... hurt ponies like... like last time..." Thunderlane added, fighting with all his might to talk.
"... Twilight and the others can handle him" Sunny countered after a brief moment of hesitation. "They've done it before. They can do it again."
"Don't go..." Octavia begged, tears forming at the far corners of her eyes.
"You're... our friend..." Derpy didn't allow Sunny to say anything before she did. Her crossed eyes now grey ghosts of their normally joy filled selves.
"... you all would have been better off if you never met me..." Sunny finally spoke up, fighting back the tears. "Look what knowing me and trying to help me has done to you."
"You're wrong..." Doctor put one hoof down and used it to pull himself up half way, eyes locking onto Sunny. "That monster... did this. Not you.... you... you saved us... from ourselves."
"Since we met you" Octavia chimed in again, digging deeper to find the strength to speak from the heart. "We've all become better ponies. Ponies we wouldn't be if you didn't help us."
"She's right bro..." Thunderlane forced himself to crack a smile at his yellow friend. "I have no regrets about us being friends."
"Me neither" Big Mac's smile stretched from ear to ear.
"So Sunny... how do you feel?" Doctor asked, a half smile creeping into his own muzzle. "Do you really want to go? Is this how you want things to end?... what is it you want?... just tell us what you really feel... Be honest.”
His heart was racing a million miles per hour, as Sunny looked from his friends to Tirek and back. He knew his time was almost up, and there would be no point in fighting back. So with nothing more to lose, Sunny felt something burning deep inside, like a furnace fire growing to warn a house in the dead of winter. Something that Sunny kept deep, deep inside was raising to the surface, and he no longer wished to fight it. He was ready to let what he kept inside out! The truth. The truth he had buried deep side to keep ponies at a distance, to keep his secrets, and to keep his heart from hurting like w had in the past.
"I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE!" Sunny burst into tears as his voice rang though the forest, shaking the trees and scaring the wild life near them. All eyes were on the yellow unicorn as rivers ran down from his eyes.
"I finally have friends! REAL friends!" Sunny said through his tears. "I don't have to worry about being a 'perfect prince'! I can goof-off! Have fun! Stroll into town like anypony else! I live in a wonderful house! With ponies who like me for me! It's all I've ever wanted!... I just... I just wanted that for so long! Now I don’t want to lose it! Any of it!”
With that final declaration, Sunny's body began to glow! Some unknown power began to raise the yellow unicorn into the air! The light then hit his friends, each one beginning to glow a different color in respect to the element that had awaken inside each of them from the experience they all had with Sunny. As the lights that surrounded each of them grew in intensity, their colors began to return to them, and then some! Their manes and tails began to grow, gaining streaks of various colors. Along their bodies, images of their respective cutie marks began to appear as well, also in various colors that matched the streaks in their manes and tails. No pony knew why all of this was happening, that was, until the tree of Harmony reached out and reminded Sunny of the dream he had while he slept beneath it’s branches.
While the yellow unicorn slept, the three of Harmony basked him in it's light, sensing he was in need of it's harmonious and peace brining powers. Along with such a gift, the tree knew it had to bestow onto him the Knowledge of what was happening, so that he could lead the others when the time came. The time is now. Now the new Guardians of Harmony have awakened!
As Sunny rose into he air, glowing with an orange light that surrounded him, he began to speak, turning his head first to Big Mac. The big red farm pony appeared to be holding back some laughter as he floated into he air, himself, a blue light coating his entire body. "After finding the ability to balance work and fun, and sharing the gift with others, you, Big Macintosh, are bestowed with the element of Laughter..."
The next pony Sunny turned to was Thunderlane, who's body was coated in a red light as he floated in the air, striking a victorious position. "For seeking out a way to share your life with new and old friends, showing you don't want to lose either, you, Thunderlane, now represent the element of Loyalty!"
Sunny smiled as he turned his head towards Octavia, who smiled back with nearly tear filled wide eyes and an even wider smile as she floated in purple light. "Sacrificing one's own goals in order to aid other's dreams is a noble sacrifice in deed. That is why, Octavia, you represent Generocity."
Looking over at Derpy, his mind jumping back and regaining the memories of over 1000 years ago, Sunny smiled at his old friend. The grey mare began to float without flapping her wings, raising upside down at first, but flipping right side up as she began to glow light pink. "For aiding another in great danger with no worries for your own well being, Derpy, you represent Kindness."
Glancing at Doctor now, who proudly nodded to Sunny, knowing that the yellow unicorn remembered the times they shared 1000 years ago and the lesson he installed on the Time Lord. The earth-pony scientist began to glow in a brilliant purple light as he rose off the ground. "For putting your own ideals aside and embarrassing the magic of friendship, for aiding your fellow pony, and finding the magic inside, Doctor Whooves, you represent the spirit of Magic!"
With all his friends now floating in the air, powered by the respective elements they they all individually embraced, that he himself helped to bring out from within them, Sunny was magically brought into the middle of them, still glowing orange. "And I, myself, learned to trust you all with my secrets. I kept up walls, hid things from you, afraid that you wouldn't accept me if you knew the truth. But I was wrong. And I'm happy that I was!
"In entrusting you with the truth, I can raise, to stand with you as a fellow Guardians of Harmony! I, Sunny Knight, Soleggiato Cavelere, represent the element of Honesty!" Now that all six ponies representing all the elements of Harmony were together, standing united, the glowing magical energies flowing through them began to intensify.
Tirek feared what was happening, getting a strong since of déjà vu. But try as he might, the powerful centaur couldn't find it in him to move his muscular horse like legs. It was as if they were glued to the ground as he awaited his judgment at the hooves of the new Guardians of Harmony. All six of the ponies, including Sunny, were floating in the air, the various rainbow of colored auras that surrounded them began growing brighter and brighter then before. They seemed to just stand as a mighty force to be recorded with as they all turned to Tirek, the looks on their respective muzzles were all displeased.
"TIREK!" Sunny called out with his voice loud enough to rival thunder itself. "YOU HURT MY FRIENDS, THEN INSISTED ON GOING FURTHER TO THREATEN THE REST OF EQUESTRIA! WE WILL NOT ALLOW THIS! IT'S TIME YOU GO BACK! TO TARTARUS WITH YOU!!!"
All at once, the colors that surrounded the six ponies shot into the air, creating a rainbow like beam of magical energy, one Tirek simply couldn't steal and swallow. Like the magic that defeated him last time, 'this' magic was also the power that was found deep within pony hearts, hearts that were linked by an unbeatable force. A force of magic known as 'friendship'.
The centaur cried out in rage and anger as the rainbow of magical light surrounded him and blasted a hole beneath his hooves, opening a way leading back to Tartarus, and his prison cell, where Cerberus was happily waiting for his returning prisoner. The last glance Tirek saw was the hard gaze of Sunny's green eyes looking down on him, but not with disgust or anger. No. There was something else in his eyes. A loss of hope. But not for anypony else other then Tirek himself. Was there once hope Sunny had that Tirek could go on and become something more then a tormentor bent of destruction? Tirek will never know...
As the portal to Tartarus sealed back up, and the magic that Tirek stole from Sunny's friends returned to them, the six ponies returned to normal. The magic that made their highlights and extra marks on their bodies began to return to their resting places deep within the individual ponies, until the time would come once again when they needed the magic of friendship.
Thunderlane held both his hooves out to Big Mac, who happily met his hooves with his for a double high hoof. As the guys cheered, Octavia was going back and forth with Doctor, explaining and comparing how they both felt from that brilliant and amazing magic that courses through them. Sunny was the only pony who was silent. Noticing this, Derpy walked over to him, catching him looking at his hooves, his breathing slow and deep.
"Are you ok, Sunny?" Derpy asked simply. As she did, everypony fell silent and looked to the one friend that they all collectively shared.
Taking one last deep breath, Sunny turned to face his friends, shot them a weak smile and told them "I guess I have a lot of explaining to do. There's a lot I wasn't honest and open about... but... to be honest, I don't think I have much to worry about anymore."
"How I wish that were so" a familiar voice called out from within the wild brush of the Everfree. Stepping out, the mare's presence shocked everypony there. They all knew Zecorra was in a coma like sleep, so to see her standing there really shook them all. Her eyes were locked with Sunny's even though her message was for everypony there. "I would not be celebrating just yet, the real danger has yet to be met."
The zebra shaman looked from one pony to the next, making sure that every one present had seen the great concern in here eyes. "A great evil has come to Ponyville, to best this monster, you will need all your heart, wit and skill."
"Wait! Weren't you in a coma? How did you-?" Thunderlane started to ask, but was quickly silenced.
"Another time, Grey flyer" Zecorra interrupted. "We have problems far more dire. Follow me and I will show you, what evil you must undo."
Without another word, Zecorra began to lead Sunny and the others from the castle of the two pony sisters, back into town. Sunny hesitated for a moment, looking back at the ruins of the castle, something about it made him sad. Like a image of it in it's former glory flashed in his eyes, bringing with it a slight moment of happyness, before fading and turning as grey and forlorn as the castle's current state.
"You ok, Sunny?" Big Mac was at the back end of the group and noticed his yellow pal just looking off into the distance.
"Oh.... well, ugh..." Sunny's first instinct was to tell a believable lie, but he fought against it. Not only was Big Macintosh one of his best friends, and now a fellow Guardian of Harmony, but he was like family. Sunny shouldn't have to lie to him. "I just... I fell like I'm trying to remember something about the castle. Something fondly, I think. But... somethings are still fuzzy."
Pulling a hoof on Sunny's shoulder, Big Mac shot him a small smile before rubbing his other hoof into Sunny's mop of orange mane, digging into his scalp with a noogie. "Ya'll think waaaaay too much."
The obvious statement was actually able to make Sunny laugh a little as he struggled to get out of Big Mac's grip. Once he could break free, Sunny started playfully punching the big red stallion in the shoulder. "Cut it out! Ya goof!"
Smiling back, Big Mac let out a little chuckle as he knocked Sunny's weak punches away. "That's th' Sunny ah know. C'mon. Th' others are waitin' fer us."
Big Mac was right. Sunny would have time to think about all those things later, when there wasn't 'evil' to deal with. And with that, both the farm stallions left the castle, and whatever memories Sunny was trying to remember, behind for the moment...
"I don't believe it..." Thunderlane commented as he peered through a bush.
"...This is terrible...." Octavia added under her breath, almost unable to speak.
"Are they... ok?" Big Mac turned to Zecorra for the answer.
Zecorra and the 'new Guardians of Harmony' lay hidden within the bushes and behind the trees at the edge of a cleared area. All around were pony statues resembling everypony in town. They were all scattered around the clearing in various positions. Some sitting casually in a covered tented area, some outside the tent either playing or appearing to be running for their lives! At the heart of it all stood a dark and frightening unicorn stature. This statue appeared to be glowing with a dark green aura as sparks of the same color shot off of it at random jolts. He stood at the center of the circus tent like a monolith of dark decent.
To make matters worse, the statues 'were' everypony in town! The circus advertised all thought town was indeed a trap. A trap that snared everypony who came out to see the free event, including Twilight, Applejack and the rest of the elements of harmony. Their statue selves appeared to be positioned as if they were just about to take the frightening unicorn on in a fight, but were stopped just short of it as they were turned to stone!
"I certainly hope so" the wise zebra answered from her own bidding spot in a nearby bush. "But the answer, I do not know. One thing I think is true, their salvation lies with all of you."
Sunny found it hard to take his eyes off everypony, especially a certain freckled statue with a Stetson hat. "What do we need to do."
"I think our prisons had a common theme" Zecorra started to say. "To set them free, you must enter into their dream...."
"Dream?" Doctor repeated the word as he and the others pulled back from their hiding spots to rejoin Zecorra behind the scenes of the statue filled field. "How will dreams set them free?"
"The monster you see up there is the creature to beware..." Zecorra pointed to the dark unicorn statue at the center of the circus tent.
Taking a second look at the frightening creature of stone, Sunny sudeently eemembered why it seemed so familiar. "THAT'S A SERVANT OF MY FATHER! He helped my father speak to me in the dream I had last night!"
"A servant of the shadows indeed" Zecorra commented. "He enters dreams and nightmares alike, searching for power and to feed. Like your father he survives on fear, to defeat him keep your elements and loved ones and near. Your inner light will see you through. To set the other ponies free from their statue curse, I'll instruct you on what to do.
"Take a seat around me, and I'll begin a the ancient chat, a spell to set your minds free" to Zebra shaman told Sunny and his friends who began moving into position.
Now in place all around Zecorra, Sunny and the others closed their eyes and listened to the ancient words the wise zebra spoke. Taking calm deep breaths as they were told, Sunny, Big Mac, Thunderlane, Octavia, Doctor and Derpy all began to feel light as a feathers. The changing from Zecorra seemed to grow in depth and the tone stretched and warped. When curiosity got the better of him, Sunny peaked with one eye and saw that he and the others were no longer sitting around Zecorra, but appeared to be in some sort of otherworldly plane!
"W-where are we?!" Thunderlane panicked as he began flipping upside down as he floated.
"This must be the 'dream realm'" Doctor noted as he looked around, Derpy by his side spinning around in the air like a top.
"So it worked?" Octavia asked as she floated in the air, a little shaken that there was no ground beneath her hooves, only starry like black space.
"Ah guess so" Big Mac replied as he quickly gained a sense of balance. Floating as he did slightly reminded him of when he was a Pegasus. When he looked over to Derpy, he thought spinning around as she did looked kinda fun and decided to give it a try for himself.
"Will you guys quit messing around!" Thunderlane snapped, still trying to balance himself out.
Seeing him struggle, Doctor cleared his throats to catch the grey Pegasus's attention. "Why don't you try focusing with your mind rather then trying to act on 'instinct' to help you get your balance. In this world, we don't have our physical bodies to rely on."
"Right. Like Zecorra said" Sunny added. "This world will need us to focus on our force of will and minds to win against Charming Knightmare."
Taking a few deep breaths, Octavia and Thunderlane tried to calm themselves and focus their minds on standing still. And like that, they felt solid ground beneath their hooves.
"This place is..." Octavia began to say, slightly taken back in awe, but also slightly done with the whole 'mind over matter' bit.
"Making you wish we were back home?" Thunderlane finished her sentence for her.
"For lack of better words, yes" Octavia said matter-of-factly.
"We have a mission guys" Sunny stated, gathering all eyes to him. "Let's get the job done, set our friends free, and beat this guy. I know we can do it. We just took down a scary centaur guy who wanted to turn Equestria to rubble! We can handle a simple nightmare, right?"
"Yeah!" Everypony cheered, feeing a singe of bravado growing within them.
As they began to feel their inner lights glow, the magical auras from their respective elements of harmony coated their astral bodies once more. But rather then power up their receptive guardian, the element's light shot out of the bodies and began to roam around the dream realm, leaving behind them a trail of light.
Looking at the individual trails, Sunny spoke the first thin that came to his mind. "I think we're supposed to follow them."
"Guess we're splitting up?" Thunderlane stated as he noticed some to the elemental lights went in opposite directions.
"For now" Octavia added, a small smile on her muzzle as she became more confident with moving around.
"I think we need to in order to save the girls" Sunny commented. "Each of us has a element we are meant to guard. I guess the elements are leading us to the pony we share an element with."
"So let's get the girls and kick some Knightmare butt!" Thunderlane said as he beat his wings to shoot him in the direction his stream of red light was leading him. "Bet you guys I can get Rainbow Dash free before you guys get the others!"
"This isn't a race!" Octavia yelled at the grey Pegasus stallion as she began chasing her own purple light.
"Wheee!!!" Derpy cried out with child like glee as she followed the pink light stream.
"Allons-y!" Doctor yelled out as he followed a light purple light into the dream realm.
Before Sunny could follow the orange light he knew around less him to Applejack, he hesitated. Guilt began to overtake him as flashes of the last time he saw Applejack came back to him. Her body curled up, scared and shivering in his smoke like hooves. The orange light began to flicker as Sunny's mind drifted off and fear began to deep back into his heart.
Seeing his hesitation, Big Mac delayed his own decent Into the dream realm to join Sunny by his side. When he reached the troubled yellow unicorn, Big Mac put a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. Normally this would earn him a small smile, but this time Sunny really appeared to be bothered by something. "What's on yer mind, partner?"
He didn't really want to confess what he did, but in the dream realm, your emotions and thoughts fly freely, which unblocked anything Sunny would try and use to hide his secrets. "Big Mac... I hurt Applejack..."
This shocked the big red farm pony. And before he could say anything, Sunny's thoughts began to pour out.
"I lost control and became... well... an umbrum in my sleep. I think Applejack was trying to wake me up and I blasted her with dark magic..." tears began to gather at the far corners of Sunny's eyes. "I hurt her. And worse, I couldn't make things right. All I could do was drop her off with Twilight... She must have helped Applejack... I knew she could... but how can I ever face her again..."
"Ya have to" Big Mac plainly said as he looked at Sunny with his own big green eyes. "Ya have ta tell her yer sorry. She might think yer angry at her or somethin'. Or worse, that yer lookin' ta leave again."
A million different thoughts began to pop into Sunny's head, but one dominant though over all escaped his lips. "Why would she be worried about me leaving again? I mean... I hurt her-"
"Ya hurt we more when ya left during winter wrap up" Big Mac interrupted his friend. "She thought ya were angry at her and left, never ta come back again, and that it was all her fault."
"Her fault..." Sunny repeated the words, thinking it was the craziest notion ever. "Why would it be her fault..."
"She really likes ya" Big Mac added. "She probably knows that what ya did was an accident. Ah know ya would never hurt her that on purpose. Ah see th' way ya look at her. The way ya smile when ya see her. The way she smiles when she sees you. It really ain't hard ta figure out. 'Specially since she ain't never payed any stallion half as much 'tension as she does you.
"It probably ain't much, but ‘ah’ forgive ya" Big Mac's smile doubled in size as he looked deeper into Sunny's eyes. "Yer more then ah friend ta me. Yer family. And probably more ta Applejack. An' right now, she needs ya ta be her hero. Can ya do that?"
Tears fell from Sunny's eyes but for a short moment before being wipped away by his yellow hoof. With a smile and a short nod, Sunny looked back at Big Mac. "Ya bet yer yoke ah can! Ah'll bring her back an' we'll send this Knightmare feller packin' faster then us runnin' home after Granny rings th' cowbell fer supper!"
Hearing Sunny's accent return put Big Mac at ease. He knew that when Sunny was relaxed he could do great things. And this was a time that the big red stallion knew he needed to hear that accent come from the yellow stallion. As Sunny jumped into the dream realm, following the orange light stream that would inevitable lead him to Applejack, Big Mac couldn't help but smile and laugh a bit.
'Happy-go-lucky guy fits right in. His daddy may be some evil king, but he was born ta be part of our family. Ah know ya'll make Ma sister very happy' with those final thoughts, Big Mac did a cannon ball into the dream realm, then began doing a backstroke, following the light blue light stream that was leading him to Pinkie Pie.
With that final guardian on his way, the elements of harmony would be rescued in no time at all. Hopefully they could make it in time...
At the heart of the dream realm Charming Knightmare stood atop a dark tower of his own creation, appearing to be forged from bricks darker then shadows themselves. From there, he watched everypony's dreams as they continued to progress. Correcting them every now and again whenever a pony’s dream would begin to turn dark or troubling. Watching and controlling the directions of each dream was proving to be a more difficult task then Knightmare had anticipated, but he continued to hold onto his control over them.
"Those foals think they can best me?! ME?! This is ‘my’ world now! 'I' alone will rule the dream realm! 'I' will create a perfect world! A world with no war! No conflict! Where everypony, and soon, every creature in the world can live out their perfect lives without worry!" The dark grey unicorn's tone of voice was heavy with strain, making him sound more and more insane with every statement. "I'll just have to put those Guardians in their place... they will soon realize that 'harmony' only exists here if 'I' say it does! Not some rag tag team of 'friends'!"
Flying as fast as she could, not caring that the flight over to their secret island was long and the strain it put on her wings, Princess Luna knew that she could fly there faster then if she took a Pegasus chariot. That, and very few guards were allowed to even know the island existed let alone where it was. So to find guards with that knowledge with such short notice, without Kibitz’s help, would take hours of sifting though paperwork. Time Luna did not have. The energy she required to make the flight was given a kick start thanks to the surprise the lunar princess had found out, the whole reason for her hasty trip to the secret island to interrupt her sister's relaxing escape. Soleggiato was well and living in Ponyville! In Ponyville of all places!
Still, worry rattled in the back of Luna's head as she neared the island. There was somepony there who might have put her sister under a sleeping spell. Luna had to be on her guard. There was at least one pony on the island she couldn't trust.
As she landed, Princess Luna passed through an invisible field set up long ago by Star-Swirl the bearded. The shield was powered by an ancient crystal that the old wizard found in the Canterlot caves that had great and unique magical properties, properties the wizard put to good use securing a safe haven for the rulers of Equestria.
Looking around as she landed on the sandy beach, Luna was shocked to see no pony had come to greet her, even though the inhabitants of the island looked up to the princesses more so then even the ponies of Equestria. For them to not come running as soon as one arrived, defiantly meant something was up.
As the lunar princess began walking up and down the beach, looking for somepony, Luna kept her guard up, ready for anything to come her way.
" Luna! Luna!" The voices of small foals filled the air as younglings ran up to the princess of the night. In their mouths and hooves were various jewelry they had made from shells and shinny rocks from the beach. Tossing them onto the dark blue princess, the foals cheered at their offerings to her. "We hope you like our gifts! We made them special for you!"
"Why Luna, what a surprise!" An elderly mother like made approached Princess Luna this time, shooing the foals away. "Please, come with me. Your sister would love to see you!"
As the foals waved goodbye and the elderly mare lead the princess of the moon further down the beach, Princess Lina couldn't help but begin questioning. "Is our sister ok? We tried to teach her but-"
The elderly mare kept smiling, but her tone became very hushed as she kept her gaze wide and remained fully aware of everypony around. "You need to get your sister out of here. Something's happened to the others on the island. They aren't acting like themselves. Act natural until you reach your sister. And whatever you do, don't accept any food or drinks. Do you understand, Princess?"
Hearing the old mare's warning shocked Luna, but after hearing the mare speak her title, Luna knew something was indeed wrong. Princess Luna nodded casually and followed the mare's example of smiling and pretending nothing was wrong as she passed by a few other local looking ponies on the beach. They waved back and offered to surf with Luna later if she wished. She told them possibly she would, knowing she had no intention of doing so.
Once they reached the far side of the island, Luna saw her sister, princess Celestia, sleeping happily in a hammock set up between two tall palm trees. The princess of the sun slept happily next to her surfboard with other ponies laying lazily around, despite it being the early morning, almost noon.
Casually walking up to her sister, Princess Luna shook the pearl colored alicorn. Celestia just moaned and waved her hoof to shoo of Luna's own. Growing a little annoyed, Luna cleared her throat, trying to appear calm with watchful eyes on her. "Sister, we need to speak with you"
Hearing Luna's voice jolted something inside Celestia's mind, causing the princess of the sun to open her eyes and look around until they landed on the pony who was disturbing her mid morning nap. "Can I help you, miss?"
"Sister, we need to talk" Luna pressed further, trying to keep her smile as she noticed other ponies began to wake up. "Privately."
"Oh, I think I know what this is about" Celestia said as she got up and stretched. "No need to feel nervous, just go ahead and say it."
"Say it?" Luna gulped, seeing the other ponies were now fully awake and noticing her existence, a mixture of expressions on their muzzles as they watched her wake Celestia from her slumber. "But, we really need to-"
"It's ok, it's ok" Celestia interrupted, the calm and relaxed look in her eyes were a perfect representation of her tone of voice. "I know, you wanted to tell me 'thank you'."
"Thank you?" Luna was shocked to hear the statement, not really sure what she was 'thanking' her sister for.
"You're most certainly welcome, young alicorn" Celestia stated, as she got up from her hammock, the ponies around the two sisters then pulled out various interments and began to play...
"Sister... I really need to-" Luna tried to press further to speak to Celestia in private.
"I'm sorry, young alicorn" Celestia interrupted again. "I know we're both 'alicorns' but that doesn't make us sisters. But feel free to look up to me and my greatness anytime you need inspiration."
Luna couldn't believe what she was seeing and hearing. "Celestia... do you... not remember me?"
Taking a second look at the dark blue alicorn before her, Celestia's relaxed expression had a flash of panic for a moment before being shook with off again. "I'm sorry, who are you again?"
"Princess Luna! Your sister!" Luna was yelling now, ignoring the angered looks of the other ponies on the beach.
"Luna... Luna..." Celestia began searching through her foggy memory for an answer she felt was there. "You seem... familiar..."
"We're your sister! Remember!" Luna continued. "We ruled Equestria together! You raised the sun at dawn? We brought forth the moon to begin the night?"
"No no no" Celestia's dazed smile returned. "I've been raising the sun and moon for-"
"The thousand years we were locked away in the moon?" This time it was Luna's turn to interrupt. The answer shocked Celestia, rattling something deep inside her. A feeling of loneliness and guilt. "We became Nightmare Moon out of jealousy and anger towards you and all the attention you and your sunny days received, while others ignored and shunned our beautiful night."
The pain in Celestia's heart began to clear the fog. "I... I remember... Luna! LUNA!"
Jumping up and giving Luna a tight hug, tears began to run down Celestia's eyes as she pulled her sister harder into her.
"I'm so sorry! You must have been so scared and lonely!" Celestia said through her tears. "I was a fool to not see how much you hurt!"
Returning The hug, Luna smiled and shed a few tears as well. After Twilight Sparkle released her from the curse of her own dark feelings, Luna and Celestia spent a great deal of time talking and rekindling the light they shared between them. The light sisters shared. "It's ok, sister... that's all in the past."
Releasing her from her embrace, Celestia shook her head, feeling a little of her old self returning. "Why... why are you here? Is everything ok?"
"Yes and no sister-" Luna started to say when a local pony offered them both drinks.
"Perhaps you two would like-" the beach loving stallion started to say when Luna smacked the drinks from his hooves.
"Get that away from us!" Luna snapped.
"Luna! What has gotten into you?!" Celestia grasped, shocked by her sister’s harsh reaction.
"Soleggiato has returned!" Luna wasn't going to play around anymore. She needed to shake her sister once and for all, freeing her from whatever was trying to keep her here. She could see her plan had worked when the light returned to Celestia's glossed over eyes. "He is living in Ponyville with the Apple family! Making friends! Going on adventures! If you do not believe us, read this!"
Luna then tried to pass Radiant's letter to her sister when another local pony tried to interject. "Your majesty, you aren't well! You both need to sit down and relax! Here, have some-"
But Celestia pushed her way past the local pony and took the letter. As Celestia read the letter, her expression turned as soft as a freshly baked cake with buttercream frosting, Luna took note of all the hard looks they were receiving from the local ponies as they became to close in around her and her sister.
When Celestia was done reading the letter, tears continued to flow down her cheeks. "He... he doesn't remember..."
"Now’s not the time, Sister" Luna stated calmly, turning her back towards Celestia and facing the local ponies who were now surrounding the two alicorns.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Celestia cleared her tears, now no longer under the influence of a relaxation potion. "We are your princesses! Stand down!"
The local ponies began hissing as their bodies glowed green for a moment, then the creatures revealed their true forms. Changelings with red colored eyes that locked onto the princesses.
"Down with the corrupt princesses!" One changing hissed as they all jumped up, ready to attack the princesses at once.
A big mistake.
Focusing their magic together, Celestia and Luna combined their magical auras to create a swirling shield of gold and midnight blue. As the changelings barely touched the shield, the power of a thousand lightning bolts shot through their bodies and sent them flying yards away. The changelings all attacked the shield without thought, and one by one they fell like flies. Once the last one hit the sand, out cold, Celestia and Luna took their shield down.
The elderly mare that had warned Luna before approached them. "You two need to go, now! Before they wake up!"
"Come with us" Luna suggested, trusting the elderly mare.
But she just shook her head. "My children and the others are here on the island, somewhere. I know it. I'll find them and set them free. The changelings won't stay here if you two are gone. Go. I'll send word once the last of the changelings are gone and my ponies are free."
Hugging he elderly mare before they left, Celestia and Luna wished her luck and bid her farewell as they flew off, heading as fast as they could back to Canterlot to set the castle on high alert, fearing an attack from the Changeling Queen.
Hours had passed since the princesses left the island, and the elderly mare had gone into hiding, waiting and watching for her moment to advance. She would never had guessed what happened next.
A zeppelin entered the hidden magical field that shielded the island. And with it came an army of ponies who landed on the beach, collecting the changelings and hauling them back up to their ship. A small team of armored ponies lead by a unicorn stallion in black armor.
One of the armored ponies approached and saluted the unicorn in black armor . "Commander Snowstorm! All changelings have been recaptured and the Crystal has been located."
"Good" the Unicorn commander stated, his voice echoing off his metal helmet. "Let's get it out of here before anypony else shows up."
The mare knew what they were after, but couldn't think of what she could do to stop them. In the end, she just let them take the magical barrier making crystal, so they would leave her and her island alone, giving the mare a chance to find her children and the other locals of the island. What she didn't know was that this was the plan all along, set up by a very clever king....
"Rarity I must say, your designs are simply the best I have ever seen!" Fancy Pants commented, offering the white fashionista a glass of cider.
"I agree" a well dressed mare added as she showed off the fancy dress she was wearing. "I have never worn something so elegant, so mythic and yet so down to earth, so light, and so well designed!"
"Indeed, miss Rarity" another stallion complemented her. "To be so young and to have a shop opened up not just in every town and city in Equestria, but the entire world! It's simply amazing!"
"Not only that!" Fancy pants jumped in again. "But she also opened up her own fashion school for aspiring youths here in Canterlot! Could you believe it?! She isn’t the element of Generosity for nothing!"
"All three of my nieces are already enrolled, and they say they just love the school! They are learning soooo much!" Another mare popped, heading Rarity’s school mentioned.
"You all are just too kind" Rarity tried to hold back a smile, but it was hard for the elegant fashionista to hold back just how happy she was.
It was the night of the Grand Galloping Galla, and as usual, everypony was wearing one form or another of one of Rarity's creations. It had bairly been a few months into establishing her claim in Canterlot with the 'Canterlot Boutique', and already investors and entrepreneurs in the city were looking to not only invest but to help expand her business! It was truly a dream come true! Even the princesses showed up to the opening day for Rarity's fashion school to be present with her friends to witness the ribbon cutting ceremony. On top of all of that, there was a special somepony in her life now.
"Oh sugar bear " a swave looking unicorn stallion approached Rarity. His name was Diamond Everglow, a wealthy stallion from a well known family who owned half of the shops in Canterlot as well as a major shipping company that distributed throughout all Equestria. He and Rarity had met just as the up and coming fashionista was expanding in Manehatten, and it was love at first sight!
"Yes honey, what is it?" Rarity asked as she got lost in Diamond's eyes once again, just like the day they met.
"One of the musicians said they needed to speak with you" Diamond answered, his voice like a gentle wind chime in Rarity's ears. She often caught other mare's fawning over him, but Diamond only had eyes for her. "Something about an old friend. Sunny, I think his name was?"
"Oh?" The name sounded familiar, but Rarity couldn't quite put her hoof on where she heard the name. Turning to the other guests who were just praising her, Rarity smiled as she told them "if you'll all excuse me, an old friend needs me. And as you all know, friendship is a very big thing to me..."
Leaving the other guests to mingle amongst themselves and enjoy the rest the Gala has to offer, Rarity followed her special somepony to where the band was playing. Rarity quickly recognized the cellist player as Octavia from Ponyville.
When Rarity approached the stage Octavia looked down but didn't stop playing, yet her voice could be heard over all the music as if the music's sound was dulled but their voices were not. "I say, when you dream Rarity, you dream big. I envy you a bit. I doubt even in 'my' wildest dreams I could fabricate something as glamorous as all of this.
"The countless shops, all the bits you would ever need, the fame, even a school that prompts your dream for the future generation" Octavia continued to speak even as the music came to her solo, she still managed to play perfectly. "You even have the 'perfect' boy-friend by your side through it all."
"Well thank you" Rarity said with a small chuckle. "But what was it you wanted to talk to me about, an old friend?"
"Sunny and the others need you" Octavia answered, still continuing to play. "You and your friends are in danger, so Sunny, Big Mac, the others and I have gone into the dream realm to pull you guys out and essentially break you free of a spell you are all under."
Listening to everything Octavia was saying made Rarity hesitate for a moment, but then she chuckled lightly. "Oh dear me! You had me going there! Who put you up to this? Pinkie pie? No, I bet Rainbow Dash. She was always one for-"
"You have a choice, Rarity" Octavia interrupted, her tone firmed deep as her eyes locked with Rarities. "You can choose your perfect life, here, in this dream, and live this life to the fullest with all your desires come true, or you can wake up and save your friends and the rest of the ponies in Ponyville. It's up to you."
Panic began to set into Rarity's heart as the world around her seemed to lose it's color and turn grey, all except for her boyfriend's eyes. His blue eyes remained the same as they always were. So majestic and hypnotizing. But as Rarity looked deeper into his eyes, she saw they were less perfect then she remembered them moments ago. Then, they too, turned grey. And like that, Rarity sighed and turned away.
"This isn't real... is it?" Rarity sighed, almost crying, her heart feeling as though it was breaking.
"I'm sorry" Octavia said as she got off the stage and joined Rarity by her side. "We all strive to achieve our goals..."
"But it's ‘how’ we obtain them that decides in the end, weather it was worth it or not" Rarity added as she grabbed hold of Octavia's hoof and gave her a smile. "Thank you for that. I would never want to sacrifice my friends for my own dreams to come true."
"Wouldn't be very 'generous' of you, would it?" Octavia commented with a small smile as she stomped her hoof, the rest of the gala disappeared. Both mare's found themselves floating in the dream realm, with the same purple stream of light that lead Octavia to Rarity, ready to lead them deeper into the dream realm. "Shall we go see our friends?"
"Let's" Rarity agreed as the same purple light that surrounded Octavia now surrounded her as well.
The two mares travels together, following the element they shared that would lead them back to their friends...
"And if you follow me this way, you'll see the pictures taken of Rainbow Dash as she took on the flight of evil dragons with one hoof tied behind her back" a mare giving the tour instructed her group.
Rainbow Dash sat back, relaxing on a very comfortable cloud as she half slept, half watched the ponies below explore her museum of all her accomplishments. Yes the times she and her friends took on Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis, and the rest of their adventures were all recorded and documented, but that was down a much smaller wing of the 'Rainbow Dash Amazingpotium', the museum dedicated to the greatest wonderbolt, flyer, and explorer that ever lived and all her about accomplishments.
"Other then being the greatest, fastest, and all around best flyer to come out of Cloudsdale and make it to being captain of the Wonderbolt's, Rainbow Dash also completed training to be a royal guard, and became a captain in less than a week!" The tour guide continued to show off various pictures of Rainbow Dash in all kinds of armor, Wonderbolt's pictures, and even portraits taken with the princesses.
"There is little she has not accomplished. She even went on to take down Tirek when he came back a second time, an evil army of trolls who attacked her home town, a meteor and all on her own with nothing but her bare hooves and wings!” The travel guid continued. "And if you open up your new age dictionaries, and look under the word 'Awesome' you'll find a picture of her has been placed there. Quite literally."
Chuckling to herself, Rainbow could no longer hold in her pride and jumped down from her hiding/napping spot to perform a few acrobatic moves before landing in front of the tour guide and her group. "Did I hear the definition of 'Awesome'? Yeah! That's me!"
"It's Rainbow Dash herself!" A stallion called out, almost screaming like a little filly.
"It's really her!" A mare added, speeking with delight with her friend who was standing next to her.
"I can't believe it!" A filly asked as she pulled out an ink pad and a copy of Rainbow Dash's autobiography 'Awesome as I wanna be, and then some!' "Can I please, please, PLEASE, have your autograph?! PLEASE?!"
"Ha Ha...sure kid" Rainbow Dash said as she pressed her hoof to the inc pad then to the book, earning a glee filled 'squee' from the filly.
The entire tour group then moved in to get the famous mare's autograph as well. Well, all except a stallion who kept his face and body hidden under a hat and coat. He just kept to the back of the group and waited for his opening. It took Rainbow Dash a few moments to get through the seemingly endless sea of fans, but when she did, she noticed the menacing stranger in the back. Thinking this could be trouble, she approached him once her fans all moved to the Rainbow Dash gift shop. He stayed behind.
"Do I know you?" Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes as her wings flexed, ready for a fight if it came to it.
"I should hope so..." the stallion said, a smile sticking out in his muzzle. Once he tipped his hat, his Mohawk kicked it compelled off, revealing who the mysterious stallion actually was.
"Oh, it's just you Thunderlane" Rainbow Dash began to relax. "What can I do for you? Need me to come to some charity ball for the Wonderbolt's? Spitfire need me to train more trainees? Ponyville under attack again and you need me to save the day again?"
"The last one, actually " Thunderlane said as he tossed off his coat.
"No problem, I'll just grab a protein shake from my office and we'll go" the cyan colored mare replied. "You want one?"
"Rainbow, you know this is a dream, right" Thunderlane asked his daring friend. "None of this is real, not your office and not your shakes. Though, I kinda wish they were. I skipped lunch to look for Sunny."
"Sunny?..." Rainbow Dash repeated the name, and memories began to flood back to her. "Wait! That's right! Sunny... he became an Umbrum again, and hit Applejack with dark magic..."
When the memories came back to the mare with the rainbow mane and tail, all the color of the world around her and Thunderlane began to vanish.
"That's right. But he's ok now" Thunderlane told her. "But the rest of the town's in some serious trouble. Some guy named Charming Knightmare had turned everypony into stone and locked them in their most awesome dreams."
Looking around at the disappearing museum, Rainbow Dash sighed. "None of this is real?..."
Putting a hoof on her shoulder, Thunderlane shot her a half smile. "Our friends need us. That's real. What do ya say? Wanna kick some bad-guy butt?"
The thought of her friends needing her to fight some bad guy once again rekindled the spark inside the cyan colored Pegasus mare. And just like that, Rainbow Dash jumped up, did a flip, and the world crashed around her, leaving her and Thunderlane floating in the dream realm. Her eyes locked with his as she said "lead the way, rookie."
Ignoring Rainbow's ego, Thunderlane lead her into the dream realm where they hoped to meet up with the others, following the path created by the red light of loyalty.
It was the most beautiful sight in all of Equestria; a giant sanctuary ten times the size of the Everfree forest,inhabited by animals of all kinds who needed a safe place to call home, as well as other ponies like Fluttershy an Tree Hugger, who only wished to aid nature and nurture it.
"It's totally rad that you did this, Fluttershy" Tree Hugger commented as she sat next to her friend.
Fluttershy was taking a small rest after a rather busy morning. She had aided the veterans in tending to new arrival’s wounds, cleaned out the waste fill areas, gave every critter their morning doses of medicine along with breakfast, and still had time to tend to Angel Bunny's own needs (mainly refluffing his tail and making him a special breakfast salad).
"I agree" Fluttershy's tone was still as gentle and soft as ever, despite the exhaustion she felt from all her hard work this morning. "It just filled my heart with joy to know that all the animals of Equestria have a place they can call home, where they can live in peace, make friends, and not have to worry about all the scary dangers out in the world."
"For sure" Tree Hugger agreed. "It's weird, but I, like, got this really bad feeling something or somepony is, like, up to no good. Like, some major bad vibes are trying to get in, but, like, something is keeping them out."
"I think it's more like he doesn't want anypony else to come in" Derpy pointed out as she dipped a bubble wand into a bottle of soapy water, pulled it out, and began blowing bubbles that seem to spread across the sky, reaching out farther then they should have.
Small bubbles began floating all around the animal enclosure, with some animals jumping up to hit or pop the bubbles and some just sat back and watched them float around with the sun's light reflecting off of them.
Tree Hugger watched with Fluttershy as Derpy offered her bubble wand to some beavers, a bear, and a few squirrels who all wanted to try and blow bubbles like she did.
"That is, like, so spiritually lifting" Tree Hugger commented with a small smile. "Your aura totally shines like the sun. What's your name, bubble master?"
"It's Derpy" Derpy replied with a smile as she looked half at Fluttershy, half at the sky above, due to her wall-eyes stare. "But you already knew that, silly!"
"I did, but I don't think Tree Hugger has ever met you" Fluttershy smiled back as she motioned to her nature loving friend.
"It's really nice to meet you!" Derpy said with a wide smile and a waving hoof. After a joyful moment of waving her hoof in the air, Derpy stopped, put her hoof down and gave a more gentle, relaxed smile. "Your friends need your help, Fluttershy. That's why I'm here."
"My friends?!" Fluttershy ghasped. "W-what's the matter?! Are they ok?"
"The other guardians of harmony are gathering them. We need to go and meet them, though, I really don't know where we're supposed to-" Derpy started to bashfully say with her signature awkward smile when a pink light appeared between her and fluttershy.
The light pulses for a moment as the two Pegasus mare's closed in around it. Then it shot off into the forest, poking a hole in the background like a movie screen, leaving a stream of pink glowing light behind it for the two girls to follow.
"Guess that answers my question" Derpy said with a little laugh before turning back to Fluttershy. "Will you come with me?"
Looking into Derpy's wall-eyed stare, Fluttershy never noticed how gently and soft they were, possibly because she herself always avoided eye contact if at all possible. But looking into Derpy's yellow eyes at that moment, Flutrershy saw something she could trust, something she felt comfortable with. And with a nod, Fluttershy left her dream world behind and followed Derpy into the dream realm, hoping her friends would be alright until she got there.
Entering Pinkie Pie's own dream, Big Mac was a little taken back by the outrageous colors, odd patterns, out of place items and mixed up size ratios of everything. The sky was a rainbow of colors like biting into a multilayered jaw breaker, the ground beneath his hooves were checkerboard, stripped, polkadot and stared with all different bright colors. There were trampolines, giant toys scattered all around, and deserts of all different kinds the size of houses. It was as if this world belonged more to an infant Discord then Pinkie Pie.
"HEY BIG MAC!" Pinkie called out from atop a cloud that appeared to be a mixture of cotton candy pink and blue. The pink earth pony had a tall, chocolate milk shake stretch from the ground all the way into the air to reach her at the cloud. "WHAT BRINGS YOU TO MY DREAM?!"
Big Mac was relieved that he wouldn't need to convince Pinkie that the world around her wasn't real, and just smiled up at his possible cousin. "YER FRIENDS AND MAH SISTER NEED YER HELP!"
Looking slightly confused, Pinkie reached into her ear with her hoof and pulled out several fully blown up balloons, settting them free, then tilted her head in Big Mac's direction once more. "What did you say? Rarity's out of kelp again? I told her taffy works better for her coat!"
"NO! YER FRIENDS NEED YER HELP!" Big Mac called out again, yelling a little louder, but not getting annoyed at all.
"I DON'T THINK RUBBER BANDS ARE A GOOD SUBSTITUTE!" Pinkie yelled back, still not hearing the big red farm pony correctly again.
Sighing a little, Big Mac knew that Pinkie wouldn't be able to hear him if he tried a theirs time. Thinking quickly, the farm pony caught a glimpse of a trampoline. After positioning it just right, Big Mac began jumping on it with all his might until he built up enough momentum to jump up and onto Pinkie's Cotten candy cloud. Unfortunately, he overestimated his own strength and bounced over Pinkie and her cloud, landing in her milk shake.
Popping his head out of the chocolate desert, the top of him now coated in whipped cream and a cherry resting happily on top of his head, Big Mac couldn't help but smile and laugh a little at his delusions mistake. Pinkie Pie started laughing with him, noticing that the whipped cream seemed to make him look like his mane had gone white and he had grown a beard, like an old stallion!
"You're so silly Big Mac!" Pinkie giggled. "Now what is it you were trying to say?"
Sticking his tongue out and licking all the whipped cream off his face in one clean sweep, Big Mac swallowed the sweet treat, then relayed his message to Pinkie once more, his tone turning more serious. "Yer friends and mah sister need our help, y'all need ta come with me."
A moment of shock overtook Pinkie's care free nature. Before Pinkie could react in a more cartoonish way, a light blue light appeared between her and Big Mac. It zoomed around for a moment, like a sugar high firefly, then shot off, leaving a trail of blue light behind that would allow the two ponies to follow it.
Big Mac wondered for a moment how the two of them were going to follow the light for a moment until Pinkie’s front hooves went into overdrive and began pulling parts of her dream world together, creating a giant air ship made of toys and sweet treats!
"Care to be my first mate of the SS Sweet Dreams, Mr. guardian of Laughter?" Pinkie asked as a captain pirate's hat appeared on top of her head.
Big Mac knew better then to question her about most things she talked about, and not just her resourceful ingenuity with the contents of her dream, but also the fact that Pinkie always seemed to know so much. He knew it was just Pinkie being Pinkie, and to just roll with it. There were more important matters at hoof.
Jumping to the ship's steering wheel, which was a giant chocolate chip cookie, Big Mac saluted Pinkie and began to direct the ship in the blue light's direction. "Eye eye, captain!"
"Then let's go save our friends!" Pinkie declared as she pulled a giant candy cane from her mane, held it like a sword, stretching it out to direct her possible cousin, following the light blue light into the dream realm!
"Hey girls! Guess what?!" Twilight called out to her friends who had all gathered in the open field just south of her castle by the waterfall. "Princess Celestia needs us to help with a new festival this year that's going to be held in our honor! A 'Friendship festival' that is supposed to unite ponies and others from all over the world! Everypony is invited! And not just ponies! Dragons, Gryffins, anypony can come!"
"That's great, Twilight!" Appeljack smiled as she pulled out all the goodies she brought for them.
Swooping in and snagging a small slice of apple pie, Rainbow Dash took a bite and added "I’llbe sure to wow everypony there with a sonic rainboom or two!"
"I can bring my wild bird chorus" Fluttershy offered. "They're three things the size they were for the Summer Sun Celebration, and I think their ready for larger groups then just Ponyville."
After waving her hoof at Rainbow as the egotistical Pegasus chomped down on the slice of pie she stole, Appeljack turned her attention back to Twilight and shot her a half grin. "Ah'm be honored ta help with th' catering."
"Me too!" Pinkie bounced all around her friends. "I've also been building a new party cannon that shoots whole cakes! Bigger then ponies!"
"And I can help with the decorations, just like at the Summer Sun Celebration where we all first met" Rarity added.
That last statement began to bring a tear to Twilight's eye as she smiled at her friends. "You know... I'm really glad that we all met that day. Which if funny, because when we first met, I really didn't want to 'make friends'.
"But after all we went though to save Equestria that first time, and looking back on all our adventures together, I couldn't imagine life without you girls" Twilight couldn't hold back the tears any more, and neither could any of the other girls as they all came in for a large group hug.
Doctor Whooves who had been waiting for the right moment to speak with Princess Twilight didn't want to spoil the lovely dream she was having, so he politely waited for her group hug to end. It touched the scientist's heart to see Twilight and the value she had in all her friends. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before, say for what he had learned from Sunny on their adventures. It was at that time that Doctor, with all his might, wished that 'he' too could one day look back on such events fondly with his new group of friends and be able to say that they had great times together. It was with that single wish that the light-purple light of friendship emerged from his chest and floated slowly over to Twilight who was still enjoying a hug with her friends.
When it reached the purple alicorn, it paused in front of her muzzle and caught her attention. "What is this?..."
"It's the light of Magic" Doctor Whooves answered, stepping forward. "You and I are needed. Our friends and all of Equestria is in danger."
Looking back at her fiends, Twilight wanted to believe it was all real, but a part of her knew that as real as her dream appeared, it was all fabricated by her own heart’s desire. “I see. So I'm asleep?"
"Indeed" Doctor replied. "And I must admit, this is not what I guessed your dream to be. I more then half expected to walk into a giant library, or into a classroom where you would be teaching."
Half smiling as she looked back at the mute image of her friends interacting together, Twilight sighed. "I've learned what really matters. And it's not a room full of books or students who listen to your every word. It's the friends you make who like you for who you are, who stick by you thick and thin, who you can rely on when the world crumbles around you. Being with them is my most pleasant dream."
A tear came from Doctor's eye now, that he quickly wiped away. "I hope I can generate half as much Magic from friendship as you, princess Twilight."
Looking over at the time traveling scientist, Twilight put a hoof on his shoulder and smiled gently at him. "You can't measure friendship, or the magic it produces. What I've learned is to just enjoy being with your fiends. 'They' make the magic. And the magic they make is more powerful then anything in the world."
Smiling back at Twilight, Doctor asked the fist thing that popped into his without thinking, which was incredibly unusual for him. "Can 'we' all be friends? You and your friends, and me and the other guardians?"
"I'm sure we can" Twilight replied, then thought about his question. "Wait... who are the guardians?"
"The other guardians of Harmony" Doctor answered with a grin as the light-purple light of magic flew off, leaving a stream of light for him and Twilight tot follow. "You know who they are already. And I’m sure by now they got all of your friends together. We have a bit of a bad guy to deal with."
Chuckling to herself, Twilight shook we head. "Guess here we go again. Let's go see our friends."
With that, Twilight grabbed Doctor as she took to the sky, following the light-purple light out of her dream and into the dream realm.
At the center of chaos that was forming at the edge of the dream realm, on top of a black pillar like podium, Charming Knightmare stood looking at several images on flat screens, displeased by what he saw. "So... these 'Guardians of Harmony' are trying to ruin my plans for a perfect world, hmmmm?
"Guess I can't sit back and let all of them succeed in bribing all of the elements togeather" The tall, dark unicorn said as he walked over to the edge of his podium. With a wave of his hoof, a portal opened up into a very specific dream. The sun was just setting in the dream on a certain apple farm, with a certain orange mare laying next to a certain yellow stallion ok a checkerboard blanket.
"I've always wanted to rip this dream apart" Knightmare said with glee as he stepped into the portal, taking him into Applejack's most peaceful dream.
It had been a perfect day. From waking up before the sun rose, getting all the harvesting done before breakfast, to selling out of all their apple products and making way more bits then they expected, then spending the rest of their day togeather, Applejack never wanted this day to end. Never in her life had she ever thought that sharing an entire day with anypony could make her this happy, feel this complete. Until now, that is. Sunny had suggested they both spend the last moments of their day sitting together on her favorite hill just outside the orchard, watching the sunset. Applejack was far too shy to admit it, but she had often dreamt of the exact same thing. It was like a dream come true. And if this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.
As the sun was about to set in the distance, they both sat close next to eachother, gazing at the sky as it changed from blue to brilliant shades of red and orange with it’s far side becoming a vivid purple. It was a perfect moment that was about to get better. Applejack could feel Sunny's left hoof sneaking over her back, a light blush coming to her freckled cheeks as the farm pony’s mind began to race with her deepest desires, her heart pounding so loud she thought Sunny would surly hear it. But their possible moment was interrupted when both she and Sunny heard something rustle in the bushes.
"What was that?!" Applejack reluctantly jerked away from Sunny who she felt was about to embrace her. But the farm mare learned to trust her intuition. And she felt something was wrong.
"Stand behind me, I'll take care of it" Sunny teleported from where he was to taking a defensive stance in front of Applejack.
Before the orange farm pony could say anything else, something emerged from the bushes, something that sent a chill up Appejack's spine and began to turn the purple night sky black. Had Applejack seen this thin before? She didn’t think so. But if she hadn’t, why did it fill her with an array of powerful mixed feelings?
Before both the ponies stood something who's body was made of shifting shadows and smoke. A creature who's very existence bread fear and consumed it as well. Glowing eyes shined through the darkness and seemed to burn into the eyes of the two ponies gazing upon it. An umbrum.
As Sunny arrived in Applejack's dream, he cautiously proceeded to locate her. But something deep inside of him was making him sick to his stomach. The last time Sunny had seen Applejack (before she was turned into a statue that is) was after he had cast that horrible curse on her. Despite Bug Mac’s compelling reassurance, the yellow unicorn's mind was buzzing with questions and fears.
'What if she hates me?! What if she doesn't want to see me?! What if seeing me puts her back in that fear stricken state?!...' Sunny thought as he gradually made his way through the orchard.
It wasn't completely outrageous that Applejack would dream about Sweet Apple Acres, especially the orchard. It was a safe and wonderful place where a pony could find peace, but something seemed familiar about this place. Something that was on the tip of Sunny's tongue, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen it before. Almost as if 'he' himself had-
Just as his mind began to reel the possible idea, Sunny reached the edge of the orchard and gazed across at Applejack. She wasn't alone, and Sunny knew then why he had recognized the area. It was the same dream 'he' often had! Where he and Applejack were at the edge of the orchard, laying on a checkerboard blanket, watching the sunset! But he was sure this was her own dream, not his.
'WAIT! Does... does Applejack-' Sunny began to piece things together when a dark green magical aura engulfed him, covering him in the dark shroud of magic.
"Well well well, what do we have here?" Knightmare's voice slithered into Sunny's ear as the yellow unicorn was levitated into the air and turned around, made to face the dream master himself. Knightmare's reptilian like green eyes locked with Sunny's as he shot him a sharp toothed grin. "Looks like Somepony came back for seconds? Tell me, how did her fear taste? Delicious?Sweet as apple pie?”
Struggling to break free, Sunny jerked his body in every direction that he could while charging up magic in his own horn. "You'll... never get away with this... Knightmare!"
"Oh? Get away with what?" The dark unicorn played around Sunny's words. "With my master plan? Or with finally putting an end to this disgusting dream once and for all by showing your little crush just what you really are!?"
Before Sunny could figure out what the dark unicorn was planning, Charming Knightmare kicked up his level of magic to increase the pressure around Sunny, making his body tense up and cringe in pain. It was as if the weight of a thousand brans were crushing down on the yellow stallion from all sides! With such pressure, something began to give and Sunny's body began to crack. As shards of his yellow, fur covered body began to fall and shatter to the ground, dark smoke began to emerge from his body. But Sunny still fought back, realizing quickly what Knightmare was trying to do. Charming knew the son of Sombra would be strong and inevidibly put up a fight. So the witty dark unicorn prepared for it.
"You know the most tragic and disgusting part of this whole thing?" The top hat wearing unicorn asked Sunny, his toothy smile growing. "Applejack has no idea that the creature that haunted her Nightmares was 'you'!"
Knightmare's words hit their target. Sunny's green eyes shot open as the physical pain his body was experiencing went numb as his heart sank into his stomach.
"Oh? You didn't know, did you? But you knew I could walk into anypony’s dreams, and nightmares, and see what they dream about.” Knightmare continued, enjoying the look on Sunny's pain stricken muzzle. "The entire time she was suffering with the curse you put on her, she had horrible nightmares of a green-eyed shadow monster! And what's better, she doesn't even know it was you yet! But hey! Why keep her guessing? Why not tell her the truth after long last?"
All the secrets Sunny tried to hide began to bubble back into his mind, everything he kept from Applejack and the others were now right in front of him. Coupled with the horrible fact of what he did to Applejack, Sunny's body collapsed. His pony form shattered, leaving just a smoky umbrum behind.
Looking down at the umbrum laying on the ground at his hooves, Charming thought to add just a little more spice before sending his dish out. "After all, you're the 'guardian of honesty'. Might as well tell her everything! It's not like she'll completely disown you and want nothing to do with you! I mean, you're not just the son of their enemy, but you're also a ‘literal’ monster! A creature that feeds and survives on fear! The stuff of nightmares that even 'I' can replicate!"
A mirror appeared in front of Sunny thanks to the dream manipulating powers of Knightmare. The green eyed umbrum was forced to take a good look at himself. His shifting shadow and smoke like body was everything he was told to fear in his youth. But there was one more thing he remembered. One more thing his father told him to do if he ever came face to face with an umbrum. Hold no fear in your heart.
Pushing the mirror aside, Sunny looked once more at Charming Knightmare, who looked puzzled by Sunny's actions, before pressing forward and moving though the bushes to face his biggest fear. Confessing everything to Applejack...
Before Applejack and Sunny stood something that Applejack swore she saw before. Something that looked like it was made of shadow and smoke. It had a stretched out and warped pony like body, with two green lights for eyes in it's head. Starring into those burning green eyes, Apple jack felt she knew something about it, she felt something.... familiar, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it.
"Applejack" it spoke in an echoing voice that seemed hazy but also familiar to her. It appeared to stand up strait as it spoke, meeting her gaze. “I need to tell you something... I need to tell you a lot of something's. But..."
The creature was having a hard time talking, as if having a hard time getting the words out. Then something came to Applejack that felt as natural as taking a breath or blinking. Like she had said it time and time again. "Ya'll know ya can tell me anything, right?"
That was all the creature needed. Taking a deep breath to fight back the tears, the shadowy creature looked Applejack in the eyes as he spoke again "I'm sorry... I never meant to hurt you... it was an accident."
At first, Applejack didn't know what to make of the creature's apology, then she realized something. A look in his eyes seemed really, really familiar. They were sad, but also very, very happy. As if trying to make the best out of every day and forget all the bad that happened in the past. It was then that Applejack knew what, or rather, who the creature was. Only one pony had that look in his eye, the look that made her want to run up to him and give him a hug, and let him know that it will all be ok.
"It's ok, ah know ya didn't mean nothing by it, Sunny..." Applejack answered, fully remembering what had happen to her. And not just the initial blast of dark magic. Her mind began to fill with images of him carrying her in his hooves to Twilight's as fast as he could, and asking Twilight to take care of her, as well as the tears in his eyes as he did.
Looking back into Applejack's own green eyes, Sunny felt something deep inside, something warm and relaxing, something reassuring him that it was ok, and to go on. So he continued with his heartfelt confession, starting with possible one of the darkest secrets he kept. "I... I'm the son... the son of king Sombra..."
"Ya don't say..." Applejack replied, her eyes still locked with Sunny's as she took a slow step closer to him, the 'dream' Sunny turning transparent and vanishing behind her. “Well, that kinda explains ah bit.”
"And... and I'm the Black Knight..." Sunny continued to confess, his voice returning to normal despite his body's looks. The more he said, the more he found relief in telling the truth, having to no longer keep up walls and tell believable lies. “The same one that broke Shinning Armor's leg... there's a long story and a good reason behind that..."
"Ah believe ya" Applejack continued to walk slowly towards Sunny, her eyes never leaving his, her tone and voice just as relaxed as ever. “Ya ain't th' type ta act reckless like that."
"And my father... he's...an umbrum" Sunny managed to get out. "A creature that is made of smoke and shadows... that feeds on fear... which makes me half one."
"Ok" Applejack continued to smile and walks towards Sunny, never hesitating with anything he said. Sunny could see no fear in her eyes or since even a drop of it in her heart. She remained as warm, understanding and inviting as the front arch leading to Sweet Apple Acres on a sunny day.
"And... and I wrecked Twilight's library! And got Spike to lie to Twilight! And did other horrible things to keep my identity a secret!" Sunny was now beginning to panic and stumble over his words and his thought train began to derail, his heart racing as the truth began to pour out like a broken foist.
"Where ya'll 'fraid ah wouldn't like ya if ah knew all 'bout ya?" Applejack now stood in front of Sunny, no more then an inch or two, looking up at him with her green eyes into his green eyes. Nothing else mattered to her. Not the fact that we dream world began to turn grey, details of it fading slightly, not the fact that the sounds that normally filled the air had gone mute, and most amazingly, not the fact that Sunny’s body was composted of shifting shadows and smoke! All that she saw were the eyes of the stallion she had watched and admired from a far for months. Nothing else really mattered at the moment.
The umbrum Sunny could no longer holdback his feelings. Tears began to stream from his eyes, burning and turning into purple flames as he confessed his deepest and most treasured secrets. "YES!.... I... I was afraid you wouldn't like me! I thought you would be afraid of me! Or disown me! And I couldn't stand the thought of losing you because... because... BECAUSE I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU!"
Stopping the tears and any and all fears Sunny might have had, Applejack closed the space between them by planting her lips upon his, tears also falling from her eyes as she threw her arms around Sunny's neck. The smoke cleared and revealed Sunny's yellow pony body underneath. Rather then break away and examine his body, Sunny continued the kiss, holding onto Applejack by putting his hooves behind her, never wanting to let her go either. At that point, their body's were enveloped in a brightly glowing orange light that flared and grew, disbanding the dream world around Applejack and Sunny, acting as a beacon for the rest of the element lights that were guiding their respective guardians and the elements of Harmony.
Finally breaking the kiss, Applejack looked into Sunny's tear filled eyes, his body returning to normal once more, and smiled. "Ah don't know when ya'll stole mah heart, but ya have it now. Ah don't care who or what ya were before, but now, yer mah Sunny. And ah never want ya ta leave me. Ah don't care what trouble comes our way. We'll deal with it togeather, deal?"
"Deal" Sunny agreed before sharing another kiss with Applejack.
As they continued to kiss, cheers erupted from around them. Breaking the kiss once more, Sunny and Applejack looked around to see their friends were all around them, smiling, tearing up, stomping their hooves and cheering for the newly formed couple.
"It's 'bout time!" Big Mac saluted from a pirate ship made of candy and toys.
"Yes indeedaly!" Pinky Pie added from the same ship.
"Guess we can go on double dates if you guys want!" Thunderlane suggested.
"You may want to run that by Flitter first" Rainbow Dash nudged the grey Pegasus. “But I think she’ll be cool with it.”
Fluttersy and Derpy passed a box of tissues between them, Rarity and Octavia. All of them happy for Applejack and Sunny.
"I'm happy for the both of you" Twilight stepped forward, nodding to Sunny with a reassured look in her eye. "I'm glad you could be honest with her."
"Me too... and thank you for all you've done, Twilight" Sunny said with a big smile.
"I hate to break this happy reunion up" Doctor started to say, looking off in the distance as a dark storm began to brew. "But I think we have a dream dwelling feind to still take care of!"
Off in the distance, a faint image of a giant unicorn stallion began to form. It's body appeared to be made of all kinds of vicious monsters and creatures, the things nightmares are made of. A pair of glowing green reptile like eyes began to glow it's head and locked onto the area where Twilight, Applejack, Sunny, and the other ponies were.
"Gather however many 'friends' you would like! I still rule this realm! And I won't allow you to leave and ruin my plans for a perfect world!" Knightmare's voice came from the monstrous mass of collected horrors.
Stepping forward, Twilight and Sunny stood tall and proud, as leaders of their respective groups. Twilight was the first one to speak as their friends all turned and faced the monstrous being. “Why are you doing all of this? What do you hope to gain?!”
“Me? Gain?” A smaller form of the evil grey unicorn appeared at the forehead of the giant Knightmare, smiling as his top hat fell off his messy mop of a mane, his eyes glowing very much like an umbrum’s. But his sight was slightly filtered with a false since of duty as he cracked a toothy grin at the twelve ponies before him. “My plan is simple; create a perfect world!
“By turning their bodies into statues, and allowing them to live within their perfect dreams, I can give the ponies of Equestria a trouble free life! A life where they don’t have to worry about monsters, about natural disasters, about princesses who can’t save them! A world where they won’t be judged, mocked, degraded, or anything that would stop them from achieving their goals and being ‘who’ they always wanted to be!” Knightmare was so lost in his own vision, he failed to see the disgust on everypony’s muzzles. “A true utopia! What could be a more noble cause then mine?”
“How about a world where all of it is real?” Sunny yelled at the dark grey unicorn, snapping Knightmare out of his delusion.
Glaring down at the son of King Sombra, Charming Knightmare’s voice boomed, echoing through the dream realm. “And what, pre tell, is so ‘great’ about a world where dreams don’t come true!? Dreams don’t come true for anypony unless they have wealth and power!”
“Your dreams can and will come true!” Sunny took a step closer, eyes glaring with bravado as he showed no fear of Charming or his nightmares. “You just have to work for them! Dreams don’t come true without you putting in the effort! Just like growing apples! You have to place the seeds of your dreams in fertile ground, show it care when it needs it, give it room to grow, and never give up on it, and soon, that little sapling will be a mighty tree, bearing fruit. And do you know what the best part of it all? Why it’s best to stick to your dreams, and work hard at them, Knightmare?”
“Humor me” the monsterous unicorn plainly asked, his eyes trying to weigh down on Sunny, but their magnitude was that of a pillow to the righteous unicorn.
“The best part of working hard and making your dreams come true, is being able to share it with your friends” Sunny smiled as he looked all around at all the ponies who smiled right back at him and shinned with the lights of their elements, their inner lights, showing they believed in all he was saying. Turning his attention back to Knightmare, Sunny asked him “If you go trough with this, and put all of Equestria under some sort of stone sleeping spell, and give them what you think they all want, where does that leave you, Knightmare? What happened to you? All alone, on the outside looking in? So not everypony wins in your ‘plan’. You just think they do, and you sit alone pulling the strings.”
The thought shook Charming Knightmare for a moment, but the moment was fleeting, and soon Knightmare regained his composure. “I don’t care what you think! If you don’t want to be part of my new world, then I’ll cast you all into the darkest nightmares I can muster!”
Retreating back into the monstrous unicorn’s head, Charming pushed out as much of Sunny’s speech as he could, but some small light deep inside began to flicker back to life. A small sense of logic was found in what the yellow half pony said. But the darkness in Alister’s heart wouldn’t allow him to surface. This was Knightmare’s time, ‘he’ would remain in control!
Right as everypony felt overwhelmed by fear of the creature before them, one pony stood against the fear, having more then enough of it for one day. Speaking with a firm and calm tone, Sunny looked to everypony there and told them. "We have nothing to fear from him. As long as we stand as one, and ever lose hope in one another, we will prevail."
Getting strength from Sunny, Twilight stepped forward and spoke to everypony as well with a newly found strength. "Sunny's right! We can do this! We just have to believe in each other! Believe in the power of our friendship!"
"Yeah! We can do this!" Thunderlane and Rainbow said togeather as they took to the skies, ready to strike at a moment's notice, quickly followed by Derpy and Fluttershy, who, although they weren't as bold as their friends who were the stronger fliers, they felt just as strong.
"Let's show this roughian what happens When you mess with friendship!" Rarity stated as she lunged forward and took a elegant, defensive stance.
"I completely agree!" Octavia added as she took a mirrored stance to Rarity's, ready for a brawl.
"Ready the candy cannons, first-mate-possible-cousin-guardian-of-Laughter, Big Mac!” Pinkie Pie called out as she pointed her candy cane sword at Knightmare.
"Ready to fire on yer command, captain-possible-cousin-element-of-Laughter, Pinkie Pie!" Big Mac grinned, aiming the cannons at the monstrous fiend.
"Let's show him what happens when you mess with true friendship!" Doctor declared, for once ready to throw a punch, rather then calculate some numbers.
"And what happens when ya mess with somepony's special Somepony!" Applejack took a step forward and straitened her Stetson hat.
Knightmare lashed out with one of his hooves. The enormous hoof turned into a high pressure liquid like blast made up of horrible figures and shapes that all seemed to streach out, trying to claw at their target as if every form had a mind of it's own! But the creatures never met their mark!
Protecting the elements of harmony, as well as the newly formed guardians of harmony, was a giant sheild like barrier made of rainbow color! Not stopping his attack, the monsterous Knightmare now doubled the pressure with two hooves instead of one! With the pressure doubled, Knightmare was sure that the shield would crack! After all, he was master of the realm of dreams! Who could stand up to him?!
Charming Knightmare soon received his answer.
The rainbow light of the shield began to grow brighter and brighter, casting away the monsters Knightmare had summoned!
Twilight, Sunny and the others had had enough of Charming and his tricks. Without another word, the twelve ponies, Guardians and Elements of Harmony, released their inner lights of harmony, blasting them at Charming Knightmare and his giant monstrous form! The creatures that made up his giant monstrous form began to break away and fade into nothing.
"NO! No this can't be!" Charming called out as the giant astral body he created shattered, revealing his true form, the smaller, lighter grey stallion he kept locked away. Alister!
As Sunny caught the image of the familiar royal guard, the dream for them all had come to an end. Everypony was waking up...
“An’ then what happened?!” Apple Bloom asked, wide eyed, her full attention on Sunny and Applejack as they finished telling their side of the story, barely able to contain her excitement.
“We all woke up from our dream” Sunny continued. “Twilight and th’ others went to go check on th’ town’s folk while yer Brother, th’ rest of th’ new Guardians an’ ah looked high an’ low fer Knightmare, but he was long gone.”
After the whole ordeal, Applejack, Sunny and Big Mac returned to Sweet Apple Acres, with little Apple Bloom sleeping soundly on Big Mac’s Back. They had found Granny asleep in her favorite rocker in the living room and left her there, providing a pillow and thick warm blanket to help her sleep trough the night. Pappy had apparently fallen asleep on the couch, possibly talking with Granny. Sunny showed him the same care as Granny, and thought how happy he was to have his adopted grandfather here with him on the farm.
By the morning sun, Sunny knew it was time to have that talk. The talk where he revealed everything he knew, everything he had hidden, and came clean with his new family. As Pappy cooked breakfast for Sunny and the Apples, the former prince began to tell his tale, starting off with his fight with his father 1000 years ago, ending with what had happened the previous night.
“Ah still can’t believe that nice Mr. Alister was really Charming Knightmare” Granny rubbed her chin, sitting on the edge of her rocker’s seat.
“Ah can’t believe we’re special like Twilight and her friends!” Big Mac added, taking a big bite of flap jacks that Pappy made for him.
“Ah can’t believe yer father cast that spell on you...” Pappy spoke up, having been quiet most of the morning. “What would possess him to do that?”
Before Sunny could answer, Apple Bloom popped up between him and Applejack.
“I CANT BELIEVE SUNNY’S A PRINCE! A REAL PRINCE!!!” Apple Bloom was full of more energy then Pinkie after Rainbow challenged her to a cupcake eating contest. Who knew that little pink mare could eat over two hundred cup cakes and not explode?! Turning her wide smile and even wider eyes to Sunny, Apple Bloom began reeling off a million questions a minute. “Does this mean you’re gunna turn the farm house into a castle?! Or build ah castle addition onto th’ farm house?! Are we all gunna get fancy new clothes?! And fancy new plates?! Silverware?! Beds?! Are you going to bring some tiny ewes from the Crystal Empire?! Is Appeljack going to be a princess when you two get married?! Does that mean I’ll be a princess too ‘cause Ah’m her sister?!”
Nearly chocking on her morning cup of Apple juice, Applejack wasn’t surprises by her younger sister’s million questions, but was caught off guard by Apple Bloom’s second to last question involving her marrying Sunny. They had just become a couple the other night and already her sister said the word ‘marriage’. Granted, Applejack wouldn’t hesitate one bit if Sunny ever did propose to her. She knew from the moment he confessed his love for her that this was the stallion she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She just didn’t know that anypony else thought that too!
Clearing his throat, also having been taken off guard by Apple Bloom’s question, Sunny did his best to answer all her questions as best as he could. “Well, Apple Bloom, Ah hate ta disappoint ya, but ah ain’t ah prince no more.
“See, mah dad, King Sombra, was only ‘King’ as a temporary position” The yellow unicorn continued to explain. “An’ once either princess Amore or Somepony else came to claim the thrown who the Crystal Heart would accept, he would step down and either retire to ah civilian position, or if he wanted to, back ta his captain’s position in th’ royal army.”
“So Ah ain’t gunna get ta be ah princess?” Apple Bloom sounded slightly disappointed.
Wanting to be honest and cheer the little filly up, Sunny tossed her a soft smile. “Th’ royal life ain’t all what it’s cracked up ta be, Apple Bloom. Yeah, ya get all them fancy things an’ get ta go to them fancy balls and what not, but ya get surrounded by ponies who might not be genuine.
“Since Ah came here, ah’ve made more friends then ah ever dreamed ‘bout when ah was ah prince. Plus, there’s so much work once ya come of age” Sunny continued, thinking back to all his responsibilities. “Yer asked to first sit in on royal court to observe how Justice is carried out, the royal lessons take almost all day ta get through, then there’s civil duties, meeting with diplomats, it’s all so-“
“Boring!” Pappy spat out as he brought Granny a plate of flapjacks and applesauce. “Ah hated seeing ya go through all of that with almost no time fer fun! If it wasn’t for me, Yer aunty Radiant, or Whittler , Ah think ya would have gone bonkers!”
Sunny paused for a moment, the last name sent a shock wave trough his head, as he remembered Somepony from long ago.
“Who’s Whittler?” Applejack asked the elderly stallion while Sunny’s mind tried to process the name, looking deep into his memory for any trace of the pony.
“Little Whittler Rosewood?” Pappy repeated the name. “Well, ta most ponies in th’ Empire, he was just Somepony with ah lot of health problems who lived at the edge of the Empire, but to Sunny-“
“He was like an older brother!” Sunny spoke up, regaining one of his few remaining lost memories. “I remember Whittler now! He wanted to be a Crystal guard like his father and older sister, but he couldn’t walk. He was stuck in a wheel chair. But I was fascinated by him and how he practiced the guard’s fighting stances while movinaround in his chair!”
“You were always fascinated by such things” Pappy chuckles. “Wheel chairs, Cuckoo clocks, anything with metal an’ wood ya had ta check out.”
“He created the puppets!” Sunny spat out, remembering something else about Whittler. “He created the giant Pony puppets!”
“That’s right” Pappy nodded as he took a seat with his own stack of flapjacks and a cup of tea. “And ya remember just ‘who’ gave him the idea?”
Pausing, Sunny dusted off the old memories of Whittler. He remembered watching the Crystal earth pony repair his wood and metal wheel chair, thinking it was such a cool thing. Sunny remembered how amazed he was by Whittler’s work shop, and by all the little projects the handicapped pony had scattered all around. Most ponies would have found the poorly lite work shop to be a terrifying place, which is why most ponies left Whittler to himself. But young Sunny was more amazed then afraid, and couldn’t help himself but wander inside for a better look...
Taking a moment to breath and wipe the sweat from his brow, Whittler wondered if his dreams of joining the guard would ever come true. The years and tireless effort seemed to all be in vein, all because he was born with such a weak body.
“What cha Working on there, mister?” A springy light voice popped out of nowhere, causing Whittler to almost fall out of his chair.
Surprised by the foal’s sudden intrusion, Whittler snapped at the foal. “What are you doing here?! Get out! No kids allowed in my work shop!”
“I won’t break anything, I promise” The little yellow unicorn’s tone didn’t waver. “I just wanted to see what you were working on.”
The handicapped stallion was about to snap at the colt again, but paused. He had never had Somepony actually take an interest in his work. Sure, Whittler made many things out of wood in his spare time, chairs, tables, clocks, and all kinds of toys. But living in the ‘Crystal’ Empire, wood wasn’t exactly a highly demand material. But seeing this colt take an interest in his work lightened Whittler’s spirit a little.
“Well... I’m just working on my wheelchair, trying to make it a little more durable but still remain light for mobility” the wood worker began to explain to Sunny. All the while, the sparkle of amazement in the little yellow colt’s eyes remained as bright as when he first entered the shop.
Almost every day, Sunny would pop into see Whittler, talk with him and see what he was working on. More and more Whittler sacrificed time he would normally apply to his guard training to work on new things to show Sunny, always pushing himself to create newer and better things. It was almost as if Sunny’s interest in his creations made Whittler want to be more and more true to his cutie mark; a hammer and chisel he had urned from carving toy soldiers from scraps of wood.
For so long, Whittler cursed his talent and hated that he wasn’t a strapping fit worrier like his father and elder sister. But since Sunny came into his life, Whittler was able to let go of his frustration and enjoy his talent, becoming better and better with every project he completed.
It wasn’t until months later that the carpenter found out that Sunny was actually prince Soleggiato, the son of the king, when Sunny invited him to a royal banquet his father was throwing. Sunny had asked his father if he could invite one friend, and after some ordeal a few years prior, Sombra was more then happy to hear Sunny had made a new friend. It was at that banquet that Whittler was offered the chance of a life time.
“I don’t know if I should do it...” Whittler admitted to Sunny. “Working in the Platinum Kindgom would indeed be a great opportunity, it would give me all the raw material and it’s I could ever need... but...”
“I don’t want you to worry about me” Sunny smiled at Whittle, shocking the carpenter. “No matter what, I’ll always be your friend. And as your friend, I want you to do what you enjoy, and I know that’s bettering yourself. You’ve become so much better then you were a year ago when I meant you! Look at your workshop!”
Pausing to take a look about his old work shop, Whittler almost didn’t recognize it. The once dark and shadowy place that had half started or less projects hanging or piled all over the place, was now brightly lit, organized, and a true wonderland of invention and art! As his eyes fell back to a Sunny, Whittler knew that it was all thanks to that little pony who wondered into his life that short year ago. He not only helped Whittler accept his destiny, but also to embrace it and become better, to raise to new heights. Which is why he was so reluctant to leave the little colt, knowing he had no other real friends. Then an idea came to Whittler.
“Sunny... I don’t want to leave you alone, but I know you’ll never forgive me if I don’t pursue this rare opportunity” Whittler began to say, a smile growing on his muzzle. “So tell you what, before the train leaves in two days, meet me back here. I’ll have a special surprise for you.”
“You don’t have to do anything for me, Whittler” Sunny started to say, but was interrupted.
“If I left you all alone, I’d never forgive myself. Now, do as I say, or I’ll tell your father who ‘really’ left that rubber snake in the maid’s break room” Whittle winked at Sunny, knowing full well the little colt blamed it on one of the guards.
Not wanting his father to find out that ‘he’ was the actual trouble maker, Sunny agreed and quickly left.
Two days later, Sunny got out of bed early and raced down and out of the castle to Whittler’s shop, knowing that his train would be leaving by lunch time. As Sunny entered the shop, he caught Whittler packing up the rest of his things, leaving just one tall object in the middle of the room, a white sheet over it.
“You ready for your surprise?” Whittler asked Sunny before tossing him a book.
Sunny was caught off guard by the book Whittler had just given him. It was one form the library, a simple book of spells that he remember glancing over in his lessons at school. Thinking this was the gift, Sunny was more surprised when Whittler pulled off the sheet and revealed what was possible the coolest thing Sunny had ever seen in his work shop!
There, before him, stood a giant pony-like puppet, carved perfectly out of Whittler’s strongest wood. “Well? What do you think? He’s durable enough to where you could toss him off the top of the castle’s tallest tower, as flexible as a real pony, and if you study the pages I marked in that book, you can learn to repair and manipulate his body using magic!
“I know he’s no replacement for a ‘real’ friend, but...” Whittler admitted, scratching the back of his head. But before he could say anything else, he was tackle hugged by the little yellow stallion. Looking down at Sunny, Whittler’s smile grew.
“I love him! I’ll take good care of him and learn how to use him better than any puppet master ever! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Sunny’s grip tightened around the stallion.
“You’re welcome...” ‘and thank you, for helping me to find my inner light’ Whittler thought as he returned the hug, grateful for the encounter he had with the little prince with the wide, wonder filled eyes who wandered into his workshop and changed his life...
“After that day, Whittler still came by for a visit every couple of moons, wrote as often as he could, and every year for my Birthday and for Hearths Warming Eve, he sent me a new puppet. Adding new features to it whenever he learned about something new he could add to it.” Sunny thought back to all the different puppets he had received. “One shot out confetti from it’s mouth, another rubber snakes from it’s hooves, one even transformed into a chair!
“It wasn’t until he knew I had gotten really good with controlling them and became a member of the royal guard that he added features like weapons to help me on missions.” Sighing a little, Sunny realized he was tearing up and had to wipe away a small tear. “How could ah have ever forgotten ‘bout him?”
“Ah’m still ‘mazes ya don’t remember yer mother” Pappy commented as he took a big bite of his flapjacks.
Everypony’s eyes turned to Pappy.
“Wait, ya’ll know who his mom is?” Applejack asked, then remembered Radiant’s warning about Sunny needling to remember on his own.
“Sure do” Pappy mumbles as he swallowed his bite. “But ah can’t say. Sunny’s gunna have ta just go and see her fer himself, when he goes to th’ Grand Galloping Gala. She’s gunna be there, and she’s missed him mightily since th’ fall of th’ empire.”
“I want to go...” Sunny said, his accent lost again. “But the princesses will be there... I’ll have to be in disguise. How will she even know it’s me?”
“Truest me, Ah mother knows her child no matter what” Grann said with reassuring a grin.
“And ya won’t be alone” Applejack kissed Sunny on the cheek, making all the blood in his body rush to his head, turning him a bright shade of red. “Ah’ll be there, yer friends and mah friends will be there.”
“Count this old fuddy-duddy in too” Pappy chimmed in, after licking his plate clean, some how finishing his breakfast faster then anypony else. “Ah wouldn’t miss this reunion fer anythin’ in th’ world.”
“If an old ‘fuddy-duddy’ like you can get up and dance, ah reckon ah could too” Granny added. “Sides, we need to show these whipper-snappers what ‘real’ dancing is!”
“But wait, what ‘bout th’ paper!” Apple Bloom reached behind her and pulled out a copy of Ponyville Confidential. “Look! If yer tryin’ ta hide from th’ princesses, won’t they see this?”
“Ah wouldn’ worry none, Apple Bloom,” Sunny appeared relaxed. “Ah have a friend of mine takin’ care of the press...”
-Canterlot-
Sitting atop a cotton candy cloud that rained down on Princess Celestia’s rose garden, Discord had in his claw and paw on a copy of Ponyville’s daily paper, reading about the extraordinary event that took place the other night. Word had spread fast of the ‘New Guardians of Harmony’ even from a school run newspaper. He worked fast to conceal the news and restrict it to just Ponyville, allowing only a few copies to slip away. One, of which, he held before him. All according to plan.
As if on cue, Celestia and Luna landed in Canterlot’s royal garden, anger filled eyes burning on him. When Celestia cleared her throat, the master of chaos casually looked up and gave a small smile. “Why Celestia, welcome back. Did you have a relaxing trip?”
“You knew, didn’t you?” Celestia’s words were hard and cold, her mane flared like the flames on the surface of her sun.
“I did. And I kept his presence from you for a very good reason” Discord said as he turned his attention back to the paper. He grew excited by the contents of the open page. “Oh my! The Cakes are having a bake sale next week! I do enjoy-“
The paper began to turn black and crumble away into ash in Discord’s claw and paw, revealing an even angrier Princess Celestia behind it, glaring with the intensity of a thousand super novas at Discord. The look actually sent a chill down his spine.
“Oh relax Tia, there’s a very good reason why I kept Prince Soleggiato’s existence a secret from you.” The draconaquis stated as calmly as he could.
“And why, knowing all you know, would you do that? What REASON could you have?!” Celestia’s voice was growing louder and louder, even slightly scaring princess Luna who kept her distance from the princess of the sun.
“He asked me too” Discord noted simply, all fear appearing to disappear from his muzzle.
“He... asked you too?” Celestia’s rage wavered slightly. Long enough for her to listen more to what Discord has to say.
“As for ‘why’ he would ask such a request of me, why don’t you pop right into your ‘celestial plane’ and see for yourself” Discord suggested. “You may even like to see all of what he has been up to since returning. I’d join you, but I have tea with Fluttershy in... 38 seconds. So Chaio!”
With a snap of his fingers, Discord disappeared, leaving behind only burned remains of the Ponyville newspaper. Within the ashes of said paper remained the picture on the front page. It was normal for Twilight and the other elements of Harmony, her friends, to appear on the paper’s cover after a great victory, but this time they were joined by another group of six ponies. Sunny and the other Guardians of Harmony stood side by side next to their element counter parts, Applejack holding onto Sunny, her hooves around his neck, as she planted a kiss on his cheek, a huge smile and blushing cheeks on Sunny’s muzzle as he held his Stetson down in his head....
‘Tonight’s the big night’ Ca’Pony thought to himself as he watched from behind the stage’s curtains. Melody the siren, or the head singer of the infamous band known as ‘Equestrian Melody’, was playing her part magnificently. Thanks to her magical influencing songs, ponies from all over Equestria have sacrificed their jobs, friends, and even family to ‘stand for the cause’ of overthrowing the ‘corrupt princesses’. “Tonight, Manehatten, my old turf. Tomorrow, Canterlot! The final phase!”
“You’re talkin’ to yourself again, boss” a thin stallion in a similar suit told Ca’Pony who was standing just a few feet away, a small smile on his own muzzle.
Annoyed, Ca’Pony shut the curtain and glared at the thin stallion. “Didn’t I tell you to watch the brief case?! What are you doing just standing there like the brainless coatrack you are?! Do I have to replace you with Somepony who can follow simple instructions?!”
Panicking, the thin stallion waved his hooves frantically. “N-No b-b-boss! See! I got it right here!”
Pulling said brief case out from behind him, the thin stallion tried to show that he was competent at his job, afraid of what Ca’Pony would do to him if the mob boss ever did feel the need to ‘replace’ him. When Ca’Pony saw the case, he began to relax.
‘I’m too close for screw ups now! Everything has to go perfectly tonight. After tonight, Equestria will be under ‘my’ control, even if most ponies won’t know it!’ Ca’Pony smiles to himself as he began to think of which politicians he had under his hoof who he could use as puppets to run Equestria in his name, when a pair stallions in suits and fedoras ran up to him.
“We got a problem, boss!” the shorter grey stallion said, his eyes hidden underneath his hat.
“Ey’yep” the larger of the two added as he caught up with his faster cohort, his eyes also hidden beneath his fedora.
“What do you mean by, ‘problem’?!” Ca’Pony’s tone turned heavy as his heart rate began to kick up.
“We just saw ‘princess Twilight Sparkle’ and her ‘friends’ in the crowd, snooping around.” The small grey stallion answered.
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! HERE?! NOW?!” In a fit of blind rage, Ca’Pony turned and bucked one of his own goons, sending him flying across the back stage area, landing and smashing a crate. A moment later, Ca’Pony turned to the two henchponies of his who came to report him the news. “I want you two to get at least ‘one’ of her ‘friends’, bring them to me, and after you do, go and tell little miss princess that we have her ‘friend’ in our hooves. She won’t do anything stupid so long as we have her friend as leverage.”
“No need to wait, boss” another stallion answered as he and a mare, both dressed similarly to the other duo, appeared from back stage, with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy tied up. As they threw the two hog tied mares at Ca’Pony’s hooves, one of the two, a yellow smooth dressed stallion continued. “Found these two snooping back stage. Thought we’d wrap them up for ya as ah Hearth’s warming gift.”
Looking at the two mares in the ground before him, Ca’Pony instantly began to relax. He recognized one of the two as the mare who saved the Wonderbolts at an event in Cloudsdale not long ago. ‘She’ at least was one of the princess’s friends. Turning to the yellow stallion and grey mare accompanying him, Ca’Pony offered a hoof. “Good work, kid. I had my worries about hiring some farm pony a while back, but you really showed what some down home pony can do. When I rule this joint, I’ll make sure you get a decent plot of land for your effort.
“Now go let Princess Sparkle know that her friends want to have a word with her back stage” Ca’Pony snapped at the large red stallion and smaller grey stallion, who both nodded and slunk off into the crowd, heading in the princess’s direction.
About at that time, Melody appeared on stage and began to sing her opening song, one to rile up the ponies in the crowd and make them turn against the princesses even more....
🎶See the sight of the rising sun?! Another day has just begun To blind Ponies of Equestria from the truth behind🎶
🎶The truth that will set you free, From a corrupt monarchy, (Hey!)🎶
🎶And see, they call the moon to end your day!🎶
🎶I fail to see the difference between, The Sun and Moon, They make and enforce the rules, Are we the fools?!🎶
🎶In Equestria?!🎶
🎶Hear the ponies working trough the day? Another bit in yer hoof, (Hey!) Then poof! Two go to the sun and moon! Can I get another buck yeah! (Buck yeah!) Time to put an end, to their rain, and oppression!🎶
🎶I fail to see the difference between, The Sun and Moon, They make and enforce the rules, Are we the fools?!🎶
🎶In Equestria?!🎶
🎶The representative from Manehatten has the floor🎶
🎶Look up to their castle home now, So the gold and marbal pillars? Payed with your hard earned bits!🎶
🎶Pant pant, go our heavy breaths from our hard work days! Endless work days, being their slaves, that just doesn’t sit with me!🎶
🎶Just cause (Hey, Hey), just cause Because I’m a little pony!🎶
🎶I fail to see the difference between, The Sun and Moon, They make and enforce the rules, Are we the fools?!🎶
🎶In Equestria?!🎶
By the end of her song, everypony began to cheer and thrash about, feeling repressed and used by the princesses who have ruled over them For over 1000 years. The outraged crowd wanted nothing more then to bust down the doors to Canterlot castle, tear the princesses from their beds, and throw them in chains in their own dungeons! With almost perfect timing, the two stallions from before, the large red and medium size grey stallion returned with Princess Twilight and the rest of her friends.
The girls were smart enough to come in disguise, hiding their wings and horns, redoing their manes, and wearing cloths that complexity clashed with their personalities, in order to remain completely hidden. The yellow farm pony and the silent grey mare Ca’Pony hires kept a firm grip on the two captive friends of Twilight back stage, while the other two new hires collected the princess and the rest of her friends.
After the princess was back behind the curtain with her friends, Ca’Pony emerged from the shadows and greeted them. “Well well we’ll, what do we have here? A couple of do-gooders in our midsts?”
“The gangster Al Ca’Pony” Princess Twilight sneered and narrowed her eyes on the stallion. “I thought you were sentenced to life in prison.”
“Yeah? And goober here thought the moon was made of cheese! Guess you both are pretty dumb!” Ca’Pony motioned to the thin stallion with the brief case that he held onto tightly. All of Ca’Pony’s henchmen laughed at his joke, even Goober, who looked hurt by the comment.
“Only, ‘your’ mistake” Ca’Pony started up again as he took a few steps closer towards the princess. “Will be your last.”
“What’s your game here? Why go through all the trouble of tricking a siren into-“ Twilight started to ask when the grey mare who remained silent up until then jumped between her and Ca’Pony. The mare swiftly pulled a microphone out from underneath the princess’s outfit, and cut the line, tossing the no longer functioning piece of equipment at Ca’Pony’s hooves.
“Well well, looks like I really did well on hiring this lot!” Ca’Pony’s smile grew wider, his eyes going from the grey silent mare back to Princess Twilight. “Trying to get me to spill my plan for everypony to hear, eh? Almost worked princess. But I think I’ll keep that to myself. Lock these fools up under the stage! After the show, we’ll let the crowds ‘deal’ with their ‘princess of friendship’!”
As the large red stallion and grey stallion began to move Twilight and her group down under the stage, the yellow stallion approached Ca’Pony who appeared to be relaxed now that the princess of friendship was in their custody. “Sir, Ah know Ah’m new here, but Ah’m mighty curious, how do ya keep the siren under your hood so well? A spell or something?”
The gangster chuckled as he patted the back of the yellow stallion. “Boy, if you hadn’t just delivered me those two girls and assured my victory over Equestria, I’d send you flying like that dolt over there! But since you proved yourself and it’s pretty much end game, I’m gunna-“
Ca’Pony then flipped Sunny’s hat off his head, exposing his bright orange mop of a mane. “Call this charade off! Bring them back, boys!”
At his call, Ca’Pony’s real henchmen brought back Twilight, her friends, and now Big Mac and Thunderlane, who’s hats were also flipped off to reveal their identities. The goon closest to the silent mare, grabbed her, and flipped her fedora off as well, revealing that it was Octavia.
“Your little plan might have worked if I hadn’t seen this paper a while ago...” Ca’Pony held up a copy of the Ponyville paper that had the Elements and Guardians of Harmony on the front page! “Good try, though. And I’m sure your father would love to see you, Sunny! Or should I call you, Prince Soleggiato? You may want to stick with Sunny, because after tonight, once all those stupid, rioting ponies out there under Melody’s spell really get going, I’m gunna let them lose and watch them tear Equestria apart, like the stupid, mindless animals they are!
“Once the princesses and other royals are overthrown, the ponies will elect new officials to govern them! And if there’s one thing I can do, it’s manipulate politicians. I’ll have Equestria under my hoof in no time! ‘I’ will be it’s new king! And there’s nothing ‘you’, ‘princess Twilight’ over there, or any of your friends can do to stop me! I win! I WIN!”
Though his fiendish chuckle, drunk on power, Ca’Pony could still hear the faint voice as a small filly spoke up.
“Can I have my sisters back now?” Melody had retreated back stage to rest her voice for the finale and the ‘speech’ she promised to read that Ca’Pony had written for her.
“You promised to return her sisters and ‘my’ dance crew once this was over” Sapphire Shores appeared beside Melody, putting a hoof around her as if to try and shield her from the chaos out in the crowd that she was forced to make.
Cutting his gloating short, Ca’Pony casually walked over to the two entertainers with a greasy smile plastered across his muzzle. “I did promise that, didn’t I?”
With a stomp of his hoof, Ca’Pony gave his thin henchmen with the brief case the signal to hand it over. Once Ca’Pony had the case containing the glass viles, he gladly gave it to Sapphire shores. “A deal’s a deal.”
“You need to change them back” Sapphire started to say. “I can’t-“
“I can’t either” Ca’Pony interrupted her and flipped the brief case open. Sapphire noticed something off about the glass vials that were supposed to contain her dance crew members. The vials were empty?! “See, here’s the thing. King Sombra told me exactly what to do to get you two to obey me, so I could bring Equestria to it’s knees and be top dog.
“But he also told me that it would be a waste, and a foolish move, to just have the leverage sitting out for anypony to double cross me!” Ca’Pony smiles as he picked up an empty vial. “So, along with keeping the older sirens locked up in his new castle, he took those dancers off my hooves.”
“WHAT?!” Sapphire’s eyes were burning with rage as she lunged at Ca’Pony, only to be caught in mid air by his tough looking goons. This didn’t stop her from still trying to tackle him, as she spat out “WHERE ARE THEY?! YOU MISERABLE ROACH!”
“What a temper” Ca’Pony simply commented, pleased he still had all the control. “I’m sure Sombra would love to arrange a meeting for you, once he turns you into a brainless solider just like he did them!”
“My sisters too?” Melody asked, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. “Please, mister, I just want to go home with my sisters... I did everything you asked!”
While Ca’Pony’s goons bound and gagged Sapphire Shores, the mob boss himself closed the space between him and the Siren, draping a hoof over her shoulder. “I would love nothing more then to do that for you, Melody. You’ve been such a good little pawn in my game. I really couldn’t have turned the tides without you. But... I don’t really care. You want your sisters? Talk to Sombra! Maybe you can catch him on a good day!”
Before Ca’Pony could go into any further gloating, a loud ‘whooshing’ and scrapping noise filled the air as a large Blue Box, with a bright light on top of it, came into view, appearing almost out of nowhere. Everypony watched in amazement as a door to the box flung open, revealing a bright light and the silhouette of an earth pony with a spunky mane style and tie appeared.
“Hope I’m not too late” Doctor Hooves asked as he stepped out of the TARDIS. As he did, he looked up to the stage railings above everypony. “Did you get all of that Derpy?”
Everypony looked up to see a microphone hanging just above them, kept in place by a grey mare with eyes staring in opposite directions. She smiled as she replied “Got everything, Doctor! And boy! Those ponies out in the crowd sure do look mad!”
Ca’Pony was baffled, his muzzle turning several shades lighter as he started from the microphone, to the yelling and screaming crowd, then back to Princess Twilight, Sunny, and their friends. ‘They-they tricked me! They really tricked me! How?! How is this possible?!?? I’m the greatest mob boss to ever live! I had cities under my Hooves! All the bits I could ever need! I was going to be king! KING OF ALL EQUESTRIA!!! How did these foals get the jump on me?!’
“Boss! BOSS! We got to go!” The thin henchmen tried to shake Ca’Pony free from his dazed state, but gave up and just signaled for one of the two larger goons to pick him up. Without a second word, the mob ponies made a quick exit, trying desperately to put as much space between them and the angry mob.
As the mobsters disappeared into the night, and the restraints on everypony were removed, everypony exchanged hugs and high hooves for their excellent team work. It wasn’t until Sapphire Shores was fully free from her bonds that she tackled Sunny, still seeing red as she pinned him down.
“You little worm! Don’t think I didn’t hear Ca’Pony say you were Sombra’s son! You are going to take me to him and I’m going to-“ the angry performer started to say when she was met by the gently hoof of the siren Melody.
“I think we have a problem...” she stated, able to douse Sapphire’s rage a little.
Everypony pauses and listened. The chanting was still going on in the crowds, but... but it was still about overthrowing the princesses!
Turning to Derpy, Everypony noticed the mic she used was still in her hooves, and traced the cable all around the stage back to an outlet that fed into one of the large speakers. But it appeared the cord was pulled out and lay just a few inches from it’s outlet!
“Ugh oh...” Derpy said what everypony was thinking. No pony in the crowd had heard any of Ca’Pony’s confession! And Ca’Pony was so shocked that he had been tricked that he didn’t bother to pay close attention to what exactly the crowd was changing.
“We have to do something! Quick!” Rainbow Dash zoomed to the corner of the curtain where she gazed out to a rather rage filled sea of ponies.
“I wrote a song, just in case I needed to break the previous spell” Melody told Twilight. “But I need to rest my voice for a few more moments.”
“Well Somepony needs to get up there and quick!” Thunderlane peaked out of the curtains, witnessing the crowd as they began to rally. Mass producing make shift torches and building bonfires.
“If only I had my cello” Octavia knew the ‘one time’ she didn’t travel with it that she would regret it. ‘From now on, everywhere I go, it goes.’
Looking around, Big Mac got an idea. He leaned over and whispered into Pinky’s ear. The party pony’s smile stretched from one side of her muzzle to the next as she nodded vigorously, reached into her fluffy mane, and pulled out several instruments, including a harmonica, banjo, washboard, and violin. Grabbing the harmonica, Big Mac placed it in Sunny’s hooves.
“What am Ah supposed to-“ Sunny started to say, but stopped when Big Mac gave his a signaling ‘wink’. Mimicking Ca’Pony, all the color started to drain from Sunny’s face. “I CANT DO THAT! Not here and now! I haven’t even practiced in weeks!”
Realizing what Big Mac was talking about when he say the harmonica in his hooves, Thunderlane jumped to Sunny’s side. “It’s now or never, Bro! Equestria is counting on us! Besides, it’s no secret you like her anymore!”
Looking from his friends, as Big Mac passed the instruments out to Thunderlane and Octavia, Sunny’s emerald colored eyes fell on Applejack, who smiled back at him and mouthed ‘you can do it, Sugar cube’.
That was all Sunny needed. “Come on guys, let’s stall them for a bit. Just follow my lead.”
As Sunny lead Big Mac, Thunderlane, and Octavia o to the stage, each of them respectively carrying the harmonica, Banjo, washboard, and violin (with Octavia sighing at her instrument, wishing she had her faithful cello instead), Twilight and the others just watched, wondering what they had up their sleeves.
Once Sunny and his make shift band took center stage, Sunny spoke into the mic, catching the violent crowd’s attention. “Howdy everypony! It’s good ta see such ah lively bunch here tonight! Miss Melody’s taking ah short breather and is letting me do somethin’ ah never thought ah ever would have th’ courage ya do.
“See, Ah come from ah little town called Ponyville. Ah work on an Apple farm with a very, very special mare. Ah couldn’t tell her till just ah little bit ago just how much she meant to me, so ah write her ah song. Ah know she’s listening right now. They say music helps us speak from th’ heart, and, well, Ah hope she likes what she hears...”
Looking back to his friends, Sunny gave them a nod as he was tossed his signature Stetson hat by Derpy. Once it was in his head, Sunny began to keep a beat with his hoof and lead the group into the song he wrote...
🎶 I'm not the sort to fall easily in love They are few and far between that catch my eye But when she walked up with that smile and "howdy do" My tongue tied knots I didn't know that it could tie 🎶
🎶She's gorgeous, pragmatic, industrious and kind She down-right radiates agrarian allure If there was a contest for winsome country class There'd be a bright blue ribbon headed straight to her 🎶
🎶Blonde, freckled, and green-eyed My heart is hogtied That twang is knockin' me out 🎶
🎶Take me on down to your farm, girl Turn on your charm, girl That countrified charisma is what I am all about 🎶
🎶My, oh, my, yeah she's a down home southern saint She tells it like it is and won't go sayin' things that ain't Sweet as apple cider and with spice enough to spare And I won't ever want no other, I do declare There is none who holds a candle on this side of anywhere 🎶
🎶She's not afraid of a little sweat and mud She's got my heart beating a steady pitter pat No fuss, no pretense, and nary a complaint I swear she hides a halo 'neath that stetson hat 🎶
🎶Caring, devoted, and level-headed, and Good lord, her baking is a gift from the divine Oh tell me that she feels the same way that I do I'll be her sugarcube; she'll be my valentine 🎶
Once the song had come to an end, Sunny and the others noticed the violence in the crowd seemed to die down a bit, with some mares tearing up and some stallions cheering for him. At that moment, Applejack couldn’t hold herself back and ran up to Sunny, tackle hugged him, and planted a big kiss in his cheek, turning the yellow stallion slightly red. The cheering and ‘whooping’ grew louder as Sunny returned the hug and shared a kiss with Applejack in front of everypony there!
After the couple broke the hug, Melody, the pop star everypony came to grow to love as felt inspired by, had returned to the stage, a determined look in her eye as she was followed by Sapphire Shores.
“Everypony, I need you to hear me out!” Melody spoke, a new seriousness in her tone. “You all have been tricked!...’I’ don’t believe anything in what I’ve said before! I was being used myself by a mobster to overthrow the princesses so ‘he’ could rule Equestria! I know it sounds fishy, me coming out and saying all of this now, but it’s the truth...”
As the crowed began to mutter in disbelief, Sapphire Shores walked up onto the stage and spoke up as well. “I was forced into helping choreograph all of Melody’s shows as well as teach her to sing and dance like a pop star. And if I refused, Ca’Pony was going to hurt my dance crew, who he ponynapped!”
“Ca’Pony’s in prison!” A stallion called out from the crowd, starting a rippling effect, spreading disbelief thought the crowd.
“I wish that were the case” Sapphire said as a tear fell from her eye.
“I need you all to listen to me, just for one more song...” Melody pleaded, turning the attention of everypony there, as she cleared her voice and began to channel her siren’s magic trough her voice, with Octavia feeling the magic and assisting in the violin, and Applejack hopping on a piano just behind the main curtain...
🎶 When we are scared and all our hearts are fearful; When darkness comes, and our lives ruined seem; Then you are there and shining through the despair, And you will come and save the land's ponies.🎶
🎶You raise the sun, so light shines through the mountains. You raise the sun, so darkness will not be. We are strong, with you as our great princess. You raise the sun, to fill our hearts with glee.🎶
🎶There is no mare, no mare without her troubles. Each single life runs on imperfectly But as you rule Equestr'a with your greatness. Sometimes I think, your love is all I need.🎶
🎶You raise the sun, so light shines through the mountains. You raise the sun, so darkness will not be. We are strong, with you as our great princess. You raise the sun, to fill our hearts with glee.🎶
🎶You raise the sun, so light shines through the mountains. You raise the sun, so darkness will not be. We are strong, with you as our great princess. You raise the sun, to fill our hearts with glee.🎶
🎶You raise the sun, so light shines through the mountains. You raise the sun, so darkness will not be. We are strong, with you as our great princess. You raise the sun, to fill our hearts with glee.🎶
🎶You raise the sun, to fill our hearts with glee.🎶
As Melody sang, the anger and hate the little siren was forced to plant in the hearts of everypony began to dissipate, and a newly rejuvenated love for Celestia grew. As that love grew, so did their appreciation for princess Luna and the majestic and restful night she brought. Following soon after were feelings that the crowd began to remember they had, inspired by love showed to them by Princess Cadence, and the appreciation for friendship that Princess Twilight taught them. By the end of the song, everypony forgot what exactly they had been so angry about in the first place.
Once the song had ended, tears filled the crowd’s eyes as they cheered, not just for Melody, but for Sunny and his friends. Everypony took a bow and left the stage.
“What do we do now?” Sapphire asked in a weak tone. “I can’t perform without my crew... not knowing they’re bing imprisoned and forced to do evil things...”
Sighing, Sunny approached the entertainer and spoke with great commanding authority, with a subtle hint of understanding and concern. “We’ll get your crew back, safe and sound. As well as Melody’s sisters.”
Glaring back at Sombra’s son, Sapphire snapped “What do ‘you’ plan to do? Just go up there and ask your daddy for them back.”
“That and then some” Sunny stated without hesitation or weakness. “I don’t know what my father’s planning, but I will not let the innocent fall victim to his ‘plans’.”
“You can put your faith in Sunny, Darling” Rarity approaches her client and friend. “When he says he’s going to do something, he does it.”
“And he won’t be alone” Twilight stepped forward as well. “He’ll have us all there to help him.”
“...You all are going to attack his castle? Defeat all those soldiers he has?” Sapphire’s tone sounded highly skeptical.
“I hope my father will see eye to eye and just talk” Sunny admitted. “If not, I myself have brought an entire country to it’s knees over 1000 years ago.”
“Are you talking about the Dalek city on Scaro?” Doctor asked with a half smile.
“Actually, I was taking about the Stable Empire” Sunny commented.
“I’ve never heard of them” Twilight notes, putting a hoof to her chin.
“That’s because it no longer exists” Sunny cleared his throat. “Well... the rulers refused to work with us so... the country became the Saddle Arabian desert.”
“YOU TURNED AN ENTIRE CONTRY INTO A DESERT?!” Twilight and the rest of the ponies were flabbergasted.
“Not the point, and I made sure everypony got out there ok” Sunny cleared his throat again. “But what Ah’m sayin,’ is that we’ll get yer friends back. No worries.”
“And my sisters?” Melody poked Sunny’s side.
The yellow stallion radiated his Stetson hat and smiled at the little filly. “You betcha!”
“But where will she go in the mean time?” Sapphire’s temper subsiding. “I should disappear too, probably stay with some of my friends from dance school. But as much as it pains me, I can’t take her with me.”
“I think I know Somepony who might just be perfect company for her...” Sunny padded his hoof against his chin as he thought back to a certain Somepony back home...
Back in Ponyville, Sunny walked with his friends just outside the Everfree forest, taking the path that was recently made to allow new campers to stay safe and reach the lake without getting lost. Melody could hardly wait to meet this ‘new friend’ she might get along with.
As they reached the edge of the lake, Somepony stuck her head out of the water. Her green mane and fish like fins shocked and amazed Melody. The young siren had never known anypony else to be like her except her sisters.
“Well well, if it isn’t my best friends! To what do I owe the pleasure? Come for another lecture on aquatic life? The wild life of the forest?” Ipsy asked with glee, happy to share her knowledge with ponies over and over again.
“Actually, Ipsy, I have a favor” Sunny started as he pushed Melody slightly closer towards the Kelpie, the little siren nervous to move her hooves on her own. “See, this little filly’s sister’s are out of town for ah while, long story, an’ while we work on gettin’ ‘em reunited, would ya mind lookin’ after her. She’s-“
Before Sunny could elaborate any further, Melody’s body began to glow as she returned to her true Siren form, ditching her fur for scales, hind hooves for flippers, gaining the ability to float as well as breath under water. Everypony watched in amazement as Melody did a triple flip, landing in the water with a big splash.
When the former pop star resurfaced, she squirted out a mouth full of water like a fountain and began swimming around happily.
“Who am I to deny such a sweet little filly. Besides, I do get pretty lonely after everypony leaves. I’d love to watch after her” Ipsy smiles from Sunny to the small siren.
“Thanks a lot Ipsy” Sunny tipped his hat then waved at Melody. “No worries! We’ll bring yer sisters back safe an’ sound!”
“You better!” Melody waved. “Or I’ll tell Miss Sapphire on you!”
With a nervous laugh, Sunny and the others left Ipsy and Melody, making their way back to Ponyville to begin preparations for the attack on the Foal Mountians, and the IronLock castle prison.
“After studying the maps I requested from Canterlot about the layout of the Foal Mountains, and the IronLock prison, Sunny and I have come up with a few plans we wanted to run by all of you.” Twilight explained as she used the cutie mark map to show the layout of said Mountains.
“The only defenses the prison has are their thirty foot tall iron walls” Sunny levitated a pointing rod to the image prison built on the mountain peak. “The main reason the prison is so inescapable, though, from what Twilight and I have found out are the ‘natural’ defenses of the mountain.”
“You mean the freezing cold and strong wind currents?” Rainbow Dash spoke up. “They warned us about not going near those mountains back at the weather factory. Even the Wonderbolts couldn’t tame those storms!”
“Yeah! All the guys at the academy say that those mountain tops are crawling with Windigos! That’s why no pony ever escapes from the prison!” Thunderlane added, looking slightly pale.
“If my father’s there and he’s building an army, we have a lot more to worry about then angry Windigos” Sunny’s expression was hard and grim. Admitting your father, who raised you with love, was the bad guy was hard enough, but now he had to plan to attack against that same stallion.
“And don’t forget, poor Melody is counting on us to save her sisters!” Octavia chimed in.
“As well as all of Sapphire Shore’s dancing crew” Rarity sighed, holding herself together as best best as she could, trying not to faint. “The poor dears. I could only imagine what painful torment, what agony-“
“Ah think we all got th’ picture, Rarity” Applejack interrupted, putting a hoof in Sunny’s shoulder.
It was then that Rarity realized it was Sunny’s father doing all the ‘tormenting’ and that it might be painful for him to think about. “I’m so sorry darling. This whole thing must leave you feeling hot and cold at the same time.”
“Speaking of...” Spike actually spoke up for the first time in the whole conversation. Everypony turned to the little baby dragon, who’s scales appeared to be glowing. “I don’t feel so good!”
“Spike?! Are you ok?” Twilight immediately rushed to his side.
“I-I don’t know! All of a sudden my body just started to burn, eh, and itch!” The poor baby dragon immediately started scratching uncontrollable.
“I’ve seen this before” Sunny admitted as he stepped closer to Spike, getting a better look at the little guy to verify what he believed. “This is the call of the Dragon Lord. Whenever the Dragon Lord has need of his subjects, he calls them like this. Summoning them to the Dragon Lands.”
Spike continued to scratch for a good long moment before turning to Sunny. “H-how do we turn this off?”
“The only way is to go to the Dragon Lands and answer the call” Sunny instructed the young Dragon. “Other wise this could get worse.”
“I wonder why Spike is being called” Twilight spoke her mind out loud.
“More then likely the current Dragon Lord is summoning every dragon from around the world. Not just Spike in particular.” Sunny answered. “You’ll have to make the journey to the Dragon Lands, and see what the Dragon Lord wants.”
“But he can’t go alone! Not my little Spiky-wiky!” Rarity pulled Spike in for a hug, but cut it short when she felt how hot he was.
After being released from Rarity’s hug, Spike scratches himself a little more before turning to Twilight, shooting her a desperate look. “Would you mind coming along? I’m a little nervous about going back to the Dragon Lands after the last time.”
Letting out a cheerful glee, Twilight couldn’t help but cheer. “This is great! Equestria doesn’t have much information on dragon culture! This is my chance to make a great contribution to the knowledge of Equestria!”
Pausing for a moment, Twilight realized everypony and Spike were giving her the same hard look. “He He... and help Spike, I mean.”
“Wait, Sunny, ain’t you some sorta peace keeper between ponies and Dragons?” Big Mac asked.
“That’s true! Don’t you have knowledge about them and their Lands? Customs? And so on?” Doctor Whooves added.
“I was sworn never to speak of such things. Dragon secrets and what not. But you two should leave immediately” Sunny suggested as he turned back to the Cutie mark map. “We’ll continue working on a plan, but won’t act on anything until you return.”
“Make that ‘three’” Rarity spoke up. “I insist on helping. I can’t leave poor, little, defenseless Spike and Twilight to deal with the dragons all by themselves! Besides, I can disguise us again like last time.”
“Let’s pick a more subtle costume, this time” Twilight smiles at her fashion wise friend. “Maybe a rock or a tree.”
“Can do, Darling!” Rarity noted as she, Twilight, and Spike all began to head out on their long journey to the Dragon Lands.
“Ya should go with ‘em, Sunny” Pappy appeared out of nowhere beside Sunny, startlingly the ponies who remained behind to plan the attack. In his hooves was a large bowl of chocolate pudding that the elderly stallion appeared to be eating with a large mixing spoon.
After gathering himself, Sunny looked to Pappy and asked “Why? Ah ain’t ah dragon. ‘Sides, I’m not too sure th’ dragons’ll be too fond of th’ Black Knight popping up out of nowhere after 1000 years.”
“Oh Ah’m sure there’ll be some trouble” Pappy commented as he swallowed a spoonful of the chocolate desert. “But ya need allies. As th’ Black Knight, ya have th’ right ta ask th’ Dragon Lord fer help. As much as strong as yer Guardian friends and the elements of Harmony are, yer father probably has armies ta match, and not just ponies, either. Ya’ll need as much help as ya can get.”
Sunny’s eyes fell upon the transparent image of the Foal Mountains where the IronLock prison was located. Dragons could help get the ponies up there in no time, and could help provide great air support, not to mention ‘literal’ fire power.
With a heavy sigh, Sunny shrugged and let his eyes fall to the ground. “Ah just ain’t sure they’ll help us.”
A small smile appeared on Pappy’s muzzle as he finished licking his stirring spoon. “Ah hear ‘Torch’ is th’ current Dragon Lord.”
Sunny’s yellow ears flickered and popped right up at the mention of the dragon’s name. “Tinny Torch? Really? He really made Dragon Lord?”
Pappy just shrugged, pretending to not really care as he watched from the corner of his eye Sunny glow with excitement. “Just what Ah heard. Guess we won’t know ‘till Spike an’ th’ girls get back. But ya know, Touch might help ya out. Ah know he was mighty fond of-“
It wasn’t until Sunny had disappeared completely did Pappy realize the success of his plan. From the look of things, Sunny might already be half way to the train station by now. With a wide smile on his muzzle, Pappy looked to everypony who remained behind and asked “who wants ta bake some cookies?”
“Can we eat them after?” Thunderlane asked as his stomach made a rumbling noise.
“Well we ain’t gunna just make ‘me ta look at how pretty they are” Pappy chuckled as he lead the remaining ponies into the kitchen to bake while waiting for their friends to return.
Taking the journey from Ponyville to Baltimare to reach a ship that would take Sunny to the Dragon Lands was... interesting, to say the least.
Before he could stop it, his Black Knight suit of armor appeared out of nowhere and attacked itself him, glowing and burning much like spike’s scales. The only thing Sunny could guess was happening was it was the call of the Dragon Lord, and it must even effect armor made from dragon scales. Either way, it just made Sunny’s little journey much harder.
Leaving the castle of friendship behind, Sunny worried somepony would stop him and would try and arrest him or at the very least, ask him if he was ‘the’ Black Knight. But no pony seemed to even achknowlage him except with smiles and waves, complementing him on his armor, some of them even calling him by name, recognizing him as the only unicorn in town with an orange mane and yellow coat. Sunny was confused, but took it with a spoon of sugar. ‘At least I’m not being chased out of town or thrown in prison.’
As he boarded the train heading to Baltimare, though, Sunny soon realized why no pony stopped him. The trains carts were full of ponies dressed in costumes! And not just any costumes, Super Hero costumes! What was more surprising, there were at least two dozen Black Knights aboard! Of course, most of their armor was made of cardboard and duct tape, but a few went all out and either actually had a suit of royal armor painted black, or custom made a suit of armor of some easily pliable metal. One armor in particular really caught Sunny’s eye. It looked even more eye catching then his own, bearing huge, spiky, shoulder pads, a long red cape, and a glowing red crown on it’s head. When the stallion spoke, it was in a deep voice that strangely reminded the former prince of his father.
Sitting patiently and pretending to sleep, Sunny listened to what everypony was saying. Sunny lucked out; there was a comic book convention with a costume contest going on in Baltimare this entire week!
‘What luck, now I can easily travel around everypony without being noticed’ the yellow unicorn smiled to himself.
Down several seats away from Sunny, though, was a dark coated pony who had been following him since he left Twilight’s castle. Somepony who had been hot on his trail for a short while now, Somepony who promised his wife he wouldn’t lose sight of him. A desperate reporter’s aid, Thunder Veil.
“That him?” White Out asked as she took a seat next to her husband, keeping her voice low.
“Yeah, I bet my Power Pony trading card collection on it” Thunder replied, his dark green eyes locked on the Now sleeping Black Knight.
“What makes you so sure it’s him?” White Out asked, her reporter in stinks telling her to always question everything, even her own husband.
“Look at his armor” Thunder muttered as low as he could under his breath. “I heard from somepony that the dragons were being summoned to the Dragon Lands by the Dragon Lord. When that happens, the dragon’s scales glow.”
The grey Pegasus reporter squinted her eyes at the only Black Knight who’s armor was actually glowing. “Ok... but why is his ‘armor’ glowing? It’s not like-“
“We just got one of our answers, honey” Thunder gave a small smile. “I heard a rumor the Black Knight’s armor was made of dragons scales. And not just any dragon scales. A legendary dragon by the mane of Gargonda.”
Ignoring the vast knowledge her husband has gathered and focusing on the target she could barely see, White Out lowered her head to pretend to be talking about something else while she continued their conversation. “Let’s corner him now, while we have him on the train.”
“Not a good idea” Thunder’s smile faded as his piercing dark green eyes remained focused on their target. “He could easily disappear in this crowded of a train. And that’s if he reacts peacefully. Don’t forget, he’s not above harming anypony.”
“Then we wait?” White Out asked, only to receive a silent nod from her husband. She hated waiting to act, especially with the biggest scoop Equestria’s seen in years sitting just a few rows down. But she knew her husband well. He may have always played on the safe side, but he played his cards well. And if he says ‘wait’ that’s their best bet.
An hour or so later, the train pulls into the station, and as the doors to the train carts open and the participants of the convention exited, Sunny made his move. Casually breaking away from the crowd of ponies as they met up with friends and carriages to gradually make their way to where the convention would be held, Sunny moved down the back alleyways towards the docks, with both the reporter, White Out, and her husband, Thunder Veil, hot on his trail. They made sure to stay back just enough to remain out of sight, but close enough to where The Black Knight was visible. After several twists and turns, Sunny arrived at the docks, and spoke with some sailor for a moment. White Out and Thunder Veil paused, waiting to see his next move, but were unable to make out what the two were talking about. Once the Black Knight finished their conversation, he handed over a small bag of what must have been bits, and was lead to a small rowboat. As the sailor thanked the Black Knight and left on his marry way, the couple made their move before knight could sail away.
Right as White Out was about to call out to him, the Black Knight spoke up without even looking up at them. “How long are you two going to follow me for?”
Being caught off guard, Thunder hesitated, dumbfounded as to how the Black Knight knew they were there.
White Out on the other hoof, didn’t miss a beat. “Sir, we know ‘you’ are the ‘real’ Black Knight. We got questions, and you’re going to answer them.”
“And if I say no?” The Black Knight continued to prepare the dingy for departure.
“I have a number of spells to make you talk” Thunder shook off his hesitation and found his cold courage once more.
“I wouldn’t push him” White Out gleamed. “I’ve seen him bring minotaurs to their knees.”
“Good to know” the armored unicorn answered. “But I wouldn’t recommend using any spells like that right now, if I were you. In your state of mind, it could back fire.”
Raising a brow, Thunder took a step towards the Black Knight. “What do you mean, ‘my state’?”
“I’m in a hurry, but I do owe you one. You both get one answer each, so long as you don’t ask me anything about my identity” the Black Knight replied, then turned to look up at the couple. “Better make them good ones.”
Thinking for a moment, White Out and Thunder Veil spoke amongst themselves, deciding what to ask the Black Knight. After a moment, they both nodded and agreed on their pair of questions, with the husband asking his first.
“Why did you attend the Crystal Fair?” Thunder focused on the Black Knight, trying to read his reaction.
“I was in the neighborhood...I grew up in the Empire, but could never attend the fair as a civilian.” The Knight let out s small chuckle. “I must say, it’s a lot more fun to participate.”
The dark grey unicorn looked to his wife and nodded. It was her turn.
“To who do you Allie yourself with? The Crystal Empire? Princess Celestia and Luna? Princess Twilight? We saw you leave her castle-“ the Reporter started, but was cut off.
“I serve for the betterment of pony kind” The Black Knight simply answered, his voice turning deeper then before, ringing off his helmet’s mouth piece like a large brass war bell. “I don’t care if I aid a princess or a homeless pony, all I want to do is be there for everypony and help them to be the best they can be, and stop those who’s plans are to repress a pony’s inner light.”
“That’s a rather vage answer” White Out commented. “Care to elaborate?”
“No, but I can tell you one more thing. How I knew you two were following me” The Black Knight hopped in the rowboat, kicked off, and began drifting off into the sea. “I could sense both of your fears. You both are hiding something from each other, something you think the other might not accept, or that might ruin your relationship. Do yourselves a favor. Sit down, have a tall glass of apple juice, and talk like any couple should...”
The heat coming off of the Black Knight’s armor mixed with the water in the air and began clouding the armor clad unicorn and the area around him in a thick mist. As the former prince drifted off, his destination the Dragon Lands, he hoped that the two reporters would head his advice. For their sake.
The ride over was rather boring, but it gave Sunny a chance to think of what he would say to Torch. As he half focused his magic to propel the boat through the water, Sunny thought back to the times after he became the Black Knight, and the frequent visits he tried to make to the Dragon Lands....
“Come on, Tiny Torch!” Sunny teased as he teleported from rock to another. “You’re gunna have to do better then that!”
The little dragon was growing furious by the pony’s suggestion and even more by the nick name he was given. It was bad enough that the other dragons called him ‘Tiny’, and that the was the smallest of all the hatchlings, But now a pony, a PONY of all creatures, was making fun of his size, it really burned him up! The exercise that Sunny was helping Torch with was his fire breathing. Torch’s father, Dragon Lord Garnet, said he rather wait to train Torch until he grew up more. But that if The Black Knight wished to help him train, he could, since they both were the similar in hight. The yellow prince set up several tall rocks around Torch and had him try and shoot fire at him as fast as possible. In the short day that he had practiced this, Torch had actually greatly improved.
Losing his temper again, Torch felt a fire grow deeper in him as he swung over in the direction Sunny had just reappeared in and shot off a blast of fire that blew up in his face! Luckily dragons were fire proof, but it still stung, like blowing soda out your nose. As the baby dragon fell to the ground in pain, fighting back tears that he considered made him weak, Sunny reappeared to his side.
Sighing a little, Sunny pulled out some aloe his auntie Radiant had given him incase he got burned on the island. After applying it to Torch’s snout, Sunny smiled and told him “I can’t believe how much you’re improving in such a short time-“
“Shut up!” Torch Snapped and pushed Sunny away, refusing his aid. “I’m never going to be Dragon Lord at this rate! I’m just too small!”
Sighing a little, Sunny put the aloe away and stood beside Torch. “You know, I remember when I was just learning magic, and my father was helping me, I actually told him the same thing.”
His curiosity peaked, Torch looked to Sunny with a raised eyebrow. “You did? Was it because you were even smaller and weaker then you were now?”
Chuckling a little, Sunny continued to smile at Torch. “What is with you and ‘size’? Yes I was smaller, but the problem was I couldn’t even lift a rubber ball into the air with my magic. I was the last one in my class to do it. My father, he couldn’t be around to help me as much as other pony’s parents could. But one day, he put his duties as King aside and helped me practice. He told me to believe in myself when I told him ‘I’ll never become a Knight like you’. And you know what? That same day, thanks to his help, I not only levitated that ball into the air, but I, Well... accidentally sent it over the castle wall. By accident of course!”
Torch, amused but not wanting to show it, stood back up and looked Sunny in the eye, a grin returning to his face as he said “if a small pony like you could do something as stupid as ‘levitating a ball’, then a dragon like myself could easily get this fire breathing down! I come from greatness, after all! All my family’s been Dragon Lords! And I refuse to let anydragon else take what’s rightfully mine! I’m gunna lead the flight and my rein will be even more glorious then my father’s!”
Getting up, ready to start again, Sunny looked to Torch, proud that he wouldn’t let a few slip ups get him down. “Alright then, let’s do this.”
After a few more hours of practice, Torch had gotten the fundamentals of fire breathing and shooting off small fireballs down. The sun had set and Sunny surprised the baby dragon with some sticks and giant marshmallows. The baby Dragon had never seen such things and was amazed by their taste. His amazement grew more as he watched Sunny cook one over a camp fire the little dragon made. After handing Torch a perfectly toasted marshmallow, the little dragon’s eyes went wider as he sunk his teeth down into it. It was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten! For hours into the night, Sunny and Torch talked, shared stories and ate marshmallows. They were times that Sunny never wanted to forget...
A tear fell from Sunny’s eye that he quickly wiped away right before the rowboat hit land. Shaken, but otherwise fine, Sunny hopped out of the boat and onto the rocky shore. This was the Dragon Lands alright. The jagged shores made of volcanic rock, the smell of fire and brimstone, not to mention the loud cries of the dragon’s themselves who’s echoes rang all around the land. It was a place many ponies never ventured. But to Sunny, it was another trip down memory lane.
Durning the climb up the main volcano, Sunny saw the shadows of many dragons flying over head, followed by their individual howls, cries, and roars. He remembered Garnet explaining what each one meant, weather for mating, a challenge for a fight, or just stating their presence. As Sunny reached the top of the mountain side, though, he saw just why the echoing sounds were so frequent.
Almost the entire crater like area was filled with dragons! Of all different shapes, colors and sizes! More dragons then Sunny had ever seen before in all the years of him being the ‘Black Knight’. Growing eager to find Tiny Torch, Sunny began making his way to the center of the crater, Looking around at all the dragons who shot him a questioning look.
‘Guess nodragon ever told them about the ‘Black Knight’ before’ Sunny thought to himself before accidentally running into somedragon.
“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” A tall, but still rather short, red and orange male dragon snapped as he turned around, coming face to armor covered face with Sunny.
“Sorry” Sunny apologized then was about to ask if the Dragon, who sounded like a teenager, knew of a dragon named Torch and if it was true that he really was the ‘Dragon Lord’, but was cut off.
“Hey! What’s a ‘pony’ doing here? Dragon’s only!” The red teenaged dragon huffed as other teenaged dragons swarmed around Sunny. “Guess we could give you a dip in the lava pit, though, if you ‘really’ want to stay!”
His friends laughed as Sunny rolled his eyes.
“I’m here to see Torch” Sunny’s voice echoed off his helmet. “I’m the Bl-“
“That’s ‘Dragon Lord’ Torch to you!” One of the teenaged dragons spat out, appearing to have great respect for their ruler.
“And why would some pony in a tin can want to see him?” The red one asked again in a taunting and mocking tone.
“Black Knight? Is that you?” A weak and shaky voice called out from the side, catching the attention of Sunny and the teenage Dragons.
Sunny couldn’t believe it, but there was no doubt as to who the dragon was. He was just slightly smaller then the last time Sunny had seen him, making him still about the size of a pony’s house back in Ponyville, but his scales had lost their shine and grown slightly glossy grey. The two horns on the side of his head had grown long, but one of them broke a while ago by the looks of it, one of his eyes had a large scar across it with that eye turned grey. But the oddest thing that made Sunny do a double take at the Dragon was his long beard that seemed to flow to the ground from his lower jaw. Despite how different he looked, there was no blunt that this dragon was the previous Dragon Lord Garnet!
Ignoring and pushing past the teenaged dragons, Sunny made his way to the elderly dragon, Bowing once he came close enough. “Your highness, it is a pleasure to see you again.”
“So it is you, Black Knight” the elderly dragon stated, but his tone was unreadable in his old age. “It has been so long since we last saw you.”
“1000 years to be precisely” Sunny stood up and noted. “There is much I need to explain about my disappearance.”
“I doubt it would matter” the elderly Garnet sighed and shook his head. “You should leave now before my son sees you.”
“Leave? But-“ a large gust of wind followed quickly by an earth shattering roar quickly grabbed the attention not only of Sunny but of every dragon there! A giant dragon, not quite as big as Garganda, but easily double the size Garnet was in his prime, landed at the epicenter of the crater all the dragon’s have gathered in. He, like Garnet, had horn like tusks on both sides of his head, wings that were more then twice it’s body length, with a body bulging with scale covered muscles. His facial structure, other then the tusk like horns and horn at the end of his snout, was nothing like Garnet. He had a big thick chin and sharp, narrow eyes. But just like Garnet, the new dragon bore a crown of red gems atop his head.
‘Is that really Tiny Torch?’ Sunny looked upon the giant dragon in amazement.
“Dragon’s of Equestria, hear me!“ the giant armored dragon bellowed, his voice just as commanding as any royal pony Sunny had ever met. “I have been Dragon Lord longer then most of you can remember, and my rein has been extraordinary...”
Pausing for a moment, Torch’s eyes looked around at the dragon’s before yelling at his subjects “AGREE WITH ME!”
As he commanded, all the dragons that had been summoned began chanting his name, Sunny wished he could do the same, but would have time later to speak with Torch to congratulate him. As cheering was silenced, Sunny couldn’t help but notice a small, blue dragoness flying near Torch.
“Who is that?” Sunny asked the older Garnet in a hushed tone.
“That’s his daughter, my granddaughter, Princess Ember” the old dragon noted.
“Tiny Torch had a daughter?” Sunny said the words out loud to himself and couldn’t believe them to be true. It was as if the 1000 years he had missed were catching up with him all at once again.
“Unfortunately, according to Dragon law, it is time for me to step down. Sad, I know.” Torch continued his speech, recapturing Sunny’s attention. But the other dragons seemed to lack the yellow unicorn’s compassion for the news. Noticing the lack of empathy, Torch barked another order to the dragons. “BE SAD!”
Again, all at once, the dragons in the crowd that were all still glowing began to wimped and tear up.
“This is why I summoned you here” Torch spoke up again, more enthusiasm in his tone. “To compete for the thrown, in the Goblet Of Fire!”
Every dragon in the crowd cheered at the announcement, eager to win the title and power for themselves.
“Whoever has the strength and fortitude to retrieve this blood stone scepter, from the bowls of the flame-cano, will have earned the right to be called ‘Lord of the Dragon’s’!” Torches announced as he pulled out what could have been a fancy tooth pick to him with a red gem on one end, before flicking it into an oddly shaped volcano.
As the scepter fell into the mouth of the volcano, it valuable erupted, carrying with it a shock wave that some how turned off the call of the Dragon Lord, reverting the dragon’s to their normal state, as well as the armor of the Black Knight.
“The gauntlet is dangerous” Torch continued. “For I designed it myself! Only a dragon with my Voracity, Strength, and determination will be able to finish. We will gather at the cliff when the sun is at it’s peak!”
Once again, all the dragons around cheered with great enthusiasm, eager to seek out the scepter for themselves. Sunny’s mind began reeling with a million and one questions he wanted to ask his old friend. Torch himself seemed busy with some other smaller dragons, giving Sunny some time to think to himself.
‘This is a once and a life time thing I’m witnessing!’ Sunny thought to himself. ‘I just wish I had been there to see Torch ascend to the thrown. I wonder if his father offered up a similar challenge. I’d love to hear what stories Torch would have to share....’
Later, after all the competing dragons left for the flame-cano, in search of the blood stone scepter, Sunny took a deep breath and approached Torch as his gaze was locked on the competitors, wondering who would take his title and thrown. Sunny went over in his head several different ways on how to approach his old friend. A friendlier greeting would probably get him thrown back to Equestria, literally. So he took the more formal approach.
Walking up as calmly and casually as he could, Sunny kept his head held high, eyes locked on Torch, desperately trying to ignore the whispers of the dragons who remained behind not competing to become Dragon Lord.
Torch’s nostrils flared as Sunny’s scent hit him. Tearing his eyes from the Flame-cano, Torch glared down at the pony coated in black armor, knowing exactly who it was. “YOU?! I THOUGHT I SMELLED PONY! I thought it was just that tiny, wingless pip-squeak! But it was you!”
Bowing slightly then returning his attention to Torch, Sunny announced himself. “Your majesty, it has been 1000 years since the Black Knight has entered the Dragon Lands. I am honored to-“
“GET OUT OF MY DRAGON LANDS!” Torch’s order was so full of rage that flames even flared from his nostrils as he gave it. “AND NEVER COME BACK! AS MY LAST ACT AS ACTIVE DRAGON LORD, FROM HENCE FORTH, THE BLACK KNIGHT’S POWER AND TITLE IS HERE BY REVOKED!”
Sunny could hardly believe his ears as he started into the eyes of somedragon who was once his good friend....
“YOU HEARD ME! GET OUT, AND NEVER COME BACK!” Dragon Lord Torch bellowed as he smashed some near by boulders with his balled up fists.
Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Sunny looked up at Torch with a cool composure. “Well it’s good to see you to, Tiny Torch.”
After hearing the nick name that no pony or dragon had dared called him in his entire rein, the still current Dragon Lord began to grow furious. “HOW DARE YOU! YOU DISAPPEAR FOR 1000 WINTERS, THEN SHOW UP HERE, INSULTING ME?!”
“Take it easy, Torch” Sunny raised his hooves to show he meant no harm. “I come in peace. And I would have come sooner but-“
“I WILL HEAR NO EXCUSES!” Torch bellowed with a mighty roar. “For abandoning dragon kind and ignoring our pleads, you are here by stripped of your total of ‘Black Knight’ as well as your armor, given to you by the great Garganda!”
“Torch, If you’ll just listen-“ Sunny tried to reach out to his old friend, desperation thick in his voice.
“I DON’T CARE WHAT YOUR EXCUSE IS! YOU WILL-“ Torch’s anger began to rise, bringing with it flames from the corners of his mouth and flares from his nostrils. Signs that Sunny only heard about from other dragons. They were tell-tale signs that a dragon was almost to a primal rage and the only way to prevent it was to give them what they wanted and to back off. And for a dragon as strong and large as Torch now was, it could be dangerous for all the dragons who remained behind, even if Sunny would ultimately be protected by his armor from any and all harm Torch would try and do.
Reluctantly, Sunny took a step back and began to remove his armor, complying with Torch’s orders to keep him calm.
“Wait just one moment...” a dragon stepped out of the crowd. Sunny quickly realized it was Torch’s father, the precious Dragon Lord, Garnet.
“What do you want, old one?” Torch’s tone was still sharp, but the anger was subsiding.
“Upon taking the thrown, you were promised to never revoke a previous Dragon Lord’s order” Garnet began to speak. “That includes ‘my’ order for the Black Knight.”
Narrowing his eyes on his father, Torch growled “Do you even ‘remember’ what your exact order was?”
“I remember enough” Garnet snapped back at his son.
“‘I’ am the Dragon Lord now!” Torch’s wing spread across the sky as he stood up on his hind legs, easily overpowering his father as well as every dragon present. “‘My’ word is law!”
Thinking quickly, Sunny remembered something Spike reminded him of not long ago when they were taking about the Timberwolves, something Sunny couldn’t believe he almost forgot, something that would always serve as a bargaining chip with dragons.
Looking from Torch to an off shore island not far from them, Sunny stepped forward and called out “I challenge you to a duel of Honor!”
Instantly Torch and his father stopped their bickering, and every dragon in the crowd paused then began whispering amongst themselves.
Moving past his father to get as close to Sunny as possible, possibly to intimidate the little yellow unicorn, Torch move in close enough to where Sunny could feel the fiery heat off his dragon breath. “‘A challenge of honor’? As in ‘you’ battling against ‘me’ in an arena?”
Without hesitation, despite the sudden realization of their size difference, Sunny spoke loudly and clearly not only for Torch to hear, but every other dragon as well. “If you win, I’ll step down as Black Knight and turn my armor over to you.”
Pulling back away from Sunny, Torch scratched his chin, eyes still on the little pony. “And what if ‘you’ win? Which you won’t, but if you were to, what would you want?”
Taking a deep breath and removing his face plate, Sunny looked Torch in the eye and calmly told him “I want you to sit down with me for thirty minutes and talk to me. Hear what I have to say. Let me explain myself and why I was gone for so long.”
Anger built up in Torch’s belly as he blew out flames from his nostrils once more. He knew he had to accept the challenge, it was about honor, despite the conditions. After calming himself, realizing there would be no way for Sunny to win, Torch stood up on his hind legs and announced to all present “There will be a battle to decide the fate of the Black Knight! All who wish to view, head to our battle arena island!
“The entire battle should take... oh two seconds!” Torch chuckled, the noticed no dragon’s else was laughing with him and ordered them “Laugh!”
The other dragons began laughing, following the Dragon Lord’s orders.
“Your majesty!” A small group of medium sized dragons called out to Torch, catching him right as he was about to jump into the air and take off for the island. The group of five dragons, who were larger then most of the contestants who left for the flame-cano but smaller then Torch and the ones who remained. All members of the group held in their claws either and instrument or microphones.
Looking back at the group of dragons, Torch’s annoyed expression remained unchanged as he spoke to them. “Yes? What do you lot want?”
One of the dragon’s with a microphone and slightly longer head scales stepped forward. “We wish to play a, Ugh, a-a ballad! Yes! A ballad during your fight against the armored knight!”
Torch paused for a moment, looking like he was thinking about it, but the idea wasn’t really clicking with him. The leader of the group had to think fast.
“You know, it would make the battle more epic” the medium sized dragon started, forcing a confident smile. “We got the perfect song, really fast pace, and it sings about dragons ruling over the land...”
That hooked the current Dragon Lord. “Really? Yes! I want you to sing and play Hard a ballad of a dragon’s rule! These are the ‘Dragon Lands’! Let the Black Knight know where he stands!”
With that, Torch extended his wings and took to the skies, heading towards the island where he and Sunny would do battle before the remaining dragons. As the band of medium sized dragons gathered their gear, Sunny noticed they were struggling to carry it all and offered to lend a hoof. The group was appreciative and accepted his help. To reach the island themselves, the group travled over on the back of another large dragon who was a fan of the band.
Once on the battle arena island, as the band began to set up and other dragons began to file in, getting their seats for the event, Sunny removed his armor and began stretching. If there was one thing he remembered from basic guard training, it was the hard lesson of always stretching before a long battle. Nothing is worse then having to fight an enemy with cramping legs or sides bound in armor. Torch watched Sunny stretch, his hard gaze looking over the stallion with a burning hatred and curiously studying him.
‘1000 Years... And he hasn’t aged a day’ Torch thought. Part of him ‘did’ want to hear Sunny out, if nothing else, then to find out the secret to his longevity. But something else burned hotter in his heart. Anger.
Once done stretching, Sunny dawned his Black Knight armor once again and faced Torch ready for battle, his own emerald eyes locking with Torch’s reptilian yellow ones.
Garnet, who remained mostly silent, had stepped forward. “This is a battle of honor. The two will fight until the other concedes, or is knocked out cold. The stakes are set. Should the Black Knight win-“
“Which he won’t” Torch spoke some what under his breath.
“-Then Torch will have to sit and listen to him for 30 minuets. But should Torch win, the Black Knight will turn over his armor to the Dragon Lord, and renounce his title and power.” Garnet ignored his son and finished his statement. Looking between the two contestants, the former Dragon Lord stepped back to a safe point and blew a burst of fire from his mouth, indicating the battle to begin!
Right at that point, a song began to play from the band, who Sunny learned was calling themselves ‘Dagonforce’.
Torch wasted no time and smacked his mighty claw down on the black armor wearing unicorn. To almost anypony else, that would seem to have been an win instantly for Torch. Unlucky for the still current Dragon Lord, Sunny’s armor protects him from such attacks from dragons. With the giant dragon’s palm still crushing down on him, Sunny thought quickly and cast the spell that enhanced his body’s muscles and speed. He knew it was a very risky move, not only would it leave the unicorn with a great deal of fatigue after the spell wears off, but while it’s active Sunny can’t cast any other spell! But it was a risk he had to take, the pony’s own natural strength wasn’t enough to take Torch on right now.
After his green magical aria finished spreading over his body, Sunny began to lift Torch’s palm as if it were a bundle of hay!
“What’s this?!” Torch called out then began to apply more pressure to his palm, trying to squish the armor clad pony.
Before the pressure became too much, Sunny shot out from under Torch’s palm, jumped several times to put some distance between him and the giant dragon, then paused to catch his breath. But the unicorn didn’t have long to relax, as soon as he stopped moving, Torch took a deep breath, then released a maelstrom of flames at him!
Unable to teleport, Sunny kept dashing away, his skips now enhanced by the spell he cast, allowed him to dash from one point to twenty yards away in a flash, just barely escaping the dragon’s flames! Teleporting would have been faster and less predictable, but unlike Twilight or half the other unicorn guards, Sunny wasn’t as quick in the draw when it came to teleporting, even if he could cast the spell.
Quickly noticing Sunny’s pattern of movement, Torch smacked his claw down, making a wall to stop the unicorn from running away, then began gathering more air for another burst of fire! His plan to stop Sunny backfired, though, as the armor clad pony reached the dragon’s lowered arm. Without missing a beat, Sunny hopped onto the giant dragon’s claw and began to travel up the enormous arm, aiming for the dragon’s head!
Panicking slightly, Torch tried to swipe Sunny off of him with his other claw while half chocking on the flames he had in his mouth! Thinking he had the large dragon right where he wanted him, Sunny began to charge, then with a leap of faith, spun around, ready to deliver a back hoof side kick! But right as the armored pony leaped into the air, a smirk broke across Torch’s face.
The giant dragon smiled as he jerked his head to the side, thinking quickly, using the large tusk like horn on the side of his head. Torch smacked Sunny away from him mid air, and sent him hurdling towards the edge of the arena! As the armored stallion landed with a hard ‘crunch’, the yellow pony felt a shock wave of pain erupt through his entire body! As he gasped for air, it was then that he realized that the armor only protected him from what a ‘dragon’ could do. When he hit the ground, he was hit with a shock wave from the ‘ground’ not Torch’s own blow! Getting up, Sunny’s spell wore off, the magical green aura that coated his body had dissipated.
Noticing the stallion wobbling to his hooves, struggling to stand up strait, Torch’s smile grew. “Awwww, what’s the matter? Am I playing too rough for you? Big bad Black Knight?”
Not wanting to take his trash talk, Sunny just chuckled with the reply “Are you kidding? I’m just getting started!”
This of course was a lie. If Sunny’s spell hadn’t been in effect when he was thrown to the ground, he’s have ended up in the hospital. If he was lucky.
“Good! I’ll kick it up a notch, just for you!” Torch chuckled as he slammed both fists into the ground.
Sunny watched as the dragon took an offensive type stance, his wings out stretched to the sky as he began breathing in as much air as his lungs could hold. Not knowing what to expect, Sunny could only watch as the air began to spark to life! Flames began to flicker in mid air as it appeared that Torch was living up to his name and igniting the very oxygen around them! It was becoming hard to breath, but Sunny forces himself to watch as Torch finished gathering all the air his body could hold. As the Dragon Lord held his breath for a moment, shutting his jaws, he fixated his sight on where Sunny stood, not wanting to miss his target.
With one mighty motion, Torch fling open his jaws and shot out a blast of concentrated fire unlike anything Sunny had ever seen! It was true the armor protected Sunny from dragon fire, but this fire still turned the black armor bright red! The flames themselves that Torch was blasting like a hydro water pump at Sunny were light blue and dark blue in color rather then the light orange and yellow Sunny was used to. The flames seemed endless and engulfed Sunny to a point where he couldn’t see! If he had not dug his hooves into the ground when he did, the armored pony would have been blasted off the island! Even as he stood, holding his breath, waiting for the flames to end, Sunny struggled to keep his hooves on the ground!
Moments seem to pass slowly, seconds dragging into hours. When Sunny felt lightheaded and weak due to lack of oxygen, and was about to pass out, the flames ended. Finnaly able to take a deep breath, Sunny was too focused on gathering as much air as he could to notice Torch wasn’t going wait for him. The Dragon Lord lunged at Sunny, hovering just above the ground, and swooped him up in his claws before shooting up into the sky!
Once airborne, Sunny felt helpless as Torch continued to carry him higher and higher, above the clouds and far above where Sunny felt comfortable. The yellow unicorn had a fear of heights, and this horrible sight would surely be added to his mental log of worst nightmares. As they reached far above where most pegasus would fly, Torch squeezed the armored stallion in his claw, and with all his might, threw him down towards where the stadium was! Every dragon below watched as a black meteor fell to the earth below, and landed at the heart of the stadium, deepening the crater by at least another three feet and adding another small indent with a radius of twelve feet.
Every dragon present tore their eyes from the fallen pony towards Torch as he gradually descended, flapping his wings lightly to land with gentle ease. Once his claws touched the ground, his gaze looked over at the crater with the smoking pile of black mass at it’s epicenter.
“Have you had enough, Black Knight?” The large dragon called out, his voice still booming with overpowering authority.
But no response came from the creator.
All dragons were silent for a good long moment, all waiting for the Black Knight to reply to Torch’s question. But nothing came. Whether out of concern or curiosity, Torch took a few steps towards the crater and looked inside. His eyes wondered over the sight before him for several long moments, unable to piece together what it was he was looking at. It wasn’t until the suit’s helmet fell off, revealing it to be empty that Torch realized his victory was prematurely celebrated.
The smoldering pile at the epicenter of the crater was nothing more then the empty suit of Black armor!
A whistling sound rang in Torch’s right ear, causing the large dragon to twist his head suddenly to find it’s source. To his surprise, Sunny was just hanging out on his shoulder, a Stetson hat resting his head. “It sure is gunna take ah hoot of a lot of polish and elbow grease ta get that armor shinnin’ again.”
“Why you!” Torch growled and swiped at Sunny on his shoulder.
Reacting quickly, Sunny jumped over to Torch’s left side, then flung a rope around Torch’s left tusk like horn without him seeing. When the giant dragon tried to grab Sunny on his left, Sunny jumped back over to the right and flung the other side of the rope around Torch’s other horn, creating a make shift reign.
Once the reign was tight around Torch’s horns, Sunny slid down to the middle of Torch’s neck, where he knew the dragon wouldn’t be able to reach. Kicking the dragon’s side neck with his heels, Sunny yelled out to him “I got a new game we can play! How about rodeo!”
Tugging on the rope, Sunny forced Torch’s head down, bringing the Dragon Lord to his claws and knees. Dragons began to whisper in the crowd, causing Torch’s heart to begin racing and his blood pressure to raise. ‘This is not how I want to be remembered! I was going to be the greatest Dragon Lord ever to exist! Not this puny pony’s tamed beast!’
Growing more and more angery, Torch began trying to fling Sunny off by thrusting and shaking violently. Despite the violent jerks, Sunny was amazingly able to hold on through it all! After a moment of that, Torch got down on all fours, spread his wings and began jumping around, kicking and thrashing as best he could to try and get Sunny off him. The yellow unicorn held on still, even with one hoof while his other held his Stetson hat to his head.
“Yeeeee haaaaawwww!” Sunny cried out, starting to actually have fun. He was super glad he took Applejack up on those bull riding lessons. He thought he would use them if he ever came across that gang of Bulls Applejack told him about, the Cattle Rustler gang. Sunny would never have thought that he’d us his newly acquired bull ridding skills on a dragon more then ten times his size!
Growing more and more frustrated, Torch decide the best way to rid himself of his unwanted passenger was to take to the sky!
With a single beat of his wings, Torch kicked off the ground and began flying as fast as he could into the sky, climbing higher and higher. But then he suddenly changed direction! Against his will, Torch turned right, then left. The Dragon Lord had no idea why he was doing that until he remembered just how Sunny was staying on. The yellow unicorn was using the ropes he had ties to Torch’s horns to direct and force the giant dragon to go where ‘he’ willed it! After several more sharp turns and moves, Sunny forced Torch to land. Everydragon in the stands looked to the sky where Torch was being forced to weave around like a mad dragon. Looking up, Torch was at first shocked then furious at what he saw.
The whole time they were up there, Sunny had been directing him to cut and shape the clouds above into two symbols. One looked like his own cutie mark of a half eclipsed sun, and the other was a crudely done set of three apples.
“Not bad for our first air show, eh Torch?” Sunny chuckled as he pet the giant dragon on the back of his neck.
At his absolute end, Torch quickly cut both ends of the ropes that Sunny had tied to his horns, grabbed the end he had cut on his right side, and pulled Sunny off in one quick motion.
The yellow unicorn hung on the hope half sheepishly starring back at Torch’s unamused reptilian eyes. “So.... wanna call it quits and we have that talk now?”
“Talk?! TALK?!” Torch began to bellow at Sunny. “WHY WOULD I EVER WANT TO TALK TO THE LIKES OF YOU?!”
Ignoring the dragon’s obvious anger, Sunny began to answer his rhetorical question. “I just wanted to explain ‘what’ I haven’t been around for the past 1000 years, and why-“
“I COULD CARE LESS!” Torch snapped, his booming yell nearly blowing Sunny’s hat right off his head. “The fact is you neglected your duties and abandoned the dragons when they needed you the most! I can’t take away your ‘title’ of ‘Black Knight’, But I refuse to let you having anything over us Dragons!
“A puny pony who can’t even keep his own word has no right to tell a dragon what to do!” Torch dropped Sunny and the rope he was holding onto.
Getting up and dusting himself off, Sunny flared back at Torch as he straitened his Stetson hat. “Well, It sure is good ta know where ya stand! Yes, ah was gone fer darn over 1000 years, but ya ain’t even gunna be considerate enough ta hear me out? Ya ever think somethin’ might have happed ta me? Did it ever once go through your mind that I was in trouble?”
As Sunny’s accent became lost again, and a fire began to burn in his eyes, Torch’s own anger began to subside deep within, despite his stone like exterior remaining unmoved.
“I could care less about the troubles of some ‘pony’ “ Torch shot out flat and emotionlessly.
That was the final straw. Sunny not only looked dumbfounded but hurt beyond reason. “‘Some pony? ‘SOME PONY’?! I visited you all the time! We played together! I helped your train for combat and to control fire! We joked and laughed and talked about the future! We were going to help our species work together for a better future!”
“A FUTURE TOU WEREN’T THERE TO HELP BUILD!” Torch’s anger caught a small flame, but it wasn’t anything compared to Sunny’s.
The yellow unicorn began to draw from deep within him a voice that not only commanded authority, but shook the rocks below and the clouds above! “A FUTURE I WAS ROBBED OF! BUT YOU DON’T EVEN CARE ENOUGH TO LISTEN, DO YOU?! YOU ARROGANT, THICK-HEADED, BLOW HEART!
“If you want that armor soooo badly that you would throw away our friendship for it, then take it! It’s yours!” Forcing himself to use magic again, Sunny levitated the Black Knight armor from The creator and dropped it at Torch’s claws.
Huffing at Sunny’s statement and notion with the armor, Torch just shot a hard look at Sunny. “Don’t act like we were ‘friends’ back then, Sunny. You told me yourself you ‘didn’t have friends.’”
“Your right” Sunny commented as he began to walk away. The next part he whispered as he continued to walk away, not knowing or caring who was able to hear him speak under his breath. “You were like a brother to me...”
As Sunny walked passed the former Dragon Lord, Garnet, he bowed and tipped his hat to say goodbye. Garnet returned the bow with a claw over his chest and a slight head bow, as was dragon custom. Walking further past, Sunny gave achknowlagment to the band, Dragonforce, for playing such an awesome song. They then gave him one of their business cards and told him they do parties as well. He gave them a small smile, and tipped his hat to them as well. Never looking back, Sunny left the Dragon Lands, his armor, and Torch behind...
“Is he gunna be ok?” Apple Bloom asked her sister in a hushed tone, both of them watching Sunny from the kitchen window.
The yellow unicorn offered to go out and chop some fire wood, hardly saying a word over the past few days, since his return from the Dragon Lands.
“I’m sure he will, Apple Bloom... he just needs some time...” Applejack tried to sound sure in what she told her little sister, but even ‘she’ wasn’t nearly as confident as she was pretending to be.
As Sunny started to load up the chopped logs, ready to take them to the side of the barn to stack them up till they were needed, a small, familiar voice rang out from the distance. Before he could react, a certain mail mare tackled Sunny to the ground.
“Hey Sunny!” Derpy smiled as she looked over and saw her normally cheerful friend.
“Hey Derpy... hard at work I see” Sunny tried to kick up the sound of his tone, at least for Derpy.
“You bet! Got this package in this morning, and boy is it heavy!” Derpy started to say before pushing the large brown package over to Sunny. “But when I saw it was for you, I just had to make it priority!”
“This morning?” Sunny sounded a little confused. “It’s after two.
“Yeah... it took me a little while getting it here” Derpy smiled awkwardly. “I’m probably going to have a lot of work to do when I get back, but I just had to be the one to deliver this to you!”
Looking at the package, Sunny was slightly confused as to who might have actually sent it. A letter was attached;
‘Black Knight,
This belongs to you. We might need your help in the future.
-Ember, the new Dragon Lord
PS don’t mind my dad, he can be a little hot headed sometimes.’
After finishing the letter, Sunny looked to the package and began to peal the paper off. Once the package had been completely opened, Sunny and Derpy looked inside. The two ponies were shocked to see Sunny’s Black Knight armor, shinning like new with the sun’s rays reflecting off it.
Looking down at the Lands below, King Sombra’s eyes barely caught the faint outline of the Windigos as they ran through the skies creating more storms as their cries became the howling winds.
‘They are so similar, my kind and these creatures’ Sombra thought to himself, preparing to go deeper into thought when somepony’s presents interrupted his internal monologue.
Holding his head up high and looking down on the now kneeling pony in black armor, Sombra’s words once again rang like a dragon’s roar. “What is it?”
“Sir, we have re-captured Charming Knightmare” Snowstorm stares as he got up, looking onto the shadow king, but not in the eye. “What shall we do with him?”
Exhaling his heals breath, Sombra though how best to deal with Charming’s failure and betrayal. The shadow king knew the dream bending unicorn had gone against his wishes and deliberately tried to hurt his son, even if he was just in a dream. The punishment should be hard and leave a lasting memory.
“Take him to cell block E, and have him placed in one of the two cells, with the Amulet stripped from him and placed in the other” Sombra began to order his most loyal guard. “Make sure his horn is restricted by our best inhibitor ring. And leave him chained up in the cell, facing the Amulet.”
‘His thirst and need to be connected to the Amulet will drive him even more insane then he was before. I’ll break him and pick up the pieces later’ the King thought as he turned his back to Snowstorm.
“It will be done, Sir” Snowstorm commented. “Also, It appears that former prince Soleggiato has gathered-“
“He ‘is’ And always will be ‘prince’” Sombra fling around and snapped at Snowstorm, who stumbled a little. “‘My’ son will always be a prince, Say for the day he becomes ‘king’, is that understood?!”
Taking in a breath to steady himself, Snowstorm gathered the courage to nod and continue. “Y-yes Sir! Ugh, well, your son the prince, he seemed to have gathered a group of friends and are now calling themselves ‘the New Guardians of Harmony’.”
‘He’s made friends... even more surprising, they all formed a bond strong enough to raise to Guardian level?’ Sombra needed to refer to his scrolls and books to do more research on the previous ‘Guardians’, but that was work for later. A chill ran in the air that forced a memory into the shadow King’s mind.
Turning back to the ledge, Sombra took a deep breath and looked back to the Windigos before instructing Snowstorm to “Leave. And carry out my orders.”
With slight hesitation, Snowstorm bowed once more and left his King to remember days so long ago....
It was Harths warning eve, and Sombra, Radiant Hope, Pappy, and Sunny had all gathered in a room located at the tallest tower of the Crystal Empire castle. The room was secluded and very private due to it’s location. The room was normally used by the ruler for private meetings between other rulers or military ponies, but on this day, Sombra made sure to have the place decorated for a very special guest.
Tearing his eyes away from the clock, Sunny, now rather lengthy in his adolescent years, looked to his father with great worry on his maturing muzzle. “It’s getting really late... do you think she’s ok?”
Keeping his composure and showing no worry at all, despite how he really felt, Sombra smiled at his son and replied “I’m sure she’s just running a little behind. She’s been planing this all month long. It’s not easy for her to actually get ahead of her duties, but thanks to her sister’s help, I know she’ll make it in time to spend Hearths Warming with us.”
“If there’s anypony who can do it, it’s your mom” Radiant appeared next to Sunny with a small plate of cookies for him and Pappy.
The young prince and the elderly stallion had been locked in an epic game of chess for some time. To help get his mind off of the absent guest of honor, Sombra approached their game and looked at the board. What a stalemate.
“Who’s turn is it?” Sombra asked.
Swallowed by a large bite of a cookie, Pappy answered. “Ah reckon it’s Sunny’s turn.”
Looking at the board again then to Sunny, the king asked his son “What were you planning to do? It looks like you were trying to stalemate. I know you’re great at these games, why force it to a draw when you could have a swift victory?”
“Your right, father” Sunny admitted. “I was trying to see if I could force a draw. I want to be able to stop conflict both with swift action as well as careful planning.”
Levitating a piece off the board, Sombra looked at it then at Sunny. “You know, if I had to say which piece on the board you were, I’d say you were the rook.”
“The rook?” Sunny raised a brow.
“Yes, the rook” Sombra continued. “You always go in one strait direction or another. Once you set your mind to something, you don’t diverge from the path. And when you have the choice, I see you put other’s safety before your own.”
Cheeks turning slightly red, Sunny scratched the back of his head and tore his eyes away from us father’s for a moment. “You.... you heard about what happened at school the other day, didn’t you?”
“About how you helped that fully get her angry cat you of the tree? And how after you levitated it to the ground it clawed you? Or about how you saw a mare struggling with her groceries and helped her walk home to the other side of the Empire? Making yourself late for Floogal horn practice?” Sombra’s faint smile never wavered as he put the piece back on the board. “You remind me so much of your mother, Sunny. Your laugh, your smile, going out of your way to help out other ponies-“
“You miss her a lot, don’t you dad” Sunny interrupted his father, shaking the king a little. For those who knew Sunny well, they recognized that when he was being formal with Sombra, he addressed him as ‘Father’, but when the young prince spoke from his heart, formalities aside, he called Sombra ‘Dad’. Each time the dark grey unicorn king heard himself be called that, his heart warmed up, just like the holiday they celebrated.
Taking a deep breath and looking his son in the eye, their emerald eyes meeting once more, Sombra no longer forced a smile, but let one spread free across his muzzle. “I miss her terrably. I wish nothing more then for us to be together as a family. But you know, son, when I’m with you, I feel close to her. Like a little light of hers is here with us, in you.
“You may be so much like her, but you are so different too” Sombra continued. “I see how brave you are, how kind you can be, how mischievous you claim ‘not’ to be...”
“Like we don’t know where he gets all that from” Radiant smiled as she offered Sombra a small plate of cookies as well.
“I afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about” Sombra’s smile grew as he but into a soft chocolate chip cookie.
“Really?” Pappy chummed in, having woken up from a short nap he was taking while Sombra and Sunny spoke. “Ah remember seein’ ah lil’ grey colt and lil’ purple filly try and sneak into the castle one time or another.”
“Yeah! Like that time we rearranged all the portraits in the west wing!” Raidiant spoke up with glee. “That was so hallarious!”
“Princess Amore thought ‘I’ had done it to mess with her and her group of guests coming that day!” Pappy chuckled to himself. “Jokes on her, though, I had already pulled my prank by adding green food dye to the cake batter for the occasion!”
“Pappy!” Sunny and Sombra symmotaniously rolled their eyes, but still smiled.
“No wonder we can’t keep negotiations with Yakyakistan” Radiant shook her head.
“Actually, they loved it” Pappy continued to chuckle. “But poor princess Amore forced herself to eat what her guest thought and called ‘Allege bread cake’.”
In the midst of their conversation, there came a tapping, a rapping upon the chamber door. Then with a flapping, the unexpected guest entered the room from an open window, no longer wanting to wait for Somepony to open the door.
It was a snowy owl, a creature well adapted to the harsh frozen lands surrounding the Crystal Empire. The bird flew into the room, looked around and landed on the chess board, knocking the pieces over, and dropping a letter before taking off once again, but this time, flying up to a bust of palace above the chamber door, where he sat and watched quietly at the ponies, and nothing more.
Looking at the letter, Sunny noticed it was addressed to his father, and passed it to him.
“If that’s yer letter to magical school, they’re ah little late” Pappy chuckled to himself, no pony else getting the joke.
Opening the letter, King Sombra began to read it’s contents out loud, a smile growing on his muzzle the more he read...
“Dearest Sombra,
I’m terribly sorry it’s taken me this long to arrive. An avalanche has caused some issues in a near by town. My sister and I were on our way to the Empire but had to stop and aid the snowed in ponies. No pony is hurt but they are locked out of their homes. We shouldn’t be too long and will get there before morning. But tell Sunny to get to bed. He needs his sleep. I can’t wait to see him. He’s been looking more and more like you every time I see him. Give him my love, and tell him if he’s good, he’ll have an extra special gift under the tree this year.
-love, you know who
PS, the owl’s name, my sister told me, is name is Foresight, and was willing to deliver the letter in exchange for a warm place to sleep the night. Please accommodate, I know you don’t care for birds, but she is a rather sweet old girl.
Looking up at the elderly owl, everypony noticed she was fast asleep, warmed by the glow by crystals that lined the tower wall, providing warmth and light.
“You heard your mother, off to bed, mister” Sombra nudged Sunny with his muzzle.
Sunny didn’t have to be asked twice. He knew the sooner he got to bed, the sooner Hearths Warming game, and the sooner he’d see his mother. So off to bed he ran, as if gifts were waiting for him there.
Once the young one was gone, and Radiant also left to call it a night, Pappy and Sombra picked up the pieces to the chess board and began to play a game themselves.
“I hate to say it, but that boy of yours is too kind for the role he’ll have to play” Pappy’s voice was rather flat.
Sighing, Sombra moved his first piece. “Hopefully Princess Amore will return and I can step down.”
Moving a piece to counter Sombra’s move, Pappy also commented “I’ve searched high and low for her, but have yet to turn anything up.”
“I have faith in you, old friend” Sombra said with a hopeful smile. “If there’s anypony who can find her, it’s the great ‘Raring Mountain’ himself.”
Waving a hoof, Pappy shook off the complement. “Ah’m just ‘Pappy’ now. That name belongs in the past. But yer right, and ah won’t give up. It breaks mah heart ya see you, her and yer little one separated. Maybe one day ya’ll can just live under one roof, not two separate castles.”
‘One day....’ Sombra repeated the two words, carrying with them an echo of hope that would one day turn to hate....
“One day...” a tear fell from the Shadow King’s eye as his heart remembered something. Despite all that happened, despite her betrayal... Sombra still loved that mare who held his heart, and gave him a son....
Traveling down the seemingly endless stairs, Snowstorm’s fury deep inside began to bubble. ‘That arrogant Foal! How blind does he have to be to turn away from such a great father! He doesn’t know what it’s like! To have your father constantly disappointed in you! To have no pony on your side!’
Memories began to flood back to Snowstorm of a time of when he and his brother were in grade school, back before he even became a royal guard or had a chance at his father’s love...
“Watch your right side!” Snowstorm barked at his brother, levitating a wooden sword with his magic to strike out at his brother.
Ace, a young white colt, a unicorn like his brother, quickly maneuvered his wooden sword to block his brother’s attack. “Thanks, But you too!”
Countering and attacking just like his older brother, Ace made a more bold and daring move to hit Snowstorm. The grey unicorn could have easily hit his younger brother, but hesitated, and instead allowed his brother to just barely graze him, winning the sparing match.
Moments after the two got a drink and sat on a park bench, admiring not only their new Hearts Warming gifts from their father but also the over all scenery. All around ponies appeared to be heading to their family’s for celebrating, singing carols along the way, decorations lined the streets, homes and shops, giving Canterlot an over all warm feeling. A feeling that Ace could sense eluded Snowstorm.
Sighing, Ace nudged his brother. “I know you could have gotten me back there, if you wanted to.”
“If I did, you would have gotten hurt” Snowstorm wasn’t surprised his brother knew of his hesitation to strike.
“Not badly though,” Ace joked around a bit more. “Besides, mom and dad probably figured we’d get a little scratched and bruised. Why else would they give us these?”
“Mom was against it, and father wanted ‘you’ to be able to use a sword’ Snowstorm’s tone remained as flat as week old soda. “He’d ground me for months if we came back and you were hurt.”
“You know he loves you too” Ace tried to reach out to his brother.
“No he doesn’t” Snowstorm snapped and jerked away, anger building up, but was quickly doused. “I just... I just want him to be proud of me like he is of you...”
Knowing how their father treated Snowstorm, there was no ‘he loves you too, he just doesn’t show it’ or ‘he loves you deep down’. There was really only one thing Ace learned he could say to pull his brother out of his funk.
“Listen, that old stallion can yell and harp at you all he wants, but fact of the matter is, when you and I are awesome royal guards, skilled and have mares lining up to date us, he’s going to be an old and grouchy stallion who has to eat waterlogged oats.” Ace always had a way to paint a picture for his brother.
As he imagined the vivid image that his brother had painted, Snowstorm’s mood began to lighten until the thought of an ancient looking version of his father filled his mind, and the idea of him being too old to eat regular oats made the grey unicorn start to laugh uncontrollably!
As he laughed, Ace began to laugh at his brother’s laughter, and the two brothers began laughing there for a good while, ignoring ponies who looked at them, with slight concern, as they passed by the two chuckling colts.
That day, Snowstorm would always look back on and remember whenever things got tough for him. Because of his father or other wise. And he would remember that at least one pony thinks highly of him....
Remembering his brother, Snowstorm paused on a step, took of his black helmet and gazed at his own reflection. His eyes lost the look of rage and reflected only the deep sadness in his heart. ‘I miss you brother... but I have my Duties. And I won’t let King Sombra down. He needs a son by his side. And I need a father to look up to.’
Taking his helmet and slamming it back on his head, Snowstorm began moving faster down the staircase, a plan brewing in his mind....
At the far end of the Everfree forest, overlooking a large gorge with giant eels, Salted Carmel watched a single snowflake fall from the sky, carrying with it something the stallion had lost long ago...
The town was coated in snow, so much so that the two dozen or so houses that made it up looked more like tiny white powder covered mounds then homes. The many mountains covering the area, rich with ore and other materials, served as a great source of trade for the town. One good in particular was the salt in the large lake that town was built by. Large amounts of salt could be harvested from it and used to preserve goods as well as be harnessed for the basic seasoning. The town, in fact, was founded many years ago by a brave adventurer who’s descendants have a small and humble home to this very day.
Stepping into the that very home was a large stone color stallion, almost taller then the door frame itself. A large beard covered most of his muzzle, and two yellow beady eyes stuck out just over the top of it, but beneath his large beard was a fun and caring laugh.
“Ha Ha Ha! Well, we’re home Prez!” The large stallion, known thought the town as Mining Tune, called out to his wife who was once again busy in the kitchen.
Pretzel Bits was hard at work with a new project of hers. A quiet cream colored, earth pony mare, she kept her mane tied up in a bun atop her head to keep it out of her eyes. Upon her little muzzle were a small, elegant pair of glasses that she still strained herself to see out of as she hopped from cook book to cook book. The mare had her cook books and food ‘experiments’ all around the kitchen, and rarely payed attention to anything else other then when her husband or her son came home.
And wouldn’t you know it, following behind his large father, was their chubby but jolly son, Snicker Doodle. The little colt looked just like his father when he was younger with his rather chubby body and large appetite. But like his mother’s parents, the colt was colored light chocolate brown with a two toned orange mane. His eyes, though, were just like his mother’s, a light blue. The child had a hard time making friends, much like his mother, due to his shy and gentle nature. But there was no doubt to either of his parents, though, that he would grow up to be a sweet hearted stallion that would make many friends and sweep any mare off her hooves. They just needed to raise him to be that strong stallion they both knew he could be. Which is why young Snicker started going to work with his father on the week ends. It helped him work out those growing muscles of his as well as mingle with the other friendly stallions.
As the colt went to wash up for dinner, his mother prepared a congratulations treat for her son, his favorite treat.
When the colt hopped up at the table, he was surprised to see not only a plate of warm vegetables and fresh bakes bread with a bowl of his family’s secret recipe chowder, but also a few cubes of his favorite treat. Salted Carmel candy cubes....
Tears fell from his eyes as Salted remembered the first thing of his old life in years. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to find his home town and seek out his parents... to do that, the muscular stallion would need a heading. Looking up into the start sky, he noticed a rather dark grey cloud with a once thought abandoned factory built on top of it. It was the old Rainbow Factory. Getting up, Salted knew what he wanted now, but he would need a bird’s eye view to figure out a direction....
Breathing heavily, Surgical Scalpel’s body began to jerk as the sound in his ears began to overcome him. The crown Sombra had synthesized, connecting it’s wearer to the entire hive of changelings, was beginning to warp the medical pony’s mind even more. More and more chattering, scratching, hissing, flapping and scurrying began to fill the pony’s mind. As the light purple earth-pony’s body began to twitch like a beetle emerging from a chrysalis, memory after memory began to be pressed down, allowing better control for the crown’s user. One memory in particular stuck out, though...
It was a cold winters day in Manehatten, and Surgical couldn’t wait for school to be let out. He was trying to read the latest medical book the library had recently gotten in when a spit wad came out of nowhere, pegging the glasses wearing colt on the head. Surgical tried his best to ignore it, but several more spit soaked wads of paper soon followed suit. Right as Surgical was about to get up and lose his normally cool temper, the teacher walked in.
“Alight, settle down class” the mare spoke in a soft, sweet tone. Mrs. Sugar Cookie smiled as she began passing out last week’s tests. “I’m happy to say you all passed, and even more happy to see some of you went the extra mile and did the extra credit on the last page.”
When the teacher got to Surgical, She paused and handed his back to him with several golden stars on the front with 120%!
“You should be very proud” Mrs. Sugar Cookie told Surgical with a wide smile before moving to the next student.
After class, every pony rushed out to get home as soon as possible, wanting to start their Hearths Warming school break with either a sweet treat, warm cup of hot coco, or to grab their gear for some snow sports. Well, almost everypony.
After getting kicked down by Bronze Brander, the strongest bust also the dumbest kid in school, Surgical scrambled to grab his test that he hoped to show to his mother. But before he could, Bronze snatched it up and began showing it off to all his friends.
“Awww... looky here! Looks like old four-eyes got another special grade!” The thug began riling up his small crowd of friends.
“Give it back!” Surgical got to his hooves and began looking all round him for something to use against his bully.
“Or what? You’re gunna tell the teacher on me again?” Bronze spoke in an even more mocking tone. “Is that all you can do? Cry to mommy? Cry to the teacher? What a baby!”
“At least my head’s not so full of rocks that I didn’t realize I was standing in wet cement!” Surgical began to chuckle as he looked at the ground beneath Bronze’s hooves.
Looking down to where Surgical was pointing, Bronze Brander and his group took their eyes off Surgical just long enough for the small earth pony to run up, jump, grab his test from Bronze, and make a b-line for his apartment building. Surgical acted so fast it took the bully a moment to realize what exactly happened and begin chasing after the sly and witty colt. He was never standing in cement, but was foolish enough to take several moments to realize it was a trick.
Running as fast as his short legs could carry him, Surgical bounced down alleyway after alleyway, trying to put as much distance between him and the group of ponies chasing after him. Knocking over trash cans and hiding behind dumpsters, doing whatever it took to avoid getting caught. After about three close calls, Surgical thought he had lost the group, and came out from hiding behind the dumpster of an old shoe store. The smell was terrible, but must have driven his pursuers away.
“Got cha!” Bronze scared what little courage Surgical had right out of him as he and his toughest looking friend appeared out of nowhere.
He grabbed Surgical, flipped up the lids of the dumpster, and tossed the colt inside! Right before they shut the lid, Bronze flashed Surgical’s 120% test at him before ripping it to pieces as throwing it to the wind, then slamming the dumpster flaps shut.
Hours later, Surgical emerged from the dumpster, eyes blood shot from the tears he didn’t want any pony to see, smelling of old shoes. After taking a long walk of shame, Surgical made his way back home only find a note from his mother on the counter with a plate of cookies. Taking a cooking in his mouth, Surgical began reading the note;
Hey honey,
Hope school is still going well. I heard about your awesome test results from your teacher the other day at the market. I didn’t want to spoil the surprise, but I told you you were a prodigy! I know you’ll do great things one day, just like your father did.
As a treat, I got you a special something to entertain you while I’m at work tonight. Sorry, it’s going to be another all nighter. But I should be back tomorrow morning. Get plenty of sleep and enjoy the gift.
-love mom
After eating one more cookie, Surgical turned to the gift that was placed next to the note. Eager to help sooth the pains of today, Surgical began ripping off the paper. Once the box was free from it’s wrapping, Surgical could hardly believe what he saw!
It was the deluxe health science kit from Canterlot! The ‘deluxe’ edition!!!! All the stores in Manehatten were sold out of it! She must have either ordered it or made the trip herself! And it wasn’t cheap either... it... it wasn’t cheap...
Looking around the apartment Surgical had grown up with his mother in. The colt noticed nothing in there even came close to the same price as this gift. Not his mother’s best dress, nor their ‘good’ China, nothing. And his mother could have used the money to either get him some new cloths, herself better scrubs for her job, but he thought about the other gifts under the tree and noticed most of them were for him from her, with one or two from her parents to his mother.
Looking at the note one last time, Surgical began to cry again as he made a vow to himself and his mother; ‘I’m going to be a great, famous and rich doctor. I’m going to make enough money for you to move out of this trashy apartment and for us to never have to struggle ever again!....’
That memory came back to Surgical, but quickly passed as it was pushed to the furthest corners of his mind. Only the hive remained, hissing, scratching, flapping, scratching... now the physical change has begun...
Looking down from the platform, Cynical couldn’t help but smile at his work. It was nice of King Sombra to give him the idea to pick up ‘volunteers’ for the Rainbow Factory durning the riots that followed that siren’s shows.
In the midst of the chaos, while everypony was filled by anger and chanting the words of ‘anarchy’ and ‘down with the princesses’, no pony bothered to notice so many rich, wealthy, and popular ponies go missing. He did it all by himself, with his own two wings, and a pair of gloves for those wings, each outfitted with sharp knives that would stretch out and be maneuvered like claws. They prevented the wearer from flying, but Cynical had ways of getting around unnoticed with even a ‘volunteer’ wrapped up all nice and to go.
Back to the Rainbow Factory, he would take them. Back to the dark steel factory of long forgotten pain and suffering. And onward to their more ‘noble’ cause. Making ‘Spectra’.
“You see....” Cynical began to explain, both to the drone soldiers as well as to anypony else listening(possibly an audience). “These machines here that the ponies are hooked up to begin to slowly drain the individual’s of their ‘spectra’, the magical force that makes our world bright and colorful! I have read a story a while back about a fare more... let’s say ‘rated R’ version on how to extract spectra, but we can’t do that in a story rated ‘everyone’. Shame, but...”
Just as Cynical was about to explain further about the machines and how they work to safely extract color essentially from ponies, his black and green eyes saw something. Something that, for the first time in a long long time, had broken Cynical free from his monsterous thoughts and took him back to a time before the pain, the loss, the frozen tears.
“Golden...” the name blew out of Cynical’s mouth like a cold winter’s wind off a gargoyle. The image painted, brining Cynical back to a place that no longer exists. Back to a house of torture and a darker tale. Back to the Lady’s mansion...’No More Tears...’
It was Hearths Warming Eve, and the Lady and her plump grandson were throwing another party, as they did every year for Hearths Warming. All the richest ponies on the east coast arrived for the biggest extravaganza of the year, second only to the Grand Galloping Galla. Not many, though, would dare make the journey to the Lady’s mansion after hearing that the woods surrounding the area were filled with Timber Wolves and witches. But most wouldn’t miss the festivities for anything in the world.
To keep up appearances, the Lady of the mansion would have only the best, most well managed, most eye pleasing and obedient servants join her and entertain her guests, while the rest stayed below, in the colder, lower levels of the mansion, well out of sight.
One servant, in particular, was a young wide eyes Pegasus colt, with wide green eyes that couldn’t help but peak through the air vents at the bright colors and decorations of the mansion. He lacked the memory of anything before he came to be, well, ‘in the possession’ of the Lady of the mansion and her spoiled rotten grandson, so Hearths Warming was completely foreign to him. And as foreign as it was, it was so magical, holding something with it. Something... peaceful...
“Dirt! Dirt come on! We have to go!” Golden Grain called out from further down the air vent. The colt hated the name, it wasn’t even his ‘real’ name. Just something the Lady’s Grandson called him to get his attention and to remind him just how little he actually was worth. If anypony else called him that, the colt would grow to despise them, but he could never hate Golden.
He was about to fall back and retreat with her back down the air vents into the lowest levels of the mansion until something caught his eye. Something he had never seen before. It’s shape, color, even the odd and entrancing aroma emoting from it was pleasing. It was a candy cane. A simple candy cane that had fallen from one of the near by Hearths Warming trees.
Without hesitation, the colt slipped his thin wing trough the grate and snagged the sweet treat, not really knowing what it was, and pulled it though to him. After that, the colt and Golden raced back to the rest of the ‘less visually appealing’ servants, trying to act like they had been there the whole time. Because if they weren’t, the most loyal servants would teach them a lesson.
Arriving back as quietly as they could, the two foals made their way to a hidden corner away from the other servants to check out what the colt had swiped. Along the way, the candy cane had broken in two, which would have made the colt very sad, but his sadness was quickly replaced by joy as he offered Golden one of the two pieces.
“F-for me? Really?” She looked shocked and confused, like he was just joking with her. Due to their ... harsh living conditions, it was every lowly servant for themselves. But Golden made the colt feel something he hadn’t before. Something he couldn’t explain. Just like the candy cane, only, not quite the same feeling. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”
As the two sat down and enjoyed their treat, the colt couldn’t take his eyes off Golden. They both had lived most of their lives as servants and treated so poorly, yet, when he was with her, the world didn’t seem so dark.
‘I don’t know what this smell or taste is, but I like it’ the colt thought. ‘When we get out of here, I’m going to get a real job and earn enough money to buy you all kinds of these! All different colors and shapes! And we’ll be happy!’
Years passed, and as the colt, now a stallion stood before the mansion, Timber Wolves running around the many fires made by the mansion as it burned to the ground, the colt spoke his name once again, as he did when he was reborn. “I am Cynical Storm. And from this point on... no more tears...” ‘Good by Golden...’
Flashing back to the present, Cynical picked up the candy cane and looked to the sky. “Do you see, reader? Do you see what the writer does?! He makes you feel things just to take it away! He wanted a monster! Well HE’S GOT ONE!”
Taking the candy cane, Cynical stomped on it before kicking it away into the dust.
“You wanted no more tears? You wanted a monster?” Cynical began speaking to Somepony, or perhaps someone, who wasn’t there, but who was indeed listening. “Then you got one! I’m going to destroy everything you created! Starting with that shinning jewel with all it’s diamonds and gems. There will be rubble of of gold and marble and purple! I WILL NOT REST UNTIL EQUESTRIA IS IN RUINS!”
Mad chuckling filled the air as Cynical pictures fallen cities, empty towns, fires that destroyed what the destructive chaos did not. And him, standing as a symbol and a monolith to all, that nothing good ever lasts. That Somepony or something will always have power over you. That no one is except from wrath. Nopony is innocent. No pony is guilt free. So no more tears...
Alister awoke from his dreamless slumber, funny that ‘he’ who had been once a ‘master of dreams’ has dreamless sleeps. But they did allow him to gather himself before the Knightmare returned.
‘And like that, I’m back!’ A transparent image of Charmin Knightmare appeared in Alister’s sight, but only to him. This phantom was nothing but a haunting fragment of Alister’s persona. And as thus, might as well be a phantom.
‘Aw... don’t look at me like that! We were close’ the sinister unicorn with a top hat and formal attire said with a toothy grin. ‘Next time, we’ll have all of Equestria eating out of our hooves! We will-‘
“Will you just give it up...” Alister spat, sharply imagining air through his nose.
‘Give up?’ Knightmare was insulted. ‘We were so close! Closer then before! We would have succeeded if not for-‘
“Prince Soleggiato....” Alister knew who he really was now, thanks to King Sombra. He had no idea the unicorn he had done that stupid challenge with moons ago was a prince, let alone Sombra’s heir. He was nothing like anypony would expect. “He was kind, arrogant, but meant well... he was stupid and thought mostly with his heart, not his head...”
‘So? That just means we can take him out fairly easy! All we have to do is-‘ Knightmare began pacing around Alister’s cell as he started to think up a plan.
“We will do nothing to him...” Alister noted, then he caught a glimpse of something across the way from him, and an adjacent cell. He recognized that he was in Salted Carmel’s cell, one of the highest grade of magically enhanced prison cells available, and the alicorn Amulet was in the cell across from it, in the cell that Cynical Storm used to be in. But that wasn’t what caught his attention. It was the Amulet, more specifically the red gem at it’s center. It brought a memory back to the Royal guard, something he mentally filed away long ago, back when he went by the name his parents gave him....
It was the eve of Hearths Warming, and Charming Knight was even more annoyed with the guards in the barracks then normal. He was a mere private, with potential, he felt he had to keep his nose l the grind stone if he was going to make any head way. Which meant he had to some How force himself to study battle plan, counter spells, and defensive tactics while everypony else in the barracks cheered, drank warm apple cider, and pigged out in holiday treats.
Sighing and giving up, unable to even hear himself think over the carols that the guards were screaming, Charming got up from his bunk and stormed out of the barracks, only to be hit by the cold air of winter. Pausing only a moment to get used to the cold, Charming made his way down into town, hoping to find some place quiet where he could continue his studies as well as get out of the cold.
Several moments after entering into Canterlot’s town, he found most places were closed Say for one lonely donut shop. Stepping inside, the scent of warm coffee and fruit cake filled Charming’s nostrils, almost putting him into the holiday spirit. Almost, but not quite.
There was only one other pony at the shop and Charming chose to sit as far away from him as possible, hoping to avoid and and all conversation, that could happen.
“What will it be, pal?” Joe, the shop owner asked.
“Ugh, One black coffee,” Charming ordered, not even really planning to drink it, just doing so to be virtuous to the shop owner.
After Joe left, Charming went right to work, pulling out books, scrolls and notes from under his cloak, spreading them all over the table. Instant organized chaos. Once everything was set, Charming went right to work, back where he left off.
“What you got there?” An unfamiliar voice spoke up, moments after Charming felt he made the slightest head way.
Looking up at the stallion, Charming was surprised he didn’t recognize him from before as began to relax. “Captain Heart Patch, What brings you here? Shouldn’t you be off partying with the troops?”
“Shouldn’t you?” Heart said as he got up, streamed his wings and sat down at Charming’s table. As he spoke, Charming moved his papers for his pal. “I mean, I know the smartest unicorn in the entire royal guard would rather find a quiet place and re read a book for the hundredth time then join in with caroling, but on Hearths Warming eve?”
Sighing and taking the cup that Joe levitated over to him, Charming opened up to Heart. “I just don’t feel like I’m ever going to make head way in the royal guard, you know? My grades, recorded skills, all of it are beyond any in my rankings, but...”
“But you thought no pony noticed you?” Heart said with a half smile as he passed a small box, metallic red wrapped with green ribbon, over to Charming.
“Heart? What is this?” Charming’s eyes locked into the box, wondering it was some sort of Hearths Warming gift.
“Open it” Heart told him, keeping his half smile. “I think you’ll feel up to celebrating afterwords.”
Taking a deep breath, Charming pulled the ribbon off and took a moment to look at his reflection in the red box. Taking a second breath to gather his courage, Charming lifted the box open only to almost fall out of his seat.
“W-what is this?” Charming could barely find the words.
“Your official going. To be sworn in after the holiday, but I asked the princesses, and they let me be the one to give you your official capain’s badge.” Heart smiles and patted Charming on the shoulder. “You worked hard and did Equestria well. And I know you’ll continue to do us all proud. You were always like a brother to me, ever since that first night years ago on night guard duty. I knew there was something special about you.”
Chuckling and shaking his head, Charming smiled as he sighed again. “You always wear your heart on your sleeve, Patchy?”
“That’s what I do” Heart smiled as he raised his own mug of coffee up to Charming’s. “Now, what do you we meet Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom up at the usual spot and show them their new CO?”
“Midnight’s going to be really steamed” Charming grinned.
“Yeah, But she’ll be more happy for you then mad” Heart said as he payed both Charming’s bill and his own, adding a good tip for Joe. “Tonight we celebrate both Harths Warming and your promotion, Captain Charming Knight.”
Following Heart out of the donut shop, Charming felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders. All thanks to his oldest friend, his best friend, Heart Patch. He was glad he took those extra night shifts that allowed them both to meet...
Hanging up there in that cell, his magic restricted, unable to do anything to help himself, with his memories. His fond memories, and that light that reawaken them inside his heart.
“You know... I tried so hard to make him proud... then ‘you’ came...” Alister started at Knightmare, who raised both his brows at the light grey unicorn chained to the wall.
‘Me? ‘I’ was the one who ruined your life?’ Knightmare continued to press and press. ‘You may want to get one thing strait, buddy. ‘I’ and just a part of ‘you’. So if anypony is to blame for anything, including hurting Heart, it’s you. That’s why you can’t stand to even send him a letter. The thought of talking to him makes you sick with guilt.’
A few tears began to fall from Alister’s eyes as his emotional walls broke further. “Do you... do you think he’ll forgive us-.... forgive me?...”
Unbeknown to Knightmare, this thought or concept of actually goin and talking to Heart Patch made him shiver with fear. As he said, him and Alister were one in the same, two sides of the same coin.
No longer planning revenge or domination, Knightmare walked over and took a seat next to Alister, let out a sigh and told him in a non threatening tone ‘I don’t know...’
“I guess we can try...” a small smile appeared on Alister’s muzzle as the image of Charming Knightmare began to vanish. “I guess... we just have to have a little hope... friends should always try and be there for friends... you know, that Soleggiato reminds me a of Heart Patch... thick headed, passionate and always running in head first...”
“And a little bit of vanilla...” Pinkie muttered to herself out loud as she added the ingredient to her mixing bowl. She had been hard at work all day, first packing for her trip to Manehatten, then picking out the perfect present for the special birthday pony, after that she went hard at work on the extra special birthday cake. “Add in a hoof full of chocolate chips.... then mix well!”
Walking into the back end of Sugar Cube Corner, a slightly worried Applejack looked around for her pink friend. “Hey Pinkie... Ugh, this ain’t ah bad time ya talk, is it?”
“For one of my bestest-best-possible-distant-cousin-best-friend, there’s never a bad time!!” Pinkie replied with a great big smile as she began mixing the batter. “I’m just making a super-dooper special birthday cake! What’s on your mind? Are you hungry? It’s happy hour half off cupcakes. Normally it’s only from 2-5, buuuuut I think I could pull a few strings for you.”
“Thanks Ah mighty bunch, Pinkie” Applejack gave the pink party pony a weak smile as she removed her Stetson hat and held it over her chest. “But ah actually came here ta ask ya fer some advice.”
“Sure thing! I’m all ears” Pinkie began pouring the batter into cake pans as she continued to listen.
“Well... ya see, Sunny’s been awful down since his trip ta th’ Dragon Lands. He told me what happened, ‘bout the spout he had with his old friend and what not. And, well, ah was wonderin’ if ya had any idea on how ta cheer him up.”
After putting the filled cake pans into the oven at 350 degrees, Pinkie zoomed across the room and put a hoof around Applejack’s shoulder, a confident smile on her muzzle as her relaxed eyes met Applejack’s surprised look. “I have just the ticket to turning Sunny’s frown upside down. Tell him I need his help and to meet me at the train station in about two hours.”
“Thanks, Pinkie” Applejack began to relax, not even questioning the party planner pony. If there was anypony who could brighten somepony’s day, it was Pinkie. “Ah owe ya one.”
After Applejack ran off to find Sunny, Pinkie poured herself a tall glass of chocolate milk. “It’s about time Sunny and I had another chapter together. I was starting to think the writer didn’t like me.”
As the train traveled down the tracks from Ponyville leading towards the city of Manehatten, Sunny couldn’t help but stare out the window and let his mind go blank. He had felt just numb ever since he walked away from Torch. The yellow unicorn had been given his Black Knight armor back, but he honestly didn’t want it. But Sunny kept it close, having shrunk it down to a size that could fit a mouse, and carefully tucked it away in the rim of his stetaon hat. Part of him wished that Torch would seek him out to take the armor back, maybe then they could have another talk. But a larger part of Sunny knew that if the new Dragon Lord ordered for the yellow unicorn to keep the armor, then no dragon could disobey.
“HELLO! Equestria to Sunny! You in there?” Pinkie Pie continued to call out to her friend as she waved a hoof in front of his blank gaze.
“Oh, Ugh, sorry Pinkie” Sunny snapped himself out of his daze and back to the present. “What were ya sayin’?”
“I was saying that this is going to be the greatest birthday surprise ever!” Pinkie now cheered out loud, catching the attention of several ponies sharing the same train car.
“Ugh, why?” Sunny was cautious to ask, afraid Pinkie had told him already. He didn’t mean to be rude, but his mind was... just in other places right now.
“Weeeeell” Pinkie’s smile grew even wider as she pulled an outfit out from behind her and flung it over herself, some how doing a quick change into the outfit. The costume was a tight fitting body suit that only left Pinkie’s tail, face, and a lock of her mane exposed. It was white in color with purple arrow designs all over it. “I’m going to surprise the birthday filly by appearing as her favorite comic book super hero, Fili-Second! Which I’m super super lucky that the actual Fili-Second and I look so much alike and that I already move really super fast!”
A thought brought a smile to Sunny’s muzzle. “Ah wonder how fast you would go if ya ever tried coffee.”
Pinkie chuckled lightly at the notion. “Yeah, we won’t go there....”
Shaking his head a little, trying to get the frightening image of Pinkie on caffeine out of his head, Sunny thought of something else. “So how do ya know this filly again? Did she use to live in Ponyville or something?"
“Actually, I met her and her parents at Feather Weight’s birthday three months ago. They were really impressed at my enthusiasm and how much I looked like the comic book hero, and asked if I was available for their daughter’s birthday!” Pinkie started to explain. “They insisted on decorating the place and baking the sweets themselves, but asked if I would make an appearance as Fili-Second. The cake is an extra gift from her hero.”
The pink party pony then pulled out a file from her mane and passed it over to Sunny who began to look it over. “So the filly’s name is Dawn...She enjoys going to new places, trying new things, and meeting new friends. Her raising sun cutie mark represents her talent for brightening pony’s days, she lives with her parents in Manehatten down Horseshoe Ave, she loves ice cream with sprinkles, her favorite soda is grape, her favorite candy bar is Butterhoof, her favorite party game is musical chairs,... wow Pinkie, did you find all this out just recently?”
Giggsling at Sunny’s surprise, Pinkie took back the file and stuffed it in her mane. “No, silly. I do lots of research on everypony I meet, that way when the time comes to plan a party for them, or cheer them up, I can do it no problem!”
Curious, Sunny patted his chin with his hoof, an interning thought buzzing at the back of his head. “Say... ya wouldn’t happen to have ah file for me, would ya?”
“Course I do! How do you think I figured out you were the son of King Sombra?” Pinkie half laughed but stopped, her light hearted expression shifted to being sincere. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him earlier... I thought it would be best if you found out on your own.... are you mad at me?”
Shaking his head and giving Pinkie a half smile. “No ah ain’t, Pinkie. Don’t you worry none ‘bout that. Ya probably did me ah favor. If ya had told me, Ah probably would have had some sorta reaction like when mah Aunt Radiant tried to tell me who mah mamma was.”
“Thanks you” Pinkie’s shinning smile returned. “I’m glad we became friends.”
“Me too” Sunny smiled fully at Pinkie as he tipped his hat to her.
The rest of the trip to Manehatten was spent talking about other parties Pinkie has thrown for various ponies in town, ponies who moved away but still stayed in contact with her, and anypony who sent a letter to the number one party pony. Sunny was amazed at all Pinkie did, wondering how such a busy body could not only do all this party planning but also hang out with her friends, work at Sugar Cube corner, and go on friendship missions. It was almost as if there had to be more then one Pinkie pie or she had to break the laws of reality on a daily basis. Either way, Sunny’s previous thoughts about Torch and what happened at the Dragon Lands seemed to be pushed out of his mind when the two arrived at the Manehatten train station.
After hopping off the train, Sunny and Pinkie began their journey to the Manehatten suburbs, where Dawn’s house was. Pinkie talked about the birthday girl as they traveled by taxi. Apparently she’s also curious and adventurous little filly who loves books, especially comic books. Her parents themselves probably had a bit of influence with that, the father being an editor for a comic book company and the mother being an illustrator.
After the two travelers from Ponyville arrived at their destination, Sunny and Pinkie could hear a large commotion coming from behind the house, with the top of a bouncy castle just barely visible over the top of the humble looking home. As Pinkie knocked on the front door, Sunny’s eyes wandered, taking in the first sight of a ‘suburb’ that he had ever seen. It wasn’t spaced out like the homes back in Ponyville, but they weren’t all crammed together like the apartments in Manehatten’s city either.
“Well hello there, Pinkie Pie!” A friendly light blue mare with a golden mane pulled into a bun answered the door. “We’re glad you and your friend could make it, please come in.”
As Sunny walked in, he noticed a very long and narrow hallway leading down into a living room about the size of the farm house’s back at Sweet Apple Acres. At the center of the room was a table full of presents, which was when a sunken feeling hit the yellow unicorn.
‘I didn’t get her a gift!’ The panic made Sunny’s heart sink.
While waiting for Pinkie to finish conversing with the light blue Pegasus mare, by the name of Sketch Book, Sunny was approached by an orange earth pony stallion with a light and dark brown mane.
“Well howdy there” the stallion greeted Sunny, noticing his Stetson hat. “Guessin’ you’re Pinkie’s friend, right?”
“Eh, You bet, Sir” Sunny pushed the gift urgency out of his head for a second and shook hooves with the stallion. “Mah friends call me Sunny. Sunny Knight.”
“Sunny Knight, eh?” The stallion thought for a moment, his eyes drifting off into the distance as he rolled the name around on his tongue. “That’s an interesting name. Did you change it from anything, or did your parents give you that?”
“It was....” Sunny paused to think about it, but the memory of his name’s origin escaped him. When he came to, Sunny realized the stallion he was talking to was just starting at him, appearing slightly concerned. “I-I’m sorry. Ah had an accident ah while back and lost mah memory. Ah got most of em back, but some parts are still missin’.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that” the stallion apologize. “My name is Typo, I mainly asked about the name because I had mine changed. My parents were athletes and hoped I would follow in their hoof steps. My original name was Slam Dunk, but after I won an award for most creative short story in all Manehatten elementary and got my cutie mark, I changed it to Typo.”
Sunny looked to the stallion’s side and saw the image of a quill writing in a book. “Interesting. So, ugh, yer th’ birthday filly’s pa, right?”
“Yes sir!” The stallion seemed proud. “And I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter. She’s as smart and beautiful as her mother.”
“oh you! She got her crazy quirks from you! Mr. Introduce-my-daughter-to-action-style-comics-at-the-age-of-two!” Sketch Book noted as she and Pinkie joined the stallions’ conversation.
“Speaking of, when should I...” Pinkie started to say something then leaned over to the parents and whispered “you know!... change into something else?”
The parents both winked at her.
“I think after the little ones crack open the piñata, the ‘other guest’ should show up and do ‘her’ thing” the father suggested, then looked behind Sunny, as if expecting a third guest to be standing at the door. “Ugh... where is she?”
Looking at the clock then at her wrist where a watch magically appeared, Pinkie grew slightly confused. “I don’t know, she was supposed to be here already. Maybe she’s running late.”
“I hope she gets here soon...” Sketch sounded slightly worried. “I was just about to hang up the piñata.”
“Don’t worry, I know she’ll be here” Pinkie reassured the light blue mare. “This will be a birthday Dawn never forgets!”
As the parents went into the back yard to set things up and check on the kids, a knock came at the door. Thinking this must be the guest Pinkie and the parents were expecting, Sunny quickly answered the door. As he did, though, the yellow stallion came face to face with a rather depressed looking mailmare. Without saying a word, she tossed a letter to Sunny and then was on her way.
Taking the letter in hoof, Sunny noticed the letter was made out to the house’s address but was addressed to Pinkie Pie. The yellow unicorn looked around and quickly found Pinkie in the back yard blowing up and molding balloons into various animals and shapes.
“And here you go, birthday girl! A tiara, just like you wanted!” Pinkie giggles and passed a pink balloon hat off to a little light blue filly with a brown mane with a purple streak in it.
The filly’s smile stretched from ear to ear as she and her friends admired how it looked on her head, saying how she looked like a princess. While the fillies were busy, Sunny silently got Pinkie’s attention and handed her the letter. Pinkie took the letter and began reading it, her joyful smile quickly faded and was quickly replaced with a worried frown.
“Ugh oh....” Pinkie then grabbed Sunny and pulled him to the side of the house, making sure they were both out of ear shot. “We might have a teency little problem... I asked a friend of mine from the Manehatten theater to help out today by pretending to be the Mane-iac, then I would come in as Fili-Second and save the cake and presents. But she came down with the flu, and can’t make it.”
“Well shoot, what are we gunna do now?” Sunny asked, wishing he could help.
“I don’t know where I could find a stand in comic book villain... well, maybe just Fili-Second showing up will be good enough” Pinkie half convincingly stated. Hearing the mother call out to the kids, calling them to gather for the piñata, Pinkie sighed. “Guess I better go get ready. Gunna need to eat a lot of sugar really fast.”
As Sunny watched Pinkie force herself to bounce away, he wished there was something he could do. Anything, to help his friend. Out of the corner of his eye, looking through an open window, Sunny caught a glimpse of a framed comic hanging on a wall, in what must have been Dawn’s bedroom. The character on the front cover gave Sunny an idea. It was one of those ideas that was brilliant, but a risky and dangerous idea. Still, it was his best bet to help not only Pinkie, but the birthday girl Dawn as well.
As the fillies and colts gathered around and watched one of their friends bust open the piñata. With one final smack the brightly colored piñata burst open, spilling it’s sugary contents all over the ground! Before they jumped in to grab as much candy as they possibly could, a white and pink blur zoomed all around. Their eyes followed the blur around the back yard, until it came to a complete stop right in front of Dawn.
“It’s Fili-Second! The REAL Fili-Second!” The birthday girl cheered, which was soon joined by the joyful cheers and screams of the other young guests.
“Hey there kids! Somepony told me it’s somepony’s special day!” The costume wearing Pinkie looked around with her right hoof blocking out the sun from her eyes as she playfully looked around. “Now were is she...”
“Me! Me! Me!” Dawn bounced up and down with great excitement. “It’s me, miss Fillysecond! It’s my birthday today!”
“Well hello there!” ‘Fillysecond’ looked down and patted Dawn on the head. “So you’re Dawn, huh? Would you like to go for a little speedy ride?”
“I would love to!” The little blue filly was now bouncing up and down, unable to contain her excitement.
“NOPONY IS GOING ANYWHERE!” A deep matalic voice rang from atop the house, drawing everypony’s attention away from the super powered special guest.
As everypony looked up, the frightening image of a stallion dressed in all black armor, a long black flowing cape blowing in the wind behind him as he stood there, looking down on them. In a flash of green light, the stallion disappeared and reappeared next to the table where the cake and punch were placed.
“I, The Black Knight, have come to steal your cake and presents for... Ugh...” the armor clad stallion started his somewhat threatening speech, but forgot his ‘motive’ for his evil-doing.
Seeing what his plan was, Pinkie jumped ahead as if to stand between the birthday filly and him before calling out in a brave and confident tone “There is now way I’m going to let you steal this poor filly’s gifts and cake for your evil team of fellow criminals, Black Knight!”
“Yes! That’s it!” The armored stallion replied, before clearing his throat and restating “Ugh, I mean, No! No pony will stop me! Not even you, Fili-Second! Try as you might, you won’t stop me! The Black Knight! Bahahaha!”
Right as Pinkie and Sunny were about to break into an awesome action filled fake fight, the kids looking super excited along with their parents, Dawn surprised everypony there by stepping out from behind Fili-Second and walking right up to the Black Knight, a huge smile on her muzzle. Looking from Pinkie then back to Dawn, the Black Knight just stood there, trying to seem more intimidating then he actually was. But all bets were off when the little filly spoke up.
“Would you like to have a slice of cake, Mr.Knight?” Dawn asked, her eyes glistening at the Black Knight, an innocent, and very sweet smile still on her muzzle.
“Er... I don’t think you understand, little girl! I THE BLACK KNIGHT WILL-“ Sunny started to speak in his deep, intimidating voice once more.
“You don’t have to act like a bad guy anymore” The filly interrupted Sunny’s deviant rant.
“Act? What makes you think this is all an act?!” Sunny asked, hoping she didn’t see through his disguise that easily. He was, after all, the actual Black Knight.
“Because, you don’t seem like a bad guy” the little filly started to say. “I read every comic you were in, but from the first one where you defeated the Power Ponies but let them escape, how you rescued humdrum from a collapsing building a few issues later, and how you keep to a code of honor even though you work for the bad guys. Looking at you right now, I don’t see any real anger or anything evil. I think deep down you don’t want to hurt anypony, you just want what anypony wants, friends.
“So would you like a slice of cake? And maybe you can join us for some party games?” The sweet light blue filly asked again, then broke eye contact with him for a split second. “And maybe... maybe ‘I’ can be your friend... if you want.”
Sunny couldn’t move. He just continued to stare down at the adorable little filly as she faced him with no fear. Sunny knew his Black Knight armor was very frightening and intimidating to say the least, and even though the Black Knight was animated into the Power Pony comics, he knew a lot of ponies feared the black armor wearing stallion. Yet, this little filly stood before him, looked him in the eye, the one place his armor didn’t shield, and not only told him he wasn’t bad, but that she also wanted to be his friend!
Lifting one hoof up to his mouth piece, shifting it and removing the piece from his muzzle, Sunny revealed the face of the Black Knight to the little filly and her guests. He smiled down at Dawn and spoke in a more relaxed and natural tone “I’d like that, to be your friend, that is. And yes, I’d love some cake. Thank you.”
With that, everypony, the foals, the parents, and Pinkie as well, all cheered. Everypony except Dawn’s parents who turned to each other with uneasy looks upon their muzzles.
After the cake was cut and passed around, Dawn insisted on sitting between Fili-Second and the Black Knight. As they enjoyed cake, Dawn could tell something was on the Black Knight’s mind.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Knight?” The light blue filly asked.
“What do you mean? Nothing’s the matter.” Sunny tried to tell her, but looking at Dawn’s expression, he could tell she wasn’t buying that. With a sigh, Sunny put his slice of cake down. “I didn’t want to think about it, what with this being a joyous occasion and all, but.... I have this friend.”
“Go on” Dawn scooted closer to Sunny, her full attention on him.
“And... he and I... well you see...” Sunny eventually found his words and began to explain what happened between him and Torch. Starting with how he and Torch used to be close when they were younger, including what happened in the Crystal Empire, leading up to when Sunny left the battle and his armor behind. “Later, I got a package from the new Dragon Lord, Ember, and it turned out to be my Black Knight armor.”
“But Torch still doesn’t want to talk to you?” Dawn asked having listened and taken to heart everything Sunny told her.
“Right... I feel like I’ve not only failed my home land, but one of my oldest friends as well” Sunny spoke from the heart.
“1000 years is a long time to be gone”Dawn commented, her tone very light. “But, you know, you shouldn’t give up. Keep trying to talk to him.”
“Easier said then done” Sunny noted as he took a small sip of soda that Pinkie offered him. “Dragons can be stubborn, trust me. And Torch was always the most determined, most thick headed and hot tempered dragon I knew.”
“But you saw the good in him” Dawn said with a small smile.
“True...” Sunny had remembered when he offered to help the grumpy little dragon train. The unicorn prince saw great potential in Torch and wanted to help him raise to greatness.
“You should never give up on your friends” Dawn started to say, then remembered a quote. “ ‘Friendship isn’t always easy, but it is worth fighting for.’”
That quote sounded really familiar to both Pinkie and Sunny.
“At least that’s what Princess Twilight told my class when she came for a visit” Dawn explained.
Chuckling a little, Sunny looked down at the little filly, and couldn’t help but notice her balloon crown was deflating. “Do you want to be a princess when you grow up?”
The little filly’s eyes grew twice their size as she saw stars. “I would love to! To live in a castle! And have fancy dresses! Visit all kinds of exotic places, meeting ponies of all kinds! And make lots and lots of friends!”
Laughing a little at her enthusiasm, Sunny removed his helmet and let his orange mane flop around. “Well a princess needs a proper crown, right?”
Everypony watching now, Sunny closed his eyes and focused his magic on the ground in front of him. With a focused blast of magic, a bright light appeared in front of Dawn. She tried to watch what was happening, but the light was hard to stare at. Almost like looking at the sun. In a moment, the light dimmed, and revealed what Sunny had done. Once again, everypony was in total awe as Sunny levitated something off the ground.
The item in question, that Dawn couldn’t take her eyes off of, was a tiara made entirely of crystal! Light green in color, and reinforced by magic to not break, the tiara shinned like diamond in the setting sunlight. The edges where it would sit upon her head were smoothed, with the only slightly jagged pieces being three gem like crystals of slightly different color that rested atop of the piece. It was a work of art that would take most ponies days to craft. But having been raised in the Crystal Empire, not only was Sunny skilled with Crystal magic, but could draw power from his own heart. If the little filly had not touched him as she did, Sunny would never have been able to make the jewelry half as well as he did.
“I can’t say what the future holds...” Sunny started to say. “But I can say this, if you do become a princess, I think wherever you rule, will be in good hooves.”
The little blue filly could hardly breath as the Crystal tiara was placed on her head. Everypony watched her for a moment, waiting for a reaction, then the little filly burst out with tears of joy as she jumped up and hugged Sunny.
“Thank you so much Mr. Knight! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Dawn started screaming in a high pitched voice, full of joy at her birthday gift.
Not long after, Dawn’s parents called everypony over so the birthday girl could open her gifts. Sunny sat back and watched as the sweet little filly opened gift after gift, thanking the pony who’s name was on the tag. Among the items were things like comics, books, some hair bows, a dress, and a few stuffed animals. Pinkie slipped her gift in, which appeared to be just a card. Only upon opening, Dawn looked in awe at a set of three tickets to the Grand Galloping Galla! One for her and each of her parents! When she got to her parent’s gift, though, everypony moved in to see what the couple had done this year.
Carefully removing the packaging, Dawn opened up a flat and wide box to find yet another amazing treasure she would value for years to come.
“What is it?” A colt asked from the crowd, unable to see the actual gift.
Lifting the gift up, Dawn revealed a set of three, hot off the presses, first edition comics. But not just any comics, they appeared to be a new series of comics that branched off the Power Pony comics called “Young Power”, with several young masked hero’s on the cover. One of them looked almost just like Dawn herself!
“No way!” Another colt spoke up. “So the rumors about it were true!?”
“Super cool!” A filly from the crowd commented.
“Can I read them after you?!” Another filly asked.
“Sure! We can all read them together!” Sunrise suggested.
“How about another slumber party?” One of the fillies suggested.
“Yeah! We can bring all our power pony comics, too!” The first colt cheered, excitedly.
“But can we just call it a ‘sleep over’?” Another colt asked. “‘Slumber party’ sounds super girly.”
As the young ponies began looking over the new comics and making plans about when too have the sleep over, Typo tapped on Sunny’s shoulder. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
Nodding and following the writer, Sunny was sure to casually slip away without anypony noticing. The armor wearing stallion followed Typo into the house and down another narrow hallway, and into what must have been an office. Once inside, Sunny was amazed at what he saw.
Hanging around the room were sketches of comic book hero’s, notes that had string leading form one pinned item to another, as well as various framed comics. One, Sunny recognized as being the one he saw from outside.
‘So it wasn’t Dawn’s room I saw, it was her parent’s office’ Sunny thought to himself, but was glad everything still worked out in the end.
After shutting the door behind his wife, Typo cleared his throat, catching Sunny’s attention. “Sunny.... we know you’re the ‘real’ Black Knight, and not just another cosplayer.”
“What makes you say that?” Sunny was trying to act dumb, but his defenses were up.
“We went to the Crystal Empire some time ago to take part in the festival” Sketch Book started to explain.
“I wanted to hear about some the legends the Crystal Empire had, ones Equestria might have lost over the past 1000 years but they were able to preserve. Something to give me some fresh, new ideas” Typo noted.
“As well as some fresh designs that I could use as inspiration for my drawings” Sketch Book added.
“And one legend kept coming up, one that everypony seemed to remember” Typo continued. “The tale of the Black Knight.”
“We had been bouncing ideas off each other of what HE might have looked like or how he would act, then you showed up at the jousting tournament” Sketch Book went over and grabbed one of her books from off the shelf and began flipping through it.
“We were amazed that such a legend was true, and taken back by your amazing looking armor and skill that we just had to put ‘the Black Knight’ in our comics” Typo looked partly ashamed as his wife showed her sketches to Sunny. They all were of the Black Knight in various poses and slightly different armor styles.
“See... we gathered very little about the Black Knight other then how his armor was made of dragon scales, impervious to fire, and how he could control dragons at will.” Sketch started to explain.
“So we... made him a villain...” Typo looked nervous and slightly ashamed.
“It was only later, when we went back to the Crystal Empire to gather more ideas did we find out all the good things the Black Knight had done.” Sketch Book continued to explain.
“I guess what we’re trying to say is... we’re sorry for making you a villain in our comic” Typo sighed and hung his head, unable to look Sunny in the eye.
Sunny eyed the sketches, writers notes, and various papers scattered all over the office. It would be what Rarity calls ‘controlled chaos’. Looking once again upon an issue of the Power Ponies where the Black Knight was with them on the cover, Sunny half smiled as he released a sigh.
“W-we plan to make it up to you though, we can-“ Typo started to say but was interrupted.
“It’s ok, Mr.Typo” Sunny spoke up, his voice was light and relaxed as his eyes wandered over to the couple. “I don’t want to stifle your creativity. Besides, if a wonderful filly like your daughter likes the Black Knight the way he is, then he’s ok in my books. Villain or not.”
The couple seemed relieved to hear what Sunny had to say, and they both promised to keep his secret if he offered to explain to them what was ‘really’ going on, why had the Black Knight attacked the prince, what were his connection with dragons, ect. Sunny told them that he would love to sit down and talk with them some time about it, and to write to him when they got a chance.
The rest of the party began to wind down, guests beginning to leave one right after another, with Pinkie (who changed out of her Fili-Second outfit) and Sunny being the last ones to wave goodbye to their new friends as they left Dawn and her family behind, making their journey back to Ponyville.
On the train ride home, a thought kept buzzing around in Sunny’s head. He wanted to ask Pinkie Pie something, but couldn’t quite spit it out.
“Thanks for doing that, Sunny” Pinkie shot him a huge smile. “I didn’t want you to have to dress up in your armor, but because you did, Dawn was really really surprised! Did you know her parents worked on the Power Pony comics?”
“Yeah, they told me that” Sunny didn’t go into full detail of what he and her parents talked about, but it wasn’t really needed. “Pinkie, can I ask, why did ya bring me along? Ah mean, don’t get me wrong, ah had ah wonderful time. But why me?”
Taking a deep breath, Pinkie calmed down a little and lowered her voice. “Well... Applejack told me how down you were because of Torch, and parties always make me feel better. That, and Dawn’s talent is helping to make others happy. Her talent’s similar to yours, finding the good in anypony or anything.
“I had a feeling she might help you if you just sat down and talked to her. And it makes her feel good to help others, too” Pinkie smiled at Sunny.
Feeling a great weight off his chest, Sunny leaned over and gave Pinkie a great big hug. “Thanks Pinkie....”
Returning the hug without hesitation, Pinkie replied “No problem, Sunny. That’s what friends are for...”
Back at Dawn’s parent’s house, while the little filly was fast asleep in her bed, her Crystal tiara laying flat on her night stand next to her, her parents were busy working on something they wished to keep secret from their daughter.
“Where do you think they are now?” Sketch Book asked as she prepared the envelope.
“Last I checked they were still in town” Typo replied as he quickly finished a letter, signing it for both him and his wife “Done.”
Pausing for a moment, Sketch looked to the ground, unable to meet her husband’s gaze. “Is this really the right thing to do? I mean... I feel so bad for the comics still...”
Nuzzling his wife lovingly, Typo tried to reassure her. “This ‘IS’ the right thing to do. If all goes right, we’ll help three ponies, not just one or two...”
With that, Sketch Book walked over to her pet pigeon and gave it the sealed letter, waking it up from it’s slumber. “Go find White Out and her husband, they should be in the city still. Go!”
With that command, the sleepy pigeon woke itself up and flew off into the night to deliver the letter....
"Man, I can’t wait to get to the Crystal Empire!” Thunderlane could hardly stay in his seat, his bottled up excitement making it impossible to sit down.
“I know what you mean” Octavia nodded at her friend, equally excited but more able to contain herself. “There is so much to see. Their culture is very rich what with the rare books at their library, the artifacts at the museum, art galleries filled with rare Crystal paintings and statues, and the music! Oh, I’ve heard so much about their style of music played with Crystal instruments!”
“Not to mention the Crystal berry muffins!” Derpy added in, licking her lips. “I hear they’re unlike anything else in all of Equestria!”
“Eh’yep, they sure are!” Big Mac nodded, remembering when Applejack brought some back with her to share with the family.
“‘I’ personally can’t wait to check out the Crystal Quartz caves” Doctor popped into the conversation. “The Crystal Wuartz from the Crystal Empire caves are said to be the most reactive and least dangerous mineral in all Equestria. They had been lost for 1000 years along with the Empire. Ponies can buy them now, but their half life is only two weeks. By the time I ordered some, their strength would be mostly depleted. But if I manage to obtain even a small sample, I can place it in my stasis thermos and....”
While the others talked about what they wanted to do first when they arrived at the Crystal Empire, Sunny just simply gazed out the window, trying desperately not to think about what could go wrong in the next few hours....
Earlier that day, after Sunny and Applejack finished half their chores for the day, Twilight arrived at the farm to ask them to join her and the others at her castle in the map room. Finishing up their chores as fast as they could, the two farm ponies rushed over to Twilight’s castle, worried that something bad might have happened, despite Twilight’s reassurance that nothing was wrong. After entering the castle and sprinting down the hall to the map room, Applejack and Sunny joined Twilight and the other elements of Harmony, as well as all the new Guardians of Harmony.
“I’m glad every pony could make it” Twilight started off the meeting, a small smile forced upon her muzzle. “As we know, things didn’t... quite go as planned when we tried the first time to receive the dragons for the upcoming raid on the IronLock prison.”
‘Yeah, that’s putting it lightly’ Sunny thought to himself. Then felt the need to repeat himself “I don’t calling it a ‘raid’. If at all, I’d like to come to some sort of understanding with my father. Maybe he’ll see reason and we can come to a peaceful agreement.”
“We will give him the benefit of the doubt” Twilight felt bad for putting Sunny in an awkward position, yet again. She and the others kept forgetting the bad guy they were going to face down was Sunny’s own father. She had never had such a challenge before, but knew what had to be done. This would be a true test of friendship, for them all. “I’m sorry, Sunny. I don’t want you to think we’re just going to barge on in and put him in chains. But we do need to be prepared for resistance. Which is my we need all the help we can get.
“As I was saying; When one door closes, another opens!” Twilight saw the pained expression on Sunny’s muzzle fade slightly and began addressing the large group of their friends again. “I wrote a letter to my brother and Cadence explaining the situation, and they offered to help. Not only that-“
“What do you mean by ‘they offered to help’?” Sunny interrupted, an eyebrow raised, his heart rate picking up.
“Yeah, are they going to lend us cool armor, and weapons and stuff?” Rainbow Dash asked, the thought of her wearing cool armor and wielding awesome Crystal weapons filled her head.
“That and more” Twilight noted, not really liking the need for weapons, having preferred, just like Sunny, to find a peaceful resolution to conflict. Even if it was with Sombra. “They want to go over the details with you guys in the Empire. I already got your tickets, your train will leave bright and early in the-“
“What do you mean ‘you guys’? Who exactly ‘is’ going?”Sunny interrupted the purple alicorn when something she said didn’t quite sit well with him.
All eyes, from both the Elements and New Guardians of Harmony fell upon Twilight. The princess took a deep breath then began to explain. “This meeting is for the ‘Guardians of Harmony’ only. Spike and the rest of us need to remain here, Incase the map calls for us or something or Somepony attacks the town.”
“Why don’t ‘WE’ the Guardians protect the town?” Sunny suggested, his tone sounding more corse then what was needed. “Besides, princess Cadence and prince Shinning Armor would probably want to see ‘you’ and your friends rather then us.”
Twilight had a feeling Sunny wouldn’t want to go. Despite what happened last time he encountered Shinning Armor and Cadence, there probably still were uneasy feelings between them. Not to mention the former prince’s paranoia involving returning to the Empire. But Twilight made preparations, and was confident that she covered all her bases…
“Sunny?! Come in Sunny!” Thunderlane’s voice continued to raise until it broke the yellow unicorn from his flashback.
“Oh, Ugh, yeah, that sounds great...” Sunny answered, not really knowing what he was agreeing to.
“Oh? So you wouldn’t mind helping Fluttershy clean out the tarantula cages, huh?” Thunderlane joked as he ran a wing up the yellow stallion’s back, mimicking the hairy spider’s footsteps.
Sunny fell out of his seat as the image of a giant hairy spider running up his back sent him into panic mode. When he realized it was just his winged pal messing with him, the yellow unicorn rolled his eyes and crawled back up into his seat. “Very funny, Thunderlane.”
“Come on, buddy. You’re more wound up then Rainbow Dash when she tried coffee for the first time!” The grey pegasus stated.
“Somethin’ botherin’ ya?” Big Mac asked, sensing something was eating at the yellow unicorn.
“Sorry, Ah was just thinkin’ ‘bout what Twilight said. ‘Bout why ‘WE’ had ya go 'stead of them.” Sunny admitted. It wasn’t the whole truth, but his answer did seem like a solid enough reason for his discomfort.
Taking a seat next to Sunny, Octavia put a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. “I know that this must be tough for you; going back to your former home, but you aren’t going in alone.”
“Yeah! Ain’t no pony gunna mess with you when we’re around!” Thunderlane puffed up his chest then nodded to the big red stallion next to him. “Right Big Mac?”
“Eh’yep!” Big Mac mimicked Thunderlane, also puffing out his chest.
Their tough guy act came across as a little goofy, but it was enough to actually help push Sunny as ease. Releasing a held breath, Sunny felt his tense muscles begin to relax. Having his friends there with him might make it difficult for Sunny to sneak around, but it made him feel safer then anything to have them there with him. He felt like no matter what happened there, it wasn’t anything him and his friends couldn’t overcome.
Little did he know that not only were there armed guards waiting to intercept him at the train station, but as they spoke, an army marched towards the Crystal Empire, hungry for a 1000 year old revenge.
As the train passed through the barrier that separated the Crystal Empire boarder from the cold, harsh arctic that surrounded it, Sunny’s heart began to race faster and faster. His green eyes gazed out the windows of the train, his ears too filled with the sound of his heart’s beat to hear his friends talking to him. It wasn’t until Doctor nudged him with his hoof that Sunny snapped out of his daze.
“Huh? W-what did you say?” The yellow unicorn stumbled over his words as his attention was pulled away from the window.
“It’s time to go, Sunny” Doctor stated, motioning to the rest of their friends, Derpy, Thunderlane, Octavia and Big Mac. All of which were excited for their trip to the Crystal Empire, but their excitement had become deluted with worry for their spacey yellow friend. They all still tried to remain enthusiastic, hoping that might help wash some worry off Sunny. It was hard to say if it was actually working or not.
“R-right! Sorry!” Sunny shook his head a little and tried to force a smile. But despite his forced expression, all his friends could read him easier then Twilight could a book. They all saw the worry Sunny had, and knew that they needed to stick by him.
As the new Guardians began to file out of the train, they were met immediately by a group of Crystal guards, all of which were armed with spears and battle ready armor. Upon seeing Sunny and his friends, they all bowed their heads and took a knee.
“Your majesty” the lead guard spoke. “It is a pleasure to see you again.”
“Pleasures aside” another guard spoke up, who’s position mirrored their leader. “Princess Cadence and Prince Shinning Armor have sent us to escort you to the castle.”
“We don’t need escorts” Sunny’s tone was harsh and cold, his heart still racing. “Escorts, especially ones like the elite royal guard, will only attract attention to ourselves.”
“We know, your majesty. You are right, but-” the lead guard spoke up one again.
“And I am not ‘your majasty’!” Sunny snapped again. But before he could say anything further, his pounding heart fueling the angered fire deep within him, a hoof landed on his shoulder again. Turning his head slightly, Sunny’s gaze was met by a pair of yellow eyes facing in opposite directions. Derpy didn’t say a word, she really didn’t need to. Looking into her gentle, caring eyes was enough to calm Sunny down and remind him that his friends would be there for him, so he didn’t need to worry so much.
Turning back to the guard, Sunny took a deep calming breath and spoke once more. “I’m no longer a prince...Just call me Sunny. And I suppose it would be wise to have some escorts to the castle.”
Taking a one last deep breath, Sunny looked from the train to the Crystal Empire just down the way. He nodded to the lead guard, signaling him that they were ready to advance.
“Alright, soldiers, fall in!” The stallion ordered. The rest of the guards then moved into formation around Sunny and the rest of the new Guardians of Harmony, becoming a barrier between them and anypony or anything else.
The walk was slow, the guards trying not to move too fast for the Guardians, which only made the torment for Sunny drag on that much longer. It was like the time he dreamt about being in school and having forgotten his homework that he knew the teacher would collect at the end of class. With every few steps they took, Sunny had to slowly inhale and exhale. At first it seemed he was worrying for nothing, everypony seemed to notice them as they entered the rural part of the empire, but didn't seem to care. That is, until the group entered into the thicker, more populated section of the Empire, then they quickly gathered attention to themselves.
Crystal ponies who had been busy with their average daily activities, appearing happy and in high spirits, suddenly paused as the group of New guardians being lead to the castle by the elite royal guard. More then a few Crystal ponies stopped what they were doing and gazed at them. It was an odd sight to behold, seeing how the elite guards mostly escorted royalty, but an entire group? As more and more ponies looked onto Sunny and his friends, one elderly mare recognized the yellow unicorn in a Stetson hat!
“It’s the prince! Prince Soleggiato!” The elderly mare called out, her fake teeth almost jumping out of her mouth.
As the name echoed in the air, ponies began to pop up out of nowhere, whispers began to fill the air, growing into loud buzzing that filled Sunny’s ears. The former prince’s heart rate began to kick back up again, his breathing stopped being calm and relaxed and began to accelerate.
Noticing his panic, the head guard muttered to his armed brethren “Pick up the pace, men.”
Hearing that, the guards, Octavia, Doctor and the rest of the New Guardians began to pick up speed as they were now racing to the Crystal Castle. Sunny had no problem putting his hooves into high gear, his rapid heart rate helping him to move faster and faster. But the faster the small herd moved, the more attention they seemed to draw to themselves, until it seemed like the entire Crystal Empire was following them, running close behind the guards and Guardians!
“It is him! The prince!” Another pony called out as she ran behind with the group.
“The son of King Sombra!” A Crystal stallion yelled as he galloped along side the group, eyes locked on the yellow unicorn.
“It’s true! He’s back!” Another mare confirmed it, getting closer to the guards, catching a glimpse of Sunny with her own eyes.
“Where have you been?” Another mare cried out, trying to catch up to him and the rest of his friends.
“Where were you when your father enslaved us?” A second stallion yelled his question, anger obvious in his tone.
And like that, Sunny was bombarded with questions, sending him into an unstable emotional state. Something dangerous for any unicorn to be in, let alone Somepony like Sunny.
“Did you join forces with your father!?”
“Is he coming back!?”
“Is King Sombra here now?!”
“Are you going to protect us this time?”
“Are you on his side?”
“Do you know where he is?!”
“Are you hiding him somewhere?!”
“Why didn’t you come back sooner?!”
“JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” Sunny yelled at the top of his lungs, his voice shaky and crackling like his mental state.
The other new Guardians and their guard escorts stopped immediately and looked at the former prince of the Crystal Empire. It looked like tears had begun to build up in his eyes as Sunny could no longer handle the endless bombardment of questions, questions that were reawakening his horrible nightmare that his father gave him over 1000 years ago. The nightmare that broke Sunny mentally the last time and suppressed all his memories. The nightmare that Sunny thought he had grown past. But here he was, his worst fears come to be, just like his father showed him they would.
Fearing things would only get worse, Sunny closed his eyes and concentrate, repeating the same phrase over and over again. ‘I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE... I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE... I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE.... I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!’
Sunny’s unicorn magic began to react with his strong feelings, giving his aura shape and direction for a spell he was subconsciously casting. Before his friends could calm him down, a flash of green light flared, blinding everypony around him. When the light disappeared and ponies could open their eyes, they noticed the Sunny was gone, leaving behind him sparkles of glitter like after glow from his magic.
Having cast the teleporting spell blind, Sunny leap from one place to another, popping up in one place for barely a second only to disappear again in a flash. Desperate to get away from everypony closing in on him, Sunny unknowingly teleported from the town right to west side of the Crystal Empire castle. Opening his eyes, Sunny felt light headed but quickly became aware of where he ended up. He possibly teleported there because that was their end goal; to meet Cadence and Shinning Armor at the castle.
But as the spots in Sunny’s eyes began to clear, his mind becoming less and less foggy, his eyes locked onto something he had long forgotten about, something that he still had no answer as to it’s origin.
Standing at the center of the base of the castle, like a monolith tribute to his haunting past, was the statue of King Sombra, Sunny’s father. The very same one Sunny had run into on in the Apple’s orchard back in Ponyville, back when he first started living on the farm before he had any idea of who he was. The statue of King Sombra appearing fiendish and monsterous, his eyes set a flame, a sharp toothed grin present on his muzzle as he stood triumphant, looking down on some pony he kept physically under his hoof. As Sunny’s gaze travled up and down the statue, the horror in his heart grew until his heart beat rang like bronze bells in his ears.
The face of the pony who lay at the ground underneath Sombra’s hoof was no longer scratched out as it had been when Sunny first ran into it. No. Now it had a face, clearly carved and cut perfectly to match the pony the statue was based off of. Tears began to roll down Sunny’s cheeks now, the former prince unable to contain the hurt and pain in his heart, as he looked down at his own image carved in stone. The pony the monstrous Sombra stood over, crushing into the ground with his hoof wearing a smile on his muzzle, was none other then his own son. (Former)Prince and Black Knight Soleggiato Cavalere. Sunny himself.
Rage quickly sparked from the aching pain in his chest, setting his heart a flame. Sunny let the anger bubble over into his horn, building up, and planned to remove that stature from the face of Equestria once and for all! The magic gathered in his yellow horn was fueled by Sunny’s memories; the fond memories he shared of growing up with his father, the sorrow and loneliness he felt growing up without friends his own age, the duty he felt he had to uphold as a prince, all to be topped by the horror of what happened that night, the night he faught his father for the freedom of the Crystal Empire, and lost. Even the haunting memories of his 1000 year nightmare helped to fuel the dark magic Sunny was channeling. The images of the angry Crystal ponies all blaming him for their pain, the knowledge that he failed them, and the disgrace he had for himself. All the negative emotions boiled into a massive surge of dark magical aura that coated Sunny’s horn.
Just as Sunny’s friends, their elite guard escorts, as well as pretty much the entire population of the Crystal Empire, arrived at the scene, a large blast shot out from the tip of the yellow unicorn’s horn, heading right towards the statue in front of him! Time itself seemed to slow to a crawl, seconds stretching on into hours as the magical blast traveled through the air, just about to reach it’s target, the statue, when at what should have been the moment of impact, the statue vanished into thin air!
Everypony watched as the blast of dark magic continued to travel to a new target. One that left everypony’s eyes wide open, jaws dropped practically to the ground, and breaths held for longer then anypony else had ever done. The large, destructive blast of dark magic made contact with the Crystal Heart!!!
The ancient heart shaped crystal that had remained at the center of the Crystal Empire, protecting it and it’s inhabitants from the many dangers that lay just beyond their boarders, took the full hit from Sunny’s horn, aborning all the black magic like it did the inner light of the Crystal ponies. As everypony continued to watch the Crystal Heart, the protective artifact began to pulse, first growing dark in color, as black as the dark magical blast itself. It began to rock back and forth, as if something was trying to escape from inside, then the darkness disapated and the Crystal Heart began to brighten from darkest black to its former bright almost clear sky blue. But it’s movement didn’t stop.
Instead of shaking violently, the heart began to spin around in place, a light color forming around it as it span. Everypony began to slightly breath again, and approached the Crystal Heart cautiously, unsure of what was about to happen.
When the Heart reached it’s top speed, it released a shock wave, similar to when it’s powered by the inner light of the Crystal Ponies. The wave of light flashed and spread, passing through everypony near the Crystal Heart, spreading through the entire Crystal Castle, then made it’s way to all corners of the Crystal Empire itself, bringing everypony in the Empire into a bright dream like state.
After the blast hit everypony, Sunny lost consciousness and passed out while everypony else appeared to be dreaming. A dream that enlightened everypony to the mysteries that happened all those years ago...
Years before the fall of the Crystal Empire...
Inside the castle walls, on a bright sunny day, Prince Soleggiato, dressed in his training armor, continued to spar with his father. Sword clashing against sword, each coated in the respective magical aura of their owner. Both King Sombra and his son shared a similar color of magic, but few ponies could tell that Solggiato's was just a few shades lighter then his father’s.
Breaking apart from a lock, Sombra smiled at his son, proud at the quick progress he’s made in such a short time. “You have improved your swordsmanship. But let’s test your memory. What are the virtues a Knight holds?”
Sombra then struck out against his son, who, countered with his own aura covered sword as he answered. “A Knight stands strong in the face of evil!”
“Good” Sombra smiled before sliding to his son’s left to strike a side blow. But his attack was once again blocked without any hesitation from his son. “And who does a Knight defend?”
“A knight defends the weak and innocent!” The young prince answered as he tossed all his weight into pushing his father’s attack off him and put some distance between them.
“Correct” Sombra replied before making another lunge that turned into an over the head spin strike. Quickly reacting, Soleggiato knew better then to try and block such a heavy and high attack, and instead, executed a low roll, then a low counter attack to his father’s side. Having predicted it, Sombra blocked his son’s counter. “What does a Knight hold in his heart?”
Taking a few swift steps back, putting distance between him and his father, the yellow unicorn prince calmed his breath and replied with the point of his sword still aimed at his opponent. “A Knight’s heart holds virtue and the Elements of Harmony!”
Smiling proudly at his son’s answer, Sombra withdrew his sword, pleased with Soleggiato’s answers as well as his reflexes and show of power and restraint. “You’ve been studying, I see. I’m very proud of you. I know your mother would be too.”
Take a few relaxed deep breaths, then smiling as he put his own sword back in it’s own sheath, Soleggiato asked his father “do you really think I have what it takes to become a Knight? A Crystal Guard is one thing, but a Knight?”
Walking up to his son, Sombra smiled as he placed a hoof over Sunny’s shoulder. “I’ve seen many knights, having been one of them for years before I was appointed King, but not one of them has the heart that you do. Just remember, a Knight uses his words first, before his sword.”
Smiling and hugging his father, Sunny muttered into his father’s ear “thanks for always believing in me, dad... I hope I can be as great of a Knight as you were...”
Returning the hug and smiling even wilder then before, Sombra replied back to his son “you are a very special pony, Sunny. I know you’ll go off to do great things that most ponies, even knights, could only dream about.”
Breaking the hug, Sombra smiled at his son again before flipping Sunny’s helmet forward a little. “Now, why don’t we go meet pappy and have that Father’s day lunch you promised me.”
“Sure!” Sunny quickly replied before clearing his throat. “Ugh, I mean. That sounds great. You don’t think Pappy would mind us springing this in him?”
“I’m sure he’d love to join us” Sombra smiled.
But the image of the heart warming scene vanished in a swift puff of smoke. Images began to flood into everypony's mind all at once. Images of Soleggiato meeting with the Dragon Lord, of becoming the Black Knight, of him meeting with other royals and public figures (and being board out of his mind while doing so), of him training with the Crystal guard, as well as memories of him as a young colt after a very, very upsetting birthday. Happy memories swirled into the collective dream as well; like when Sunny received his cutie mark, of when he first mastered Crystal magic, when his father helped him with his magic homework, pulling pranks with Pappy on the maids of the castle, and of the day he was knighted. But all good things of the past came to an end as the darkness returned.
Everypony dreaming witnessed the horrors of the Crystal Empire that Prince Soleggiato returned to over 1000 years ago. For most of them, they were reliving their own worst nightmares through the prince’s eyes. But for Sunny’s friends, they were witnessing the darkest moment of Equestria’s history. Altogether, the Crystal ponies, the elite guard, the new rulers of the Crystal Empire, and the New Guardians of Harmony watched as Sunny confronted his own father. They witnessed their battle, all while feeling the inner conflict in Sunny’s own heart. He hated to fight his own father and wished that he would stop this madness and set the ponies of the Empire free. The dreaming witnesses not only saw the conflicts both within and before Soleggiato, but began to sense the empending doom.
While the Crystal ponies were sealed with the Empire, just to be locked away safely until the King’s return. Sunny was not so lucky. For whatever reason, Sombra saw fit to install something else in him. The king cast the nightmare spell on his own son, forcing him to witness his worst fears.
The ponies of the Crystal Empire all watched in horror as images of themselves began to yell and harass the prince, the world around him becoming darker and darker until it all faded to black. But this dark tunnel had a light at the end of it.
The dark tension began to lighten as Sunny warbled out of a hole in the middle of the forest and met Goldie Delicious after taking a small nap. The images began to speed up of Sunny venturing into Ponyville, meeting Pinkie, being taken to Sweet Apple Acres, and meeting the Apple Family. They all felt his joy as Sunny shared laughs, worked hard on the farm, made friends, and began a new life, one that was free from the stressors and worries of his past life. The last thing that everypony witnessed was Sunny, sitting on the porch of the farm house, a few days after they defeated Charming Knightmare, with an orange earth-pony mare. She was gazing out into the distance at the setting sun. The yellow unicorn looked over at Applejack who has sat down close to him, inching her way closer and closer to him. He looked into her emerald green eyes and she into his.
“I love you...” he said to her in a tender tone, all his walls crumbled as he uttered those words old as time.
“Ah love you too...” Applejack answered him, her words just as soft.
The dream began to fade to white as the two ponies kissed on the farm porch, a moment that would always stand as a cornerstone of peace in both the ponies minds who the memory belonged to...
As the dream sequence ended, everypony coming out of the daze and shaking their heads, many eyes fell upon the yellow unicorn who was asleep about ten feet from the Crystal heart. He appeared to be in deep, possibly dreamless, slumber. Before anypony else could speak up, Sunny’s friends and fellow guardians picked him up and began to carry him into the castle that once was his home. The doors behind the new Guardians were shut by the elite guard, leaving two of their members behind to guard the doors. But there wasn’t much of a threat to anypony for miles. Everypony who had been hit by the dream wave was lost in thought, trying still to process everything as well as remember what all they had seen.
Meanwhile, about a mile away, watching through a pair of opera goggles, a certain trouble maker relaxed in a floating hammock, watching everything unfold from a safe distance while enjoying a tall glass of chocolate milk.
“My my my, ‘that’ couldn’t have gone better!” Discord chucked, pleases with himself. With a snap of his bear claws, the statue of King Sombra standing over Sunny reappeared once more. Looking over at the statue, Discord became even more pleased with himself. “Everything is going according to plan. Now, let’s get this back to royal garden before Celestia notices it missing.
“Oh! But I almost forgot!” Right before Discord vanished with another snap of his claws, he waved his paw in front of the part of the statue that looked like Sunny, reverting it back to it’s scratched up state. “Don’t need Celestia freaking out just yet. She needs to keep a cool head, for the time being...”
With the statue reverted to it’s previous state, Discord flashed away, ready to move to the next phase of his plan.
The smell of freshly cleaned sheets filled Sunny’s nostrils as he slept. His body numb, but his mind began to stir. Thoughts of recent events began to fill his mind after a dreamless slumber. He was in the Crystal Empire... something happened when he shot tat blast of dark magic at the Crystal Heart, but as to what, Sunny had no idea. As he began to search his mind for possible lost memories, familiar voices began to ring in his ears.
“But who are they? And what do they want?” Doctor’s voice sounded slightly shaky and unsure.
“They say they want the one responsible for some attack on their village 1000 ago” a member of the elite guard replied.
“And they assume that’s Sunny?” Octavia questioned, a hint of annoyed anger in her tone.
“They do. Try specifically asked for ‘The Prince in Black Armor and seals with dragons'" the guard replied, trying to mask the worry in his tone.
Without realizing it, Sunny had levitated himself up and over to the far end of the room, where the group of his friends and a few elite guards stood just out side, talking while also remaining close to their ill friend.
“I don’t know what do to...” Doctor admited. “Maybe we can reason with them? Talk to them sensibly?”
“Don’t think they’re up for talkin’, Doc” Thunderlane stated. “When me and a few others flew over head, their archores tried to take us out with arrows. They mean business.”
Now fully awake, Sunny took a few deep breaths, having heard not then enough, and mustard the strength to walk as naturally as he could. if he even appeared half as weak as he felt, Sunny knew his friends wouldn't even let him leave the castle, much less take on this new opposing force.
Derpy was the first to notice Sunny approaching them, and gasped. “Sunny! You should be resting!”
The others quickly turned to see their yellow friend barely able to stand, but a burning look in his eye that tore their attention away from his wobbly knees. Sunny's tone was firm and solid as the castle walls themselves “They want the Black Knight, they’ll get the Black Knight. But Doctor is right, we need to try diplomacy first.”
“No!” Octavia interjected, a firm look also in her own eye as she locked with Sunny’s gaze. “You are in no condition to do anything of the sort! You need rest!”
“Yeah, man” Thunderlane found his voice, but his words weren’t as solid as Octavia’s. “‘Sides, Cadence and Shinning Armor went to go speak with them. They might-“
But before Thunderlane could finish what he was saying, the royal couple entered the room, a defeated look in their eyes as the slightly hun their heads, unable to look Sunny or the other guardians in the eye.
“Ah take it that didn’t go well?” Big Mac honestly commented.
Taking a deep breath, Shinning Armor began to explain the situation. “The group claim to be from the Town of Iron Hill and demand that Sunny be handed over to them so they could try him for some past crimes.”
“‘Past crimes’?” Octavia repeated the last words.
“They all seem really convinced that Sunny is responsible for something terrible that happened to their town in the past. Over 1000 years ago.” Cadence started to explain further. “We told them that was ridiculous, but they said that if they do not get the yellow unicorn with the eclipse cutie mark by sundown, that they will attack the Empire, and tear it to pieces until they find him."
“Do they realize that’s an act of war, not just on the Empire, but Equestria itself?!” Sunny stepped forward, baffled at how some ponies could be so arrogant, so nearsighted.
“They all seem really determined and willing to make that sacrifice” Shinnig Armor noted, could noletly agreeing with Sunny.
“But don’t worry” Cadence forced a smile as she looked at Sunny. “We can have a letter sent to the princesses right away. Not only will sun down not happen until they command, but they’ll be here and stop-“
“No” Sunny shook his head as he looked around for his Stetson hat. He saw it hung on a near by coatrack and tried to levitate it over to him. But his green magical aura was weak and wavered. That blast Sunny released took more out of him then he realized. After slightly lifting his hat up, his magical aura disappeared and dropped it to the ground. With a sigh, Sunny walked over and picked the hat up, dusting it off before putting it back atop his head. “like I said before; They want me, they’ll get me.”
“Don’t be foolish!” Doctor put his hoof down, a serious look plastered all over his muzzle.
“He’s right! Maybe this is all a big misunderstanding!” Derpy pleaded to her yellow friend.
“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, I need to confront them” Sunny told his friends. “If I don’t, they could harm innocent ponies. The Crystal Empire already suffered enough because I wouldn’t meet a problem head-on. I won’t let that happen again.”
“You shouldn’t keep holding that against yourself, Sunny” Cadence spoke up, stepping forward. “Nopony should ever have to fight their own father, especially Somepony who felt as close to him as you did.”
“You know nothing of my father!” Sunny snapped and turned away from Cadence and his friends. “Regardless. I need to face this new threat.”
“Are all stallions so stubborn?” Octavia cracked a small smile while shaking her head, then stepped forward to Sunny’s side. “If you insist on going, I’ll join you.”
“Me too!” Thunderlane hovered over Sunny. “I ain’t gunna let a bro of mine go face some goons alone! If they want a fight, we’ll give them one!”
Big Mac appeared by Sunny’s side as well, nudging him. The large red stallion was always a pony of few words, needing only slight facial expressions and looks in his eyes to get his point across. Over time, Sunny could read him better then even Big Mac’s sister’s some times. And from the look Big Mac was giving him, Sunny could tell he wouldn’t let him go in without him either.
“Count me in too!” Derpy tackle hugged Sunny.
“Agreed” Doctor straitened his tie. “I prefer to come to peaceful resolutions, but I’m not opposed to hoof to hoof combat.”
Looking at all his friends standing beside him, ready to take this challenge on, Sunny felt something warm growing inside. Like when they all faced and defeated Tirek. That inner light was there inside him again. Sunny could sense that it was inside his friends too as he looked to each and every one of them, a smile growing and spreading across his muzzle. The conduct ahead no longer felt like an inevitable fight Sunny would have to decide or deal with, but more like a problem he and his friends would soon solve. the hanging sence of dead wasn' t weighing in Sunny's heart, but rather a shinning ray of hope.
“Shoot, ya’ll are th’ best darn friends ah pony could have” Sunny admitted, his hard tone softening as his accent returned, indicating his worries were melting away. “Well, let’s go welcome our unwanted guests!”
All together, Sunny, Octavia, Thunderlane, Big Mac, Derpy and Doctor made their way down and out of the Crystal castle and down the streets, heading towards the pillars that stood at the edge of the Crystal Empire, where they saw the flags of the enemy flying high in the sky. As the group galloped through town, they were joined by the elite guard.
Noticing them, Sunny spoke to their leader while still Galloping. “You guys should stay back, let us Guardians handle this!”
“No can do, Sir!” The leader commented. “You may not remember us, but we all owe you for what you did for us way back when. And we always pay our debts.”
“Yeah!” A few of the their guards cheered.
No longer wanting to put up a fight, Sunny shook his head and gave up. “As you wish, but ya’ll don’t owe me nothin. Ah never helped anypony wantin’ anything in return!”
Ignoring the curious eyes of the Crystal ponies as they galloped faster and faster, racing to the edge of town, Sunny and his friends never lost sight of the invaders, eyes locked on the target. Finally, the New Guardians and the Elite guard arrived at the pillars at the farthest edge of the Crystal Empire. The ponies in black colored, iron armor looked from pony to pony of the group that approached them, until their eyes landed upon Sunny. Despite the lack of his Black Knight armor, and the out of place Stetson hat, his cutie mark of an eclipsed sun gave away his identity. A stallion in slightly heavier set armor then the others, armed with a large hammer, stood up and approached the group, followed by two other armored ponies barring long spears.
“I am the mayor of Iron Hill!” The stallion declared, his eyes narrowing on Sunny. “You there! Are you the Black Knight?”
“Ah am. What do ya’ll want with me?” Sunny asked plainly, keeping his composure, as if there wasn’t an army standing right in front of him.
“We want you!” The mayor stated loudly. “Black Knight, you are under arrest!”
The rest of the New Guardians as well as the elite guard gasped in confusion of the statement.
Sunny kept his cool, his tone remaining loud but had no emotion attached to it. “Under what charges? And why bring an entire army for just one pony? If Justice is what you seek, why didn't you so only explain that to Princess Cadence and Prince Shinning Armor when they came to speak with you? what go through this possible act of war?"
The mayor was about to say something when something behind Sunny and the rest of his group caught his attention. “Because of that!"
Not fully understanding what the mayor meant, Sunny turned his head to look to his friends for an answer, but was quickly met with one. Approaching from the town was a sea of Crystal ponies. Guards, shop keepers, foals and the elderly. All appearing to have a hardened look in their eyes, set a blaze by determination, all armed. weather with actual armor and weapons, or pots and pans and household utenciles.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about” Sunny stated. “I doubt they are here to aid me.”
“Your wrong” a female voice corrected him as a pink alicorn descended from the sky. Just as Princess Cadence landed, Shinning Armor appeared out of a flash of light by her side.
“We’re all here to make sure you’re ok” Shinning Armor stated with a half grin.
“So you want a war?” The mayor stomped his hoof.
“Just the opposite” Cadence said as she took a few steps closer, putting herself halfway between the mayor and Sunny. “You said you wanted to arrest Sunny, but to do that, he needs to be put on trial.”
“And he will have one” The mayor said in a softer tone to Cadence. His tone did not remain soft as his eyes fell upon Sunny once again. “The Black Knight will be tried for his crimes back at Iron Hill! Where he commuted the crime over 1000 years ago and has been dodging judgment ever since!”
“No he won’t” It was Shining Armor’s turn to speak up. Taking a few steps forward to join his wife, the captain of the royal guard started in with a statement of his own. “According to Equestrian law, anypony found guilty of a crime could request to be tried swiftly in the place of his origin, should he wish it.”
“And I do” Sunny spoke up, stepping forward, eyes locking with the mayor’s. “With Princess Cadence and Prince Shinning Armor acting as judges, I request this dispute be settled here and now.”
Turning his nose up to Sunny, the mayor removed his helmet and stomped his hoof. Immediately a meek looking stallion jumped to his side, a large book under hoof. “Fine. The trial begins now!
“Black Knight, you stand accused of destruction of both private and public property, of conspiring with a dragon to cause mayhem and destruction, and for reducing an entire town to rubble in mere moments, leaving a townsfull of ponies without food or shelter for months!" The mayor began his statement, grabbing the book from the stallion at his side. “Here, we have full documentation from every pony who was victimized 1000 years ago by the Black Knight, and his dragon cohort. Over twenty five buildings, a dozen shops, several stands and carts, as well as the only school within a hundred miles of the small town and even the town hall and Equestrian history museum. All burned to the ground when ‘this’ Black Knight road into town on a giant dragon!”
Everypony gasped at the statement. Sunny’s closest friends as well as Cadence and Shinning Armor turned to him, hoping to see some sort of shock or disbelief on his muzzle. But Sunny's eyes and expression remained monotone through the mayor’s statement.
“That winter was the coldest our town ever had to endure. But our ancestors did endure it” the mayor continued, passing the book over to Cadence and Shinning Armor to look over as documented evidence. “As you can see, our town’s founder, my distant relative, documented everything into the town’s history book, including the image of the ‘Black Knight’ as well as ‘the Prophecy’ that was told to us by the great Star-swirl the bearded, himself!”
“Prophecy?” Sunny repeated the word, his focus shifting. “What prophecy?”
“That is for us to know and to keep, especially from a monster like you!” The mayor snapped.
“Now hold on” Cadence raised a hoof, having skimmed over the book the mayor slid over to her. “This Book was written by your ancestor, correct?”
“That is correct” the mayor answered. “Every word of it.”
“From what I read, the ‘Black Knight’ appeared one day and threatened to destroy your entire town, using a giant dragon, did I read that right?” Cadence continued to press, her tone remaining as neutral as it could.
“Just as my ancestor documented!” The mayor had no problem answering loud enough for everypony to hear. “He showed up, and in a loud commanding voice told us he would destroy the village with the aid of dragon fire and dragon claws!”
Turning to Sunny, Cadence and Shinning Armor kept their tones and their expressions monotone to keep their judgment unbiased, with Cadence asking “Can we hear your side of the story, Sunny. I'm sure there are parts not documented that we need to hear."
“I’d be glad to take the stand, your majasty” Sunny bowed his head then took several steps forward so he was at the center of everypony, and as he spoke, he called from deep within him a strong commanding voice that could reach everypony for miles;
“Over 1000 years ago, I received word that a disturbance had happened between a dragon and a town full of ponies. Needing to stop any possible conflict before it arose, I traveled to where Iron Hill must be located now. It didn’t take me long to locate the dragon in need. She had built a nest in a cave at the base of the mountain and had her clutch of eggs hidden around there. But ponies arrived and began building a town one day as she left to eat and stretch her wings.
“She asked if I could speak to the ponies and get them to relocate their town. Your ancestors just started construction, still sleeping and living in tents as I approached them. They wouldn’t listen to my pleads, so I spoke with their leader. As I explained the situation to him, though, I could tell my words fell upon deaf ears. In his eyes I could only see greed. Greed for the rich iron ore that the mountain held within it’s stony body. He justified his greed by claiming it was for the town. But I could see his true intentions.
“Knowing I would be unable to have the ponies see reason, I thought to put a little bit of fear into them. I did in fact tell them that their ‘camp’ would be attacked by a rather angry dragon, if they didn’t move the town they were building to a new location. But they all booed my off my soap box and claimed ‘I’ wanted ‘their’ ore for myself. Never in all my years of service as a Knight or a prince had I ever been treated with such disrespect. Knowing I would make no head way with my current methods, I sent a letter to both my father and the princesses of Equestria, seeking their advice on the subject. But before I could receive the response, the mother dragon attacked the camp!
“The miners had found her nest and thought to present her eggs as trophies at what I assumed would be the center of their town. After she snatched up her eggs, the mother dragon defended herself and her eggs from the barrage of rocks and sticks being thrown at her and her unhatched offspring. I tried with all my might to stop the fighting, but after a rock grazed one of the mother's eggs, the female dragon lost control and quickly set fire to the camp. The minors and their leader quickly dropped their weapons and fleas to the nearby forest for shelter. once the mother dragon calmed down, I begged her forgiveness on their behalf and offered a sanctuary for her and her young. She was hesitant, but accepted my proposal. I then hopped on her back and directed her to a nearby volcano that could over her protection and a perfect place to raise her young that nearly nothing could harm them."
The eyes of all the iron armor clad ponies widdened as their anger and thirst for vengance disapated. As whispers began to grow from behind him, the mayor felt control over his village's ponies slipping through his hooves. He had to get it back, and knew his skilled silver toung was just what he needed to do so.
Slowly, the Mayor began to clap his hooves, eyebrows raised as his cold glare fell upon Sunny. " Well done, Black Knight, well done! You managed to not only make your war dragon out to be the victem and yourself a sympathetic herold, but also drag our ancestor's name through the mud, making them the bad guys. Did you come up with it a while ago, or did you just think it up on the spot?"
Eyes belonging both to the Iron Hill ponies as well as the members of the Crystal Empire fell upon the Mayor.
"'THAT' is what really happened, Mr.Mayor. I'm sorry what it makes your ancestors, but it's the truth" Sunny did his best to keep his composure, but a hint of anger was seeping through.
"Losing your temper, Black Knight?" The mayor sounded smug and confident now, his voice growing louder as he pretened to speak only to Sunny and the royal couple acting as judges, when in reality, the Mayor wanted everyone around to hear him to gain support. "The way I see it, WE have documented facts about what happened, and YOU, Black Knight, only have some bedtime story. No evidence or proof of any kind to support your tall tail!"
"I'm going to stop you right there, mister mayor" Shinning Armor put his hoof down, hardened eyes locked onto the armor clad elected official. "Your 'Evidance' isnt very sound, and hardly anything to be taken into consideration."
"From what we've heard" Cadence chimmed in before the mayor could argue with Shinning armor. "Your Ancestors did suffer through some hardship, and it did involve Sunny."
"They did indeed!" The mayor's smile grew wider as Cadence continued.
"Should this have involved anypony else, given what time has passed, as well as his record of various deeds he's done" Cadence's tone and expression retained it's nutral tone. "I feel he has already payed his debt to Equestria, and then some."
The mayor was too shocked to say anything at first. Then his face cracked and his wide smile broke into a ragefilled, teeth grinding, frustraited frown. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S PAYED HIS DEBT TO EQUESTRIA!? WE DEMAND JUSTIVE FOR ALL OF OUR PAST SUFFERING!!!"
"Who's suffering, exactly?" Shinning raised a brow at the mayor.
"From what we've seen and heard from you, you and your town in great shape. Any damage Sunny and that mother dragon might have done had long since been built over or burried." Cadence elaborated, eyes locked with the mayor, who didn't appear to like what she had to say.
"If you don't mind, can I say something" Sunny spoke up, redirecting everypony's attention to him.
"You may, Sunny" Cadence urged him to speak.
Taking a deep breath to gather his thoughts on how to word what he wanted to say correctly. "Although things did not go quite as I planned back then, or how the ponies from 1000 ago documented it, I still feel like I owe the ponies of Iron Hill something. Perhaps I could do some community service-"
"Absolutely not' Cadance put her hoof down, shocking Sunny quite a bit.
"Sunny, you're a prince of Equestria who went out of your way so much to help his fellow pony" Shinning armor shot him a relaxed smile.
"What does that-" the mayor started to pip up again, but was cut off when we need of the royal guards stepped forward.
"Of it wasn't for you, Prince Solggiato" the guard removed his helmet, held it to his chest, and bowed to the prince. "I, Flawless Arrow, might not have ever become a Crystal Guard at all. You spoke to the captain about me and my potential, and I was given a second chance when I was about to be kicked out of the academy. Thank you…"
"If it wasn't for you, Sir, my sister and I would still be living on the streets." Another crystal guard, quite small, but muscular, stepped forward and mimicked Emerald's bow. "But you brought us here, to the Crystal Empire, and gave me a job working at the dinning Hall. We worked our way up, and now my sister teaches at the local school, and I'm am elite guard. I hoped to be just like 'you' one day."
"You helped to build and and restore my shop after we had that terrable fire!" A mare stepped out from the sea of Crystal ponies. "If you didn't offer to help and pay for some of the supplies, I wouldnt be where I am today. Thank you so much!"
"When my mommy was sick, you were the only pony who took me seriously enough to come back with me and see my mommy." A filly stepped out of the crowd, holding her mother's hoof in hers. "Of you hadn't taken me.so seriously and got Nurse Hope to her, my mommy wouldn't have gotten better!"
"Thank you so much, your majasty" the mother of the filly smiled and bowed to Sunny as well.
An elderly mare stepped out of the crowd, catching everypony’s attention. It was the mare who ran the library. “When no pony would visit the library, and I felt like not even opening it some days, you brought in a new wave of ponies by holding that book fair week. A week long book related fair with food, activities, and best of all reading!”
“When I first started workin at my parent’s restaurant, business was very poor” The mare on the opposite side started to speak now. She was a eater tall and thin mare, with a well kept mane that would droop down to floor if it wasn’t tied back. “But you started eating there, even so far as bringing other delegates who came to speak with you. When the word got out that royalty ate at our restaurant, business picked up better ten it ever had before! We even had to expand and add an outdoor sitting area just to accommodate!”
"You found my tinny ews when they ran away!"
"You helped me pass my math finals!"
"You helped me.tp believe in myself again!"
"You taught my brother and I the importance of sharing!"
"You brought my wife and I closer together!"
"You pushed me to be better at my art!"
All the Crystal ponies began calling out what Sunny did for them, and for a brief moment, Sunny's nightmare of their angered screamed flashed before his eyes. But only for a flash. The horrible nightmare was then replaced by the meaningful words that the Crystal ponies we're cheering for him. This was it The darkneed world filled with the familiar screams melted away, and Sunny stood in a bright new one , filled with ponies who he helped and we're great ful for him being there.
Cadence and shinning armor smiled at each other as the white unicorn guard through his front hoof over his wife. They rubbed muzzles then turned and looked at Sunny.
"Although crudely delivered"Cadence started to say. "You helped us grow closer again."
"Thanks to you, I remembered what was important, and I'll never forget it. Shinning bowed his head a little to Sunny.
Playfully, Sunny chuckled and replied "if you do, you have three more legs. Better watch out."
"I'M GLAD YOU ALL THINK THIS IS FUNNY!' the mayor snapped, his voice roaring over everypony's laughter. "But 'I' still think the Black Knight needs to be tried properly for his crimes! We are going to take him back to Iron Hill and he'll stand on a 'real' trial!"
As he Mayor of Iron town finished his speech, a sound of matalic shuffles and clings hit the sound like thunderous rain. Looking back to the armored inhabitants or Iron Town, Sunny, Cadance, Shinning Armor, and everypony else watched as the mayor:s army removed their iron armor, toaaing it aside, and began walking towards the Crystal Empire train station. Dumbfounded and unable to speak, the mayor watched as his entire town abandoned both him and the revenge he preached to them for years.
"I think it's best of you just go home" Sunny told the mayor, being the first to speak up. "It's over. Let it go and move on."
Snapping back, the mayor's eyes blazing with rage as they locked with Sunny's. Anger sown into every word he spoke "'move on'!? You think this is over!? I don't care what those spinless foals think! Not only are you guilty of destroying our ancestor's homes, but you insulted their and 'my' honor! You may have everypony else fooled, Black Knight, but I see right through you!"
Now dashing off in the opposite direction of the train station, towards the boarder of the barrior of the Empire's boarder, the mayor yelled back "You'll rule the day you me! I will have my revenge!!!"
After faint image of the mayor vanished from sight, Sunny looked to his friends, then to Cadence and Shinning Armor and back and asked them "did anypony know his name? Ah feel kinda bad that ah never asked."
"It wasn't really a 'formal' meeting" Octavia commented stepping forward.
"You ok, bro?" Thunderlane asked. "I mean, not every day some pony swears revenge upon you."
"Unless yer Twilight" Sunny joked. "Let's see… Chrisalis, Discord at one point, Anypony else I missed?"
"None I can think of" Big Mac joined in, chuckling to himself a little. "But it's early still."
That made Sunny start to laugh hardwr, and his laughter was soon joined in by the rest of his friends. It had been a while since they all could relax and joke like this, and it might be a while before they could relax enough to do it again, so they inteded to enjoy it.
After several moments, Sunny wipped away a few years and gathered himself. "Maybe we should get down ta business. Like what we originally came here to do."
"And maybe figure out what we're going to do with all of those"Cadence notioned to the heavy set iron armor that was thrown away by the Villagers from Iron Hill.
"Oh! Dibs!" Thunder jumped into a pile of the armor and emerged in a flash wearing a suit of it. "Nice! I look good!"
"Me too!"Big Mac Jumped in and threw on a suit before anypony could stop him.
As he and Thunderlane struck poses in their newly acquired armor, Sunny chuckled again and told Cadence and Shinning Armor "I guess we'll take them with us. I have a way to get them back home."
"I think there's one more thing to address before we head back to the castle, Sunny" Cadence caught the yellow unicorn's attention, motioning to the crowd.
A smile spread across his muzzle, wider then any he ever had before, Sunny spoke once again in that deep, loud, commanding voice, so that everypony could hear him. “CITIZENS OF THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE! I MAY NO LONGER BE YOUR PRINCE, BUT I WILL NEVER STOP PROTECTING AND AIDING PONIES IN NEED. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR STANSING BESIDE ME AND SHOWING THE SUNNIER SIDE OF ME. IT MEAN SO MUCH TO ME THAT YOU ALL SPOKE SO FONDLY IN MY BEHALF. I HAVE FAILED YOU ALL IN THE PAST, BUT NEVER AGAIN! YOU ALL WILL ALWAYS BE UNDER MY PROTECTION, AND MAY SEEK ME OUT IF YOU EVER NEED MY HELP. LONG LIVE THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE! LONG LOVE EQUESTEIA!"
“You’ll always be a prince to us, Prince Soleggiato” Flawless Arrow called out with a humble grin, then bowed to Sunny. The guards on both his sides followed suit, bowing and lowering their heads in respect for Sunny, while the crowsd of Crystal Ponies eurupted into a sea of hoof stomps and cheers, all mimicking Flawless's words 'Prince Soleggiato!'
Not knowing how to react, Sunny first turned to Cadence and Shinning Armor, But they simply smiled and nodded. Looking to his friends now, Sunny begged them with his eyes for some help. But before he could do anything, Doctor appeared on his right and Derpy to his left.
“Stand up tall and proud, old friend” Doctor said under his breath. “You’ve more then urned their respect.”
“I can’t think of anypony kinder and more giving then you” Derpy said with a small chuckle.
“I couldn’t agree more” Octavia stepped forward, taking a place beside Derpy.
“For sure!” Thunderlane locked eyes with Sunny for a moment, trying to pass of some of his gusto to his yellow friend.
“We all think so.” Big Mac put a hoof on Sunny’s shoulder.
.
Taking a deep breath, Sunny spoke once again, but this time, without the deep commanding tone. “If ya’ll want, ya can just call me Sunny.”
The thunderous applause broke out as everypony was now chanting even louder then before “PRINCE SUNNY! PRINCE SUNNY! PRINCE SUNNY! PRINCE SUNNY!”
“Prince Sunny” another voice spoke the name, but from behind the group known as the new Guardians of Harmony. Turning around to face the one who spoke the name, almost everypony was shocked to see what was standing before them. The creature was easily triple the hight of even the tallest pony, walked on two legs looking much like an ape, but was covered in white fur. “I request an audience with you and your party.”
Narrowing his eyes on the ape like being, Sunny swore it was him. “Charles?”
The tall hairy creature cleared his throat, speaking in a civilized and well educated tone. “I beleave you are referring to my grandfather, Charles Glacierbreak the first, I am Charles Glacierbreak II. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, your majesty. My grandfather speaks fondly of you and your diplomatic authority, as well as your cunning wisdom, and bravery.”
Trying to hide his slight embarrassment, Sunny adjusted his Stetson hat. “Your grandfather speaks too fondly of me.”
“From what I just heard, you deserve every one of them.” Charles II started to say. “But kind words aside, may I please speak with you and your fellow Guardians in private? It's of great importance."
Looking to his friends for their responses, most seemed unsure of how to answer, but the looks Sunny did get from some of his friends were positive. Turning back to Charles II, Sunny shot him a smile and said “Of course.”
“You can use the meeting room in the Crystal Castle” Shinning Armor added in. “I think you might know the way.”
“Thank you, Shinning Armor” Sunny tipped his hat to the prince and began to lead his friends and Charles II into the castle.
After a few twists and turns, the party consisting of the New Guardians of Harmony and the large yeti arrived at the Crystal Castle’s royal meeting room. Shinning armor was right, Sunny could have found that room in his sleep. Stepping inside, though, filled the yellow unicorn with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. He remembered when he was in his adolescent years attending a few meetings with his father, learning to take over for him should the time come. Sunny was more then willing to listen in on the meetings and prepare for the position, but deep down he still held onto the hope that Princess Amore would be found. Then his father could retire from being king and Sunny could be just a normal pony. That time never came, and Sunny forced himself back to the present by shaking the thoughts from his head. He was a prince aga n, and had to take care of royal issues.
After everypony and yeti were inside, Sunny shut the door then cast a protective spell over it, making it so no pony could ease-drop on their conversation. Once the spell was complete, he took a seat across from Charles II. “First I’d like to say it’s an honor to meet the grandson of my old friend, Charles.”
“The pleasure is all mine, your majesty” the polite yeti replied with a small nod.
“I don’t mean to sound rude, though, but we don’t have a lot of time for pleasantries” Sunny’s expression turned firm like castle wall stone. “Why did you seek me out? And how did you know I would be here?”
“I am here for the same reason you are, Prince Soleggiato” Charles II started off, his tone also becoming forlorn. “Some of our scouts have observed heavy storms brewing in the western mountains. Horrible cries echo off the mountains themselves as images of horses seem to run from cloud to cloud, causing the storm to worsen.”
“Sounds like Windigos” Thunderlane batted a hoof against his chin.
“Exactly like Windigos” Sunny agreed.
“There are worse things...” Charles II continued. “We smell the smoke of Black fires burning from the tallest and most dangerous mountain to climb. We know some pony based structure lies atop it’s peak. But it was only a short time ago that dark grey clouds surround it, accompanying the Windigos. Our elder leader is concerned and seeks your aid, should you choose to help us, Prince Soleggiato.”
Levitating a map of Equestria from one of the book shelves, Sunny unrolled it and began to skim over it until he found his target. Putting his dominant hoof on a certain mark on the map, Sunny asked Charles II “are these the mountains?”
“Indeed” Charles II confirmed, his expression hardening even further.
“Then your elder was right to worry...” Sunny took a while explaining the situation to Charles II; about his father, him taking over the prison, and possibly raising an army with brain washed prisoners and criminals. As well as their plan to stop whatever he was plotting and bring his father to justice, hopefully, shedding some light to his actions 1000 years ago.
“My father will want to hear of this news” Charles II began rubbing his chin, thinking how outrageous this might sound to his father. Putting those thoughts aside, the well mannered yeti returned his attention to Sunny and his friends. “If you storm this strong hold, you’ll need help to bear the storm. We yeti thrive in such environments.”
A little taken back by the statement, Sunny wanted to tread lightly, not wanting to misinterpret Charle’s words. “Wait... are you?... offering your help?”
“Indeed I am, as well as the aid of every worrier yeti in my clan” Charles took a deep breath. “We yeti try and remain civil and diplomatic, but we believe in training the body as well as the mind. We all are more then capable to hold our own in combat.”
“I too shall offer my claws and wings!” A voice came from above. Before anypony could figure out where it was coming from, a swift white blur swooped down, landing right in front of Sunny and the rest of the New Guardians. Wings and head covered in feathers white as snow, the creature raised his head to reveal it was very much owl in appearance. But as everypony got a better look at the party crasher, they realized he had the body, tail and hind legs of a lion, with his front claws, wings and head strongly resembling an owl.
“Where did you come from?” Doctor asked as he and Derpy looked to the ceiling.
“Did we leave open a window?”Derpy thought outloud, often forgetting when she left a window open or closed without thinking.
“I am a gryffin worrier who specializes in stealth tactics” the new comer started. “My name is Silent, Silent Wingbeat.”
“You... Also look familiar...” Sunny spoke half under his breath as he narrowed his eyes on the griffin.
“You know my ancestor, ___\____” Silent exlained, a small smile in his beak.
“REALLY?! You’re his descendent!” Sunny was taken back a little, but after hearing it, had to admit they did look a lot alike.
“I had ventured here on a small errand, when I was hit with a magical blast of energy” Silent explained. “When it did, a flood of memories rushed to me, but ones that were not my own. And from that, I had the answers my ancestor longed to have. Why you didn’t show up for his wedding, why he couldn’t find you or your Empire, and where you had disappeared to all those years ago.”
“Well, I’m glad-“ Sunny started to say when something Silent Wingbeat said just hit him. “Wait, WHAT WAVE OF MAGIC?!”
A long, awkward pause filled the room. Sunny’s friends and fellow guardians knew they would have to tell him about all that happened, all of what they saw, which would explain the sudden loyalty and forgiveness from the entire empire. But it would still be a lot for Sunny to take in.
As Big Mac and Thunderlane sat their shocked friend down, Doctor did his best to explain exactly what happened, Octavia fetched him some nice herbal tea to calm his nerves. Silent Wingbeat already knew everything that had gone on, but Charles II was intrigued and captivated by Doctor’s exploration. Derpy could see that tea alone wasn’t really calming Sunny down, and as if by her own magic, placed a freshly backed muffin on Sunny’s lap.
“And that’s the jist of it” Doctor finished up, leaving the story at the point where Sunny went to go face the army of Iron Hill.
“Are you ok, Sunny?” Big Mac asked, concern plastered all over his muzzle and heavy in his voice. At that moment, the yellow unicorn couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact emotion he was feeling, his head became extremely light like a balloon as Big Mac steadied him in his seat. After a few deep breaths and shaking his head clear, Sunny pieces his thoughts together. “Well... that explains why I wasn’t thrown in jail.”
“I doubt anypony here would do that to you” Octavia reassured her friend.
“Oh! I almsot forgot! This came for you!” Derpy remembered something from earlier and passed a letter off to Sunny.
Taking it in hoof, Sunny opened the letter and began to read it’s contents in his mind. A thick silence fell upon the meeting room as everypony leaned in closer, as if trying to hear Sunny’s mind reading the letter. As the letter neared the end, a smile grew across the yellow unicorn’s muzzle. Folding the letter and putting it in the rim of his Stetson hat, Sunny looked to his friends, Charles II, and Silent and told them “We need to sit and talk with Shinning Armor and Cadence. It’s time to act. And we're getting a lot more help then I thought...”
The rain had come out of nowhere, as it often did on the open road this side of Equestria, so far from Cloudsdale, the city where the weather is both manufactured and maintained. Here, the rain could escape and downpour to it’s heart’s content, sharing it’s dreary feelings with everypony and everything beneath it.
It was at this time that Thunder Veil and White Out had taken refuge in a small diner, halfway between manehatten and Ponyville. Their journey had left them astray, with many things to discuss, especially what the Black Knight has told them.
‘She knows now, she knows something's up’ Thunder thought to himself as he looked across the table at his wife as she began stacking creamer packets to make a pyramid. One of the foal like things she did whenever she was nervous and needed to relax.
Right when Thunder felt his confession about to escape this lips, the waitress brought their drinks to them. Thunder kept it simple; black coffee with sugar cubes on the side. White Out had her usual mocha coffee with two sugar packets on the side. After the waitress left, the couple began to prepare their respective drinks, avoiding eye contact. Trying to stop himself from spewing out anything prematurely, Thunder shoved a sugar cube in his mouth and let it resolve on his tongue.
“... so we need to talk...” White Out spoke up as she finished mixing her sugar in her coffee.
He should have known she would take the lead, being the more bold in these personal issues then ‘he’ was. When it came to getting info out of ponies, Thunder had no problem. But he lacked the skill when it came to talking about how to talk to ponies or solve personal problems. “... I guess we do...”
Taking a deep breath, White Out looked over at her husband, trying to appear more brave then she felt and confessed to him “I lost my job...”
A little taken back by her sudden confession, Thunder almost spat out his sugar cube that was still dissolving on his tongue. “Wait, what, why?!”
Clearing her throat, White Out faught ba k the tears as she started to tell her husband how it happened. “A few days after we went out looking for the Black Knight, around the time we interrogated that shop owner about the comic book, my boss sent me a letter telling me that if I didn’t have the full story by that afternoon and on his desk, don’t bother coming back at all.”
Thunder could hardly believe his ears. He was shocked, but not because his wife kept this secret from him, but more ‘for’ his beloved wife. That job as a reporter, although rough at times and not paying well, was her dream job. She dreamed about being a reporter in the big city ever since she was a foal. And now... not it was ripped out of her hooves.
Thunder could see the tears beginning to form in White Out’s eyes, and tried desperately to think of a way to cheer her up. That’s when he saw it! A spoon! Thinking quickly, Thunder took the spoon, licked it’s con-caved side, and stuck it at the very end of his nose. He cleared his throat and got his wife to look over at him.
When White Out looked over at her husband, she couldn’t help but hold back a laughing fit. He had the spoon hanging on his nose, eyes crossed, with his tongue sticking out of he left side of his mouth. The image made her remember when they first started dating. Thunder has broken the ice on their awkward first date all those years ago by making White Out laugh. No pony would know it, but that was one thing the dark coated unicorn was good at, cheering up his wife up.
After several moments, White Out wipped the tears from her eyes, her laughter finally starting to subside. That was when Thunder knew he had to make his confession. “White... I also have something I need to come clean about...”
“Oh?...” the grey pegasus almost forgot that the Black Knight said both had something to confess to each other. She was so afraid of telling Thunder her confession that she forgot what he needed to tell her.
“Yeah... see... remember how I kept making holes in the apartment ceiling and floor when I write or used silverware?” Thunder started off saying.
“Oh sweet Celestia, you didn’t get anypony, did you?!” White Out sounded shocked. “I mean, I know it would be in accident-“
“No no!” Thunder interrupted his wife before she could go on with her train of thought. “Well... not exactly... see, the land lady came by and.... she, well... evicted us...”
A long silence fell over Thunder Veil and White Out. The dark grey unicorn could hear his heart beat as the world around him went silent, as if waiting for White’s reaction to the either terrible news.
“Sooooo.... we’re both ‘jobless’ and ‘homeless’" White Out’s tone was completely monotone.
“Looks like it” Thunder replied, his tone mirroring hers, lacking of any emotion, as he took a small sip of his coffee.
Taking a deep breath then sighing, White Out looked over at her husband, trouble brewing in her mind like a thunderstorm. But as she looked at Thunder Veil’s blank expression, she could tell he blamed himself for their misfortune, as he always did, even when it wasn’t his fault. All because of his medical condition.
“Well... I guess we could always move in with Silver Sky for a while” White Out broke the silence. “She’s always telling me that if we ever needed help, that we shouldn’t hesitate to ask.”
Thunder Veil was about to tell White Out that her oldest friend had offered to help find them a new home also, while they went off chasing their leads on the Black Knight, when an odd stallion appeared out of nowhere.
The stallion had a brown, almost grey colored coat, a short red and black mane, and what must have been the oddest thing about him were his red and yellow eyes that sat just below a pair of bushy white eyebrows. White Out probably didn’t notice, But Thunder swore the stallion’s eyes changed to different sizes. Ignoring that, the next thing Thunder noticed was the rather neat and oddly dry mailpony uniform he was wearing.
“Letter for a miss White Out” the stallion said, holding out a letter out to her.
Accepting the partchment, White Out read the return address first. “It’s From Script Write! Hmmmm.... what could she want?”
The mailpony stood there, watching White Out with a slight malicious grin on his muzzle. He was made aware of Thunder’s presents when the dark grey stallion cleared his throat.
“Oh, Ugh, sorry! I must be going! To-da-loo!” The stallion waved goodbye as he vanished in a puff of smoke, appearing to run off.
Once the smoke cleared, White Out opened the letter and began reading immediately. Meanwhile her husband had something else on his mind. Thunder couldn’t put his hoof around it, but there was something about that male pony that he didn’t trust.
“OH MY GOSH!” White Out nearly screamed and swueaked as she shoved the letter in Thunder’s muzzle. “I don’t believe it! He’s in Ponyville! He’s living in Ponyville!!!”
“Who?” Thunder asked, but started reading the letter. He couldn’t believe it, but read the letter again and again to himself, a huge smile growing on his muzzle. Looking back up to his wife, Thunder asked “next stop Ponyville?”
“Next stop Ponyville” White Out smiled and hoof bumped her husband.
The hunt for the truth continued...
“I can’t believe I was dooped by some punk and a few little girls!” Ca'Pony growled as he bucked one of his henchmen in frustration.
After being outsmarted by both the Elements and the Guardians of Harmony, Ca'pony and his men were intercepted by royal guards under Sombra’s control. They carefully transported them all out of Canterlot and up towards the castle cliffs, where a supply ship was just about to leave. According to the shipping logs, it was going to drop supplies off at Vanhoofer, but really Sombra’s stallions were aboard and taking it to the Rainbow Factory. More specifically, the room where the main spectra extraction machine was placed. All around in hospital beds were ponies hooked up to the machine. Giant hoses hooked up to plunger like metal caps on the pony’s heads, sucking the spectra of color from them and feeding it into the machine, leaving the hosts various shades of grey and lifeless, almost in a dreamless sleeping state. It was the ideal place for Ca'pony to hide and lick his wounds after his evil plans had been forted.
“Now now, violence like that isn’t nessisary...” a green pegasus stallion smiled as he casually walked over o the crime boss. “We all make mistakes time and time again. King Sombra understands. Which is why he had you meet us here, in my wonderful factory.”
Al Ca’pony’s cold gaze locked onto Wooden Toaster’s, chilling violet eyes meeting relaxed green as the two just started at each other. The moment left an awkward atmosphere between the two. The moment dragged on forever until Ca’Pony took a deep breath, straitened his suit, and began to walk away, pushing past wooden toaster.
“I’ll be in my room...” the red stallion mob boss spat out. “Come on, ya mooks, we have some business plans to look over.”
In Ca’Pony’s mind, he thought the best course of action he could take would be to gather his allies in the equestrian crime syndicate, reform a new plan to gain power, and get revenge on those snot nosed foals, possibly even taking over Sombra’s empire while he’s at it. If Sombra becomes too powerful, he could be a problem. That, and at the top, there’s really only room enough for one king. But a king has to stay several steps ahead of his opponents.
It had taken Ca’Pony a moment, but as he reached the end of the room, he noticed that nopony seemed to be following him. Turning around, now even more short with his henchmen, the red mob boss started yelling, his deep voice echoing off the factory’s Mayakovsky walls. “GET YOUR TAILS OVER HERE! I WONT ASK AGAIN!”
But the henchmen remained as still as statues, ignoring their boss’s orders as if they were merely the wind.
“Oh! I forgot to tell you. Your men work for King Sombra now...” Wooden started to say as he took everlasting steps around Ca’Pony, blocking his exit from the room. “After you returned with your tail between your legs, Sombra’s little assistant showed up to make a report to the king. And in his report, he noted that ‘mind controlled puppets’ were better then ‘free ranged mobsters.”
The meaning behind the deranged scientist’s word’s began to paint a picture for Ca’Pony. The mob boss began backing up slowly as he took note of all his henchmen and the mind controlled royal guards who were watching him. His mind began to reel with possible escape ideas when he backed up into something. After taking a quick glance back, Ca’Pony realized he had just backed himself into one of the empty beds where a pony could be hooked up to the rainbow machine.
Before he could react, Wooden was all over Ca’Pony, forcing his hooves down and fastening them to the bed. As an earth pony, Ca’Pony had greater physical strength then Wooden Toaster. But the mad scientist was quick and knew how to deal with subjects that were physically stronger then him. In a flash, it was over. Ca’Pony struggles to break free from his restraints, without any success.
“Now then, are you ready to serve a greater cause?” Wooden asked as he dawned his white lab coat and began raving up the machine.
Threatening the Doctor wasn’t going to work, so Ca’Pony tried another tactic. “Listen, kid, whatever King Sombra is offering you, I can more then double it!”
“Bargaining? Really?” Wooden chuckled out loud. “You really think ‘I’ want anything from you?! King Sombra already gave me what I wanted! My factory back up and running! It’s now my solomn duty to fuel it with spectra I steal from ponies. No matter who they are!”
The green pegasus then pointed towards a bed behind him in the far corner, where a grey pegasus with a white mane and tail, and a green eyes storm cloud cutie mark, lay zombified like all the rest.
“‘HE’ thought he could take my Factory away from me! Ha! What nerve!” Wooden began laughing even harder, his iris’s becoming more dilated. “The Rainbow Factory is mine! My legacy! My baby! It was always my destiny to harness the power of spectra! And now I-“
In a flash, Cynical jumped up off the bed he was supposedly strapped to, tackled Wooden Toaster once he was in the right position, and landed with him on another empty bed. Before Wooden could react with his lightning fast speed, Cynical head butted the green pegasus hard enough to make him see stars. In the midst of Wooden’s confusion, Cynical quickly strapped the mad scientist to a table of his very own, as positioned a helmet on snuggly over Wooden’s Head. Once the green pegasus was able to clear his mind, he looked up as Cynical had his hoof on the leaver to activate the helmet placed on his head.
“Two things; one, I knew you knew of my betrayal, and decided to let you play your hand, but I kept an ace up my sleeve. I have no spectra in my body for the machine to take out, so your machine couldn’t suck anything from me!” Cynical then flipped the switch and activated the spectra pump helmet starched to Wooden Toaster. The green pegasus half laughed, half screamed as the color began to be pumped out of him, leaving him with a slightly grey tint f his original color. All the whole retaining a smile on his muzzle. “And two, ‘I’ am the real antagonist here. Not that stupid king you allied yourself with, not ‘real life situations that everyone has to deal with’, and certainly not a small minded fool like you!”
“Great job kid!” Ca’Pony cheered half heartedly, catching Cynical’s attention. The black and green eyed pegasus turned and glared at the mob boss who was still strapped down to the bed. “Mind getting me out of this? I can make it worth your while!”
Slowly, Cynical casually walked over to Ca’Pony, placing his hooves on the table, his muzzle inches from Ca’Pony’s. “You know what I hate most in the world?... fat rich ponies like you who think they can buy anything or anypony they want. Which is why I can’t wait to crash the Grand Galloping Galla, and set that snooty, rich Canterlot of theirs on fire. Oh! The glorious rainbow blaze will tear their city down brick by brick! And then, the rest of Equestria! I won’t rest until it all lies in rubble! Bwa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!”
The mad pegasus’s laughter echoed off the factory walls and filled the entire facility like a deviant rolling Thunder. If anypony wasn’t under Sombra’s obedience spell, their hearts would be racing with fear. But there wasn’t enough free will in the ponies present and some what conscious to allow them such freedom of fear. Well, except one.
“I hate to interrupt kid” Ca’Pony made himself known to Cynical once more. “But you can’t do all that by yourself. Why not let me help you. I have other ponies working for me, even a few in the royal guard and-“
Not really wanting to hear any more from the mobster pony, Cynical flipped the switch on Ca’Pony’s machine and watched as the red earth pony began to shake violently, the red color of his coat fading as the spectra in his body began to travel trough the tubes and into the rainbow making machine.
“I have no time for pathetic weaklings like you...” Cynical chuckled, the green irises of his eyes glowing in the dark. “Not when there’s a party to crash!”
Applejack awake from yet another nightmare, a cold sweat dripping down from her forehead as she tried to get her frantic breathing under control. Taking a look outside to try and calm her nerves, Applejack could tell it was around three in the morning. Several hours before the roosters would crow, and she and the others would begin their daily chores. Just as she was about to doze off back to sleep, a sound, almost like a hissing rattler, crept into her ears, causing them to flicker.
“Aaaaaaplejaaaaaack....”
The sound caused the orange farm pony’a eyes to flicker open and dart around the room. The voice sounded familiar, but so foreign. Like it lived within her home and she felt safe around it, but at the same time it sounded twisted, wrong, alien almost. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Applejack could just barely make out the outline of a pony standing in the corner. It was a stallion, with a horn on his head, so a unicorn. Knowing of only one unicorn stallion personally, Applejack found her voice and called out in a raspy voice “S-Sunny? That you p-partner?”
The stallion then took several slow steps towards Applejack who was now half bidding under the covers. But as it viewed closer, the shape changed as a new pony entered Applejack’s dream. A pony who’s been trying to get ahold of her for several nights now.
“Applejack, all is well” Princess Luna said in a relaxed tone as she stepped out of the shadows. “Please, I must speak with you.”
Looking up over her comforter, Applejack began to relax when she saw princess Luna. “Wheeeew! Ah sure am glad it’s only you, princess... ah mean, ah’a glad it is you! Not ‘only’ you! Ah mean-“
“Do not worry, Applejack” Luna knew what Applejack meant, but wanted her to focus. There wasn’t much time before the sun rose in the real world. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help you earlier. The dream realm has been distorted and difficult to navigate through since Charming Knightmare was freed.”
“It’s ok princess, ah know ya got ah mighty tall order, watching over everypony's dreams at night and what not” the orange mare said as she got up and out of her bed.
“About your dream, or rather, your nightmare” Luna decided to get right to the point. “What was it you were so afraid of?... you called me Sunny. Is he somepony you are afraid of?”
Feeling so confused she could hardly stand, Applejack sat down, her eyes falling to the ground as she desperately tried to gather her thoughts. Meeting Luna’s gaze once more, Applejack replied with her confident answer. “No. Well, not ‘him’ specifically. He’s... Somepony really special to me. And well... I worry a lot ‘bout him.
“He’s fightin’ inner demons that ah don’t think he can control well” Applejack’s thoughts went back to the morning when she walked in on him and without thinking, he cursed her. She knew he would never intentionally do something like that. But it still scares her that somewhere deep inside him was that dark presence.
“I see...” Luna’s heart felt heavy thinking of the young colt. “I think what would be best for him, is for you to just be there for him.”
“Ah don’t know what help ah could be...” the orange farm pony tote her eyes away from Princess Luna. “Ah’m just.... just some farm pony.”
“You are so much more then ‘just some farm pony’, Applejack” Luna raised Applejack’s head by her chin so she could look her in the eye. “You’re one of the purest ponies I know. With a good heart, great moral compass, and a love in her heart for her friends and family."
A tear came to Applejack’s eye as she started to stir, the dream fading, and with it, Princess Luna. Awakening from her dream for real this time, Applejack wipped the real tears from her eyes and quietly hopped out of bed and silently crept out of her room and peaked into Sunny’s. The yellow stallion was sleeping soundly. He and the other New Guardians hopped off the train just the other night, and boy did they all look beat. Sunny stired a little, but a small smile came to his face as he hugged his pillow. His dream obviously a pleasant one.
“I’ll always be there for ya, partner...” Applejack whispered as she leaned against the door frame. “Always...”
A roaring laughter from Sombra's new army echoed off the matalic prison walls as Princess Twilight's cold gaze peered through her snow mask and froze onto Snowstorm's own leering eyes.
Gathering himself, Snowstorm wipped away his tears of laughter. "What did you say, again, Your majesty? You are giving us, what?"
"One last chance to surrender. Have all the prisoners disarm and return to your respective cells and all royal guards file out to be examined and cured of any and all spells they may be under." The covered up princess spoke up as loudly as she could, small chattering coming from her teeth.
Neither Snowstorm nor any member of Sombra's army could believe what they just heard. It made the former Warden nervous to have a surprise visit from the princess of friendship, especially this close to the night of the Grand Galloping Gala. But when he saw Princess Twilight was only accompanied by two royal guards, covered almost from horn to hoof in heavy snow wear and shivering like a foal, Snowstorm couldn't help but feel a great opertinity had just walked through the front door.
'Not only did a princess walk right into our hooves, but an element of harmony as well!" The dark grey unicorn smiled to himself. 'With her in our possession, our victory is assured!'
As the chuckling died down, Snowstorm addressed the purple princess once more. "Forgive me, princess. But I don't think you realize just what you just walked into."
"On the contrary" the princess spoke over her chattering teeth. "My friends and I all know that you have raised an army and plan to conquer Equestria in the name of King Sombra."
"You are well informed, Princess" Snowstorm's confidence remained unshatered. "But it doesn't matter who else knows about us. Our plans cannot be stopped. We are now more then ready to take Equestria by storm. And with 'you' in our ranks, there's little anypony can do to stop us."
"What makes you think I'd ever join the likes of 'you'?" Twilight asked, her tone remaining the same as it did when their conversation began.
The smile on Snowstorm's muzzle cracked even wider as small purple flames began to flair out of the corners of his eyes, his eyes themselves began to alter and change in color. The irises turned red, with the whites of his eyes turning green as he took a few steps closer to the purple alicorn princess. "Because, your highness, you won't be able to resist fighting your friends. Not when I'm done with you!"
Snowstorm stomped his hoof, signaling several guards. Four to take the two guards away and restrain them, to which the guards went willingly, and three more to hold Twilight's hooves and wings so she could not escape. The grey unicorn had been waiting to test his mastery over dark magic, if anything were to test him, it would be overpowering and controlling an alicorn princess. But as Snowstorm focused his magic on the restrained Twilight, he noticed something off. The princess wasn't putting up a fight, but she also wasn't blinking. Her eyes just remained staring coldly at Snowstorm. Thinking for a moment, Snowstorm grabbed the thick scarf around the princess's neck and yanked it off. Without the scarf, the hindged jaw of the being before him clicked rappidly as it's head bobbled a little. The top part of the head, mane and eyes all appeared to resemble Princess Twilight Sparkle to a T, but besides that and the points of her hooves, the rest of her was all wooden.
"What is this!?" Snowstorm spat as he took a step back away from the contraption like creature.
Before the three Sombra guards could get away, the fake Twilight threw off her cloths , reveiling her to he a giant pony puppet with multi color balloons strapped to it underneath. When the puppet moved, it popped several of the balloons and released a light purple sleep powder into the air. Once the guards surrounding her enhailed the sleep powder, they fell fight to sleep. The puppet looked back at Snowstorm and began to speak in a more matalic voice. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but we were on to you and had a plan of our own. Surrender now and we might go easy on you."
With rage and fury boiling over in Snowstorm's heart, the grey unicorn released a mighty blast of magic from his horn that hit the pony sized puppet resembling princess Twilight, blowing it to pieces, but also popping the sleep powder filled balloons still attached and unpopped to it. The shockwave from the magical blast then spread the sleep powder to a dozen more zombified guards, causing them to almost instantly fall right into a peaceful sleep.
Still flaring mad, Snowstorm turned to the rest of the guards and bellowed "man your stations! We're about to have some unwelcome guests!"
The Sombra guards then began scrambling to get their battle armor, various wepons, and readying to their battle positions.
"My son seems to have chosen his side" King Sombra appeared out of the darkness, casually walking to Snowstorm's side, watching as his army scrambled.
"If he's sided with Princess Twilight, we can't go easy on him" Snowstorm narrowed his eyes at the thought of the king's son.
"Quite the contrary" a small smile broke across Sombra's muzzle. "We don't have as much to worry about as I once thought. But we need to tread carefully. Exicute plan 'Alpha Flight'."
This shook Snowstorm a bit. "Sir? Do we really need to resort to that? We can take them with a simple 'Delta formation'. They are but maybe two or three dozen ponies-"
Just then, a loud crash rattled the entire prison, causing a loud matalic eco to ring in everypony's ears. Shortly after the first, several more loud rings filled the air.
Once the bombardment of rings paused, King Sombra steadied himself, locked his red eyes with Snowstorm's and commented "If my son is attacking, you can bet he brought fire power.
"Exicute 'Alpha Flight', I'll be in the dinning Hall. You know what to do" Sombra stated flatly and left Snowstorm to follow out with his orders whilst he prepared for Sunny. 'I wonder how much firepower you brought, my son….'
Surrounding the IronLock prison, Windigos continued to brew their endless storm, sheilding the prison in a flurry of ice and snow. The whispy beings feeding off the rage and hatred the inmates had for their captors, keeping the Windigos strong and their storm just as strong. Only love and unity could harm them. As they continued their endless job, something arose on the horizon, a flight of silhouettes, small at first, but growing. Little did the Windigos know that they were about to have a serious fight on their hooves.
Upon the back of the former dragon Lord, Torch, rode Sunny, Twilight Sparkle, and the new Dragon Lord, Ember, the daughter of Torch himself. With them a flight of battle ready dragons, beaming with pride, excitement for battle, and an egagerness to fight that most ponies would find unsettling. They knew what they were up against and had prepared everything according to Twilight and Sunny's plans.
"Looks like they aren't going to just accept defeat" Sunny noted, still using his long distance puppet controlling spell.
Twilight stopped her flow of magic that traveled through Sunny's own stream of magic and fed into his puppet, allowing her to project her voice and hear what the puppet would hear. "I'm afraid it doesn't. It's a good thing I looked into that ventriloquism spell way back when Celestia sent me that pony sized puppet. I didn't think I was going to get another chance to use it."
"It sure came in handy" Sunny added, now cutting off his own flow of magic, the puppet having served more then it's purpose. "And I'm glad Zecorra could give us a hand too. That sleep powder she had been saving for a rainy day was perfect."
"I can't wait to see the looks on their muzzles when that polymorph potion wears out on the puppet's two 'royal guards'" Twilight smirked, starting to enjoy having the upper hoof on her opponent. She was against the use of violence, but was all for Sunny's cunning ideas to outsmart them.
"Ok, enough you two" Ember stepped in, growing impatient as we're her followers. "Do we start now?"
"Wait! One more thing!" Sunny put up a hoof, then ran over to the edge of Torch's back. Closing his eyes, Sunny consintraited all his magic into his horn. For a moment, his hooves lifted off the ground, then the white sky turned several shades darker, signaling a smaller group of musically talented dragons to begin their own attack.
By attack, it was more of a bombardment of magic that fueled the hearts of the battle ready dragons. Both filling their fiery hearts with brovado as well as a sense of unity, not just amongst their fellow dragons, but with the ponies and others who would joined them on this battle field. For every single one of them were ready to fight with the heart of a dragon!
With the band known as DragonForce playing, raising their spirits, the flight of dragons began their attack on the Windigos, shooting streams of fiery dragon breath at the chilly ice spirits. At first, the Windigos thought nothing of the attack and mearly let out their own battle cries as they tried to raise their storm further. But only after attempting so did they realize that there was no longer an overwhelming atmosphere of conflict and hatred in the air. Something was overpowering the inmate's anger and hatred. The unity between the ponies and dragons had washed away most of the anger and hatred the Windigos fed and thrived on. It wasn't long before the ghosty creatures let out one last haunting cry before galloping away, taking what little storm wasn't melted away with them.
The skies were clearing up, with now the solar eclipse Sunny had started in the skies above the attacking group. The black orb released flares of rainbow in the sky that both represented the unity of the different groups, as well as their march towards a brighter tomorrow beyond this darkened day.
"Attack!" Ember ordered the flight of her dragons.
That was all the eager creatures needed to begin attacking the prison itself. Blast after blast, the dragons dove down, shooting fire balls at the iron walls. Upon some of their backs were pony accomplances. Rainbow dash in particular was enjoying the ride, rather then fly with her own wings for once. Fluttershy held on for dear life as the large dragon she flew on dive bombed the main wall and shot a large blast, wishing she had stayed home today. Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack were part of the ground attack and were waiting in position for their own signal, along side Octavia, Big Mac and Spike.
As the flight of Dragons began to turn the cold iron red with their constant fire attacks, groups of armored ponies began to flood to the outside, all armed with black iron tipped bows and arrows. Once in position, the marksmen took aim at their attackers and awaited for their Captain's order to fire. An order that wouldn't be heard.
Twilight shot up a purple flare into the sky to signal the ground troops to begin their own attack. Applejack saw the signal and let out a loud "YEE-HAAAA!"
With the cowgirl's own signal, the yeti team of warriors emerged from the blanket of snow and began their attack, letting several large snow balls the size of bolders fly through the sky, and abruptly land on the armored archers. With their only threat now nutralized by their yeti allies, the Dragons then continue their attack on the main gate. While the dragons continued to bombard the gates with their dragon fire, and the yeti pumaled the hot metal with giant snow balls, rappeidly cooling the metal, more and more of Sombra's army began to flood the courtyard, ready to meet the attackers.
"Are you guys ready?' Ember asked Twilight and Sunny, tearing her attention from all the action.
"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Twilight still seemed worried, having never gone into such battle before.
"We'll be fine" Ember stated proudly. "We're dragons. We could have delt with this on our own if we wanted. Now get in there and do what you need to do!"
Twilight then looked to Sunny, nodded, then the purple princess shot another purple flare into the sky , signaling their friends both on the ground and in the sky. After seeing it, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy jumped off their respective dragon rides and flew towards Torch. They quickly picked Sunny up and all togeather, the four ponies began to float down towards the ground. Once all their hooves crunched the snow below, Sunny used his hoof to clear an area and began setting up the teleportation crystals. Once they were in place, Sunny just had to wait for the signal from their friends on the inside…
Inside the newly renovated IronLock prison every member of Sombra's army were scrambaling, readying themselves for the battle at hoof. Their enemy was unknown beyond the fact that some if not all of them were dragons. With such serious threats, they didn't have time to do much with the captured royal guards that accompanied the fake princess Twilight, except throw them in a cell with their wings and horn bound, before running back to prep for battle. Once the two 'royal guards' were alone, they smiled at each other and waited for the polymorph potion to wear off. If Twilight's calculations were correct, they only had a few more minutes.
Those few minutes seemed to go by fairly fast for the two disguised brothers as they watched Sombra's army scramble. The two didn't waste time and observed where more guards were coming from, where they seemed to be getting their weapons from, and most importantly, where the leavers were that controlled the front gates of the actual prison. The unicorn brother stepped off to the side to draw something on the ground, then placed three stones down specifically on a circle he drew, waiting for just the right moment to activate the spell. As their body began to shift and change back to their normal states, long hairy arms instead of fur covered hooves, thick white fur covering their bodies, hand like appendages for feet, and an extra several feet in hight as they resumed to walking on their two back legs, the two yeti brothers with one swift streach broke down the door to their cell like it was made of aluminum foil.
One brother with a right brown eye and a blue left eye stepped out and looked around at the halarious sight of shocked guards around them. "Mac, I do believe that we startled our captors a little."
"I do believe you are right, Tosh" the second brother then joined Mac outside their rather cramped cell, his eyes mirroring his brothers, with his left being brown and his right blue. But other then that, the two brothers seemed perfectly identical. Large, seven or eight foot tall ape like creatures covered in thick white fur, say for their feet and hands.
"Should we show our appreciation for their hospitality, my dear brother?" Mac asked, smiling as he reached over, grabbed hold of a stalagmite, broke it off the floor of the cave and batted it against his free hand, appearing even more intimidating then before.
"Now now dear brother, as much as I enjoy repaying courtacy, we have a job to do" Tosh reminded his brother and pointed to the front doors.
"You are right, dear brother" Mac sighed with a smile, but kept his new weapon.
"Of course, there might be time after we do our job to have a little fun" Tosh knew just how to appease his brother.
"Oh goodie!" Mac cheered as he began barreling through the opposing forces of black armored ponies, swinging his stalagmite and knocking the armored ponies away as if they were ping pong balls.
While Mac made a path, Tosh followed behind after pealing some body armor off some of the guards and equiping them to his forarms. Tosh always took up the defense for his brother, while letting Mac have his fun with the more messy parts of their jobs.
Once the two had reached the leavers that controlled the front gate, the two brothers went right to work, after lifting the leavers, the two brothers began turning the mecagnisms used to open and close the thick doors, but not before several of Sombra's armored guards began to flood over their fallen worriers and charge at the two intruders. As Mac continued to open his door, Tosh turned to the enemy, let lose a loud roar and began smacking the heavily armed ponies away. Seeing his brother struggle, Mac pushed himself harder to open his door as fast as he could, wanting to relieve his brother from guarding him. He just hopped this crazy plan would work….
On the outside, Dragons continued their attack from the sky as the yeti army continued to aid from the ground. It would appear an even stand still, with neither side getting very far with the other, that is, until a loud cheer rang out from within the prison, one that seemed to shake Sombra's guards. From behind their own gate's doors, coming from within the prison itself, cheers rang out as an army of Crystal guards came pouring out, all chanting their Crystal Empire battle chant!
The yeti cheered and dragons roared at the sound of their allies arriving to tip the scale. Behind them was none other then Doctor and Thunderlane along with a TARDIS that seemed to spew out Crystal guards like a lose fosset. The awesomeness of Doctor's time machine asside, Thunderlane was overwhelmed with the energy in the air. The battle had tipped in their favor just as a flash of green light flared behind the wonderbolt trainee and the time traveler. Both stallions turned to see their friend, Sunny, along with Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Octavia, Derpy, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Big Mac, and Rarity (who saw fit to make an outfit both battle ready and warm and fashionable for the occassion.), Who all had been teleported over the battle via the Crystal circle that Mac and Tosh set up.
"They can handle themselves, we need to get to my father" Sunny stated firmly, his voice slightly firmer then before, his instincts as a knight and a soldier kicking in.
"Where do you think he could be?" Twilight asked as she took a better look at the inner workings of of the prison. Even if she had studied the blue prints of the fortress before hand, Sombra and his army had converted it and altered it to suit their own purposes.
"We're gonna have to split up" Sunny stated flatly.
"Is that really the best course of action?" Doctor asked, trying to come up with a better idea.
"I could zoom around and look at all the rooms myself" Rainbow Dash offered. "Shouldn't take me more then a few minutes."
"Unless Sombra layed more traps" Twilight noted. "We need to be careful, and fully on guard. No rushing into things."
"We'll split up into teams of two" Sunny suggested. "Guardians, go with your respective element. Go first into ant area, and be the first to take a risk. If you fall into one of my father's traps, your element could snap you out of it. Does that sound good to everypony?"
"Splitting up is a good idea for covering ground" Octavia spoke up. "But what if a group finds your father, or even, if 'you' run into him and it's just you and Applejack?"
"Yeah, I don't think I could take on somepony like yo dad, man" Thunderlane admitted.
"The guardian will stay behind and keep an eye on him from either a distance, or if need be, engage him but keep him busy while the other pony runs and gets the rest of our friends." Sunny added to his plan, making it a little more solid of an idea, but he could still see the worry on everypony's faces.
"I know the plan isn't perfect" Sunny admitted, his tone solid as castle stone while remaining compassionate and understanding of their worry. "But it's the best shot we got. I would never put my friends, any of them, in any real danger if I can help it. But this is bigger then what 'I' want. It's what all of Equestria needs from us. If we don't stop my father here and now, he may… he may do to Equestria what he did to the Crystal Empire 1000 years ago. I don't know about you, but I could never forgive myself if that happened."
After a long moment of silent thinking, taking all of Sunny's speech in and contemplating both the stakes and the risks, Applejack gave a solid and sure smile before putting her hoof in the middle of the group. "Ah'm in. Ah ain't gonna let nothin' like that happen ever again."
"I agree" Octavia put her hoof over Applejack's and smiled at Sunny. "If you think it's our best bet, then that's more then good enough for me."
"Buck yeah!" Rainbow cheered and put her hoof over Octavia's.
"I'm in too!" Thunderlane nodded and added his hoof to the pile.
"Me too! Oh! If I find him I could be really distrating! Like I could use my party cannon to blast the room full of confetti and balloons! Who can think of taking over Equestria when you think there's a party going on right in front of you?" Pinkie Pie popped in n and put her hoof over Thunderlane's. "Oh! And music! I have the perfect collection of songs for just such an occasion!"
"Ah'm in" Big Mac simply spoke up before thowing his hoof over Pinkie's.
"Count me in too" Rarity chimmed in as she gently put her hoof over Big Mac's. "I would never let my friends face such a thing without me."
"Neither could I" Derpy added as she put her hoof on the growing pile.
"It's really scary… but I can do it if it's to help my friends and keep every pony safe" Fluttershy put her hoof over Derpy's.
"I'm used to running from all kinds of monsters and threats, but never have I ever abandoned a friend in any of my running" Doctor noted before putting his hoof over Fluttershy's. "I'll never abandon my friends."
"I feel the same, Doctor" Twilight agreed as she put her hoof over his. "It's not just our friends and family who could be in trouble, but everypony in Equestria. If we don't do all we can here, facing very real dangers and fear itself, they won't have a bright tomorrow to look forward to. We have to make a stand here for them, for all of Equestria, and for ourselves."
Twilight's eyes then traveled over to the only pony who's hoof wasn't in the giant pile, Sunny. Pair by pair, the eyes of their friends began to follow Twilight's example and look to their armor clad friend.
"1000 years ago, I faced my father alone and lost. I didn't have back then what I have now. Friends. And a loving home worth fighting for. I love the Crystal Empire, but it was never as warm of a home, not more precious to me then my home back in Ponyville. A place where I can see growing up, having many more adventures, grow old, maybe get married one day and help the family grow" Sunny smiled at Applejack. "I will never allow anypony, not even my father, to threaten that home. We take out stand here and now. Let's do it!"
Sunny put his hoof on top of the pile with all his friends, showing their unity, and began a count down leading to a cheer. Once they reached one, everypony threw their hooves in the air and cheered "FOR EQUESTRIA!"
"Let's do it, everypony! Let's go save Equeatria, again!" Twilight cheered to raise the worried spirits of her friends and the guardians of harmony. It worked, but as she and Doctor Whooves dashed off down one hallway, her heart wavered. Twilight knew this was the best course of action of action, but something still didn't feel right. Something about this whole battle felt off.
Following suit, Sunny and Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane, Big Mac and Pinkie Pie, Octavia and Rarity, and Fluttershy and Derpy all disburse down similar hallways, in search of the shadow King, the ring leader of this madness, King Sombra….
For several long minutes, Sunny and Applejack galloped down a dark hallway, Sunny's horn lighting the way for them, tourches that lined the walls had all been blown out, and would not catch flame. Either by the strong wind that entered from outside during their invasion or by one of Sombra's henchmen, it didn't matter, it only slowed the couple's exploration by a fraction.
"How are ya holdin' up, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked, keeping here eyes peeled for any sign of danger.
"Ah'm alright" Sunny replied, despite the sound of his ever growing heart beat.
"What's that!?" Applejack pointed ahead to a shadowy figure in the darkness just ahead of them.
The figure was unidentifiable in the shadows it his within, but one thing that broke through the darkness that captured the full attention of both Sunny and Applejack. His eyes. The pony silhouette's glowing red and green eyes were illuminated by purple magical flames that circled them and flickered at the far corners of the orbs. Taking a defensive stance, Sunny was about to tell Applejack to get the others while he held off their primary target. But rather then attack, the eyes started to run away. A little surprised by the retreat, Applejack and Sunny started to chase them.
"You need to go alert the others, Applejack" Sunny tried to speak low enough to where he hopped his father wouldn't hear him of their plan.
"If ah leave now, he might lead ya into ah trap" Applejack explained herself. " 'sides, ah can't leave, he could lead ya down somewhere else and we might not be able ta find ya. And ah ain't gonna lose ya. Specially if ya be lookin' ta one day get hitched."
With a wink, Applejack won her argument and silenced Sunny, forcing him to work on putting thoughts of wedding bells out of his head and focusing on the task at hoof.
After a few twists and turns, the shadow with the glowing eyes lead Sunny and Applejack to a large, open room with tables pushed to either side. Sunny and Applejack stayed out of sight on either side of the doorway, from there, they watched as the shadowy figure moved to the center of the room, alone.
Sunny nodded to Applejack, signaling her to go now, that he would stand by and wait for her to return with their friends and do is best to just watch and wait, planning only to stall if necessary. Against her better wishes, Applejack raced off, her hooves moving faster then they ever had before.
"Good, now we can have a moment alone" Sombra's voice echoed off the walls like thunder. "Snowstorm, leave us."
Sunny peered inside the room and finaly got a decent look at the pony he and Applejack had been chaising. To his sunrise, it wasn't his father! It was some unicorn in black armor, but his eyes resembled his father's own dark magic infected eyes. The grey unicorn looked up to the sky and asked "are you sure, your highness? What if the others join him?"
"It will take them some time to get down here" shadows began to shift from every corner of the room, gathering and collecting together to form the faint outline of a pony. Sunny watched in great horror and excitement as the form began to become detailed, with silver armor, a red royal cloak, and then finally his mane and muzzle formed from the shadows. A strong jaw to a masculine muzzle held two rows of sharp teeth within it's mouth, just above that lay a pair of red and white eyes, with an air about them that demanded respect, not just commanded it. And finally, above his brow formed a glowing red horn locked in a dark crown that lay just below a flowing black mane. Sombra stood as proud and as tall as he did 1000 years ago as he looked down over the enslaved Crystal Empire, when Sunny faced him last. "Besides, this is a talk between father and son. Now leave us."
The grey unicorn hesitated, looked from Sombra to Sunny, then back to his king, nodded, then levitated a special black helmet on to his head before exiting out another set of doors on the far end of the room.
Once they were alone, Sombra looked over at Sunny, and his expression melted as he took slow steps towards the yellow unicorn. "My son, it has been too long. I hated to have you see me like you did in that old castle. And I wish we had more time in your dream. But I know learning of your roots was... Well, I didn't take it so well either."
"Is that why you enslaved everypony in the Crystal Empire!? Those you swore to protect? Why you cast that spell on me and sent me away for 1000 years!?" Sunny stood his ground and refused to let the love he had for his father overpower his need to do what was right. Stalling his father was important, and what better way then by having this 'talk'? If he tried to leave before the others arrived, though, Sunny would have to engage his father in battle to further stall him.
"I am truely sorry, my son" King Sombra started off, his tone impossible to read. "I only meant to show you how fast ponies could turn on you. I needed you to see that the ponies we once saw as our friends and neighbors, our humble subjects, all could turn their backs on us and treat us worse then scum, despite all we did for them, all we sacrificed."
"So putting a curse on me and sealing me away for 1000 years was the best way to do that?" Sunny spat out.
"I only intended to hide you away until it was safe" Sombra sighed and began pulling something out from underneath his cloak. "It is a long story, but I'm more then willing to share it with you. Just not here. Not now. Not with the company you brought with you "
"The 'company' are my friends and family" Sunny pointed out to his father. "And you aren't going to go anywhere. You have alot of explaining to do! And you are going to do it here and now!"
Sombra was surprised by the authority his son was demanding. He couldn't help but respect the stallions his son was growing up to he and decided that despite the chaos happening around them, he would tell his son the truth. "Before I sealed you away and enslaved the Empire, I went on a routine search for princess Amore with some of the Crystal guard in the surrounding tundra. The other guards and I were separated by a snowstorm, and I ended up in a darker, more unexplored part of our lands. There, I came across a jagged red Crystal that acted as a way to speak to others locked away by a specific spell. The Crystal spoke to me, telling me that I was an Umbrum and was sent out to grow strong and eventually be their savior, setting the rest of the Umbrum free.
"Naturally I was taken back by this news and fled from the Crystal, running as fast as I could, and eventually found my search party. After we returned to the Empire, I did some research in the library. I researched all I could about the Umbrum until I reached a dead end. I took a small walk early in the morning, and some how wandered down to the Crystal heart. According to legend, the Crystal heart had the power to show what lies in a pony's heart, as you found out. But it can also show the future for a pony who follows that heart's desire. When I looked into the Crystal heart myself, I saw not only a monsterous pony made of living shadows, but I saw him upon a thon, with other creatures just like him bowing at his feet. They were the Umbrum, and I, their King.
"I couldn't handle this news and sought comfort in the only pony I knew I could turn to, your mother" mentioning Sunny's mother made the dark king wince, as if the very mentioning of her caused him great pain. But he pressed on, knowing time was running out. "I wrote to her and asked her to come to me at once, that I had terrable news. Before the sun set, she was by my side and asked me what was wrong. When I told her, I half expected her to run away screaming, say I was over stressed and thinking too deep into things, or I hoped cling to my side in comfort. But she took a step back and said she needed to sit down for a moment. I let her rest in my study for a moment to take everything in.
"Several long moments passed, and I was about to check on your mother when I saw a carrier pigeon flying off with a scroll. Something told me to intercept it, so I wrapped it in a bubble and brought it to me. After taking the note our of it's claws and looking over it, I felt my heart crumble." Sombra paused, taking a deep breath to fight back the pain, before levitating the letter over to his son.
Sunny unravaled the letter and skimed it over a few times, trying to piece it together, his own heart sank as at that moment his friends and fellow guardians of harmony entered the room, preparing for a fight. Sunny knew they were there, and spoke the words aloud more for himself then to inform his friends. He needed to make sure he was reading it all correctly;
"Dear Princess Luna,
It is with a heavy heart that I write to you, but this matter cannot wait until I return to Canterlot.
King Sombra, my beloved, and the stallion who I had a foal with, despite everything, is without a doubt, an Umbrum, a creature of shadow that feeds on fear. Just like the creatures that burdened the land for hundreds of years before Amore banished them.
We cannot allow him to roam free.
Despite my feelings, I know it is my duty as well yours to keep the ponies of Equestria safe. Which means he, as well as our son, must be dealt with.
Sombra must be resealed with the rest of the Umbrum, using Amore's spell she left with Star Swirl.
However, that spell won't work on Sunny.
Despite being his mother, I have a duty to the ponies of Equestria.
I ask you to help me turn Sunny to stone, then carefully sealed away in the canterlot caves. There he will be close enough that I can keep an eye on him and be close, but he won't have the chance to grow into a monster like his father.
I plan to sneak away and try and rondevue with you at the halfway point. I need to take a different route to avoid being captured by Sombra.
Sincerely, you-know-who"
Sunny couldn't speak, could hardly breath. He dropped the letter, letting it fall to the ground. King Sombra cast his magical aura around it, rolled it back up, and tucked it away, back under his cloak. "I wish you didn't have to read that… but it seems you needed more convincing evidence then just my word."
"ITS A LIE!" Thunderlane yelled out from across the room.
"Yeah, don't listen to him Sunny!" Big Mac added, stepping forward, both stallions angered and appalled.
"No… it's true…" Sunny stated, his head hanging low as tears began to fall to the ground.
Stepping forward, stopping anypony else from interjecting, Applejack's eyes drawn the attention of the shadow King, and their gazes locked. For a long time, the orange farm pony just staired the king right in the eye, and King Sombra right back at her. Then the mare released her held breath, her hard expression crumbled. "He's telling the truth ..."
"What!? What do you mean!?" Rainbow Dash zoomed over to her friend, outraged by Applejack's statement. "How could you believe him!? Did you forget he enslaved the Crystal Empire!? He torchured Sunny!? He was building an army to probably concur all of Equestria!!!"
Twilight stepped forward and put her hoof on Applejack's shoulder. Their eyes met, and Twilight could tell Applejack meant what she said and wasn't happy about it. "What makes you think he's telling the truth, Applejack?"
"She isn't the element of 'Honesty' for nothing" Sunny spoke up, his voice shaky. "we both can tell when somepony is lying."
Turning his attention back to his son, Sombra ignored the rest of the ponies in the room and souly spoke to Sunny. "I'm so sorry, Sunny. I know it's hard to swallow, but time is wasting. We need to go."
"Go?" Sunny raised a brow at his father.
"You can't stay out in the open" Sombra stated, his tone hard, but his eyes softened as he looked upon his son. "You've been lucky to avoid the princesses and your mother, myself and servents aiding in that, and even luckier to have won the favor of the Crystal ponies. But Celestia and Luna won't be swayed so easily. They won't hesitate to protect their little ponies from a possible danger."
"Sunny ain't dangerous!" Applejack stomped her hooves, breaking out of her dazed state.
"And the princesses would never do that!" Twilight added, she and the rest of the ponies stepped forward, appearing ready for a fight.
Sombra looked at them as if they were mere foals looking to play, but was rather unamused. "His power is growing, and will continue to grow. Not his unicorn magic, but his dark magic from his Umbrum heritage , which 'ponies' would have no idea how to handle."
"We, sir, aren't any old ponies" Doctor stepped forward, holding his head high. "We're his friends, all of us. And if there's anything I've learned in all my travles, it's friendship is stronger then any power any creature in Equeatria and beyond can muster."
"Doctor is right" Twilight beamed. "We will be there to help Sunny no matter what!"
Stepping forward, catching the attention of Sunny and his father, Applejack spoke up in a softer tone. "It's alright if we get ah little roughed up along the way. Ya'd do th' same for us. No matter what, we're there for ya, Sunny."
Looking up, Sunny wipped away the tears and smiled at his friends. Walking up to his father, Sunny looked his father in the eye, then calmly walked over and took his place among his friends before turning to his father again. "I'm staying with them, dad. I trust them. I'll take any and all risks. They are more then worth it."
Hurt, feeling pity for his son's ignorance, Sombra exhailed sharply, his eyes growing more fierce with rage. "I trusted your mother and the others, and look what they planned to do to us! Ponies fear the Umbrum, and they will grow to fear you too Sunny. Your Umbrum power has already awakened, you can smell fear from miles away and turn your body to shadow. You'll begin to crave fear, until you lose control again.
"I can help you master these powers" Sombra softned his eyes at Sunny. "It was hard for me to face this alone, but I learned on my own how to control dark magic. Let me be there for you, my son."
Looking onto his father with the most sympathetic eyes he could, Sunny asked his father "Then stay with us. Give up on this vendetta. If you mastered dark magic and control it, and can teach me to control it, then we can show that we aren't a danger to anypony. Maybe we can aclimate the Umbrum into Equestria some how… join us. Let's make Equestria better, togeather. Like we used to."
Sombra shook his head at his son. "You are true to your cutie mark. Always seeing the good and hope where there is none. My son, the only way to see the Umbrum free is to get them out of Equestria."
Turning his back on his son, Sombra pulled a red Crystal out from his cloak and put it on the ground with the blue and green matching ones, on a circle previously drawn. Without turning around, Sombra told his son "If you won't join us, then I can't help you. You put so much faith in your 'friends', I hope that when they are no longer your friends, you don't regret your choice today. Our kind need me to lead them to freedom. I will take them far away from here. Which will leave you behind. Goodbye, my son..."
Sombra then stepped on the red crystal, teleporting him far away to the rendezvous point to meet with Snowstorm and the guards he decided before hand were worthy to serve him, leaving Sunny, the elements and guardians of harmony, as well as his least loyal guards and empty prison castle behind in a flash of light.
Once Sombra was out of range, the guards who had been under Sombra's control, who had been fighting the dragons, yeti, and Crystal guards outside, had all been freed from the curse, and passed out. Breaking the spell was a huge relief to the guards who were forced to serve the shadow King. All those endless shifts of guard duty without sleep had taken its toll on the royal guards. Without the mindless zombified guards to aid them, the less loyal guards who used to be prisoners were quickly overwhelmed by the opposing forces, and soon lost the battle. Outside, the dragons roared and shot fire into the sky, the yeti howled and pounded their chest while the Crystal guards stomed their hooves and cheered. No pony else other then the twelve ponies in the dinning hall knew the truth, that the battle was over, but the war was lost. They had lost...
"Pinkie, I'm not sure I'm doing this right…" Sunny stated, sounding completely unsure and hesitant in his tone as he stood before two fussy eating Cake twins, all three covered in blotches of baby food.
"You have to make eating sound fun to them, silly!" Pinkie called out to him from behind the cash register of Sugarcube Corner. "If babies aren't hungry, or they put up a fight, you need to make them smile and have fun with eating! Make it a game! Pretend it's something like a bird made of peas, a yummy bug, or a flying orange!"
Right at that moment an orange with blue bird wings flew by the window just as Sunny took in what Pinkie suggested to him. Looking from the small spoonfulls of baby food then at the twins who seemed to enjoy spreading it around on the table with their hooves. Taking a deep breath, Sunny forced an awkward smile then began talking baby to the Cake twins again in an attempt to get them to eat. The yellow unicorn made the spoons float around in the air with his green magical aura, like two dragons fighting in the air (complete with dragon sounds), he noticed the twins watched with great anticipation as the spoon dragons headed right for their cave homes (the babies mouths).
Pinkie smiled at the sight, but was quickly reminded why she needed Sunny there. Mr and Mrs Cake had to make an urgent delivery to the next town over. All of Pinkie's other friends were busy and couldn't help out at Sugarcube Corner today, well, all except Sunny, who really needed to get off the farm for a day to clear his head.
It had been a few days since the battle at IronLock prison, since the three groups of ponies, Yeti, and Dragons came togeather, and with both the Elements and New Guardians of Harmony, took back the mountain, freed the mind controlled royal guards, and caputed the prisoners Sombra left behind. The battle was over, but despite their triumph, somepony felt it was a loss, a hollow victory. As the groups disbanded, the dragons returning to their Homeland, the Yeti to their own mountains, and the ponies to their homes, Sunny remained behind, left with his mixed feeling and thoughts about what his father had said and done.
Sunny had been in a funk for a while, but Pinkie knew that all he needed was something to take his mind off things and keep him distracted for a while. And what's more distracting then a pair of cute, twin babies?
"There you guys go, food's all gone" Sunny smiled at the two foals as they began to nodded off at their high chairs. "Guess I better clean you guys up and put you down for a nap."
As Sunny took a mid warm, wet, baby cloth to Pumpkin Cake, Pinkie walked into the back and caught him. Her smile reached from earlier to ear. "I think you'll make a great dad some day."
In the past, when Sunny was a prince, the thought of being a father never even crossed his mind. But he never really had a special-somepony to ever even talk about having foals with back then. Many things have changed for the yellow unicorn. "You… you really think so, Pinkie?"
"Oh, yeah, definitely. But that won't happen for quite a few more chapters" Pinkie pie replied as she picked up another baby cloth and started cleaning up Pound Cake. "You have other things to do first. Don't want to put the saddle before the horse. First comes love, you got that, then comes marriage, not quite there, then comes Sunny with a baby carrage."
The bell in the front desk rang, pulling both their attention away from Pinkie's rendition of the old nursery rhyme. "Oh! Coming!"
As Pinkie popped out from the back of the shop, she noticed the one who rang the desk bell stood ominously waiting for her with their full body covered from head to hoof in a raggedy cloak.
But despite the stranger's appearance, Pinkie's tone never follied as she greeted the potential customer with a smile and stated with great energy "Hi! My name's is Pinkie pie! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, is there anything in particular I can help you with? Looking for a certain sweet to satisfy that rumbling in your tummy? Need to order a super special birthday cake for a super special friend or family member? Or would you like to try our-"
"I'd like 'you' to try and be quiet and listen to me for a second." The stranger snapped, keeping her face hidden. As the spoke, her teeth seemed to clap togeather when she talked, making a clicking noise.
"Oh, ugh sorry miss…" Pinkie's smile wavered from the rude comment, but she kept up her sunny side in front of the customer.
"My name isn't important" the stanger snapped again, this time turning the attention of Sunny who had just put the twins down for their after lunch nap. Ignoring the new pony who joined them, the stanger continued to speak in her harsh tone, the chattering of her teeth continuing. "I'm looking for a pony who's skilled in the magical arts, and has been working with giant pony sized marionettes."
"What for?" Sunny stepped forward, a little edge in his own tone as he pulled his hat down a little, a cowpony's little sign that they mean business. Sunny want about to let anypony talk to Pinkie like that and get away with it.
The stanger moved her head to look at Sunny, cracking her neck in the process. "Do 'you' know the trouble maker? Who ever they are their 'experiments' have been reeking havoc all over Equestria, and my father, Widler, is getting his name dragged through the mud for it!"
The name shook Sunny a little, it had been over 1000 years since he heard that name. The name of the pony Sunny felt so close to growing up, who he had inspired to pursue his dreams, and had made all of Sunny's pony puppets. The yellow unicorn lowered his head to try and see the hidden muzzle of the stranger. "Who… who are you?…"
"Oh Applejack, that is just too funny!" Octavia laughed at the orange farm pony's joke. "I can't help but see more and more why Sunny's completely taken with you."
"Well shucks, Octavia, that means alot comin' from ya, after… you know…" Applejack tried to tread lightly on the subject. Octavia and her bonded some time ago over a day at the spa. They had enjoyed each other's company and had decided to meet up for lunch today. Octavia reminded Applejack alot of Rarity, with the way she spoke and used fancy words. The biggest differance between the two mares, other then one's passion being music and the other fashion, was Rarity could florish in controlled chaos having her materials spread out everywhere, while Octavia strived for cleanliness. Which Applejack thought was funny because Opal always came along and made a mess of Rarity's 'Controlled Chaos' and Octavia's room mate, Vynal Scratch (or DJ-PON3) loves living in just a mess.
One of the biggest, and most sensitive thing Octavia talked to Applejack about were her feelings towards Sunny. "It's no big deal Applejack. I mean, I want Sunny to be happy. Whether it's with you or me or some other pony, it shouldn't matter."
"Yer ah very mature pony, Octavia" Applejack complemented the elegant mare. "Ah can't say ah would be half as calm and collected as you are."
"Why thank you, Applejack" Octavia smiled at her new friend and was about to tell her of another time she and Vynal were in the same situation over some Colt from a boy band that they got to meet when their food arrived.
Octavia ordered the daffodil Daisy Ceaser salad, and Applejack the sloppy hay Joe sandwich, with french fries on the side.
Right as both mares were about to dig in, a yellow streak zooming around in the distance caught their attention. They closed their mouthes and looked off to the edge of town where it looked like Sunny was being chased by somepony in a torn up cloak, who was jumping from roof top to roof top as Sunny ran below on the street.
"Somepony or something's chasing Sunny!" Applejack stated the obvious as she arose from the table and left some bits for their meal.
"Should we get the others?" Octavia asked, leaving 25% for a tip.
"No time! We might lose sight of 'em!" Applejack explained and began chasing after Sunny and his pursuer as fast as her legs could carry her.
Following quickly behind her was Octavia, who's own naturally strong earth legs were strengthened from carrying her cello around all the time.
Both mares ran through the town, dodging ponies, cart's and other various obsticals to reach their target goal; Sunny. It seemed as though they were about to catch him when he disappeared in a flash of green light! Applejack easily recognized that it was his own magic that teleported him out of sight, but why? Did he know about the pony chasing him on the roof tops? Did he not see her and Octavia coming to his rescue?
Before more thoughts filled the pony's head, Octavia tackled Applejack, sending the both of them rolling into a pile of hay. Before Applejack could climb out of the hay and ask Octavia if she had lost her mind, the orange mare watched the scene from a distance. A battle was occurring on the rooftop between Sunny, the cloaked stranger, and a rouge pony puppet! Applejack was once again about to jump out when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. It was Octavia!
"Wait a moment…" she whispered to Applejack.
The orange farmer wanted nothing more then to jump to Sunny's aid, but she took a deep breath and waited, despite her better judgment, and watched from the hay pile. The more she watched the three of them jump around in the roof top, Sunny, the puppet and the cloaked stranger, the more Applejack realized that the cloaked stranger was working together with Sunny against the rouge puppet pony! Their attacks worked perfectly with one other, playing off each other's slightest movements as if it was all choreographed months ahead of this battle. Applejack was both in awe and slightly jealous. Sunny had offered to help train her in self defence, having years of practice under his belt, but she didn't have too much interest in it. Watching him work with this stranger now, she wished she could perform half those moves with him.
Not two more moments later did the puppet come crashing down, with Sunny's hoof smashing it's head into the ground, shattering it into pieces. Bouncing back away from the rouge puppet, Sunny was quickly joined by the cloaked stranger, who stood close by his side. They both watched and waited as the pony puppet, who's head was smashed, got up, and it's head's fragments began to float up and rebuild it's head from the pieces!
"See what I mean?" Sunny told the cloaked stranger. "They don't stop, even if they are shattered into pieces."
"Got any idea what we can do with them?" The stanger asked, Applejack and Octavia quickly noticed the stranger's voice was feminine.
"Let's lock this one up with the others and we'll go from there, I have a few ideas" Sunny told the stranger, who nodded in response.
Wrapping the rouge puppet in a cloak of his own magical aura, Sunny levitated the struggling creature as the stranger brought around a large, rattling cart, pulling back part of a large tarp that covered the entire cart, the stranger opened a door for a split second, just long enough for Sunny to throw the puppet inside. Once the rouge puppet was locked up and the door secured, Sunny offered a hoof bump to the stranger, who was hesitant at first, but met Sunny's hoof bump with her own hoof. The stranger couldn't help but giggle a little as she tried to hide herself more under her cloak.
Something began to boil deep inside Applejack, something that she never felt before, and something that wouldn't let her stay hiding in the hay anymore.
Emerging from the hay, Applejack straitened her Stetson hat, puffed up her chest and marched over to Sunny and the giggling, cloaked stranger he had so quickly seemed to warm up to. "What in sam hill is going on here!?"
Applejack's booming voice quickly silanced the stranger's giggling, and she withdrew behind Sunny. Sunny himself was shocked to see Applejack emerge from the hay and found it hard to find his words for a moment. "A-Applejack, I didn't see you there. Ugh, listen, I can explain all of this, but later. Rosewood and ah have some business to take care of."
More and more ponies began to come out to see what all the ruckus was, which made the stranger hide even closer to Sunny, and made the yellow unicorn seem more and more nervous.
"Oh? Is there anything ah can do to help?" Applejack pulled back her aggression a little, giving Sunny a little room to breath. She didn't know the full story, maybe what she thought was going on wasn't quite what was going on.
"I can't tell you now" Sunny started to say when the cloaked mare, Rosewood, tugged on Sunny's shoulder. The yellow unicorn nodded and motioned for her to go ahead and get on the cart, that he would pull it this time, then he turned his attention back to Applejack. "I need you to trust me. There's something I need to do to fix something I did. I'll meet you back at the farm tonight ok?"
Her questioning anger subsided. Applejack released a heavy breath, and nodded. After holding her for a moment, Sunny kissed her on her forehead, then left and began to pull the heavy cart through town as fast as he could, using that muscle enhancement spell to help him do so. In a matter of moments, Sunny, the cart carrying the rouge puppet, and Rosewood we're out of sight, leaving Applejack In the dust, with Octavia doing her best to comfort her…
Applejack tried her best to forget about everything with Sunny and this 'Rosewood' mare, but everywhere she looked, the orange farm pony just saw them. Not really them, but couples. Couples laughing, joking around, sharing milk shakes, it was almost as bad as the Hearts and Hooves day that Apple Bloom and her friends tried to hook Big Mac and Cheerilee up. Applejack thought it was wierd that every couple seemed to be out in full bloom that year, but payed no attention to it. She actually didn't care for the longest time about Hearts and Hooves day until Sunny came around…
Wandering around aimlessly after bidding Octavia fairwell, after the whole scene with Sunny and 'Rosewood', Applejack found herself at the edge of town and not far from Twilight's castle.
'Maybe ah could consult Twi 'bout this whole mess' Applejack thought to herself. Even though Twilight can go a bit overboard, and she may not be the princess of love, she was very insightful and did spend a lot of time with Cadence. Maybe there's something Twilight can do to calm Applejack's worried heart…
"… And then he just rode off, like nothing had happened! And expected me to just 'go back to the farm' and wait for him!" Applejack was reaching the tail end of her story.
It had been a good hour long conversation from the time the orange mare walked right into Twilight's library and sought out her advice. Twilight had been in the middle of reorganizing her books after she received a new shipment from Canterlot, but was skilled at multitasking. While intergrading the new books into her library, Twilight offered an ear and a shoulder to cry on for her troubled friend.
Releasing a heavy sigh again, Applejack looked up at Twilight with worry filed eyes and pleaded to her. "Am ah just over reacting? Or do ya think there's somethin' goin on that ah don't know about?"
"Well…" Twilight was all ready to tell Applejack that there wasn't anything to worry about, but her question didn't leave her with that option. "Maybe it's best if you just go back to the farm and talk it out with Sunny."
Twilight's answer was a little disheartening. "Can't ya give me something's Twi? Ah'm at wits end!"
Grabbing a book from off a shelf, Twilight cracked it open and flipped to a familiar section. "Well, Applejack, I think what you are experiencing is a common text book example of 'Romantic Jealousy.''
"JEALOUS!? Ya'll think ah'm jealous!?" Applejack's cheeks grew red as her hardened eyes locked into Twilight, feeling insulted. "Ah ain't jealous!"
"It's nothing to feel bad about, Applejack" Twilight levitated the book over to her friend. "It's normal to get jealous when your special some pony is spending time with somepony else, especially somepony of the opposite gender. Why, I remember this one time Shinning tutored a filly in his class while he was dating Cadence. Cadence said she was ok, but was acting wierd and paranoid all night, asking me about the pony Shinning was turoring, if she had come over before, if he had talked about her. But in the end, she was worried for nothing."
That made Applejack think for a moment. "Hey Twilight, ya'll didn't happen ta meet this 'Rosewood' have ya?"
"I actually did" Twilight beamed. "She was a very…. Odd pony, I guess you could say. Very shy, but when she got to know me, she opened up and was very sweet."
"Why didn't ya tell me that in th' first place!? Ah got ta go find Sunny" Applejack told Twilight.
"I think they we're heading to Zecorra's next. But they're probably-" Twilight started to say, but Applejack was gone before she should finish.
'How could Sunny introduce that mare to Twilight before 'me'!?' Applejack galloped angrily along the outer limit of town, making her way steadily towards the edge of the Everfree forest, so she can follow the safe path towards Zecorra's hut. 'Ah don't know what's goin' on between those two, or why Sunny went to Twilight first, but ah ain't gonna just wait around for him to come back to th' farm! Ah'm Gunna take action!'
A safe road was eventually cleared in the Everfree that could lead anypony to Zeccora's hut. Although the Zebra shaman loved and felt more at ease in a place as wild and untamed as the Everfree forest, this didn't mean that she didn't enjoy visit when they came around. She was always very hospitable, and loved to talk and listen to anypony who happen to pay her a visit. But this one time, Zecorra wished that she had been out gathering ingredients for her potions rather then be home when Applejack came knocking angrily oh her door. The second mistake was letting Applejack in and asking what was bothering her.
"...And then he runs off with her! Without ah second word!" Applejack's rant with Zecorra went on even longer then hers with Twilight.
"You don't say…" Zecorra sat across from the troubled earth pony and refilled her own tea for the fifth time, while Applejack barely took a sip out of the one that was offered to her.
"Ah know! And ta top it all off, Sunny went and Introduced 'Rosewood' ta Twilight before me! ME! Like ah'm second fiddle or somethin'!" Applejack continued.
"Yes, very rude, when you put it that way…" Zecorra's tone remained very flat as she took another small sip wondering when this was going to end.
"Which reminds me" Applejack's tone shifted again, calming down a bit as she turned her fill attention to Zeccora. "Twilight said they were comin' by here, did they get here yet?"
"As I tried to say before, Sunny and the stanger in a hood, Came for some ingredients to deal with wood, We had some laughs, then they left and nothing more, I tried to tell you at an earlier time, That I couldn't even make a proper rhyme" Zecorra started in, finaly getting more then one line of words out. "I believe they went back to the apple farm-"
"Th' Farm! What didn't ya say that in th' first place!" Applejack jumped from her seat and dashed out the door.
Again, before Zeccora could get even a few words in, the orange farm pony was gone, leaving the Zebra to tend to her poor ears that spent almost two hours listening to the farm mare's troubles. But insisted to finish her rhyme even if no plans NY else was listening. "Perhaps you will see little pony, That the cloacked stranger means you and your loved one no harm. But beware your jealousy can lead you astray, I hope your love can light your way…"
Faster and faster Applejack ran down the dirt road back to the apple farm where she hoped to catch Sunny and Rosewood and finnaly find out what's going on between those two! Her irrational emotions we're spinning out of control, pushing the mare to go as fast as Pinkie when she tried a shot of espresso for the first time! In no time, Applejack made it back to the farm to catch Sunny sitting on the porch with Big Mac and Apple Bloom.
The angered mare marched right up the dirt road and was about to call Sunny by his full name to indicate how angery she was when she saw Granny and the still cloaked Rosewood emerge from the farm house, pictures of apple cider and mugs for all. The scene hurt her. It was a perfect family scene that could have been put on a post card. The only thing that was missing was her. But after seeing how they all laughed and smiled without her, Applejack felt lost and alone. That is, until somepony reached out to her.
"Hey! There ya are!" Sunny appeared beside the defeated looking orange mare, his smile practically glowing on his muzzle. "Ah was wonderin' where ya we're! Rosewood has been dying ta meet ya!"
"Sunny, who th' heck 'is' Woodrose!? Why are ya so close to her!? Ah ain't even heard nothin' bout her till taday, but ya go off with her all over town, intraducin' her ta everypony but me, and ah demand ta know why! " Applejack could still muster enough of internal fire to spit out that much.
"Excuse me…" a faint filly's voice came from in front of the two farmers. Woodrose stood still covered in her cloak, offering Applejack a hoof. "My name is Woodrose. My father was Widdler"
"Widdler?" The name was familiar to Applejack, but when couldn't quite place where she heard it from.
"Right! Remember that carpenter pony I told you about who made my pony puppet's 1000 years ago?" Sunny asked Appleljack, trying to jog her memory.
"Yeah, ah remember now" Applejack couldn't forget the pony who Sunny treated like an older brother.
"Well, I'm his daughter, which Sunny insists on treating me like a neice" the mare explained. "I've been hunting down the rouge pony puppet all over Equestria, and rumors lead me to Ponyville. That's where I found Sunny. He explained to me everything, well, at least everything about you and the pony puppets."
"He did?" Applejack raised a brow.
"Yeah! He's told me all sorts of things about you, like all the adventures you have gone on, and all the bad guys you took on. It's super cool." The filly's voice started to spark and random clicks came from underneath her hood.
"Well, ugh, thanks" Applejack said, rubbing the back of her head, feeling a little embarrassed.
"I wanted to introduce you to her earlier, but… well… Woodrose is alot like me. That is, she's kinda different then most ponies in Equestria..." Sunny tried to find the words.
Before Applejack could ask what that meant, Woodrose pulled back her cloak and showed the confused farm pony.
Applejack looked onto the filly in awe, not 100% sure of what she was looking at. Woodrose was properly named, because it seemed her entire body was made of wood! She was a giant talking, moving pony puppet! Her body appeared to even be made of Rose wood, her joints were metal like the other pony puppets, but more sturdy, her light blue eyes were like glass doll's eyes. Her crimson mane looked real, but somepony who's hung around Rarity long enough could tell you they were synthetic fibers cut and straitened to resemble a mane. But the thing that caught Applejack's attention the most was a bright glowing gem at the center of her chest. The color of the gem seemed to match her eyes in both color and a slight glow.
"My story's a bit of a long one, but I'm more then happy to share it with you and your family" Woodrose smiling face moved from Applejack to the rest of the Apple family back in the porch.
"Ah hope ya don't mind us runnin' off earlier" Sunny adjusted his hat nervously. "It's just… most ponies were frightened by WoodRose's appearance, and ah didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. That's when ah thought meeting back at th'farm would be the best bet. It's away from most ponies and Woodrose can get ta know th' family."
Applejack started to feel silly, and ashamed, when she wondered something. "But why did ya need ta go ta Twilight's castle, first, and Zeccora's hut?"
"We needed to do some research on the Timberwolves" Woodrose explained further. "See, when I found out about the pony puppets coming to life after what happened on nightmare night years ago, I thought it best to do research on the Timberwolves themselves."
"And who else better to ask then Twilight and Zecorra" Sunny added in.
"And the stuff ya got from Zecorra?" Applejack questioned again.
"It's a type of hurb that growd deep in the Everfree near the Den of the timberwolves. We were using it to trap them" Sunny pulled some out from under his Stetson and showed it to Applejack.
"So… ya'll were just roundin' up them pesky critters?" Applejack asked, her cheeks growing even redder then before when she realized she was being foolish.
"I wanted to help make things right" Sunny admitted. "After all, this whole mess is kinda mah fault. But ah also wanted to introduce her to th' rest of th' family. Let her meet ponies who, ugh, have experience with odd ponies."
Applejack felt as low as she possibly could at this point. Everything she had been paranoid about, was just her overactive mind running away with her. Lowering her head and looking up at Sunny, Applejack asked Sunny in a low and hushed voice "mind if ah talk to ya for ah moment alone? Ah won't take too long."
Sunny could tell something was wrong and nodded. "Woodrose, why don't you go back to th' house. We'll be along shortly."
"Ok, I'll hold off telling my story until you guys get there!" Woodrose smiled and ran back to rejoin the Apple family.
Sunny and Applejack had a long heart to heart, filled with many apologizes for the conclusions she radically jumped to. After hearing all she had to say, about how she acted at Twilight's and Zeccora's, Sunny admitted it was probably best that she go back and apologize to them as well, tomorrow that is. The sun had set and most ponies would be settling down for dinner, Sunny also pointed out that he heard Granny ringing the dinner bell just a few moments ago.
Just as Sunny was about to challenge Applejack to a race back home, with the loser doing the dishes, he paused and looked at her. He smiled gently at her as he told her in a tender tone "Applejack, you don't have to ever worry about anypony else replacing you in my heart. You are the only special somepony for me. Trust me like I trust you."
That made her feel better but also slightly guilty. "Ah trust you.. it's just… ah don't know what ah was thinking."
Putting his for head to hers, Sunny added "it's ok. I got jealous when Alister was here the time before last and everypony was head over hooves for him. But I never want to make you feel like that. You are the only mare for me."
Applejack did feel better after hearing that, still guilty, and probably would look for a way to make it up to Sunny and Woodrose, as well as Twilight and Zecorra for talking their ears off. But for now, they needed to get back home before Big Mac helped himself to their supper.
"Race ya home!" Applejack declared then began running off, leaving Sunny in the dust.
"Hey, that's cheating!" Sunny smiled as he raced after Applejack.
"Ain't cheatin' till ah tell ya loser has ta clean out the gutters!" Applejack through out the conditions.
"Yer on!" Sunny yelled as he began to steadily catch up, forcing Applejack to kick it into high gear.
Unfortunately, the winner couldn't be determined, but the next day, both ponies we're happy to work together to clean out the gutters.
All the apples had gathered in the living room of the farm house, all gathering around, ready to listen to WoodRose's tale. Sunny has just walked in, levitating slices of freshly baked apple pie, and began distributing the slices as he nodded for Woodrose to go ahead to start.
"My father had told me the story 1000 times, but I loved hearing it every time he told it" Rosewood admitted, beginning her origin story in front today her new family "It all began one night many, many, many years ago…
My father had settled down deep in a forest that no pony seemed to wander into due to its density. But that gave my father quiet solitude and plenty of material to use for his work. After setting up a shop and gathering all he needed, my father went right to work on simple things at first; chairs, benches, tables, and the like. All things ponies would need. He worked with a couple from a near by town who owned a general store. They would give him a list of things ponies requested and he'd go right to work on it. It wasn't the highest paying job, but my father loved it. He always told me that when you do a job you love, you never work a day in your life. But as close as my father was with the couple from the general store, and despite making friends with many travelers who would be brave enough to venture into his woods, my father still felt lonely. One day, he got the brilliant, or possibly crazy idea to 'make' a pony.
He picked the strongest but light weight wood material he had, the most realistic fake hair he had left over from previous projects, and went right to work. For anypony else, the project would have taken a few weeks to complete the project, but as the sun set on that day, my father took a step back and looked upon his work with gleaming pride. It was a giant wooden pony like puppet, just barely older then a filly. She would be like a daughter to him, he thought, and listen to all his crazy new ideas, ask him to make her toys, remind him to eat and rest. Maybe even one day he's make her a few siblings. Happy as he could be with his work, my father took his creation outside to stargaze, a passtime he had grown fond of and couldn't wait to share with his newest creation. Looking up at the stars, my father pointed out various constellations and told stories of their origin. As he was in the middle of the story of King Orion, he noticed something in the night sky, something very special.
Shooting across the night sky was a shooting star. It had been so long since my father did something as silly and childish as wish upon a shooting star, but he was in a cheerful mood and spoke with his creation, telling it about how special it was to see one and how magical it was. To demonstrate, my father closed his eyes and made his wish to the star. I have a pretty good guess on what it was he wished for, but he never told me. Just then, the star changed direction and crash landed not far from where my father lay on the grass with his creation. Mezmorized and curious, my father went to investigate the phenomenon. When he arrived at the crater, my father looked down to see a bright glowing light held within what looked to be a gem stone.
What happened next, my father described as his body reacting as if it was what he was meant to do, even if he had no idea what he was done by at the time. It was as if the star that had landed was feeding him telepathic instructions. My father crawled down into the crater and retrieved the glowing gem, which barely fit in the palm of his hoof. He then rushed over to his creation with the star, paused, looked from the stone to the puppet and back. Before he did anything else, he kissed the stone, saying it felt warm and pulsing, then pressed the stone to the chest of the pony sized puppet.
Immediately the stone reacted and murged into the cheast of the puppet! A bright light shot through the puppet's wooden body, light breaking through each crevice and crack, it's libs shook and shivered,then the whole puppet seemed to take to the sky, floating suspended in the air several feet above the ground for several long moments. All the while, my father watched in awe wondering what he had done, wondering why exactly he had done it and wondering what would happen next.
Slowly, the puppet floated down to the ground, with the glowing light retreating back to the stone in it's chest. My father moved to catch the puppet in his hooves, without any hints of fear in his heart. It landed gently in his hooves, new eye lids on it's face began to flickered open. Then a pair of light blue eyes met his, and a smile broke out across it's wooden muzzle as it smiled and whispered one word. "Daddy".
My father burst into tears as he pulled his creation, his daughter, in close to him and whispered back "Happy birthday, my child. From here on out, your name will be Rosewood..."
Yes, that puppet was me. My body made of Equestria's trees, and my heart, the fallen star that breathed life into me, a gift from the heavens above, on that day, I was born.
My father, Widdler as you all know him, taught me everything I knew back then, just like if I was his own flesh and blood daughter. Other then how to do laundry, clean and maintain my wooden puppet body, how to repair most things, as well as clean around the house, my father also taught me how to work with wood other then my own body. He taught me about the wide array of tools he and others use for the various techniques of shaping, carving, designing and so on. I watched him and learned all there was to learn about wood work. Every day, though, he would tell me that the greatest thing he ever created was me. It made me so happy to hear that…
One day, several years later, as I was working on a dollhouse somepony ordered from the general store, my father rushed into the workshop and told me that he had to go away for a while. He said nothing was wrong, but that he needed to go right away. He told me he needed me to be strong, to be safe, and one day he would come back. He said that Solggiato needed his help and that a friend of his would take him to Solggiato. Some brown earth pony with a big blue box. I thought my father had lost it for a moment, but then I watched the blue box he hopped into disappear right before my eyes. I'll never forget the sound it made as the light on the top of it began to flickered slowly, the scratching echo of the machine inside seemed to be the only sound in the entire forest. A wide array of emotions filled my heart as I stood there, staring at the spot the blue box was, where it took my father away from me…
Over the years I continued my father's work, completing, repairing and adjusting various wooden pieces through the general store. But the store expanded and the original shop owners who knew me through my father, had grown old and returned, leaving the shop to their daughter and her husband. The original owners were kind to me because they knew my.father, but their daughter and her husband… tried their best to ignore how different I was. Through the years ownership of the store had changed hooves several times, and with each time, the new owners grew more and more deteatful of me and my hoof in their business, despite the quality of my work. At first the payment I received was cut due to 'supply and demand being at an all time low' but my work load had hardly changed. Then one day I received a letter stating that my services would no longer be required. Letting me know through a letter of all things was low and cowardly, but remembering the looks on their frightened faces, I could understand why they were afraid.
Father had told me when I was younger that I was special, not like other ponies, and that not all ponies would understand and see my uniqueness as beautiful. But those who did, I should cherish them as friends. Sadly, I never met such ponies. And after my income from the store had stopped, I decided to take my work on the road. After loading up a large cart I had spent a year and a half working on, I left a letter to explain what had happened should my father return, closed up shop, then I set out to find a new place to continue my trade, and hopefully make some friends to fill my lonely life. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I had to try.
I ventured to many places, busy Cities like Manehatten and Los Pegasus, smaller towns like Vanhoofer, and smaller towns then that that didn't even have names. Everywhere I went I learned that ponies were afraid of me. They didn't know what to think and avoided me. I wouldn't set up shop anywhere if every pony was going to keep their distance. Eventually I set up shop by a train station, keeping my image hidden under a black cloak and hood. Ponies were initially scared of me, but when I spoke up, the sweet serenity of my voice reassured them that I was not dangerous. Gradually I began to pick up business. I didn't really need bits for food or anything, I ate very little. And maintanance of my own body hardly required three bits a month, but I liked to think that when I met up with my father once more I would be able to treat him and I to a long vacation, maybe a Cruze or something. He always worked so hard, I want that for him and I.
One day as I was working, I overheard some older mare talking about how she saw something like a pony made of wood running around her guarden, smashing all her crops the previous night. Curious to see if more of my kind existed, I decided to investigate. What I found was a pony puppet come to life indeed, but unlike myself, this creature was wild, feral, and unwilling to hear me out. It fought me for a bit but I was able to overpower it. I didn't want to hurt it too badly, so I locked it up in a metal cage and hitched it up to my cart. The creature wouldn't stay still and made noise loud enough to wake the entire town. I knew then I had to hide it somewhere safe until I could figure out what was going on with it. Then I came across another that appeared to be trying to free the first. I captured that one easier then the first and threw it in the cage as well.
There were more of these things out there, and somepony was making them and bringing them to life. The symbol on one of them was my father's own isignia and cutie mark, so I knew at least one of them was genuinely his. I couldn't let his work be blamed for such havoc, and I took it upon myself to hunt these things down and capture them, hoping to find some clues to their origin along the way. And that's when I heard of a yellow unicorn from ponyville who used one in a show on nightmare night…"
Later that night, after everypony went to bed, Sunny looked in on Rosewood, who had been lucked in on the couch for the time being. No pony knew how long the living pony puppet would stay, but plans were being made to make some space for her in the farm house. For now, through, the couch would have to do. Applejack offered up her bed as a way to help make amends for her behavior, but Rosewood refused, saying the couch was more then fine.
It had warmed Sunny's heart to see Rosewood getting along with the Apples so well. 'you've raised a fine daughter, Widdler. Maybe you can join us again one day, when you are done doing whatever you are doing with Doctor…'
Standing before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would intimidate anypony. Their royal status, the way they carried themselves with such athority, but to somepony like Alister who had gone through much more frightening things, they were more like his bosses weather then the rulers of all Equestria. He respected them and looked to them for guidance and wisdom, but fear was little to no factor for him. Even after reverting to Charming Knightmare once more and serving King Sombra, even going out of his way to make trouble for Princess Celestia's faithful student and her group of friends, Alister only felt at peace to be back to his normal state of being. When he was well enough to leave the emergency wing of the Canterlot hospital, the Princesses had him escorted directly to their thrown room to debrief him personally.
"Your report on your time serving King Sombra was very informative, Alister" Luna spoke first after hearing Alister's full explanation. "It will help to stop anything he has planned for the future."
"I only wish I could have been of more help, your majasties" Alister spoke the truth, his eyes revealing his exhaustion from the whole experience though. But despite his lack of energy, he would still March for days on end should the princesses wish it.
"You have done well, given the circumstances" Celestia spoke up for the second time during the whole report. It was obvious to Alister that Celestia's concerns were on very specific elements of his report, but also knew that Luna was having it all documented, should her older sister wish to review it at a later time.
"Yes, speaking from experience" Luna chimmed in "we know that sometimes our darker aides, our hidden emotions, take hold and we don't act like ourselves. We hope you don't blame yourself too much. Especially with the curupting power of the alicorn amulet working against you."
"Thank you, princess Luna" Alister bowed his head. "If there is nothing else, I wish to take a short leave from work to rest and recoperate."
This request shocked both princesses. It had always been difficult to get Alister to take time off in the past, but here he was asking for it himself, in person. Both princesses looked to each other in a moment of his belief as if asking each other with their eyes 'is he serious? Is Alister really asking for time off?'
Turning back to the royal guard, Celestia spoke up. "Your request is granted. However, there is one more thing we need to speak of. Alone."
With that, the other guards present left the room, leaving only the two sisters, Alister, and Kibits (who had been writing down every word up until now.). Alister knew what princess Celestia was going to ask of him, and he was more then willing to comply…
Later, after enjoying a hardy meal at the royal guard mess hall, Alister casually strolled beyond the castle walls, taking in the natural beauty of the world around him that he seemed to take for granted and ignored for all his life. He never noticed the wonderful smells eminating from the gardens both in and around the castle, the clear blue skies above, the sights of Canterlot's city and all it's busy enhabitants. It was truely a work of art. He thought about how different it was then his own home town that he grew up in. He heard recently that it had changed it's name after expanding near Buffalo territory. Appaloosa, I think they we're calling it now. He would have to take a trip down there. It had been a long time since he saw his parents, perhaps this would be a good time to visit.
Just then, as if by fate's hoof, Alister saw two very familiar faces on patrol near the castle wall, between the castle and the busy streets and shops surrounding it. Midnight Blossom and Cloud Skipper seemed to be casually talking, then Cloud stopped when he saw Alister. Midnight followed his gaze and shock soon overtook her face as well. Alister casually walked up to them, and when he reached his fellow guards, he did something neither of them thought he was capable of.
He hugged them.
He wrapped his hooves abound both of them and pulled them closer to him. No pony said anything for the longest time. Both of Alister's friends had been concerned when he disaeared and did everything they could to try and find him. When they heard he had been taken to Canterlot hospital, they had visited him as often as they could.
After embrasing and releasing his best friends, Alister looked them both in the eye and told them "thank you both, for everything. For being there for me, for supporting me, for watching my back, and for being my friends."
"Ugh... You ok Alister?" Midnight asked, raising a brow at the grey unicorn.
"Did the three ghosts of Hearths Warming visit you in the hospital?" Cloud Skipper joked with his pal.
"No… not exactly three ghosts" Alister smiled. "But a certain prince did. He got to me, and I realized everything I had taken for granted. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll let you to get back to work, and I have one more pony to see."
After saluting both his commrads, Alister galloped as fast as his legs could carry him to a certain district in Canterlot where he knew an old friend normally hung out….
The cafe was slow at this time, as it is everyday between the lunch and dinner rush. A certain ex-royal guard found this the perftect time to sit down and enjoy a warm cup of coffee before he set out on a day trip back to his home town. The silance and solitude allowed him to sit and reflect on things without anypony interrupting him. Everypony need time in the day like that.
The bell to the Cafe's door rang as a customer walked in, drawing Heart Patch's attention to the door. He couldn't believe his eyes, though. 'that can be him… can it!?'
Stairing back at the flightless Pegasus was none other then Alister, his best friend that he made back in the royal guard so long ago. So many years have passed since the Charming Knightmare incident, but he hadn't been his friend once since then. Heart knew why; the guilt of what Alister did to him when he was Charming Knightmare was too much for the unicorn to face. But Heart had always wished that Alister would come around. And as if having made a wish on a falling star, his wish magically came true.
Not saying another word, Alister casually walked over to his old friend, never breaking eye contact, and sat down in Heart's booth, right across from him. The room was so still and so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Seconds streatched into hours as the two stallions merely studied one another.
Right when Alister was about to say something, the waitress walked by and asked "what can I get for ya, sweetie?"
"I'll have what he's having" Allister said immediatly, knowing Heart had black coffee to which he couldn't stomach, but didn't really care at the moment.
After the waitress left to go get Alister's order, the two stallion sat there, quiet, for what seemed like hours, somewhat avoiding the other's gaze while trying to find the right words to say. It had been so long since Alister last saw Heart Patch, let alone spoke to him. He had avoided his former brother in arms ever since the accident where he first became Charming Knightmare, the guilt collapsing him from the inside about Heart's wings. And from the looks of it, Alister could tell Heart still couldn't fly. If he hadn't regained the ability by now, it was likely he would never fly again. The guilt began to return, but Alister was refusing to give in.
'Not this time' he through to himself as he bit his lip. 'I won't run away or blame myself as an excuse for not talking to him. It's not fair to him and it's cowardly. Heart deserves better then that... I owe him that much...'
"It's... Been a long time…" Alister stated, shattering the silent stillness between him and Heart Patch.
"Yeah, it has…" Heart was caught off guard by Alister's words.
"You… you've looked better" Alister tried to joke. "What's the matter? Had another brawl with the Griffinstone Sluggers? Shouldn't a royal guard know better then to pick a fight, even with troublesome gangs?"
"'Former' royal guard" Heart corrected his friend, unable to stop himself as he did so.
Alister quickly realized his mistake and sunk back a little in his seat. 'Good job, wiz kid. One of the smartest ponies in all the magical research and developments department and you still manage to fumble over the simplest things like small talk!'
"Besides, those guys still remember me from the last time we brawled. I left those Bozo's with nightmares the last time I had to remind them to play nice" Heart cracked a smile, small and cautious, not wanting to come off too strong at first. He didn't want to frightened off his old friend, not after waiting for so long to meet up again.
Shaking his head and producing a half smile, Alister chuckled lightly as a cup of hot black coffee was put in front of him. "Same old Heart Patch. Solving problems with your hooves not your head."
"Same old Ch, er, Alister" Heart caught himself, remembering the name change after that dark day. "Always thinking his brain is the strongest muscle a pony could have."
"Actually, the tongue is" Alister then stuck his tongue out at Heart, catching the white Pegasus off guard with the factual joke.
The two shared a light hearted laugh for a moment as other ponies entered the diner. Once they stopped, the awkward siltance resumed. But Alister didn't come to the diner to sit and be quiet like a foal in time out.
"Heart" the grey unicorn started "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. About everything…"
"It's ok" Heart replied immediately, knowing exactly how this conversation would go, having played it out in his head a million times, which sounded more like something Alister himself would have done.
"It's not ok" Alister started up. "If I had listened to you in the first place, none of this would have happened! I would be of stable mind, you would still he in the royal guard, and your wings…"
Heart looked down at his wings and flexted them a little, knowing that they wouldn't be able to move much, then turned his attention back to his friend. "Stuff happened, Alister. There's nothing you can do about it now. Well, except stop avoiding me like I have the pony flu."
The waitress came back and dropped off Alister's coffee, then quickly left the two to resume their private conversation.
"I know there's a way" Alister started to say. "I've read countless ways ponies hundreads of years ago attempted to fix broken or even missing wings. I know I can find a way to help you…"
Heart couldn't help but smile and shake his head lightly. He knew Alister wouldn't let it go, even if he was already at peace with himself. "Fine. I'll do what I can to help you, under two conditions."
"You don't have to help me" Alister started to say. But then a friendly voice rang in his ear and reminded him what great things can come from ponies working together. "But… but I would be honored if you did."
Today was definitely a day full of surprises; Alister accepting help? And not being ordered to? Shaking off his awe, Heart continued. "One; you keep me informed every step of the way. No more late night stuff with you sneaking back into your or anypony's lab, study, or library. And Two; you take some time off first to come back with me to my home town. There're having a chili festival and I know you'd have fun.
"What do you say, Alister?" Heart smiled and extended his hoof.
Reaching out and shaking his hoof, the grey unciorn guard smiled back and replied "Sounds like a deal. But Heart, call me Charming. Charming Knight…"
"Rarity, if ah'm being completely honest…" Sunny started to say as he looked at himself in a three directional fitting room mirror, wearing a suit Rarity had fashoned for him for the gala. "I must say, ah don't think ah've ever looked this snazy!"
The suit was black (of course), accented with a green bow tie and matching green vest, both of which matched Sunny's eyes. The jacket of the tuxido was a notched lable, with the back end being strait cut. Rarity had suggested one with a tailcoat, but Sunny thought it looked funny. Pants were optional, but Sunny went with them, but decided against the shoes. Most ponies preferred to dance with shoes so their hooves didn't ache afterwards, but after working on the farm so long, everything of Sunny's had toughened, even the bottoms of his hooves. The last bit of the tuxido that pulled it all togeather were the cufflinks, which Rarity was asked to fashion the buttons to have a symbol of an apple, much like the apple on his Stetson hat.
"Why thank you, Sunny" Rarity started, looking over him checking for any slight alterations she would need to make. "I'll admit it isn't like what you must have had 1000 years ago. After the Crystal Empire returned and the girls and I went to help them by researching in the library, I came across several books I had to check out on fasion of their, ah-hem, 'modern' times. It all was very inspirational, but a lot of it for the males seemed rather…"
"Dorky looking?" Sunny finished her sentence for the fasionista, remembering how the formal wear looked when Sunny had to dress for such occasions. Odd frilly outfits that were puffy around the shoulders, with at least five different colors of clothing that had no reason to be sown anywhere near each other. Sunny dreaded having to attend formal gatherings because of such things.
Rairty couldn't help but laugh lightly at Sunny's statement. "Yes, well… things were different back then."
"We'll look at you, Mr. snazzy!" Applejack stood with her back against the door way, checking Sunny out from several different angles, thanks to the fitting room mirror.
Sunny was shocked for a moment, then relaxed and smiled back at the freckled farm mare. "You like?"
"Ah very much do" Applejack said as she walked up to him, grabbed him by his jacket collar, and pulled him in for a quick kiss. When they separated, Sunny looked into her deep emerald colored eyes, and gave her a slightly longer kiss.
The back and forth kissing could have gone on for hours, if not for the awkward way Rarity cleared her throat, letting the couple know they weren't exactly alone. When the couple separated, they blushed lightly. Rarity then took hold of the situation "Sunny, Why don't you go ahead and undress in the other room, and delicately put your tuxedo in one of the boxes in there. The gala may be tomorrow, but it would be a shame if something were to happen to it the day before.
"As for you, miss kissy face" Rarity pushed Applejack up onto a stool to help work around her. "We have some more work to do on 'your' dress."
With that, Rarity shoed Sunny out, not wanting him to see Applejack before the big night. As Sunny began to walk down the hallway towards the room Rarity instructed him to change out in, Something caught his eye.
On a small table in front of a large mirror was a music box. The box itself Sunny didn't connect with, but the images on the box had been used for over 1000 years. They were symbolic illustrations of mares in ballroom dresses dancing with royal guards. It was another royal ball, the Knight's Ball, where mares could ask out and dance with any of the Royal guard who they pleased. This was back when the royal guard was exclusively for stallions. Sunny had taken part in it several times, each mare who danced with him were very sincere and courteous, but none really stuck out. Then a fadded memory started to emerge from the darkest corner of Sunny's mind…
"Once upon A winter's Eve My mind burns to remember, What happened Why can't I Seem to recall…"
Just like that, a gentle song began to stir as Sunny saw himself no longer in Rarity's Boutique, but rather a beautiful castle of gold, white and purple. A wide ballroom lined with thick marble pillars was set for a long evening of dancing and celebrating.
"I see ponies From near and far Come to see the one who escapes me!
"Winds blow cold over Lands of ice and snow But fire in my mind seeks the light!
"Over 1000 years ago But still so close in my mind! Things I'm trying to remember!
"All the pieces gathered in my mind What stone is left unturned!?
"What more still do I need to find All to feel whole again What piece am I still missing!? What do I need to remember?
"Ponies come from near and far All to see what I can't see
"1000 years ago Memories engulfed in a shadowy ember! Things I'm trying to remember!
"And somepony I hold dear…
"Once upon a winter's Eve.…."
As Sunny's song came to an end, and the yellow unicorn became aware that he was lost in his own song and thoughts. A moment later, he recognized a reflection of a familiar and friendly face appeared in the reflection of the mirror.
"That was a nice song" Twilight said softly, not wishing to offend the yellow unicorn.
"Thank you" Sunny simply stated, slightly embarrassed. "Ugh… how long have you been standing there?"
Twilight approached him and the stand that held the music box on top of it. As she ran a hoof over it, she lifted the box and the same melody Sunny had been singing to began to play. "Long enough to see something is really bothering you, no matter how much you try and forget about it."
After giving up keeping secrets from his friends, Sunny poured his worries out to Twilight. "My father was telling the truth about my mother's betrayal. About her saying he was a monster and I an abomination that needs to be locked away. But then why do I want to see her so badly? Why do I feel like with that missing part of my mind retrieved that I feel like I'm whole again!?
"There are ponies who have gone on to write history who never even knew their parents" Sunny sighed heavily as he shut the music box. "So why am I clinging to it? Shouldn't I be happy? I have friends, a new family, a home, the mare of my dreams, yet…. I'm missing something… should anything else matter? And if I find my mother, what if she reveiled me to the princesses? What if she insists on the previous fate she wished for me?"
"That won't happen" Twilight put a hoof on Sunny, desperately reaching out to reassure him. "I know princess Celestia and Princess Luna would never do something like that. They would take you and everything you have done into consideration.
"You aren't some monster, Sunny" Twilight stated, drawing Sunny to look her in the eye. "When you stood on trial at my castle I wasn't sure what to make of you. I didn't think you were bad, but you did allot of things to help yourself hide who you were. Lying, getting others to lie for you, tricking your friends."
"Gee Twilight, are ya Gunna be mah defence attorney at my next trial?" Sunny half joked, trying to break the tension.
"But then you showed your true colors, and helped ponies again and again" Twilight softened her stone face. "If not for you, all of Ponyville, maybe all of Equestria would be statues by now. But you stopped Charming Knightmare. You also brought three different groups of creatures together and freed alot of ponies from an evil spell."
"Yeah, that my own father put on them" Sunny sighed , eyes falling to the floor. "Let's also not forget that I also put several ponies in the hospital with dark magic because I got angry. Not to mention Applejack. And if not for you, she's still be suffering because of me."
"True… But I wouldn't have been able to help them without your help" Twilight added. "Besides, those guys kinda had it coming. They used to bully Fluttershy."
"Wow, they did have it coming" Sunny chuckled a little, Twilight earning a smile from him.
Smiling back at her friend, Twilight captured his gaze again. "You aren't a monster. You are very powerful, and you need to learn to control that power. But you're no more evil than anypony else. The princesses will see that."
"Sides, ain't no pony's gunna get to ya" Applejack stepped out from the shadows and joined her friend and Coltfriend. "Not so long as ah have any say. And that goes for th' entire Apple family too! That's ah lot of ponies backing ya up so ya'll can stop worryin'."
"Your friends are there too" Twilight added. "You made good friends with alot of ponies from town and the Crystal Empire. I know any one of them would stand beside you and vouch for you."
Alot had changed from the way things were 1000 years ago. It's a new life. A new Equestria. Twilight and Applejack were right, Sunny had nothing to fear from the princesses, his mother, or anypony else. He was just a pony, like anypony else. So long as he had his friends beside him, there wasn't anything he couldn't accomplish.
"Guess there isn't anything to do but wait until tomorrow, when I see my mother at the gala" Sunny stated with a half smile.
"Sorry, I have to interrupt this touchy moment, but there are someponies down stairs here to see you, Sunny" Rarity appeared looking slightly concerned. "They said you gave them some marrital advice, and wanted to thank you?"
Sunny had often gave advice to ponies, but couldn't remember giving marital advice to anypony in specific. "Oh? Well ah better do th' neighborly thing an' see them."
"And while you do that, Applejack, Dear, mind giving me a hoof with something?" Rarity with a sly smile and a wink, leaving Applejack slightly confused and concerned. But the apple farmer had learned to just roll with Rarity's surprises, which, Applejack could tell this was one of them. Sunny left the two mares to their business while he went downstairs to see this couple he supposedly helped.
After turning the corner, Sunny was shocked to see the tall grey mare reporter standing there looking at one of Rarity's dresses. He recognized her immediately as the mare from the train. The one who pursued him along with that dark, gloomy looking stallion she was with. Taking a deep breath to keep his cool, Sunny kept in mind that this mare never met Sunny, so it's best to pretend that he didn't know her. Approaching her, Sunny shot her a sincere smile and asked "are you looking for anything in particular miss? The owner of the shop is a friend of mine, I might be able to help you."
"I know you can" the mare turned and looked at the yellow unicorn, returning the smile. "It's been a while, Black Knight."
Sunny's heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, he looked around and found they were the only two ponies in the shop, but still, Sunny wasn't used to ponies calling him that.
"I can't believe I ran into 'the' Black Knight and didn't even know it" a stallion's voice commented as a dark grey pony stepped out of nowhere. It was the gloomy looking stallion the grey mare had been traveling with.
'Where did he come from!?' Sunny asked hismelf, then realized he had been quiet for too long. After taking a deep breath, Sunny calmed himself down and turned to the tall, grey mare. "So what is it you want from me? Did you two talk out whatever was bothering you?"
"We did" the mare answered as the stallion kept one eye out for anypony who might walk in on them and another on Sunny. "And I'd first like to thank you for your help."
"Your welcome" Sunny wanted to throw a smile at them, but didn't. "But something tells me ya ain't here just ta thank me."
"You're right" the mare started to say as she pulled out a cleaning cloth and began to wipe the smudges of her glasses. After placing them back in place on her muzzle, the mare shot Sunny a small but kind smile. "We haven't been properly introduced. My name is White Out. And my husband over there is Thunder Veil."
Looking over at the dark coated stallion with the deep dark green eyes, Sunny nodded in scinc with him. The yellow stallion then noticed little sparks coming off of Thunder's horn. Something about it was very familiar. He had seen a condition like that before, but it was a long time ago.
"Anywho" White Out reeled Sunny's attention back to her. "I'd like to thank you further and help 'you' by becoming your official photographer and reporter."
Sunny raised a brow at the mare. "Oh? And how would that benefit me exactly?"
"Think of it this way" White started to explain. "The Crystal Empire took the pressure off trying to find you, but quite a few reporters are still looking for you. They want to know who the Black Knight is, what's his angle, where he came from. You're still very much a mystery to all of Equestria, despite the stories ponies come up with."
"Comics book interpretations too" Thunder added, his horn slightly sparking again.
"EXACTLY!" White Out spoke up, excitement bubbling up inside her. "So let me interview you and get the 'real' story of the mysterious Black Knight, and show all of Equestria you aren't some bringer of doom, the next Tirek or Chrysalis wanting to destroy or conquer Equestria, that you actually are a nice guy. Just a regular pony out doing little good deeds wherever he can."
"What makes you think I do good deeds'?" Sunny raised his brow.
"Other then helping us" The reporter mare nodded for her husband.
The dark stallion then pulled out a notebook and began flipping through the pages. "We talked with several ponies trying to learn a little bit about you. Sunny from Ponyville, not the Black Knight. We told them it was for a news article, not technically lying. We have multiple reports of you running around town reconnecting friends and family, helping the elderly, and even you and your friends saving the entire town from some evil unicorn."
Sunny realized he and his frinds did have quite a few adventures, but he didn't think he did anything more then anypony else did to help one another. But thinking it over, it might be a good idea if everypony got the 'real' story about him, his friends… his father…
"Alright, you two have a deal" Sunny smiled as he tipped his Stetson. White out smiled widly at her husband who shared her enthusiasm and excitement. "Under a few conditions."
"We understand, that's no problem. We just ask that you tell us the truth" White Out started. "And if you can't tell us something or want to keep it to yourself, you have every right. But do give us something to work with. Now, where is that assistant of mine?"
Just then a brightly colored bird flew in an open window and landed next to White Out, an odd looking box hanging around his neck. It was a mixture of dark and light blues that seem to meld togeather and flow. It looked up at Sunny and said "Please speak clearly, otherwise-"
"Well golly gee! Look at that! Your pet bird can talk!" Sunny had never seen something like it. There was so much the yellow unicorn had not seen that came about in the last 1000 years. Machines, pictures, Machines that project moving pictures and now talking birds!
"PET!?" The bird's tone sounded more then a little flustered, his wings folded to look like arms, what could be considered hands curved into knuckles on his hips as he glared at Sunny.
"Feza is actually my assistant" White Out quickly interrupted before things really got worse. "He's a bird of paradise, beautiful and smart enough to learn and comprehend our language of speech."
"That's right" Feza snapped and poked his wing at Sunny. "I'm a serious journalist's assistant. And as such, I deserve a fair amount of respect."
"Oh, ugh, sorry there fella" Sunny felt a little embarrassed, and tried to think of a way to just move forward. "Ugh, so what is this thing?"
Feza noticed Sunny pointing to his recorder. "It records what you say, but you need to speak loudly and clearly."
Looking to White Out, Feza asked if she was ready. The grey mare pulled out a list she had on a notepad, looked it over with the paper inches from her muzzle, cleared her throat, then nodded for her assistant to start the recording. Once the machine started recording, White out turned to Sunny and began her interview.
"So, Mr.Black Knight, tell us your story" the reporter started. "Where did you come from? What is your real name? Why come to Ponyville? What are your ultimate goals? Tell us your story."
Taking a deep breath, Sunny stated back and thought back to the very beginning. "My real name is Solggiato, Solggiato Cavaliere, but my friends call me Sunny. And to answer your questions I need to start back at the beginning of my tale;
"It all started back 1000 years or so ago, when I returned home from a far away adventure. Home, the Crystal Empire…."
Standing there at the edge of a small arched bridge that lined the streets of Canterlot and fed up to the castle where Equestria's rulers lived, Sunny's mind began to flood with troubling thoughts, questions, and doubts.
'What if my mother doesn't want to see me? What do I even say to her? 'Hey mom, guess what, after I failed to save the Crystal Empire 1000 years ago, I decided to live and work.on a farm?' And what about the letter father intercepted? What if my mother really has turned her back on us and she still plans on turning me over to the princesses to be turned to stone and locked away forever!?!?' Sunny's head felt like it had been inflated with all these heart wrenching questions. The yellow unicorn almost retreated back to the city where he planned to sneak out and run all the way back to Sweet Apple Acres, that is, until a gentle hoof firmly grabbed his.
Looking next to him, Sunny's troubled heart began to relax as he caught sight of the most beautiful mare in all Equestria. Applejack shot him an understanding look with her emerald green eyes that seemed to match Sunny's own. She had her mane braided by Granny, hanging over her left side, with her tail to match. Applejack wore a green and brown dress that looked similar to the one she had shown him that she wore to her first gala, only this one was fitted with a few more regal details around the head of the dress, with shoulder pieces that matched a formal princess gown, but the dress still carried poudly a country style base, with a set of new boots to match. To pull the whole look togeather, Applejack wore her signature Stetson hat. She was more then a sight to behold. Like an angle strait out of the old west.
"Ain't gettin' cold hooves are ya, partner?" Applejack asked, her tone and soothing voice like chicken soup for Sunny's Ill thoughts.
"Just… nervous, I guess" Sunny replied, eyes falling to the ground, no longer feeling worthy to look into Applejack's.
Lifting his chin up and moving her muzzle closer to his, Applejack spoke softly to him. "Ain't nothin' but good will come outta' this night, Sugar cube. Things may get ah little rocky, and it might not be what ya hoped, but ah got ah good feeling 'bout tonight."
Hearing that, put Sunny's worried far from his mind. Breathing easy, Sunny didn't notice somepony almost crash into him from above.
Landing almost on the yellow unicorn was the soon to be wonderbolt, and fellow guardian of harmony, Thunderlane. He put a hoof around Sunny and spoke loudly "Looking snazzy, man. But not as good as me."
Studdying his flight loving friend for a moment, Sunny noticed Thunderlane went with a similar style tux as he did, but with the tails in the back, his vest being light blue, and his suit being white instead of black or dark blue. Next to Thunderlane was his younger brother, Rumble, in a suit almost exactly like his older brother's say for it's size being several times smaller, as well as Flitter who wore a pearl colored dress that hung off one of her shoulders and feathered from the waist down.
"Well don't ya'll look picture perfect" Applejack commented, never letting go of Sunny's hoof.
"Not half as good as you do" Flitter complemented Applejack. "You look amazing! Who did your mane?"
"Granny" Applejack blushed a little. She didn't like getting all done up, but when she did, she humbaly knew she looked beautiful.
"Ah told ya it looked nice, sis" Big Mac appeared to Applejack's side. He himself was wearing an older style of a classic fit with a green colored vest similar to Sunny's, but he decided to wear a bowlow tie that he picked up in Appaloosa a few months ago. Big Mac noticed the bowlow Sunny was wearing and smiled. It was his father's. Applejack gave it to him for his birthday, and Big Mac knew their father would be honored for Sunny to wear it. "Nice bowlow."
Looking from his bowlow tie to Big Mac's, Sunny tipped his stetson, smiled and replied "you too."
"What are we all standing around for, isn't there a party going on?" Doctor Whooves walked up to the group. He wore what appeared to be more of a suit then a tuxedo. Dark blue, but not dark enough to be navy blue, with a white button up shirt and a red tie.
"I'll have to see you all after my performance" Octavia stated, walking up wearing a simple, but very flattering, velvet silk dress. "My group and I are in charge of the entertainment for the first half of the gala, then Sapphire Shores is supposed to come in after us for the second half. But you all have a fun time, and I'll see you after I-"
"LOOK OUT BELLOW!!!" cried a familiar and normally soft spoken voice from above. A grey and light blue blur fell from the sky and almost crashed into Octavia if Sunny hadn't thought quickly and put a protective barrier around his musically gifted friend.
The grey and blue blur in question that smacked right into Sunny's barrier was none of the then the final member of the new guardians of harmony, Derpy. As she slid down off the Barrier, the group rushed to her to make sure she was alright, Octavia jumping in first to help straitened poor Derpy's mane. The grey pegasus was wearing a flashy, light blue dress that had pearls and sapphires embroidered into the folds and small gold rings hanging off the ends of the final fold. To complement the rings, Derpy also had matching bracelets and a mane clip that also had pearls on them. Looking closely at the aranment of of the pearls on her mane clip, one could easily see that they were positioned to minic her bubbles cutie mark.
"Thank you, Octavia" Derpy said bashfully. "Sorry I almost crashed into you. I was running late and didn't want to miss the fun."
"It's quite alright, Derpy" Octavia gave the mare a smile and a wink before whispering something in Derpy's ear and waving by to her friends.
"May I have your attention please!" An elderly stallion wearing a red coat, a pair of glasses at the end of his muzzle and a mustache just below the glasses, began to address the growing crowd just outside the castle gates. "It is at this time that I ask you to Dawn your masks and prepare to be called by name. When your name is called, please step forward and enter the party. If your name isn't called but you have an official ticket to the Grand Galloping gala, please speak with me after all names have been called!"
As the stallion began to call names, Twilight and the others quickly joined Sunny and his group of friends. They all waited for their names to be called, Twilight leaned in and whispered between Sunny and Applejack "I'm going to talk to the princesses about Sunny when we have a moment alone. Until I talk to them, I don't want them to know you're here. So I RSVPed you two under alius names."
"What names?" Applejack asked, raising a brow at her alicorn friend.
"Trust me, you'll know" Twilight chuckled and stepped back, waiting to hear her name to be called.
Kibits continued to call off named from his list. "Miss Fine Line and guest! "Miss Minuette and miss Lemon Drops "Miss Fluttershy and guest"
Fluttershy stepped forward with a rather relaxed green earth pony with a mopy looking red mane. The two smiled at Kibitz as they walked up the stairs and entered into the castle, joining the rest of the party.
Kibitz waited until the group of ponies entered before calling out the next couple of guests. "Mr. And Mrs. Doodle Donkey "Miss Mercury and guest" "Mr. And Miss AppleKnight"
Both Sunny and Applejack stiffened when they heard the names be called and looked at Twilight, who smiled and gave them both a wink. Sunny turned to face Applejack and gave her a large but worried smile." I can't say for certain wheather this will be good or bad, but I have a feeling tonight at the gala will he one nopony will ever forget."
Thunderlane started to sing as music started to play could up "at the gala, I'll enjoy time with friends and family, sharing laughs and stories. We dine on fancy foods and take in the rich scene. My brother will hear how awesome I am and I'll share a dance or Two with Flitter, here at the gala!"
A group of well dressed stallions and mares joined in forming a chorus to keep the sing flowing."All dreams will come true, right here at the gala! At the gala, at the gala!"
Octavia smiled and chimed in with verses of her own "At the gala, I'll galvanize new students to join my music class. They will hear me play, and wish to join our musical group. I'll inspire dreams, right here at the gala!"
Big Mac couldn't help but contribute too "At the gala, I'll enjoy so many treats, all the while, bringing a smile to ponies faces. Their lives, so busy, they need to take some time to smell the daisies, have a laugh, and a bite of an apple treat. I'll show them how to have fun, tonight here at the gala!"
Derpy was a small distance away, just barely out of ear shot as she joined in, singnig words from the heart "At the gala, I can show I'm not a clutz. I'll dance with Doctor and show how light I am on my feet, er, hooves. I'll show him, how elegant I can be. He will hold me tight and I can finaly tell him how I feel, here, tonight, at the gala!"
While straitning his tie, Doctor sang mostly to himself "At the gala, I can show off my research. At the gala, I'll prove the findings of my works! I can share what secrets that we lost to history, and set stories of the past strait, all while eurning the respect of my peers, tonight here at the gala!"
"All dreams will come true, right here at the gala! At the gala, at the gala!" The well dressed ponies jumped in again to keep the rythm of the song going.
Sunny's heart began to fill with bravado hearing all the wishes and hopes of his friends, enough of help him contribute a few verses. "At the gala, I'll finnaly have the answers I've been searching for. I'll find her, my mother, and find out why she did what she did. Why she betrayed my father and I. Maybe it's all a mistake, maybe it's all a misunderstanding, maybe there's more to the story. But no matter what, we'll find out, tonight, here at the gala!!!!"
Sticking to Sunny's side, hoof in hoof, Applejack sang a silent verse of her own. "At the gala, Ah'll watch over him, protect him, like he's always doin' for everypony else. So kind, so smart, brave and true. Ah don't care what it takes, Ah'll protect you. Ah'll be your sheild tonight, here at the gala…'
High, high up in a tower of the purple, gold and ivory castle, a certain reformed villain watches the well dressed and mask bearing guests enter the ballroom. Discord had calculated and planned things out perfectly up until tonight. It bothered him that everything went so well according to plan, being the emissary of chaos itself. But knowing that many ponies went through quite a bit of trouble to unknowingly follow his plan made it all the better. Clenching the edge of the ledge, Discord began to sing along with the others as well. "At the gala, at the gala, I can start to make things right. All the things I messed up, all the trouble I caused, I can start to set right. One day, I can eurn back Tia's friendship, make Fluttershy proud of me. It all starts here, starting here at the gala!"
From atop the flight of stairs that looked down at the ballroom, allowing Celestia to see each and every guest as they enter. Her heart pounding loudly in her cheast, the princess of the sun could barely contain her mixed emotions. The only remedy was for her to also add to the song in the air. "At the gala, tonight, after 1000 years, I'll see that selfless prince. I hope he remembers me, as I so fondly remember him. Is 1000 years too long a time, am but a ghost of the past. I want him in my life, but do I deserve it? Will he want me there, with his new family? I'll just wait and see, here, tonight at the gala…."
After entering the ballroom, Sunny looked around at the scene. The gala seemed so very familiar to him, almost like a dream he had had over and over again. Part of him began to relax until Twilight pulled him out it.
"I'm going to go talk to the princesses" the purple alicorn whispered to Applejack and Sunny. "Why don't you and Applejack just relax and enjoy the gala. I'm sure it's changed since 1000 years ago."
"Thanks Twilight" Sunny forced half a smile while he adjusted his mask. His and Applejack's masks were almost identical in design, say for Sunny's being made more for a Stallion's muzzle, and Applejack's a mare's. Their masks looked very similar to a Knight's protective grate eye cover, but with the top of the masks decorated with the outlines of apples. The name Twilight put them under 'Appleknight' fit them to a tee.
"Announcing the arrival of Mr. And Mrs Rich!" A royal guard called out then stepped aside for the couple who walked in as if they were honoring the other guests with their presents. They both wore similar masks as well, made of silver and gold, bearing dollar sign symbols.
After Twilight steadily made her way up towards Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, having to stop every now and again and shake hooves or greet ponies who were happy to see her, Sunny and Applejack casually strolled towards a table decorated with a wide array of foods. Sunny had been exposed to such a wide and extravagant selection before, but his smile grew as he looked to Applejack who's mouth went wide, a grin growing from it's corners, as her eyes looked from one end of the table to the other. A part of him wished she had been with him 1000 years ago, perhaps then he would have enjoyed those balls more sharing it with a mare as refreshing and relaxing as Applejack.
"Announcing the arrival of Dragon Lord Ember and guest!" The guard called out again, allot of ponie's heads turned as a blueish green dragoness in gold armor stepped forward, the bloodstone scepter in her right claw. Following behind her, a wide eyes smaller dragoness, orange in color with dark pink fins. While Ember did her best to appear unimpressed by the scene to keep up the heir of Dragon Lord, the younger dragon couldn't help but gaze around at everything.
As the two descended the staircase, Sunny and Applejack watched Spike ran up to them, jumping into a hug with the Dragon Lord. At first Ember hesitated, but then embarrassed Spike's hug. The young dragon with her looked even more suprised by Ember's reaction to the hug, knowing dragons weren't the 'hugging type.'
"Wow, didn't think ah'd ever see dragons comin' ta th' Galla" Applejack said as she handed Sunny a cup of punch.
"Me neither" Sunny added as he took a sip.
"Hey guys!" Pinkie's voice caught the attention of Sunny and Applejack, turning their attention to her and her guest, Maud.
"Howdy, Pinky. Howdy Maud" Applejack smiled at her friends and possible distant family members.
"Ladies" Sunny simply tipped his hat to them, also feeling them to be close family members, but still wanting to be semi-formal.
"Hey" Maud's tone was lacking of any emotion, but Sunny and Applejack could tell behind that rock hard, cool exterior, Maud was actually enjoying herself.
"Isn't this party great! So much better then last time! You guys remember! The time when we all came to the Gala with our separate intentions and dreams, but it all ended up a big disaster! Not like the time when I tried backing 18 dozen cookies at once, that was just a plane bad idea. But more like when I tried to teach Sweetie Bell how to bake, and batter went everywhere, even on the roof! And I don't mean like the ceiling, I mean outside in the roof! But we ended up having a fun time cleaning it up and had some cupcakes after." Pinkie had a few too many cups of punch and one too many fancy deserts right before she approached her two friends from the farm.
"Announcing the arrival of Sir Mac and Sir Tosh of the Yeti tribe!" That announcement caught the attention of most of the guests, even the princesses who's attention up until then had been focused on skimming the guests, looking to see if they could spot one specific pony in particular.
The twin brothers stepped though the doorway, dawning vests and coats and top hats, one set orange and the other a sky blue. As the twin yeti paused and looked around, they noticed all eyes were in them, but didn't really care much. Yeti were considered by pony kind to be a myth or legend, no pony in the longest time, say for those who took part in the attack on Iron lock knew of their existence.
"Say, dear brother" Mac started in as the two walked casually down the stairs heading into the crowd.
"Yes, dear brother?" Tosh asked, smiling at his brother, ignoring the many eyes on him and his sibling.
"I dear say, we've attracted quite the attention of the other party goers" Mac concluded his statement.
"I do believe you are right, dear brother" Tosh agreed, then a light bulb went on in his head. "Oh, dear brother."
"Yes, dear brother" Mac asked as the two reached the edge of the crowd.
"We forgot something rather important" Tosh stated, then pulled a mask out of his coat that looked just like rainbow dash from his light blue coat and put it in over his face.
"Oh dear, brother, it seems we did" Mac chuckled as he pulled a mask out of his own orange coat, this one resembling Applejack, and copied his brother in putting it on over his own face.
"How silly of us to forget the theme of this Gala" Tosh chuckled himself.
"Silly in deed, quite silly" Mac agreed. " I dear say, brother, look over yander."
Looking to where his brother was looking, Tosh noticed the snack table. "Oh my, yes in deed dear brother."
"I say, perhaps we should accept their kind offer" Mac notioned.
"It would be rude if we didn't" Tosh replied.
"And we don't want to be rude, do we brother" Mac smiled at his brother.
"We do not, in deed brother" Tosh agreed. "After all, James III sent us here as a show of our good faith towards Equestria's ponies."
"And we can't let him down" Mac nodded as the two made their way towards the table.
"Indeed we can't, dear brother" Tosh followed quickly beside his brother.
Ponies stepped aside allowing the two giant ape like creatures a path to the table.
"I had no idea the Yeti were invited" Doctor appeared beside Sunny.
"Maybe Twilight sent them tickets as a thank you for all their help" Sunny guessed.
"Hmm, maybe" Doctor pondered the thought until something caught his eye. A group of ponies he had been looking forward to all night were gathered by the fountain near the west side of the Ball room. "If you'll excuse me, I have some historians to impress."
Right as he left, Derpy appeared with two small plates of appitizers, nearly tripping over her own hooves trying to carry them in her flattened out wings. Sunny used his magical aura to help steady his clumbsy friend. The grey mare smiled and shot Sunny a greatful look with her eyes looking in two different directions. "Thanks Sunny. It's not easy carrying stuff in a dress. Have you seen Doctor anywhere?"
"You just missed him" Sunny pointed to the group of ponies Doctor seemed highly interested in.
"Thanks!" Derpy said to Sunny before speeding off to find Doctor, hoping to get him to dance with her at least once while they were there. She planned to stick by his side all night if she had to to wait for the perfect opportunity.
After getting something to drink and snack on, Sunny and Applejack began to wander around the ballroom until another familiar voice called out.
"Hey Sunny!" A familiar mare and stallion trotted up to Sunny and Applejack. They both had masks on that looked to be made out of comic book pages, which was a dead give away to Sunny who they were.
"Well howdy there, Sketch Pad, Typo" Sunny tipped his hat to the couple, then remembered Applejack never met them. "This is Applejack, my special somepony. Applejack, this is Sketch Pad and her husband, Typo. We met at their daughter Dawn's birthday a bit ago with Pinkie."
"Oh! So these two are th' comic book ponies, right" Applejack tilted her hat then held out a hoof. "Pleasure to meet ya. Sunny told me all 'out ya and yet daughter's party."
"Yeah, where is she?" Sunny looked around for Dawn, the filly who's birthday Pinkie took him to. If not for her, Sunny might not have bounced back from his funk after the attack on IronLock.
"She's over with Pinkie and the other fillies" Sketch told him and pointed across the room.
Looking off into the distance, Sunny smiled after seeing her laughing and having fun with some game Pinkie was playing with all of them. Sunny noticed right away that Dawn was wearing the tiara he made her.
"When you sent us the tickets for the Galla, we knew we had to get Dawn a crystal dress to match her tiarra." Typo told Sunny, waving at his daughter who waved back with great enthusiasm.
"Well I'm glad that… wait, I didn't send any-" Sunny started to say, but was interrupted by an elderly voice.
"Well who do we have here?" An older earth pony stallion approached the small group of friends. He had thick sunglasses resting at peak of his muzzle, a peppery mustach that matched his grey and black mane, and a red sweater that covered his light grey coat. "Why, is this the Colt you two told me about, ugh, Sunny was it?"
"Yes it is!" Sketch answered enthusiastically before turning back to face Sunny and Applejack. "Sunny, Applejack, this is our boss, mentor and Idol. The father of comics and the greatest comic book heros, Comic Stan!"
"Please, just call me Stan" the older Colt smiled and extended a hoof to Sunny and Applejack. He shook Sunny's hoof and complemented him on his strong grip, and kissed Applejack's hoof trying to be courteous. The orange farm mare blushed a little at the notion. "Typo and Sketch have told me all about you, mister Knight. And I must say, after seeing you in person, I think you have allot of potential to become a true hero."
Adjusting his hat and clearing his throat, Sunny replied "ah ain't no hero, mister Stan. Ah'm just ah regular fella who wants to set things right and help out a pony or two when ah can."
"Son, I've created many heros over my many years of story telling and I've learned many things because of it" Stan started to say. " And by definition a hero is somepony who is concerned about another's well being and will go out of his or her way to help them, even if there is no chance of a reward. That pony who helps others because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a super hero."
Chuckaling a little and nudging the yellow stallion, Applejack snapped Sunny out of his trans. "That 'definition' sounds like you partner, to ah T."
"Just keep pushing forward, and never give up on your friends, those you care about, and most importantly yourself" Stan smiled and took off his glasses before pulling a red mask with a spider web design and two white eye pieces on it over his head. The stallion then stood up on his hind legs and pulled a grappling hook seeming from out of nowhere, just like his mask. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go shake hooves with the beautiful princesses of this wonderful land. EXCELSIOR!"
With that, Comic Stan shot the grappling hook into the air where the claw grabbed firmly onto a pillar, then with a running leap, cleared over the heads of most of the attending guests.
At the other end of the room, Derpy watched with great unease as Doctor tried desperately to share the fruit of his ventures into Equestria's past to the Historian Society. Unfortunately, the stuck up ponies of the group took more entertainment in laughing at Doctor's 'outragous', 'praposterous', and 'laughable' statements.
(Redo with actual doctor who episode ideas)
"But it's true!" Doctor continued his plea.
The stuck up members of the Historian Society laughed once again repeating Doctor's words over in their heads.
"I'm so sure" a mare in the group was able to catch her breath enough to answer. "The legendary sword 'Excalibar' is just laying at the bottom of froggy bottom bog."
"YES!" Doctor replied. "It was sent there by the king's closest friends with the help of the seamare of the lake to await when the king would return!"
"That's just some old pony's tale" another mare chuckled.
"No, it's true I tell you" Doctor's tone was beginning to weak.
"Let's not forget the missing jewels of Trottingham" a stallion added in when he finished laughing for the moment. "First they were stolen by the fabled Robbin Hoof, then they were given to him as a reward by the King after Robbin stopped the king's evil brother!"
The group laughed once again, with the first mare speaking up again. "Everypony knows that just an old pony's tale!"
"It is not" Doctor tried to speak above their laughter. "If you want further proof, I could take you to the exact site where it sank. It's just off the coast of-"
"And the legendary golden chalice that can heal any wound, no matter how bad it is" another mare chuckled. "It actually exists and can push modern medicine forward by 1000 years!"
"Well it could" Doctor felt the battle with the Historical society was a fast losing battle.
"Well, Doctor, we would love to look further into your 'findings'" the first mare started to say, holding back her laughter. "That is, after we find the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny to help us take down the evil Boogyman!"
The whole Historian Society broke out into laughter, barely able to hold their sides togeather. Doctor just sighed and walked away with his head hanging low, Derpy following closely behind him. After walking for a bit, Doctor realized he had lead him and Derpy to the snack table at the other side of the Ballroom.
Far from ear shot of the Historians, Doctor sighed and picked up a cup, filled it with punch, then turned to face Derpy. "Care for some punch?"
Looking from Doctor's sad eyes down at the cup, Derpy reached out and took the beverage. As Doctor began pouring some for himself some, a familiar voice rang like the sound of a bouncing ball.
"Derpy!!!" A small earth pony then hopped into a hug with the grey pegusas mare, causing her to spill some.of her punch.
It took Derpy a moment to recognize the filly. But when she did, Derpy's eyes twinkled as her smile grew wide as she returned the hug. "Rose Bud!!! It's so good to see you!"
"Rose Bud!?" Doctor was a little shocked to see the Thal filly, and even more surprised to see the small group of ponies who accompanied her. "Prim Rose!"
The leader of the earth ponies from the planet Skaro smiled as she and several of her warriors as well as half a dozen of the unicorns who called themselves Kelads, approached Doctor and Derpy. Primrose was dressed in some organic material that formed a rather exodic looking dress. "Doctor, Derpy, it is good to see you both."
"I could say the same to you, Cheif Rose" Doctor did a courteous bow.
"Please, no need for such formalities among friends" Prim Rose then lifted a mask to her muzzle, the rest of her company, say for her daughter who was preoccupied talking with Derpy, flowed suit removed their own individual masks.
"Not to be rude, Prim, but … how did you get here?" Doctor asked, then noticed a familiar looking stallion kidding in the crowd behind him. One who wore a blue mask and a fez, performing some wierd dance with his front hooves waving in the air. Sighing, Doctor smiled and shook his head a little. "Well, I'm glad you all could come."
"We wouldn't miss it" Prim Rose stated. "Even if Solggiato did not invite us himself, we wouldn't pass up a chance to view a world where the winged ones still soar in the skies."
"Wait, Sunny invited you?" Doctor was caught off guard for a second time during their conversation.
Prim Rose then presented Doctor with a note that did indeed read that it was from Sunny, inviting them to the Grand Galloping gala, where ponies of all kinds would take part in the biggest party event of the year.
"Wow! It sure was nice of Sunny to invite you all" Derpy added in while she continued to dance a little with Rose Bud.
"Yes, very nice…" Doctor muttered under his breath. 'Something doesn't feel right. That doesn't look like Sunny's hoof writing. Even if it was, how did he not only get his hooves on that many Galla tickets? And how did he send it across dimensions to Skaro? It just doesn't make sense.'
Across the table, unaware of what Doctor and Derpy we're up to, Thunderlane, Flitter, Flutter, and Rumble were telling flight school stories, laughing and enjoying each other's company.
"-And then Spitfire came in, yelling at the top of her lungs 'Who's the wise guy who put whipped cream in the Captain's office!?" Thunderlane faught as hard his could against the laugher that was desperately trying to escape.
"What happened next?" Rumble asked, as if he hadn't heard the story 1000 times already.
"Some stallion in the back called out 'Did I forget the cherry on top?'" Thunderlane's laughter broke through, the fillies and his brother quickly joined in, laughing at the story.
"So that's what you guys do down at the Wonderbolts academy, eh?" A very familiar voice arose from behind Thunderlane.
When the small group of pegusi turned around, Thunderlane and Rumble could hardly believe their eyes. Cracking a smile, the grey Wonderbolt greeted his cousins. "Race, Reese, Reina, Ralan. What are you guys doing here?"
"You remember that coach you guys had" Reese spoke up. "That Sunny guy? Well he sent us all tickets in a letter. Said we should come, if nothing else, then to meet the Wonderbolts."
"Yeah, but we ain't seen them yet" Race commented, sounding a little annoyed. Not only was he bothered by not seeing his hero's, but also at how underdressed he and his siblings were. Race even took note of how well dressed his cousins and their dates were.
"Spitfire is running one last security sweep around the castle" Flitter told Thunderlane's cousins. "With everything that's happened, the last thing anypony needs is some party crasher to ruin tonight."
"But they will be here?" Ralan asked, speaking up for once.
"They should be done any minute now" Rumble told them, trying to appease his cousins.
"Alright, guess we can just have something to eat while we wait" Race settled, then turned to face the buffet table with his cousins and began to help themselves.
While the young ponies ate, Flitter leaned over to Thunderlane and whispered "Sunny gave you tickets for your brother and us right?"
"Yeah" Thunderlane forced a smile to keep appearances up while the two of them talked, trying to keep their conversation on the low.
"I don't mean to seem ungrateful, but how many tickets did he get?' Flitter asked.
"I have no idea…" Thunderlane had a bad feeling that something in the air wasn't quite right. There were always alot of ponies at the Grand Galloping Gala, but this year it seemed like there were alot of odd groups of ponies.
As the orchestra took a break between song, Octavia stood up at one of the mic stands and addressed all the guests, feeling a bit nervous about her announcement. Gulping down her fear, Octavia looked out into he crowd and spotted not only Sunny giving her a smile and nod off encouragment, but also her life long best friend, Vinyl Scratch, doing the same, but with a large plate of food in one of her hooves.
'You can do this Octavia' the chelloist told herself. 'I know public announcements we're never our strong suit, but this is really important. Remember; it's for the fillies and colts who would grow into great musicians, if only somepony were to guide them. And we will do our best to guide them. This is just the first step.
"I hope you all are having a wonderful night" Octavia started, the microphone screatching a little in the beginning, but she pressed on. "My name is Octavia Melody, and I've been the cello player of the Canterlot quartet for quite a while now, having played in previous Galas, weddings and other events. But I didn't want to stand up here and talk about my accomplishments. I wanted to let everypony here know that I will be starting a music school that will have locations both here in Canterlot as well as Ponyville.
"I am knowlagefull of many instruments, not just the cello, as well as singing. Anypony who is interested in attending classes, please see myself or any member of the Quartet for flyers and forms. I will be at each location twice a week, please, feel free to drop by and check us out. Thank you" Octavia finished up, released a held breath then calmly walked off stage to get a drink of water, her bandmates smiled, congratulated and patter her on the back.
She had told them about her plans beforehand and was relieved to find they were fully supportive of her want to educate others.
"Congrats, Octavia" Big Mac said as he walked up to her, along side her best friend, Vynal, who had made it through 1/3 of her large plate of food.
"Thank you, Big Mac" Octavia smiled at the large, down home earth pony. Then she noticed something different about her large red friend. "Ugh, Big Mac, are you… wearing balloons?"
On his head rested a top hat made entirely out of black balloons with a white balloon running around the base of it, and under his chin was a large green and red balloon bow tie, also made of balloons. The farm stallion smiled and beamed with pride. "Made them mah self. Would ya like one?"
"Yeah" Vynal spoke with some food in her mouth. Knowing Octavia hated when ponies did that, the DJ swallowed everything she was chewing, nearly chocking on it, and continued with what she was going to say. "Big Mac's been making them for all the guests! Don't know where he got the idea. But Big Mac, I bet Octy would look super cute with a big pink bow on her head!"
Before Octavia could protest, the red stallion pulled a few pink balloons out from his rather small vest pockets, blew them up, then in a flash, folded them and morphed them into an adorable bow that he quickly placed on Octavia's head. The musician felt rediculous at first but after seeing her with a balloon creation, her other band mates chimed in and wanted similar, if not more silly headwear of their own. Despite being members of a prestigious band, the Canterlot quartet members were just as fun loving as anypony.
Standing back, Octavia watched as one by one, Big Mac made fun and wacky creation after another. It wasn't until somepony tapped on her shoulder that Octavia was made aware of a rather large group of ponies waiting behind her.
"Miss Octavia" a little filly spoke up, then handed Octavia the form she had filled out with her mother. "My mom wants me to learn the piano. But can I learn other instruments too?"
Smiling at he young filly, Octavia gladly replied "of course you can. Let me know what you want to play and we can make it work."
"I wanna play the saxophone!" Some colt declared then proceeded to make it look like he was playing one while imitating some song he liked with a saxophone solo.
"I want to learn to play the flute!" A filly called out as she too began to play an imaginary flute, whistaling in lue of it's actual sound.
"Pardon me, miss Octavia" an older voice caught Octavia's attention and pulled it away from the young crowd. Octavia was shocked to see one of the two Yeti brothers standing beside her, kneeling down so as to not appear too intimidating as well as to ask her his question more privatly. "I was wondering, and well, I do hope you take me seriously when I ask this, because I always wanted to learn to play a certain instrument, but it's not exactly the most popular among out kind. And if you don't teach adults, I was hoping you could at least give me a good recommendation."
Octavia had originally planned on only teaching young ponies, or maybe even a young adult pony at the very oldest, but never in her dreams a yeti adult. But after seeing the nervousness and the want in his eyes, Octavia knew her answer. "I would be honored to teach you whatever you desire to learn. What instrument was it?"
"Well, I honestly was always a big fan of precision instruments. Drums, marachas, and the like." Mac answered, His brother standing behind him, slightly rolling his eyes, but with a smile plastered over his furry face.
"I'd love to help you learn" Octavia smiled and passed a form.and a quill for the yeti to fill out.
"If you're open to that, Octavia" A chilling and annoying voice ran in the musician's ear. She knew the voice and it's owner better then she honestly hoped. Discord appeared out of thin air dressed in an orange Tuxedo and matching top hat. "Then perhaps you could help my new friend out too. See, he's in need of a good, creative, positive hobby. I think music might be just what he needs."
Before Octavia could object, Discord stepped aside to reveil a rather gruff and more then rough looking character. He was an earth pony with a milk chocolate colored coat, two toned orange mane that was short in the back and slightly long in the front, with a short tail to match. A single chain and shackle around one of his front hooves with the chain wrapping around and up his hoof. But what caught Octavia's attention the most were his eyes. Those burning red eyes like a fire in the middle of a snow storm. But a fire that seemed to be looked at from a distance in that same snow storm. Like a pony could see it and want to run right over to it, at the same time it seemed to far away, with many possible dangers leading up to such warmth and comfort.
Octavia hardly knew what to say, and was found speechless and lost in thought in the presence of this tough character.
"This is my new friend, Salted Carmel" Discord started off saying. "I ran into him one day in the woods and thought a destructive character like him would surely be a blast to bring to the Grand Galloping Gala. I was going to bring my pal, the Snooze, but the writer thought this would be a better direction to go."
Nopony was listening to Discord as he went on with his spiel about writers and character development. The ponies interested in Octavia's classes had left their already filled out forms with the other quortet members, along with the yeti brothers, Octavia was too lost in Salted's eyes to pay the trickster much attention, and Salted had spent years listening to Cynical go on and on about 'writer this' or 'auther that' and assumed all insane ponies thought their lives were nothing but words on a page. This, though, was the writer's way of letting Discord know that although he was the master of chaos and can do anything he wants within the world he lives in, that it is the 'writer' who gives him that power and can do anything 'the writer' wants…. But the writer needs to get back to the story now.
After a few moments of Discord talking about what Salted supposedly wanted to learn to play and Octavia stairing deeply into the angry pony's eyes, Salted decided he had entertained everypony enough for one evening and began to wander away from the loud crowd. One thing the silent earth pony liked about the woods was the silence. After snapping out of her daze, Octavia decided to follow Salted, if nothing else, then to talk to 'him' about what 'he' wants to learn. After watching the two walk off, Discord smiled at his work, but the night had just begun.
A little ways down the way, Sapphire Shores was giving her dance group another pep talk to ease their troubled minds. After being captured, shrunk, and imprisoned in small crystals by the fiend Al Ca'pony, the group was left more then a little shaken. Saphire had done everything she could to make it up to them and rebuild assurance to them that bad guys aren't lurking around every corner waiting to leap out at them. Needless to say, it was a blessing that the princesses hired them for the gala. It was a little odd that they would want entertainment that was as loud and wild as her and her group of dancers, but this was just what her team needed. A job that payed well with that had the best security in all Equestria. Who would be dumb enough to attack not only Canterlot castle, but with princesses Luna, Celestia, Cadence, Twilight, Shinning Armor, and the other Elements of Harmony here.
"Sapphire!" A young mare's voice cried out.
The dancer was shocked to see a very familiar little filly run up and greet her. "Why, is that you Melody? Girl I haven't seen you since Manehatten. How have you been, sister?"
"Alot better" the little siren replied. Melody was once again in a pony form, but she seemed more comfortable then last time, when she was being forced to sing and control ponies with her music for Ca'pony. Two more mares appeared behind Melody. "These are my sister's, Orchestra and Symphony."
Looking over the young filly's shoulder, Sapphire met the gentle gazes of two other ponies. Well, to anypony else they appeared to be normal ponies, but to Sapphire Shores, who had spent a lot of time with Melody, she could tell they weren't normal ponies. They walked on four hooves, had pony like ears, pony like tables, pony like manes, and pony like shapes, but were slightly off. Their coats glistened slightly like fish scales, their eyes looked watery even though they weren't crying, and their Irises looked more like jewels in a sunken treasure chest, with the whites of their eyes containing a slight bluish green color.
The eldest sister stepped forward and offered her hoof. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the great pop star our sister told us so much about. Thank you so much for taking such good care of our Sister during that whole incident with that criminal."
"It was no trouble at all" Sapphire started to say, but stumbled over her words. "Well, except for the whole criminal thing."
"Do you have some time before you and the others perform?" Melody eagerly interrupted.
"We were just warming up, why?" Sapphire asked, half smiling at the little filly.
"Well, see, I made this new friend..." Melody started, trailing off a bit.
"Miss Shores can meet Ipsy after she and her group perform" Orchestra told her little sister.
"Who's Ipsy?" Sapphire asked, her question directed at the little filly.
"A friend I made in Ponyville" Melody told her idol and teacher.
"She's a kelpy" Orchestra added. "She's in the pond over at the edge of the garden. She'll be able to hear the performance and can talk with guests, but she's a little restricted to the water."
Turning to Melody again, Sapphire spoke softly "I'd be happy to meet your new friend. But we're about to perform. After we're done, ok?"
Melody was so pleased with Sapphire's answer that she could barely speak. Melody's sisters felt happy that their sister had made so many friends who cared for her. After living for so long up.in the mountains, their little sister was always so lonely. It was a relief for the two older sisters to see Melody making so many friends.Especially somecreature like Ispy, who Melody conected to.
At the far end of the ballroom, Fluttershy walked with her parents and Tree Hugger into the garden, a place Fluttershy didn't have the fondest memories of during her first gala, but there after had many wonderful times. And now, she wished to share it with those she cared about, and who she knew would appreciate it. Her soft spoken parents and nature loving friend. While there, Fluttershy was surprised to see Ipsy the Kelpy in the pond, carrying in a conversation with Steve Magnem the sea serpent.
"Are you all enjoying the Gala?" Ipsy asked as she and Steve swam over to the small group of ponies.
"Isn't this gala just to die for? The decorations, the food, and of course the theme!' Steve commented, full of cheer as he raised a brightly colored masquerade mask to his muzzle, one he personally made with Rarity some small time ago.
"It is very nice" Fluttershy agreed, casually looking over at her parents. Her father was released from the hospital not long ago, and both Fluttershy and her mother were hesitant about him coming. But Mr.Shy was feeling claustrophobic just staying inside all day, and was hesitant about going almost anywhere alone. Something was still bothering him. Then an idea popped into the yellow pegasus's head. "Hey Dad, did you know that Ipsy here holds nature classes at the forest near Ponyville?"
Fear over took the elderly pegasus's heart as the color slightly drained from him. "T-the one with T-T-Timberwolves-s-s-s!?"
"No no no" Fluttershy spoke quickly. "The one adjacent to the Everfree. The one with the big lake.
But the image of Timberwolves and their glowing green eyes was now in the old Stallion's head. Mr.Shy began muttering to himself "green eyes… green eyes…"
Mrs.Shy acted quickly and began to lead her husband away to give him some space. Turning to her daughter and the group of acquaintances, she sheepishly whispered "we're going to go get some air. We'll find you girls later…"
After they left, Fluttershy had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying. Both Ipsy and Tree Hugger did their best to comfort their friend. Fluttershy was worried that this would be her father from now on, despite what the doctors and therapist tell her. A comforting hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder snapped the yellow pegasus back to the gala. Her oldest friend, Rainbow Dash, stood behind her, a worried and soft expression on her muzzle.
"It will be ok, Fluttershy" Rainbow spoke as gently as the jock could. "It's not going to be easy, but-"
Fluttershy couldn't stand listening to one more pony tell her 'It will be ok' or 'it's going to take some time for him to get better', even if it was one of her best friends. The yellow pegasus flew as fast as she could into the hedge maze part of the garden.
Rainbow was about to fly after her when a too familiar voice caught her attention. "Well well, looks like somepony has some team work issues to work out."
Rainbow Dash turned and glared in the direction the voice had come from. The cyan colored pegasus couldn't believe her ears when she heard the voice, but her suspicions were confirmed when her eyes locked with the golden colored eyes of somepony she wished was out of her life. The name slithered out under Rainbow Dash's breath "Lightning Dust…"
The seafoam colored mare stood against the railing leading into the garden area with a very smug look on her muzzle, dreased in a very flattering black dress, a hair clip in her mane with a symbol that Rainbow Dash swore she had seen before. A smiling pony like skull with a single wing behind it's head.
"I'm sooooo glad my old wing pony remembered me" Lightning Dust casually walked over, with the eyes of Ipsy, Steven and Tree Hugger falling heavily on her. At one point or another, they all learned about the reckless behavior of Lightning Dust. But the trouble maker ignored their eyes and remained focused only on Rainbow Dash, the pony she consider the one who ruined her life. "If you want, I could give you an autograph for a discount. 50 bits is a deal."
"Autograph!? HA!" Rainbow fake laughed. "What are you going to sign? Your mug shot?"
That hit a nerve and broke the cool and calm look Lightning Dust had. Taking a deep breath, Lightning gathered herself and remembered why she attended the gala. "Funny as always. But looks and smells aren't everything. Jokes aside, Dash, I came here to see how you liked my gift."
This confused Rainbow a bit. "Gift? What gift?"
"Why the Monster bracelet of course" Lightning sounded confident and degrading again, seizing control of the conversation once more.
"What!? That was you!" Rainbow had lost her cool and tackled Lightning, grabbing her by the shoulder straps of her dress. "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU DID!? OH, I CANT WAIT TO REPORT YOU TO THE PRINCESSES AGAIN! THIS TIME THEY'LL LOCK YOU UP AND THROW AWAY THE-"
Pushing the cyan colored mare off her, Lightning straitened her dress, and smugly brushed off the dust from her shoulders. "Rainbow Dash, I don't give a flying feather about what the 'Princesses' care or do. I have bigger things going on. Speaking of…"
Lightning Dust motioned behind the cyan colored pegasus, making Rainbow look over her shoulder in time to catch another trouble maker from her past landing into a trot. A stallion with a very similar coat color to her, who had tried to use that to his advantage in getting Rainbow kicked off of the Wonderbolts team forever. Wind Rider.
"Hello Rainbow Dash" the former Wonderbolts said with a smirk and cocky tone in his smooth voice. "It's been a while. Not long enough to be honest."
"I feel the same" Rainbow agreed, keeping a close eye on Wind as he casually trotted over and stood side by side with Lightning Dust. "So you two know each other?"
"I should say so" Wind looked down at Rainbow Dash.
"He's my grandfather" Lightning gave a strait answer, and sat back to enjoy the shocked look on Rainbow's muzzle. It was a look that Lightning Dust had hoped she would get used to seeing.
Rainbow was beyond shocked. Looking at the two Wonderbolt rejects, something seemed off about them and deep down inside, Rainbow knew something was wrong. 'who would give these two tickets to the gala!? And how did Lightning get out of prison… something doesn't add up. I should talk to Twilight.'
"I'd say i'd love to stick around, but I really wouldn't" Rainbow spoke honestly as she started to casually and slowly leave the two in the garden, hoping that she could get to Twilight and warn her before Lightning Dust or Wind Rider could do whatever they planned to do. Rainbow felt something bad was going to happen. Something really bad.
The two former Wonderbolts let Rainbow Dash scurry away, laughing evily knowing that they had indeed scared the Wonderbolt. And it felt sweeter then pie to install that fear….
At the far end of the ballroom, Rarity was showing several of her fashion enthusiasts the dress she had warn, which was made of a new type of fabric she created. Several were students of various fashion schools from all over Equestria who were excited to see what the gala goers we're wearing. But one pony in particular stuck out in Rarity's eye. It was Coco Pommel, a friend she had made back when she visited Manehatten for the fashion show. Coco and Rarity kept in good contact via letters, and would have tea whenever they were in the area.
"As you can see, it's softer then velvet, but light and sturdy" the white unicorn went on, presenting small samples of her fabric to the ponies around her.
Several of the students awed at the structure of the material and felt it with their hooves as they closely examined it. A few even asked Rarity how she was able to create such wonderful materials. Rarity loved sharing her ideas and processes with others to help them achieve their own great works, sometimes she been though of opening up her own school of fashion to do so.
Just as Rarity was about to delve deeper and explain her process for how she achieved the makings of such material, the fashionista saw out of the corner of her eye and aquantance who she hope would come to the gala, despite her hermit like ways. "If you all would excuse me for just a second. I have somepony y I need to speak to…"
Rarity casually left the group to go and greet a certain shy wallflower. Approaching a pillar that no pony was near, Rarity smiled as a young looking mare with a red cynthetic mane, dressed in one of Rarity's most creative dresses. "Rosewood, Darling, you looks beautiful. You shouldn't be hiding here all alone while the gala is in full bloom. Is something the matter?"
The living puppet pony, known as Rosewood showed little to know emotion before whispering. "Im.. I'm scared... Uncle knew I was scared before he sent me a ticket to the Gala. I didn't even have a friend to use my plus one with."
"Sunny gave you a ticket?" Rarity sounded a little shocked. She knew he had enough tickets for his fellow guardians of harmony and himself, but she didn't know he gave Rosewood one too. Pushing that though out of her mind, Rarity thought the best thing to do right now was to help Rosewood relax and make a friend if possible.
"Rarity" a soft spoken voice rang from behind the white unicorn as if on cue. Coco appeared, a little standoffish herself, with some of Rarity's fabric in her hoof. When Coco noticed Rarity was talking with somepony, Coco immidiatly put a hoof to her mouth and began to withdraw. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt."
"Actually, Coco, this is the niece of a friend of mine" Rarity stepped aside and presented the shy Rosewood to the equally timid Coco. "Coco, this is Rosewood. Rosewood, my dear friend and fashionista friend, Coco Pommel."
The two young mares looked at one another before chuckling nervously. After a small moment of hesitation, the two mares took small steps towards one another and shot each other a small smile.
"Hi, I'm Coco Pammel" the cream colored mare offered her hoof.
Look down at the extended hoof, Rosewood moved slowly, hoping the sounds of her wooden body would be muffled by the outfit Rarity made to cover her odd body. With one final, slow movement, Rosewood met Coco's hoof and lightly, but firmly, shook it. Both sharing a smile again.
"So, ugh... What do you like to do for fun?" Coco awkwardly asked, not really knowing much on small talk.
Thinking for a moment, not really sure how to answer Coco without freaking her out, Rosewood finaly answered with "ugh…. I like to whittle, with like, wood…"
"That's cool" Coco answered softly and sincerely, peeking Rosewood's own interest. Other then her uncle and father, Rosewood hadn't met anypony else who thought her hobbies was 'cool'.
"What do you like to do? For fun, I mean" Rosewood smiled at Coco, wanting to get to know the pony a little bit better.
"Well… I make cloths. Mostly costumes for plays" Coco felt a little embarrassed that that was her focus point of work. Ponies either thought her work was great or they just bushed it off. This wasn't the case with Rosewood.
"Really? What plays? My favorite plays are 'Hinny of the hills' and 'a midsummer nights eve'".
"Hinny was actually my first big break!" Coco started to say, her smile growing. "I owe it all to Rarity. She got me a job working with a director in Manehatten who's best play was 'Hinny of the hills'."
"Really? How did that happen?" Rosewood was really eager to hear Coco's story, so much in fact, she forgot all about her fears.
"Well, it all started when Miss Siri heard about a new fashion show going on…" Coco started to tell the story, feeling even more relaxed then before.
Rarity sat back and listed as Coco told he side of the story where she and Coco actually met. It was a trip to Manehatten that the element of generosity would never forget.
Atop the main staircase, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looked down over the crowd. Both wearing similar masks, with the left half of their masks bearing intricate designs of the sun or moon respectively, with swirly designs of either gold or black. Their dresses we're also similar in design and color to their masks, almost appearing to be flowing forms of black or gold on blue or white. Twilight had approached both princesses and began making small talk with them, wanting to lead them into the topic that was eating at the back of her mind.
Princess Luna seemed happy to engage in small conversation, as for her elder sister… her mind seemed else where. Twilight kept talking only pausing when she directed an question at Princess Celestia, who had to be nudged by princess Luna to bring her attention back to her faithful student.
After doing this several times, Twilight took a step forward towards the princess of the sun and asked her directly "Princess Celestia, is something wrong?"
Shaking her attention away from skimming over the crowd, Celestia looked over at her most faithful student and smiled " I'm sorry Twilight I'm just… I'm expecting to see somepony very important here. Somepony I haven't seen in a long, long time."
Interested by what her teacher said, Twilight forgot about talking to the princesses about Sunny for a moment to ask "Really? Who is that?"
Beneath her mask, Celestia had to fight back the tears. Tears of joy, of regret, tears that had not dried up even after 1000 years of pain. She didn't want to speak, but Celestia knew that she had rudely ignored her student for long enough "You know him... I just..hope he's ready to see me."
That answer left Twilight baffled, But the young alicorn didn't have a chance to press further. Gathering everypony's attention with a loud screatching microphone, Discord appeared hovering above the crowd, still dressed in his orange suit and matching top hat. As he cleared his throat, collecting the attention of everypony at the gala, the Draconaquis pulled a scroll he prepared a speech on out of his coat pocket. Looking at out at the crowd, Discord spoke with great confidence "I would personally like to thank each and every one of you for coming to this years' Grand Galloping Galla! Especially those who accepted the Invitations I sent to you on my pal's behalf. You know him, you love him, Let's give it up for the Prince of the Crystal Empire, the honest apple farmer from Ponyville, leader of the New Guardians of Harmony, and the Black Knight himself, Give it up for Su-"
But before Discord could finish his introduction that had caused Sunny to sink deeper and deeper into the crowd, a blast of disgusting green goo splattered across Discord's mouth, silencing the master of Chaos.
"I don't care much for long introductions" a deep and powerful voice echoed off the walls of the ballroom, causing ponies to panic and look all around for the source. They didn't have to wait long. From atop The ballroom, several pegusi dimmed the lights and focused to stage lights on the staircase where the guests had descended when they first arrived. The lights fell upon a pony shaped figure hidden benith a dark green cloak. The hood covered head of this mysterious party crasher rose and a pair of glowing green eyes shinned through the hood's shadow. "Or long winded buffoons, so I'm going to make this simple and clear. I am taking over, and you will be the first to bow before me."
"And who may you be?" Princess Celestia asked, little more then annoyed as she glared at the cloaked figure.
A green magical aura wrapped around the mysterious being and levitated the cloak off of him, reveling a creature with a dark green exoskeleton, tall, but not quite Celestia's hight, with thick green mane much like moss from a swamp. When the being flexed, powerful insect like wings emerged that had once covered his chest. From atop his head two large pincer like horns curved to the sky while several smaller black horns circled the creature's head like a black crown. It was a sight to behold, like a beetle and pony combined into one being. "I am the King Hamon Optera, the Ruler of the Changelings. And now that I have you all here, I'll be taking over all of Equestria."
"Oh yeah? You and who's army!?" Rainbow Dash, annoyed by the self proclaimed king's statement jumped up and out of the crowd, not afraid to be singled out form the rest of the crowd.
A small smile broke across King Hamon's muzzle as he stomped his hoof, signaling his followers. With that signal, the changeling who had been in hidding as both guests and guards reveiled their true forms, frightening and pushing back the real guests of the gala. Twilight and her friends watched in horror as the memories of the royal wedding replayed in their heads. But unlike the last time, the Changelings seemed more… rabbid. They seemed as though they had been starved and were eager to follow their ruler's orders, their eyes glowing green like the Changeling King's horns.
"Ya just had ta ask, didn't ya" Applejack raised a brow to Rainbow Dash who let out a sheepish laugh.
"Get ready to fight girls" Twilight and her other friends quickly regrouped and went into.battle formation.
"Guardians, let's back them up!" Sunny called out, casting the spell to enlarge his Black Knight armor from underneith his Stetson hat, and magically put it on his body. His friends and fellow guardians also talking a battle stance.
King Hamon looked down at the twelve ponies and one brave little baby dragon and continued to smile. "I was hoping you wouldn't make this boring. But I didn't come alone. And Celestia, if I were you, I'd put that sheild of yours up right now."
Before anypony could figure out what he was getting at, there was a loud blast from outside, followed by a deep rumbling sound. Those who looked outside could see small rocks falling from the sky, followed by larger rock, and larger still. Ipsy, Steve and those who had been in the garden had quickly taken shelter inside the castle, but even there was not safe.
"Your majesties!" Several pegasus guards flew in in a panic and approached the princesses. "A blast of rainbow shot out from the clouds and hit the mountain, cutting the top completely off! It's going to crush the castle! We need to evaluate, now!"
Rocks began to land on the castle itself, breaking through the sky light of the ballroom, sprinkling guests with bits of broken glass as they began to panic further. Changelings under the new king's control remained focused on their prey, ignoring the greater danger, and began to attack, capture and feed off the guests!
"There is no time!" Celestia declared and began to focus her magic into her horn before shooting it out through a hole in the roof where some rocks had broken through. Just in the nick of time, Celestia put up a barrier to sheild all of Canterlot from the falling mountain top.
Unlike when Shinning Armor cast the spell before his wedding, Celestia had to put up the barrier to keep the falling rocks from causing any more harm as well as keep the mountain top in place. But another rainnow blast from an approaching dark cloud had pushed the severed mountain top right into position ontop of Celestia's barrier!
As Celestia struggled to keep the barrier up, Luna tore her eyes from her sister and looked to the sky, trying to find the source of the rainbow blasts. "Where is that coming from?"
As if to answer her, a dark and sinister voice began to sing out in tune with the twisted, dark mechanics of the factory everypony tried to forget about. The dark secret of the Pegusi. The Rainbow factory...
Whilst the music continued, striking fear deeper into the hearts of the gala attendants, forcing the princesses, the New guardians, Twilight and her friends into swallowing that fear in order stand tall and uphold the image of courage and the belief of harmony in the face of evil. To top it all off, with ravanous Changings surrounding the guests, the impending fear of a collapsing mountain that no pony could escape, a dark armored figure dropped from the sky and landed feet away from Sunny, a dark blade pointed at the yellow unicorn.
"It's time, son of Sombra" the deep voice called out. Sunny and Applejack recognizing the armor as to belonging to the guard loyal to Sunny's father from the attack on IronLock, the one who also could use dark magic and used it to lure them to Sombra himself. The one Sombra called 'Snowstorm'. "Let's see what you are made of. Just you and me!"
Looking around at all the chaos and mayhem surrounding them, Sunny sighed slightly. 'Guess this will be a night to remember, if we get through this...'
In the garden, an ungarded hedge maze was soon greeted my shifting smoke like shadows. The darkness took form as a unicorn stallion wearing dark silver armor and a red royal cloak emerged from the smog. Sombra's glowing red and green eyes looked upon the maze, feeling this might have been too easy. Sending Snowstorm and that delussional King Hamon to distract the princesses and the other party goers was one thing, but the air felt thin. It was a familiar feeling, the moment right before something unexpected happened.
As if on cue, a brightly colored carnival stand fell from the sky to gently land at the enterance to hedge maze. Sombra bounced away, putting distance between him and the unknown stand that dropped in, a reflex from being an experienced member of the royal guard. The stand was empty, with just a sign above it that said 'Legendary Magic Maze!'
"Come one! Come all!" A rather annoying voice cheered as a certain extrouble-maker appeared at the opposite side of the carnival stand. Discord was now wearing a white and red vertically stripped outfit complete with a strawgrass hat, holding a cane in one claw that he twirled with great ease. "To Canterlont's own magical maze! Yes in deed fillies and gentle colts! This very maze is where 'I' Discord, master of Chaos, was left as a statue for over 1000 years! Where I tricked the elements of Harmony ponies into betraying one another, look back as season two episodes one and two, and now, the unknown hidding place to one of the four cornerstones!"
There was no applaud, no ohhhh or ahhhh, just the silance between the Draconaquis and the former ruler of the Crystal Empire. Sombra, who had held his glare firmly on Discord began to slowly walk past the chaotic creature, not wanting to even acknowledge his existence if he could help it, thinking if he managed to slip past Discord, maybe the chaotic beast would lose interest and go off to be somepony else's problem. But as the shadow king tried to enter the maze, he was shocked by an invisible magical feild.
"Oh, sorry friend! You have to pay the toll!" Discord looked down with a smug smirk at Sombra, then pointed to a sign with his cane that Sombra swore wasn't there before. It read 'Maze free for school functions, student use, or royal use. All others need to pay the fee of five bits to either the princesses or Discord, master of Chaos, head of the fun department, and smoothest dresser in the land."
Annoyed, knowing from the last line that Discord must have been the one to set the spell up himself, Sombra pulled out a small bag of bits and tossed it over to the carnival stand, then attempted to walk in again. But just like the first time, he was denied entry by the magical barrier. Growling in anger, Sombra gathered all of his anger and rage, built it up into his horn, then roared as he released a large dark magical blast at the barrier. His vision was clouded by dirt that had been kicked up from his attack. But when it cleared, the barrier remained intact.
"Oh no!" Discord appeared behind King Sombra, wearing a backwards white and red cap on his head, a blue and white jacket over a black under shirt, and jeans pants. "Your attack was uneffective!"
By now Sombra had lost his patients. He was too close to Canterlot castle for him to try and relax. Being back in the gardens was even worse for him. Sombra turned, eyes a flame with purple fire as he glared at Discord.
"Well you need to agree to the terms…" Discord grabbed the sign, pointed to some very small print, and held up a magnifying glass to it.
Calming down, Sombra stepped forward and began to read. 'Also, to allow the full fun of a rather boring maze, all pegusi must leave their wings and unicorns their horns, with the gentle colt at the enterance.'
Looking from the sign to the Draconaquis holding it, Sombra glared hard at him, as if trying to light him on fire with his burning gaze.
Snapping his fingers, Discord had Sombra's horn poof off of his head, disappearing from sight. Ignoring the hard look the shadow king was giving him, Discord twirled his Cain and pointed its end towards the maze's enterance. "Have fun, but remember, what you seek may not bee what you think you are looking for…"
Before Sombra could say anything, Discord snapped his fingers once more, activating his chaotic magic. The former ruler of the Crystal Empire found himself floating in the air, slowly levitating I to the maze. Once he was past the enterance, the hedges closed behind him, preventing Sombra from escaping, then the shadow king fell onto his backside. Getting up and rubing his sore backside, Sombra took a better look at his surroundings. He was surrounded by hedge walls more then three times as high as the maze he thought he entered. Chocking it up to Discord's magic, the shadow king pressed forward, deeper into the maze.
The deeper he went the more King Sombra, the more he realized he no longer recognized the hedge maze. Once upon a time, Sombra could navigate his way through the maze in the darkness of night, which he did several times. But now that Discord warped it, Sombra felt he was truely lost. Knowing he had little time, Sombra thought to just turn his body into shadow and quickly spread through the maze to find the cornerstone he was looking for. Sombra took a deep breath, and began to focus on turning his body into shadow. After a few moments, Sombra realized that when Discord took his horn, he also took his ability to transform into shadow. Now even more annoyed, King Sombra ventured deeper into the maze.
Making another turn, Sombra came muzzle to muzzle with something he thought he'd never see again, something the shadow king though he had seen the last of. Sombra was once again facing the statue of him and his son, Sunny, with him standing over his son, hoof pressing down on the young unicorn in a vile victrious pose while his son looked to be in great pain.
"Painful isn't it?" One of the bushes seemed to grow apple like eyes and speak from a leafy mouth. The voice was easily recognized to be Discord. "It just keeps popping up everywhere too! Like oh, I don't know, a manifestation of the memory you both are trying to forget?"
Sombra ignored the trickster, blew some air from his snout and pressed forward deeper into the maze, leaving the statue behind. The hedge face of Discord following closely behind.
"Isn't it funny how some things change but some things remain the same?" Discord contiued to bar at Sombra. "In the past, you faught so hard to make a better future for all ponies and your son, now you distance yourself from him, throw ponies away like they were old horseshoes, and are trying to rip this world apart to make way for the Umbrum? Always fight for one cause or another, aren't you?"
"You would know all about ripping the world apart, wouldn't you Discord" Sombra's tone was harsh and jagged. "Or should I call you Star-Swirl?"
The hedge face pulled back into the bush, only for a pony to emerge a moment later. A pony dressed in a blue cloak and wizard like hat that mimicked the night sky, with jingal bells around the tip and rim. The old wizard looked up from underneith his hat at Sombra, red and yellow eyes desperate to reach out to him. "I lost my mind long ago when I thought I knew what was best for Equestria, oh fallen king. I was driven by my pain and rage, and dream to bring balance to our land. I went about bringing peace in the wrong way, and I payed the price.
"I thought that if I bent the world to my own views, that if I had the power to shape even the skies and ground I could bring peace. I was wrong. Tell me, oh so powerful king of shadows, what have you done with your immence power, your cunning, your knowlage, your influance?" It had been a long time since Star-Swirl tried to see reason, much less try and show others it. But he had to try. For all their sakes, he had to try and set things right.
"Your words fall upon deaf ears, fallen wizard" Sombra spoke with burning ice in his tone. "Why should I care what you say now when I cared for nothing you said back then. I knew you were crazy then, and now it shows…"
As Sombra turned another corner, Star-Swirl reverted back into Discord, the form he had taken all those years ago, that he could never lose or stay away from….
Things did now look good, and for a long moment, everything seemed to stand still. No pony moved, the tension so high it froze them in place. Then, in split second, everything erupted…
Changelings hopped at guests and began to cast them in cacoons, making it easier to transport and handle. Snowstorm struck out at Sunny with his dark blade, Sunny immediately stepped to the side to counter, pulling a blade out from his own belt. The guardians let Sunny take on Snowstorm while they scattered to try and save the party goers from the Changelings, only to be intercepted by Sombra's guards, who had been disgusted as royal guards. Twilight and the girls tried to power up, but Twilight was tackled and taken away from the group, buzzing in the air as King Hamon Optera carried her as far from her friends as possible. Princess Luna ordered the Wonderbolts to follow her as she opened the barrier, allowing them outside to lead a counter attack against the Rainbow Factory, that was still shooting at Celestia's Barrier. With the barrier still under constant attack, Celestia couldn't move or let up, even if there wasn't a mountain top threatening to crush the entire city, and she was starting to feel the pressure. While all this was going on, Sapphire Shores noticed her group had fled and hid completely out of sight. She couldn't blame them, but she felt there was one thing she could do, but she couldn't do it alone.
Looking around, Sapphire knew she found her answer. The pop star earth pony galloped over to Melody and her sisters. Looking them in the eye, Sapphire pleaded to the sirens "I need your help. There's something I need to do but I can't do it alone."
Having grown close to the singer and forming a bond, Melody looked to to her sisters for their answer. Both looked at their younger sister, smiled and nodded their answers.
Melody turned and looked back at Sapphire Shores with bravado in her eyes. "What do you need?"
"Follow my lead…" the pop star instructed as she cleared her throat, having not sung the song in a log time…
As the newly formed quortet of one earth pony and three siren sisters began to sing their encouraging song, everypony fighting against the Changelings or Sombra's army began to fight harder and with more bravado, their spirits recharged and bursting with energy from the song.
As two Changeling cornered a hoof full of guests too afraid to defend themselves, Octavia burst onto the scene, swinging her mighty cello, swatting the Changelings away as if there were mere house flies.
Big Mac had commandeered the snack table and began shooting off cupcakes, cookies and other fancy treats with accurate precision at whatever enemy he had an opening for, hitting them in the face and discombobulating them log enough for ponies to escape.
Derpy and Doctor weren't fighters by nature and instead took to clearing the ponies both out of the line of fire and prying them from their cacoons. If the substance the guests were trapped in was fresh, it was easier to get off. But some the couple struggled to break. Luckily, two acquaintances of theirs lent them there strength. The yeti Mac and Tosh wanted to help, but found it difficult in such an enclosed area to pick out the bad guys to fight of without hurting a guest or Allie. But picking up and pealing the solid Changeling goo off ponies was like pealing a banana to them.
Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and a few other pegusi joined Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity in trying to free Twilight from King Hamon's grasp. When the Changeling king landed, he was sure to throw Twilight into the fountain, hoping to keep her distracted while he added to his forces. While the others jumped to Twilight's defence, King Hamon looked over at a group of gala guests who were hiding under some tables. Cracking a vile, toothy grin, the changeling King waved his horn and cast a spell on them.
The pony's eyes turned green, their fear growing numb as they all stood up and marched to where the king had ordered them to. Just as Twilight and her friends managed to regroup, the heroes were shocked and taken off guard again by what the Changeling King had done; brainwashing innocent ponies, bending to his will, making them into puppets in this battle.
"Servents, keep them busy" the King finished giving the order right as somepony tackled him, throwing the king into a pillar. The impact almost broke the pillar in two. When the dust cleared, King Hamon knew of only one pony who had the raw strangth to harm him like that. The changeling King muttered the name as he pulled himself out of the rubble. "Salted Carmel…"
The monsterouly strong earth pony stood before King Homon, eyes burning over the king's image as Salted's inner flame began to grow like wildfire. His rage and hatred for Queen Chrysalis was mirrored at King Hamon. They were one in the same to Salted. Both bending pony's minds to suit their goals.
Salted grunted and began to unlatch his shackle.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you" King Hamon told Salted as he brushed the last bit of granit debris off of him from the crushed pillar. "I know what happens if you go too long without restricting your other form. You become a beast, wild and uncontrollable. Trust me, if you take that shackle off, I'll make sure you never get it back on again."
A sly and victorious grin overcame King Hamon's muzzle as Salted started to wrap his chain back up.
"That's what I though, good boy" King Hamon knew he could take Salted when he was restricting his true strength and nature.
Hidding in a corner, Coco shivered, hidden underneath a table, next to her was her newest friend Rosewood, who was strugaling with a battle of her own. The living puppet knew she could be a great help in this battle, she had learned how to fight over the course of the 1000 years, but if she did, Coco and everypony else here would see exactly what she was. Looking at her shaken friend, Rosewood took a deep, unneeded breath, knowing that she had to protect her and the others, even if it meant losing her friend.
"Stay here, I have to go and help them" Rosewood told Coco, resolved that those might be her final words she would have with her friend. After this day, Rosewood feared Coco would never want to speak to her again.
"What!? Where are you-" Coco started to ask, but stopped and watched in awe as Rosewood took her dress and concealing cloths off, revealing her wooden and metal body.
Without looking back at Coco, Rosewood jumped high into the air, grabbed a flying changeling who was chaising a pegasus above text crowd, and pulled the Changelings down, plummeting onto a group of Sombra's guards. While the changeling and one of the guards were knocked out from the attack, when Rosewood recoiled, she was attacked by two Sombra guards who were barely injured. The guards lundged at Rosewood, spear and sword in hoof. Right as the guards were about to make contact with the living pony puppet, dinner plates cut through the air, hitting the guards, forcing them to pull their weapons back to defend themselves.
Rosewood looked over her shoulder and couldn't believe what she was seeing. Coco Pammel was standing on top of a table, throwing whatever dinner wear she could at the guards Rosewood had engaged in battle with.
"No pony hurts my friend!" Coco declared as she then hopped off the table, grabbed several forks and began flinging them with great precision.
Nodding to her friend, Rosewood and Coco joined the fight, leaving out minor things such as Rosewood's odd body for a later time. To be honest, Coco didn't really care. All that mattered was her friend was fighting to help ponies in need, and she could help. And that's what friends do.
As the girls and most of the guardians faught off the Changelings and controlled guests, trying to forge an opening to cast their friendship magic and set things right, Princess Luna landed by them and blasted half of the enemies back with a barrier push. But the Changelings and controlled guests didn't stay down for long.
"We need to help my sister" Luna told Twilight and the others, looking over at her sister who was still focusing all her magic on the barrier surrounding all of Canterlot. "She can't hold out for long, not with a mountain falling down on her."
"We need to get to the Rainbow Factory" Rainbow Dash stated as she began kicking Changings away who were hovering over them.
"If we split up, we can't use our magic of friendship" Rarity added as she bucked a controlled guests away, sending them soaring and landing on top of a table.
"We don't have a choice" Twilight looked over at Princess Celestia, her teacher and mentor. A great worry sank into the young alicorn's heart as she saw Celestia in need of help for the second time in her life. "Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Thunderlane, you three head to the Rainbow Factory. Take whatever Wonderbolts with you that you think you'll need to stop whoever is up there."
"I'll go gather them up!" Thunderlane saluted Twilight then jetted off to gather his fellow Wonderbolts.
"But how will we get past the barrier?" Fluttershy asked, already afraid to enter the battle.
"Leave that to me" Princess Luna stated, more then willing to aid in Twilight Sparkle's plan. Luna would do whatever it took to help her sister. If she had half the skill her sister had at creating a magical barrier, she would have joined her sister's side. "I'll open a spot in the barrier, just long enough for a group to slide on through."
"I got as many Wonderbolts as I could!" Thunderlane returned shortly with fewer Wonderbolts then Twilight had hoped for. Looking around, though, it appeared most of them had fallen under King Hamon's spell.
"This won't be easy, but I need you all to go up and stop that factory from attacking, then we can find a way to deal with the crumbling mountain" Twilight Sparkle addressed all the pegusi who surrounded her.
"You got it, your majasty" Spitfire saluted the princess of Fr ndship before turning to the other pegusi. "You heard the princess, we need to stop that factory! Let's move ponies!"
Almost everypony seemed a little more then nervous, but were ready to do whatever they could. This is what they were trained for.
Without another word, Luna pressed her glowing horn against one part of her sister's barrier, forcing open a hole just barely large enough for a pony to squeeze through. Knowing the princess couldn't keep it open for long, the winged ponies zoomed out as fast as they could, regrouping on the other side. Debris was still falling from above, but nothing larger then an apple core.
"Alright ponies, let's not waste time!" Spitfire demanded the attention of her rag tag team of Wonderbolts and random pegusi. "We need to get that factory and fast. But we can't just go head on. I want you all to break into three teams. Rainbow Dash, you lead a Beta team to enter on the south side of the factory. Thunderlane, lead a Delta team to enter from directly below the structure. I'm going to lead a team of the fastest fliers here to head in from above. My team will need to keep the attention of whoever is attacking, so I need the bravest, the swiftest, and the most daring to be on my team."
Four blue coated ponies stepped forward, with their team leader answering for them. Race, smiled at Spitfire and nodded. "Ma'am, it would be our honor. We'll fly with you to Tartarus and back."
"Good, let's move! Move! MOVE!" Spitfire called out, and with that, all the pegusi broke up into the designated teams, their target, the Rainbow factory.
Thunderlane's team flew low to the ground, just barely above the trees, then broke and went strait up. Rainbow Dash was having some trouble keeping her team togeather and with her at her speed as they reached halfway around the factory with at least 500 yards distance between them and the factory wall. Spitfire on the other hoof, with Race and his siblings on her side, along with a few Wonderbolts, were making excelent time and almost reached the factory. That was, until the next line of defence emerged from the dark factory.
Like a swarm of hornets, black and purple suited pegusi emerged from the factory in a V-line formation, with a golden haired mare leading them. As the new enemies emerged, their leader whistled at them, ordering them to attack. All around the north side of the Rainbow Factory, Spitfire and her team took on these new enemies. It wasn't until their leader tackled her and threw her through a cloud that Spitfire recognized who exactly the leader was.
"Lightning Dust!?" The Wonderbolts leader spat out.
Hovering above Spitfire, Lightning Dust removed her protective goggles and glared down at the Wonderbolts. "Miss me? Too bad. As you can see, I have my own team now. A stronger team. A team that respects and fears me. A winning team."
Getting up and dusting herself off, Spitfire glared hard at her former recrute. "You realize what they are doing right? The princesses are down there along with a ton of civilians! They're all in danger!"
Unimpressed by Spitfire's plee, Lightning Dust just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, so? I got my own orders. And they are to keep you and your stooges out of the Factory until I'm given the signal. I don't see a signal, so I'm gonna show you the muscles I urned in prison!"
With that, Lightning Dust zoomed at Spitfire with her right hoof retracted, then quickly released, landing a punch at Spitfire, who blocked with her hooves, but heard one of her bones crack slightly under the pressure. Spitfire was going to have her hooves full with Lightning Dust, while her team continued to fight off, evade, and outfly the rest of the Shadowbolts. Luckily, Rainbow Dash's and Thunderlane's teams went unnoticed by the Shadow bolts, and made their way inside….
Back in the Ballroom, the last of the royal guards faught back what they could of the Changelings as well as the mind controlled guests, but they were simply overpowered. Just as the last of the guards were about to give up, blasts of electrical magical energy hit some of the changelings, shocking them, and knocking them out. The guards, shocked and greatful, looked behind them and saw what had aided them. The Kelads had formed a battle formation of their own and began shooting magical blasts from their horns in what seemed random directions, but each shot was taken with great consideration, aimed precicely at a changeling. The mind controlled guests then proceeded to attack the Kelads as part of their mind controlled order, when they were intercepted themselvs by what appeared to be thick vine like ropes. Wrapping them up nice and tightly, Primrose and Rosebud with the rest of the Thols joined the battle along side the Kelads. The Kelad leader smiled and nodded at Primrose and continued to lead his Kelad troops while the Thols protected them, armed with more vine weapons.
Ispy focused her kelpy telepathy like magic and started to clear the controlled minds of some of the guests, only to be smacked across the face by a serpent's claw. Turning to face her attacker, the kelpy was shocked to see her newest friend, Steve Magnem, was glaring at her with a pair of green eyes, a scowl on his face. With her new scerpent friend turned enemy, Ipsy was forced to release the mind controlled ponies from her telepathic spell, and defend herself from Steve Magnem. Without the kelpie's magic, the guest resumed their mind controlled orders.
Shinning Armor and Cadence had been making some headway. While Shinning Armor kept his wife safe from Changelings, Cadence used her magic to free the guests from King Hamon's spell. But as the princess of love finished freeing another guest, her legs gave in, and she nearly fell to the floor. Shinning caught her last moment, holding her in his hooves. Looking at his wife, Shinning knew she was at her limit. He pressed his head to hers and wished he could take all her pain away.
Two starving Changelings began to creep up on the couple but were quickly sent flying curtacy of a pair of strong hind legs. Standing at protective stances between Cadence, Shinning Armor and the enemy forces were none other then Big Mac and Doctor Whooves.
"I must say, I've never been one for violance" Doctor started to say. "But I do believe one must roll with the punches."
"Or bucks" the tall red farm pony added, laughing lightly, before looking over at Shinning and Cadence. "You need ta get her somewhere safe."
"But what about you? We can't just-" Shinning Armor started to protest.
"Don't worry about us" Doctor interrupted him. "We've tackled worse then this. It will be a piece of cake. Besides, we have a tone of friends here to help. Just keep Cadence safe."
After a quick nod, Shinning focused his magic around him and his wife, then teleported them somewhere safe, deep deep below the dancefloor of the Ballroom.
Looking over at Doctor, Big Mac smiled and asked "Have we really faced worse?"
"No, but I'm sure we will at some point" Doctor cracked a half smile, showing his partial confidence in his words. His eyes, however, as he looked over the scene, were burning with resolve. "What say we teach these party crashers a lesson from the school of hard-knocks."
"Sounds like ah good idea ta me" Big Mac commented, his own smile growing wider as he pulled a party cannon seemingly out of nowhere. Similar to Pinkie's say for it being a few sizes bigger, with red and green coloring instead of pink and blue, and a picture of a big green apple on its side. Dawning a military helmet and tossing one to Doctor, again, both helmets he seemed to pull out of nowhere, then Big Mac grabbed hold of the Cannon's trigger rope. "Time ta cut loose!"
The big red farm pony then began blasting off shots from his personal party cannon at the oncoming changelings, hitting them with not just streamers and confetti moving at high speed, but also apple based products such as pies, cakes, cookies, fritters, ect. Meanwhile, Doctor pulled a rather long scarf out and began using it to rat tail or blind the enemy long enough to lead them into a pillar, wall, or right in front of Big Mac's cannon.
Octavia and Derpy managed to gather a few small families into a corner to better defend them against the starving looking Changelings and the mind controlled guests.
"How long can we keep this up for?" Derpy whispered to Octavia, starting to feel the strain of the fight.
"As last my as we have to" Octavia snapped back quietly. "We need to give the others time to gather and help Princess Celestia."
"I know, but I can't hold this up forever" Derpy said as a changeling hopped up at her. The Derpy didn't hesitat in grabbing the nearest serving tray and smacking the Changeling hard in the face. Like in a cartoon, the changeling stood there for a moment, it's face flattened, then it slid down, falling flat to the ground unconscious.
"I hope they hurry with what they need to do" Derpy pushed the out cold changing away with the same tray she used to know him out with. "I don't know if I can keep this…."
Just as Derpy was about to admit how weakened she felt from all the fighting, her eyes narrowed in on a sight that made time stand still for the grey mare with a wall eyed stair. Off in the distance, beside a table that was overturned, was a plate of muffins that stood perfectly in it's little pyramid. That is, untill a changeling chasing some mares trampled the muffin pyramid, reducing the delicious morsals to nothing but crumbs. Derpy's eyes were glued to the trampled muffins for the longest time. Octavia watched the normally timid, awkward, goofy mare with a sudden chill running up her back. Hesitant at first, Octavia gulped and reached out with a hoof to shake Derpy free from her daze. Luckily for Octavia, before her hoof ever touched Derpy, the grey mare stood up, wings flickered into their flight position, then with the sudden strength and swiftness of a maelstrom, with the power to match, Derpy took to the skies, swooping down and tackling, kicking, hitting and biting every changeling that was unfortunate enough to cross her path. Octavia, the ponies she and Derpy had been protecting, and even some scared and running guests had stopped and watched in horror as Derpy released her inner beast...
Sunny was sparing with Snowstorm, who had dawned his special helmet, preventing Sunny from reading anything the unicorn could have given away with his eyes or facial expression. At first, Sunny and Snowstorm seemed evenly matched and they matched each other's attack with a defending block, and vise versa. That was, until Sunny's attention turned to the ponies surrounding them.
All around were ponies fleing from starving changelings, Sunny's friends and fellow guardians doing their best to defend the innocent, royal guards being overpowered by Sombra's own guards that snuck into the battle, with princess Luna protecting her sister while Princess Celestia struggles to hold up a barrier carrying a mountain as it recieces attack after attack. Ontop of all of that, Cadence and Shinning Armor were nowhere to be seen, and Twilight and her friends are scattered which meant they couldn't use their power of friendship to bring all this conflict to an end! The pressure was building up in Sunny's head. Then a memory bubbled to the surface. Something that might turn the tables in this fight in their favor.
Pushing Snowstorm back with a quick shove, Sunny quickly focused his magic into his horn, then looked to the ceiling, where a crystal chandelier hung as it did over 1000 years ago, unscaved by the passage of time. Releasing the blast up and into the chandelier, Sunny focused nearly all his magic on the spell he had set in place over 1000 years ago as a security measure. Snowstorm was about to tackle the son of Sombra when his vision was pulled to the hanging decor above everypony's head. All the running, fighting, screaming and scrambling seemed to come to a hault as a bright green light filled the room, with several lights began to focus on statues lining the ballroom that had been painted over several times over the course of 1000 years, but their core remained the same, allowing Sunny's spell to work.
There was a slight rumbling, similar to the mountain collapsing, but closer, inside the castle. The eyes of everypony and every creature turned and focused on the walls that were lines with many beautiful, but now torn and battered, tapestries. At the end of one last small rumble, followed by a slight pause, stone hooves holding stone and metal weapon awoke and began to move after 1000 year slumber. Both on the upper layers of the castle, outer walls lining the Ballroom, hallways leading into the ballroom, and even the ballroom's walls were prelined with stone pony like figures, armed and set with a magic spell 1000 years. For 1000 years only a few ponies even knew the statues we're more then just decoration. They we're all part of a secritity measure pit in place 1000 years ago. It was the only thing a certain stuborn old wizard and a certain young unicorn knight could agree upon. The spell took a lot out of both the wizard and the unicorn who set it up, but it was for what they both agreed to be the greater good. Sunny remembered the spell Star-Swirl taught him to cast if the stone guardians would ever be needed. It required a lot of magic, but Star-Swirl was confident that Sunny could cast it, if need be.
As Sunny focused more and more of his magic into the chandelier, which refocused into the stone ponies, he felt them grow stronger and more aware of the situation, as his legs felt weaker and his armor grew heavier. Once the spell was completed, Sunny took a needed deep breath, wabbling a bit, but looked up and watched as the stone ponies joined his friends and other guards in the fight to push back the Changelings and detain the brainwashed guests. Things were starting to weigh more in Sunny's favor until a sudden flash of silver reminded the yellow unicorn of what he was doing.
Reacting quickly, Sunny grabbed his sword in his mouth and lifted it to block a quick attack. The blow caught Sunny off guard and knocked the sword from his mouth. The yellow unicorn hasn't used his mouth to spar in a long time, even though he knew he should have practiced.
"Shouldn't let your guard down during a fight" Snowstorm reminded Sunny, towering over the weakened prince, filled now with new confidence. "You shouldn't have cast that spell, now you don't have any magic to defend yourself with."
Picking up his sword, Sunny locked eyes with Snowstorm. "I don't need magic to defeat the likes of you!"
"Big words, for a farm pony" Snowstorm smirked as he attacked once again, his sword still wrapped in his magical aura.
Sunny blocked with his sword being held tightly in his jaw, ready for the impact. Although he had not practiced holding a sword in his mouth for quite some time, he had gotten used to using his mouth and hooves for other large projects around the farm. Snowstorm wasn't to to best him so easily...
After avoiding the Shadowbolts, Thunder and his team began exploring the facility known as the Rainbow Factory. It was like walking inside a real monster movie, where you were waiting for something or some creepy pony to pop up out of nowhere. Only this was real, and no pony could afford to have anything catch them off guard. Every pegasus knows the stories of the Rainbow factory, and all knew it was a place to stay away from. Ponies who lived on the ground were lucky if they heard the tales and laughed at it, thinking they were old pony's tales. But the pegusi of Cloudsdale knew the dark truth.
"Stay frosty guys…" Thunder said in a deep, but hushed tone. Something in the air was making the Guardian of Loyalty very, very nervous. Like a mouse being stalked by a cat that it can't see. They weren't alone in the factory, but Thunderlane couldn't tell what was lurking in the shadows…
The inside of the Rainbow Factory, despite the name, was a very dark and murky place, with the cloud like floor looking more like an ominous fog then a solid ground for a pegusi. Little lighting made it difficult for anypony to see much further then a few inches ahead of their own snout.
"Ok guys, let's get in there, stop the machine, and get back to help the others" Rainbow Dash stated, trying to show little to no fear, despite being actually scared beyond belief.
Fluttrshy, who stuck by her friend's side every step of the way, looked at Rainbow Dash with great concern. The timid yellow pony was the only pony who knew Rainbow Dash had nightmares of this place as a foal, and could see that the cyan colored pegasus's fear had not lessened over the years. After all, what is more frightening to a pony with a rainbow colored mane then a big scary factory where a mad scientist lives who will drain you of your color and leave you a zombie.
Pressing forward was hard for Rainbow Dash. She knew she had to keep going and show no fear, despite being more afraid then she had ever been in her whole life. But at the same time, others looked up to her, like Fluttershy, the most timid and easily frightened pony she had ever met. Rainbow knew she had to be strong for her and for the other pegusi who joined them in taking this horrible place down.
Just when Rainbow felt she was getting over her fear, her hoof hit something that caused the wall to moan!
Everypony screamed and most of Rainbow's team scattered into different directions, leaving Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy alone with the moaning wall. When some of the misty smoke cleared, the supposed moaning wall was revealed to be a pony laying down in the ground. The poor pony looked up at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy with a pair of greyed eyes that were only slightly darker then his grey body. He appeared be be too tired to do much more then look at the two brightly colored mares with his eyes half open and moan from his muzzle that hung open.
"W-w-what happened to him?" Fluttershy spoke up, breaking the silence, but still not sounding as brave as she wanted to.
Looking further down the hallway, Rainbow Dash could barely breath as she replied to her friend. "The same thing that happened to all of them…"
All lining the hall were other ponies who's coats had all been left lightish grey, their eyes slightly darker, but still just as drained of their natural life, color and energy, leaving them nothing more then lifeless zombies laying wherever they could crawl to with the last of their energy.
"WELCOME LADIES!" A loud voice rang over the PA system that lined the Rainbow Factory, echoing off the metal parts of the factory walls, causing both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to huddle togeather in a hug. "SORRY, DID I SCARE YOU? WELL GOOD! THAT WILL MAKE HUNTING YOU TWO DOWN ALL THE MORE FUN FOR ME! I WAS GETTING BOARD UP HERE JUST SHOOTING AROUND A MOUNTAIN. CELESTIA HAS TO BE SUCH A STICK IN THE MUD!"
Gathering what little courage she could, Rainbow Dash broke the hug and looked up at the random darkness above them where she guessed somepony was watching from, and began yelling with a fierce look on her muzzle. "Who are you! What's your deal!? Are you with Sombra?"
"LETS PLAY A GAME" the voice ignored Rainbow Dash and went on with what he had planned. "I'M A BIG FAN OF HIDE AND SEEK. BUT I ONLY PLAY WITH SPECIAL RULES. RULE 1) THE GAME ENDS WHEN I SAY IT DOES, RULE 2) -"
"WE AREN'T GUNNA PLAY ANY STUPID GAME!" Rainbow snapped, growing more irritated then fearful at this point.
"… I GUESS YOU DON'T WANT ANY PRIZES, THEN" The voice replied. "LIKE THE SELF DESTRUCT BUTTON TO THE WHOLE FACTORY! I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE, ALONG WITH THE STALLION WHO HURT POOR, POOR FLUTTERSHY'S DADDY."
"What!?" Fluttershy's voice was sharp and fierce. All fear melted away thanks to her burning rage. Images of seeing her father in the hospital, of her mother worrying sick over him while he was in coma, of how he cowered and shook over almost anything after the accident. It all boiled over. "WHERE ARE YOU HIDING, YOU, YOU COWARD!"
"NOW THAT'S THE SPIRIT! IM ON THE MAIN DECK OF THE FACTORY. YOU HAVE 5 MINUTES TO FIND ME OR I'M GUNNA GO FIND YOU. AND TRUST ME, YOU DINT WANT THAT." The voice chuckled maliciously. " NOW WHERE WAS I... AH YES, RULE 2) -"
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy wasted no time listening to the voice's rules. They only cared about getting to the main deck and getting to both that button and the assalent. Rushing from room to room, the two mares hoped they would find the main deck or atleast come across some of their group. Door after door the mares came up empty.
"Wait…" a very faint voice called out from the mist, his back against the wall. Rainbow and Fluttrshy stopped and approached the greyed pony. At one point his mane, coat and eyes were shades of bright and dark green, but now were drained of all life, taking with it all his mental instability, allowing the stallion a chance to reflect over his life. "Please… please let me help…"
"You poor thing…" Fluttershy's nurturing nature overtook her rage, as anypony could guess with her as she moved closer to the stallion.
"Don't pitty me… this factory… is my creation…" the stallion caughed, speaking was had for him but he wasn't about to pass up his chance to do some good with his life.
"You? YOU!" Rainbow wished the grey stallion was in better health so she could knock his teeth out.
"Please… we don't have… much time…" the stallion said, forcing his hoof lightly up, pointing to a door off to the left. "In there… looks empty… secret door… hoof to wall…"
That was all the poor stallion could say before he surendered to his exhaustion and passed out, joining so many of the others who were out cold, lining the hallway.
Having nothing better to go off, and the time limit running dangerously close, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew as fast as they could to the room that the greyed scientist pointed them to and immediately went to work on finding that secret door, pressing their hooves to the wall. It took them a moment, but eventually Fluttershy's hoof found and pressed a tile on the wall that gave, and with it, reviled a staircase that shot strait up to a room with a lot of light flowing out of it. Red light. It seemed to ooze from the cracks of the door like a warning and a beacon.
"Let's go" Despite her fear, Rainbow Dash felt braver thanks to the loyalty she had for her friend. She knew she had her duty to the princesses, her fellow Wonderbolts, and her friends below, that all kept her pressing forward. But now that it was a personal fight for Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash felt no fear at all.
Racing up the stairs, Rainbow crashed through the glowing red door and took an immediate battle ready stance, expecting a fight. What she and Fluttershy saw was completely unexpected, and absolutely terrifying.
All around them were greyed ponies, all trying desperately to crawl away, but lacked the energy to move. Some of them wore armor similar to the Sombra guards they captured after the battle of IronLock, some had fancier dresses and suits on, but then Rainbow Dash recognised one of the Stallion's by the scar across his left eye. "Al Ca'Pony?"
The once bright colored gangster pony lay against the wall, grey eyes looking up at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy with little to no recognition of who they were of if he knew them. The fact that he was able to use what little energy he had to lift his head when he heard his own name being called was a miracle.
Just then, a film reel began to play, projecting a short film ahead of the two mares on a projection screen;
"Equestria is a magical place, full of many different types of ponies. Everyone pony has their part to play." An image of Cloudsdale then appeared on the screen, corny and upbeat piano music being played in the background. "And it is the responsibility of the Pegasus ponies to control the weather. Clouds are produced that make rain, hail, and snow, then is distributed where it is needed. But there is a critical part of the weather that needs to be adressed. Where exactly do rainbows come from? Yes rainbows, that magical part after it rains that lights up the sky and lets all know the storm is over."
The image on the screen flipped again to what appeared to be the rainbow falls, but it was all dried up. "The weather factory once drew it's rainbow from natural resources, but those resourced are drying up fast. What are we to do?"
The image of the dried up falls disappeared and now the film was playing a video of the scientist that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy ran into in the hallway. Dressed in a clean white lab coat, he appeared to be relaxed and confient as he presented a machine he stood next to that had a pony hooked up to it. "Greetings ponies of Equestria, I am Doctor WoodenToaster, and I have created a machine to save us from the Rainbow drought. Behold! The Super Speedy Spectra Squeeze 6000!
"The device is simple" the doctor started to point to a tube on the machine that connected to a helmet that sat on top of some pegasus's head. "A volunteer simply sits in the seat, a helmet is placed on them, and in a few short minutes, a small bit of Spectra is extracted from them. No different then donating blood. It's a simple, effective, and painless process that will benefit all of Equestria's-"
The film cuts off abruptly, then another video log that seemed to start playing when it all clears up, as if the videos were cut and pasted together. It was the same doctor, but his coat had splashes of color on it in random places, his mane was medded up and frazzled, and the confident look in his eye had changed and altered to wild and ravaged. "It was so perfect! The princesses should have listened! We could have taken weak and useless ponies and put their Spectra to better use! But they were fools! Those two could have the world! But they turn it down!? I'll show them the power of spectra! I'LL SHOW THEM ALL-"
The image of the mad scientist known as WoodenToaster cut out, in his place was another film added in of a gray pegasus stallion sitting in a chair, facing the screen. A white smile broke through the darkness that shadowed his muzzle, but that was all anypony could see of the mysterious grey stallion. A slick, hidious smile that shinned in the darkness.
"Hello there, Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in all of Cloudsdale. And Fluttershy, the timid little animal lover. If you are listening to this, that means you've escaped my grasp. Don't worry, I should be along shortly. I'm just gathering the ponies you've brought with you. I can't thank you enough. I always need more ammo. I wouldn't worry about them too much, though, you'll join them soon. The game isn't over until I say it is, remember…." The film ended, flipping over and over again on it's reel.
Looking around frantically, Rainbow Dash found a light switch. Wishing to Illuminate the dark and creepy place, she switched it on immediately. As soon as lights began to flicker on, Rainbow Dash began to regret her action. Both she and Fluttershy were speechless as they gazed out onto he main deck of the factory. Two rows of beds filled with ponies lined the deck, with each pony hooked up to a helmet that ran a hose up to large vats. The two girls watched in horror as the ponies in the beds lost more and more of their color, it being drained from them and stored with other spectra in the large vats of swirling rainbow colored liquid.
"Rainbow Dash, look!" Fluttershy pointed to a bed far away from there where a familiar dark grey stallion had been hooked up, his color just beginning to be drained from him. "It's Thunderlane!"
The two elements then flew as fast as they could over to their friend. When they arrived, Rainbow took the helmet off her Guardian of Harmony, allowing him to take in a deep breath. The poor Stallion's eyes were a little greyed over, but not much, he was going to need some time to recover.
""Who did this to you?" Rainbow Dash asked Thunderlane who was still trying to gather his thoughts.
Looking up at them, Thunderlane had to repeat Rainbow Dash's words over a few times in his ahead for it to make sense, but when it did, his eyes when wide. The Stallion's while body shook with fear as he lifted his wobbling hoof and pointed back in the direction of the door the girls came from.
Before Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash could see what exactly Thunderlane was pointing at, the door slammed shut. The sound of a lightbulb breaking and the loss of the light shook the hearts of the two elements. The loss of light was quickly followed by a silance that filled the thin air, allowing the mares to hear the beating of their own hearts beating and their eyes desperately tried to adjust to the darkness.
"So glad you could join us…" a voice hissed from the shadows, doing very well to keep out of sight. "I was beginning to get board. But it seems the narrator has lead two new play things right to me…"
"Show yourself, Coward!" Rainbow Dash swallowed her fear yet again as she took a brave stance infront of a fear stricken Fluttershy.
But Rainbow Dash's barked order was only met with laughter. "I'm going to enjoy draining every last drop of Spectra out of you!"
Several sharp knives shot out of the shadows, their targets, the two pegasus mares. And they hit them, well, as much as knives could hit pastel colored horses in a G rated fan fiction. The knives stuck Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to the wall of a Spectra filled vat. Try as both the timid pegasus and her athletic friend might, neither could break free from their binds.
"Comfortable?" The voice asked, sounding louder and closer this time. "No? Don't worry, it won't matter much soon."
Chains began to rattle, the sound sending even more shivers up the girl's spines. It was like they were living in the worst horror movie of their lives, and it was the part right before the monster, that managed to stay off screen throughout most of the movie, revels himself!
A pair of glowing green circles broke through the darkness, glowing like a sickly lightning from the shadows. As the orbs grew larger, they were accompanied by the sound of pony hooves on steel. The pace was as casual as a tiger stalking it's would be prey. The only light left in the room reveled the prowler once he got within only a few feet of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. A smug smile on a grey muzzle emerged from the darkness first, followed quickly by a head it was attached to. As the rest of the head emerged from the darkness, the eyes of the Stallion met with both Rainbow Dash's and Fluttrshy's. Irises that were wild and unnatural glowed green in the light, with the whites of his eyes being black and empty. Atop the stallion's head was a sharp style of mane, white as white could be. The next thing to emerge from the darkness were claw like wepons attached to his pegasus wings, that reached out and cut through the darkness.
"I guess the game's over" the stallion spoke through a deviant grin, his right wing reaching up with a metal clawed weapon still attacked and crabbed a helmet that attached to the machine. The kind that had sucked the life out of Thunderlane and so many others.
"Why are you doing this!?" Fluttershy asked, fear heavily coating her voice, making it even more high pitched then normal.
The stallion raised a white eyebrow at the yellow pegasus, then paused as his smile grew wider, and his devilish gaze weighed down more on Fluttershy at that moment then it ever had anypony else ever before. "Why? Why am I doing this? Well it's simple... Because this brings me ultimate joy."
"You're wasting your time on him, Fluttershy" Rainbow Dash struggled to get herself free. "This guy's rotten to the core, I can smell it on him."
"Got that right, Crashie" the grey pegasus glrinned at what he considered to be a complement. "Once I'm done sucking you and all your friends dry of your Spectra, I'll have enough to launch one final blow against Celestia's sheild. Canterlot and all those pompous stuffed coats with it! Any survivors will be quickly picked up and drained as well. Soon, all of Equestria will be in ruins, and everypony left a grey, lifeless zombie!"
"But why?" Fluttershy asked again in a more calm tone. "I mean, I don't understand why you have to be so evil."
"It's simply how I was made" the grey stallion smirked as he clicked the claw like weapons attached to his wing. "You don't get a name like 'Cynical Storm' for being kind and peace loving."
" 'Cynical Storm'?" Rainbow Dash swore she heard that name before as she repeated the name under her breath.
"That's my name" the deviant pegasus chuckled then faced the screen to the reader. "If you want to know more about me, check out my less popular FIM FIC back story on this web site, 'No More Tears'. It's rated R, you've been warned."
Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked to each other slightly confused. From what they saw, Cynical was just talking off into the open air.
"But you don't have to be bad" Fluttershy's chimed up, catching Cynical's attention.
The grey stallion with black and green eyes turned back and faced her, raising a bladed claw to the yellow pony's face, running a blade close to Fluttershy's face. "Poor, poor naive Fluttershy, I think a song would better to explain my motives. Cause that's what ponies do right? Sing? Happy, sad, feeling evil or whatever else. They sing…"
Taking a few steps back, Cynical grabbed hold of one of the chains dangling from the ceiling, a musical cue rang, then a top hat appeared to fall from nowhere that Cynical grabbed and placed on top of his head. "It's because, I'm evil…"
By the end of it, Cynical casually strolled over to Rainbow Dash who had managed to free her hind legs and one wing, and plop on top of her head the draining helmet he had before his song. Rainbow Dash felt a surge of energy shoot through her body for a moment before feeling her body's energy slowly start to drain.
"Let her go! Please!" Fluttershy struggled to get free, but the effort was wasted, the blades were to deep into the… into the vat of Spectra!
Cynical shook his head, holding back a laugh. "No. Don't think I will. But what I will do, I'll let you wait for your turn patiently, until your little friend is a grey zombie. Then I'll let you keep enough of your Spectra to watch as I destroy that ritsy castle down there. Does that sound like fun? Oh! And as an added bonus, I got a surprise for you!"
Leaning in closely, Cynical could hardly contain himself as he whispered I to Fluttershy's ear "'I' was the one who put your daddy in the hospital!…"
Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat. It made sense now. Cynical's glowing green eyes were the ones her father kept on talking about. His fear of storm clouds and being out in the open air. It was because of Cynical!
Fluttershy lunged as hard as she could, pushing off the vat she was stuck to with all her might trying to get to Cynical, her teeth gritting muscles flexing harder then she ever had before, but ultimately unable to free herself. "YOU MONSTER! My father never hurt anypony! Why would you do that to him!?"
"Didn't you listen to my song?" Cynical took the top hat, looked at it for a moment, then tossed it away before glaring back at the enraged Fluttershy. "Because I'm evil and it's fun. And that's why I want you to watch me crush that castle. Because your friends and family are in there, and you'll watch as they crumble with the castle!"
"Wouldn't count on it" a weak Stallion's voice spoke up from behind him. Cynical turned around just in time for Thunderlane to smack him as hard as he could in the head with a helmet connected to the Spectra sucking machine, then plopping it on Cynical's head while he was shaken. "Have a taste of your own medicine!"
While Cynical struggled to get the Spectra sucking helmet off, Thunderlane wabbled over to Rainbow Dash and ripped the helmet off her. Rainbow gassped for air for a moment, her coat a few shades lighter then before, but otherwise she was fine.
"Thanks" Rainbow Dash shot Thunderlane a half smile.
"Thank me later" Thunderlane returned the half smile. "We aren't out of the woods yet-"
Before Thunderlane could say anything else, he felt sharp blade's wrap around his throat and cut several of his coat hairs. Cynical's demented muzzle snuck around his left side. "The Spectra machine doesn't work on me. I have no Spectra to give. But I see I didn't take enough from you."
"You want Spectra?" Fluttershy asked, her tone harder then anypony had ever heard before, Causing Cynical and Thunderlane to look it at her. She and Rainbow Dash had their hooves on one of the blades that held Fluttershy's wing in place. "Then eat this!"
With all the force the two could muster, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash pulled the blade free, releasing a small but powerful stream of rainbow colored liquid that shot at the grey stallions. The Spectra blinded Cynical, forcing him to release Thunderlane from his grasp as he struggled to whipe the rainbow liquid from his eyes. The Spectra that hit Thunderlane seemed to bring his full color and energy back to him.
"I got an idea!" Thunderlane said as he helped Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy get free. "If we hook the Spectra Vents up to the sprinkler system, we can turn them on and give everypony here back their Spectra!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Cynical's eyes were still closed, but he felt his way across the room to one large button on the wall. When he found what he was looking for, Cynical smashed a glass case open with his hoof, then pressed a large red button. Sirens began to sound as red light began to flash all around the factory. "You them to have their Spectra back, they'll get it back! I just hit the release button to the collection vats! The Spectra will flow and flood the entire factory! And when it hits the boilers, the entire Factory will blow! If I can't destroy all of Equestria, I might as well just destroy all of Canterlot! Even if I have to crush this factory into it to do it!!!"
Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Thunderlane jumped to grab the deranged grey stallion, but the vats on the main deck opened up and released their contents. The three pegusi jumped to avoid being swept away by waves of bright color, but Cynical wasn't too lucky. Still blinded by the Spectra from before, the evil stallion didn't see the wave of the Spectra that swept him away. The trio could only watch as the villain vanished from sight and disappeared below the flowing liquid rainbow.
"We have to do something!" Rainbow Dash told her two friends. "We can't let this place crash into Canterlot!"
"What are we gonna do?" Thunderlane sounded frantic. "You heard him, when that Spectra hits the boilers, this place is going down. On top of that, we can't leave everypony here ta go down with da ship! But no way we can get them all out in time!"
"What if we turn the boilers off?" Fluttershy suggested.
"If we do that, the entire factory could crash" Thunderlane explained. "If it's anything like the weather factory, when those boilers turn off, this place is gunna go strait down."
Trying to think, Rainbow dash turned to the screen with all the feed from the various outside cameras. An idea pops into her head. "I got an idea! Just below Canterlot mountain there's a small lake! We could crash it there!"
"Are you nuts!?" Thunderlane exclaimed.
"It sounds crazy" Rainbow Dash started to elaborate. "But if we get a waterspout going, we land this thing carefully."
"A waterspout big enough for this thing's gunna need more then just us three" Thunderlane hated to be such a downer, but there didn't seem to be a bright side anywhere.
"What if you had help?" A familiar voice caught the trio's attention. Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Race and his cousins, along with the rest of the group flew in over the flooding Spectra, landing right in front of Rainbow and the others. "Think we can do it?"
"Heck yeah we can!" Rainbow Dash was feeling pumped, her inner flame resparked.
"But we need to turn those boilers off first" Fluttershy didn't mean to interrupt, but time was of the essence.
"We'll get that" a gruff voice spoke up. A certain stallion in a suit picked up a wet fedora, shook it as dry as he could, then placed it ontop of his head. Al Ca'pony standing next to a rejuvenated WoodenToaster looked up at the pegusi and told them "We'll take care of that. I used to be a plumber."
"And I built this thing. The two of us can more then easily get to take care of the boiler before the Spectra does. I have to say, I'm impressed with the plan. It sounds like our best bet" WoodenToaster complemented Rainbow Dash.
"How can we trust you two?" Rainbow Dash questioned their former enemies, narrowing her eyes at them.
"I got my goons here in this place, what's a mob boss without his goons?" Al answered honestly.
"And believe it or not, I think I need to start to make things right" WoodenToaster again answered honestly.
"Great! Go go go!" Thunderlane told them, rushing them out of the room before turning back to the rest of the Pegusi. "We need to get outside, fast, and direct this thing's falling from the outside!"
"No need to tell us twice" Spitfire whistled as loudly as she could to get everypony's attention then began to lead everypony outside.
As Fluttershy covered the rear, she looked around one last time at the Rainbow Factory's main deck, now cleared of ponies who were drained of color, the Spectra sucking machine now cooling off and dying, with no sign of the twisted Cynical in sight, nor any idea where he had gone. One thing he left behind was one of his metal wing claws, blades dug deep into the metal floor, but the straps snapped…
From a safe distance, Discord watched as the shadow King grew more and more frustrated with every turn he made. When Discord used his chaotic magic on the maze last time he was able to turn Applejack into a lier, Rarity greedy, make Pinkie Pie hate laughter and even lead Twilight to give up on friendship. But could he really push Sombra to seeing the error of his ways, give up this vendetta and accept friendship as he himself did? The Draconaquis wasn't sure, but he had to try. For all the trouble he had caused in the past, Discord had to try.
Growling in frustration, Sombra turned and bucked with all his might at a statue that he turned to rubble in a cloud of smoke. This really wasn't going to be easy. Not only was the master of chaos having to try and deal with King Sombra, but he had to keep a barrier up of his own over the hedge maze to keep falling debris from the mountain from distracting the sourpuss. Discord was attempting to jog something good deep down inside the shadow king by bringing up statues of the memories of his past. Stone statues. Not unlike the stone he cast Sunny into 1000 years ago. Just like the statue Discord placed an the Apple orchard to jog Sunny's own memory.
Anger and rage built up inside Sombra as he erupted into a gallop, now just running past the statues, focused on his one goal of finding the cornerstone. Once he had this one he would only need the last, the 4th and final cornerstone to free his brethren. The imprisoned umbrum. Turning yet another corner, Sombra could see a statue blocking his way. But before he smashed it to bits, Sombra paused to look at it. It was a statue or Princess Amore, the ruler of the Crystal Empire before Sombra had to take command. The one who believed in him and helped him raise to the ranks of captain, despite his lack of a cutie Mark. It was she who believed in him and helped him when times were tough.
The statue moved and looked down at Sombra, wearing a long and sorrowful frown as her stone eyes looked into Sombra's. Her voice a harsh wheeze as she struggled to speak "Sombra… you no longer have to be king… others have relieved you of your duty… go and be with the ones who love you…"
That statement alone sent a chill down Sombra's back. It was what he had wanted for so many years. Just to be a regular pony with Sunny and his mother. No duties to perform, no empire to protect. Just his family. It was a dream... And just like a dream, Sombra had to wake up. Rearing up at the statue of Princess Amore, Sombra bucked with all the strength he could muster. The statue closed it's eyes and waited for the impact with pure acceptance, as if it were the real Princess Amore. When the dust cleared, Sombra emerged with a victorious grin on his muzzle. In his sights were two more statues, but these were the ones he was looking for. One of Princess Luna and on of Princess Celestia. The two statues held between them a purple, diamond shaped gem slightly bigger then one's own hoof. 'That' was the cornerstone Sombra was looking for…
Although Sunny's spell did help to wave most of the Gala's conflict in their favor, he was having a hard time keeping Snowstorm at bay without magic.
"You should just give up and join us! I'm sure your father will be forgiving" Snowstorm's voice grew deeper and more matalic when he put on his helmet, his sword swinging violently at Sunny.
Sunny refused to back down and kept his guard up, barely avoiding Snowstorm's strikes by a few inches. "I will never surender to the likes of you!"
A smile broke out across Snowstorm's muzzle under his helmet. It was as if he had been waiting for Sunny to say that, giving him permission to no longer hold back. Snowstorm had a clear advantage, using magic to manipulate his sword, putting as much distance as he wanted between him and his opponent, where Sunny had to get in close with his own sword in his mouth. But Snowstorm knew just how he could make Sombra's son break. The very idea brought a wide smile to his muzzle. Pulling back the flow of magic on his sword slightly, Snowstorm located several guard's swords from all around the gala to him, some belonging to his own defeated comrades, some to enemy guards still fighting. He stretched his magical aura out and latched on to the swords, pulling them to him. In a flash, Snowstorm had nine swords floating around him, all taking aim at Sunny.
"It seems as though I have the advantage" Snowstorm triumphantly raised his head and looked down on Sunny, positioning the nine swords he now held in his magical aura in various positions, but all were pointed at the yellow unicorn.
The battle seemed futile, and Sunny felt like this was one fight he couldn't win. His magic was building back up again, but not fast enough to even hold a sword, much less defend against nine. The yellow stallion couldn't see any way out of this. Then time slowed down. He looked all around him at the gala, where his friends and fellow guardians, Twilight and her friends, other guests and friends he's made across his various adventures were all fighting. There was no way he could give up. Not now. Not even if it seemed futile. Then the words of his father rang clearly in his ears. Words that had sucked with him for 1000 years. Words Sunny spoke as he picked his sword back up and took his bravest, most noble stance.
"A knight will always use his words first, his sword Second" Sunny spoke loudly, addressing Snowstorm. "Lay down your weapons, I'm sure the princesses will be understanding and hear you out if you put this to an end."
Snowstorm was a little shocked by this boldness, but he kept his head raised, and his swords still aimed at Sunny as he simply replied "No."
Readying his sword, Sunny took a step forward and continued to repeat what he learned from his father all those years ago before he became a knight. The words and teachings of his father. "A knight holds the elements of Harmony in his heart!"
As the words escaped Sunny's mouth, Snowstorm struck out at his opponent with two swords, both striking downwards at slight angls, one on the left and the other from the right. But Sunny blocked both attacks at once, easing the blow by bending his knees slowly with the strike, then exploding with enough force to send both the swords flying out of Snowstorm's magical aura. The now freed swords flong off, one landing in a table, and the other cutting an ice sculpture in half.
"A knight stands strong in the face of evil!" Sunny spoke his words louder as he lunged at Snowstorm. The over confident unicorn then raised three swords in front of him to block Sunny's attack, forming a triangular formation.
Thinking quickly, Sunny knew caught on that Snowstorm was right hooved, so he would be focusing more energy on his left side. Which is where Sunny needed to strike first to throw his opponent off guard. The yellow unicorn knight used his sword to strike at the handle of the sword who's blade made up Snowstorm's left side defence. The blade of that sword tipped the sword on the right upwards, and gave Sunny the exact opening he needed. With one swift motion, still decending after striking the left sword's handle, Sunny then pushed up off the ground, his blade now directly under the third sword, who's tip and handle now we're directly underneith the other two swords. With one powerful swing, Sunny not only split the bottom sword in half, but the pressure of his attack sent the other two swords flying into the sky, out of Snowstorm's magical reach, landing them deep into the marble ceiling above.
"You won't better me! My cause is Noble!" Snowstorm insisted, but panic began to bubble in his voice.
"A Knight defends the Weak and Innocent!" Sunny spoke up louder, other ponies nearby listening to his words, feeling their weight.
Snowstorm refocused all his magic into his four remaining swords, setting two to spin around above him and out like tops, and two to spin similarly, but downward and closer to him, creating four bladed sheildes. "I don't care what they taught you, I won't lose to some spoiled little prince!"
"I'm not just a prince" Sunny declared as he made a quick strike, hitting the spinning sword to Snowstorm's top left, the blade knocked out of Snowstorm's magical aura and flung out into the garden. "I'm also a knight!"
Snowstorm's three remaining swords reformed their positions to form three spinning sheilds now circling around in front of their master, who was beginning to not only feel the stress of all his magic on his mind, but a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he might lose.
"I'm also an apple farmer, a guardian of Harmony, a friend to alot of ponies and creatures" Sunny added as he struck out again, Knocking another sword away from Snowstorm, sending it flying across the room until it landed in a table. With two more hard strikes at just the right moment, Sunny sent one sword smashing into another, shattering them into pieces, then sent the clump of sword debris flying away, landing in the punch bowl.
Snowstorm could hardly believe it. He didn't expect the son of King Sombra to be so… so strong. But maybe he should have. Snowstorm knew all about Solggiato and his lineage. He should have expected this from him. Such skill, such power. Only, this messed up his plan. He had to keep everypony busy until he received the signal. Looking around, Snowstorm could see the Changelings were slowly losing the fight. But they could still be of use for a little while longer. The former warden of the Ironlock prison was yanked from his thoughts when he was pushed onto his back by a sword pointed directly at him, Solggiato on the other end looking him down with a hard gaze.
"You know what else I am?" The yellow unicorn asked.
Trying to stall for time, Snowstorm played along. "What?"
Solggiato then lowered his sword and offered Snowstorm a hoof, his expression softening slightly. "I'm forgiving. I saw into your heart. I've seen the depths of your anger and convitions, as well as the good in you that you don't even see. You aren't a bad pony, Snowstorm. Just misguided and unsure of how to achieve your own personal goals. But I can help... Let me help you…"
Snowstorm hesitated for a moment, looking up from Solggiato's hoof, to his relaxed gaze, then back to the hoof he still had extended. For a long moment, Snowstorm weighed the options, thinking what could happen if he decided to surrender to the yellow unicorn, to turn himself over to the princesses and possibly let them know about King Sombra's plan… but that moment passed as quickly as it started.
Snowstorm's own gaze turned hard as he glared back at prince Solggiato before he smacked the extended hoof away. "I will not be tricked into betraying the King!"
Snowstorm then grabbed Sunny's own sword with his magical aura and teleported to a doorway that Snowstorm knew would lead him out of the castle. He looked back at Solggiato, narrowed his eyes on him and said as loudly as he could "You think you're so high and mighty, you 'Defend the innocent' well let's see what you plan to do now! You can follow me, or go to your father who is in the garden's maze, or save 'the innocent'!"
Before Sunny could process what Snowstorm meant by that, the armor clad unicorn used Sunny's sword that he stole to cut a chain that was latched down near his exit.
Sunny's eyes quickly followed where the chain ran and what it was attached to only to realize he had to get moving fast. Other ponies who had been watching had done the same only at a slightly slower pace. Guards had seen where Sunny was running to started to move their hooves, realizing what was going on, but weren't going to make it in time. The possibly last pony to see what was going on was Celestia, who had entrusted the safety of her ponies to the Elements and Guardians of Harmony, as well as her own guards and sister. But upon hearing Snowstorm's parting words before he escaped down a dark hallway, the princess of the Sun felt her heart sink into her stomach. The chain that was cut was one holding a very large chandelier in place. Below, most ponies who had not joined the fight had taken sanctuary under tables, behind statues, or even behind royal guards. But one couple stood directly underneith the chandelier, unaware of what was going on.
Knowing he wasn't going to make it in time, Sunny focused all his magic that he could muster on one last spell to teleport him to right beside the couple. They appeared to be average Gala going ponies, possible wealthy. Wealthy enough to he able to attend the Gala on more then one occasion. Maybe they were teachers at Celestia's school, maybe they were aids to the princesses, or representatives from some city in Equestria's. Sunny had no idea who they were, and it didn't matter to him. What mattered was what he had to do in that very split second. Just as Sunny disappeared in a flash of green light and reappeared Beside the couple, Sunny pushed with all of his strength to get them out of the radious of the falling decor. Before the couple even saw who had pushed them or why, there was a loud crash, followed by a mare screaming in the near distance.
"SUNNY!!!!" Applejack cried out, stopping what she was doing to run over to the pile of broken glass, Crystal and bent and twisted metal, trying desperately to move it, tears streaming heavily from her eyes…
The wave of Spectra flushed down the halls of the Rainbow Factory, instantly rejuvinating the grey zombie ponies who lined those halls. As Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Thunderlane and the rest of the others made their way down those same halls, desperately trying to reach the outside as fast as they could, they were able to drum up some pegusi to aid them in safely dropping the factory. The other ponies, Unicorns and Earth ponies alike, all teamed up to double check the inside of the horrible factory and to gather any remaining ponies at the center of the factory, in case the factory does crash hard.
Before they knew it, the Pegusi reached the exit, and began flooding out like a hose. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Thunderlane and Spitfire the flew into possision, trying to gather everypony's attention.
"Listen up!" Spitfire barked, demanding everypony's undivided attention. Ponies who were enjoying the freedom and open air had to refocus on the Wonderbolt captain. When she felt all eyes were on her, Spitfire cleared her throat and began to explain what she needed everypony to do. "There are a lot of ponies still in the factory, and it's about to crash. We're going to control the crash and land it safely in the lake below. We're going to create a water spout! We'll work our way up from the bottom up, with two ponies directing the rest of the herd. Any questions?"
Not wanting to anger the Wonderbolts Captain, the pegasus ponies all shook their head, ready to go along with the plan.
"Good! Thunderlane, Fluttershy, you two direct us" Spitfire stated, before almost flying off to begin the base of the waterspout.
"Me? Why me?" Fluttershy asked Spitfire nervously. "I-I can't order ponies around! I can barely speak above a mild yell."
"True, but I know you can handle this" Spitfire paused and told the timid, yellow mare. "I need eyes I can trust in the air directing us. I saw you cheer Rainbow Dash on at the young fliers competition some time back, we could hear 'you' over everypony else in the coliseum."
The normally timid and quiet yellow pegasus looked away, blushing with a small smile on her muzzle.
"You totally got this, Fluttershy" Rainbow Dash shot Fluttershy a confident smile and nod before flying over to the rest of the Pegusi, who were starting to form the waterspout just in the nick of time. The cloud structure was slowly starting to desend like a small snowball rolling down a snowy mountain side. Al Ca'Pony and WoodenToaster must have made it to the boilers in time. And just like a snowy mountainside, the factory began to quickly pick up speed.
Fluttershy and Thunderlane quickly got into their positions, ready to direct the ponies and correct any mistakes. The Pegusi who were creating the water spout had a hard time seeing anything with the water spraying in their eyes. When they normally performed such a feat to refuel the water supply in Cloudsdale, they all came prepared with special water proof flight suits and goggles. Flying in as they were was going to be difficult in itself, which is why they needed ponies to direct them on where to fly and to course correct.
"Ugh... maybe fly a little closer together guys.." Fluttershy started off barely being able to be heard, which made the yellow mare start to doubt herself.
"Come on Fluttershy!" Thunderlane called out from across the way. "Use that voice I know you got!"
Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy realized now was no the time to be mousy. Fluttershy then called out to her fellow pegusi, her voice like a roaring lion "KEEP IT TOGETHER! YOUR SPREADING TOO FAR APART! CLOSE THE GAP BY SIX INCHES!"
After hearing the order, the Pegusi creating the waterspout adjusted accordingly, stabilizing the tornado of water. But it wasn't over just yet. Fluttershy and Thunderlane kept a watch full eye on the Rainbow Factory as it slowly began to desend and pick up speed. Continuing to give instruction to their friends and allies, Fluttershy and Thunderlane rose up higher and higher until the waterspout barely touched the underside of the Rainbow Factory. Water sprayed everywhere as the waterspout began to slow the falling structure down.
At first it didn't appear the waterspout was doing anything to slow the Factory's descent, then Fluttershy barked the order "PICK UP THE PACE! WE NEED MORE SPEED!"
Just as her friends began to do so, something hit Fluttershy from behind, striking her right in the arch of her back, with enough force and precision to send her through the water spout, missing the fast moving pegusi, and landing her right in the heart of the swirling water tower. Fluttershy landed hard with a thump on the stoney ground that is the bottom of the lake. When she looked up, horror filled Fluttershy's heart as her eyes locked with a pair of black and seemingly green glowing eyes.
"Miss me!?" Cynical chuckled as he stood over Fluttershy and flexed his wings, only one of them holding the claw like wing weapon, having lost the other in th factory. Taking a few steps closer to Fluttershy, Cynical moved and manipulated the claw weapon on his wing to move much like spider legs, blades scraching against one another in an even more menacing manner. "I'm not done in this story yet! I still have to deal with 'you' at the very least!"
Standing up, Fluttershy kept her gaze locked with Cynical, but stood her ground. With a stern look on her muzzle Fluttershy told him "I'm not afraid of you!"
This made the grey stallion chuckle. "I'm glad you're not. That will make this all the more fun. There's little I can go in this rating of a fan fiction. But there is one thing I can do. I can hurt you. And I'm going to. Alot!"
"Why? Why go through all of this?" Fluttershy stomped her hooves. "You say you somepony made you bad by giving you a terrible life, and you enjoy it, but why me? You seem to be going after me. Why!?"
Cynical paused, surprised by not only Fluttershy's bravery, but also the meda way she was going after him. Attacking his character. He couldn't help but pause and look at his reflection in a shallow puddle of water, reminding him of what and who he was. "It's because you're just like me, I guess…
"Yes, I'm cynical and horrible where you are sweet and kind. But if you think about it, I'm no different then you." Cynical continued to say as he stopped the movement with his wing weapon. "We both started out small, timid, with just a single friend or two who would look out for us. If life had continued for me the way it did you, maybe things could have been different. But one bad day, I lost it all. My friends, my eyes, my sanity. All at the cruel works of the narrator. All to have me become what I am... There is no place in a peaceful world for something like me. Something that enjoys pain and suffering, torment and agony..."
Glaring back at Fluttershy, Cynical's smile grew wider as he began stepping closer and closer to the yellow pegasus. "And now, you being the very symbol of purity, innocence, kindness, understanding, and all that junk, will have a very, very bad day, just like me! Then 'you' will know why I laugh at pain! Then 'you' will know what it means to suffer! Then 'you' will-"
But before Cynical could say anything else, Fluttershy was pulled out of the eye of the water spout by a cyan colored hoof, leaving Cynical alone, with the world growing darker around him. Wondering why it had suddenly grown so dark, Cynical looked to the sky, only to see the underside of the Rainbow factory meer feet above his head. There was no time for Cynical to avoid the impact.
"Well, I guess I'd doesn't matter…" Cynical quoted another mad character from an alternate universe. As the structure landed with a loud crash, crunch and rattle.
From outside the water spout, Rainbow Dash had putted Fluttershy to safety and watched as the factory fell. Although Fluttershy appeared to only suffer from a few scrapes, she was crying heavily, unable to say what was the matter, although Rainbow figured it was the close call she almost had with the understide of the Rainbow Factory. After the dust had settled, the all the pegusi swarmed the factory, leading the earth to and unicorn ponies out of the structure. Everypony not only had their full Spectra back, but appeared to be unharmed by the fall of the structure.
"Good work team" Spitfire addressed everypony there. "You should all be proud of yourselves. But we aren't out of the woods yet. Let's get up there and help the princesses! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"
Remembering there was still a battle going on, the Pegusi, including Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and Fluttrshy, all flew as fast as they could back to the ballroom, ready to tell princess Celestia that she can put down her barrier as well as and their friends in the fight at hoof.
Once the group of fly ponies got to the battle, though, everything seemed to be at a stand still. The few Changelings that remained there were being faught back by royal guards and brave guests, Sombra's own guards had long since retreated, but most ponies had gathered around a fallen chandelier with mornfull looks upon their muzzles. While Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts aided in fighting off the rest of the Changelings, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane and Fluttrshy made their way steadily through the crowd to rejoin their friends only to find Applejack kneeling down at an edge of the chandelier, tears streaming from her blood shot eyes. The orange farm pony's hooves looked like she had been ripping and digging at the fallen metal and Crystal decoration, but as to why, the three pegusi had no idea.
Looking off to the side, Thunderlane saw Doctor Whooves holding Derpy, her muzzle buried deep in his chest as she cried heavily. Still confused, Thunderlane walked up to him hoping he could shed some light on he situation. But when he took a step closer to his friend, Thunderlane's hoof kicked something. The grey stallion looked down at what he kicked, then his heart sank. It was Sunny's Stetson. His Apple family, signature Stetson! Looking from the hat to the fallen chandelier then to Doctor who saw Thunderlane kick the hat. Their eyes locked for only a moment, then Doctor could no longer hold his head up, and looked away.
"No… no, it can't be! It just can't!" Thunderlane said under his breath as he looked back at the scene with the fallen chandelier. It all pieced together and made sense now.
Everypony held a moment of silance for the stallion who made a quick decision and saved a couple's lives. A couple he didn't even know. All was silent say for the two mares greaving for the yellow stallion they had cared so deeply for…
…
Then something broke the silance. A single piece of Crystal fell from the side of the chandelier, ringing as it toppled down and hit the floor. When it hit the tile ground of the ballroom, others looked up at it, little hope in their hearts, but curious. The one piece of Crystal was joined by another, and another. The whole pile of metal and Crystal began to shake, the curiosity in everypony's hearts began to grow as they watched with great anticipation. What happened next, though, no pony was expecting.
Something began to bubble up from the center of the fallen chandelier, smoking and bubbaling to the surface in a black and yellow miasma. More and more of this black and yellow smoke began to ooze out, then it started to come togeather in a lump. The lump after a moment began to take form, with four long legs, a dropping horned head, and a pair of sickly butterfly like wings on a back. It's body swirling with black and yellow smoke, with a large mess of flowing orange mane emerging from the top of it's head. The last things to form on the nightmarish creature was a mouth of jagged and sharp teeth, followed soon after by a pair of large green, glowing orbs that served as it's eyes. Everypony froze as the creature took a few deep breaths, the wind making a horrible wheezing sound as it entered and left the creature's lungs. No pony knew what to do about the arrival of this frightening being. Well, almost no pony.
"SUNNY! Yer ok!" Applejack screamed as she threw herself at the creature, her front hooves wrapping around it's large neck.Tears streamed heavily from Applejack's eyes as she tried to speak through her sobs of joy "I was so worried… I thought ya were really… I'm so glad…"
As Applejack tried to finish a sentence, her tears falling on Sunny's smoke like body, all of Sunny's friends and allies around him took a second look at his monstrous body. Some squinting, turning their heads from one side to another, but after a quick few moments, they all approached him. Some, like Pinkie and Derpy, ran up and began hugging him. Others, Like Doctor, Big Mac and Thunderlane all patted him on the back or gave him a playful jab on the shoulder, telling him in their own way 'you gave us a scare there pal' or 'glad you're ok'. The rest of his friends continued to shower the shadowy Sunny with words of encouragement and relief.
Sunny began to wake up out of his dazed state as something warm began to grow from within him. Something he had felt many a time before. Like when he became a Knight and his father told him how proud he was of him. Feelings rushed over him of a faceless mare who sang to him when he was a foal. Memories flooded back of when Apple Bloom got an A on her math test after he helped her study all week for it. Or of when Ganny sat down and shared stories with him of the apple family, showing him old pictures in the various albums she kept. And how could he ever forget when he and Big Mac took a trip to Manehatten, even when they got lost the two of them still managed to have fun and made some friends along the way.
More memories tied with great emotions began to flood the young stallion's mind; All the adventures Doctor and Derpy and Sunny shared, both in the past and present, time was never a problem for them. Then there were all the times Sunny met up with Octavia, either at tea shops, art galleries, or even an Opera or two, but whatever they did, Octavia was sure to help Sunny relax and take a breather. Thunderlane helped to introduce Sunny to buck ball, he, Big Mac and Thunderlane had quite the team. Sunny didn't ever want to stop playing. Sunny also remembered the times he was saught after by Twilight for some advice, having been a prince longer and dealt with more royal troubles then she had. He was happy to lend his friend some advice and help her see her problems through. Or the times where he taught Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash some basic self defence, feeling that the timid yellow mare could benefit from such a skill, and her cyan colored friend could help her keep her training up. And of course all the times Sunny helped Pinkie and the Cakes out in sugar cube corner. Sunny enjoyed not only baking and serving the customers, but he secretly enjoyed taking care of the twins… every now and again. Not all the time. But he still doubts he will ever get all the flour off of him. Then there was Applejack… so many fond memories. She had showed him her favorite spot in the swimming hole, she taught him hot to make a lasso, they had shared stories with thier of his past adventures on the farm house patio, making meals togeather, taking care of farm chores and making every day, no matter how routine into an adventure. All such fond memories filled in any hole that was ever in Sunny's heart. Rage, hate, and fear were all replaced in the pony's heart with love, caring and friendship.
The smoky yellow and black body of Sunny's Umbrum form began to shrink as it condensed. The smoky feel of his body began to reshape into his normal pony coat, his wild matted mane began to straiten out and return to it's normal state of a Stallion's messy mane, moth like wings began to retreat into his back, disappearing benith his coat, sharp jagged teeth reverted to flat equis like teeth, and lastly, his glowing green eyes shifted and morphed until they once again were his regular emerald colored pony eyes. It took a moment, but everything began to make sense to Sunny of what had happened and what braught him back. The magic of Friendship. It was a more powerful thing then anything he had ever seen.
Returning the hug to Applejack, and embracing the hugs from all his friends, Sunny merly muttered under his breath "I'm so happy… thank you all for being there for me…"
It was a peaceful sight indeed. And if left alone, the hug probably would have gone on for at least several more minutes. But a matalic clang caught the attention of everypony there, and caused them to turn and look to the main exit.
King Hamon looked sheepishly at the guard's helmet he had accidently kicked, then at the group of ponies who were staring at him. The changeling king looked more battered and bruised then anypony the guests had ever seen. Sporting two black eyes, limping on two of his legs, wings were torn and ripped, his mane messed up beyond repair, it was a sight to behold. Trying to think quickly, the changeling king looked out the window and stated in a shaky voice "ugh, King Sombra is still in the maze. You may want to stop him. You know, before does more…bad stuff…"
Before anypony could follow him, King Hamon shot a magical blast above the hallway enterance, sealing his exit and a safe getaway. The Changelings the self proclaimed king left behind that weren't caputured, bound and gagged, took off without a second thought through the nearest exits, chasing their King like moths to a flame. About two dozen or so Changelings were left behind by King Hamon as he got himself to safety.
"I need to go find my father" Sunny told his fellow guardians and friends. "I have a feeling this was only a distraction."
"Distraction?" Twilight chimed in, a little more then unsure. "But why?"
"My father is crafty, I wouldn't put it past him. Look what happened at IronLock" Sunny's expression was one of both admiration and detest. "I'm going on ahead to the maze. Can you guys handle the clean up?"
"Ah ain't gonna let ya do this alone" Applejack put her hoof down. "Ah almost lost ya once. Ah ain't gonna let anythin' happen ta ya again."
"We won't leave you hanging either" Thunderlane stepped forward.
"We couldn't let you take your father on all by yourself" Twilight chimed in, great concern in her voice. "Not that we don't think you can't handle it this time. But he is your father, and you shouldn't have to do this alone."
"All of you just go, and Quickly" princess Luna popped up near them, addressing both the Elements and Guardians of Harmony. "we can deal with the clean up here. Just go do what you need to do!"
Without a second thought, the Guardians and Elements of Harmony nodded to each other and dashed out of the ballroom, traveling down the stone stairs that fed into the garden. Sunny paused for only a moment to look back at the princess of the night, who looked back at him. For a moment, he swore he saw something in her gaze at him. Something like a mixture of regret and a need for understanding. Pushing the princess's look out of his mind, Sunny pushed forward to lead his friends and fellow guardians I to battle.
A moment after the dozen ponies ventured into the Canterlot gardens, Luna released a held breath and walked over to her sister, who still dawned her mask, but saw to her subjects. Most of which were alright or already being treated for minor wounds.
"You are needed elsewhere" Princess Luna told her older sister.
"My place is hear" Celestia tried to hush her younger sister.
But Princess Luna cut her off, glaring hard at Celestia. "I won't let you hurt anymore. Go to them. Both Sunny and Sombra. No more hidding, Tia…"
A wave of emotion flooded Celestia's heart at the mentioning of the Stallion's names. Guilt, hate, love, pain, peace, all swirled within her. She couldn't think strait, which is probably why the princess of the sun found herself running at top speed out of the ballroom to the garden. It was time she stopped thinking with her head and started acting with her heart...
"What is the meaning of this!?" Sombra roared as he took the fake cornerstone, a diamond shapped rock from the hissing place at the base of the two pony sisters and smashed it in his hoof.
"Well, them's the breaks" Discord took out his eyes, shook them in his claw, then rolled them onto the ground. The eyes morphed into six sided dice and landed beside Sombra's hooves, one dot sides up. "Looks like somepony beat you to it and left you with a dud. Snake eyes to you, old boy."
Growling once again, Sombra stomped on Discord's eyes, which disappeared only to reappear inside the troublemaker's claw, then he probably them back into his head. Before Discord could do anything else, the maze returned to it's normal size, the game having come to an end. Which also meant that Sombra once again had his horn. Noticing this, the enraged shadow king turned and glared at the Draconaquis.
"Guess I'll take the consideration prize…" Sombra growled as sparks of bubbling dark magic began to channel through his horn.
Before Discord had a chance to clear his vision and see what King Sombra meant, he was blasted with a large amount of dark magic. At first, Discord felt as if he had nothing to fear. Whatever Sombra was going to do to him he could easily reverse with a snap of his fingers, at worst, Fluttershy and the others could help him in their usual way of helping their friends. But as the Draconaquis felt his body stiffen, he recognized what was happening. Sombra was turning him to stone. Starting at the center of his chest and reaching out, Sombra focused all of his rage, frustration, and anger into dark magic, casting the curse upon Discord. It felt different this time to the Draconaquis. Unlike when he was turned to stone with the elements of Harmony, this time it felt cold, where last he felt a warm tingling. Unlike last time when he felt defeated but nothing otherwise, fear began to set into his heart. Discord wasn't going to be a statue in the presence of forgiving and kind ponies, but a cruel and cold tyrant. A tyrant that he possibly could have prevented 1000 years ago if he had only sought out friendship instead of power...
1000 years ago, Castle of the two pony sisters…
Outraged by what he had discovered, Star-Swirl the bearded retreated to his room and slammed the door, locking it with a silancing magic to prevent eavesdroppers. What he rages about would do more harm to Equestria if anypony else found out about it.
"How could she do this!" The bearded old stallion screamed as he kicked a chair into a wall, shattering it. "After all I did for her! After appointing her and her sister as Princess! After teaching them both everything I knew about magic! I practically raised those two! And she goes behind my back and does this!!!"
After taking a breath to calm himself, then losing his cool once again and flipping over his work table, Star-Swirl let out more outraged horse screams before finaly cooling off.
His eyes caught sight of something on the open page of a book he was reading. It was a formula to synthesize a very powerful magical item. In theory, the item could more then multiply the wearer's magic ten full, but it all remained theoretical. No pony in history dared to try such a thing. If even the slightest measurement was off, it could turn the pony to stone or dust, even rip a whole in the space time continuum.
Narrowing his eyes on the book as he levitated it up to his muzzle, Star-Swirl looked over the formula, contemplating on the risks and the gain.
Just then there came a knock on the door.
"Come in" Star-Swirl dispelled the silencing charm he cast on the room, allowing the knocker to hear him.
Stepping inside, Clover the clever started to speak in a hushed tone, feeling hesitant and a little nervous given the condition of the room "Sir Star-Swirl, I just wanted… well, I was worried about you, given how you, ugh, reacted to Princess Celestia's news."
"Do you realize what could happen to Equestria should this get out?" Star-Swirl asked with a tone that was annoyed to say the least.
"I know, but we can't stop true love" Clover walked in and shut the door.
"I will hear no more about this 'act of true love'" Star-Swirl spat out, then began packing his things."I have more important things to attend to. You can join me if you like."
Clover would normally jump at the opportunity to aid her teacher and mentor. But there comes a time where the student has to make their own path and stop following in the footsteps of the teacher
"I feel as though I'll be needed here" Clover answered honestly, nervous of her teachers reaction to her answer.
To Clover's surprise, Star-Swirl didn't seem to care and continued to pack his bags, replying with a nonchalant "as you wish."
"Will you be coming back?" Clover pressed, trying to see what her teacher was packing.
"I will, in time" was the last thing Star-Swirl said before finishing collecting his things and teleporting himself out of his room, out of the castle, and on the other side of the canyon that surrounded the pony sister's castle.
Without another word, Star-Swirl left Celestia, Luna and the rest of the castle and it's inhabitants behind to venture out on a long and dangerous quest. For several months, the wizard ventured to many different parts of Equestria, collecting rare or seemingly worthless ingredients for a very special item he wished to forge. Upon his return, the old wizard merely walked right into the castle as if he owned it, ignored Celestia and Luna as they watched him storm up to his room in the tallest tower, shut and lock the door. Not a single word uttered after all that time.
Going right to work, Star-Swirl pulled out his alchemic equipment and began synthesizing the ingredients he obtained in his travels. He knew it would take some time, but once the synthesizing was complete, he would no longer have to worry about what those foalish sisters did. Weather it was the younger sister complaining about her elder sister hogging the spot light, or the elder sister running off with some colt. None of it would matter. Because 'he' would set things right.
During the years to come, Star-Swirl was forced to play nice with the princesses he appointed to rule Equestria. Pretending one of them didn't betray him for some pretty boy, and ignore the growing resentment of the other. He even played along with their 'secret' and ignored the foal Celestia wanted him to teach. But he refused to do so. He wouldn't let the secret out, but he refused to play nice with that which could bring the peace of Equestria topaling down like dominoes.
Then the day came, when the item's synthesizing was complete. The item in question was a powerful red gem. But not just any gem. A gem of sheer power. Power that when channeled through the workings of a carefully designed pendant, would bestow it's own magical power to the wearer. It had taken years to perfect and mature the stone. And although Equestria had not yet toppled as Star-Swirl had predicted, that didn't mean it wasn't going to, should Celestia proceed with her hidden agenda. He had watched as the little sun spot grew and became stronger then he had ever hoped. Sar-Swirl only wished that he wasn't to late to set things right. For the good of Equestria and pony kind.
Placing the red gem carefully in the center of the metal pendent, Star-Swirl cast the spell given to him by the three Babayaga sisters. The spell to complete his craft. But as he did, he felt great darkness flow around the room as if evil itself were drawn to the making of this magical item. A wicked laughter began to fill Star-Swirl's ears. He had hopped he wasn't too late to prevent the return of the Umbrum. Star-Swirl had checked up on the seal multiple times since discovering King Sombra's liniage. Star-Swirl and the missing princess Amore were apparently the only ones who knew the king's dark secret, that even he himself did not know. All the more reason Star-Swirl felt to press forward with his plans to take back the rule of Equestria.
'Leaving the future of pony kind to a couple of arrogant foals, what was I thinking!?' the old wizard thought to himself as he finished crafting the magical item.
The item in question was made of a rare metal that harbored the powerful gem, with wings resembling a pegasus's, and a unicorn's head at the top. 'I shall call it the alicorn amulet! And with it, I shall take back Equestria from the hooves of those spoiled alicorn foals!'
But upon placing the powerful amulet on his person, Star-Swirl instantly knew he had made a terrible mistake. He was granted a great amount of magic, indeed, but far too much for anypony to handle. The magic began to flow out of control, Star-Swirl felt the room begin to spin as colors and shapes began to warp. No longer being able to tell up from down, left from right, the old wizard fumbled around, reaching out with his hooves that seemed to grow tiny appendages themselves! His neck seemed to stretch out, allowed the old wizard to shift his head over to watch as his fur changed colors and on some parts of his body, fall off. Flopping his head around to gaze at his now twisted appearance in the mirror, the old wizard thought he was going mad when he saw two wings had appeared on his back! Not like a pegusi, but one like a small blue bird and another like a bat! If only the physical changes were enough. But worse was about to befall Star-Swirl.
The twisted laughter from had returned, but louder, and more maniacal, echoing not just in his room, but loud enough to be heard through the halls, the Court yard and maybe through the surrounding forest. What made it worse, the laughter wasn't the oncoming creatures of shadow that Star-Swirl feared, but rather the laughter was coming from his own lips! But rather then stop his demented laughter, Star-Swirl continued his laughter, as if to declare his Presence to all the world!
Focusing his magic, the monster snapped his fingers and brought the furniture, the magical and scientific instruments and books in his room to life! All of which began dancing or flying around the room in a most chaotic way. Snapping his fingers again, Star-Swirl turned a near by bag of oats into a bag of creepy crawling spiders! Snapping his fingers again, and he turned a mirror into a pond complete with fish and a frog swimming in it! One more snap of his fingers and Star-Swirl made pink rain clouds appear in his room, which began to let loose rain that happened to be chocolate milk! Star-Swirl the bearded had ascended beyond the level of mere 'wizard' and aquired magic beyond that of the alicorn sisters! Chaos magic! He himself had become Star-Swirl, master of chaos!
'No' the mangled mixed up creature thought to himself. As it began to fly out his open window and far above the castle of the two pony sisters. "I am Discord! Master of chaos! And I alone will bring peace and happiness to Equestria when I reshape it to fit my own views! A chaotic view!"
That was the last day anypony saw Star-Swirl, and the first they could ever recall seeing the fiend known as 'Discord'. Not long after he began his raid over the ponies of Equestria, tormenting them and bending them to fit his own twisted fantasy of peace, did the two alicorn sisters team up and do what their teacher had taught them to do. Protect the ponies of Equestria. They cast the villain Discord into stone with the help of the Elements of Harmony, and kept him safe in the gardens, never knowing their missing mentor was never far from them…
Once Discord was cast in stone once again, this time by Sombra's own hoof, the shadow king walked up to the statue, disturbed by how peaceful the master of chaos looked. And with one rage fueled hoof, Sombra struck the statue of Discord, and reduced it to rubble like the other statues before.
Before taking off, King Sombra looked back at the broken statue of the Draconaquis, then snapped off the one tooth from his still grinning, stone smile. Taking it as both insurance and a trophy, not wanting to leave empty hooved. 'Atleast one good thing came from this. I have one less powerful enemy to deal with…"
With that final thought, Sombra disappeared into the shadows. If he had stuck around a few moments later, Sombra would have had a chance to see his son yet again. But by the time Sunny and the others arrived at the heart of the maze, all they saw were a few knocked over statues of the princesses and a pile of broken pieces of a shattered statue.
At first, no pony knew what to make of the scene, but Sunny knew his father had been there. It was a feeling deep inside that the yellow Stallion couldn't explain.
"I don't get it" Rainbow Dash blurted out. "Why go through all that just to make a mess in a hedge maze?"
"I think he was looking g for something…" Twilight answered, not one hundread percent sure of her answer.
"Looking for something? Here?" Derpy asked the question out loud what everypony was thinking.
Taking a second look, Doctor stated "you could be right… yes. Yes there is some indication that he might have been looking for something."
"There were alot of destroyed statues along the way" Octavia chimed in. "Maybe he was looking for something in one of the statues."
"That might be it, but what was hidden and did he find it?" Twilight thought out loud.
"I can answer that" a heavenly voice spoke up from the enterance of the maze's center. Standing there at the only enterance and exit was the Pearl colored alicorn princess of the sun, still dawning her masquerade mask. But her eyes could clearly be seen falling gently onto Sunny. "Its been a long time, Prince Solggiato… too long…"
Instantly, Applejack stepped between Sunny and Princess Celestia, remembering the warning Sombra gave to his son about Celestia and her plans to turn the yellow uniorn into stone.
"Princess, ah know Sunny's part Umbrum, but he ain't bad!" Applejack's words and actions shocked Celestia. The princess of the sun looked down and listened to the heartfelt words of the orange farm pony. "He's a really kind, sweet, honest, all around good guy! It shouldn't matter ta anypony what his pa is! Sunny ain't ah monster!… And… and if you wanna turn him ta stone, yer gonna have to get through me first!"
Everypony stood still, shocked and moved by Applejack's noble stance as she stood her ground between Princess Celestia and Sunny, who had removed his Black Knight helmet and watched the scene unfold.
After a long moment, Celestia removed her own mask and looked upon Applejack with a most respectful and understanding disposition. "Applejack, I am glad Sunny has such a caring and spirited marefriend in his life. But I will ask you this once and only once: step aside and let me see my son."
The words rang like a paralyzing echo in the ears of everypony there, freezing them all as Celestia walked past Applejack to Sunny who looked upon Princess Celestia with a mixture of confusion and understanding. The missing pieces of his mind's puzzle were found and we're just starting to slide into place.
Everypony now watched as Princess Celestia walked forward towards Sunny, nervously taking each step as gently as if she were walking in glass. But she no longer needed to worry. Sunny's once lost memories had gently returned to him, all now making sense.
Looking up at the tall, elagent alicorn princess before him, Sunny felt relief like he hadn't in a long time as he muttered the word "m-mom?"
Tears began to flood from both Princess Celestia's eyes as well as Sunny's as the two embrassed each other in a well deserved and long awaited hug.
"Oh Sunny… my Sunny… I thought I lost you… I missed you so much…" Celestia spoke through her tears.
While most ponies watched the touching scene unfold, Pinkie pulled out a camera and took a picture of the mother and son. Then pulled out a scroll and quill, and began writing. One of the ponies who was closest to her was Derpy, who looked over at what her friend had been scribbaling.
"What's that?" Derpy spoke as quietly as she could to avoid drawing attention away from the heart warming scene.
"It's a family tree I was putting together" Pinkie answered her walleyed friend. "Trust me, it will come in handy in the next couple of chapters."
Ignoring Pinkie, Derpy, and everypony else, Celestia and her son, Sunny, just enjoyed holding one another. Despite all that had happened, their worlds seemed to be at peace.
As the guests were safely evacuated from the Gala's ballroom, the injured tended to, and debris being cleaned up, Princess Celestia lead Sunny, Applejack, Twilight and the others into her study, ready to explained everything, believing that at the very least 'they' deserved to know the truth.
Once they all were safely inside her study, the room soundproffed with a silancing spell, then the princess of the sun began her explanation "Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria…"
"Why is she starting things off like that?" Thunderlane whispered to Sunny, slightly confused why the princess needs to start her story like some pony's tale.
"She used to tell me this story all the time when I was younger" Sunny whispered back, a huge smile on his muzzle. "And I loved it when she started like this…"
"There lived three pony tribes, unicorn, pegusi and earth pony, who were establishing peace between their tribes. But no pony knew how to keep the balance of power. That is, until a wise and powerful unicorn wizard, known as Star-Swirl the bearded, introduced my sister and I to the ponies who would later call us princesses….
It had been some time since Star-Swirl found my sister and I playing around atop the hills of what would later be called 'Cantetlot'. He had taken us under his wing and began training us to become princesses that would one day rule all of Equestria. To do this, he trained us in all sorts of magic, the proper edicut, pony law and history, so many things that made my sister and my head's spin. Being princesses wasn't going to be easy, but Star-Swirl believed my sister and I alone were the ones who could bring harmony to Equestria. Gifted not only with magic that easily overshadowed even Star-Swirl himself, as well as having the combined abilities of all three tribes of ponies, no pony else was suited to rule Equestria. We were both symbols of harmony and peace keepers. With myself to raise the sun and my sister to control the night, ponies easily recognized us with our great power. After many years, with Star-Swirl's help, my sister and I both became rulers that he had hoped we would be.
It was true that I got lost in the limelight, I enjoyed being the center of everypony's focus. I was the older sister who raised the sun to begin the day, so everypony assumed I was the wiser and more powerful of us. It built the foundation of Luna's resentment towards me, as well as add a great deal of stress to myself.
Being the pony everypony loved and looked up to was great, but behind closed doors I felt alone. Luna would hardly speak to me most of the time, Star-Swirl was always busy with his work or quests he went on to try and help keep peace in Equestria, and everypony else thought themselves below me and thought they could never be my 'friend'. At the end of the day, I would lower the sun and just retire to my room, possibly to read some of the books Star-Swirl assigned to me, untill I drifted off to sleep.
It was the night of the Grand Galloping Gala, my sister and I had started holding the yearly party to strengthen the ties of royalty, ponies in high positions, as well as the wealthy and powerful. Star-Swirl had spread the word of the Gala, reaching out to politicians and royals from all over Equestria. The first couple of Galas, those who showed up were rather stiff and a little stuck up, some even Questioned my sister and my rule. That is, until they witnessed us lowing the sun and bringing out the moon and stars. Those simple actions eurned their respect, or at least their silance. My sister would often keep to herself, in a corner or on the wide balcony, away from most ponies who gathered around me. Which left me all alone to deal with their comments, concerns and and worst of all, boasting.
It was a common thing for ponies who were wealthy to boast about what they spend their bits on to try and show off and impress one another. Whether it was some expensive item like a 50,000 bit vause, a large and fancy house, or using their wealth to travel and experience new and exotic vacations, it was all they ever talked about. The things they bought or payed for sounded nice, but the way they all talked about them it was easy to tell that those ponies were only trying to impress me, and degrade the others for not being able to experience or have what they had. It was all sickening to say the least, but I did my best to keep up a smile around them.
It was on the night of one Gala in particular that I met somepony different from them.
I had been surrounded by the usual group of Gala guests who couldn't wait to tell me all about their achievements or about their lands when 'he' entered the Gala floor. When his arrival was announced, his name called just as every guest had, no pony cared much to turn and look at him. Or if they did, it wasn't for very long.
He was dressed in a royal purple king's cloak that hung barely off his body, with dark silver horse shoes and matching chest plate. He had dark green eyes that sparkled like emeralds, his mane was slick black with a streak of calm blue running through it, he had a firm and solid look about his muzzle, yet there was a gentleness to his entirety. His crown was a simple band of dark silver,like his armor, but with just a yellow gem stone at the center. Traveling with him was a small but eager looking, purple unicorn mare, with a light blue mane. She had worn a night sky style dress I knew my sister would have loved. As he made his way to the floor, he and his guest were ignored. Almost as if they had some disease.
Interrupting a long winded mare who couldn't stop talking about her school for future wizards, I asked "Who are those ponies? And why are they being ignored?"
The mare was curtious for my interruption, but as she looked over at the guests in question she sneered in their direction. "I wouldn't bother talking to them if I were you, your majesty. It's the king and his friend from the Crystal Empire. It's gone down hill since princess Amore vanished and left that brute in charge. He's just some captain of their guard. What's even more obserd is his lack of a cutie Mark!"
"He doesn't have a cutie Mark?" I asked, amazed that anypony that age still hadn't discovered their special talent.
"An absolute abomination, isn't he?" Some other guest sneered. "What kind of a pony, much less a king, could not have his cutie Mark!?"
"Guess he really isn't good at anything!" The first guest said loudly enough for both Sombra and his guest to hear.
As everypony chuckled at Sombra's expense, the King of the Crystal Empire did the exact opposite of what most ponies would do. Instead of retreating, he marched right up to the group, his head held high as he forced himself into the group.
"I'm sorry, I guess I missed the joke, what, may I ask is so funny?" Sombra asked, then narrowed his eyes on the mare who initially made the rude remark.
Everypony went silent and looked either down or away from the boldly standing king Sombra, not in disgust, but more in nervous shame. All except myself. I watched as the cutie markless king of the Crystal Empire stood his ground and faced the ponies who made fun of him. Everypony there seemed to be ok with making fun of him behind his back, but with the noble looking king standing there, his eyes burning down on them, they were as silent as feild mice.
Then I spoke up.
"King Sombra of the Crystal Empire" I said with a small and sincere smile, pulling his attentive eyes to me. "I don't believe we've met."
"Never face to face" his hard look relaxed as our eyes met. He smiled at me and I felt something I hadn't in a long time. I felt relaxed. It was like his smilling face made the rest of the world around us vanish, drawing in my full attention to him. For a moment, I forget all about the stress I had being a princess. And once again I enjoyed being me. It was after a long moment that we snapped out of our endless gaze into each other's eyes when he offered "would you like some punch?"
"I would" I admitted. "I was starting to feel a little parched."
"I'll get you some punch, your highness!" One guest offered with great enthusiasm.
"No I will!" The mare who spoke up earlier offered as well, just as eager to be of service to the princess.
"Would you like a snack too!" A third guest chimed in, trying to out do the others by going an extra mile.
"I think I'll get it myself" I told them, much to their disappointed looks. "King Sombra, would you care to join me?"
"I would love to" Sombra smiled at me again, and it was as if the world melted away again.
I don't remember what the guests looked like, watching us leave them behind, but I didn't much care. There was something about Sombra that I liked, something that made me feel good, something that made me feel relaxed and at ease.
When we reached the balcony, he relaxed and released a held breath. "Those ponies are quite the hoof full, aren't they?"
"They are" I admitted to him. "But I don't think they are all that bad. They just try and look good for my sister and I. Everypony wants to impress 'the rulers of Equestria'."
We both laughed a little.
"I have to admit, I wouldn't want to be in your horse shoes" Sombra told me with a half smile.
"Oh? You wouldn't want to rule all of Equestria?" I jokingly asked.
His expression grew slightly somber as he looked over across the sea of trees that surrounded our castle. "Not really. If Princess Amore hadn't left me in charge, I would have been happy just serving as a royal guard the rest of my life. There are alot of responsibilities that come with ruling over ponies. I couldn't imagine what you must go through."
"It isn't easy" I admitted, my own gaze soon followed his as I looked out into the forest surrounding the castle. "It's nice to live in a castle, to eat the finest foods, to wear the finest dresses, to never have to worry about bits. But it's stressful and lonely."
"Lonely? Don't you have a sister? And that wizard who's always around?" Sombra sounded a little confused as he tore his eyes from the forest and looked back to me.
"My sister… we conflict alot. Sun and Moon are opposite and so are our personalities." Or so I thought as I explained my troubles to him. "She is always off alone, breuding in her room or somewhere else while I deal with the everypony. We used to face it all together, but she's so moody lately. I don't know why.
"As for Star-Swirl… he's nice and all, a little rough around the edges, but he's so busy all the time. I understand his work is important but…"
"You wish you had somepony to talk to who wasn't kissing the ground you walked on?" Sombra cracked a half smile at me again.
It was at that moment I think I finally connected with somepony other then my sister. It was like he knew what I was feeling. No, it's that he understood what I was dealing with, and was treating me like any other pony who carried weight of responsibility. I was lost in those emerald eyes of his again, for I don't even know how long. But that night, I felt the burden I carried and the loneliness I had began to lighten on my heart. I began to understand the magic of friendship.
Over the next few months to follow, we took every chance we could to spend time together, which wasn't easy. Our friendship, though, was strengthened by letters we began writing to one another. A spell he had shown me in a previous meeting had proven quite useful for keeping in touch, although burning letters and scrolls to send them off safely to who the letter was adressed to left me.a little unease. It wasn't until I received a letter back that I felt more comfortable with the method. He said if I had a dragon around that wouldn't mind burping up letters that they would be received much quicker, sadly I didn't know any dragons kind enough to not eat the letter they would spit up. I loved reading anything and everything he sent me. We talked about out pasts lightly, but mostly we wrote once or twice a week about experiences he or I had. He had told me about some of his more daring hunts for the Princess Amore, of conflicts he had to resolve, and battles that took place defending the Empire. I had shared with him similar stories of my earlier days as a princess. What we found we enjoyed the most, though, was simply hearing about were each other's day to day lives and the minor problems we faced. We began to write to each other more and more, until we found we were writing to each other everyday.
The more we wrote, the more we wanted to meet again in person. We even went as far as to make up reasons to visit each other's castles so no pony knew we were just trying to meet for fun. We both had alot of responsibility, but that also meant we needed to find ways to relax as well. And it was easiest to do when you were with a friend. We would write either stories, songs or poetry and share it with one another, we would sometimes play games, or even just listen to music and dance. He was a great dancer, light on his hooves with such fluid movement. On occasion my sister or Radiant Hope would join us, but my sister still felt rather bitter towards me most days. Radiant, on the other hoof, was very fun to be around. She was like another younger sister that was always so full of energy and made everything interesting.
It was on one night that Sombra graced Canterlot with a visit to 'talk about trade with the Yaks' that we both realized something had changed between us, or maybe, it was something that was always there.
It was late at night, almost late enough to be called the next day, when we both met on the balcony just outside my bedroom. He looked down and out onto the forest below, something was bothering him.
"Sombra, what troubles you?" I asked him, growing more and more worried.
He took several breaths as if trying to muster the courage to speak, only to lose that same courage when he exhaled.
"You can talk to me about anything" I reassured him, truly growing frightned by his stoic attitude.
"Celestia…." He finally answered, which worried me. He normally called me Tia when we were relaxed and not talking about official business. "I… I think I've fallen in love… with a friend…"
"Oh?…" Was all I could think to say. Out of all the different things I worried about that ran through my head in that instant, 'falling in love with a friend' wasn't really one of them. Knowing Sombra the way I did, I stepped forward, a little sorrow weighing down my chest for some unknown reason to me as I asked "Does she know?"
"She does now…" Sombra answered in a hushed tone that I mistook.
"Well… I want you to be happy" I started to answer as if I was losing him to somepony else, which I thought I was.
"I want 'us' to be happy" Sombra looked me in the eye, then shot me a gentle smile, like the kind he wore when he read his poety. "I just don't want to lose you… I feel so happy when I'm with you, I didn't know what I would do if you rejected me. But Radiants' been telling me that I needed to just talk to you."
Taking another deep breath myself, trying to gather my through, I looked to Sombra and spoke as honsely as I could while holding back the tears. "All I want is for you to be happy. I'll be your friend no matter what. I know that you may want more time with Radiant, though, and it would be awkward if you keep writing to me as much as you do-"
"Why would I want more then with Radiant? And I wouldn't even think ok…." Sombra started to inject then paused and put a hoof to his forehead as his smile grew a little. "Celestia… I think you're mistaken. I haven't fallen in love with Radiant Hope. I fell in love with 'you'."
At first I thought I didn't hear him correctly, and my stomach began to turn. In disbelief, I looked to him and asked "what did you say?"
His smile wavered, but he kept his eyes locked with mine as he took a step closer to me. "I said 'I'm in love with you…'"
The worry, sadness, heart ache and pain I had felt had been blown away by a wave of emotion I couldn't begin to describe. It was like when I raised the sun for the first time. My world now had new light to it, one that burned and filled me with a comforting warmth. As I looked deeper into his emerald green eyes, I saw a spark of life I had never seen before in any anypony but him. This was love, and it was happening to me. We didn't say much more that night, but we kissed and held one another until I raised the sun. Day and night meant very little to me anymore. My day and night were with him. He made my world shine like the sun.
We both decided it would be best to keep out love a secret for now. We were sure of our feelings for each other, but others might not share that same feeling. As rulers, we had to also take into account I our subjects and what 'they' needed. For now, the only ponies who knew about us were each other and Radiant, who was bursting with joy when we told her we confessed to eachother.
Sombra's time with me, though, had to come to an end for that visit. But we found other ways to see each other. Sending letters and the scattered 'meetings' weren't enough, and the Crystal Empire wasn't exactly close to the Everfree forest. But love finds a way. We created, with the help of Star-Swirl the bearded, mirrors that we can use to walk through and travel long distances. Similar mirrors were placed all across Equestria, for diplomatic use. Star-Swirl never guessed that the Mirror to the Crystal Empire was used so much. Every night practically, say for a time or two when the one of us wasn't in our repective castle.
We had even more wonderful times; we still played games and read poetry and stories, and fun times with Radiant or Luna (on rarer occasions) but we also shared romantic evenings, date nights, private times that only couple's shared. It would only have been better if we could be open to our subjects about our love, like most ponies were. But our positions would never allow it.
That bitter pain was thrown in my face one night when I asked Star-Swirl, my mentor and friend about if I ever one day wanted to marry.
"Everypony is entitled to love" Star-Swirl began his speech as he shuffled around some new books he brought back on his recent journey. I merely sat back and listened. "I myself had courted many wonderful mares in my prime. None of which ended in courtship, but that sometimes happens. But one thing you need to keep in mind, young filly…"
The old wizard slammed a book into place on his shelf before turning to me and looking me right in the eye "You can be with anypony, anypony at all, but you must never, ever, under any circumstances, be with a royal with a higher status then a prince."
I was surprised by his answer for more then one reason. I didn't think he would be so ok with me dating or being in a relationship, that took me off guard. But what really bothered me the most was his condition for me dating.
"Why nothing higher then a prince?" I asked him, trying to keep my voice from shaking nervously. Star-Swirl may have had some social awkwardness and may not have always picked up on social cues, but no pony was dense enough to mistake worry in my voice at that moment.
"Mind you, some titles are a grey area" Star-Swirl then levitated a book from a high shelf to land in his hooves. He cracked the book open and began flipping through to find a certain page. "Different regions have different levels and titles for their hierarchy, but you mustn't be in a relationship with anypony of a higher status then a prince simply because they will raise your own status higher then you are now.
"You see, dear Celestia, we're trying to establish a balance in Equestria, and it may take some time before it's stablized. That balance is represented by you and your sister. Two princesses, both with with the powers of all three pony tribes, and both on an equal level, despite how your sister feels. But if you or your sister entered into a committed relationship with somepony who was, say, a king, that would make that one of you who was a princess a Queen now. And if that happens, the other sister would easily be overpowered and the balance would be tipped."
This made my heart race. I was sure Star-Swirl wasn't aware of my and Sombra's relationship, but the fact that he used a 'king' made me nervous. I knew I needed to wrap the conversation us fast. "W-well that certainly is good to now. Should my sister or I ever consider a romantic relationship, we'll certainly keep that in mind."
"One thing, Celestia" Star-Swirl tore his eyes from his book and looked to his student. "I'm worried about your sister. She's been rather moody lately. Perhaps you two should take a day off together to relax. There's this nice little secluded island I think you two should check out."
"That's a good idea" I hastly agreed, then cleared my throat and tried to regain my composure. "I mean, I'll talk to her. She did seem quit upset at dinner last night. Maybe a little retreat would do her some good."
I took a map with directions to the island from Star-Swirl and left, planning to talk to my sister about the whole ordeal. It was true that at the time we had grown rather… distant, to say the least. I was ignorant to her feelings and didn't bother to see what she was becoming. But deep down, she was still my sister Luna, the pony I knew most of my life, who I felt I could trust, even with my deepest, darkest secrets.
Needless to say, she reacted as expected.
With her jaw dropped and eyes growing even larger then regular pony sized eyes, Luna staired at me in disbelieve when I told her of the relationship I had with King Sombra. "Sister… thou art playing a joke on me, aren't thee?"
"No dear sister, I'm very serious" I reassured her, my tone just as forlorn as I continued. "And now, Star-Swirl just informed me that it would he impossible for us to be together because Sombra is a king and if I were to merry him that would make me a Queen and ponies would think that there is no balance left in Equestria and that-"
Before I knew it I was rambling like a frightened old mare to such a point that Luna had to silance me, putting her hoof to my mouth. Realizing this after she silanced me, I nodded for her to remove her hoof, which she did slowly while watching me. Making sure that I want going to fall to pieces again.
I took a deep breath trying to calm myself, then looked back to her, feeling the great weight I had over my shoulders. "I just don't know what to do, Luna. I love him so much… it's like, when I'm with him, all my worried melt away, and I don't worry about all the pressures of a princess…"
"Yeah, how horrible it must be for everypony to love and adore you" Luna said under her breath, but I didn't see her deepseated jealousy at the time. "Well, dear sister, if thou ever wishes to marry, you simply need to find the lost princess of the Crystal Empire. Once she's returned, Sombra can go back to being a captain of the guard, and you two can have a perfect storybook wedding."
"I've thought about that alot" I told my sister. "But despite all the spells, skilled trackers, and other odd means I tried, no pony can find her. Even the great witch Baba yaga couldn't find her!" I felt hopeless once even the three wise sisters couldn't find her with all their abilities.
"Why doesn't he just become a prince?" Luna also suggested. "Would not a change in title rectify the situation?"
"I tried to look ok into that, too" I explained. "He was given the title of 'King' because it is a temporary title of command and athority. If he changes it himself to 'prince' ponies might not like him taking a more permanent possition of command. Lots of ponies don't like him being in charge, some even make fun of him behind his back for not having a cutie mark."
"What is with that anyway, dear sister?" Luna broke away from their train of thought to try and satisfy her own curiosity. "Did Sombra tell you why he never found his special talent? His destiny?"
"He has no idea himself" I admitted to my sister. "He's skilled in many things. Hoof to hoof combat, he's mastered more weapons then I ever thought existed, he's an excellent negotiator, he understands pony law better then you or I put together, he's a wonderful singer and dancer, he writes the most wonderful poems. He's even taught me some spells Star-Swirl never did!"
"Don't tell the old wizard that" Luna said with a half smiled. "He'll pack up again and leave for a few more months to find new spells to impress us."
"Luna" I leaned in close to my sister, about to share another dark secret, which really caught Luna's attention. " He tried to teach me Crystal magic, but something about never being there for the Crystal fair had something to do with my inability to form the crystals. But he was able to teach me Dark Magic-"
"DARK MAGIC!" Luna was rightfully shocked, but I put my hooves over her mouth. When she nodded for me to remove my hooves, Luna looked at me like I had grown a second head. "Dark Magic!? But Star-Swirl said we should never, ever, try and learn it! It corrupts ponies and drives them mad!"
"That's the thing, Luna" I began to explain. "He's mastered it! He can focus his magic into dark magic, cast a spell, then turn it off! He's shown me how the easiest way to break a spell cast by dark magic is with dark magic. He said the hardest thing to do is to flip it off. If a pony doesn't, that's what corrupts them. But Sombra mastered it, and he even thought me a little too!"
Thinking for a moment, Luna bit her lip, she was nervous to ask something then nervous to talk about the dark magic. "Do you think… do you think maybe, I could learn it too?"
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping you" I went out on a limb, hoping this would spur Luna more into helping me. "I could ask. But not just anypony can learn to control it. We're getting off topic. He won't have time to teach you if all we do is sneak around behind everypony's backs."
Thinking for a moment, Luna half gave up and threw out there "why don't you two just have a relationship in secret until Princess Amore is found? Isn't that what you two were already doing?"
I hung my head reluctantly. "Sombra suggested the same thing… but I can't just keep sneaking around. It's not fair to him and it's not fair to me. Love shouldn't be kept a secret. Love should be shared."
Thinking more about the idea, Luna then offered "I could help you and Sombra sneak around and meet up, if you want. I know you two don't want to hide your feelings, but are you really ok with just letting him go?"
I knew Luna was right about me letting Sombra go, but I was more shocked that the sister I hesitated about confiding in, was now offering to go out of her way to help us. "You would do that for us, Sister? Oh! Thank you so much, little sister! It's not a permanent solution, but it's better then what we have now!"
I embrassed my sister with the biggest hug I had in years.
When she could catch her breath, Luna caught my attention by tapping on my forehoof and wheezing out "air…."
For some time, Sombra and I continued to meet in secret, which was made easier with the help of my sister. When I would disapear, she would make up an excuse for Star-Swirl, deligats, or guards as to where I was and why I couldn't be disturbed. I'll admit, some of her excused were a little less then charming…
"My sister ate some bad chilly" my sister told those who attended a meeting on constriction on the west coast of Equestria, the attendants wished to build a city where ponies could gamble, watch shows, and ride roller coasters.
"Bad mane day, even the royal hairdressers can't make it look better then a cotton ball" Luna told the prince from Trot when he saught to court me.
"Pony flu, you do not want to go in there, the doctor is taking care of her, but it's a mess" was what my sister told the military leaders who wanted a meeting to talk about armor for their pet hamsters.
"The princess spent all night taste testing the cakes for the royal bake off and has a stomach ache" Luna told the subjects who invited me to judge a cook out.
Or my favorite
"You don't want to know. Just let sleeping mares lie" was was my sister used whenever she felt less creative with her less then charming excuses.
I'll admit she did manage to keep ponies away from us, allowing my beloved Sombra and I to have time togeather. Combine that with the mirrors Star-Swirl created that linked our castles, we had more freedom then before. But it still wasn't enough. We didn't want to sneak around forever, and we knew the only way to free Sombra from the curse of being a king was to find Princess Amore.
Sombra approached me one night and told me he was going to go on a longer, more indepth search for the princess with a small rag tag team he managed to put togeather of who he believed was our best shot on finding the missing princess. Sombra would be gone a while, which is why for that one night, he wished to stay with me, holding me, until I had to raise the sun. That was one of the four times I wished I didn't have to raise the sun. But we knew what must be done, and as I raised the sun that next morning, Sombra with a heavy heart, left to start his most dangerous journey to find the missing Princess of the Crystal Empire. In his absence, I was fighting my own great battle, one that would change our lives forever.
His absence was hard on me, especially given my emotional state. I did my best to keep my regal composure, but some things were hard to hide, and a certain clever and insightful mare spotted it.
"Your majesty, may I have a word with you… alone" Clover the Clever muttered under her breath as she stood by my side while I read through another stack of scrolls.
I could see it in her eyes, she knew something wasn't right. Whether it was my slight mood swings, new found love for large frilly dresses, or odd eating habits, Clover had found out my secret.
I had taken her to my secret room to have the discussion. For extra privacy, Clover cast a silancing spell on the room before asking me in the calmest way. "How far along are you?"
I knew there was no way to lie to her, so I took in and held a breath for a moment before removing my frilly dress that covered most of my body to revel a good sized baby bump. "Almost due."
"Is Sombra the father?" Clover asked in a nutral tone.
"He is" I admitted. I had a feeling she knew about us. Star-Swirl may have been her teacher and had more experience in the magical arts, but Clover had more insight when it came to affairs with ponies. She wasn't called 'the Clever' for nothing. "Please, you must not tell anypony."
Clover simply smiled and nodded, "Can I feel?"
Seeing her support put me at ease, and I happily let her feel the child. I levitated up my large dress to expose my large belly.
As she ran her hoof over my stomach, her smile widened. "You weren't joking. You're ready to pop. Have you picked out names?"
"Yes, but I wanted to run them by the father first" In that moment I flopped from relaxed and joyed to a feeling of overwhelming depression and hopelessness, almost falling to tears. "I hope he makes it back soon. I want him with me…."
Looking me right in the eye, Clover took my hoof "I know some ponies I can trust to keep this a secret. They can help. But we can't let Star-Swirl know, at least not yet."
"Thank you, Clover" I managed to wipe the tears from my eyes. "I can't thank you enough "
"It's my honor, your majesty" She patted my hoof, still smiling at me. "We are all just ponies, and we need to work together if we ever hope for a brighter future. That's what I've learned."
I was greatful to all those who helped me during those harder times of my pregnancy. Luna delt with the royal duties I had to leave her and Clover and her friends helped me to keep up with the duties I could still do while pressing through my pregnancy. The days seemed to stretch longer, and every day I held onto hope that Sombra would return to see the birth of his child.
It was on night, when I couldn't sleep, I felt I couldn't stall the foal any longer. I was going to deliver the baby, with or without Sombra. Clover, who had stayed by my side at night, had summoned her trusted friends to my Chambers. Her friends helped me to my secret room to deliver the foal, Clover told me she would get a doctor who we could trust and would be back soon. Not long after her friends got me into my secret room did Clover return with another good friend of ours.
"I need you to start your breathing, and try and relax, you are in good hooves" Radiant Hope instructed me as she began to glove up.
As I began my breathing, I looked up at her and asked"Is… he he hoo… is he coming? He he hoo… he he hoo…"
"He's on his way" Radiant told me, preparing some warm towels. "He got back to the Crystal Empire not long before Clover got me. I sent him a scroll and told him in our code that you were pregnant and about to give birth. He'll be here any moment…"
That brought a smile to my muzzle, I wanted nothing more then to have him here for the wonderful, life changing moment.
As if on cue, King Sombra burst through the doors, eyes looking all around until he zoomed in on me. He practically flew across the room to my side, taking my hoof in his, running the other along the side of my face. "Celestia… when I heard the news, I rushed over as soon as I could. A foal. Our foal. Why didn't you tell me you were expecting?"
A little ashamed but wanting to stand by my decision,I looked my beloved in the eye and told him "I didn't want to distract you... He he hoo … from finding princess Amore...he he hoo…"
Appearing disappointed, Sombra spoke in a rather low and disheartening tone. "I… wasn't able to find her… I'm so sorry Tia."
"It's ok" I told him as I raised my own hoof to raise his low head,forcing his eyes to meet mine. "You're here now, that's all that matters"
"Keep breathing, Celestia" Radiant instructed, not wanting to ruin the tender moment, but a foal was on its way.
I did as she told me and continued my breathing, Sombra holding my hooves and encouraing me the whole way. The birth was so painless I almost didn't feel it. I just felt something move from within me to out into the world. When I looked over at Radiant Hope who had caught and cleaned up our foal, I could hardly believe it. Our child seemed so perfect so pure.
"Congratulations to you both, it's a colt" Radiant said as she passed the foal to me, wrapped up nicely in a soft blanket. He cried for only a moment until he was in my hooves.
"A colt…" I repeated her as I looked down at the little ball or yellow fur. Atop his big round head was a rounded horn that stood in front of a messy two toned orange mane. The little guy opened his eyes and looked up at me and did the first thing that melted our hearts. He smiled.
"He's so beautiful" Sombra softly said, holding me. "Just like his mother."
As Sombra reached down to touch our son with his hoof, the little yellow colt reached out and firmly grabbed his hoof.
"He's got a good grip" Sombra added, his smile growing.
"Strong, just like his father" I commented, eurning a smile from Sombra. "What shall we name him?"
"I have no idea" Sombra answered honestly with a slight laugh. "I wasn't expecting to be a father anytime soon."
"I have a few I thought about" I answered. "But none seem quite right for our big brave son."
"Son" Sombra repeated the word. "Son…Sun… how about Sunny? A name to match his bright spirit."
I looked down and saw the little colt was looking all around, smiling and laughing at everything. I could never forget such an innocent smile or pure hearted laughter.
"Sunny is perfect" I agreed. "But I want him to grow up and never forget how strong he is. How about…Knight?"
"Sunny Knight" Radiant repeated the name as she wrote it down on a birth certificate, wearing a smile of her own...
"I feel like we should have realized who your mother was, before hearing that" Twilight commented, interrupting the story and bringing everypony back to the present.
"It seems really obvious now that we hear it out loud" Rainbow Dash added.
"His cutie mark even looks like hers" Thunderlane popped in.
"Granted there are quite a few unicorn ponies who have sun based cutie marks, but theirs are very similar." Octavia noted, looking over at Sunny's glank, then to Celestia's, then back to Sunny's. "I don't know how we didn't see it sooner."
"I can't believe Princess Celestia was able to keep a Coltfriend a secret, much less a son" Rarity added.
"And one of the villains we had to defeat. I mean really, who could have guessed..." Spike piped up then put a claw to his mouth realizing that Sombra may have been a villain, but now he knew Sombra was also Sunny's father and Princess Celestia's special somepony. "Ugh, what I mean is…"
"Shhhh! You guys are interrupting!" Derpy popped in, then grabbed a hoof full of pop corn from the tub Pinkie had in her hooves, refocusing her attention back to Princess Celestia.
"Now, where was I... Oh yes" the regal princess of the sun started back up again with her story. "After Sunny's birth, I stayed in my secret room for a few days to recover and spend some personal time with my newborn son. Sombra had claimed he went back out on a search for Princess Amore on a new lead. During those few days, we had to make some very hard decitions that would effect all out lives….
"We can't tell anypony about us" I explained again to Sombra the issue with us even being together. I had relayed to him in the past what Star-Swirl had told me about a princess marrying or just being involved with a pony of status, such as a king, and what may come of it.
"How can we explain him then?" Sombra was growing frustrated, but more with worry then anger. "We can't just say he popped out of nowhere. How are we supposed to raise him?"
Reluctantly, I looked from our sleeping son back to my beloved. "He will have to stay with one of us, and the other parent will be kept a secret. At least until princess Amore is found and you can hang up your title as King."
This didn't sit well with Sombra, and I could tell. He got this hard, almost stone like face whenever he was thinking hard. He was trying to think of a way for us to be one big happy family, like the family we always wanted. But he couldn't figure out a way without causing trouble for our subjects.
"I'll take our son" Sombra finally broke the silance.
"Are you sure that is a wise decision?" I sounded hesitant, concern weighing heavily in my voice.
"If I take him, no pony will ask where he came from" Sombra began to explain. "At most, there might be more rumors spread about me, but that would be it."
"And 'he' might get bullied too, you know that" I added, knowing full well how mean some foal, especially the foals of rich parents could be. And if Sunny went with his father, he would definitely be exposed to those spoiled little foals.
"And what do you think would happen if he went with you and ponies began to look into who his father would be? You and Star-Swirl were worried about if ponies would start a world war over titles, what do you think they would do if you had a child with no father in the picture?" Sombra explained, having looked the situation over.
Sighing, I knew he was right. As much as I didn't what it, Sunny would have to stay with his father for the time being. Love okig down at our foal, I was able to forget my worries for a moment, "He has his father's wonderful eyes."
Sombra looked down at our son who was sucking on one of his front hooves the foal stopped and looked up at us with his bright green eyes. The colt smiled up at the both of us, giggled and reached out with his hooves, wanting to be held.
Sombra chuckled and reached down, picking up the foal. "He has his mother's smile and laugh…"
Looking at Sombra, I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but it was the only way to keep our family and uphold our duty.
"We're going to have to have to keep our family and our love a secret from the world" Sombra stated with a thick forlorn tone. "Until Princess Amore is found."
"When she is, we won't need to hide anything anymore" I concurred with Sombra's statement. "But until then, no pony can know I'm Sunny's mother, and those who know must be sworn into secrecy..."
To avoid suspicion, Radiant had suggested that we give Sunny the name 'Solggiato Cavalier' which meant Sunny Knight in an old language. It was popular for royalty in the Crystal Empire to have their named derived from the ancient language. Radiant also advised us to keep Sunny with me for several more weeks, as most foals should with their mother. During that time, I would sing him songs to help him sleep. He always loved one song in particular;
"Far away, Cross the trees, Hear my song and remember,
Soon you'll be Home with me, And we'll be a family…"
The melody soothed him instantly, becoming his main lullaby.
Those few weeks went by far too fast. It felt as if I had just given birth to him when I was forced to say goodbye. That first night I had cried from sundown to sun up. I had faught the next day with Star-Swirl the bearded about my attitude and absence recently, telling me how I needed to make more time and effort to leading the ponies of Equestria. If Luna wasn't there I might have said or done something I would later regret.
The next couple of years were hard, but also wonderful. Sombra would visit with Sunny, or Solggiato, who recognized me as his mother. When he learned to talk, we had to do the hardest thing and tell him I was simply his dad's friend. I always suspected that my foal knew better and recogized me as his actual mother, but he never said a thing. When Sunny was at an age that Sombra and I thought he would understand, we sat him down and explained it all to him. He was still quite young, but he understood the reason behind our secret, and was able to keep it.
One day, I made a mistake in trusting somepony with our secret who I felt deserved the right to know. My old teacher, the one who made my sister Luna and I princesses and taught us magic. Star-Swirl the bearded...
I had called my old teacher and friend, Star-Swirl the bearded, to my private study, wanting to ask him a favor that I thought wouldn't be too troublesome to him. He had been so caught up with his work recently that neither my sister or I have heard much from him in the past few weeks. I'm sure he would tell me all about it, but I had something more important to ask him first.
As he entered my study, I politely asked him to close the doors and lock them behind him. He could tell from my tone, and the silencing spell I cast on the room, that I had matters secret in nature to converse with him about. In those days, I was very, very protective of my secret, and didn't wish to risk anypony hearing me speak much of Sunny. If I spoke too much of him or on his accord, I feared ponies would grow suspicious and connect the dots.
"Greetings, your majesty" Star-Swirl greeted me in his formal way, despite my precautions for absolute privacy.
"Star-Swirl, there is no need for such airs here. Please, speak naturally" I spoke softly to the elderly stallion.
"As you wish, Celestia" the old wizard stroked his beard. "I'm sorry that I've been terribly busy as of recent, more magical creature research and what not. But I'm sure you can understand. Now, what is it you wish of me? Why have you summoned me?"
Stepping closer to my old teacher, I tried to speak in a more informal, sincere tone. "King Sombra has a son named Solggiato."
"Yes, so I've heard" Star-Swirl nodded, continuing to stroke his beard.
"He's a sweet colt, well behaved, lacking of friends, but always friendly" I started to lead up to my request.
"That's great, I'm glad to hear it" I could tell Star-Swirl was starting to grow impatient. "But what does this colt have to do with me?"
"You taught my sister and I everything we know about magic" I was drawing closer to my actual point. "I was hoping you could do the same for him."
I could tell right away that Star-Swirl wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea.
"Celestia" the old wizard started to say. "I taught you and your sister because you two would need to learn to bring balance to Equestria. I can't go teaching every filly or colt who you come across. If you want that, make a school for unicorns. Maybe I'll make a guest appearance on Friday. Friday's a good day. Start the weekend off with a bang."
"That's an idea" I stretched to say. "But a school like that could take some time to get started. And I was just wanting you to teach this one colt."
Rolling his eyes at me, I could tell Star-Swirl wasn't going to give in without a fight. "One colt here, a filly there. I. Am. A. Powerful. Wizard. Not a tutor. I'm sure the colt's father can find somepony to teach his son, or better yet, teach him himself."
Under any other circumstances I wouldn't push my teacher and friend too much, but this was really important to me. "King Sombra is talented at many things, but he doesn't feel he is the best to teach his son magic. I only ask you to do this, old friend, because I think Solggiato has great untapped magical power that only 'you' as a teacher can bring out."
I tried to play my best cards against Star-Swirl, knowing just how to peak his interest, playing on his own ego, but he didn't seem to budge, remaining uninterested. "Kind words won't sway me, Celestia. Have somepony else teach the brat."
Hearing him call Sunny that lit a fire deep down inside me, sparking it like a short fused stick of dinomite. My wings flung out as my muscles tensed, my mane flared up as it did when I was enraged, and my eyes hardened on the old unicorn. Luckily he noticed none of this, his back turned as he planed to casually make his way out. Once I calmed myself down, my muscles begining to relax, I spoke with a harshness I saved for my most vile of enemies. "Prince Solggiato is not a brat! Don't you dare ever call him that again!"
Star-Swirl didn't pick up on the anger coating my voice and casually continued. "I've been around young princess and princesses enough to know they all are the same. Spoiled, entitled, and bratty. You and your sister were different, Celestia, because you two were brought into being royalty. But those who are born into it grow up to be spoiled rotten. Just you wait and see. He's going to think the world revolves around him and that everypony should bend to his every wake and call."
Listening to Star-Swirl talk about my son like that made my blood boil. To think that he thought this about royal ponies was more then disheartening, but he was insinuating that Sunny would grow up to be the same way made me angrier then I ever had been before. "You have no right to judge him."
But the old wizard continued like I had said nothing. "Why, I'm willing to bet that he wined, pouted and threw a tantrum at his father, knowing Sombra was your friend and you could ask me to teach him. Brat thinks he should get whatever he wants-"
"I HAVE HEARD ENOUGH!" I yelled in the royal Canterlot voice, sending a wave of fear over Star-Swirl. The old wizard looked at me, wide eyes and afraid to even breath wrong. "I have had enough of you assuming the worst of somepony you have no idea about! You met Sunny once! Once! And you hardly said two words to him! If anypony is stuck up and thinks the world should bow to them, it's you! You old, arrogant, windbag! Sunny is a sweet, kind hearted, gentle caring young colt who just wants to make his father and I proud! I would have thought you of all ponies would have jumped at the opertunity to teach a colt as wonderful as Sunny, but I guess I was wrong! Not only that, I wouldn't want you teaching him knowing how bitter you've become, how cold your heart is towards ponies who are just of a different social class! Not only do I never want you to teach my son, you aren't even going to look in his direction! And if you say anything, ANYTHING, from here on out to him, it will be a heartfelt apology for how rude you were behind his back! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!?"
My eyes remained locked, hard and burning onto Star-Swirl for a good long moment while everything I said was processed through his mind. After several moments, the old wizard was once again permitted to move and breath freely as I composed myself, cleared my throat, and relaxed.
"So it is true" were the words Star-Swirl spoke softly when the fire seemed to be dying down. Little did I know that the flame was about to be fanned into a raging inferno. "You weren't just sneaking around seeing somepony, but you had a foal with him!"
"My personal life is none of your business!" I spat out like a teenager to their parent.
"Your whole life 'is' my business!" The old wizard pulled himelf togeather, his shock melted away and gave way for his outrage. "How could you do this!? To me! To your sister! To Equestria! How could you be so selfish!"
"Selfish!?" That word hit me hard, and my own anger began to build up once more. "I'm selfish!? For months my sister and I don't see you, don't hear from you, we so everything we can to uphold peace, law and order in Equestria, taking on responsibly far beyond what any ponies' ever beared, and you have the gull to call 'me' selfish!?"
"You only have that responsibility because 'I' gave it to you!" Star-Swirl continued, his eyes sharpening as he glared into my own. "I entrusted you and your sister with all of Equestria, all the ponies who live in our world worship you two, jump any your every command, shower you with gifts, and what do you do to repay them!? You sneak around and plant the seeds of their downfall!"
"Having a foal isn't going to destroy all of Equestria!" I hissed at Star-Swirl.
"No, but having one with a King will!" The nasty old wizard began to pace back and forth as he normally did when he was thinking, but his eyes weren't glued to the floor as they normally would when he was trying to think up a solution, rather they were locked with my own anger filled gaze. "Do you realize that king's and queens who rule are only temporary. Short terms that last only so long!? I made you two princesses so you two could rule side by side, as equals, to bring balance to Equestria! Now you've gone and thrown off the entire balance!"
"Equestria is not doomed" I managed to pull back my feelings of anger and tried to show my old teacher and friend some logic. "There are only a hoof full of ponies who know about me being Sunny's, er, Solggiato's mother. Ponies I truest."
"So I assume your sister knows?" Star-Swirl's anger subsided for a moment.
"She does" I answered, calming down myself more. "She helped me to conceal my pregnancy as well as my maternal leave."
"Who else knows?" The old wizard asked, raising a brow.
"Radiant Hope, Sombra's oldest friend. She helped me to deliver and was my midwife. A few well trusted members of the royal guard, my trusted assistant, and Clover the Clever."
"My own student betrayed me!?" Star-Swirl snapped when he heard the last name I called. "Good to know 'every' student I taught has betrayed my trust."
I reached out at that point and put a hoof on my teacher and friend. "Star-Swirl, please. No pony has betrayed you. I couldn't deny my feelings for Sombra, and I don't regret us having a foal together. They both mean the world to me. Won't you accept an innocent foal? If you had to blame someone, blame me, not Sunny."
"And you had the nerve to try and ask me to teach him!?" Star-Swirl wasn't listening to my plea. He stood up tall, narrowing his eyes at me with a burning anger like I had never seen before. "Celestia, you have planted the seeds to Equestria's demise, you and your sister are both guilty! And to think I trusted you not only as my students, but I even let you call my 'friend'."
"Star-Swirl-" was all I could get out before he cut me off.
"Silence!" The old wizard bellowed. "I have heard enough! I have lost all my trust in my students all in one day! Not only will I not teach your 'son', but I will never again take up another student, no matter what!"
Before I could get another word in, Star-Swirl left my study, slamming the door behind him. The anger that had burned in my heart had been put out, the ashes of their sorrowful remanes lingered with me, stinging me at my core. I never felt that my relationship with Sombra was wrong, just that it needed to be kept a secret. But from that moment, the moment I lost my teacher as a friend, I began to question myself. I had no regrets, not about Sombra or our son. But I wish I had been more open with my teacher back when we were still friends. Maybe then things could have turned out different…
Years passed, and although Star-Swirl's bitterness never lessened, he remained in our castle as our most trusted advisor. But be never spoke to us outside of his royal duty, and kept to his room/workshop, working on something or another. He even kept Clover the Clever out of the loop. I had told her and my sister about his and my conversation, both understood and like myself, had to just grow to accept this bitter Star-Swirl.
Despite the hard feelings from Star-Swirl, Sombra and I still continued to meet, both in private and publicly. I loved to see my son and watch him grow up. It broke my heart to see how fast he was growing with out me there. It made me feel worse when I had to teach him about our secret, and how he could only refer to me as 'Princess Celestia' in public, never as 'mother', 'mom', or 'mommy'. I don't know what was worse, him having to refer to me by my title and name, or how easily he took to it. I felt so distant from my own son. Seeing this, Sombra asked if Sunny on occasion could stay with my sister and I at our castle. Like a weekend getaway. An excuse he told his subjects or other officials who asked was simply 'he's having trouble with school, and Princess Celestia thinks he shows promise in magic.' Some ponies might have questioned it but never out loud.
It wasn't long after we began his weekend getaways with his aunt and I that Sunny discovered his talent and gained his cutie mark. It was a glorious day on a Solar eclipse celebration, where he surprised both my sister and I, as well as everypony present. I knew he was a little upset that I had to announce he was Prince Solggiato from the Crystal Empire, having wanted to take this time to be just another pony in the crowd, but announcing who he was solidified his reason for visiting me in the eyes of everypony who questioned it before. I was able to see alot more of my son after that, which made he, Sombra and I all very happy. But our joy wasn't to last. Darkness was about to fall over all our lives, and separate us all for 1000 years…
After taking a breaf interval, Princess Celestia set back in her chair, looked back at everypony who sat circled around her, not only Twilight and her friends, But her own son, Sunny, his friends, and two ponies and a bird who Sunny insisted sit in on the story telling time.
Twilight who still wasn't sure who the two ponies and bird off in the corner were who appeared to be taking notes on everything, leaned over to Sunny and asked "I don't mean to be rude, but why are 'they' here?"
Not really needing to look over at Thunder Veil, White Out and Feza, Sunny answered "I helped them, now they're going to help me, which will also help them in turn. Long story."
"Let's get back to the better long story!" Pinkie Pie interrupted, popping up between the princess of friendship and Guardian of Honesty. The pink party pony then held out to them a bag of buttered pop corn "hungry? Story time always makes me hungry!"
"I also have cucumber sandwiches" Rarity levitated a plate with the small snack sandwiches over to the others, to which Octavia, Derpy and Fluttershy all took one off the plate, thanking her.
"If everypony is ready, let's get back to the story" Doctor suggested. "I love learning secret parts of history, and this is historical gold!"
"Much of what came next most ponies know the gist of" Celestia states, her expression turning more forlorn and pained then before.
As everypony quieted down, princess Celestia picked up where she left off…
"The years had gone by so fast, already my Son, Sunny, had grown up to not only follow in his father's hoof steps, but greatly surpass our expectations. He was kind hearted, despite keeping most ponies at a distance, selfless, strong, smart, and wise beyond his years" I began to go in and on.
"Gee, what happened?" Thunderlane joked, eurning a nudge in his side by Octavia. "What? Just last week I bet him 5 bits he couldn't eat more pancakes then me."
"Yeah, but I won" Sunny chimed in with a sly, victorious grin.
"And you were sick the rest of the day" Thunderlane concluded, also smiling victoriously.
"Can we get back to the story" Twilight slightly hissed at the group of friends before smiling light a bright eyes angel at Celestia. "Please continue..."
Where was I? Oh yes. Sunny had grown up to be a fine stallion indeed. And it was around this time that a certain troublemaker first showed up, causing chaos in a small remote section of Equestria. It was the first sighting of Discord, the master of chaos.
He had shown up in Ponyville, which was a small town near our castle at the time, just on the other side of the Everfree forest. My sister and I arrived on the scene, ready to subdue the draconaquis, but his chaotic magic was something my sister and I had not encountered before. We couldn't even get to him, let alone use our combined magic on him. We were either slidding down soapy roads, flying into cotton candy cloud filled skies, or being chased around by giant limbed animals. It was then that my sister and I decided it best to use the elements of harmony. Together, we caught Discord by surprise and cast him into stone. With him as a statue, all he had changed to suit his image of perfection had reverted to it's former forms. My sister and I had no idea where the mixed up creature had come from, but we would soon learn.
I went to report the capture of the creature to my teacher, Star-Swirl the bearded, who, despite his standoffish attitude as of late, would surely be interested to hear about such a powerful being as the self proclaimed master of chaos. But when I arrived at his workshop, I was horrified at the sight. Everything was destroyed. Beakers, test tubes and bottles smashed, pages and scrolled ripped to pieces, it was a nightmare. Then something caught my eye. A small item no bigger then my hoof.
A madallion of some sort, with the head of a unicorn and the wings of a pegasus, made of dark silver and grey metal with a glowing red stone at it's center. All I had to do was touch it and I somehow knew all I needed to know about it and it's origin. I can't say whether it was the magic of the amulet, my intuition, or some other force. But the very thought forced into my mind made me to take a closer look at the room. I pieced some pages from Star-Swirl's jornel back together, and in those pages my fears were confirmed. My teacher, Star-Swirl the bearded, world renown wizard and peace keeper, had fallen mad with power and became Discord, the master of chaos….
Everypony looked at Princess Celestia with mouths dropped almost to the floor, well, all except Pinkie Pie, who continued to nibble on her hoof full of popcorn, and Fluttershy, who looked sheepishly around at her friends nervously.
The long pause interrupted when Twilight Sparkle appeared to regain her composure, then cleared her throat, catching Princess Celestia's attention. "Princess Celestia, are you telling me that one of my idols, favorite historical figures, and the greatest wizard of all time, not to mention your teacher, WAS DISCORD THIS ENTIRE TIME!?"
"Indoor voices, darling" Rarity patted Twilight on the shoulder.
The purple alicorn remembered where she was and in who's company she was, and felt instantly embarrassed by her tone. "He he… ugh, I'm sorry …"
"I'm afraid you are correct, Princess Twilight" Celestia answered her student, her tone and facial features the same level of forlorn. "Discord and Star-Swirl the bearded are indeed one in the same, but more like heads and tails on a coin. He is no longer just Star-Swirl. As for why I didn't tell you, Discord approached me not long after Fluttershy befriended him and asked that I keep his past a secret."
"Now that everypony knows…" Fluttershy started to speak in her usual hushed tone, catching the attention of her friends as well as the new Guardians. "Discord told me that a while back at one of our tea parties. I Pinkie promised him I wouldn't tell."
"I'm super-dooper proud of you for not breaking a Pinkie promise, Fluttershy!" Pinkie squeaked in, a smile splashed across her muzzle. "I kinda pieces it togeather after season 4. It was pretty obvious."
Everypony turned their attention to Pinkie now with confused looked.
"Season 4?" Applejack asked, not really knowing how to make a question to fit Pinkie's statement.
"And how exactly was it 'pretty obvious'?" Rainbow Dash made hoof motions to emphasize Pinkie's choice of words, ignoring her breaking the 4th wall again.
"We're getting a little off topic" Princess Celestia stated, collecting the attentions of everypony once again. "We still have some more to cover before I feel you all are up to speed. Now, where was I..."
After Discord was cast in stone, we gave him a proper place in the castle gardens, where my sister and I could keep watch over him. We hoped that one day we could find a way to turn him back into Star-Swirl, but for the time being all we could do was wait. My sister was a little more then taken back by what had happened, but knew that we needed to press on, and went right back to her duties as Princess of the night. With the loss of our teacher, I would have thought Luna and I would have grown closer, looking to each other for support. Equestria needed us now more then ever, and we needed eachother. But just the opposite was happening, and it took me 1000 years of looking back to see why.
As we went about our days of ruling Equestria, more ponies began to look just to me for guidance and advice, rather then my younger sister. I don't think much of how Luna felt about it all, I just stressed about how much work I was left with and how exhausted I was by the end of the day. There were many times where I gladly accepted the praise and worship, Star-Swirl told us to try and accept this humbly. But I too easily accepted more then my fair share of the praise and attention. But a place atop a throan is still lonely and stressful. There was really only one pony I turned to to help me relax and unwind from it all. My beloved King Sombra.
With Star-Swirl gone, I was able to move the magic portal mirror into my own secret room and use it to have Sombra and Sunny visit our castle, or vise versa, without others questioning it. It was like a breath of fresh air to dine with them, to play board games with them, to stroll through the garden, to just sit and talk about our day, ponies, even just share jokes with. They were my family, and they treated me like no pony else ever did, just like anypony else. I wasn't 'Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria', I was Celestia, Tia, or even just mom.
But that too would soon come to an end. One night, Sombra had come to visit with me, holding me, he told me that he and his bravest, most trust worthy guards would be going out on another hunt for Princess Amore in a darker, less explored part of the Empire's surrounding Arctic tundra. Part of me didn't want him to go, I was afraid of what might happen to my beloved Sombra. But another part of me wanted Amore found so Sombra, Sunny and I wouldn't have to hide anymore. We could be open as a family. What we always wanted.
"I wish there was a way I could help" I hold him, looking into his deep green eyes.
"Your place is here, it is my duty to find the princess" he told me, his deep voice smoothing over the worry in my heart as it always did. "I will find her. I vow on our love I will."
"Then we can be a family" I muttered under my breath.
Pulling me in closer to him, Sombra spoke in an equally low tone "we were always a family. You. Me. And our son…"
I wished that time with him never had to end. But I knew I couldn't keep him with me forever. I let him go eventually to prepare for his dangerous venture, wishing with all my heart that he would be successful this time. I don't know what happened that day, what he had found, or what lead up to it, but just two days after he left, word had gotten to me about something foul happening in the Crystal Empire. I tried to go through the magic mirror, but my mirror had shattered, meaning that the one in the Crystal Empire had been shattered on that end.
I called an emergency meeting with my sister and our captains in the royal guard, trying to think of what to do. We sent a few scouts out to survey the situation, but none returned. We assumed something must have happened, somepony or something attacked and seized the Empire while Sombra hunted for the Princess. After much deliberation, my sister and I agreed we needed to go to the Empire ourselves to survey the situation for ourselves. Our Captains thought we should bring some guards, but we reminded them this was something we were meant to deal with, as rulers of Equestria. With that, my sister and I flew as fast as we could to the Crystal Empire.
What we found when we got there left me speechless.
The lush green feilds that surrounded the Empire within it's Barrier had dried up, turned into a baren dry feilds of rock and dirt. Birds couldn't be seen or heard in the sky, the youthful ewes were nowhere to be seen, and the once plentiful bushed ,where the Crystal ponies picked Crystal berries, were nothing more then dried up, leafless sticks. As my sister and I causiouly ventured deeper into the Empire, we noticed the Crystal homes and buildings that once glimmered in the sunlight were now dark, jagged, sharp, and twisted. I wish it had stopped there, but as we approached the now frightening Crystal Empire castle, I saw a horrible image that to this day haunts my nightmares.
All the Crystal ponies were in chains, being forced to dig at the base of the castle, their usually glowing coats and springy manes had grown dull and sunken, the life drained from their eyes as if all hope had been taken out of them.
"Sister, look!" Luna caught my attention and pointed with her hoof to the castle's balcony. There, between two large pyres of green flames stood a dark stallion, red and green glowing eyes looking down at us with a burning wickedness about them.
I nodded to my sister, and togeather we took to the sky, flying to the balcony, ready to face the foe that was surely behind this corruption. For a moment, just as we were about to land on the balcony, I silently wished Sunny and Sombra were alright. Horror stuck me as my sister and I stood our ground ready to face the enemy, only to find the monsterous creature was none other then my own beloved King Sombra!
I had tried to reason with him, tried to ask what had happened, something obviously not being right. The Sombra I knew would never in a million years be that cruel, that enraged, or that deranged. He kept talking like I knew something, like I had gone behind his back about something, even mentioning a prophecy and having to help his kin. Inevitably, a battle broke out. As much as I didn't want to, it did. And as much as it pained me, I knew my sister and I had to defeat Sombra. My beloved Sombra didn't make it easy, but my sister and I had the Elements of Harmony on our side. Using their power, my sister and I turned his body to shadow and sealed beneath the Arctic ice that he had so often ventured out into. I don't know why the elements turned his body to shadow and others to stone, but everything has a reason, even if we don't understand what it is ourselves.
My sister and I didn't have a single moment to rest after our battle. Immediately after our battle with King Sombra had ended, something was triggered deep within the Empire. The ground shook violently as if in an earthquake, a violent green fire began to flair up around the boarders, and the sky changed from a dark brown to a blinding purple. To get a better look, my sister and I took to the skies, hoping a bird's eye view could shed some light onto what was happening. Once we reached a decent hight, though, we realized our victory was a hollow one. The Empire had vanished in a flash of green light, leaving nothing behind bup the circle where the protective some had shielded the Empire from the harsh Arctic surrounding it. Now fresh snow lightly fell on the open space as a storm seemed to come to an end.
We inspected the area several times over, even brought in geographical experts, great wizards such as Clover the Clever, and even saught out the Babayaga sisters for an answer. But it seemed that when Sombra was sealed away, he took the Empire with him. My sister and I had failed the ponies of the Crystal Empire, and I felt as though I had failed my love, Sombra…
Tears began to fall from Princess Celestia's eyes as she recalled and shared the story of that horrible day with everypony present. The princess didn't even know she was crying until Applejack offered her a light green handkerchief. Celestia smiled down at Applejack, took the cloth in her hoof and wiped the tears away.
"It was around that day that I confronted my father" Sunny spoke up. "I had just returned from an adventure to find the Empire just as you had, mom. I also confronted dad, but…"
"I know, Sunny" Celestia saw the pain in her son's eyes and didn't want him to force himself to speak more about it. "I saw everything in your dreams, thanks to my sister... I'm so sorry…"
Acting purely on instinct, Sunny ran up to his mother and gave her a large hug. Princess Celestia quickly returned the hug and held it there for a long moment. Everypony there, say for the two ponies and one bird who were recording all of Celestia's story, knew their pain, and stayed silent to allow son and mother to comfort one another. Pinkie, knowing this would happened, slid a stack of papers over to White Out and Thunder Veil. The stack was a copy of the first dozen or so chapters of Sunny's story to help get them up to speed. Discord had given it to the pink party pony some time ago at her request.
After a long moment, Sunny let go of his mother, and she of him. Sunny sat back down between Applejack and Twilight, Applejack putting her hoof over his, holding it firmly but gently.
"I think we're coming to the end of the story time" Celestia said as she wiped away more tears with Applejack's handkerchief once again. "The last part I'm sure Twilight has already shared so I won't take too long to tell it…
Months had passed since the battle at the Crystal Empire, and I had thrown myself into my royal duties to ignore and numb the feelings of loss. I not only had failed my subjects but I had lost both my beloved Sombra and my son, Sunny. My sister tried to comfort me, but she had never felt love like I had, which resulted in her just giving me my space. I felt alone, and did anything I could to releave that pain and emptiness. I received praise, love, and cheers from ponies who my sister and I ruled over before, but I felt I never gave it the credit it deserved. The attention and love wasn't as personal as the love I shared with Sombra or my son, but it was better then being alone and it filled the void, or so I let my melf to believe.
I began to do more for the land of Equestria, such as building a school for gifted unicorns, so young unicorns wouldn't struggle with learning magic as my son had, I oversaw the construction of several big cities such as the foundation for what would become Manehatten and Vanhoofer, and even defeated foes such as the evil changeling Queen and her hive, sealing them in a valcano. The extra work had been recognized and I was loved and honored in countless ways for my efforts in making Equestria and even more wonderful place. My sister, on the other hoof, didn't. Despite her best efforts of keeping the peace of the night, no pony had even taken into account her efforts at being as good a princess as I was. She didn't go as far out of her way as I did, or so I justified it to myself back then. That lead to more loss for myself. And more pain for those I held dear.
One night, or rather one early morning, I went to raise the sun to begin the day, but found that Luna had kept the moon up. I thought she simply lost track of time, or was busy with some other royal duty. I was about to lower the moon myself, it wasn't completely out of the ordinary for one of us to on a rare occasion perform the other's duties of raising or lowering the sun or moon, but just as I was about to end the night and begin the day, I was stopped.
"Don't touch my night" my sister called out, her tone sounding hard and sharp.
I turned to face her and saw a different look in her eyes. A cold look like I had never seen before. She had stood atop the double sided staircase, looking down at me. Ignoring her expression, I simply told her "It's time to lower the moon and begin the day, sister. Would you care to end the night?"
"No, I wouldn't" Luna told me, an answer I didn't expect. I believe she could see the confused look on my face, so she elaborated. "I don't wish to end the night because from this day forth, the night will never end. I will never lower the moon, and the night will last for all time!"
Having heard that, I assumed there was something bothering my sister, but deep down I didn't care why she was acting as she was. If I had gone just a little out of my way to talk to her, I know I could have saved her from such a fate that would befall her. But I didn't. I just simply stood tall and told her "Luna, you must lower the moon. Enough of this foolishness!"
"Foolishness!? Thou wishes to talk about foolishness, sister!? Thou art the fool! All thy care about is filling the void, thou had never considered what thou were filling the void with!" Luna began to spit out, her eyes became reptilian like, more vicious as she glared at me from atop the staircase. "We both are supposed to be princesses, the 'co-rulers' of Equestria, yet all thou does is hog the spotlight to make thyself feel better for losing them! Did thou ever think that 'I' wanted to be loved? That 'I' wanted praise? That maybe 'I' would like to be invited to a ribbon cutting ceremony, or a party, or even receive fan letter such as thee!?
"I realize now that there can be only one princess in Equestria! AND THAT WILL BE ME!" Stomping her hooves down hard, shattering the tile around her, Luna glared hard at me before a shadowy aura began to eradiate seemingly from the moon and circle my sister in a dark light.
I stood back and watched as the darkness was absorbed into her, changing her into a wicked mare of darkness who's fur was the same shade of black as a void, eyes vicious and reptilian, mane flowing like an aura of the night sky, standing just as tall as I was, with light purple armor that covered her.
"Luna, stop this madness! Just lower the moon and we can talk about this!" I realized too late that I needed to reach out to my sister.
"Luna?" The mare's vocie had changed just as much as her appearance. "I am NIGHTMARE MOON! And from this day forth, I will be the only princess who rules in Equestria!"
From there, my sister and I fought, blasts of magical energy shot from out from our horns, destroying most of our beloved castle. We took to the skies when we felt our magic was too equal to grain footing on the other. Both of us felt combining magic with airial flying skills would give us the tactical advantage over the other. Weaving in and out of our castle's spiral towers, my sister chased me, shooting at me with blast after magical blast. My plan was simply to wear her down and hopefully then I could reason with her. It didn't happen like that.
I was hit with a magical blast right in the arch of my back, I spiraled down and crashed through our castle's ceilings, landing with rubble all around me. I thought for sure that it was over as my sister loomed over me, flying above and casting a shadow over my weakened self. I felt drained from our battle, and unable to beat her on my own. After Luna, or Nightmare Moon as she called herself, flew away, I knew there was only one thing I could do. I didn't want to hurt my sister, but I knew the only thing I could do now was use the elements of harmony against her as we both had done to Discord and Sombra. I didn't know what they would do to Luna, but I had no choice, I couldn't allow Nightmare Moon to cast Equestria into eternal night.
After activating the device that held the elements of harmony in a secret compartment beneith the floor, the magical stones rose up and appeared before me. I cast my magical aura around them, focusing them to float around me, their harmonic magic surrounding me. I felt their magic fill me.with further knowlege that the stones seemed to posess. I knew then what they planned to do to my poor sister, I also knew what would happen should I fail to stop my sister. It was at that moment that I reluctantly saught out Nightmare Moon. She retreated back to the throan room, gloating and planning for her rein. I cut her off at the thought, surring the battle up once more.
"I'm sorry, dear sister, but you leave me no choice..." I told her, tears streaming down my cheeks again, knowing what was going to happen.
I think Luna knew at that moment what her fate was, but still lunged at me. While in mid air, Nightmare Moon was his with a magical blast from the Elements of Harmony, shooting the mare of darkness to the moon, imprisoning her there for what would be 1000 years, until the stares aided in her escape, or so the elements told me. After all was all said and done, the elements floaded down gently to the ground, and I was left alone, in an empty castle, looking up through the giant hole in our castle's ceiling at the moon my sister used to rise and lower every night and day. Along with the craters on it's surface, the image of a unicorn mare who appeared to be looking down on Equestria was now imprinted on the surface. My heart broke again when I realized what I had done.
Not only did I banish my own sister to the moon, but I had pushed away the last pony I was closed to. Star-Swirl my teacher I had kept secrets from, now he was a monster turned into a statue. My beloved Sombra I had turned to shadow and sealed away. Sunny was no where to be found, even with my Celatial Plane's Vision. And now, my sister, I had pushed away and made her feel so unloved that she turned into a monster herself. There were still ponies I trusted, Clover the Clever and some others, but the ponies I felt closest to were all gone. I made one mistake after another and payed dearly for it. Had lost my entire family, for 1000 years…
"I guess in a way, I too was trapped" Celestia concluded her story. "I had not only my royal duties to perform, but my sister's as well. I had to take on alot of work all at once, and I had to face it all on my own... All that began to change when I sent a young mare to oversee a certain Summer Sun Celebration."
Princess Celestia then looked back very at Twilight, cracked a small smiled and winked. Feeling proud that that one event lead Twilight to making so many friends and had sparked their journey together, the little purple alicorn smiled and winked back at her teacher, a silent thank you.
"Princess Celestia" White Out who had been Quietly taking notes and listening to the whole thing finally spoke up. "Are you saying you knew before hoof Twilight-, er, Princesses Twilight Sparkle would be the pony to set everything right? Did you have some prier knowlage some how that all this would happen."
"I was told by wise witches of some events that would uprise" Celestia began to explain. "One; one of my students that shows great promise must learn the value of friendship. Two; just as in the story of mare in the moon, on the longest day of the 1000 year the stars will aid in her escape. And three; shadows will run when a good colt goes to war."
As White Out's assistant, Feza, continued to record what the princess said, everypony thought about what it could have meant.
"So obviously the first two came true" Doctor finaly spoke up. "Twilight Sparkle being your student showed promise and learned about friendship."
"Then your sister did return on the 1000 Summer Sun Celebration" Twilight added, still thinking. "But what's the part of the stallion going to war?"
"It's an old poem" Octavia spoke up, catching the attention of everypony there. "We, rather, it's part of one. My grandmother used to read a lot of poetry to me when I was young."
"Do you remember who it was by?" Twilight asked, curious to see if it was by somepony she had heard of and may have a copy of their work back at her castle.
"I believe it was… Meadow, er, Spring. Something to that effect." Octavia struggled to remember the writer's name. Her grandmother spoke more of the few poems the mare wrote then the actual name.of the writer herself.
"Spring M. Meadows" Celestia said the name out loud as she walked over to a bookshelf that held some books and scrolls, as well as an out of place small statue of a royal guard. "I thought that poem sounded familiar."
After looking the books over, Celestia finaly found the one she saught after. Pulling the book down, Celestia then cracked the book open, the pages seemed to magically open to the page Celestia needed.
"Here we are" the princess of the Sun declared, once again collecting everypony's attention. " 'Shadows Run, by Spring M. Meadow…
Shadows run when a good colt goes to war Night will fall and drown the sun when a good colt goes to war Friendship dies and true love lies Night will fall and the dark will rise when a good colt goes to war Shadows run but count the cost The battle's won but the child is lost The fight goes on but what's it for when a good colt goes to war Now rise the sun, now dawn the day When good colts run and fillies stay When battle's done and nothing's won It's filly's job to say Well then, Soldier, how goes the day?"
After hearing the poem for themselves, everypony in the room began delving into the words, trying to find the message and meaning behind it.
"Do you think the part about Night falling and drowning the sun had anything to do with when Nightmare Moon came back?" Fluttershy was the first to speak up.
"That could be…" Twilight thought about it.
"And the part of Friendship dying, maybe it had to do with when you and your friends took Discord on for the first time! You remember!? And he used that grey spell to make you all the opposite of your elements!" Sunny spoke up with more enthusiasm then was necessary for the memory which was still a soar spot.
"'True love lying' could be a talkin' 'bout when that crazy bug Queen tried ta marry Shinning Armor" Thunderlane spoke up, trying to sound more sure then he was, not having all the details himself.
"That kinda makes sense" Rainbow Dash, who was sitting closest to Thunderlane, patted her hoof to her chin, running the idea around in her head.
"But nothing happened to princess Luna that caused the 'dark to rise'… has it?" Twilight thought for a moment then turned to Princess Celestia, as did all her friends.
"That part, I'm afraid, has already happened. But not in referencing my sister this time as 'the night'" Celestia admitted. "The Crystal Empire returned right at sundown, releasing Sombra with it when it did. I was able to get ahold of Cadence and Shinning Armor and sent them that night by train. Twilight, you and your friends arrived there the next day."
"So 'night shall fall and the dark will rise' was being a little more literal" Twilight commented, thinking about the other verses. "So the next part of the poem…"
"Shadows run but count the cost" Sunny started to say, trying to think of who it was talking about. "The battle's won but the child is lost.… What could it mean..?"
"That part I don't believe has happened yet" Celestia chummed in. "the other events happened in order. Whatever it is, it is supposed to happen in the near future."
"A child lost?" Derpy muttered. "They must be so scared."
"The poem aside, there is one more thing to discuss" Celestia gathered everypony's attention once more. "And this needs to be kept top secret."
White Out and Thunder Veril paused and looked over to Feza, who looked up at them, then with a swift hit of his beak, shut the recording off.
"Thank you" Celestia smiled at the little bird. "Now, I believe the real reason Sombra came tonight was because of this…"
Celestia motioned to the purple diamond shaped jewel on her chest plate.
"Why would King Sombra go through all that mess for jewelry?" Rainbow Dash raised a disbelieving brow.
"I don't know, some ponies will go to great lengths for the right accessory" Rarity smiled, thinking of all the crazy things she went through to get the right gem, necklace, chain, button, whatever was needed to complete a project.
"This is not ordinary gem" Celestia continued. "Princess Amore herself gave it to me a few years before she vanished. It's one of four that when all togeather can be used to break powerful spells."
"Break powerful spells?" Twilight repeated her teachers words, intrigued but still not fully understanding, having never heard of such items before.
"That sounds… rather specific" Doctor added, sounding a little less then impressed.
"Not every magical item is super powerful" Sunny started to explain ahead of his mother. "In fact, certain magical items that are crafted or forged to only do one thing can be very powerful at what they do."
"Utility aside" Applejack interrupted. "What in the hey does Sombra need those gems for?"
"Yeah, what's he trying ta break?" Big Mac asked after his sister.
"I'm afraid there can be only one thing he could want them for…" Celestia's expression turned more forlorn once more. "I'm sure by now you all know Sunny is half Umbrum, his father, Sombra, being an Umbrum by birth himself."
Everypony nodded, with the exception of White Out and Thunder Veil, who already signalled Feza to not start the tape just yet.
"Amore told me that her mother, the previous ruler of the Crystal Empire, sealed away the Umbrum, using a very specific spell. The spell could only be undone by the original caster or by the four gems, that were also made by Amore's mother, and used for the spell. If Sombra gets them, he will release the Umbrum onto the world."
"As bad as that is, it actually gets worse" Doctor stepped forward, facing everypony with a pained look in his eyes. "Derpy and I traveled to a future where the Umbrum were released. If they break free, the future we face is a dark one. Void of sun and moon. A decent wasteland…."
Everypony could hardly believe what they were hearing. They looked to Doctor in horror, seeing the terrible truth behind his words. Derpy took to his side to comfort her friend (and secret crush).
"Then we won't let that happen" Sunny stated, standing up and facing his friends. "We've faced frightning odds before, and who knows what the future would have been if we lost those battles? It could have been even worse then if the Umbrum escaped. I say we take a stand and stop my father before he gets any of the stones."
"I believe he already has one, maybe two" Celestia hated to rain on her son's parade, but they needed to know what they were up against.
Not wanting to lose the bravado he was building up, Sunny continued his speech, modified slightly to incorporate the new information he had just received. "Like I said, we've all faced many foes, taken on challenges that most would run away from. We stood out ground and fought with courage in our hearts, knowing the odds were against us, and we can out on top. We are large in numbers now, larger if we include our allies not here, the ones who stood by us when they saw we were in trouble. We owe our victory to our allies to. They fight with the same stakes we did. Now, I say let's do this again. Let's come out on top.
" When my father comes back around to steal the last remaining stones, we'll show him what the magic of friendship can really do! What do you guys say!?" Sunny concluded his speech with holding his hoof out.
Everypony was a little confused by this action say for Big Mac, who remembered doing something like this before.
The large red farm pony approached Sunny and put his hoof ontop of his. "Ah'm in. It's always ah fun time with ya'll, even when we're runnin' fer our lives."
Remembering himself, Thunderlane approached Sunny and Big Mac, throwing his hoof over theirs. "We got this, bro. Ain't no pony can stop us! Now when we're together!"
Octavia smiled, but still rolled her eyes at the motion and would have preferred a simple hug, but put her hoof over Thunderlane's. "You all are nuts. But you are gentlecolts, indeed."
"I'm so in!" Derpy cheered as she tried to put her hoof ontop of the pile of hooves, tripped, and fell flat. Not losing her bravado either, she stuck a hoof up and added it to the pile of hooves from where she had fallen, all her friends cheering her on.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again" Doctor shot Sunny a cocky smile as he threw his hoof ontop of the pile of hooves "Allons-y!"
While Sunny and the New Guardians of Harmony did their hooves-in-together cheer, Twilight and her friends also gathered together for a large group hug, but none the less, both groups shared the similar inner fire, a burning friendship and drive to do good.
Celestia smiled as she looked over the little ponies. 'you've grown up so much. All of you. And especially you Sunny. Your talent was to bring out the best in anypony or anything. I never would have imagined it would give you such a large group of friends. But I'm very happy it did.'
Noticing the two ponies and bird of paradise in the back, Celestia walked over to them, smiled and told White Out "before I let you publish anything-"
"I'll let you read over and listen to our notes it to make sure it's all ok with you." The grey pegusi said while pushing up her glasses. "But can I make one request?"
"What would that be?" Celestia asked, a single eye brow raised.
"Can I keep Sunny's speech the way it was?" White out asked. "It was perfect. And ponies need to know just what kind of pony he is."
Flashing her gentle, motherly smile at the reporter, Celestia nodded "you may use his speech as it is."
"Hey guys" Pinkie popped up out of her hugging friends. "If Princess Celestia is Sunny's real mom, doesn't that mean he also a real prince?"
The girls and guardians looked from Pinkie to each other for reasurance, shrugged, then turned to Princesses Celestia.
"He always was a real prince" the princess of the sun stated. "Just because his father was a temporary king, didn't mean Sunny's position was the same."
"Theeeeeeeen shouldn't we need to, I don't know, have some sort of party to celebrate it? Plus him being reunited with his mom is really something to celebrate! I mean, really, how often does somepony reunite with their mom after 1000 years! And we can have mother son games like egg tosses, a seven legged race, and cake eating contest!" Pinkie's mind began racing with all the different games and events that they could do in celebration of the event.
"Pinkie, I don't think that's necessary" Sunny started to say. "Besides the fact that we just went to a gala that literally blew the roof off the place, everypony and every creature are probably tired. Not to mention where were you planning to hold one? The ballroom is kinda in need of a few repairs, as will probably most of the Canterlot castle."
"How 'bout someplace ah little closer to home?" Applejack pipped in, shooting Sunny a look that indicated he knew exactly where she meant.
"I think a party, and corrination is a wonderful idea" Celestia jumped in before Sunny could say it was a bad idea and start listing off more reasons why. "A corrination would help ponies and other creatures alike forget all about the trauma of the gala attack and give them something more positive to focus on."
Feelings of unsure and unease weighed down on Sunny, which was obvious to everypony in the room. But a certain somepony stepped forward, knowing exactly what to say to ease his troubled mind.
"You and yer friends worked hard and deserve ah party" Applejack nudged Sunny, locking his green eyes to hers, making the rest of the room seem to vanish. "Not ta mention this could end th' secracy yet mom and you've been hiding all this time. Don't ya think ya both deserve that?"
"I just… I never liked any of those fancy corrinations" Sunny started to relax and speak once again with a slight accent. "Everypony's supposed ta praise the prince or princess, an' it's always filled with stuffed shirts, an' it's always so full of unneeded things…"
Grabbing hold of Sunny's hoof, Applejack began to reassure him. "Ya earned this, Sunny. Ah don't know no pony more courageous, more self sacrificing, more noble, and humble then you. 'You' earned th' right ta be ah prince.
"As fer stuffed shirts, we can just have our closest friends an' family, maybe ah few guests there. Ah don't think many fancy ponies would like ta go to ah ho down at ah apple farm." Applejack had Sunny's full attention now, turning him onto the idea of actually going through with a corrination at the apple farm.
After thinking it over again, Sunny started at Applejack "ya ain't gunna do up th' orchard or barn with nothing over the top, right?"
"Ah'm sure ah could get Rarity ta help decorate, but ah'll ask her ta tone it down" Applejack could see from the corner of her eye Rarity looking both excited and a little insulted. But the fasionista knew she could keep things simple, for Sunny's sake.
Nodding his head, Sunny also added "yer gunna have ta run the idea by Granny."
"Ah don't think she'll mind" Applejack smiled, half laughing. "But she'll insist on baking fer th' event. Ya know how she gets around birthdays."
Both Sunny and Applejack remembered what Apple Bloom's birthday was like when the filly asked ta have her party at the ice cream shop, saying their ice cream cake was the best in town. Granny took it as a personal challenge. And after a week, Granny was able to perfect the Granny chilled apple a la mode cake (which was a fancy way to say she made a vanilla ice cream cake with chunks of frozen apple, pie crust chunks, and sugar cinnamon sprinkles.)
Sunny and Applejack looked once again to each other, then back to the rest of their friends and family.
"Ah'll right, we'll have ourselves ah corrination" Sunny declared, earning cheers from the Elements and Guardians of Harmony, as well as a wide smile from his own mother. That's when Sunny walked up to Celestia, a little nervous, but he gathered his courage enough to ask "you'll be there too…right?"
Tears began to emerge from the far corners of Celestia's eyes. "Sunny, I wouldn't miss it for all the cake in Equestria."
That made Sunny jump and give his mother another great big hug, which she happily returned. They both felt like they needed to catch up after all those years of no hugs.
"We hope… we could be invited to…" another familiar voice broke the moment, causing Sunny and Celestia to look to the door, where princess Luna was standing, her eyes looking sheepishly at Sunny. "We know we've been… cold, to say the least, to you in the past. But… can we also have a fresh start?"
Before anypony could say anything, Sunny walked right up to Luna, causing the princess of the moon to hesitate slightly, but was forced into a hug. "Ah'd love for ya ta be there too, auntie!"
The motion made Luna stiffen. After all the years of her ignoring Sunny, all the years of her cold words and even colder eyes, Sunny was able to not only forgive her just as Celestia had forgiven her for the Nightmare Moon incident, but he even went as far as to call her Auntie!? Returning the hug a little more gently then Sunny, Luna whispered in his ear "thank you…"
Breaking the hug, Sunny met her teary eyes with a wide smile. "We've all been alone, at one place or another fer ah long, long time. Ah think it's time ta just leave th' bad in th' past and focus on th' good times, both ah head and from before. Like when pappy and ah put that fake snake in yer bed!"
Luna's heart felt expression shattered in an instant as memories of that prank from 1000 years ago popped back into her head. "That was you two! We should have known! Ugh! We were afaird to sleep in our own bed for a week after that!"
"April fool's, Auntie!" Sunny's smile widened.
"Now that you mention it" Celestia spoke up before anything else could be said from either Sunny or Luna "I haven't seen pappy in a while…."
"I sure hope he makes it for the party!" Pinkie cheered as she pulled out her party cannon, firing a blast of confetti, streamers, blown up balloons, and random bits of candy while she blew a noisemaker and threw on a party hat.
Far off in the mountains, far from Canterlot
An older colt stood atop a mountain peak watching as a large black dragon began to lay back down for a nice long rest.
"Thank you, Garganda, for trusting me…" Pappy said to his old friend, who probably didn't even hear him. "Ah know it's ah long shot. But it's th' best one we got…"
In the old Colt's hooves was a stone cut into a perfect pyramid like diamond, bright yellow in color, and almost glowing. He quickly secured it in his bag that he kept under his cloak. The mountain top was covered with fresh snow, and the cloak provided little to no release from the cold. But it was the cloak Pappy had with him from the start of this journey that's lasted over 1000 years, no point in changing now.
"Now Sombra boy has one, We have one, and little Celestia has one that she might give to Sunny for safe keeping" Pappy continued to speak. "I'll be Sombra's next target. Ah better make myself difficult ta find. Shouldn't be too hard…"
With that, the elderly Earth pony seemed to just dissapeared in a puff of smoke.
Shifting shadows are hard to find in a blizzard...
Stairing up at a rocky ceiling, Cynical wondered how he was snot crushed by the falling cloud structure that was known as the Rainbow Factory. All around him would have just been darkness had his eyes been anypony else's. But due to the incident that gave him the black and green colored eyes he now has, Cynical easily saw things in pitch black darkness.
The area around him appeared to be part of an underground cave or tunnel. The rocks were wet and dripping, possibly from the lake that was over head. But wherever Cynical was or whatever was causing the rocks to drip didn't really matter. What mattered was what he was going to do now-
"Can you cram it!" Cynical shouted seemingly to nopony, for no pony was around him. "I'm talking to you! Yeah, you! If you're gunna narrate my life, can you please, for the love of Foust, stop doing it like some mediocre British fan writer!? Please!? The stupid formula for how they explain things when they write is sooooo ANNOYING! The rock was wet, abut it didn't matter that the rock was wet, because the rock had no arms to towel itself off' UGH!!!!"
Cynical's plead to the writer was heard by both the individual writing his life as well as the individuals reading it, but it is written as it shall be read. And no matter how it is read is Cynical is at literally 'rock bottom'.
"Oh ha ha! I bet you think you're sooo funny!" Sighing, Cynical pulled himself up, dusted himself off, shook like a dog to get most of the water off of him, then began exploring the area. What else did he have to do?
Getting a better look around, Cynical could see four different paths to take, none with any indication that they would lead to the surface. Not like he was trying to escape, more or less he was just looking for something different about a tunnel to help him make his decision. The grey pegasus eventually just picked one and began walking. He walked and walked, not really caring how long or how far he would walk, just that that was all he could technically do.
The 4th wall breaking trouble maker didn't really have an objective in mind, just to keep moving. 'Not like there's much else for me to do. I'm sure by now I've done all the writer's wanted from me. Maybe now I can be left alone.'
Cynical began to think back about the life he was given, about the background that was forced upon him that broke him and made him into the monster he was today. The story that couldn't be told in this story due to the violance that gave it its rating, but was still ever present in Cynical's mind. Thinking about his story was all Cynical could do as his hooves continued to carry him onward, deeper into the abyss.
His life played over and over in Cynical's mind. From the day he started as a servant for that horrible lady, to the day when he was sentenced to the IronLock prison, and his final show down with Fluttershy, if you could even call it that. Everything he did, every action, reaction and decision he ever made is what made him who he was.
"It's about time you arrived…" a deep voice spoke up, shaking Cynical free from his memories.
Somehow, Cynical had wandered into an underground section where there was an subterrean lake with a wired rock formation at the lake's center, that made it almost look like a giant rock serpent emerging from the water. The area surrounding the lake appeared to be black sand, which looked even eirier with the water of the lake being a dark, but somehow glowing, blue. The figure in question was drapped in a rather clean white cloak, sitting on a rock that looked out onto the lake.
Cynical's heart beat began to pick up, he knew his time had come. Looking at the figure now he knew without a doubt that this was the writer! The writer was foolish enough to put himself in the story, and even more foolish to put himself somewhere where Cynical could spot him! Logic was never Cynical's strong suit, but all rational though was wiped out of the pegasus's mind as he spotted a rather handsome looking weapon off to his side. A tall, black handled scyth with a jagged blade, like razer sharp teeth. There was no hesitation from either Cynical or the writer as Cynical grabbed the scyth with his hoof and leaped forward, flying as fast and as hard as he could at the writer!
With one quick slash, as unseen as a flash of lightning, Cynical cut through the cloaked figure with all his might. The demented grey pegasus didn't stop at one strike, through. No. He continued to hack and slash at the writer with all his might until nothing was left but bits of white rags. All his built up anger and frustration, all his rage and pain, it was all because of this one individual! It was all their fault he hurt and suffered! This was owed to him! Cynical knew without a doubt that he was owed this!... And yet, it was so hollow.
Standing over the remains of what he felt was the writer, Cynical sighed and took a seat next to where the writer had sat moments ago, and just looked out over the dark waters.
The pieces of the white cloak remained still for a moment, laying on the ground with no life to them. But after that moment, each piece began to flutter and shake, as if being picked up by the wind, but there was no wind where they were at. The pieces swirled around in the air then came back together, reforming the figure of the cloaked writer, who's white cloak now had many rips, cuts and tears all over, but was once again in one piece.
"You gave me false hope…Again…" Cynical muttered loudly, never looking at the writer. "I really hate you…"
"I didn't mean to give you false hope" the writer started to say. "I only meant to give you a release from your pain."
"A what!?" Cynical stood up, eyes flared at the writer. "A release from my pain!? Are you making fun of me!? Anypony else could say 'you ruined my life' but NOOOOO! You gave me the knowlage to know I'm nothing more then words on paper, or a computer screen! Worst then that, I know you made me from the very beginning just to be this horrible monster! This dark and monstrous creature that is haunted by a terrible past, with no hope of redemption! All I am is a monster, which is what YOU made me to be! An antagonist!
"That is all I was and all I'll ever be!" Cynical then took the scythe and flung it as hard as he could at the dark watered lake. The bladed weapon whistled as it cut through the air, then landed with a plop on the murky water. Cynical looked back at the writer once again, narrowing his black and green eyes at him. "… So what now? Are you gunna tell me how I have to go back and make good with all those ponies!? Be their 'friend'? Maybe give me a redemption chapter where I turn my whole character around?…"
Turning his head slightly to look upon his dark creation, the writer spoke in an even tone, a tone with no anger, hostility, or much emotion at all. "That, is up to you. I'm cutting you free."
Cynical narrowed his eyes even further at the writer. "Don't lie to me! You were in control from day one! Everypony, everything in this fan fiction of yours was always in your control! Don't act like you can give me 'free will' now! That can never happen! It will never happen! Not so long as I'm just a puppet on strings for you to tell your story of 'Sunny Knight'…"
"It's true" the reiter started to say. "I did give you a R-rated back story to make you into a justifiable antagonist, I was the one who wrote the words that made this world you and I are in right now, and I did start the gears that oup into motion the plot, raising action, sub-plots, adventures that lead to character development, and much more. But that's over now. Well, at least for you…"
The cloaked writer stood up and started to walk away. "You know, maybe your story isn't quite over yet. The story of a 'villain' who knew he was a fictional character, who hated his writer and wished for his demise, but was given his freedom. It sounds like one I'd love to read, more to write."
"You can't just leave me alone, can you?" Cynical spat out. "You have me jump when you want me to jump, fill my mouth with the words you want me to say. I hate you. I hate you so much!"
The writer turned around and faced Cynical "It's taken me years to get over what happened to me to spawn you. But after alot of theropy and self reflecting, I can move past the pain. I suggest you do to, now that I cut you lose. You are no longer a pawn in my work, and can come and go as you please."
Cynical took in everything his creator said, eyes still narrow and sharp as he looked the writer up and down. The grey pegasus's eyes started to grow wide as he realized the severity of the writer's words. "You… you're serious? … I'm free?"
"More then free" the writer told Cynical. "You have a choice. You can chose to stay here and simply vanish from the story. You can leave here down any one of the surrounding tunnels and vanish into the background, like some other characters, you could wish your existence to be over and it will be gone, you could even choose to stay and play one of many parts in my story…"
Pulling out a small pile of papers from under his cloak, the writer tossed them at Cynical's hooves.
"There are at least 15 different parts there you could choose from if you want to continue to be a part of this story until the end. Ranging from major ones that will add to the plot to minor ones that pop up every now and again." The writer explained as Cynical looked from the papers to him. "It's all up to you now, what 'you' want to do with 'your' life. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry…."
The cloaked figure slowly ventured down a dark tunnel. His white image vanishing in the darkness as he left the world he created behind, his white cloak falling to pieces as he left the fictional world behind.
Cynical couldn't believe it. After all this time, everything he has ever done, every part he played, the ponies he's hurt, now it's... It's all over…
The grey pegasus didn't know what to do with himself. He looked at the papers the writer left behind, considered picking them up for a moment, then kicked the papers as hard as he could. The metal clip holding the papers together broke off and the papers went flying all round, most landing in the lake's water. Cynical didn't know what to do. Eventually, the grey pony just walked over to the rock where he and the writer sat, curled up and decided to take a well deserved nap, wondering what a peaceful nap would feel like…
Canterlot Castle
"I'm really sorry to bother you, Princess Celestia, but Fluttershy has been really worried" Twilight Sparkle apologized again, for the fifth time that visit, as she trotted around, her horn flashing with her magical aura as her locater spell dragged her one way then another, eventually leading the princess of friendship into the hedge maze.
"I'm starting to worry too" Celestia stated as she followed behind her faithful student at a more elegant pace. "I've been so busy with collaterol damage from the Gala attack and preparation for Sunny's corrination that I haven't noticed him being gone. I just assumed he was with everypony else down in Ponyville."
Seeing the guilt on her teacher's face, Twilight forced herself to stop, then put a hoof on her shoulder, and shot her teacher a smile when Celestia looked at her student.
"I wouldn't worry" Twilight tried to reassure her teacher. "I'm sure he's just off somewhere pulling pranks or causing minor disturbances like he always does. You know Discord, he's… unpredictable."
The two continued to press on, Celestia not feeling too comfortable with Twilight's statement. Causing trouble and pulling pranks may be some of Discord's greatest pass times, but he would never just ignore Fluttershy if she called him. Something was wrong and both alicorn princess could feel it.
Twilight's horn took the two princesses through the hedge maze, following Discord's movements to a 'T', every turn, every pause, exactly as the Draconaquis had made that night he disappeared. Eventually Twilight and Celestia arrived back at the statue that held the fake gem Sombra was looking for, where Sunny and the rest just missed him, and where Sunny had regained his final missing memory, the memory that Celestia was his mother. But now there was something else the two princesses noticed. Something that could have been overlooked if clouded by the cover of night. A pile of rubble not belonging to any statue around, that carried with it the slight essance of a dark magic spell.
Twilight's horn began to flare and flash as she pointed it to the pile of rubble. A rather confused Twilight looked from her horn, that was now returning to it's natural state, the spell now completed it's mission, to the pile of debris. "I don't understand.Why did my horn lead us-"
Twilight started to say but put her hooves to her mouth when she realized what it meant, the locator spell leading her there, and flashed at a broken pile of some statue.
"Sombra must have turned Discord to stone... and smashed the statue…" Celestia stated in a heavy tone, her head hung low.
Fighting against tears, Twilight looked to her teacher in desperation. "Is there anything we can do to help him!? Anything?"
"I can try a restoration spell" Celestia stated, her voice neither hopeful nor hopeless. "But if all the pieces aren't here, it won't work."
"We have to try… please…" Twilight told her teacher, the tears building up in the corners of her eyes. Discord was never one of Twilight's favorite friends, but he was a friend. Despite all the trouble he causes, all the pranks he pulled, and all the times he's made her want to pull out her own hair, he was still a friend. And if she didn't do everything in her power to help him, what kind of friend was she? How could she ever face Fluttershy ever again?
"I will do my best" Celestia told her student as she took a breath, trying to relax to allow herself the best chance to focus on the spell. There was no room for error. Celestia's golden magical aura wrapped around and covered the pieces of Discord's broken statue body. The pieces began to shake and shuffle around, then began to come together. Piece by piece the broken bits of the stone creature began to fall into place, fitting togeather like a jigsaw puzzle. It had taken a little bit of strain on the princess of the sun, but it was not the most difficult spell she had ever tried.
Nearly every piece had fallen back into place, and the image of Discord in stone was in solid view. Just as the final smallest pieces were lining back up, the statue nearing it's full restoration, Twilight noticed something was off about Discord. More specifically his smile. It wasn't until what seemed like the final piece was put into place, Celestia tying off the spell, did Twilight realize what was wrong.
"There's a piece missing!" Twilight said in a hushed tone, hoping that she was wrong and the missing tooth would just appear last minute. But it didn't.
The aura that glowed around the statue disappated and the image of the draconaquis shattered once again, resuming a pile of rubble.
After a horrifying moment of silence, something started to flicker from Discord's stone eye. A projection spell that the mad creature must have set before he was turned to stone. A 6 inch image of Discord himself, dressed in a white cloak, with cinnamon buns hanging from both sides of his head was being projected from his stone left eye infront of Twilight and Celestia. "Hello? Hello, is this spell working? Ok. If anypony is listening to this, which I assume either Twilight or Celestia are, it means I've been turned to stone and my statue smashed. If either of you can't rebuild the statue, it's because King Sombra took a piece as insurance that I won't meddle in his plans. Wise move.
"If you are there Celestia… I tried to set things right" Discord looked ashamed, head hanging low. "I was terrible to you and Sunny, now I'm paying the price. I tried to set things right… but I guess you can't do that for everything... I wish you guys the best of luck in your battle against King Sombra. I wish I could have helped more… and, if you could, tell Fluttershy I'm sorry. I'm going to miss our weekly get-together. And I'm sorry, because I know I'm going to make her cry pretty hard… oh! And one more thing! Save me Obi-Wan Kanobi, you are my only hope…"
With that, the image faded, the stone eye returning to normal, the spell now completed. The two alicorn princesses remained silent for a long moment.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Twilight was now crying lightly as she stared at the pile of rubble.
"There is only one thing" Celestia's tone was hard and fierce, any tears replaced by a burning fire. "We stop Sombra and get that missing piece back."
Little did the Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight know that an ally of theirs wasn't far away, listening to their conversation. Pappy had snuck back into Canterlot castle to survey the damage, unable to believe that Sombra did all this damage, when he came across those two fillies. Curious, he had followed them, though he didn't know what to expect. Now, having heard all he did, he knew what he had to do. Looking down at the yellow stone he kept safely by his side, planning to maybe give it to Sunny for safer keeping, the old colt knew what he had to do. With a heavy sigh, Pappy steadily made his way out of the hedge maze, knowing just where to find that trouble making colt of his, Sombra.…
Manehatten
White Out was a little nervous to return to her old work place. Not because her old crab of a boss was there, he was actually forced to retire by his wife who was tired of his stress level. White Out had actually heard that her old boss's niece was now in charge of the paper, and was alot more easier to deal with. But what she was afraid of was whether or not she was going to be able to get her job back at all.
Taking one last deep breath, White Out pressed the button on the elavader door that would take her to the news floor. The whole way up, White Out bounced back from looking at the doors to the folder she and Feza put togeather of the Black Knight/Sunny story. Another deep breath, and the journalist steadied her mind. 'I can do this. I was born to do this. This isn't just my job, it's my passion. I've never let anything keep me down before. Not my eye sight, not a few cumsy moves, nothing! Now I have a story that will make history and I'm the one to report it!'
The self given pep talk was all the grey pegasus needed to turn her nerves from jello to steel. When the doors of the elevator opened to the busy news room, everypony paused brifly to look up at White Out, who calmly and confidently walked out and onto the news floor, making her way steadily to the boss's office.
Knocking once on the door, without hesitation or pressure from the eyes that White Out knew were on her, a feminine voice spoke up "come in."
Stepping inside, White Out began to work her magic on the mare at the desk. "Ma'am, I got a story for you that's gunna go down in history! A story as old as Celestia's rule and just as magical! It's the hottest story since Twilight Sparkle became a princess! We won't be able to print the papers fast enough!"
The mare at the desk was a light green unicorn with honey colored eyes and mane to match. She looked up at White Out, gave a half smile and told her "have a seat, and please, close the door behind you…"
White Out did and continued to work her magic. If there was ever a pony born who could not only get the dirt or she's some light on a story, well, that was White Out. She wasn't lying to herself when she gave herself that pep talk. It was all true, and she knew it in her heart.
After a brief explanation of the whole story, making sure to keep out alot of the juicy parts to conceal her hand a little, White Out looked to the new boss mare of the paper and asked "So, do you want the story? And am I hired?"
The Boss mare looked White Out in the eye for a moment, reading her through her eyes. She could tell the mare infront of her was the real deal. A real go getter who would go to further lengths to get her story more so then anypony else she had ever met. There was no doubt she wanted this mare to work for her, but she was no fool. She knew how to play her cards too. "You can have your job back at the pay you felt off at, plus two weeks payed vacation."
"That's an ok thing" White Out started to say, picking the papers for her story up off the desk. "But I want a three bit an hour raise, four weeks payed vacation, and my own office. With 'real' walls, not a cubical."
Raising a brow at White Out, the boss mare thought about it for a moment, then replied "I can give you the raise, but two weeks vacation, and the office next to mine. It's smaller, but has a great view."
Thinking it over, White out played with the idea, stuck her head out the office door for a moment to look where the other office was, then pulled her head back into the Boss mare's office. "Two weeks, the office, the three bit raise, plus Hearths Warming off, and you have yourself a deal."
The Boss mare smiled fully as she pulled out a contract and began filling it out for White Out, adding in the other agreements to her employment. When all was said and done, White Out and her new boss shared a toast of sparkling cider.
"I finally have a decent reporter" the Boss told White out as she took a sip. "You know I'm going to expect alot of work out of you."
"And you'll get it" White Out sipped her sparkling drink. "After this one publishes, I have a follow up story. I happen to have an invite to let's to a certain Prince's coronation cerimony…"
"I don't know if I can do ok this…" Sunny said with a dry mouth, his heart pounding a million miles per hour, his hooves feeling sweaty.
"You'll be fine" Applejack reasured him as she helped to straiten out the cloak on his Black Knight suit of armor. "Just act natural. Like ya do with us."
It was the day of Sunny's coronation, as well as the ceremony to honor the New guardians of Harmony and the Elements of Harmony for their hard work on repelling the Changelings and forces of Sombra's army. Although, some felt the celebration was not called for, especially after what happened to Discord. Fluttershy didn't leave her cottage all week. Her friends were over every day doing their best to help her get through this, reasuring her that they would get him back, but it was still hard to see her friend as a pile of rocks. Sunny blamed himself, knowing it was his father who had done the horrible deed. Couple that with the fact that nearly all the Changelings and most of Sombra's guards escaping, the battle felt less like a victory. The only things that made the Elements and Guardians feel any better about it were that no pony was hurt and Sunny and his mother, Princess Celestia, were reunited after 1000 years. That latter fact was why Sunny was willing to go along with this at all. The truth had to be known about them. He may have brought White Out, her husband Thunder Veil and the assistant Fesa to record and later report everything, but the ceremony would solidify their writings. But there was alot that went with it. Standing there in the Apple Family's farm house, knowing what awaited him just beyond the front door made Sunny more nervous then being in a cage full of angry Timberwolves.
"That's easier said then done" Sunny told his special somepony as he looked into a mirror. He was once again looking at the Legendary Black Knight, a prince of the Crystal Empire, somepony he rather forget about. "I was perfectly happy just being 'Sunny, an Apple farmer from Ponyville', but now I have to be 'Prince Solggiato Cavelere, the Black Knight' again…"
Something clicked in his mind, something some ponies said long ago that didn't make sense at the time, but began to piece together after he repeated their words. Sunny didn't have long to dwell on the words of the past.
"You listen here" Applejack grabbed Sunny's head with both hooves and forced him to turn and look at her. "You'll always be 'Sunny' no matter what ya do. Whether yer ah 'apple farmer from Ponyville', ah 'prince' or even ah 'sofa sales pony'. Titles don't make ya who ya are, 'you' make ya who ya are. An' if ya ask me, yer ah ripe good stallion, and ah wonderful pony. And ya deserve ta be recognized fer it."
"I couldn't have said it better myself" a familiar, motherly voice rang out from just down the hallway from where Sunny and Applejack were. Princess Celestia emerged from the dark hallway, dressed in her sceramonial dress, smiling at both Applejack and Sunny.
"Princess, ah was just-" Applejack started to get nervous and sumble over her words a bit. But Princess Celestia smiled and spoke up.
"It's ok Applejack. I was just coming in here to do the very same thing" Celestia said as she casually walked up to her son and his mare friend. "You know, Sunny always gets nervous before ceremonies, even if he has nothing he needs to do but stand there and smile."
"Really? He did a pretty awesome job with all those modivational speeches" Thunderlane's voice caught the attention of Sunny, Applejack and Princess Celestia. Looking over, they saw not just Thunderlane, but the rest of the new Guardians of Harmony, Thunderlane, Derpy, Doctor Whooves, and Octavia and Big Mac. All were dressed and groomed for the big event, all proud to not eat not be Guardians, but to be standing there with their friends, sharing their victory, ready to declare to Equestria who they were.
"That's in th' heat of th' moment" Sunny started to say, his accent returning. Without him seeing, Celestia smiled as she noticed her son relaxed a little. "It's like goin' on ah rollercoaster, it has ah long build up till th' first drop! Ah hate that "
"Awwwww so no trips to Las Pegasus's famous roller coasters!?" Derpy pouted, sounding cute and disappointed.
Shaking his head, Sunny put the frightening idea of roller coasters aside. "What are ya'll doin' in here?"
"Waitin' fer you" Big Mac simply said with an easy smile on his muzzle.
"Like it or not, you are the pony almost everypony came to see" Doctor stated flatly, but broke his stone look with a cocky smile of his own. "But don't be afraid, we're here with you. We're not just a team, we're friends."
"Let's go out there and give them the show they all came to see" Octavia smiled at Sunny as well as she combed back her mane with her hoof.
"You'll do just fine" Celestia lowered her head to be just a little closer to her son, now looking him in the eye. "Just relax, and be yourself. Let them see the real you, not the you you think you have to be. After all, you've done some amazing things just being yourself. I know, I've seen them. Remind me to show you the Celestial plane later."
Before anything else could be said, Kibitz, the elderly assistant to Celestia and Luna, walked in, pocket watch in his hoof. "It's time! Let's not keep the guests waiting!"
He then paused, eyes locked on Sunny. He then approached the yellow unicorn and offered his extended hoof. "I must say it is an honor, sir. My name is Kibitz, and if there is anything I can do for you, please, don't hesitate to ask."
Without skipping a beat, Sunny smiled at Kibitz, and his accent asked "could ya put this armor on an' walk out there for me?"
The New Guardians laughed, Applejack Laughed, even Princess Celestia laughed a little, trying to hide her laughter behind her foreleg. Kibitz looked at Sunny, shook his head and mumbled 'definatly related', before saying "Please, it is time."
Kibitz then left Sunny and the others behind as he exited the farm house, heading to the open area of the farm where the stage and seats had been set up. Though more seats had to be improvised. There were three times the ponies and other creatures then they expected to show up, including members of the Apple Family who came from all across Equestria to see the prince that moved onto the farm. Not everyday you learn of a secret son of a princess, let alone him living on a family farm. Princess Celestia didn't see a need for anymore words of encouragement, so she teleported out of the farm house to rejoin her sister Princess Luna at the stage.
Taking one last deep breath, helmet under hoof, Sunny looked over at his friends who were smiling back at him. "Well, here we go."
Walking out of the farm house, Sunny was amazed by the large crowd that had gathered for the ceremony. Not just ponies had arrived, but dragons as well! Only a dozen or so. One in particular beening as big as the barn itself. Torch stood with several smaller dragons around him. Sunny also recognized one of the smaller dragons as being Torch's daughter and current Dragon Lord, Ember. Along with dragons were three yeti that Sunny recognized from the Gala. He was glad they were still wanting to mingle with ponies after what happened. Continuing to take deep breaths, Sunny lead the other guardians out of the farm house and up an isle. Once ponies saw them emerging from house, a few began to cheer and stomp their hooves. Out of the corner of his eye, Sunny saw a number of the Crystal Royal guard there, Ipsy and the three siren sisters in their land walking forms, Rosewood sat next to them, and even Comic Stan was in the crowd. It actually made Sunny smile. But he didn't stop until he reached the stage where his mother, his aunt Luna, as well as the Elements of Harmony, Cadence and Shinning Armor all stood in formal attire, all smiling at the New Guardians.
Once Sunny and his friends were on stage, Princess Celestia stepped forward and spoke using the royal Canterlot voice, allowing all the guests to hear her. "Welcome everypony, we are here today to celebrate and acknowlage Equestria's newest protectors. These ponies here have banned togeather and saved Equestria from great and terrible forces, and I trust they will continue to do so in the near future. Please step forward when I call your name and I will present you with a metal of honor. Doctor Whooves…"
Doctor smiled as he walked up to Princess Celestia. He lowered his head, and she placed a metal with a purple ribbon around his neck, then he stepped back in line, rejoining his friends. The same was done for Octavia, Thunderlane, and Big Mac, who had no problem going up and receiving their respective awards, the ribbons of each metal matched the color of the element for each guardian. When it was Derpy's turn, though, she started to walk up to princess Celestia, but caught her hoof on a loose board. She fell over and landed flat infront of princess Celestia, who shot her an awkward smile before levitating the poor, clumsy mare up, to her hooves with her magical aura. After dusting Derpy off a bit and seeing if she was ok, Celestia place her metal around her neck, and watched carefully as Derpy trotted back in line and stood by her friends. There was only one last guardian of Harmony to address now. The one alot of ponies and other creatures came to see.
"Prince Solggiato, please step forward" princess Celestia adressed Sunny by his birth name.
Taking one last deep breath, looking from his friends, to Applejack, to his mother, remembered what they all said to him, and began to walk up the stage. He could feel so many eyes on him as he took every step. Sunny felt like at any moment something was going to go wrong, another part of the reason why he hated ceremonies like this. But he didn't fall, didn't trip, and no pony said a thing. All silently watched as Sunny reached his mother, smiled and bowed.
"Prince Solggiato, you have continued to prove yourself worthy of both your Princely title, your Knightood, and now as a 'Guardian of Harmony'. You have done everything you can to keep the peace in Equestria, to aid your fellow pony, and to stop those who seek to disrupt the peace and Harmony. We are forever in your debt" Princess Celestia smiled at her son as she placed the metal around his neck. "But there is one more thing you deserve today."
Princess Celestia turned and faced the crowd. "1000 years ago, Prince Solggiato lived in the Crystal Empire along with his father, King Sombra. It was there he was crowned a prince at a very young age. Too young to ever remember. But today is a new day. And on this day, I bestow upon you, the title you always had and hid, a prince of Equestria!"
Lowing his head, Sunny allowed his mother to present to him a silver band with a single green gem embeded into it, ontop of his head, resting it slightly above his brow. Raising his head to look at his mother, Sunny smiled, then looked out to the crowd, and spoke in his royal Canterlot voice so every creature could hear him. "Ponies, Dragons, yeti, and all else who came out to see us, I want to say thank you.
"1000 years ago, my world was very small" Sunny started to say. "I kept to myself, and did whatever I could to bring peace to others and to try and be worthy of my title, as well as make my parents proud. Who, if you ask them, like all parents, they would say they are always proud" Sunny joked, earninng smile amongst the crowd. "I've learned since then that I don't have to do things all on my own, and that having friends by your side to help you, and you help them in turn, makes the things you accomplish in life that much better, because you can share them with ponies who care about you."
Looking from his mother to his aunt Luna, to Applejack, Twilight and their friends, then to Doctor, Derpy, the rest of the Guardians of Harmony, to Cadence and Shinning Armor, then to all the ponies and various creatures in the crowd, Sunny was able to share the biggest smile he had ever had as he spoke from the heart. "I can honestly say that I'm the luckiest pony in all of Equestria to have all the friends and family that I do. I promise you all that I will continue to serve my fellow pony, as well as any other creature in need, and maybe make more friends along the way."
"Three cheers for prince Solggiato!" One of the Crystal royal guards cheered.
Right as ponies began to cheer, Sunny raised a hoof, stopping them in their tracks. "No! From now on, you all may call me Sunny, Sunny Knight!"
The crowd broke out into loud cheers, hoof stomps, roars and howls. Everypony, every dragon, and every other creature present cheered in applause for the crowning of Equestria's virtuous Prince Sunny.
After the actual ceremony, every creature was invited to partake of the largest feast Sweet Apple Acres had ever seen since the last Apple Family reunion. Everypony and evercreature wanted to shake hooves and speak with Sunny and the new Guardians of Harmony. Food, games, story telling, and somepony even brought the equipment for jousting! To truly put the past behind them, Sunny and Shinning Armor had a friendly joisting match, with Shinning Armor being the winner. Afterwards both stallions shook hooves, then entered into the bobbing for apples contest, Sunny proved victorious at that competition. But everypony had watches as the two yeti brothers Mac and Tosh tried their hands at joisting. It didn't go very well, but Sunny was able to repair the broken equipment with a quick spell. When the sun began to set, the party started to die down, most guest had taken their leave, say for the Apple Family members who were visiting from out of town.
"Ah feel like we should help clean up" Sunny told Applejack who offered him his signature Stetson hat, which Sunny gladly put on over his crown. The two pieces of headwear seemed to fit together perfectly.
"Don't ya worry none 'bout the clean up, it won't take long" Applejack reassured him. "Why don't ya go relax with yer mom, ah'm sure she'd like ta be seeing alot more of ya. An' ah know it goes without sayin, but she's welcome here any time."
Smiling back at the orange farm mare he fell in love with, Sunny leaned in and gave Applejack a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Sugar cube. That's mighty sweet of ya. Ah'll let her know."
It didn't take Sunny long to find his mother. She was standing on the farm house porch, looking out I to the sea of apple trees, lost in thought.
When Sunny approached her, Princess Celestia turned and smiled gently at him. "It feels like a dream. I still can't believe I've finally found you after all this time."
"I feel the same" Sunny said, nervously adjusting the Stetson on his head.
Celestia casually approached her son, looking him over from a few different angles before telling Sunny "it's a good look for you. You are so handsome. You are just the spitting image of your father."
"Funny, Dad always said I looked alot like you, especially when I smile" Sunny admitted to his mother.
The thoughts and memories of his father were bitter sweet to Celestia, Sunny could easily see the conflict in her eyes. The love, pain, happiness and torment.
"We'll get him back" Sunny tried to cheer his mother up. "Something ain't right. He wouldn't do all he had done or said what he said if something else wasn't more going on. Ah feel it."
"I hope you're right" Celestia sighed, then pushed the thoughts of Sombra out of her mind, trying to focus on the stallion infront of her. "But let's enjoy this day. I want to enjoy being reunited with my son, and being able to claim him as my son in public. No more secrets."
"It's feels really good" Sunny smiled at his mother. "I hope you don't mind, I know it's been so long, and you live in Canterlot, but I kinda have a home here in Ponyville... On th' farm…"
"I asumed you would, and prepared for that" Celestia then levitated a gift she had hidden and presented it to Sunny. The gift itself wasn't wrapped and left Sunny guessing for a moment. Why his mother would present him with a large mirror with a gold, white and purple frame stumped Sunny for a moment. Then a lightbulb flickered on in his head. A quick smile to his mother who nodded back confirmed Sunny's suspicion.
Sticking one hoof to the mirror, Sunny's hoof went through and disappeared into the mirror, almost as if he stuck his hoof into a puddle of water. Without any further hesitation, Sunny pressed forward, walking through the mirror like a doorway. Once fully through, Sunny got a better look at his suroundings. He had emerged from the mirror to end up the throne in Canterlot Castle.
The stained glass windows that portrayed main events in pony history were a big give away. Sunny had never been there before, the castle being built long after he was sealed away, but he had read about it and seen pictures in books. The castle was more beautiful then he imagined. Sunny couldn't help but notice alot of the stained glass windows were of Applejack, Twilight and thier friends. But one window in particular caught Sunny's attention.
It was on the side of the room opposite to the stained glass with Applejack and the others facing nightmare moon. It was very similar, with an evil looking pony at the center, but all around him were 12 other ponies that Sunny instantly recognized as his friends, the Guardians of Harmony, as well as Applejack's friends, the Elements of Harmony.
'That was our fight against Charming Knightmare' Sunny looked up at it in awe. 'our first battle and our first victory fighting as the new Guardians of Harmony.'
Sunny went back through the mirror and reemerged at Sweet Apple Acres, his mother waiting for his response.
Without skipping a beat, Sunny smiled up at her "Now we won't ever be far apart at all."
"I'm glad you like it" Celestia gave Sunny a hug once again, him returning the embrase. "I could never ask you to leave the place you call home, but I want you to be close to me as well. I'm glad you're ok with this."
"I'm more then glad" Sunny told her as he broke the hug. Looking her in the eye. "Now you could come over for dinners, take a break from work and enjoy some fresh home made apple pie, and-"
"And be the family we always wanted?" Celestia smiled down at her son, tears growing at the far corners of her eyes. "Nothing would make me.more happy."
"We're all glad ta have ya" Applejack's voice caught Sunny and Celestia's attention. They both had been so drawn into her own world that they didn't notice the four ponies standing on the porch with them. Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith all stood by, watching Sunny and his mother. "Ya'll are welcome here anytime. Ah told Sunny before, any family ah his is family and ours."
"Eh'yep" Big Mac smiled and grinned.
"Darn tootin'!" Granny agreed, chuckling to herself.
"Hey! Wait ah minutet!" Apple Bloom jumped infront of her sister, catching the orange farm pony, and almost everypony else off guard. "If Sunny's ah prince now, does that mean if he married Applejack, that she'll be a princess!?"
This caused Sunny and Applejack to turn red in the cheeks and look away awkwardly, while Granny, Big Mac and Princess Celestia all chuckled lightly.
"Ah think ah best be putting this up somewhere safe. Like mah room" Sunny wrapped his magical aura around the mirror and began to maneuver it into the house.
"Ah think ah'll help ya with that!" Applejack said as she followed quickly behind the yellow unicorn.
Once the two of them were out of ear shot, the three adults laughed a little louder at the cute scene that took place before their eyes, while Apple Bloom just stood there, still waiting for somepony to answer her question.….
"Sorry 'bout Apple Bloom" Applejack said as she opened the door to Sunny's room while he focused on trying to maneuver the large mirror in safely.
"It's alright Applejack" Sunny reassured her as he backed up, focusing on the mirror. He was so focused on the mirror that he didn't notice Applejack stop, and ended up bumping into her with his back side. "Oh! Sorry."
Applejack didn't say anything for a moment as Sunny put the mirror off to the corner, safely securing it to an open part of the wall. But when the shock was over, Applejack asked in a hushed voice, her eyes never leaving what had caught her off guard. "Sunny… is he a friend of yours…"
"Is who a-" Sunny started to ask as he turned around, shocked to find somepony he had never met before sitting at his work desk, all the books and other things he had on there had been pushed onto the ground carelessly. What had taken their place on his desk was the chess set that Sunny received mysteriously on his birthday.
A grey Pegasus stallion with a white mane and tail had ben sitting at his desk, looking over the positions of the pieces, studying them. What was most frightning and haunting about the stallion's presence were his eyes. Black where it would normally be white with glowing green for their Iris color. Those eyes were note natural, and made Applejack and Sunny's sences unsure of what to feel. Lifting up one piece, the grey pegasus spoke with a certain sharpness in his voice "so 'you' are the prodical son, eh? I think the writer would have liked us to meet in a more subtle, possibly less threatening way. But I don't really care what he wants."
"Th' who?" Applejack asked, raising a brow at the stranger.
Ignoring Applejack's guesgion, the stranger turned back to the chess set. "What a terrible, wonderful game this is. You have all your pieces lined up on one side or the other. You know who your friends are and who your enemies are… or do you?"
The stranger then grabbed a black piece that looked strangely like himself, pulled out a bucket, then dipped the piece in the bucket. Applejack and Sunny both watched cautiously, but curiously, at the grey pegasus. Sunny, though, felt something more off about the stallion then his unnatural aura.
Something didn't feel right about this pony. More then his haunting eyes or careless actions, it was something deeper. Something Sunny never felt before. When it hit him, Sunny felt more on edge, felt a stranger need to keep up his guard around this pony then anything else he ever encountered. 'This guy has no fear of any kind.'
"That's very correct, young protagonist" the stranger said before pulling the piece out of the bucket. The bucket itself was full of paint. Grey paint. The figure of himself from the chess set was now a grey color just a few shades lighter then himself. "One thing you need to get through your head, your father is doing what he believes is right. He isn't misguided, he isn't hypnotized or under a spell. Your father believes it is time to release his kind and let them take revenge on those who wronged them. Aka, the ponies of Equestria. So you have to choose; stop him and keep half of your 'family' locked away or let the ponies and other creatures of this world suffer. But you can't stop Sombra and save him. That won't work this time."
"And who are 'you' ta tell him what he can or can't do!?" Applejack jumped in, getting more and more annoyed at the grey stallion.
The stranger then placed the chess piece that looked like him, now painted grey off to the side, off the board. "I'm just somepony not playing this game anymore. I stopped by as a final goodbye, maybe, and leave knowing I woke you up to reality. You can't make everypony happy, not every creature gets a happy ending, and when it comes down to it, you have to choose between your father and his kind or the ponies who you consider to be worth fighting for. It's your choice, but you'll need to choose soon and fast. Not evercreature wins in this game…"
Before anypony could say anything else, the grey stallion jumped out the open second story window and flew off into the night. Applejack and Sunny raced to the window and watched the creepy and insightful, grey pegasus vanish in the dark of the night. Maybe to never be seen again. But nopony except 'he' can decide that…
The morning after Sunny's coronation and the honoring of the new Guardians of Harmony, the newly recrowned prince woke up feeling rested and ready to begin the day. Although Applejack had told him he could take it easy today Sunny still woke up before the roosters had time to crow. An easy day on the farm meant just making sure the animals are fed and any supplies that arrived were out to and rotated properly. The apple fields and baking could wait till tomorrow. It was what most ponies could consider a simple life, working on a farm, but it was a life that allowed Sunny to enjoy the finer things. Gold, silver, jewels, all those things were nice, but what really made life worth living were friends, family, and the time spent with them, those were the finer things in life. Memories and bonds that outweighed any shinny coin or piece of jewelry.
Getting up and stretching, Sunny took a moment to look around his room, admiring all the trinkets he's aquired since he first started living on the apple farm. A family photo of him, Applejack, Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom infront of the barn. A suvanier rock doll from the pie family farm when they spent Hearths Warming with them, that was certainly an eventful holiday. The chess set from his birthday that now had blobs of grey paint all over the board from that mysterious and creepy pegasus last night. Looking past the game board, Sunny saw the tickets to the comic convention he promised to take Spike to, as well as the ticket stubs from the Galla where things were… interesting, to say the least, next to his slightly torn mask from said Galla. Three small bags of the teleporting gems (he planned on showing everypony how to use them in case of an emergency) we just to the left, a pile of books that Sunny promised Twilight he would hurry and finish reading and return to her library were at the far left corner of his desk. Then Sunny noticed somethingwas missing. A trinquet he didn't quite understand yet, but thought it would be wise to keep close at hoof.
His father's birthday gift to him, that dark Crystal Orb.
Getting up and out of bed, not even putting on his hat, Sunny steadily walked over to his desk and looked all around for the dark Crystal Orb. But as he approached his desk, Sunny's eyes caught sight of some small note right where the orb used to be. Sunny unfolded the paper and began to read the familiar hoof writing belonging to Pappy.
Dear Sunny,
Hope ya don't mind me borrowin' yer Orb.
Love ta th' family and yerself, Pappy
PS: ya looked great out there, mah prince of Virtue.
PPS: ah left ah rubber snake in th' cubbord. Don't tell th' girls!
Half of Sunny wanted to smile and shake his head at Pappy still being Pappy. But the other half was slightly concerned. 'Why did Pappy need the orb? Did he know what it was? Why didn't he tell me?'
But something else diverted Sunny's attention from his father's missing birthday gift. A voice. Low and mousy at first, but very, very present, almost as if it was somepony whispering right in his ear.
'… I hope they don't find me…' a shaken and timid voice whimpered. 'I just want to be left alone…'
Sunny looked frantically round his room, out his window, in the closet and even under his bed. But he was, without a shadow of a doubt, alone in his room. Then the yellow unicorn thought to check on the other Apples. He quietly traveled from one room to another, cracking the doors open to see everypony was still sound asleep.
But the voice kept crying out 'I hope nopony finds me… I'm scared… I don't want to hurt anypony… I just want to be left alone…'
Without meaning to, Sunny wandered out of the farm house, almost in a transe like state, following where he felt the voice coming from. A primal instinct had him walking on hoof steps as quiet as an owl's wing beats as he followed this 6th seance to the source of the voice.
'I don't want to hurt anypony… I just want to be left alone…' the voice continued to cry.
Before he knew it, Sunny was standing infront of the barn, the frightened voice never grew any louder, but some feeling deep inside Sunny was telling him that the pony in destress was inside.
'…I hope no pony finds me… please… I'm all alone… I'm scared…'
Putting a hoof on the barn door, Sunny slowly pushed it open, cautious as to what may be inside.
'oh no! Somepony's coming! …I need to hide!…" The voice reacted to the door opening.
The barn was dark with the shutters closed, no lantern lit to illuminate it either, which made finding the scared pony all the more difficult. But Sunny knew there was somepony there, somepony who was scared, and something deep down inside him was telling him to find them.
"Is somepony there?" Sunny called out to the darkness, but nopony answered. He didn't think they would, honestly. "Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you."
'He knows I'm here… this is bad… very bad…' the voice continued to say, the level of fear rising.
"Please come out" Sunny called out once again, taking a few steps towards the center of the barn, eyes adjusting to the little light in the structure. "I know you're scared. But it's ok. I won't hurt you. I just want to help."
Several long moments past and Sunny received no answer, but he knew the worried pony my was listening. He still scenced the fear and worry. After the hidden pony thought it over, he finally replied "I don't want you to be afraid. I was just passing through and needed a place to stay and rest. I'll leave now, I dont want any trouble."
"I'm sure Applejack would be ok if you stuck around for breakfast" Sunny started to say, trying to keep his tone open and friendly. "I bet you're hungry."
"You have no idea…" the pony mumbled, but then adressed Sunny again. "Thank you for the offer, but I can't. I should get going."
"Is there anything I could offer you before you leave?" Sunny continued. "A flashlight? Some food?"
The voice fell silent for a moment, pondering what Sunny said. "Why are you being so nice to me? You don't even know what I look like."
"A pony's looks shouldn't matter" Sunny answered sincerely, hoping the hidden pony would show themselves. "I know you're scared, and I want to help."
Taking a deep breath, the hidden pony emerged from a pile of straw on the second floor of the barn. Sunny watched in hidden shock as the pony in question jumped down from the second floor and buzzed down, landing a safe distance away from Sunny.
Hidding his shock at the changeling infront of him, Sunny focused on the more important issue. "So… would you like something like a slice of apple pie? Or some toast and eggs?"
The changeling was shocked by Sunny's question. "Why are you being so nice to me? I'm a changeling. Dont you want to, like, run and scream? Gran your tourches and pitch forks?"
"Why would I do that?" Sunny asked simply, seeming confused by the question. He knew exactly why the nervous changeling would feel that way, but the newly re-crowned prince wanted to make a point.
"Because… well, Changelings don't have the best reputation with ponies" the insect like creature stated, his tone reluctant, as if he wanted to just crawl under a rock and hide. "Especially after what happened in Canterlot at the royal wedding."
"May I ask what 'you' were doing during that time?" Sunny asked, keeping his tone very nutrial to allow the changeling the freedom to speak his true feelings.
"I was part of the attack, but I didn't really do much" the changeling explained, seeming to come a little more out of his shell. "Especially when I saw the friendship that those six ponies, the ones fighting off the army. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before! Real friendship!"
Something wavered inside the changing at that moment that Sunny could sence. His fear started to disapate and was replaced by something new, brighter. A flicker of hope. Small, but very strong. Sunny took this and ran with it. "Aren't Changelings friends? I mean, there's a whole swarm of you. Aren't you all, well, family?"
The changeling looked a little reluctant to admit it, but informed Sunny "We are. Clutch siblings are closer, but I'm kind of the odd ball out. The others are more… well, wild. I keep a good distance from eachother. And, well, I tried to get closer to some. But that… didn't end well…"
Even though he had shed his exoskeleton recently, casting off much of the top scratches and scars from his insect like body, Sunny could still see deep wounds still barely visible that the Changeling beared. "Who did that to you? Ponies?"
"No…" the changeling knew what Sunny was asking about. "The others were ordered to punish me for my lack of, well, viciousness. Queen Chrysalis didn't like how I wanted to make friends and share friendship, so she made them rough me up to make me more like them..."
'That is a great source of his pain' Sunny thought, knowing it to be true. "I'm sorry to hear that. You know, you and I are alot alike."
Tearing the changeling's attention away from his painful past, he looked at Sunny with enough curiocity to ignore his fear. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not a pony, well, not full anyway" Sunny explained. "I'm half Umbrum."
"I think I heard of Umbrum before" the changeling tried to remember where he heard of them.
"Like Changelings, they are feared by ponies. Creatures who's bodies are shadow. But instead of feeding on love, they feed on fear." Sunny explained.
"Is that how you knew I was hear?" The changeling asked, appearing nervous once more. "Did you come here to feed on my fear?"
Sunny paused for a moment, thinking to himself. Speaking his thoughts out loud, Sunny tuned back to face the changeling, smiled, and said "No. I came here 'because' I felt you were scared and I wanted to help you."
"By eating my fear?" The changeling was still a little worried.
"No. I just wanted to see if I could help you." Sunny shook his head lightly, still smiling, and held out his hoof to the changeling. "My name is Solggiato, Solggiato Cavelere. But may friends call me Sunny. What's yer name, pal?"
The changeling looked at Sunny, then his hoof, then back to him. He was hesitant, but something deep inside the changeling told him he could trust the yellow halfling. Returning a small smile, the changeling grabbed Sunny's hoof and shook it lightly. "T-Thorax. My name is Thorax."
"Mighty pleased ta meet yer acquaintance, Thorax" Sunny tipped his hat to him. "Would ya like ta come on in an' meet th' family. The Apples are all really nice ponies. Ah'm sure they'd welcome ya with open hooves once they got ah chance ta know ya."
Thorax seemed to ponder it for a moment, but shook his head. "I just wanted a place to rest for a bit. I've been journeying around Equestria for a while, trying to find a home. But I was told to head north to the Crystal Empire. That something would be there waiting for me."
A little discouraged, Sunny nodded and accepted Thorax's answer. "As ya wish. Ya can rest here as long as ya want. Ah'll even keep everypony else away while ya rest. But let me atleast pack ya ah few things ta hold ya over. What do ya like ta eat?"
Thorax thought for a moment, then nervously asked "what's your favorite thing to make? What do you enjoy making?"
"Well…" Sunny thought for a moment, longer then she really needed. He knew the answer. "Ah've gotten real good at making the Apple Family apple pie. It was th' first thing ah learned ta make when ah came here. I've made it with Granny, Big Mac, Applejack, AppleBloom, and even Pinkie when she came over to help with orders."
"I'll take one of those, if you don't mind" Thorax seemed excited and thankful to the yellow unicorn.
"Mah, pleasure, anything ta help out a friend" Sunny then began to happily trot out of the barn.
"Wait!" Thorax called out, catching Sunny off guard. As the yellow stallion looked back, he saw the timid changeling appeared slightly more nervous. "Did you mean that? That we're friends."
With a smile and a tip of his hat, Sunny replied "Sure as sugar. Ya seem like ah good guy, Throax. And ah'd like ta get ta know ya more an' introduce ya to th' family and mah other friends, when yer ready of course."
With that, Sunny nearly shut the barn door all the way after promising Thorax that he'd be back in a bit after it's done. Alone once again, Thorax felt a wired feeling that he hadn't felt before. Like a warm fuzzy feeling deep inside. Something that Thorax hadn't felt fully before, but heavily enjoyed and wanted more.
Sunny went right to work on the pie, trying to keep as quiet as he could while levitating various ingredients and utensils over to him from all around the kitchen. He wished he had taken Twilight up on her offer to teach him a silencing spell, which would allow him to null any noise in a particular room that he chose, but Sunny rather not use magic for everything. Living with the Apples, the unicorn discovered that there were some things a pony could do with their own hooves that required skill rather then simply using magic just to get the job done. Sunny had baked over two thousand pies since living with the Apples, and had learned to do it all with his own hooves, the Apple way. And in doing so, he was able to master the art and capture the true Apple flavor of the pie. It filled him with pride to be able to do such a thing. It really made him feel like part of the Apple Family.
'...If Applejack marries Sunny, will she a princess?…' Apple Bloom's question rang in Sunny's ears, causing the yellow unicorn to turn bright red and almost drop the mixing bowl he had in his hooves.
Sunny had never thought about marriage, well, not since Princess Platinum tried to court him over 1000 years ago. And back then the thought of marriage made him cringe. But now, after living with and getting to know Applejack, Sunny felt slightly embarrassed by the thought, the notion making his heart beat faster then when the Cutie Mark Crusaders tried to learn to tap dance. It wasn't a bad feeling, but he couldn't help but wonder how Applejack felt. She was just as quick to walk away from her sister's question as he was. Did she feel the same way? Did she want to get married at some point? Or did the thought make her just as nervous and shaky as it made him.
'Note to self, talk to Cadence about that later…she was the princess of love after all. She should know how to deal with things like this… right?' Sunny thought as he finished mixing the apple slices with the cinnamon mixture for the filling.
Making the pie itself took no time at all, it's the baking that would take an hour or so. The Apple Family timer wasn't always the most reliable when it came to consistent time, but the pies always came out tasting wonderful. Since Sunny had some time on his hooves, he thought he's do something nice for Thorax other then just the pie. Even though it was still early, Sunny didn't want to wake anypony else up, especially not while he was doing all this for Thorax. He knew all the Apples would be understanding if Sunny vouched for the changeling, but Thorax wanted to keep his existence a secret. For the time being, while Thorax rested, Sunny do his best to keep the others away from the barn.
But as Sunny quietly made his way up the stairs, he heard the faint sound of a certain little filly. "Mornin' Sunny"
Shocked by her voice, Sunny stiffly turned to look down at Apple Bloom who looked like she just rolled out of bed. "Oh! Morning Apple Bloom! How are you feeling this morning!? Well rested!?"
The little yellow filly looked at Sunny with a slightly raised brow, yawned, rubbed her eyes the answered "kinda, feelin' ah little sleepy still. Are 'you' ok? Why are ya yellin'?"
Sunny put his hoof to his mouth, quickly remembering he often spoke loudly when he was nervous or withholding information. He never used to do that, but after living on the Apple farm, neing around such honest ponies, Sunny started to lose his lying and sneaking ability, and unfortunately became nervous when trying to hide anything. Clearing his throat, Sunny shot Apple Bloom a weary smile "sorry. I'm just… thinking about stuff. Too much stuff. And trying ta get stuff fer ah friend."
"Oh? Is somepony here? Is it Thunderlane? Octavia? Derpy?" AppleBloom started to wake up with the excitement of a possible guest.
"No, it's a new friend I made" Sunny continued to answer honestly as he made his way into his room, Apple Bloom following right behind him.
"Oh? Where are they? Are they outside? Can I meet them!? Are they from far away? Are they a dragon?! Ah always wanted ta meet a dragon!" Apple Bloom was now fully awake and in a 'younger-sibling-asking-a-million-quesgions-a-minute' mode.
After taking a deep breath, collecting the answers he was going to give Apple Bloom, Sunny refocused on the items he planned to grab for Thorax. After grabbing a map, a quill, some Inc and a compass, Sunny turned to Apple Bloom, and after another breath told the little yellow filly "It's a new friend I met just this morning, he's travaling but resting right now. I told him I'd make him a pie for him to take on his journey, but he's super shy."
"Oh, ok" Apple Bloom seemed a little disappointed, her ears and bow slightly sinking.
"And wait a minute, ya know ah dragon" Sunny added. "What about Spike?"
"Oh yeah, he is ah dragon" Apple Bloom thought about that. "Guess ah always just thought of him as ah pony."
"If ya want ta meet ah dragon some time, ah could introduce ya to mah old pal Torch." Sunny tried to cheer up Apple Bloom, with little to no success. Not giving up, Sunny kneeled down to Apple Bloom's level, put a good on her back and gently asked "What's the matter Bloom? Somethin' else botherin' ya?"
With a small sigh, Apple Bloom's eyes stayed glued to the ground as she answered "ah… ah don't feel very special."
"Where did that come from?" Sunny asked, wanting to get to the root of the filly's sorrow.
Looking up at Sunny now, Apple Bloom locked her slightly teary eyes with his. "Mah sister was an Element of Harmony for ah long time. Now Big Mac is ah Guardian of Harmony, and You just became a prince and ah Guardian too! The only pony who doesn't have some fancy title other then me is Granny! Ah feel like… like ah ain't special."
"Ah don't ever want you to say that ever again Apple Bloom" Sunny's tone was alot more firm then Apple Bloom expected, his eyes locking with hers. "You are a very, very special little filly. Ya may not have some fancy guardian or element title, but yer still young. Ya have ah long path ta travel ahead of ya. Ya can make anything of yerself, so long as you work hard and never give up. Ya may not ever become a princess, or ah Guardian or anything like that. But ya have a great journey ahead of ya. Yer gunna do great things, maybe even greater then yer sister an ah combine.
"Don't you worry none more 'bout silly titles. And don't ever think yer not special. Cause ah know yer ah very special, spirited, sweet filly" Sunny's expressions softened as he pulled Apple Bloom into a hug.
"Thanks Sunny, yer th' greatest" the little filly released the hug. "Ahm gunna go meet up with Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell, mind telling Applejack for me?"
"No problem" Sunny said with a smile, patting her on the head. "Just no more jumping off rooftops, ok?"
"We had bubdgy cords" Apple Bloom protested, but ran off before Sunny say any more warnings he had.
Still half smiling and shaking his head, Sunny wondered if this was what it was like to have younger siblings. Reassuring them, filling them with hope, being an ear for their troubles.
"Ya did good there, slick" a familiar mare's voice rang in Sunny's ears.
The yellow unicorn turned and was greeted by a very familiar orange farm pony. Applejack had a pleased, smug look on her muzzle as she stood in the doorway to her room, ripping her hat to him. "Its ah shame yer ma and pa didn't have any more foals. Ya'd have been ah mighty good older brother. Can't say much 'bout Yer pa, but ya definitely have some of yer ma in ya. Ah can see in when ya talk ta others, ya get that look in yer eyes."
That made Sunny chuckle a little. "Funny, my mother said I have my father's eyes."
"Eyes aside, did ya sleep well? Want some breakfast?" Applejack asked as she walked beside Sunny, eyes still locked with his. Then something caught her attention. "Smells like somepony is cooking down there. Apple pie?"
"Oh, ugh, that's me" Sunny quickly remembered the pie for Thorax. "A new friend of mine is goin' on ah long journey, so ah thought he'd appreciate ah pie ta go and some supplies."
"Ah new friend? Anypony I'd know?" Applejack was a little surprised, but not much. Most ponies in town loved talking to and getting to know Sunny. And that was before he was revealed to be a prince.
"He's… new to town, and really shy" Sunny tredded lightly, making sure not to lie, just not tell the whole truth.
Applejack raised a brow at Sunny, she new something was up when he beat around the bush like what he was doing now. "Is he dangerous? Like ah bandit 'er somethin'?"
"Not exactly" Sunny felt more and more like he should be honest with his mare friend about the changeling he was harboring in the barn. All his experiences with changelings may have been all bad, but Applejack has had worse.
Taking a deep breath, Sunny was about to explain everything to Applejack when she put a hoof up, stopping him. "Ah'm a guessin' that this 'friend' ain't ah normal pony, and yer scared at how ah'm gunna react ta that?"
"Yes… and he's not just shy. He's really afraid" Sunny started to explain. "But he won' be 'round for long. He's heading north, and just wanted ta take a rest somewhere. Ah'm giving him some supplies ta help him on his journey. "
"Well, if yer friend wants ta say goodbye before he leaves, ah'm helping Big Mac in th' east field today" Applejack's tone didn't seem disproving, but carried a little uneasy hurt, making Sunny almost wish he could break his promise to Thorax and tell his special somepony about him.
The yellow unicorn's guilt was pushed temporarily aside thanks to the sound of the timer ringing in the kitchen letting Sunny know the apple pie he had been baking should be checked. Taking a deep breath, Sunny gathered the supplies and began venturing down the stairs to check on the apple pie he had been baking for his friend…
Almost two hours later Sunny returned to the barn with the Apple pie and supplies, waking Thorax from his slumber. "Sorry ta wake ya up there pal."
"No, it's ok. I've slept better here then I have in months" the insect like creature reasured his new friend while straching.
Thorax watched and listened as Sunny began showing the supplies he had brought for him; a thermal blanket, a compass, a map with directions to the Crystal Empire (especially where his Aunt Radiant lives just outside the Empire's boarders, which Sunny explained she wouldnt mind sharing a roof with a friend of his), a canteen of water, a half a loaf of bread, some cheese, and the fresh baked apple pie that Thorax could tell was made with friendship in mind, but also carried a hint of love.
Just like how Sunny could now sense fear, Thorax had discovered he not only could sense love and friendship from others (a changeling's way to sniff out nurishment) but he had discovered that when somepony puts their heart I to something, or when they are thinking of matters of the heart, whatever is being made radiates with those feelings.
"I don't know how to thank you for all you've done, no pony has been this nice to me since Salted Carmel…" the thought of his friend who freed him from the hive's dungeon weighed heavy on the changeling's heart.
Still sending something wrong, Sunny looked at his new friend with slight concern. "Somethin' on yer mind, pal?"
"Its just…" Thorax didn't want to ask more of Sunny, especially after everything he's done for him, but Salted needed help. "I have another friend, who might need your help too."
"They another changeling?" Sunny asked, suddenly thinking there might be more changelings like Thorax out there who are kind and need help.
"No, actually, he's a pony" Thorax started to explain. "His name is Salted Carmel, and, well… as much as I hate to admit it, he had every right to be angry at the hive and us changelings.
"See, Queen Chysalis had a plan to kidnap and trick ponies into giving up their love by having them believe they were at home with their loved ones. All we needed was to use some changeling magic to alter their vision of their surroundings, which was the hive. Salted was one of then. Scouts spotted him alone when he was younger and picked him up. For years he was tricked into believing that he was home with his parents, that he made friends around town, and that he had even gotten married and had foals. But one day the magic fluxed and it revealed everything to him. Salted connected the dots fast and went crazy, realizing his entire life was a lie. His screams echoed the hive until it permanently damaged his vocal cords, leaving him only able to growl and grunt. He went on to attack the hive. When they caught him, they bound him with magical chains that locked up his earth pony strength and prevented him from fighting.
"No longer able to provide love having lost all of his love and trust, Salted proved the project to be a failure, so the Queen decided we needed to infiltrate the capital and take Equestria for ourselves. That's what happened at the royal wedding" Thorax felt ashamed to admit all that to Sunny, but in a short time grew incredibly comfortable around him.
Sunny sat there stairing at his new friend, taking in everything Thorax had said. After a moment of thinking, Sunny asked "where can I find this friend of yours? I don't know what I can do, but I can try and help him."
Pulling out the map, Thorax looked around then put his hoof over at the forest between Canterlot and Ponyville. "We last camped around here, before i... went elsewhere... I didn't want to leave him, but I just… I have this feeling-"
"That there's somewhere you need to be?" Sunny finished Thorax's sentance.
"Yes! Exactly!" Thorax's excitment at Sunny's understanding faded quickly. "But Salted… he set out and did what he wanted to do. He defeated Chrysalis in battle and destroyed the hive. The other changelings are now in control of that guy claiming to be a King, and I don't know what to do…"
Anypony could clearly see the distress and turmoil in the changeling, as well as the scars that seemed to be fading from his shell. There were tortures that he experienced in the past that he didn't bring up, but instead focused on his friend in need and a calling to his future.
"I'll do my best to help yer friend" Sunny reasured Thorax, putting a hoof on his shoulder. "You just do what ya feel is in yer heart, ok? Answer this callin' of yers. Ah felt th' same thing on more then one occasion, and its lead me to ah place ah call home and the ponies who care 'bout me."
Thinking about it, Thorax appeared hesitant and unsure. "Do you… do you really think a place like that exists for a deserter like me?"
"Ah believe there's ah place for all of us ta call home, where we feel safe, where others who care about us gather. Ah place that we can lick our wounds and rest without fear. Ah place that we make a home, whether it be ah house, ah cave, ah hive, ah nest, just so long as it has others we care about. Its ah place worth fighting ta protect, it can move from time to time, so don't tie it down none. Because even if our friends and family ain't there right now, doesn't mean we don't still carry them with us." Sunny spoke honestly and strait from the heart.
Thorax was moved by the yellow unicorn's speech so much tears began to grow from the corners of his eyes. Sunny was like him, but so very different. Could ponies open up and accept him, a changeling, as much as they've accepted Sunny? 'Maybe… just maybe', Thorax thought very quietly, 'I can have that some day too. Maybe the other changelings and I could have a home like that one day too.'
Taking a deep breath and packing the supplies up, Thorax wiped the tears away and smiled at Sunny. "I think I need to leave now. I have a long journey ahead of me. But you've given me a lot to think about, and a lot of hope. Thank you, Sunny."
"Any time pal" Sunny casually said to his newest friend, watching him get up and head towards the barn door, ready to leave. "And remember, ifin' ya need ah place ta rest, or some food for yer belly, ya can always come back here."
The changeling smiled and looked back once more at the yellow unicorn before opening the barn door, then with one mighty leap, jumped into the sky and began to fly off, changing his image to that of a yellow coated pegasus with a purple mane that he saw a few days ago traveling on the road.
As Sunny watched his new friend fly off, he wasnt paying attention to a certain mare sneaking up on him. "So yer makin' friends with changelings now?"
Applejack's sudden appearance nearly gave Sunny a heart attack. "Applejack!… ah-ah can explain!"
"No need" Applejack raised a hoof, her eyes meeting Sunny's as she presented a more relaxed expression then the unicorn ever expected from her in this given situation "Ah trust ya ta do th' right thing. Yer ah good judge of character when it comes ta these things. You can tell me all 'bout it when we get back. We're late for meetin' Cadence and Shinning Armor at th' train station."
"Sweet mama's mane! How could ah forget that!?" Sunny smacked his forehead.
"Well ya'll have been mighty busy makin' new friends and what not. Ah'll go on ahead and meet them at the train station with the girls, you go ahead and meet us at Twilight's castle when yer all cleaned up and ready." Appekjack motioned to all the straw in Sunny's unbrushed mane and the fact that he smelled like he had been rolling around with the pigs.
"He he… good plan, partner. Ah wont be too long" Sunny said then kissed Applejack on the cheek before heading back to the farm house to take a warm shower.
Sunny was amazed at the turn out of this comic book convention he and Spike were attending. All the comic book stores he had visited in the past barely had anypony or any creature in it, but this event had a line stretched around the large building that hosted it!
"This is so exciting!" Spike nearly squeaked the words out, so excited he was nearly bouncing out of his scales. "I've always wanted to go to Canterlot Comic con, but Twilight never wanted to take me."
It wasnt hard to see why. A pony like Twilight Sparkle, even before she was crowned a princess and made to be this overly popular pony who would receive the instant attention and bow from everypony around, would find the atmosphere a little… hard to breath in. Sunny took note before hoof to come in costume so as not to attract unwanted attention (especially since everypony in equestria now knew he was the son of the one and only princess Celestia), and thus dressed in a Dark Detective outfit that Rarity made for him. She also fashioned a Hum-drum outfit for Spike to help make them a perfect crime fighting duo. Quite a few other convention goers were also dawning the costumes of their favorite comic based heros and villains as well. Some a little less imaginative then others, being made of simply cardboard and duct tape to replicate… robots of some sort? Sunny had never seen something resembling them in comics before. But some were absolutely mind blowing! With parts that glowed even in bright light, costumes that transformed when the wearer moved a certain way, and ones that had such amazing detail that it was hard to tell they weren't real! But the convention goers that caught Sunny's unwanted attention… well, probably were the reason why Twilight wanted to stay away from events like this.
"I'll trade you a Doctor Marevolous number 3 mint for your Prankster number 4" one thin, rather pale looking colt offered somepony ahead of him in line, holding up a comic book in a hard plastic sleeve.
"Ha! Any of the first ten Prankster comics are worth three times even a mint collection of the Hoof-tastic 4, which are worth waaaaay more then any Doctor Marevolous comics" a slightly overweight and balding stallion snorted at the colt. "Throw in that 'Pinkiepool; what if' comic and I 'might' feel generous and do the trade."
"No way! I'm getting it signed by Comic Stan today!" The colt started protesting glaring angrily at the overweight stallion, obviously insulted and furious. At that point, Sunny thought it best to ignore the conversation.
Sunny's attention was then turned to a trio of unicorn colts right behind him, all with their muzzles practically glued to small rectangular devices they were holding, sitting on their haunches. The devices were foreign to Sunny, having never seen them in ponyville, the only colt in town who had a hoofboy being Button Mash. Curious, Sunny looked over at the trio as they appeared to be playing some sort of game on the electrical device.
"I cant wait to get the special pocket creature this year" one of the three started to say to his two friends. "Its supposed to be a sparkly Meowtwo, right?"
"Lame" one of his friends blurted out. "I got one of those from last month's con in Baltimare. And that one didn't have us wait outside for this long! They should offer something cooler, like a sparkly Gargalon or something."
"I'm just glad I could sneak out" the last remaining friend chimed in. "My mom has been really pushing me the last week, ever since I got a C in magical math. Ugh! I don't even know what part of that is supposed to be magical! It's just another boring class I'll never use in real life, like magical history. Who needs to know when the fall of Trot was!? Why do I need to know who built the Hooferdam!?"
"Dude, I know your mom rides you alot, and I feel your pain" the second colt spoke up. "But seriously, I don't want to hear about your problems unless it's your out of potions or Phoenix feathers."
The like gradually moved as Sunny took in more of the attmosphere, which was begging to make the yellow unicorn antsy. But as Sunny and Spike approached the front door, the two could see the inside was well lit and decorated wall to wall with tapestries and posters of various comic book characters. Alot Spike recognized, and took it upon himself to fill Sunny in about all the different characters, teams, comic book companies and the differences between them.
"Ya must have spent an awful lot of time studying all those comics ta know all that 'bout 'em" Sunny smiled while readjusting his hat, his head spinning a little at the information overload.
"Yeah. Well when Twilight would study her books on magic, I'd read comics. The Canterlot library just started carrying them when I was just learning to read." Spike admitted as they grew closer to the front of the line. "Ans Shinning Armor would also lend me his comics, which gave me even more to read."
"Its all ah lot ta take in" Sunny admitted, all the images of Super heros and villains surrounding him, the loud talking that seemed to ring in his ears, and a horrible smell that Sunny swore was coming off the balding stallion ahead of them, was all overwhelming. Especially the smell.
"I hope I helped somewhere along the way too" a young, feminine voice called out as a dragon just slightly taller then Sunny appeared. She was light brown with light cobalt accents, and swirling pink hair that almost looked like a combination of Pinkie and Rarity's manes. She walked right up to Spike and held a claw down low to him "Long time no see, Spike."
"Hey Mina! I haven't seen you in forever!" The spark in Spike's eyes quickly returned as he enthusiastically gave the female dragon a low five then a hug. Breaking the hug, Spike turned to Sunny and introduced his friend. "Sunny, this is Mina. I met her when I went to Philidelphia with Princess Luna a while back. She runs a comic book store there."
"Its a pleasure to…" the dragoness started to say and hold out a clown when she paused, her irises growing wide with sudden realization. "Wait! You-you- you're not that… YOU ARE!!!"
The young dragoness then let out a high pitched screech that could shatter glass. Amazingly, though, only ponies who were directly around them even payed attention to the ruckus she was making.
"Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! You're him! Like THE him!" She started to say, her speech becoming somewhat recognizable. "I've heard legends about you! The actual Black Knight! The one who gained the Respect of Dragon Lord Garnet! Who stopped a war between ponies and dragons and would team up with dragons to go on dangerous missions! Could I please, please, please get you to sign some stuff for me!!!"
Spike and Sunny watched as Mina began rustling though her backpack, pulling out various books and comics, all had Black Knight images or the name on them. When she was done gathering all the items she wished for Sunny to sign, she promptly zipped up her bag and held the items out with a quill, her eyes sparkling with joy and excitement.
Still a little nervous, Sunny lowered his cosplay hat and spoke in a low tone "I dont mind signing anything, especially for a friend of Spike's, but can we keep me being here on the down low?"
"Yeah, see, Sunny still is in the beginning of the whole starstruck, being-famous-and-everypony-wants-a-picture-with-me-and-around-me phase eversince Princess Celestia had his coronation and declared him her son and an official Prince of Equestria" Spike spoke in a low enough tone to where only he, Sunny and Mina could hear. "Twilight went through the same thing for a while. Its gunna be a few months before ponies quit freaking out."
The dragoness's ears fell to the side of her head, her joyful gaze turned timid. "Oh… ugh, sorry. I didn't mean to bother you."
Before Mina could say anything else, Sunny levitated the quill she had and one of her books titled 'The Black Knight and the war that didn't come' up to him, smiled at her and asked "Dont worry about it. Just keep it between us, ok? And would you like me to sign this as Sunny the Black Knight, or Soleggiato the Black Knight?"
"Sunny would be great!" Mina's smile returned as did her bouncing enthusiasm. Halfway though signing a few of her comics, somepony in a monster costume approached Mina, tapped her on the shoulder, then whispered in her ear for a moment. Mina's expressions turned from excited to nervous really fast, then she told Sunny and Spike "I'll be right back, I have to, ugh, deal with something. Please keep signing! I'll be back in a flash!"
Spike watched as Mina ran off with the costume clad acquaintance of hers, a bit confused and slightly worried. "I hope everything's ok."
"Apparently" Sunny spoke softly as he finished signing another comic and gently put it back in its protective sleeve. "There are about a dozen or so dragons here, including you and her, but they are hiding in outfits."
"Really? I wonder why" Spike scratched the back of his head as his eyes then looked out onto the convention, trying to spot the disguised dragons.
"Something to do with ponies not trusting dragons with books after some incident a few weeks back" Sunny told him as he picked up another comic. "They dont want to cause any trouble and were more then happy to come in disguise. Mina apparently offered to help them since it's hard walking around in full body costumes all the time. But one of the dragons think they have a cold. Dragons and colds, bad combo."
Spike nodded in agreement before shaking his head strait and turning to his friend. "Wait, how do 'you' know about all of this?"
"Well I did work with dragons alot way back when Spike" Sunny answered, then returned the other comic that he signed back to its sleeve before picking up a book to sign. "I remember when little Torch got a cold, whew boy, was ah glad mah armor was dragon fire proof! Ugh, and rust proof. That boy could sneeze something fierce. Dragon booties! Ugh! Still makes me quiver-"
"Not that! About the dragons here! How did you know all that about them hiding and all that?" Spike felt out of the loop, like Sunny failed to inform him at the very beginning of their venture.
Sunny stopped signing for a moment, then looked around to make sure no pony or dragon was listening. "Well… I only told Applejack this, and ah figure she'll tell Twilight an' th' others at some point. But ah found out recently that ah can hear pony's, and apparently Dragon's, fears. Almost like readin' their minds, but only what they're 'afraid of. An' only when they're really nervous or afraid."
"Really? How long could you do that?" Spike asked, shocked to hear of this new power Sunny had.
"Just ah few days ago" Sunny told him. "Long story, but ah'll tell ya that later, promise" Sunny smiled at his young friend, then picked up the last thing Mina had in her pile of things she wanted Sunny to sign. He was a little shocked to see it wasnt a book or a comic, but a cool looking action figure of him. "Wow. Look at that Spike! Ah'm an action figure!"
"Hey guys, sorry about that" Mina reappeared, a little out of breath.
"No problem, we understand" Spike waved his claw. "I think Sunny finished signing all of your things."
"Thank you soooooo much! I'm a huge fan!" The brown dragoness said as she began gently putting the now signed items back in her bag.
"Not a problem" Sunny smiled and tipped his hat to Mina. "Any friend of Spike is ah friend of mine. And if ya ever need Maher help, don't hesitate ta ask."
Before Mina could let out another screech of fangirly joy, a different costume wearing dragon walking on all fours approached her and whispered in her ear.
"Ugh, gotta go, I'll see you guys around, ok?!" Mina called out to Spike and Sunny before rushing off to deal with another possible problem.
Spike continued to explain some stuff about a comic book team of super heros that was his second favorite team, next to the Power Ponies of course, as he and Sunny finaly reached the front doors. Sunny offered up their tickets to a stallion at the front door who then marked Sunny's front right hoof and Spike's right claw with a stamp that would allow them back into the convention if they stepped out, then the two proceed to the main hall, which wss a large room twice the size of the ballroom at the Canterlot castle! Sunny and Spike remain breathless for a moment as they took in the vastness of it, with almost every inch of the room organized to present various booths for comic book artist to sign autographs, a few stages where shows would be held and tones of merchandise stands.
The atmosphere was very alive with fans of various comics talking about their favorite comics, throies of what will happen next in the series, little debates about which comic/hero/villain is better then the other, some individuals showing off their flashy costumes, and even a group of costumed goers who started an odd chain of dancing that looked like some cross between the Mumba and traditional yakyakistanian celebratory folk dance. The even was unlike anything Sunny had ever seen before. It was still pretty loud, but no more then a wonderbolts stadium before a show.
"Oh! Over there!" Spike started to run off, almost leaving Sunny behind.
"Hold up there partner" Sunny pulled a rope and lasso out of his hat, flung it at the young dragon, and grabbed him with the rope like a pro. Part of him wished Applejack was there to see him successfully perform the trick. Pulling the little dragon back to him, Sunny untied him and started stuffing the rope back into his hat. "There's an awful lot of ponies here, ah dont want us gettin' separated, ok?"
With a small disappointed sigh, Spike's excited expression slumped "Right."
"So what's got ya'll so excited?" Sunny turned the attention back to where Spike was heading.
The little dragon's enthusiasm quickly returned as he jogged a little ahead and took his place in line. "Its the line to meet the artist and writing team behind the Super comics book hero team 'Nemesis Watch'! They consist of heros from all different comics who gathered to defend the world from all different kinds of bad guys and catastrafies! They're the greatest hero team of all time!"
"Pft, only a kid would think that!" A stallion approached from the crowd, Sunny recognizing him as the foul smelling stallion from earlier. "Nemesis Watch is boring! The heros have no back story and little to no weaknesses, and hardly struggle in their fights. It's almost like watching 'Kungfu dragon monkeys', where the main guy fights a tuff opponent, gets beaten up by the bad guy, gets healed while his friends fight and loose to the same bad guy, then the hero comes back even stronger then before, and defeats the bad guy. It's so formulaic, its predictable.
"'Alleyway Troopers' are the greatest team of all time" the Stallion then pulled out a comic laminated in a hard plastic from his back pack and flashed it to Spike and Sunny. "They work the streets as vigalanties, have super powers but not enough to make them OP, have dark backgrounds, and are relatable. Not like Nemesis Watch, who are just like the Popular kids of the super hero highschool."
"Alleyway Troopers are terrable!" A mare spoke up from two ponies ahead of where Spike, Sunny and the smelly stallion were talking. She was dressed as possibly some heroin or villainess (Sunny couldn't tell), and stepped out of line to walk back towards the boys. "Their comics are all dark and brooding, rarely ever actually give the heros a solid win, and pandle only to ponies who look for the dark, sad and depressing things in life. What is relatable about that?"
"What would you know, you couldn't even get the color of 'Miss Mischief's costume right" the stallion snapped back, going on the defensive.
"At least I can afford a costume!" The mare hissed back. "What's the matter, your mommy couldn't sew you one?"
"What was that!?" The smelly stallion was getting mad, his cheeks growing red as his eyes narrowed on the mare.
"You heard me, momma's boy!" The mare yelled back.
"Hold up everypony!" Sunny stepped in the middle of them, the two angry pony's attention now turned to him. "We're all here ta enjoy th' convention, cant we all just-"
"Mind your own business" the mare yelled at Sunny.
"Yeah. Who asked you anyway!" The smelly stallion added before he and the mare continued to shoot insult after insult at each other, the mare losing her spot in line. All her energy being focused on insulting and defending against the large smelly stallion.
Sunny redirected poor Spike's attention back to the line that was slowly moving, and kept the young dragon entertained by asking him questions about the Nemesis Watch. The little dragon talked less enthusiastically about them, though, then he did before they had the ruin with that smelly stallion.
"Dont let that guy get to ya, Spike" Sunny told him. "Everypony has their own opinion, and unfortunately, some think everypony else's opinion is wrong. Pay him no mind."
"Thanks…" Spike cheered up a little, then noticed they were almost at the front of the line, when he saw the most popular comic book artist there. "Sunny look! Its him! The grandfather of comic books! The creator of heroes! The number one comic guy! Comic Stan!!!"
Looking up at the stage that the line was going up to, Sunny did notice the familiar old colt standing between several other ponies at a table with comic book hero printed cloth draped over it. The old colt was smiling and taking comic books, signing them and offering words of inspiration as he did, on occasion even striking a pose of one famous comic hero or another, making the fans cheer.
"Wow, Stan sure is popular" Sunny commented under his breath as he tipped his Dark Detective hat a little, as he normally did with his Stetson.
"He's the greatest! Anypony who loves comics has his autograph on some comic, or t-shirt, or anything that relates to comics!" Spike said with a wide grin as he held tightly onto his comic. "And in just a few short minutes, I'm going to get him to sign my Nemesis Watch number 1!"
The line moved up, now with just three ponies ahead of him, Spike could barely contain his enthusiasm, literally bouncing in place. Sunny hadn't realized just how long they had been in line for until he looked back at the giant clock near the entrance. It had been almost two hours into the covention, and this was the only thing they had done!
'Wish ah had know Spike wanted Stan's autograph so badly before, ah would have just asked him at th' gala' the yellow stallion though, but didn't say it outloud.
Just then, as if on cue, one of the comic writers sitting two spaces to the left from Comic Stan got sick all over the table! The pony to Stan's right also blew chunks, forcing the older stallion to get up from his seat. Immediately ponies in suits approached the stage, closing it off from the rest of the line, pushing the guests off stage, and tending to the sick artists as fast as possible. Comic Stan, who appeared to be ok for the moment was escorted off stage and out of sight of the crowd.
A well dressed mare in a light purple suit approached the stage, a handkerchief pressed firmly against her muzzle as she addressed the crowd. "Hello everypony, can I have your attention! My name is Lucky Swirl, the hostess of this, er, gathering. I'm sorry everypony, but it seems we'll have to put a hold on the signing even until further notice."
There was a slight uproar from the line behind Sunny and Spike. Most ponies saying they want their money back, saying how it was all they came there for and others even going as far to say that this was a conspiracy.
"I'm sorry, but the well being of the artists must come first. We will let you know as soon as the artists are well enough to continue with the convention. In the mean time. Feel free to enjoy the other activities and events the convention has to offer" Lucky suggested loudly, then whispered to herself. "Not like any of you really have anything else better to do with your time…"
Spike fell to his knees, appearing devastated and on the verge of tears.
"I'm sorry Spike" Sunny put a hoof on the little dragon. "Why don't ah threat ya to some ice cream or something. Ah'm sure Comic Stan is ok and he'll be back before th' conventions' over."
"Y-yeah… sounds good" Spike sniffled and walked away with Sunny.
In the midst of everything, no pony saw some fiendish looking pony in the background, covered in black say for a white mask with a question mark on it, slide back into the shadows and out of sight, chuckling to themselves.
Along the way to acquire their desired frozen dairy delight, Sunny and Spike made a wrong turn and ended up in a sea of merchandise booths. Both boys were amazed at the pictures ponies have painted or drawn, most of the pictures being of comic book characters, alot to the artist's own unique art style. The attention to detain and unique style of the art captivated Sunny and Spike.
"Hey Sunny, check it out! Somepony drew the girls as the Power Ponies!" Spike pointed to a well drawn picture of Twilight, Applejack and the rest as the super powered heros they portrayed in the magical comic they were sucked into.
Walking over to the picture Spike was excited about, the yellow unicorn couldn't help but notice a singled out picture of Applejack as Mistress Marevolous. Sunny paused for a long time and stared at the picture, contemplating on buying it, but wondering how Appekjack would feel about him hanging it up.
"Hello, Equestria to Sunny, you there?" Spike's waving claw in front of Sunny's muzzle finally broke him out of his transe.
"Oh, ugh, sorry about that Spike" Sunny chuckled then tried to redirect the baby dragon's attention. "Did you see any pictures you wanted to buy?"
"Yeah, and I see you did too" Spike smirked as he raised his eyebrows at Sunny, who was nervously trying to not bring attention to the picture he liked of Applejack dressed as a super hero.
"Well, ugh, why don' we see how much they are…" Sunny hastily walked Spike over to where the booth owner was sitting, reading a magazine, appearing board but more entertained then if he was just sitting there. "Excuse me sir, ah was wonderin' how much-"
Without looking up at Sunny, the board looking stallion simply pointed to a sign near him that listed off types and prices;
Sketch: 15 bits Colored sketch: 25 bits Color with background: 45 bits Commisions: 100 bits per hour
No refunds
You damage it, you buy it
Sunny thought it was pricey, but he could understand. Drawing is an art, this is how artist live and eat. Then he looked back at the board looking stallion as he continued to ignore him, and turned a page of his magazine. 'Even if they seem like they could care less…'
"Hey guys" a spirited looking pegasus mare popped up between Sunny and Spike. She wore a black hat that made it look like she had cat ears and wore a puffy orange sweater that must have been uncomfortable in the corwded convention building. "You guys want some 'decently priced' art? Tired of spending all your hard earned bits on one measly picture? Why not come over to my booth? I have Power Ponies pictures, variant art covers of rare comics, and more! At half the price of other booths."
That caused the board looking stallion running the art booth to look up, his emotiinless expression cracked and flaired with anger. He slammed his book shut and walked over to the mare that was advertising to Sunny and Spike. "Your 'pictures' are anything but art! They're just traced drawings! Cheap copies of the original Artist's hard work drawn onto another piece of paper and colored in! My pictures are real art! They are my own style, My sweat and time-"
"Drawn once and copied with a machine a hundred times!" The mare snapped back. "You draw something once and charge out the nose for it!"
"Atleast the originals are my own work!" The stallion snapped back again.
Spike and Sunny decided it would be best if they took this time to sneak away, fearing that the aggression might be turned to them again should they try and interfere. If they really wanted those pictures, they could always come back later, leaving the two 'artists' to fight amungst themselves.
After getting some brightly colored ice cream cones, Spike and Sunny sat down to watch what appeared to be a skit performed by some ponies dressed as the Power Ponies fighting off the still evil Black Knight.
"I thought those writer friends of yours made the Black Knight good in the comics" Spike said as he watched the action packed fight scene unveil.
"That's what ah was told they were gunna do" Sunny told his pal as he took a few licks of his fast melting ice cream cone.
"They did, and it was a dumb move" a colt sitting in front of Sunny and Spike spoke up, but didn't add anything else to the conversation for a while.
Sunny and Spike then noticed the colt was playing that small hoof held game they saw earlier. Not just that, but the colt that spoke up and the three colts next him were the four Sunny and Spike saw in line before they entered the convention building. Two of the colts had their hoof boys linked with a cable and appeared to be battling against each other while the other two were watching the skit.
After several moments of silence, Sunny tried to get the attention of the colt who spoke up. "Mind if ah ask 'why'd ya think makin' th' Black Knight ah good guy was ah dumb idea?"
After another long silence, the colt appeared to lose his game to his friend, grunted in anger then turned to Sunny, appearing more annoyed then before. "Well if you ever read the comics, they made him flip sides so suddenly that it didn't flow. Just all of a sudden they had him turn against the evil witch who created him and that was that! I mean, really!? No redemption? No working to gain the Power Ponie's trust!? When the other bad guys became good guys they had alot of work to do to make up for all the bad things they did!"
"Not just that" the colt who had won the battle on their hoofboys spoke up while he wound up his cord. "They keep turning their villains into good guys. Why cant bad guys be bad guys. You don't see Tirek or Chysalis turning good any time soon. Not everypony or creature needs to be good. Sometimes bad guys are more likable."
Before Sunny could say anything to the colts about the change being better (at least in his opinion), there was a loud snap from the stage, quickly followed by the entire cast of the skit dissapreating in a flash. Everypony watching got up from their seats and looked around, whispering in confusion. Several more security guards in suits went to the stage and began pulling the fallen actor's out from trap doors that had given way. Most of the actors appeared to only have suffered minor scratches, but their costumes were torn to shreds from the fall.
After another moment of panicked conversation arising from the crowd, Lucky Swirl appeared once again on the stage, appearing more out of breath then the last time Sunny and Spike had seen her. "Hello again, Everypony. I'm sorry to say the next couple of shows at this stage have been canceled until our stage hooves can determine what happened. Please, feel free to enjoy the rest of the convention. And again…there are no refunds. Have fun everypony! Make lots of friends! Talk about comics and whatever it is you do!"
Sunny and Spiks noticed Lucky whispered the whole 'no refunds' part of her speech before loudly telling them all to have fun and make friends.
"Thats the second thing to go wrong" Spike stated as he and Sunny got up from their seats. The baby dragon chomped down on the last bit of his cone and added "what else could go wrong?"
"What else could go wrong!?" Lucky Swirl mimicked Spike's question as she huffed past him and Sunny, not noticing them, quickly followed by two worried looking mares. "First the air conditioning, then the lights, and an infestation of rats, and that was just this morning! Do you realize how much this is costing me!?"
"W-we know Ms. Swirl" one of the worries looking mares answered. "We're doing the best we can!"
"Its bad enough I rent this place out to these… these comic book geeks every year! It hardly pays off, and they leave the place smelling like my brothers old bedroom! But now all of this! I've had enough! I'm done hosting these conventions!"
The second worried mare chimed in. "B-but ma'am! What about the guests who loyaly come every year! It makes them so happy!"
Lucky stopped and glared at the second worries mare who had followed her. "Don't get me started o the guests! They're rude! Greedy! And self absorbed! They dont need to be breathing in their own fumes! They need to move out of their parents basement, get jobs and get real lives! If I cancel this stupid convention, I'll save myself from head aches and be doing the whole community a service!
"If just one more thing goes wrong, I'm canceling it right now!" Lucky Swirl said as she stomped off, her two assistants looking nervously at each other before following behind the unhappy host.
"Its a good thing nothing else bad has happened yet" Sunny stated before he and Spike heard a crowd's worth of very unhappy screams coming from the direction of the merchandise booths.
Running over there as fast as they could, Sunny and Spike noticed several ponies who were running the booths, selling pictures, figures, pillows, plushies and other various collectables were either pointing hooves and accusing one another for the loss of their products or were frantically looking around aimlessly for their missing goods!
"Admit it, you stole my pictures!" The board stallion from earlier snapped at the tracing mare.
The cat ear and orange sweater wearing tracing mare from earlier pushed back at the board stallion. "Why would I want 'your' copied pictures!? Cant you just, oh I dont know, make more copies!?"
"My key chains! Where are my key chains?!!?" Another mare frantically looked under near by booth tables. "I worked so hard on them!"
"All my plushies! My hats and scarves! Even my custom socks! They're all gone!" A pegasus mare flew up and began looking all around for her missing merchandise.
"How are all of our T-shirts gone!? We had two dozen boxes!" A pair of stallions ran around, eyes wide and panicked.
No pony else noteced a black clothed figure wearing a white mask with a questions mark on it, looking at the chaos unravel from the west exit of the building, chucking laughter eching down the hall as the fiend made their escape...
Before anypony could panic, somepony stepped out of the crowd and approached Miss Lucky Swirl. The pony in question looked just like any other light earth pony around Sunny's age. But as she stood on her back legs, it was revealed that she had a zipper under her that stretched from the base of her neck to the underside of her stomach! She then grabbed and unzipped the zipper. The costume peeled back and fell to the ground, revealing custard colored unicorn filly with a reddish brown mane, wearing an orange sweater and glasses.
"Wait just one moment, Miss Swirl" the filly stated loud enough for the other guests to hear her. "This isnt just a series of unfortunate events, every bit of misfortune that has happened today has been part of a carefully hatched scheme to cause mayhem the convention. And I, Prancy Drew, will solve this mystery and bring the trouble maker or trouble makers to justice!"
"I've heard of you!" One of Lucky Swirl's assistants spoke up. "You've worked with the Canterlot police to solve mysteries!"
"As well as the police from Manhattan, Baltimare, and even a private detective from Las Pegasus" Prancy said, but refocused on the audience of convention goers. "Now I have several suspects in mind, having observed quite a bit from the convention, and guessing by your reactions, quite a few of you may not be guilty but are trying very hard to hide something. So, if any of you have something you want to come clean about, best do it now, especially if you are the guilty party responsible for the chaos at this convention and want to make this easier on yourselves."
Sunny lowered his hat further over his head and looked around and saw several attendants looking nervous but remained silent.
"As you wish" Prancy first stepped down and approached Sunny and Spike very slowly. "Excuse me, Mr.'Dark Detective', first I'd like to commemorate you on a most excellent costume. Who ever did it is great with detail."
"Thank you, I'll let her know ya said so" Sunny took a deep breath and tried to relax.
"Now, I've only been to Ponyville a few times, but I recognize the number one assistant to Princess Twilight when I see him" Prancy motioned to Spike. "And I doubt that Princess Twilight would let just anypony take her Number one assistant to a convention such as this. Which leads me to believe that Princess Twilight has quite a bit of trust in you."
"Yer point, ma'am?" Sunny asked, Tipping his hat a little out of her eyes as he raised a brow to her.
"I know 'you' arent the culprate" She stated loudly. "But you have made it a point to try and blend into the crowd, trying to simply enjoy the festivities while disappearing in the hurd. You would normally be my number one suspect if not for the genuine look of disappointment at every disaster. I know a genuine look when I see one. But I will ask you for your assistance here in a moment..."
Prancy then leaned in and whispered in Sunny's ear "I need you to listen for their fears, please."
After that, Prancy then stepped back from Sunny, took a few steps to his left and pointed a hoof at somepony in the crowd. "Please step forward mister…."
"Quill" the board looking stallion from before stepped forward, now appearing more steamed then when he got into it with the copy mare from before. "Its just Quill. What do you want? I didn't do it."
"Maybe, maybe not. You run the art stand at booth 122, am I correct?" Prancy asked as she casually paced in front of him, her eyes studying every move, every reaction he was having, every detail about his person, looking for some clue.
"Yeah, so? I rented that space, what's the problem?" Quill was sounding more and more annoyed by the moment.
"Nothing with that. I've seen your work, you're very good. Which makes me wonder why i've seen you wandering off and checking out other artists booths so much" Prancy casually brought up, eye lids lowing as she finished studying him from head to hoof.
"What, am I not allowed to check out the convention? Didn't know leaving my booth was a crime" Quill shot back.
"Its not, but I'm amazed that you leave your hard work unattended" Prancy started in on the real suspicious activity. "You charge a fair amount for the hard work you put into your pictures. But it is still quite a bit of bits to just leave completely unatended. Why would you leave all that and hope ponies are honest enough to not take them? Answer; because you honestly don't care about profit, do you? You only want enough to survive off of, pay for supplies, and you're booth every year, dont you?"
The stallion was a little shaken, his annoyed look froze in place on his muzzle. "Yeah, so?"
"Well, to anypony who didn't know the real reason why you kept leaving your booth, you could be a prime suspect," Prancy continued. "After all, not many ponies would leave so much product and possibly lose so much money to go off and just enjoy themselves, unless they had a hidden agenda..."
His annoyance finnaly peaked and Quill let out a wrathful sigh before coming out with the truth. "Ugh! Fine! Truth is I was off looking for a challenging artist, ok!?"
Some ponies were a little confused by his sudden answer busting out.
Prancy decided to elaborate and clarify for Quill. "You are a struggling artist. Struggling because you look for somepony who's art can rival your own. You come here every year hoping some youth will pop up and give you a challange."
"That's right. And its ponies like 'her' who annoy me the most!" Quill admitted and pointed to the copy mare from earlier. "If all ponies were satisfied with just tracing or piecing together pictures of other pony's work to make something they dared to call their own 'art', then I'd never find somepony who could push me to become a better artist! All I want is somepony who will make me feel like I'm not the best artist here!
"I went to the Manhattan convention several years ago and I saw artist there I couldn't begin to compete with and I felt like I had room to grow. So i did! I practiced and worked, but how those artists have stopped attending and have gone on to other things and here I am! The best artist at conventions! But no where else to go! Companies that produce comics aren't bothering new up and comers. Not when thet have a solid team of popular artists already. So I'm stuck making my own pictures and trying to sell them here. Stuck. Just stuck…"
The stallion regained his composure for a moment and took several deep breaths.
"Which actually leads me to my next suspect" Prancy declared as she walked over to the copy pony with the cat ears hat. "You miss, what is your name?"
"I'm Honeybelle, miss" the mare appeared to almost be crying. "B-but my friends call me MewMew…"
"Well, miss MewMew, I can see you are upset" Prancy softened her tone, but still spoke loudly for all to hear. "But I need you to tell me why you were snooping around everyone's booths. Not just taking in the sights and atmosphere, but actually taking detailed notes that you then shoved in your sweater."
Taking a deep breath, Honeybelle pulled out a notebook and showed Prancy what she wrote down. "Well, you see miss Drew, I'm a huge comic book fan! Always have been since I was a filly. And I've always dreamed of going to the conventions, but attending them weren't cheap. There's the cost of the tickets, plus whatever merchandise you want to buy, and if you really want to have fun, costumes are a great way to break the ice and meet ponies. A-and I found out a few years ago that if you have a booth here, you can attend the whole convention free of charge. But booths aren't cheap either. I can't afford to do a booth without the profits of my pictures... I know my pictures are just me tracing and painting other pony's works… but there's more to art then just originality!"
"I'm not here to judge your art, miss MewMew. I just want to know why you were sneaking around and taking notes of everything" Prancy redirected the mare who was on the verge of tears.
"Well… in order to keep business flowing, I need to keep track of what is popular, what has gone out of popularity, what is showing young potential, and all that…" Honeybelle pulled out another notebook and showed it to Prancy in conjunction with her first notebook, not realizing a few pieces of crumpled up paper fell from her pockets. "See, these are the notes I've taken from tonight, and these are ones I took from last year. They show a correlation between the rise and fall of various characters popularity recently. And I-"
"Am a competitive artist I've been looking for!" Quill piped in, the crumpled up papers in his hooves, now uncrumpled and flattened allowing him and several others around him to see the pictures fully.
Honeybelle looked at the papers he held, then to her pocket, then back at him before lunging and grabbing the papers. "No! Dont look at them! They suck!…"
"No! No they don't!" Quill reached out to her. "The're just basic sketches, but they're really good! Wht aren't you selling those?"
Honeybelle looked bashful and ashamed as she scratched the back of her hoof with her other. "I took a few art classes when I was younger, it didn't take long for me to find my own style. But my teacher got really upset and told me no pony would like 'my' style of drawing and told me it wasn't art, that they were just scratches done in ink and pencil… so…"
"I wouldn't listen to them" Quill took Honeybelle by the shoulders and looked her right in the eye, his eye contact coupled with his straightforwardness making her blush a little. "I think if we team up, you and I can come up with a great line of comics of our own! I know a few po ies who have great original ideas! Would you want to work with us? I can't do all the artwork alone."
"T-t-thank you" still blushing a little, Honeybelle smiled at Quill, never realizing how daring and heroic he looked until that moment.
"I'm glad you two have made up" Prancy smiled and started to walk away from Honeybelle. "And with that, you Miss MewMew are off the suspect list. Which brings me to my next suspect…"
The little detective paused at part of the crowd which left many ponies confused, thinking maybe she list her train of thought. But the young detective paused right where she wanted to, the next suspect standing just a few rows infront of her.
"Please step forward and state your name, sir" the little unicorn stated loudly while looking into the crowd of convention goers, eyes locking with a certain stallion.
As if emerging from nowhere, the rather tall smelly stallion from earlier stepped out of the crowd, cleared his throat then answered with "Chance. Chance-a-lot."
"And do you know why I consider you a possible Suspect, mister A-lot?" Prancy asked, raising a hoof to her own muzzle, pretending to cough when really she was trying to stifle the horrible smell from the stallion who clearly needed a lesson in proper hygiene.
"No, and I really dont care" the stallion answered. "I didn't do anything wrong."
Nodding while holding her breath, Prancy couldn't take much more of this and started to step away. After releasing a herald breath, she answered as fast as she could "You've stepped on many pony's hooves at this and I assume other conventions, and somehow have been able to go to every booth and signing within the first hour of the convention being open to the public-"
Before Prancy could continue, Chance-a-lot held up a lanyard with a gold card on its end with the words 'Executive gold pass' on it. "That's 'couse I've got this. I can cut ahead of the lines and get signatures before anypony else."
Taking another deep breath with her head away from the stallion before turning to face him, Prancy continued "that may be true, but you also navigated your way though the convention. Avoiding the crowds and busy areas with little to no problem. You seem to be in a rather big hurry to get out of here. In fact, before I reveiled myself and the security locked the doors, I would bet that you were about to make a break for it. You pop up and act like you hate everypony here. Dont seem to want to waste too much time and soak up the convention, and want to make a hasty retreat when things have gone bad. Could you tell us why we shouldn't assume you were the one behind all of this?"
The stallion just remained stoic and said nothing for several moments before finnaly stating "wasn't me."
"It wasn't him" Sunny stepped forward and walked towards the smelly Chance. After taking a deep breath, Sunny whispered something to him that was far too quiet for anypony else to hear. When he was done, Sunny stepped back and motioned for Prancy to continue on to her next suspect. What most ponies noticed was that Chance-a-lot's expression cracked and broke, with his eyes beginning to water, but he was able to hold back the tears.
"Moving on, my next suspect has alot to answer for…" Prancy stopped and looked st Mina the dragon. "Miss, mind telling me what kept you running around all over the place like it was on fire?"
Mina gulped and nervously stepped forward. "Well miss detective, ugh, the truth is… the truth is…"
"The truth is, miss detective" the costume wearing dragon that Sunny and Spike first saw at the convention stepped forward. A group of cosplayers appeared out of the crowd, now standing behind Mina. The first dragon then removed his mask, followed by the rest of the group following suit. The group of ten dragons removed their costumes and showed that every one of them were dragons. "See, miss Mina was just helping us."
"These dragons are friends of mine" Mina began to explain herself. "We all really wanted to attend the convention together this year, but because of an incident that happened a little while back, we didn't think ponies would like ru ming around near their rare comic books, one of a kind drawings, or other nonfire proof memorabilia. So we all decided to come in costume to make things easier. Mina was already popular here, so we knew they would trust her. But these suits can be uncomfortable. So Mina's been running around, helping us to enjoy the convention by bringing us water, helping us navigate through crowds, and stuff like that."
"Without her, we couldn't have had half the fun we had" another dragoness chimed in.
"Course it would have been more fun if stuff wasnt going wrong every ten minutes" a rather annoyed dragon stated under his breath.
"Looks like of all the suspects, miss Mina, you have not only the least motive, but also an air tight alibi" Prancy stated. "I understand why you guys would be a little more then worried, I heard about what happened at Vanhoofer. Although there were rumors of dragons being involved in the fires, I heard it was actually electrical problems that started those fires. Still, it was very kind of you, Mina, to do that for your fellow comic loving dragons.
"With that, that leave YOU miss Lucky Swirl!" Prancy then turned to the mare who had originally given the speech that the convention would be canceled.
"Me!?" Lucky Swirl looked shocked at first then insulted, ready to defend herself. "Why, how dare you! Do you have any idea what doing all of this would cost me!?"
"That's true" Spike this time stepped forward. "But you've been running around to every thing that went wrong. Appearing almost as soon as they happen."
"That's because I have took apologize for everything that has been going wrong!" Lucky Swirl snapped at the little dragon.
"True" Spike recoilded for a moment but caught himself "B-but you were complaining to your assistants that you regret doing this every year! Saying all the ponies who come here are greedy and nasty and they smell!"
A bunch of ponies gasped in the crowd, their gasps followed quickly by loud whispering.
Lucky Swirl looked more annoyed at the little dragon "Yeah? So? I'm not wrong. Some of these colts need to be introduced to extra strength deodorant before they leave their homes."
"But that's not quite enough motivation, is it?" Prancy chimed in, walking to Spike's side. "Even I've heard you complaining to your assistants about how upset you were with everypony who attends the convention. So why? Why do you hold these conventions every year? Why do you charge such affordable prices for the tickets in comparison to the ticket prices for other events in Canterlot?
"Why should we believe you when you say you aren't the one who caused this mayhem?" Prancy calmly but coldly asked pacing closer to Lucky Swirl. "After all, if the convention was canceled then you wouldn't have to be forced to be around all these fans or be subjected to all things comic related."
Lucky took a deep breath and calmed herself, but tears could still be seen gathering st the corners of her eyes, then her hard and formal mask broke. "You're wrong about one thing, Miss Detective: I dont hate comics. Quite the contrary. I love comics.
"Eversince I was a filly, I loved reading comics" Lucky Swirl began to explain, gazing into the distant past. "While other fillies were busy playing with dolls or playing games, I was reading and collecting comics. I grew up alone, but I got a chance to connect with colts in my school thanks to comics. I even remember going to a convention when I was a filly, my friends parents took us, and I had the most magical time… but things changed.
"I started holding these conventions years ago, in hope's that I could rekindle some of that magic that I saw as a foal, that I could enjoy myself like I did back then and even share that with new possible friends and others who share the same love for comics that I do" Lucky's expression turned dark. "Instead I find myself too busy to actually sit though a Q and A, to look at the plushies available to purchase, or even get an autograph for myself. Instead I work my tail off to make sure that others enjoy themselves, and I can't even be happy with that! I see ponies young and old acting so callous to the events, worried only about spending money and buying things, arguing over one concept of comics or another, and YES, I hate how some of these foals and adults seem to lack the better since of hygiene and how to treat one another.
"But as for you're accusation, miss Detective, no, I didn't cause this mess, so point your hoof somewhere else" Lucky Swirl huffed and glared back at Prancy Drew.
"I knew it wasnt you, miss Swirl. Ans I want to thank you for your cooperation in our investigation..." Prancy stated as she turned back and looked at Sunny. "Did that help? Can you find them?"
Nodding back at her, Sunny replied. "Eh'yep. One's hiding near the north exit, an th'other's right there…"
Sunny pointed to a mare wearing a 'Colt Cola' can costume in the crowd. When he pointed to her, the mare tried to make a break for it but was quickly caught by one of the unicorn security guards. The guard coated her in his blue magical aura and levitated her up to where Prancy and Lucky Swirl were.
"The gig is up, Sir, best to come on out, we have yer wife" Sunny called out to the crowd.
After a few moments a figure cloaked in black with the fiendish quesgion mark mask stepped out of the crowd, his head hanging low, sighing heavily, and joined his captured wife up on stage.
"Perhapse it's best if you both explain yourselves" Prancy told the duo as she unmasked the Colt Cola mare and the mysterious masked stallion.
The stallion had a dark brown coat and darker brown mane, he seemed ashamed of what he had done, where his wife, an earth pony mare with a blue fluffy mane and light green coat seemed more annoyed then anything.
"Mom?! Dad!?" A colt called out as he emerged from the sea of convention goers. Sunny and Spike recognized him as the colt who said he snuck out to come here, whos' mom was really strict. "What are you guys doing here?!"
"What are we doing here!? What are YOU doing here!?" The mother snapped at her son. "You have Saturday school tomorrow! And here you are, sneaking out and waisting your time with these, these-"
"Comics, hun" the husband finished his wife's sentance.
"Ugh! What a waste of paper and inc and time!" The mare growled. "And that Lucky Swirl was right! All these colts are rude and greedy and stinck! The last thing I want is for you to end up like them! That's why we got you into saturday school! Next year you can take the test to get into Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns'! Next year! Your grades are good, but they need to be great to get in!"
"We know you can do it if you tried" the husband spoke up again, hit tone still rather flat in comparison to his wife's overbearing voice. "But you waste all your time reading comic books and playing video games."
"Ugh! I'm so tired of studying!" The colt snapped now, shocking his parents, even breaking the angered expression his mother and forcing her to recoil a little. The colt glared at his parents "All I do is study! You guys didn"t even ask me what I wanted! I can't go out for sports, I can't hang out with my friends after school! And now I can't even enjoy video games and comics!? What can I enjoy!?"
"You don't know what you want" the mother snapped back. "Your father and I just want to give you the opportunities you deserve. You're a smart young colt. You could be a mayor, a wizard, maybe even a royal diplomat one day! But you wont get there if all you do is read comics and goof off-"
Before the colt and his mother could get into it, Sunny stepped forward, and stepped between them. "I've heard enough."
"This isn't any of your business, who do you think you are?" The mother snapped at Sunny.
Sunny looked her in the eye as he spoke, originally meeting her gaze with one that mirrored his father's on his worst day, but softened to a neutral expression. "I'm just a pony. A pony who knows what it's like to have that kind of a pressure on you as a foal. A foal who just wants to have friends, play, and feel like a foal. But I know all too well what the pressures are like when one had such duty placed on his shoulders and grows up to be a 'diplomat' who never made friends as a colt.
"Your son is just a kid, ma'am. He needs to make friends, to goof off some times, make mistakes, make his own self discoveries, to do things he enjoys. He needs time to relax and have fun" Sunny then turned and looked to the colt. "And although your parents aren't right on putting that pressure on you, you can speak up. Tell them how you feel."
The colt stepped forward and looked at Sunny, his tone relaxed a bit "I did… but they wouldn't listen like they always know better then me..."
"That's not true!" The mother protested. "We listen to you all the time!"
"Really?" The colt raised his brow to his mother, bitterness heavy in his tone. "When is the last time I asked you if I could go out and play with my friends? Or have friends over for anything but 'study group' or even just play a video game that wasn't about math or reading? Do you even remember the last time I asked to go outside to play!?"
Both parents looked to each other with nervous uncertainty.
"W-well you've had alot of tests coming up at your school" the father started to speak up.
"That's right! You had to focus for your tests recently and cant-" the mother felt like she had a hoof to stand on before her son snapped back, cutting her off.
"I HAVE A TEST ONCE A WEEK! EVERY FRIDAY!" The colt snapped. "You never let me have any fun! If I dont sneak out, I never get to have any fun!"
The mother took a deep breath and began to speak again "we just… we only want you to have a good life. To grow up and be somepony…"
"He is somepony already" Sunny chimmed in. "He is your son. And although I believe in the pursuit of knowledge is important, I also believe in balamce and compromise."
Sunny looked over at the Young colt, and asked in a firm but nutrual tone "Do you think you can keep your grades up and hang out with your friends?"
"Yeah, it's not like my work is that hard. I just hate feeling like that's all I do with my life" the colt answered.
Sunny then turned back to the parents "And if he keeps his grades up, do you think you two could lighten up on his academics a little and give him some time to hang out with his friends? And maybe lighten up about the video games and comics? He is just a colt after all."
The parents relaxed for a moment, looked to each other, and after a moment of reading eachother's expressions, nodded and turned back to face Sunny, the mother handling the talking. "I suppose we can do that. He's smart. And I still want him to go to the school of gifted unicorns… even if he doesn't become a diplomat, I still want him to have that higher degree of education."
"I think I may be able to help in that department" Sunny padded his chin. "I know a mare who went there, she could be a great tutor."
"You'd do that? For our son?" The father asked, both he and his wife shared shocked expressions.
"I see greatness in your son" Sunny smiled at the young colt. "He could go on to do great things, should he chose to pursue it. But remember, young colt, the decisions are 'yours' to make. And every decision you make is a stepping stone in the direction of who you could be. Make sure it's a direction that 'you're want. Whether it be a high ranking position or something as simple as a rock farmer."
The colt then looked to his parents, they looked to him, the tension in the air was a little unsteady, but it broke, and the colt jumped into his parents hooves and they all enjoyed a heartfelt hug.
A long moment passed filled with 'awwws', but eventually some smart mouth stallion spoke up from the crowd "that's all good and well, but what about the convention?"
"Yeah, they still caused alot of trouble" a mare from the crowd added.
"Now hold on, guys I have something to say too!" It was Spike's turn to speak up. The baby dragon got up on stage and began to address the crowd. "What these parents did tonight was wrong, but they weren't wrong about all of you. This is my first convention, but aside from a few of my friends, all of you guys need to take a better look at yourselves!
"I mean, we come here to enjoy the comics, to talk about them, to enjoy the can art and merchandise, and have fun. But most of what I've seen was a bunch of ponies at eachnotger's throats over this being better then that, tearing each other down, and just showing how little they actually care for what they came here for."
Alot of ponies in the audience looked rather ashamed with themselves as they took Spike's words to heart, thinking about their own words and actions tonight.
"Ponies, and even dragons, who read comics are already made fun of, being called geeks or nerds by others who dont understand how awesome comic books are, we dont need to be make each other feel bad. I know you guys can act better then this." Spike's tone lightened up a little as he continued to speak clearly to the crowd. "Now what do you say we get this convention started off right, and have some fun?"
"Excelsior!" A familiar voice called out as an old colt swung in from out of nowhere on a grappling hook. The familiar colt landed on stage next to Spike, almost falling over, but used Spike's head to steady himself. "Thanks little guy. And what a great speech. Sounds like something Captain Equestria would have said."
"R-r-really!?" Spike stuttered, his eyes growing wide with amazement. "Thank you Mr. COMIC Stan!"
"Please call me Stan" the colt said as he pulled Spike's comic out of his backpack, signing it and handing it back to the baby dragon. "I saw you clenching this in your claws earlier. You must have really wanted my signature."
Spike was speechless as he looked at the comic, now complete with Comic Stan's signature.
"Now, what do you all say? Shall we get this convention back underway?" Comic Stan asked the crowd, who erupted in a huge cheer. Stan grabbed Spike's claw and raised in into the air triumphantly.
The parents of the colt helped to undo the trouble they caused. They brought back the products they took and hid in the building's attic, returning them to the proper vendors, while the comic book writers and artists who got over their stomach sickness helped the skit actors duct tape their costumes together so their shows could go on. What had made them sick in the first place was, as embarrassing as it is, the oder from the husband's gym bag being fanned to them. Comic Stan wasnt effected because his once of smell had gone long ago. With everypony and dragon's combine team work. things had gradually come back together at the convention.
The dragons no longer hid and were more then willing to help put things back into place. Quill and Honeybelle sat together between their stands and began drawing together, already hard at work on some comic ideas. Sunny had sat down and talked with Chance-a-lot and talked things out with him, serving as a counselor for him to release his deep seated issues on. It involved quite a bit of time and many tears… after Chance visited the building's private shower and gave himself a good scrub. The poor colt was a classic case of a colt who grew up feeling shunned by other students in school and around his neighborhood who didn't appreciate comics. Due to thit, he had made it a point to avoid crowds and large bodies of ponies as much as possible. He always bought the gold passes to avoid waiting in large lines. He was able to navigate all around the convention and avoid them because he studies the lay out and flow of ponies in the first five minutes of being in the building. Sunny was able to help Chance to rediscover the hope inside himself of finding friends. Almost immediatly, Chance went over to Quill's studio station and began drawing with them, making friends of Quill and Honeybelle. Miss Lucky Swirl's assistants took over the overseeing the event so their stressed boss could relax...
"…All in all, it seems things worked out for the best. And everypony, and dragon, walked away from the convention with more then they expected. The lesson here, we all need to step back and look at what we are doing, sometimes, and look not just at the bigger picture, but at who we paint ourselves as in the picture …" Sunny continued to write his letter, a huge smile in his muzzle.
"Seems a little long winded, doesn't it?" Spike asked, looking up from his new comic book Comic Stan gave him.
Both boys were on the late night train ride back to Ponyville from Canterlot. The yellow unicorn had thought to write to his mother about the events that had occurred during their trip, remembering how much she loved to hear from Twilight in her.
"I think mom would like to know 'all' the details" Sunny said with a grin before wrapping the scroll up. "Would you care to do the honors?"
"Sure thing, pal" the young dragon took a deep breath and blew the letter away in his green flames. Almost immediately after, Spike stretched and yawned. "Wake me up when we get back to Ponyville, ok?"
Then the young dragon rolled over, put the comic over his muzzle, and fell right asleep. It had been a long and eventful day.
Sunny smiled at the exhausted young dragon, glad that his first convention was both an exciting and forfilling one. It certainly was interesting for him too. And no pony even recognized him, say for that young detective. She apologized for eavesdropping on Spike and his conversation involving his new fear seeking abilities, but it did help in the investigation. All in all, a good adventure. But Sunny himself was looking forward to getting back to the home and taking a short snooze before he awoke the next morning for work on the apple farm...
"Please, your majesty, forgive me!" Snowstorm fell over on his haunches then his back, crawling backwards in a desperate attempt to put space between him and King Sombra, but never being foolish enough to actually turn his back to the enraged king.
After crashing the Grand Galloping Gala and retrieving a fake corner stone, Sombra angrily returned to his new stronghold to construct the next phase of his plan. Only to later be informed, by one of his guards who returned, that Snowstirm got away by dropping a chandelier on Sunny!
"Forgive you!? FORGIVE YOU!?!?" Sombra began to roar, his anger boiling over. " I have you two simple orders! 1) keep the ponies in the gala busy, including the princesses. And 2) keep an eye on that insane changeling friend of yours! And you failed at both!"
Stomping his hooves down onto the ground, causing several sharp dark Crystals to form behind Snowstorm, prevent him from scurrying away. Realizing he was trapped, Snowstorm looked upon King Somnra with fear filled eyes, now knowing first hoof what the king's enemies saw. The overwhelming sence of fear caused the former guard to shake in his black armor. Lookinh down at thebcolt, Sombra knew Snowstorm had screwed up, and the colt was very sorry for his failure. Under other circumstances, King Somnra would have let Snowstorm go with just some minor tormenting. But there was one other thing that Snowstorm did during the Gala attack that he needed to pay for. One thing that Sombra could not forgive.
Just as Sombra was about to execute a spell to wipe Snowstorm's memory clean, leaving him a drooling fool that he would then dump at the nearest town, a certain voice called out to the shadow king, stopping Sombra in his tracks. "We may still have use for him…"
Sombra and the frantic Snowstorm turned and saw the silhouette of a tall, feminine unicorn. She appeared to be just as tall as Princess Celestia, and had Sombra not already known who she was, he would have mistaken her for his traitorous love. Stepping into the light, more of her detail was revealed. Her coat was dark grey like Sombra's, horn though, was like a jagged red crystal, eyes red and reptilian like, her mane was long and flowing black with a few streaks of light and dark grey. Upon her head, the mare wore what appeared to be a crown of dark red crystals who's light was pulsing. Her stride was elegant yet powerful, as if she ruled the world.
"What 'use' did you have in mind, mother?" Sombra calmly asked, pulling back his anger.
Before Snowstorm could repeat the king's words in his head, his world was blinded in a flash of green light. He didn't know what happened, but all of a sudden he was back at his home in Canterlot! In his old room that he grew up in! Looking down at himself, he realized he was a foal again! Or… was he still a foal and all that about becoming a royal guard, the attack on Garganda, forced to run a prison, and King Sombra been just a bad dream?… it must have. The memory he had of King Sombra and everything seemed to be fading like a bad dream, and something important popped into his head. Today was a special day! It was the day he graduated from the young guard! He had been lined up to graduate today from the young guard academy and in two months he would be taking the test to join princess celestia's school for gifted unicorns!
Hopping out of bed, Snowstorm ran out of his room and made it half way down the stairs before he paused, hearing the disappointed tone of his father's voice, making the colt Snowstorm freeze in place.
"I know I should be proud of him for graduating, but his scores are third from the bottom in his class" Snowstorm's father was talking with his mother. "How can we expect him to do well in Celestia's school with grades like that?"
"He didn't have bad grades, dear" Snowstorm's mother tried to explain to his father. "The other colts were just really smart."
"Maybe it would be best if we put him in a regular school" Snowstorm's father suggested. "Celestia's school for gifted unicorns would be too much for him to handle."
"I know he will do well, just like you did" Snowstorm's mother continued to insist and believe in her son.
"He might.… I better see a great deal of determination in him before enrollment starts. I will not have him make a mockery of our family's name by trying to be something he isn't." Snowstorm's father stomped his hoof, conflicted with feelings of worry and pride.
Snowstorm calmly and quietly walked back up stairs and without making even so much as a creak, shut his bedroom door. Once it was shut, Snowstorm let out a huge sigh, hung his head, and walked slowly back to his bed. 'I knew it… father thinks I'm a failure... he thinks I'll just sully his good image…'
Pausing infront of the mirror, Snowstorm took a good hard look at himself, stopped panicking and worrying, burying those doubtful emotions beneath several feet of concrete in his heart, and took control of his fears.
"I'm not just going to pass my classes" Snowstorm told himself as he looked over at his helmet that lay on his dresser. Levitating it up, Snowstorm slowly lowered the black helmet and mask over his head, his voice becoming more and more metallic as he did. "I will be the best unicorn guard equestria has ever seen and-"
"-serve our kind with pride, and without failure…" a secondary voice echoed in the background without Snowstorm realizong it.
Behind him in the mirror was a faint outline of a tall unicorn mare, eyes glowing green with flames of purple burning at the far corners of them. She continued to whisper into the cult's ear as he repeated the words over and over to himself while gazing at his own reflection. Over, and over, and over again…
Outside the cult's mind, Sombra watched his mother work her dark magic, eyes locked with Snowstorm's. They had been that way but for a short few moments. When his mother was finished, she simply closed her eyes and turned around to her son. "He is now completly loyal to you. He won't recognize his family, any friends he had, or acknowledge any personal feelings. He is 100% a solider, and will answer your every command."
Snowstorm stood up strait and saluted King Sombra.
A little taken back by her work, Sombra asked his mother "What did you do to him?"
The tall unicorn mare chuckled lightly, narrowing her sharp reptilian eyes on her son and answered with a confident tone "You have much to learn, but I can show you how to make perfect soldiers, and you have more then enough guinea pigs practice on…"
As the two left talked amongst themselves, another being lurked in the shadow. The old stallion, Pappy, looked down at them from a crevice in the ceiling, eyes straining to observe, ears struggling to hear them. He got the gist of what happened and didn't like it.
"Gunna have ta change plans ah little…" the old colt told himself before pulling something fuzzy out if his coat pocket. "Gunna need ta rely more on you this time, little buddy…"
The ferret looked up at him, yawned, scratched himself, then went back to sleep.
As Sunny pulled the cart full of apples up the hill leading to the barn, he thought about the day he arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. About walking out of fog into a nearly empty town, their resources mostly being shipped to the Equestrian army that is fighting some evil King Sombra right now. And how he had come to live at the Apple family's farm.
Sunny had just been found by Apple Bloom, wandering around Ponyville, while she was trying to pull a wheelbarrow full of tin cans and paper. Apple Bloom and her friends had been tasked with gathering things that could be recycled or melted down and used for the war cause. Sunny had helped little Apple Bloom back to the farm where he met Apple Bloom's sibings; her big sister Applejack and their older brother Big Macintosh. Both the older siblings were questioning why Sunny had not gone off to join the others on the front line when he explained to them that he couldn't remember anything about himself. Apple Bloom gave him the name 'Sunny' after a clip from a news article in an old paper she found. He rather liked the name, it was short, catchy, and unlike the current situation of Equestria, bright and up beat. Applejack looked him over well, and knew he was telling the truth about his lost memory.
Sunny wanted to go and join the war effort, to fight on the front lines, but nopony would let him if he had memory problems. So he did the next best thing in his mind, and worked with the Apples on the farm to produce and can applesauce for the ponies fighting the good fight. The apples were hesitant to let him work on the farm at first, but there was something about the upbeat yellow unicorn that the Apple family felt they could trust. Sunny seemed determined to do anything he could, and not just for the war cause.
The few moments where everypony wasn't working, Sunny did his best to cheer them up and brighten their spirits. It was in this dark time that he felt everypony needed to be shown there was a light at the end of the tunnel. He did everything he could to put a smile on their faces and help them to forget about the war. Puppet shows, reciting plays he found in old books, building forts in the farm house, telling stories he began to remember about a great worrier named 'the Black Knight'. He even got Applejack and Apple Bloom in such high spirits at times, they would bake some apple fritters or mini apple pies for them to enjoy while they told stories themselves, often about their family and times before the war. But it seemed that nothing could get much out of Big Mac say for a half smile. That didnt stop Sunny from trying, though, even if it was to no avail.
But their good times were not meant to last. Sombra's forces grew closer to Ponyville, they were looking for something or somepony. And another, rather unexpected, guest was about to pay the Apple's farm a visit…
Humming to himself, Sunny was doing his best to gather the apples from today's hall as fast as he could, excited to show Applejack, Apple Bloom and Big Mac the new act he and his little pony puppets had been working on. The small wooden figures Sunny made out of broken branches and sticks were his loyal, little actors in the many plays he performed. They may have obly been a hoof high, but there are no small parts, just small actors. Recently it had become harder and harder to lift the Apple's spirites, but Sunny refused to give up.
When Applejack was instructing him on various tasks around the farm, her whole being seemed to turn grey as she would often tell him of how it all used to be. How they used to bake apple based sweets all the time like apple fritters, apple tarts, apple pie, and so much more. But now it all went to making canned applesauce. The applesauce from Sweet Apple Acres was far better tasting than most produced in Equestria, but that didn't say much. Applesause could be canned and gave soldiers the sugar and nutrients needed to keep fighting. It also gave them hope that another day was coming, that dawn was just on the horrizon… Sunny just wish 'HE' could have been that pony. To take up arms against this evil king. There was something deep down inside him that told him he needed to be there. But there was a louder calling he answered, whenever he looked to the Apples and their farm. 'It isn't supposed to be this way… this is wrong…'
"That the last of it?" Applejack asked Sunny, her tone rather flat and unemotional as her dazed eyes met his.
Startled by her sudden appearance, Sunny hesitated but cleared his throat. "Y-yes it is, Applejack. That's the last of the hall for today."
Looking over the bunch of apples Sunny had collected then looking over to the factory, Applejack mentally calculated that they would need more then usual for the war effort. "Go and get another cart full. They're gunna need it."
"Ok, Applejack" seeing the orange farm pony so worn down, so callus, it rocked Sunny deep down. He wished there was something he could do to make this all right.
"Sunny?" A new female voice rang in Sunny's ear as he started to offload the barrels of apples form his cart.
Looking in the direction of the new voice, Sunny was a little shocked to see a purple alicorn mare standing infront of him, with a little purple dragon tailing right behind her.
Looking her up and down, Sunny scratched his hoof to his head "do ah know you, stranger?"
"Its me! Twilight Sparkle!" The purple alicorn paused. Sunny thought about it, but no reaction came to mind. "I'm your friend! Remember?!"
"Sorry miss Sparkle" Sunny replied as he readjusted his hair net ontop of his head. "Can's says ah remember. Please forgive me, though. I've had some mighty terrable memory problems as of recent. Can't remember much other then this here farm."
"What's goin' on out here?" Applejack asked as she emerged from the applesauce factory pushing a barrel, her eyes locking on to Twilight.
"Applejack! You're here too!" The purple alicorn jumped and gave Applejack an immediate hug.
But Appeljack, appearing just annoyed pushed the purple mare away and asked in a flat tone "what can ah do ya for?"
"Its just so good to see you" Twilight's relief remained in tact as she continued to talk to Appeljack. "It's just I can't find Pinkie Pie, or Rarity, or Fluttershy, or Rainbow Dash. But I just knew you'd still be here!"
Continuing to roll the barrel up and onto a cart, Applejack once again answered Twilight with little emotion in her voice. "Of course ah am. This is mah home. But who in tarnation is Pinkie Bow, Flutter Dash… or you for that matter?"
Seeming hurt by Applejack's quesgion, Twilight, broken hearted asked "You… dont know who I am?…"
"Nope" Applejack answered flatly again as she continued to roll another barrel onto the cart. "Honestly, the only name I recorganize is Rarity, and she left for Mainhattan years ago."
The little dragon piped up with wavering ease in his voice as he looked to Twilight "probably to become a world famous fashion designer, I bet."
"Not what ah heard" Applejack stated as she finished loading up the cart, shutting and locking the back end, still not making eye contact with either the aliocrn or baby dragon. "Last ah heard she went ta help out with th' cause, just like everypony else."
A little more then confused, Twilight repeated Applejack's statment. "The cause?"
"The war against King Sombra an' th' Crystal Empire" still lacking any emotion, Applejack answered Twilights echo. Both the purple alicorn and her dragon friend gasped, shocked by what Applejack had said. Narrowing her eyes at the new comers, slightly annoyed, Applejack asked "where have you two been?"
"Actually its 'when'" the little purple dragon answered with a matter of face attitude.
"I know this is hard to believe, but you and I and those other ponies I mentioned are friends" Twilight spoke in a desperate and worried tone, her voice shaky.
"Did you hit yer head on ah crate of cider 'er somethin'?" Applejack asked still in great disbelief of what the purple alicorn was proposing to her.
"I'm telling you the truth, and if you come with me, I'll prove it" Twilight boldly stated, shaking off her uneasy disbelief and worry before galloping as hard as she could just north west of the Apple farm.
At first, Applejack was about to ignore the two weirdos and get back to work, but a purple magical aura engulfed her and levitated the orange farm pony up into the air, forcing her to tail behind Twilight and her little purple dragon.
As Sunny continued to work in the orchard, gathering more apples, he saw the scene of Applejack being carted away, against her will, by Twilight. If it were any other situation, Sunny would jump in to save the orance farm pony. But somehow he knew that Applejack was in no real danger. And instead of jumping to her aid, Sunny just smiled and waved to her, yelling "A'hm awful glad ya finnaly made some new friends, Sugarcube!"
"Get back ta work!" Was all Applejack said as she, Twilight and the little purple dragon vanished into the distance.
Sunny continued his work as normal for about another ten minutes or so, wanting to hurry up and get the extra work done before Applejack got back, hoping she would be in a better mood. While Sunny worked, he couldn't help but feel something was wrong. Something deep inside told him to be on guard. Then a shriek broke the otherwise calm silance of the orchard.
Sunny's ears went up immediately, recognizing the owner of the voice. "Apple Bloom!"
The yellow unicorn left his buckets of apples and cart behind to make a mad dash through the orchard, hurrying as fast as he could to the barn. The trees around him seemed to blur as his hooves barely touched the ground. In a matter of seconds, Sunny reached the edge of the orchard, breathing heavily as he couldn't believe his eyes.
Before him were three dozen ponies, clad in black spiky armor, all marching towards Big Mac and Apple Bloom who were standing their ground at the barn's front door. Ahead of the armored ponies was a rather tall, dark grey unicorn, if you could call him that. His mane was wavy and black like smoke, his horn glowing red like hot iron, jagged white teeth filled his mouth, and a pair of monstrous red eyes narrowed on the apple farm.
"With this factory destroyed, the army of Equestria will lose most of their food supply, and will fall" the dark unicorn chucked loudly, his evil laughter echoing in Sunny's ears.
Without a second thought, Sunny took a deep breath and called out in a voice that shook the skies themselves "NOT IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT!"
Focusing as hard as he could, Sunny teleported to the space just infront of Big Mac and Apple Bloom, between them and the opposing army. Standing his ground, Sunny kept his eyes on the armored ponies before him as he asked Big Mac and Apple Bloom behind him "are you guys ok?"
"Eh'yep" Big Mac answered, eyes still filled with worry as he held his younger sister.
Turning his attention back to the army and the dark stallion leading them, Sunny spoke loudly once again "LEAVE NOW. I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU, BUT I WILL. I PROMISED I WOULD LET NO HARM COME TO THIS FARM OR THE PONIES WHO LIVE HERE."
The armored ponies, mindless and unable to make any decisions of their own simply waited for their master to give them a command. It didn't take him long to react, simply stepping out of his sea of armor clad ponies, head held high, appearing triumphant as he presented a jagged toothy grin. "Well, well, well, I would have never guessed I would have found you here, of all places. But you were always brilliant at strategy. Hiding yourself at the farm that supplies the army of equestria with 75% of their food supplies is a brilliant move."
Not fully understanding what he was getting at, Sunny stood his ground, but his muscles released a little. "I don't know who you are or what you're talking about, but I won't ask you again. Leave now."
No longer smiling, the dark unicorn, eyes glowing green and red now, with flames of purple flickering out of their far corners, stepped forward still, head held high as he spoke in a deep, more serous tone. "Don't you recognize me? I am King Sombra, ruler of the Crystal Empire. I was the one who was there when you were sworn into the Crystal guard over 1000 years ago, I stood by Celestia side as she knighted you, and I was the one who sealed you away for 1000 years to open Your eyes to the truth!"
The King's words began to rattle Sunny both inside and out so much that he didn't even notice Applejack rejoin her siblings at the door of the Apple family barn. Something about what Sombra was saying seemed true, and slowly the fog in Sunny's mind started to clear. Sunny was a Crystal guard, further more a Knight. But there was something else something in the front of his mind that was making him sick at the thought of it..
"You did it!! It was you!" Sunny snapped, anger now filled in his voice. "When you sealed me away in a 1000 year nightmare, you separated me from my family! From my friends! My mother! My Father!"
"No Sunny" Sombra's smile returned, his two rows of sharp teeth flashing in the light. "I AM you FATHER!"
Sonny's heart sank, he felt like he was going to puke. "No… NO, THAT CAN'T BE TRUE! YOU'RE LYING! THERE'S NO WAY I COULD BE RELATED TO A MONSTER LIKE YOU!"
"Search your feeling, Sunny, you know it is true." Sombra smiled confidently as he signaled one of the guards to his side, who in turn blew a whistle, signaling several other guards. "Not only that, but you just helped your father assure victory in this war…"
Before anypony could tell what was going on, dozens of burning arrows flew from the orchard, sticking into the barn, setting it ablaze. While Sunny and Sombra had been talking, the hypnotized Sombra guards poured oil all around the barn, farm house and factory. All of which where now going up in a blaze! The apples were about to scramble to the fire extinguishers, but Sombra's guards stopped them, tying them up and restricting them, forcing them to watch as their home burned to the ground. The flames spread to the orchard and turned it into a sea of fire, ash spreading to the sky, turning it black as Sombra's heart. Sunny escaped the guards and tried to douse the flames of the farm house as best as he could, but it was all in vain.
When everything was burned to a black crisp, Sombra told Sunny he had a few more loose ends to tie up, but to meet him back at the Crystal Empire for his reward for his dedication to the cause. That thanks to him, the war was practically won. But his words were muffled in Sunny's ears as the yellow unicorn just started at the black mess that was once the Apple family's home. Long moments had passed as all Sunny could do was gaze at the horror that stood before him, taking in all that had just happened. The world he cherrished and wanted to protect with all he was just went up in smoke.
"This is all you're fault!" Applejack hissed as she ran over to Sunny, eyes narrowed at him. "You are the son of that tyrant! You brought him here! You betrayed us! After all we did for you! We lost our home and our only chance of winning this war ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!"
Sunny didn't know what to say, except "I'm sorry… I… I didn't know…"
"Well its too late for that!" Applejack turned her back on Sunny, kicking dirt up at him as she rejoined her older brother who looked just as betrayed as she did, and her little sister, who hadn't stopped crying. But before she was out of ear shot, she told Sunny "I wish I had never found you…"
A darkness enveloped Sunny'a heart as he, fell to the ground, broken, completely broken as he wished that he remained lost. He didn't want to live this life. A life filled with pain and torment that he couldn't help alleviate, that he seemed to trail with him, hurting those around him. Wss that what his destiny was? Was that the lesson his father was trying to teach him!?… then a wave hit everything. The world aroudn Sunny began to shift. Everything, every pony, the ground, the sky, it all started to warp anx change. Like somepony rewinding a clock, but still setting it on the wrong time yet again…
On guard duty once again, Sunny made his rounds quickly and swiftly around the hideout for the pony resistance. Though their safe haven is well camouflaged around the lush and wild forest, danger still lurks around every corner. Sunny was confident he and his team of guards could fight off an attack by the changelings, but that was not their job. No, their job was to keep the hideout hidden from the changelings and their queen as best thet can, by any means nessisary, even if it meant luring them away in the opposite direction and sacrificing themselves to the changelings. What the changelings did with the ponies they captured, no pony knows. But no pony taken by them had been seen ever again.
"How are you holding up?" Whispered a deep but hushed voice, one Sunny recognized instantly. Emerging from the bushes wss a rather large, brown colored earth pony. Muscular and broad, with an orange and light brown patch of mane and tail to match, the stallion walked with no fear in his heart as he approached Sunny.
"I'm fine, Commander Carmel" Sunny answered, bowing his head slightly in show of respect to his commanding officer. "Everything is clear on this end. No sign of changelings, or anything else for that matter."
Narrowing his eyes out into the wild jungle, Commander Salted Carmel tried his best to sence some life moving about the surrounding jungle forest. But just as Sunny had said, it was quiet and still. Too quiet and too still. "Keep an extra sharp eye out, I have a feeling something bad is coming..."
Sunny admired Salted's intuition. To most ponies he's seem paranoid or slightly crazy. But those were ponies who were adjusted to better times. Ponies who didn't have a fear of being betrayed by creatures that took the form of their friends and family. Ponies who could run and play in the sun. Sunny had lost most of his memories, but a few were coming back day by day.
It seemed like only yesterday that he was found wandering around near changeling territory and was rescued by Zeccora, the Zebra shaman leader of the resistant ponies, and taken to a safer place. She and the others didn't trust Sunny for anything, who would when some pony appears out of the blue with no memory, and the main threat of Eauestria are changelings. But Zeccora rubbed some magical green powder on him that reveiled that he wasn't a changeling. From that day on, Sunny, who was given his name by one of the elderly mares in the hideout, was part of their resistance. He fought along side other ponies against the changeling menace and the evil queen Chrysalis.
Just then, Sunny and Salted noticed their leader, Zeccora, and a team of scouts returning from their outing, but with them a new pony. A purple alicorn mare, alongside a small purple creature that resembled a dragon. But it looked too small and cute to be a dragon, or so Sunny thought.
"Whats going on down there?" Sunny motioned to the returning party.
"Don't know, but I'll find out. Keep to your post" Salted instructed Sunny then slid back into the brush, taking a hidden rout to the returning Zeccora and her party.
Sunny kept a careful eye on the ponies with Zecorra below, narrowing his eyes, wondering if it was anypony who he knew, or anypony from his past. The new commers seemed… almost familiar, some how. Sunny cursed his shattered memory.
"Is.. is it really you?" A mare's voice chimmed, sounding shaky and hesitant, but with a thick southern accent.
Sunny immediately turned to the direction the voice came from, his spear pointed at an orange, earth pony mare. From under her stetson hat, the mare reveiled two large emerald colord eyes, watery with tears. She seemed… so familiar some how. Did Sunny really know her? Either way, he still needed to be cautious, not just for his sake, but fit the safety of the rest of the ponies he protected in the hideout. "Halt! Who are you?"
"Ya really don't remember me?…" the mare spoke softly as she removed her stetson hat. "We worked on th' farm tageather… before the changelings attacked. We all got separated. Ah couldn't find Big Mac or Apple Bloom or Granny either... But ah found you! Ah'm so glad."
Lowering his spear slightly, Sunny felt something deep inside began to stir. Memories of before the changeling attack?… no… these were… these were memories of something else. Something that should be but isn't. It was beginning to make Sunny's head spin.
Applejack began to caugh, wabble, then fell to her knees. Sunny instinctively went to her side, dropping his spear. "Applejack! Are you alright!? What happened!? What did they do to you!?"
Before Applejack could answer him, Sunny felt something wrap around his neck, almost chocking him. Looking behind him, Sunny saw two changelings, snickering as they clung more sticky saliva like webbing wrap around his front hooves, forcing Sunny to fall flat on his muzzle. A wicked laughter rang in his ears as he turned his head to the side and looked up. The mare he called Applejack was towering over him with a vile grin on her muzzle, her eyes now a sickly green as she looked down triumphantly at the bound unicorn.
"Well that was easy" Applejack's voice changed to a more sinister echoy one. In a flash of green light that engulfed her, Applejack's form changed. Her legs became longer with chunks missing from them, her body went from orange to coal grey, hard shell exterior, insect like wings emerged from her back, her neck stretched, her golden locked mane unraveled and became like flat moss that hung from a tree, and then a crooked looking horn grew from the center of her forehead, shredding her stetson hat to nothing. Sunny realized he had been fooled, now feeling a sharp pain in his chest. How could he have been so easily swayed? Did he even really know an Applejack? Why was his head still spinning. Chrysalis lifted Sunny's muzzle up with one hoof to look him in the eye taunting "Almost too easy. I would have thought Zeccora would have left a more compitant pony or two to guard her little club house."
Struggling to back, despite being wrapped around tightly in changeling goo, Sunny snapped at the insect queen "What do you hope to accomplish!? What is your end game?"
This shook Chrysalis for a moment. But only for a moment. The changeling queen and her two followers chuckled before taking pony forms again.
Chrysalis, once again taking Applejack's form, snickered with a grin "Mah game is ta win. All will bow before me, and ah will rule all. Maybe ah'll see you later, Sugarcube."
Before Sunny could get another word in, Chrysalis turned around and bucked him as hard as she could, sending him flying down a hill and into a murky lake. With a hard splash, Sunny hit the muddy water, which nearly blinded him. Shaking the muck clear from his eyes, Sunny struggled to break free, even trying to focus all his energy into a spell to cut the changeling slime. But it was no use. The changelings knew of unicorn magic and had also coated his horn in their goo to prevent him from using it. Still, Sunny refused to give up! He had to make it back to the hideout. He had to warn everypony. He had to fight! And so he faight.
Sunny refused to give in as he struggled to at first break free from his bonds. After a few moments, Sunny thought a change of approach would be best, and decided to try and climb his way out and back to the hideout. He rolled over and began kicking with his back legs, which were left unbound,, only to find that rout to be just as difficult. He couldn't get a good footing with just two hooves stuck in the ground, his other hooves still bound, and his face having no where to go but strait into the mud. Still though, Sunny refused to give up. And then it happened! Sunny got his footing just right, and was able to push himself up from the edge of the murky water and began pushing himself up hill. One step, two step, three… but that was when Sunny couldn't hold it any more and rolled back into the lake. But he refused to give up. He tried once more, making it almost past three steps, before falling down once more.
'How could I have been fooled like that!?' Sunny cused himself, frustrated more then he ever had been before. 'I don't even know an Applejack!… don't I?…'
In the short distance, Sunny heard the sounds of clashing wooden weapons, hissing and the fluttering of the changeling's insect like wings. Ponie's cries then followed, screams of fear and of strife, the sound of running hooves and of battling.
'I need to get up there!' Sunny continued to tell himself as he struggled more to push himself up from the mucky water. But try as he might, he only continued to slip back down into the mud and water. Eventually the sounds died down. Sunny wanted to have hope… but the cheers that followed were not those of pony kind, followed soon after by the cackling laughter of the Changeling queen. Tears began to fall from Sunny's eyes, mixing with the mud on his face.
He had failed to protect those who needed him. Why had he trusted that mare's image so carelessly? He had felt something deep down, possibly a memory? Or maybe he was seeing a memory where there was none, desperate to find something out about himself and where he came from. But that didn't matter… what mattered now was he had failed. And others once again suffered from his failure.
Once again, darkness had enveloped Sunny'a heart as he wished that he remained lost, wandering in the wold forest. He didn't want to live this life, even if he had escaped the changelings. A life that he had to carry on alone with the guilt of failure, of hurting those around him. It was all too much to bear … then a wave hit everything. The jungle setting, the laughter thst echoed off the trees, coldness of the muddy water Sunny was in, it all fadded, and the world once again was reset. Like somepony rewinding a clock, again, still setting it on the wrong time…
"Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the most powerful ruler of all?" Nightmare Moon asked as she approached the magical mirror she had hung up on her wall, her reptilian like eyes confidently gazed upon it with a feeling of triumph.
The image of Nightmare Moon's own deflection in the mirror swirled, and a new form came into focus, and an image of a yellow unicorn stallion's head appeared. He had an orange mop of a mane, his emerald colored eyes barely opened to a slit and he kept his gaze on the ground as he had previously been ordered to. "Your highness, your grace, you who rules the night, who has overthrown your sister, and have removed all possible threats to your reign, 'you' yourself remain the most powerful ruler in all Eauestria. You have no equal, in both power and territory. No pony would dare challenge you…"
Nightmare Moon chuckled and threw her head back, enjoying the words coming from the yellow unicorn's mouth. "Yes! Yes! All true!"
Shortly after Nightmare Moon returned from her 1000 year imprisonment, She quickly overpowered her sister, Princess Celestia, and imprisoned 'her' in the moon just as Celestia had done to HER 1000 years ago. It filled the dark alicorn with great delight to do so, and spread her night across all Equestria. Her eternal night had begun and will never end! Ponies were reluctant at first to her forceful rule, but quickly realized resistance was futile, and soon fell into place through force.
Her sister may have abandoned their castle in the Everfree forest and left it to ruins, but Nightmare Moon returned and revived it to its former glory and better. Still, Nightmare Moon was suprised to find her dear nephew wandering around Ponyville, the town just outside her castle. He was confused and lacked memory of anything, including who he was and where he came from. This was a delicious opertunity that Nightmare Moon had to take advantage of. She offered to revive his lost memory if he swore complete loyalty to her. Sunny was reluctant at first, but after some persuading, the dark alicorn was able to sway him. It didnt take Sunny long to regret making such a deal with the dark princess.
By swearing his loyalty to her, Sunny soon sound himself imprisoned in a magical mirror that acted as a portal to what Nightmare Moon described as a 'pocket dimension'. Apparently when Star-Swirl the bearded was working with magical mirrors, he made some that could capture creatures and imprison them. Sunny never knew much of what the old wizard worked on or what he had planned to use the imprisoning mirrors for, but surely the purpose was for a more noble cause then this. Another part to Sunny's swearing loyalty was a curse that forced him to tell the truth no matter what, and in return it gave him insight over all Equestria. He could see the towns, the mountains, every mare, stallion and colt. Sunny had become a tool for Nightmare Moon to keep an eye on all of her subjects, prevent anypony from causing trouble for her, and a way to keep everypony in line. With Sunny's help, she's already stopped several coups before they really got started. As such, the most spirited ponies have fallen in line and now work for her, less they end up in the dungeons.
As Nightmare Moon was about to leave and let Sunny return to she shadows of his mirror prison, he called out to her. "Your majesty, may I ask you something?"
Nightmare Moon, just about to head back to her thrown room, paused, and looked back with a slightly annoyed look on her muzzle. "What is it, mirror?"
It stung to think that that was all Sunny was to her, a mirror, an item to own and throw away. He knew they weren't close before, bus surely there was some understanding that he was a pony, a living, sentian creature. Ignoring the pain of her words, Sunny pressed forward with his question. "Now that you have complete control over all Equestria, your enemies sealed away in either stone… or worse… what will you do now?"
A smirk crept across Nightmare Moon's muzzle and she turned around fully to face Sunny. "What's the matter, mirror? Feeling lonely in there? Want somepony for company? I'd send my sister to you, but you'll have to wait at least a thousand years! Maybe then I'll be gracious enough to stick her in there with you! Or maybe not, I haven't decided yet."
Knowing now who his mother was, Sunny's heart sank as he looked away from Nightmare Moon to the moon in her night sky. An image of a horned mare lay across the surface of it, for now the princess of the sun lay trapped there, as Nightmare Moon had before her. Pushing his feelings back down again, Sunny got more to the point. "What I mean is, now what will you do? Nopony or creature of any kind can or would dare to stand against you, you have the greatest army Equestria has ever seen, with the greatest wealth any kingdom of any kind could ever hope for…"
Nightmare Moon was pleased to hear this, but she could tell there was more Sunny was trying to tell her. "Yes, yes, now make your point."
Taking a deep breath, Sunny ignored his aunt's rule and made eye contact with her, trying to find the humanity in her, the kindness, any sign of caring in her gaze. "But you are lonely and unhappy. How do you plan to deal with that?"
"Lonely? Unhappy? How dare you!? I am Nightmare Moon! Ruler of all Eauestria! Everypony and creature bows before me, trembles with fear and respects me!" The angered alicorn hissed.
"They bow and tremble with fear, but not respect" Sunny stated, being unable to lie. "But that isn't what you wanted. You wanted everypony to love you and enjoy your night as much as you did, given the hard work you put into it and keeping an eye on their dreams. Now you are the princess of Equestria, standing where your sister stood, all alone. And for 1000 years at the least. Unfortunately, you will know what she felt."
"WHAT SHE FELT!?" Nightmare Moon stood up on her back legs, then slammed down with her front hooves, her flowing mane almost a blaze with anger as she glared at the mirror. "Did anypony care about how 'I' felt!? How it felt to be betrayed by my own sister!? My own flesh and blood sealed me away!? After I was cast out by her, she ignored me when I needed her!? Why would I care how SHE felt!?"
"She wept for you" Sunny stated, keeping his tone flat, catching Nightmare Moon off guard a little. "She knew she had made a mistake in ignoring your feelings and drove you to becoming Nightmare Moon, and felt 1000 years worth of guilt and lonelyness for it. And if it makes you feel any better, I know how you feel."
"Bah! You don't know of what you speak, you're just a silly mirror" Nightmare Moon spat, more then done with listening to Sunny, and began to angrily walk away.
"My aunt sealed me in a mirror and turned me into a tool, when all I wanted was her friendship, and to find out about myself" Sunny continued to speak, stopping Nightmare Moon in her tracks, but the dark alicorn didn't look back at the mirror. "So, I do know the pain and betrail you felt-"
Before Sunny could say any more, Nightmare Moon, standing up as strait as she could walked over to him, raised one hoof, and hit the edge of his mirror as hard as she could. A long crack spread out across Sunny's mirror prison, sending spikes of pain shooting through him, causing him great pain unlike anything he's ever felt before.
"Know this, mirror" Nightmare Moon moved in closer, narrowing her eyes on the image of the yellow unicorn. "I can always get a new magical mirror. If I don't want you around, all I have to do is break your mirror, and you'll be trapped in your darkness forever. Nopony will be able to ever find you. And you'll be forgotten, again. So, if I were you, I'd keep my questions to myself, got it?"
Taking several painful breaths, Sunny kept his gaze to the floor, away from Nightmare Moon, tears in his eyes and answered "Yes… your majasty… I understand…"
"I'm not your aunt, and I never was" Nightmare added, spitting at the mirror once more. "You have no more family. And when my sister returns in 1000 years, I'll have a spell to seal her permanently in the moon."
As Nightmare Moon pulled herself away from an almost crying mirror, she whispered under her breath "there can be only one princess of Equestria, and that shall be me…"
Several hours later, Sunny still felt the pain of the crack shooting through his body, but something popped up in his field of vision. A glimmer of hope. In his mind, he could see another alicorn princess. Not Princess Cadence who lay next to Sunny's father in the bottom of the gorge as statues, nor his mother, but another, smaller, purple alicorn princess accompanied by a small, purple, baby dragon. There was something special about them. Neither were anywhere near as strong as Nigbtmare Moon, but there was a strength about them that gave Sunny hope. But if he told Nightmare Moon about it, surely the alicorn… Twilight Sparkle was her name… would meet a similar fate, or worse, then his own. There was only one thing to do.
Going up as close as he could to the mirror that linked the pocket dimension he was trapped in to Equeatria, Sunny turned about face, raised his back legs, and began kicking as hard as he could. Bucking the mirror with all his might. He Bucked again. And again. If Twilight wss to have any chanc of succeeding in her quest, Nightmare Moon could not be allowed the vision she had by using him! Sunny knew what he had to do. He had to destroy his own mirror. This caught the attention of the guards. One rushed off to get Nightmare Moon, the other tried their best to stabilize the mirror. Moments later, after Sunny delivered several more kicks, creating cracks all over the mirror, Nightmare Moon appeared before him.
"What is the meaning of this!?" The dark alicorn demanded the truth from the mirror.
Sunny had no choise but to oblige and tell her the truth, but not nessisarily. "I can't stand living like this! I refuse to be just an object to you! You're worse then your sister ever could be! So I quit!"
With one final buck, Sunny shattered the mirror, which caused such a great pain to shoot through his entire body, forcing the yellow unicorn to pass out, floating in a world without light, without ground, without up or down. Forever out of anypony's reach.
On the other side where Equestria was, Nightmare Moon stood looking at a broken mirror, at a loss for words for a good long moment. She would have hesitated longer, but her guards still stood behind her, and she knew she needed to show no weakness. She turned around and addressed one of the guards. "Have this mess cleaned up, throw out the pieces, smash them into smaller pieces, and make sure nopony could put it back togeather again. Do I make myself clear!?"
The guards nervohsly nodded and began gathering the pieces, afraid to anger Nightmare Moon and further.
Sunny had no idea what Twilight Sparkle was doing or if she was able to defeat Nightmare Moon, or what her whole purpose was for being in the dangerous Everfree forest. All he knew was he was tired. Really tired. He now was lost to time and space, and thus had all the time he could want to sleep. In sleep, he hoped, he would forget all about this. It was better when he didn't remember who he was. It was better when he didn't know his family…
Once again, but for the first time, the darkness around Sunny shifted and changed. The flow of time was once again altered. Like somepony rewinding a clock, for a third time, let's hope the next time, the clock is set right. Only this time, a darkness lingered in the yellow stallion's heart. A darkness that defeated many warriors, crumbled empires, and brought rulers to their knees. The darkness was a loss of hope…
The world had changed again, or did it? Sunny's head was spinning. What was going on? It was like he had several different memories of things that did or didn't happen. Things that took place at the same time, but not at the same time. Did he really go to a place called Ponyville? Did he wander there or was he advised to go? Did he have a group of friends, or was he alone? Was there a war going on or was he supposed to be guarding a hideout? Where was he before he awoke from his slumber, in Nightmare Moon's castle or the Crystal Empire? All he knew and could trust was what he saw right in front of him. Which is why when he emerged from a large crater, having been released from his 1000 year nightmare, Sunny swore to avoid everypony else and try and figure this out on his own.
After his metior crashed, Sunny emerged from the crash site, hooves hitting the ground running. He took note of everything around him. The rock that he must have emerged from that was now shattered. The surrounding forest that was neither tame nor completely taken over. He then climbed the highest tree, looking out at the world of Equeatria around him. All seemed, well relatively fine. But Sunny couldn't be certain. Perhaps it was best that he lay low until he could piece this all togeather, he thought.
For months, Sunny took refuge in a hillside cave that he kept hidden from the rest of the world as he documented everything from his memories, writing it all down on giant leaves. He then proceeded to decorate the walls of the caves with the leaf documents, connecting various ones that linked with sting or thin vines. Sunny, without anypony noticing him, had visited not only Ponyville, the closest town to his cave, but other major areas that he had memories of. Canterlot. A local apple farm. A not so local rock farm. And what had recently shown up, the Crystal Empire. He had taken notes on all of them, listening to recent events that ponies talked about, the headlines of various news papers, as well as what Sunny could see himself.
"I need to find out more" Sunny would mutter to himself. "This will all makes sence, I'm sure. But I need more information. More information will tell me what went wrong."
While listening to some mares talk one day, he caught a glimpse of himself in the reflection of a window and took more notes on his changed appearance. His mane had become twice as long, rather shaggy, with twigs and dirt collecting in various parts of it. As well as a scruffy five o'clock shadow had taken residence on his muzzle. His body itself had also been effected by his new life style, his coat fadding to a bleached yellow due to lack of sunlight, and his muscle mass had all but depleted, leaving an exposed rib cage and verdigris on his back. But it didn't matter what he looked like. Sunny was on a mission. He had to discover the truth, but he had to do so while keeping his distance from everypony. No pony could know who he was or that he was there.
'Yes', he thought, 'if no pony knows Sunny, none of the bad endings can come to be, right?'
All the terrable worlds Sunny experianced he classified as 'bad endings' because they seemed like the terrable endings to an otherwise good story.
The next day, Sunny had awoken before the sun rose, to begin another day of hiding while gathering information, only to emerge from his cave to see a giant centar like monster, as big as a mountain, shooting blasts of Tartarus fire at the world around him! In the distance, Sunny could see the town known as Ponyville was in shambles, burning buildings, ponies screaming. Up atop the mountain where the city castle known as Canterlot lnce stood, now nothing. It was as if the entire mountain top was blasted into oblivion! Sunny stood at the entrance of his cave for a moment, before retreating back inside, slowly, and shutting the cave entrance behind him. He moved slowly and sat right in the middle of all his leaf notes and vines that connected ones to one another, looking over his mess. It was chaos, but order at the same time. Looking around, going through the time lines, event after event, none of it made any sence. It all looked like parts of the same story, but different. Like somepony just erased parts of history itself and redid it...
Sunny didn't know if he should trash his work, finding it all to be garbage at this point, to write down the centar attack and add it to the recent list of events, or to jump out of his cave and go and help the ponies he knew were in serious danger. Looking down at his own hooves, frail and shaking, he realized that in the pursuit of the truth, he had sacrificed his health and physical strength. He couldnt even beat Snips or Snails in a hoof wrestling contest now, let alone some gian centar.
"What is my purpose?" Sunny asked himself. "Why am I even here!? If my talent was to see the good in everything and everypony, then why could I not help those in need? Why is it my words and actions always fall so short!? Why? Why!? WHY!?!?"
As Sunny screamed why for several more moments before falling into a fetal position, curled up on the cold stony ground while crying to himself, the wavering darkness returned, the darkness that appeared just before everything was rewound. Sencing this, Sunny jumped up, looked frantically around, recognizing what was going on.
"Its changing again! Yes!" He began to cheer, unsure if he was happy or frightened at what was to come. But either way, he was done with this reality he had been living in. "Please! Please let the next one be better then this! Please!"
And with that, the world shifted in darkness once again. Sunny passed out and mind went blank as time was once again altered, the clock this time being wound too slowly, and chaos broke out sooner rather then later…
Discord was finnaly free from his 1000 years as a statue, free to spread his mismatched wings and spread the joy of his funnderful chaos to Equeatria and beyond. This time the Princesses couldn't get to their precious elements of Harmony to seal him away. This time he got to the elements forst and hid them away in a place nopony will ever find them. This time, there would be nothing to stop him from making the world the way HE wants it!
At first, Discord made the roads soap covered tile floors, nice and slippery. Then, cotton candy clouds were scattered here and there, raining down chocolate milk in scattered showers. The hills were repainted in checkerboard design. Flying pigs and 12 ft tall bunnies roamed the country side. Buildings began to float on their own accord, some even flipping upside down, spinning, or bouncing. But all this was just for starters. He had a pair of certain exstudents of his he wished to pay a visit to. Upon arriving at the Canterlot castle, Discord turned the entire building from purple stone, marble and gold into marshmallow, gramcracker and chocolate. The princesses recognized the mad handiwork of the master of chaos and flew out to confront him. At first Discord snapped his fingers and made their horns and wings disappear. But he didn't just want to stop at preventing them from harming him or running away, no. It was time for payback for putting him up as a decor in their garden! Snapping his claw again, he made silly clown outfits appear on the two princesses, another snap of his claw made their flowing beautiful manes frizz up into giant afros, and just to add insult to injury, with one last snap fingers, Discord made a golden crown appear on his head, a royal cloak hung from his shoulders, and a scepter appear in his left paw.
The princesses were powerless, and both decided their best course of action was to try and run away, then think of a new plan. But everyday they returned, Discord appeared and bonked them on their heads, the scepter being made of rubber bounced right off their heads and made a squeak as it did. Now the princesses just were trying to run away from their tormentor. To which, Discord happily chaised after them, now wracking the backs of their legs! For less violent fun, Discord decided to chace the two princesses in a small circle. Around and around they went, never realizing that he was just toying with them. For a small moment, Discord could have sword he saw somepony out of the corner of his eye pop out a time vortex. But when he looked, he only saw a pile of cherry pies that fell from the sky. He knew somepony WAS there a moment ago, but they seemed to have vanished. Well no matter, he had some well deserved former students to teach a lesson to.
With another snap of his fingers, Discord turned Star-Swirl's former pupils into a pair of dice, which floated up to him, and landed in a cup. "Well that's two problems down."
"Discord?" An all too familiar voice called out as a figure emerged from the corner of what was the Everfree forest. The yellow unicorn, now fully remembering his name to be Sunny, or Soleggiato, ran over to the master of chaos, smiling. His mane was a mess, and his body's muscle mass and tone was once again normal, but dark rings under his eyes suggested he had dealt with many sleepless nights. "Boy am I glad to see you. Things have been really crazy, and I -"
"Well thank you, I've worked very hard to turn Equestria into the chaos capital of the world" the draconaquis chuckled, beaming with delight.
"No, that's not what I mean" Sunny started to say, but was silanced when Disocrd's claw, that was somehow separated from his arm, put a didget over his mouth.
"Wait one moment, my little pony, while I check something..." Discord's separated claw returned to its proper place on his body while the master of chaos snapped his other claw, producing a clipboard and some reading glasses out of two small flashes of light. The Draconaquis ran a claw down the paper on the board, which, Sunny didn't know only had a drawing of Disocrd himself with a crown and a king's cloak on, water skiing while eating a banana split. After a few moments, Discord remembered that he didn't care for bananas and returned his attention to the pony who strutted right up to him with such familiarity. Looking over his board and turning his gaze at the yellow unicorn, it took Discord a minute, but he couldn't believe his luck! There were very few ponies he had a grudge against, and the last one he needed to deal just happened to come walking up out of nowhere!
Ominous and dark music began to play after Discord snapped a hand hus tail made, with random trees playing trumpets, bunnies with antlers and long legs picking up and playing clarinets, a few cotton candy clouds grew some arms and began plating violins, and a bookshelf the size of a sky scrapper with various nick-nacks appeared in the distance. The varieties of nick-nacks on the shelves ranged from snow gloabs, to funny looking statues with fun phrases etched on their bases. But all appeared to be made in the image of ponies.
"Discord, listen, I need your help" Sunny tried to plee to the master of chaos as best he could. "We are really friends, and something has changed the past, and that's been causeing all kind of-"
But some kind of wicked jazz music silanced Sunny's plee.
"Well well well, What have we here? Prince Soleggiatoooo, ha, oh, I'm really scared! What rock did you come crawling out from? Ha ha ha ha!
"You're joking, you're joking I can't believe you're here You're pranking me, you gotta be, This cant be 'the' colt! He shaky, he's shaggy, I dont know which is worse, I might just crack up, If I dont die laughing first!
"When Mr. Discord says there's chaos to be had, You'd better pay attention now, 'Couse I brought my chaos band! And if you aren't nervous, There's something very wrong, 'Couse this won't be the last time, You hear my chaos song! Ohhhh…"
The nick-nacks on the shelves all seemed to come to life and flash Sunny a forlorn expression, showing their loss of of hope. 'Ohhhh…'
Discord smiled and chimmed in again, putting one of his claws around Sunny's shoilder "Ohhh…"
A pair of dice rolled out of Discord's claw, rolling on to the floor infront of Sunny, landing on what would have been snake eyes, but inlue of a sinlge dot, an image of Princess Celestia was on one and Princess Luna on the other, both also appearing to have lost all their fight and drive as well. "Ohhhh…"
After the sister princesses sang their part in a defeated tone, and seeing the shock on Sunny's face, Discord sang his part deeper and darker, but still with a smile on his muzzle. "Ohhhh…!!!"
The long legged bunnies paused from playing their clarinets to also join in with high pitched singing voices. "Ohhh he's the chaos man!"
Sunny, shook free from ubder Discord's arm only to run into a funhouse mirror. Looking around, Sunny realized he was in a hall of mirrors not until the one at the Ponyville Nightmare Night carnival. "Please stop this, I need your help, All our friends are in danger, please you must listen to me!"
But Discord's song wasn't over and he had more lines he wanted to sing. "Ha! You're jokin' you're jokin', I cant believe my ears! Somepony shut this colt up! I'm drowin' in my tears! It's funny! I'm laughing! This really is too much! Now with all my power, I'm gunna do my stuff!"
Sunny looked nervously at Discord, realizing this must have been what he was like before Fluttershy and the girls helped him to discover the magic of friendship. The Draconaquis's eyes were much more cold and sharp, looking at Sunny as if he were only a play thing, not a scentian being with feelings and thoughts. "What are you going to do!?"
Discord cracked a very toothy grin at the yellow unciorn as he hissed in a sinistsr tone "Have the most fun I can!"
In another flash of light, Discord changed the stage again to that of an orchestra stage, with his musicians of chaos still playing in the background while he took center stage, Dressed as Elvis with the glittery tassel suit and all, with Sunny nervously looking around for an exit. "Flying pigs in the sky! Chocolate rain in the air! Because I'm a mad Draconaquis and no I dont play fair! It's so much fun, I must confess, to flip it all upside down! This world is mine now, not yours old boy, better get in line!
With no way out, Sunny realized he might have to teach Discord a lesson in the school of hard knocks. Anger began to build, but Sunny didn't want to give into his Umbrum power if he could help it. Applejack and the others weren't around to help him if he went out of control again. Taking a deep breath, Sunny took a hard step towards Doscord and told him "we don't have time for this, the others, they need our help, let's get going!"
But Discord just snapped his fingers and Sunny and him disappeared and reappeared on what seemed to be a giant record player. The disc was running, forcing Sunny to run against it while Discord floated in the air, Still rocking out to his song, this time in a dapper coat and tails, twirling a cane, with a top hat on his head."Oh Sunny, you're something! You make my sides split! You aren't understanding The situation, that you're in! It's over, you lost, You haven't got a friend! Because I'm Master of this world, And you, are just a nick-nack!
Ha ha ha!"
Discord held up his claw, his eyes burning with a deep seated hatred as he looked Sunny right in the eye and snapped his fingers once more. The world around Sunny changed once more, this time, he thought he had been transported somewhere else as he narrowed his eyes to shield them from harsh snowy winds. A violent snow storm was almost pulling him up off the ground. But Sunny fought and managed to keep his hooves planned in the snow around him. That's when he realized something was off. The snow felt wierd under his hooves. Something else felt odd about this storm. Neiyher the snow beneath his hooves nor the storm were cold at all. The snow felt closer to room temperature. Taking a step, it felt like Sunny was tredding through water. He paused. Then got a better look around as the storm seemed to die down. Then it hit him. He was completely submerged in water (but could breath. Probably some of Disocrd's doing), and the snow wasn't real snow, it was giant pieces of foam flakes and glitter! He hadn't been snapped away to some far off land, he was snapped into a giant snow globe!
"Welcome to your new home, you annoying little colt" Discord appeared as a giant on the outside of the snow globe, his giant claw picked Sunny's new prison up, then he placed it on a shelf of the building sized book shelf between a blue cuckoo clock that looked like Doctor's TARDIS and a group of ceramic ponies in Sombreros and ponchos playing trumpets with mustaches glued under their noses. Sunny recognized the group as the three mares who ran the flower shop in Ponyville.
"Discord, please, you need to listen to me!" Sunny tried to reach the deranged draconaquis yet again, not giving up. "Things are different right now, but you and I are friends! And our other friends are in danger, too. We need to help them!"
"Friends? I don't have or need FRIENDS" Discord snapped at Sunny. "Friends will ultimately betray you and let you down. Putting thst much trust in others is what kmprisoned me! And imprisoned you. Or did you forget, your dear old dad sealed you away! Where were your FRIENDS then?"
"Why are you doing all of this!?" Sunny put his hooves against the edge of the plastic dome, eyes locking with Discord's. "What do you hope to gain by all of this?"
"Me? Why, I'm just having fun" Discord simply said as he snapped his claw again, this time an evening robe appeared around him, a monocal rested against one of his eyes, a fez appeared atop his head, and a pipe that blew bubbles popped into his mouth as he stood back and appreciated his collection of captured ponies that he turned knick knacks. He ignored Sunny for a moment, then took a deep breath and leaned in and told the little yellow pony inside the snowglobe "but if you are rife with devastation, there's a simple explanation. You're a toy maker's creation trapped inside a crystal ball. I wish I could take credit for those oh so fun lyrics, but I can't. But they are true. All you and everypony else are are simply my toys for me to collect and anjoy on a shelf. So take pride that I gave you such a high shelf! And maybe I won't take you down to a thrift store for store credit!"
With that, Discord left to sit in a giant arm chair that had once been Canterlot mountain. Me put a lamp shade around what was the sun, dimming the light of Equestria so he could sit and enjoy coloring what appeared to be a giant copy of 'The Elements of Harmony: a reference guide', drawing child like images over what were once great lessons in Friendship that never happened.
Looking aound, Sunny knew he had to do something. But felt the despair aradiating from the other ponies around him, and a feeling of empty hopelessness began to seep into him as well. The poor ponies frozen as statues, suvaniors and trinkets one could pick up at a bus stop, train station or novelty shop. Sunny couldn't feel any fear from them, but he could sence despair int heir hearts, resigning themselves to this terrable new life. But he didnt want to give up! Sunny couldn't give up! Discord was a nut, but there was good in him at one time! It just needed to shine through, and that was Sunny's talent. If there was anypony who could help, it was him!
'I have to fight!' Sunny got up and told himself. 'Even if I have to do it alone!'
Looking around, Sunny noticed a large plug at the center of his domed prison. Surely this could be a way out. But there was no way he could open it while the snowglobe rested ontop of it. Thinking quickly, Sunny got an idea, but not a favorable one, as he looked over the edge of the bookshelf. If he tackled the edge of the snowglobe hard enough, he might just be able to send it toppling over the edge. The fall might just be enough to either shatter the plastic dome around him or pop the cork out, allowing Sunny to escape. At the very least, the snowglobe could land on its rounded side and give Sunny a chance to pop the cork himself and break free!… Sunny just wished he had a better idea. Being afraid of heights didn't exactly make him excited about this plan, but he couldn't just sit back and let everything stay the way it was.. He saw what happened when he sat it the shadows and did nothing. The horrible images of Tirek destroying everything sent shivvers down Sunny's spine. And if Twilight and the others weren't going to do anything, it was up to him. He could gather his friends, setting them free, and work up a plan against Discord. He may be the master of chaos, but he isn't unbratable.
Taking one last deep breath, Sunny began to slowly tread back and he readied himself. He swam as hard as he could towards the side of the snowglobe that was closest to the edge of the bookself, and struck it with as much force as he could muster! The kick appeared to hardly do anything. But it did move the snowglobe just tad little bit closer to the edge. Looking over at Discord, Sunny was relieved to see the draconaquis hadn't noticed him ans was deep into the book he was coloring in. So Sunny moved back into position and swam and hit the edge once again, moving the snow globe closer to the edge. Sunny's shoulder was throbbed, but he couldn't stop, he had to keep going! He had to get free! He had to do whatever it took to save everypony! Those thoughts kept replaying in the yellow unciorn's head as he continued to tackle the side of his dome. The burning words seemed to help keep him motivated. He was just one good tackle away from pushing his plastic prison tumbaling over the edge! He paused, took a deep breath, then swam as hard as he cood, holding nothing back! That last tackle was all Sunny neededz and the snowglobe prison of his was finnaly pushed over the edge!
Time seemed to slow down as the snow globe fell from the shelf, Sunny twirling inside of it, mentally bracing for impact, pushing out all thoughts of fear. But right as the snowglobe would have hit the ground, the clock was once again rewound, and the events were wiped out of the world once more, the only evidence that this had happened was left behind in Sunny's memorie as the world once again reset…
This time when the world reset, Sunny's meteor prison crashed down and landed in the Everfree forest, he emerged with the full knowledge of everything that had happen previously when the time line was altered and the previous timelines he had seen. This time when he emerged from the crater, he planned to find out what was going on and stopping it. Only, as he emerged from the crash site, he looked around and was horrified by what he saw, not as shocking as when he saw the Crystal Empire under his father's oppression, but the sight of it still made Sunny sick. The once lush, green, wild forest that harbored many dangerous, wild and unruly creatures and plant life was now nothing more then a barren wasteland. The trees were all chopped down, leaving behind many stumps that were just a few inches from the ground. All around where one could search for wild animal prints proving that a creature had been there, were only tracks from a machine that Sunny recognized were similar to the mechanical monsters Flim and Flam tried to use to tear down the Apple's orchard! Everything came togeather when Sunny looked up and saw the giant sign with Flim and Flam's smiling faces that read 'Private Property of FlimFlam lumber co. No trespassing' and in very small letters underneath it read 'trespassing will result in a very heafty fee. So please feel free to trespass and give us your bits today'.
"Those… those SWINDLERS!!!" Sunny snapped, anger building up in him. But the half umbrum pony did his best to keep that anger in check. He needed to find out more about this alternate time line, and if he was in luck, it would turn out to be Flim and Flam who were behind this time rewinding issue and he could get two birds with one stone. Not that he needed an excuse to hate Flim and Flam, but it would just be convineant if THEY were the ones behind all of this.
Venturing away from the barren land that used to be the Everfree forest, Sunny made his way yo the closest town he knew of, Ponyville. Sunny experianced a new mixture of emotions as hebarrived at the town's edge. Anger, disgust, loathing, and sorrow. The sign a mile just out of town welcoming ponies to Ponyville was replaced by one that read 'FlimFlam Village, a place rich with Heritage'.
"This is so incredibly wrong…" Sunny thought outloud as he pressed on, curious and a little worried as to what awaited him.
Seeing the Everfree forest robbed of its natural, wild, beauty was shocking enough, but seeing the town Sunny had made a home in the state it was left Sunny absolutely heartbreaken. The individual houses that were once a fair distance apart, all looking slightly different in very subtle ways, had been replaced with strait rows of identical houses, lined up directly against one another allowing for a maximum number of houses to have been built.
All of them a clean white color with shingled roofing, all with the same small patch of fake grass infront of it, all with similarly placed fake bushes to the left of their front door and similarly placed fake trees two steps to the right of the front door. If Sunny didnt know it, he would have said that this was all part of a very unimaginative foal's drawing of a town. Just when Sunny felt like he was trapped in a hall of mirrors with no way out, he spotted a familiar face. Two of them! It was Big Mac and Pinkie Pie!
Sunny started to run up to them, feeling an overwhelming sence of relief, when he took a second glance at the situation. Big Mac appeared to be wearing some sort of white uniform, heavy bags under his eyes and a longer, more drained face then he ever had seen on his old friend. Pinkie, on the other hoof, had eyes of fire and was grinding her teeth, teething with a type of anger Sunny never thoight possible.of the pink party pony.
"I'm telling you, the wall just collapsed! No monsters, natural disasters or even a launched bit of confetti!" Pinkie sounded at Big Mac. "The wall was obviously defective! I have a receipt for the last time it had to be replaced! Just two days ago! Look!"
As Pinkie presented Big Mac with a paper with very tiny lettering, Big Mac, without even really looking, having experience with the situation, sighed heavily and pointed out a part to Pinkie in small printing. "Without upgrading to a premium package of renter's insurance, you forgo the right to an extended warrantee of the structure past 12 hours...Ah'm mighty sorry Pinkie. Ya always could take 'em ta court about-"
"Take Flim and Flam's building company to court?!" Pinkie could barely breath she was yelling so loud, her face turning a dark shade of red. "Oh yeah! Take the guys to court who run the court! What do you think this is?! Canterlot!? I might as well just give them all of my bits!"
"Just make sure its done by the time I get back from work!" Pinkie gave up the fight, slammed her front door, which also fell off its hindges, making the pink pony even more frustrated as she released a hissed growl before turning back to Big Mac with two small bags of bits. "And take care of that door, too!"
"Yes, Miss Pie…" Big Mac's glum tone and sorrowful expression showed he was having a hard time swallowing all of this as anypony was. He knew all this was a load of manure, but he couldnt do anything about it. As Pinkie disappeared into the distance, Sunny approached Big Mac.
"You ok, Big Mac?" Sunny asked, knowing full well that Big Mac wasn't going to recognize him, but also knowing that right now the big fella was feeling lower then mud on the underside of a pig.
Getting right to work, Big Mac acknowledged Sunny but worked while he talked, keeping his eyes glued to the job ahead of him. "Ya know, this place used ta be ah friendly town. Simple, cozy, and close. If ah had come across this before. Ah would have just helped a pony out and fixed it for free, or for ah glass of lemonade at most. But Flim and Flam say ah have ta fix atleast 15 problems ah day ta keep my job. Anything less and they either take it out of mah pay check or don't pay me for the week."
"That's terrable! How can anypony get away with that!?" Sunny gasped.
"They also run the court here in Pon-, er, FlimFlamville" Big Mac corrected himself, pasting some cardboard and a fake painted wall up against the damaged wall of Pinkie's house. "Wouldn't matter much even if anypony actually had a case against 'em. They have contracts for everything that is air tight."
"This all is still totally against Eauestrian law, they still have rules to abide by, even if they rule the town! Why don't the Princesses get involved?" Sunny was trying with all his might to think up some way to help the ponies of the town.
"Rhumor has it that Flim and Flam have dirt of the princesses and are blackmailing them ta keep out of their town. No pony can do anything, cept leave town. But then they have ta pay ah movin' outa town fee, a fee for closing any shop they owned, a road fee dependin' on which road ya take… its just better ta either sneak out and move somewhere ya can change yer name an' hope their FlimFlamville police don't catch ya fer skippin' fees or ta just go broke an' live on their streets. It's where we're all gunna go anyway…"
Sunny couldnt believe what he was hearing. Looking around at the houses around them, taking a second good look, he could tell all the houses were made to fall apart. Parts of them were peeling off as he and Big Mac spoke, revealing cardboard underneath. Ponies were being forced to stay in homes like this, forced to stay there or pay fees to leave, and the princesses for some underhanded reason couldn't help. "I won't stand for this!"
Big Mac had just finished working on Pinkie's house when Sunny blurted out his outrage. "Its terrable, but what can ya do?"
Sunny was already concocting a plan when he leaned in, putting a hoof over Big Mac's shoilder and whispered in his ear. "We're gunna fight this. Dirty if we have to. I know you know some ponies who are as tired of this as we are. Have them meet me at the edge of town. We're taking the town back, one bit at a time if we have to…."
It had been several months since Sunny arrived in this twisted up version of Ponyville where Flim and Flam have absolute rule. He, with the help of Big Macintosh, have gathered a small band of outraged ponies who wished to fight back against thy tyrany of the Flim Flam brothers. Banding togeather, the group of Sunny, as the leader, hidding as a homeless pony by day and master mind by night. Doctor Whooves as the tech support, coming up with the various gadgets needed to complete their missions. Derpy as a look out, her eyes able to keep watch in multiple directions at once. Big Mac as the muscle and structural expert, helping plan around the structure and frames of the buildings he's worked on. Octavia as the eyes and ears on the inside, working for Flim and Flam who enjoy the finger things, such as live classical music while they eat. Thunderlane as the strategist, working with Sunny and Big Mac to map out and plan both the diversions and get away for all parties involved. Together they make up a band of theives who strike Flim and Flam wher either hurts them the most. Their bank accounts.
For several months, Sunny and his band of theives have been breaking into Flim and Flam's businesses, stealing their bits and prized possessions, and leaving the place in utter disarray. Before seeing Ponyville as it now wss, Sunny would never have thought to turn to a life of crime and vandalism, but they didn't keep all the bits for themselves. No. Sunny and his friends had been helping ponies pay the fees and get out of town, hopefully on the road to a better life, as well as destroying as much of Flim and Flam's personal businesses as possible. Slowly but surely, Sunny and his group of friends were making a difference and actually helping the the ponies of FlimFlamville.
Once again, the night in FlimFlamville was silent, with Flim and Flam's personal police force patrolling the rows of identical houses, keeping an eye out for trouble. But what they aren't expecting was the national bank of FlimFlamville to burst into flames! The firess reached the sky and lit up the night. The town's fire ponies arrived moments later to douse the fire, but everything inside had been burned to ash, even the bits inside had been burned to little lumps of black steel. The police and fireponies were not thrilled that they would have to tell mayors Flim and Flam about this.
Meanwhile, about a mile or so outside of town, inside a cave, hidden by a large rock and natural looking moss and foliage, Sunny and his other friends appeared in a flash of green light. Everypony carrying a large bag of bits almost as big as they were! To hide their identities, they all dawned black cowls, say for Sunny, who wore the only dark colored costume he could find in the theater's costume department, a very fightning Badger from a fall play years before Flim and Flam took over the town. Incase any of the group ever got caught, Sunny wanted to be the one to take the fall, so he wanted to stand out apart from his friends. Make it seem like he was the leader and they just his followers. That, and anypony else would be more drawn to look at a pony dressed as a badger as opposed to somepony dressed in black. After all, this all was his idea.
"Y'all did great tonight, guys!" Sunny said with an optimistic smile on his muzzle as he took off the Badger mask. "Now we just need to divide up the bits. I think Cheerilee was next. We also needed to get her some bits for new school supplies…"
"We want out" Thunderlane said in a flat tone as he stepped forward.
Sunny paused and looked back at his friends with more then just a little confusion and raising concern. "Out?… you mean…"
Knowing he wasn't going to finish his sentance, Octavia stepped forward this time, her face like stone as she added "and we're taking the bits with us. We're getting out of this terrable town and starting new lives elsewhere."
"But, guys, we're supposed to help the ponies of the town, first!" Sunny began to plea to his friends. "You know the plan, rob from Flim and Flam, give the bits to the townsfolk to help them get out of town, maybe mess up Flim and Flam's stores or businesses a little to have them think its all an act of rebellion or something."
"Flim and Flam just raise their fees or cut what pay the ponies in town urn" Octavia countered, her expression never faltering.
"And ah hate ta tell ya this, but th' heat is really coming down on everypony. New police force ponies are patroling every corner of the town now, and there was talk of bringin' in th' royal guard" Big Mac chimmed in. "Sunny, ya seem like ah real nice guy, and ah know ya mean well but…"
"But we've had enough" Doctor was the next one to speak up. "We're not vigilantes! We are simple townsfolk! A scientist, a wonderbolt in training, a musician, a farmer and a mail mare. The only pony who seems even remotely right for this line of work is you! And you are utterly clueless to the consequences of your actions!"
Doctor's words hurt, and as Sunny stood there, looking at all his friends, he faught hard to find the strength to form words. "How long have you know about all of this? …How long have you all known that our efforts were useless? And why didn't anypony tell me? We could have done something else to help the town… we could have figured something else out…"
"For the past week" Thunderlane spat out. "Found out as soon as they added a 'flying in town air space' fee and cut Big Mac's pay in half."
Big Mac hung his head low, almost looking on the verge of tears. "Ah had hope that we'd get th' farm back… it was ah long shot. But ah saw hope and promise in what we were doin'. But now… now all ah see is some dreamer who can't make dreams come true. Ya just keep fightin' without knowin' what yer doin' ta everypony else around ya. And ah'm done being lead bah the blind.
"Ah'm gettin' mah sisters and leavin'" Big Mac concluded as he slowly started to walk out.
"B-but what about Granny?" Was all Sunny thought about as he saw his good friend turn his back on him.
Big Mac didn't turn around as he answered "Can't afford ta take them all. Granny made me promise if it came down to it, that ah should take mah sisters and get them outta here. She said she'd want them ta have ah better life. We can't afford ta come back... So we'll say our goodbyes in the mornin'…"
Sunny wanted to stop him, to tell him that there was another way, that they could find another way,, that they just needes to think and work togeather. But Thunderlane stopped him. "You need to let him go."
Defiance rattled inside of Sunny like thunder in that moment, but quickly gave way to defeat. He signed and walked back, slightly deeper into the dark section of the cave. "Fine. Its fine. Go. I understand. I was foolish to go all in, fire on my hooves, thinking I could solve this problem like some sort of masked hero… you all should just go..."
The tone in Sunny's voice was unsettling to the remaining others. Octavia, Doctor, and Thunderlane all looked back and forth nervously at eachother, afraid to move. They had seen what Sunny could do to a building, and had witnessed him freeze guards in their tracks with dark magic. They didn't expect retaliation from him when they told him the news, and were thinking it might have been better to have just left him a note.
"If you all are going to leave, I won't stop you" Sunny's voice was more shaky as he spoke, taking in a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
Now the others all saw why his tone was so unsettling. He was on the verge of tears and fighting desperately to keep them down. All three of them wondered why this bothered them so much to see him this upset, but it did. And without looking back, Octavia, Thunderlane, and Doctor Whooves took their bag of bits and left the cave. They didn't know why, but there was a part of them that didn't want to leave Sunny the way they were, but there was no hope in the road he traveled. Doctor paused and looked back at Derpy, who just signaled for him to go on, and that she's be along shortly.
Once those three were gone, Sunny allowed some tears to escape as he looked down onto his badger costume, thinking how foolish he had been. He thought if he worked with his friends, that they could over come anything. That all he needed was the help of his friends. But that wasn't apparently so. He wasn't Twilight Sparkle, who only needed her firnds to overcome any trial, defeat any foe. No. He was… just Sunny. The more he thought about it, the more Sunny realized he was just being foolish.
A hoof found Sunny's shoulder, and the yellow unicorn turned to face Derpy's wall eyed stare. She smiled gently at Sunny and told him "I know you did your best. We all did. We all just wanted a better life for everypony. You're a good pony deep down. We just made some mistakes."
Releasing a heald sigh, Sunny smiled and patted Derpy's hoof with his shoulder. "Thanks Derpy… atleast I still have the element of kindness on my s-"
Before Sunny could finish what he was saying, Derpy slammed something onto his horn, knocked him over onto his side, then with movements quicker and more precise then anything Sunny ever dreamed she was capable of, Derpy slapped hoof cuffs on both his back and front hooves.
Sunny didnt know what to think as he struggled to break free of his restraints. Looking up at Derpy with great confusion, he asked her in wounded voice, being winded from the fall. "What is this..?"
"Payment" Derpy said as she looked down at Sunny, eyes full of sadness as she stepped away and made her way towards the entrance of the cave.
Just then, the boulder that conceiled their little hide out was destroyed in a magical blast and a small army of Flim and Flam's police force stored the cave, circling around Sunny.
"Well, well, well, what have we here, brother of mine?" Flim's all too familiar voice bounced off the cave's walls. And soon Flim and Flam themselves were standing over Sunny, looking at his squirm in his shackles on the floor of the cave.
"Well, dear brother of mine, it appears it's that trouble maker who's been stealing from us" Flam answered his brother as the both began to chuckle at their victory.
"Derpy, you sold me out?" Sunny hissed at the shamed grey mare in the corner, trying to cast a spell, butbthe magical retraining ring on his horn wouldn't let him cast even the most basic of spells.
Derpy just took a breath, held it, put on a stern look dn marched over to Flim and Flam. When she spoke, her voice was the hardest and coldest Sunny had ever heard. If he wasn't looking directly at her, he would have sworn it was anypony else 'but' Derpy. "A deal's a deal. Right? You got them. Now I get to go, no strings attached."
"But of course, my dear" Flim slyly said as he pulled a small bag of bits from under his hat and gave it to the grey pegasus.
"That is for your troubles" Flam started to say. "And movers will be by your place later to move you to Filllydelphia, free of charge."
"And all fees are waved" Flim concluded as both the brothers took their hats off to Derpy. "A pleasure doing business with you."
Derpy began to leave immediately after Flim and Flam returned their attention back to Sunny, pushing past the group of Flim and Flam's personal police force.
"You and your gang really gave us trouble, Badger, or should we call you Sunny?" Flim smiled, looking down at the bound yellow unicorn.
"But thanks to that kind mare's brave heroism, we now have the whole collection of crimminals" Flam smiled and waved to the hired police ponies.
The police ponies then dragged in Big Mac, Doctor Whooves, Thunderlane, and Octavia, all hoofcuffed and gagged, shrouded in a thick feeling of betrayal.
"Let them go! It's ME you want!" Sunny yelled, lundging as best he could in the position he was in.
"You may be the ring leader of this circus, but these ponies went along with it and were about to walk off with bits they stole from us. That makes them thieves just as much as you" Flim declared as he held his head triumphantly high.
"No! You don't get it! I-I-I was the one who tricked them into helping me! I blackmailed them! They didn't have a choise!" Sunny was doing his best to lie, but he couldn't think up a good enough one on the spot. Not one that could fool Flim and Flam, anyway.
"Nice try, Badger, but we heard everything that went on" Flam paced with his brother, walking up and down the line of captured ponies.
"Yes, its really a sad thing we heard" Flim added, still a popus tone in his voice, believing himself to be better then the ponies that were restrained.
"Indeed, brother of mine, very sad what we heard" Flam agreed with his brother, nose still in the air. "For one's own friends to abandon him, despite his misguided efforts."
"'True' friends would have sat down and talked this all out. But you know what they say, no honor amungst thieves, right, dear brother?" Flim asked Flam as they stopped pacing.
"Agreed, dear brother" Flam gave a large smile. "Now, what should we do with these poor, misguided folks?"
"We do have that minning site up at the base of Canterlot, you know, the one with all those emeralds?" Flim reminded his brother.
"Ah yes! We did squeeze the rights to mine there out of the princesses. Didn't we?" Flam rubbed his chin, enjoying their cleaver misdeads that had benefited them so much.
"We did indeed, brother of mine" Flim smiled, enjoying the thought of turning a protif off free labor. "And it will all be in the name of rehabilitation! Why have criminals sit around in a prison cell when there's free labor-, i mean, rehabilitating correctional activities to be done."
"Right you are, brother of mine" Flam agreed, but their eyes turned to Sunny. "But this one, he might be a little too cleaver for that. We can't risk him 'inspiring' others to misbehave and break the law.…"
"Guess we'll have to cut our losses and just ship him off to the Ironlock prison." Flim signed. "I hate to spend the money on the ride over there, but we really can't risk him getting lose."
"It will be worth it, brother of mine, for us to sleep easy at night knowing our money-,I mean, town, is safe from this dastardly villain!" Flam explained.
"Agreed, brother of mine" Flim nodded. Both the Flim Flam brothers' smiles stretched from ear to ear as they looked down once again at Sunny and his 'friends'.
Sunny knew he had been beat, sighed, and wondered how long until this warped reality fades away like all the rest, becoming nothing more then a horrid memory.
The world seemed to ripple once again, with only Sunny feeling the waves of magic and time reset itself once more. How many more times of rewinding the clock can somepony do before time itself shatters, Sunny wondered.
Before Sunny could get an answer, he woke up in his crater again, having just been released from his father's imprisoning spell, again, and the rock he was bound to. As Sunny climbed out of the crater, Sunny could only imagine what upside down world he was in this time. Was Filthy Rich ruler of Equestria? Maybe equestria was over run with Tatzlwurms. Or what if the Wonderbolts broke up and because of that pegasi refuse to control the weather!
When Sunny put his hoof on the edge of the crater and pulled himself out, what he saw was far worse then anything he could ever imagine. His heart sank as he looked out upon what could be described as a baren wastland. No buildings, no trees, no rivers, no meadows. Just miles and miles of endless shriveled up, dried earth being brushed over by harsh winds filled with dirt. He was the only creature around. The last pony. This was the end of Equeatria.…
The poster image of a post apocalyptic world, complete with crackled dried earth, shriveled sticks that were once trees and bushes, and dusty winds that forced you to narrow your eyes. With no trees, bushes, or even houses to direct the flow of wind, the skies were turned brown with dirt that filled the air, making it also hard for any pony or any creature around to breath. Not a single sign of life was in sight, every direction one looked it was the same, a flat land of dried dirt, with a few mountains in the far distance, one of them Sunny could swear he recognized. It didn't look right at first, but when he realized what it was and why it didn't look right, Sunny began rushing toward it as fast as he could. It felt like hours he ran through the wasteland, feeling the breaking of twigs under his hooves every now and again, his eyes narrowed to keep as much dirt out of his eyes as possible, and his teeth clenched as he breathed acting as a filter for the same reason. After crossing what he assumed to be a dried up river surrounded the frail remains of dried up trees, Sunny looked up in horror as his fears were confirmed. The mountain that didn't look quite right was none other then Canterlot mountain. And the part that had made him question it's identity happened to be the missing castle city! All of Canterlot was gone!
Eyes trailing down, it didn't take long to find where it was. He couldn't say for certain, but it looked like the entire castle and city just collapsed and fell to the base of the mountain. Underneath all that rubble, maybe there was an explanation as to what happened to Equeatria. Sunny got up and dragged his feet, pushing himeslf forward toward the broken remains of the once idolized capital of Equestria. After another hour or so, Sunny made it to the edge of the rubble and debris, which was ironically marked by the archway that once fed into Canterlot itself. Seeing the statues of his mother and Aunt Luna that once greeted travelers with open hooves, now crumbling and almost unrecognizable chunks of cut marble made Sunny feel sick. Pressing on, Sunny had to climb over tall mountains of crimbled marble, concreet, shinny cobble stone streets, and demolished homes, just to make it to the epicenter of the collapsed city. Along the way, Sunny called out for any servivors, anypony who might be hidding in the broken city, thriving and surviving as best as they could. He was greeted by nothing mut stillness and the sound of the dust filled wind all around him. Even if there were ponies hidding, afraid to say anyhing, Sunny could have sensed their fear. But there was no fear. Not even the very, very subtle fear belonging to insects underground. The destroyed city was quiet, with only the subtle blowing of dirty wind to break the defining silance. Once at the center, Sunny climbed what once must have been a dormitory. It had a large telescope sticking out of it's cracked dome roof that Sunny climbed to get a better view. Atop the telescope, Sunny was careful not to get cut by the large broken lense as he looked out to the rest of what remained of Canterlot. It all was just dark and empty. Taking a deep breath, Sunny closed his eyes and tried to focus on tapping into his inner Umbrum.
Acting on some deeply buried instinct, Sunny letout a horrible howling noise that sent shavers down his own spine, knowing that this was his father's bloodline calling out. The sound echoed eerily off the broken marble and concrete. If there was any pony, heck, any creature within 1000 miles, he would have sensed even the slightest bit of fear from them. But as his howl died down, Sunny's heart sank, sensing not a drop of fear.…
Sunny continued to wander, his body growing weaker and weaker, and slowly fadding between his solid pony body and his shadowy smoke like umbrum body, his hunger and thirst grew more and more. With almost no water, say for a muddy puddle that he was able to dig up here and there, and nothing to eat, say for a few dried up branches that managed to survive on less water then he did, Sunny was slowly succumbing to starvation. Despite it all, though, a part of him refused to give up. There was a part of Sunny that told him to press on, despite the horrible things he's seen.
Not only had Sunny rummaged through the shattered remains of Canterlot, finding no sign anypony had been there in the longest time, but he had traveled north, hoping with everything he had that the Crystal Empire was in one piece. That maybe whatever catastrophe had befallen the rest of Equeatria, that maybe the Empire returned after the horrible cataclysm and was somehow unscaved. His hopes were shattered as he stumbled around more wasteland that lead up to what remained of the Crystal Empire. It was in even worse shape then Canterlot had been, if that was even possible. The once glimmering buildings, lush green fields and mighty crystal castle that stood as a monolith symbol for the entire Empire, were all shattered, and worn down by both the sands of time and the harsh scratching of the dirt filled air. The castle was nothing more then a few broken walls, nearly a few hooves high, the buildings were less then that, and the once lush green fields had dried up like the rest of equestria. This only made Sunny's heart ach more, losing his original home.
'Home' the word rang in Sunny's head as his ghostly hooves scrapped against the hard dirt ground surrounding the Crystal Empire. His body was resembling more and more of an umbrum then a pony, but at that moment he didn't care. Something else was more pressing then his physical appearance, more then his hunger and thirst, and more then the answer as to what happened to Equeatria this time around. He had to get home. To the Apple farm. To where his new family was. He was just in Ponyville, but was more shocked and needed to see the state of Canterlot and the Crystal Empire then the state of Sweet Apple Acres. Or... maybe he was avoiding it. Maybe deep down, Sunny didn't want so see what had become of the Apple farm, of the barn, the old farm house, or of the Apple family themselves.
Sunny's umbrum hooves hardly needed to touch the ground now as his shifting shadowy body moved with great speed with the everchanging dirt filled gust that swept across the land. He didnt know how long he had been running, but Sunny had arrived at Sweet Apple Acres before he knew it. There wasn't much else to Equeatria, no more landmarks or even a sign. But Sunny knew where he was. Where he stood. And when he arrived there, tears began to fall from his shadowy muzzle.
The hills that were once coated in a sea of apple trees, were now bare with not even shriveled trees or stumps remaining of the once fruit bearing trees. The arch that separated the fence that circled the Apple orchard was gone, as was the fence. Sunny felt sick. If he had eaten anything other then a few dried sticks earlier, he would have lost it then. He didnt want to, but Sunny pressed on. He needed to be sure. He felt all hope was lost, but he refused to walk away with stones left unturned. It was going to devastate him. But he rather take the pain and know then always ask 'what if i had just pressed on a little bit farther?'. Taking a deep, raspy breath, Sunny began walking down the trail that once lead ponies up the road to the Apple family home. It didn't take Sunny long to see that the barn that stood next to the house was completely gone, but a flicker of hope flashed as Sunny saw that the farm house was mostly intact!
Running up the steps to the house, Sunny reached for the handle, but the rusted metal nob crumbled in jos hoof, leaving red dust in the frog of his hoof. Sunny hesitatsd, but pushed the door open as gently as he could, only for the front door to crack on its rusted hindges and fall to the floor infront of him. Sunny paused for a long moment, eyes wide trying to figure out what it was he was looking at. His heart broke once again when he realized the cruel trick that was played on him by this version of Equestria. The front of the farm house was mostly intact. But just beyond the porch, the rest of it was missing. Almost like a building on a movie set. With a sigh, Sunny could guess why this was. At some point, the front of the Apple family barn house must have been blown up or destroyed somehow, there was always some mayhem going on in Ponyville even before all this time jumping nonsense, and the Apples must have used some kind of newer, stronger wood to rebuild the front part of the house… before whatever happened, happened…
With a sunken Heart, Sunny's body returned to being smoke and shadow as he stepped off of the crumbaling farm house patio. Not two seconds after his seemingly weightless body left the dried up wooden floor did the rest of the structure collapse. Tears streamed down Sunny's eyes as he watched his home crumble. Memories flooded his mind as Sunny could almost see Granny sitting on the porch watching Big Mac, Applejack and Apple Bloom play in the front yard. Memories of climbing up the front steps, feeling satisfied and proud after a long hard day's work. The memory that broke Sunny's heart the most was the one where he stood on the porch, talking with Applejack, and she told him that this was his home now, too… 'Its a good thing Applejack isn't here to see this…'
Not knowing what else to do, but wanting to get away from the heart reaching grave of the once great landmark of Equestria that was Sweet Apple Acres, Sunny started towards Ponyville, wanting to take one last good look around. Hopefully something there would deter his emotions from.the loss of his home… though it was doubtful.
No longer suprised when he walked for miles down a dried dirt road, Sunny saw no remains of anything or anypony who had once been there. Sunny could tell where the houses once stood as withered shadows were etched into the ground too low for the sandpaper winds to scrape and fade away. The houses, Town Hall, the school, it all was gone. This world was by far the most terrable he had seen yet. Where the others had struggles and a glimmer of hope, this one had none. Atleast in the worlds where his father, Chrysalis, or even Flim and Flam took over, atleast there was life. Sunny had no explination as to what happened here, where everypony went to, or even the biggest and most important question, why is this all happening in the first place.
As the half unicorn half umbrum Sunny dragged his hooves across the ground, not paying attention to where he was going, he drifted aimlessly until he hit something. Shaking his head clear of the many buzzing quesgions and possibilities, Sunny looked down and was amazed that he had run into the Cutie Mark Map! The one that stood at the center of Twilight's castle! Looking all around, Sunny remained confused. It was the only part of the castle that remained. The map and the area at its base seemed like it stood the harsh weather pretty well, but it lost it's light blue color. Sunny looked down at the map and saw that it still held it's magic enough to show a transparent image of Equeatria, or what was left of it. Looking at the magically correct layout of Equestria, Sunny fell to his knees, his face level with the map.
"They're all gone…" Sunny said in a raspy, harsh voice as his eyes looked around the image of Equestria before him. One could normally see ponies walking around, doing their jobs, walking around their respective towns, doing chores around their homes, attending school, a bird's eye view of them living their lives. But now… now all Sunny saw was a waste land. "I'm... im all alone…"
Sunny felt very tired, but forced himself to return to his pony form, despite how hungry and thirsty he was. He knew it would only get worse, but for some reason, he felt he needed to be in his normal state. It took him a few minutes to gather himself, but Sunny was able to print himself back to his normal, yellow unicorn self. His eyelids felt heavy, and he felt so weak. Too weak to move anymore. His stomach gave up growing for food and fell asleep before he did. The only thing he could think to do was curl up under the map for shelter and let sleep take him. The cold touch of the floor of the cutie mark map didn't feel as cold anymore. Sunny honestly didn't feel anything anymore. Just as everything began to turn dark, Sunny swore he heard voices. They sounded so familiar. Well, two did. One sounded unpleasant.
"Where are we!?" The angery, unfamiliar female voice snapped.
"The future, or rather, the present" another female voice answered, her voice heavy and forlorn, but Sunny swore it was the voice of Twilight Sparkle.
"But there's nothing here" the irritated voice noted.
"I wish I could say I was suprised, but every world I come back to is worse then the last" Twilight continued, her voice still filled with sadness. "I dont know why my friends and I are so important to Equeatria, but we are."
"I don't believe you" the angered voice hissed.
"Come on, Starlight, look around" this time Sunny instantly recognized the squeeking voice of Spike the dragon.
"Like I said, everything in the past effects the future" Twilight continued. "Even the tiniest act. And what you're doing leads here. I know I can't stop you. But I thought showing you this might change your mind."
What was this? Sunny thought for a moment, piecing the conversation together. It was obvious that those three hadn't discovered him, and Sunny was willing to just let them do whatever they were going to do, and let himself fall into the deep, deep sleep he was about to plunge into right before they appeared. But it seems that fate was giving him atleast the answer to the biggest question he had. It was this other mare's falt! She was the one behind this whole thing! But why? There was a part of Sunny, his pony part, that was more curious then angery. What would push a pony to do this? Revenge? Desperation? What?
"Change my mind?" The mare growed while stomping her hooves at Twilight. "You don't know anything about me! I was perfectly happy before you and your friends ruined what I built!"
"I dont know what happneed that lead you to make your village without cutie marks" Twilight's sorrowful tone didnt waver. "And I'm sorry my friends and I had to take it away."
Gathering what little strength he had, Sunny stuck his head out from under the table, keeping out of sight, while he still piecing things togeather. 'Starlight… that name sounds familiar.'
Sunny then remembered a story Applejack told him about her. Twilight and the rest of their friends visiting a village ruled by somepony who took away their cutie marks to make them all equal. That mare's name popped right into Sunny's head. 'Starlight Glimmer!'
"You wanna know what happened to me!?" Starlight started to shreak as she coated herself in her light blue magical aura. Starlight then stood atop the map and blasted it with her magical aura. "I'll show you!"
Sunny heard the ticking of clock gears as their images appeared glowing around the map. Suddenly Starlight, Spike, Twilight and finaly himself were sucked into the map, being pulled into the past! As the four of them traveled through time, Sunny felt the effects of the world he had just left fade away. His body felt no more hungry nor thirsty then any other time, and the weak, tured feelings just faded away. When the four of them landed, the girls and Spike didn't notice him, and Sunny stayed back and watched as things unfolded. Something told him to wait for the right moment to act.
"Where are we?" Twilight asked as they all took in the scenery.
It was a rather quant looking village, with rather average looking townsfolk. There were mountains all around, the air seemed fresh, and the grass and trees lush.
"That map of yours is connected to every part of Equeatria" Starlight glimmer explained, a soured look on her muzzle. "And this part, is my home…"
Starlight walked with great confidence towards a certain house she knew very well. Twilight and Spike shared an awkward glance then slowly followed several steps behind Starlight, and Sunny, still keeping his distance and remaining quiet, walked just within earshot of them. Starlight went up to a window of the specific observation, Twilight and Spike looking inside beside her, and Sunny looked over their shoulders form a distance. Inside the house were two foals, a little orange and white colt, and a little pink and purple filly who must have been Starlight Glimmer. The colt was focusing his magic to place a book high upon a pile of books that towered over them, almost reaching the very high ceiling, and Starlight seemed to be cheering him on.
"Sunburst and I did everything togeather" Starlight's tone up until then was sharp and vicious, but now seemed mournful, full of sadness. "Infact, I don't ever remember us ever being apart... until today…"
The girls, Spike, and still at a distance, Sunny, all turned their attention back to the room with the foals. It looked like young Starlight was trying to pull a book out from the base of their pile. But when she did, the giant towering pile of books began to fall on her. While the little Starlight held her hooves up as best to protect herself, the colt known as Sunburst jumped into action. Wanting nothing more then to save his friend, he was able to exert more magical energy then he ever had before, and caught all the books that would have done great harm to his friend! Not only that, Sunburst was able to redirect the falling books into orbiting around himself as his magical aura not only covered them, but his own body as well. As he rose into the air, the books magically felw pack into their proper place on the bookelves. When the colt landed with his hooves on the ground, still a little dizzy from the exertion of magic, a flash of light lit up his flank, and his cutie mark was reveiled! The colt was so over come with joy, happy horse noises shot from his muzzle as he trotted out of the house, past the young Starlight without a second glance, and showed his new mark off to his parents and everpony else in town. Leaving behind a teary eyed Starlight, all alone.
"And just like that, my friend was gone" Starlight continued to explain. "His family recognized his magical talent and sent him off to Canterlot. I never saw him again."
It was silent before an innocent question popped out of Spike's mouth. "Well, why not?"
Outraged, Starlight whipped around and closed the space between her and the little dragon, the furry returned to voice. "Because he got his cutie mark! He got his, and I didn't! He moved on, and I didn't. I stayed here and never made another friend, because I was too afraid another cutie mark would come along and take them away too!"
'That!? That was her whole motivation!?' Sunny thought to himself, anger rising up inside of him, teeth grinding. 'She was afraid of making friends, so she stole ponie's cutie marks, and when that didn't work, she ruined all of Equestria by travaling to and altering the past!? THAT WAS IT!? SHE WAS JUST SAD AND UPSET!? LIKE SOME THEROPY WOULDN'T HAVE SOLVED THAT!?!?'
"That's ridiculous, a cutie mark can't take your friends away" Twilight, sounding understanding, started to explain.
"Not everypony is lucky enough to get her curie mark at the same time as her friends!" Starlight shouted as more of her magical aura forced open another warp hole in the sky, sucking those who didn't belong there up into it, including Sunny.
The four time travelers then were spit out st Clousdale the day of filly Rainbow Dash's big race. The one that Starlight kept going back and changing so Twilight and her friends never got their cutie marks. Sunny had landed on a cloud not far from where Twilight, Spike, and Starlight landed. At first a little frightened, Sunny thought for sure that he would fall through the clouds, sence it was only pegasus and alicorns who could walk on clouds without the use of a magical spell. But for some reason unknown to him, Sunny could stand on the cloud as if it were a matress. Pushing this new found discovery aside, Sunny watched as the events continued to play out, waiting for his moment to act, if he needed to act at all.
"You don't know what it's like to lose a friend because of a cutie mark" Starlight's aggressive words redirected Sunny's attention back to the situation at hoof. "But once I stop the rainboom, you will!"
Starlight then teleported Spike's backpack off his back and poofed it infront of herself, pulling out the scroll that Twilight used to travel back in time. "And once I destroy this scroll, there will be no way to change ge it!"
Starlight began to rip the magical scroll in half, which would leave Twilight, Spike, himself, and everypony else with a future possibly even worse then the one's they have seen! Sunny couldn't let that happen! Now must be the time for him to act! To blast Starlight with his magic, encase her in a crystal like prison, then use that scroll to take himself, Twilight, Spike and the captured Starlight bacl to the right present where she will stand trial for her crimes! But he didn't. Something deep inside Sunny was telling him to wait. That something else must happen before he launches some attack on Starlight. A voice deep down inside was telling him to give her a chance.
"Starlight, you're right, I don't know what you went through, but I do know that you can't do this!" Twilight had thrown away her tone of sorrow and loss of hope and was now trying desperately to reach out to Starlight Glimmer. "I've seen where this leads. And so have you!"
"I only saw what you showed me! Who knows what will really happen!?" Starlight countered, still ready to destroy the future yet again, but this time it will cement what horrible fate Equestria will be sadtled with.
Looking behind her at her filly aged friend race against her childhood bully, Twilight bit her lip, feeling the full weight of the situation, and couldn't give up. "I've seen it a dozen times. Things don't turn out well in Equestria without my friends."
There. There Sunny senced something wave inside of Starlight. Not fear, not anger, but hesitstion. Something deep inside her was telling her that Twilight might be right. But the pink and purple unicorn was still fighting an internal storm. And was still very much filled with anger.
"Ugh!!! What is soooo special about your friends!?" Starlight growled, then shot a sharp glare at Twilight. "How can a group of ponies who are sooo different be so important!?"
Seeing a flicker of hope that she was able to reach out to Starlight, Twilight took this time to slowly and cautiously close the space between them while talking Starlight down. "The differences between me and my friends are the very thing that make our friendship strong."
The storm inside Starlight began to calm as tears returned to her eyes. "I thought Sunburst and I were the same... But we turned out different! And it tore our friendship appart!"
Starlight ripped the scroll more with her little outburst, making part of Sunny hesitate and a strong part of him wanted to tackle Starlight and take the scroll from her. But a calmer voice inside him told him to wait and give Twilight a chance.
Twilight flew up and stretched out her hooves as she continued to try and reach out to Starlight. "So try again! Make new friends! And if something happens that changes things, work through it togeather. That is what friendship is! Its not just my friendships that are important to Equeatria. Everypony's are. When yours ended, it led us here. But just imagine all the others out there that are just waiting for you if you give them a chance!"
Starlight's eyes began to tear up to the point of overflowing. Looked up at Twilight with hesitation, no longer sure that her way was that was best and that there might be another way. The pink unicorm was still slightly unsure. "But how do I know they all won't end the same way?"
"I guess its up to you to make sure they don't" Twilight Sparkle said without skipping a beat, landing now, seeming more relaxed and trusting of Starlight, holding out her hoof to her.
A smile spread across Sunny's muzzle as he watched Starlight stager a bit, but then reached out and took Twilight's hoof, accepting her friendship and stopping her devious plan. The scroll Starlight used to travle back in time fell and rolled back up, Spike caught it just before it fell down to the ground. Just as all was tying up, Rainbow Dash let out her first sonic rainboom that helped her win the race, gave her her cutie mark, setting off the chain of events that would give her friends their cutie marks as well, and set them down a path that would make them very special friends that hold the weight of Equestria on their shoulders. Starlight, Twilight, Spike and Sunny all watch the rainbow as it stretches across the sky overhead, and a time portal opens up once more, sucking the time travalers up into it to take them back home.
The portal ended where it began, at the correct time line, in Twilight's castle of friendship, spitting Sunny, Spike, Twilight, and Starlight Glimmer out. As everypony got to their hooves, the time travel scroll was sucked out of Spike's claw, rolled up, and sucked into the warp hole, forever list to time.
Spike began kissing the ground of the castle with a wide grin on his muzzle. "One castle of friendship, check!"
Immediately aftet that, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy burst into the map room, all with very confused looks on their own muzzles, with Rarity speaking up first to ask "What in Equestria was that?"
"Is everypony ok?" Fluttershy asked next.
Pinkie then let out a high pitched squee of joy and asked "can you do it again!?"
Looking to Twilight with a sly smile on his muzzle, Spike added to his previous statement "one group of amazing friends, check!"
To which Twilight smiled easy, patted her assistant on the back and agreed "yeah, Spike. It looks like we're home."
"Ugh, thank the sun…" Sunny spoke up, appearing received to be home, exhaling a breath he held as he studied the world around him. As the world Spike and Twilight confirmed was their actual home, Sunny allowed himself to relax. "Its going to be a long time before I feel the want to time travel ever again."
Spike and Starlight seemed shocked by Sunny's presence, but it appeared Twilight knew he had travled with them the whole time.
"What 're you doing here?" Applejack asked as she walked up to Sunny who was just heading for the door. Then the apple farmer's eyes turned hard as she narrowed them at Sterlight who was sheepishly standing in the corner. "And what's 'she' doing here?"
Starlight turned her head away in shame, but Twilight walked over to her, rested a reassuring hoof on her shoulder and answered "that's kind of a long story."
"Longer for some of us then others" Sunny added, his tone heavy and bleak, as he looked to Twilight and asked "got any cider in the kitchen? I think I need something to drink."
"Yeah, help yourself" Twilight nodded with an uneasy smile, then turned to her newest friend. "Starlight, would you mind waiting out in the hallway while my friends and I talk?"
Starlight looked nervous at first, But Twilight added "don't worry. Everything will be alright."
With that reassurance, Starlight followed Sunny out into the hallway while Twilight, Spike, and the rest of her friends talked about what to do with Starlight Glimmer. Starlight paced back and forth nervously, all her actions from the past catching up to her, filling her with grief and doubt that she deserved a second chance. Sunny returned to find the pink and purple unciron practically walking a hole in the floor. He levitated a second mug of cider he had brought and over to the unsettled Starlight Glimmer.
Starlight was startled by the sudden appearance of the beverage, looked to Sunny who simply nodded, then Starlight took it in her own magical aura sn took a sip of the sweet, refreshing beverage. "T-thanks."
"Don't mention it" Sunny told her, no smile present on his muzzle as the words flatly escaped his kips. He sat down on one side of the hallway, his back pressed up against the wall as he looked at Starlight. "You nervous?"
Starlight looked from Sunny to the mug of liquid that reflected her image. "Yeah… I.. I don't know if I deserve to be forgiven, or for Twilight and her friends To accept and be nice to me after all I did."
"You don't know the half of it" Sunny stated, taking another long sip of his mug. His words caught Starlight's attention, and when he felt he could talk without screaming, he elaborated. "All the worlds, the different time lines Twilight saw, she was only there briefly. For whatever reason, when time restarted, I had to live through it. I watched as my friends turned their backs on me, or I failed to protect them and other ponies, I watched ad my home was destroyed countless times whether I did all I could or just sat back and let others try. Until the very last world, the world Twilight showed you. That world was lost when I arrived. I wandered for I don't know how long, alone, starved, and over all not doing well. I don't know what would have happened to me if you, Twilight and Spike hadn't come along.
"To make matters worse, I find out the reason, your driving force behind your actions, was just because your friend left you when you were foals and you were afraid to make more friends… I almost lost my cool" Sunny narrowed his daggar like eyes on Starlight, who felt even more ashamed, almost on the verge of tears. But Sunny's expression softened as he told her "look at me."
Starlight was on the verge of tears, feeling an overwhelming amount of guilt for what she put this unknown stallion through. But she mustered the strength, took a deep breath, then met Sunny's gaze. His eyes were softer, but there was still pain behind them. A pain he realized he'd have to bear all over again. Just like when his father sealed him away for 1000 years of torment to break his connection to ponies. Sunny's tone was stern like earth, but not as hard as stone. "After everything you did, all the destruction your actions have caused, and all the pain you put me through… I forgive you."
Starlight couldn't believe her ears. "W-what? But… but why? If I hurt you that bad-?"
"You did hurt me that bad, and my friends, and my home. But I see something in you that is good. I know Twilight saw it too, and that's why she's fighting so hard to help you now" Sunny motioned to the doors that fed into the map room. "She's trying to convince her friends of the good that you could do, given the right direction. She's a great friend to have, and deserves that title of princess. I wish I had been as influential as she is when I was a prince."
"You're… you're the son of Princess Celestia, right? I went to your correlation ceramony. I was, ugh, spying… in the crowd." Starlight shamefully admitted to Sunny.
"And my father is King Sombra" Sunny added, taking another sip of cider. "I hope that, one day, when it comes down to it, my father will be given the second chance that you are being given."
"How do you know they'll forgive me?" Starlight seemed worried still.
"I can hear their fears disapating, they are trusting in Twilight's judgment" Sunny told Starlight as he finished his cider, then stood up. "I have to get some fresh air and put my mind at rest by seeing the town as it was meant to be. If Applejack asks, let her know that I'll head home after my walk, and that I'll be fine… after some theropy…and maybe more cider…"
Just as Sunny teleported away in a flash of green light, the doors to the map room opened. Twilight emerged and smiled at Starlight Glimmer and asked her "please come in, we need to talk…"
Sombra had moved his remaining troops to the center of a mountain far north of the Eauestrian boarder nearest to Gryffin stone, with the help of a tall, pink mare clad in black and silver armor similar to the shadow king's own. At first, anypony who knew her would say that she was the missing princess of the Crystal Empire, herself. The one who's ancestors locked away the living shadows known as the umbrum. Who started the crystal fair and brought joy to the Crystal Empire for years, who also left the Empire in Sombra's hooves when she went missing. Princess Cadence's namesake herself. Princess Amore. But when you look into the mare's eyes, you would see darkness, rage, and anger, the emotions that fed on fear. The mare was not herself, and a certain old colt knew the reason why.
Pappy had found Sombra and his army no problem. They had travled to the same mountain that he himself fled to once 'he' emerged from the prison and roamed Equeatria, earning himself the title of 'the howling mountain'. He would climb to the top of the mountain and release his battle cry to keep every creature away.. the howls themselves echoed off the mountains carried for miles. But that was in the past. Pappy's plan was simple. Check the place out and see if he could get in and out, finding what Sombra had stolen, and get out of there before he was spotted. Despite his age, Pappy easily slipped past the guards, finding and leaving a little backup plan, and made a mental map of the entire fortress Sombra and Amore seemed to build. But after searching the place high and low, he didn't find either of the two things he was searching for and knew where they must have been.
Sombra had been talking with Amore in a room they deamed a war room and were planning some sort of attack on the Crystal Empire when Pappy just strolled right in, not trying to hide his presence at all. Two Sombra guards noticed him and moved to restrain him. And Pappy being Pappy, knew it was best to let them do so. The less fighting the better. After the guards cuffed Pappy's front and rear hooves, they pushed him forward, their spear tips pointed right at him, to be presented to King Sombra and Amore. Both of which were suprised to see him.
"Pappy? What are you doing here?" Sombra raised a raised brow, feeling very confused by the old colt's sudden appearance.
"Well, Sombra boy, I heard you've been causing an awful lot of trouble, and I've either come here ta tell ya ta stop, or ta stop ya mahself." Pappy honestly answered, his wrinkled muzzle grew a small smile.
"You failed us, husband of mine" Amore stepped forward, her head held high, shooting off a hard glare she started down with glowing red and green eyes at the old colt.
"Well, wife o'mine. Maybe it's you who failed all of us" Pappy's cheerful and relaxed expression fadded, his eyes sharpened and bounced between Sombra and Amore, and his accent was dropped, showing, just like Sunny, that he was serious. "If you two knew what was good for you, and all Equestria, you would stop this right now. And honey, give the princess back her body."
Amore wrinchled her nose at Pappy. "Arrogent deserter. This body is mine to use as long as I see fit. And 'You' are in no position to give me orders."
Amore stomped her hoof and the guards poked Pappy slightly with their spears.
Pappy didn't hesitate at the minor pain, but the old colt did shake his head as his own burning eyes shot bacl at Amore and Sombra, heavily disappointed. "This path you both are taking will only lead to even more pain."
"Our kind has been sealed for over 1000 years! They are the same as us. Umbrum. They are our kin. Our family." Sombra growled so he stomped his dominant hoof.
"What about the family you turned away from here?" Pappy asked, his expression nutrual, but the words he spoke were daggers to Sombra. "Your son misses you so much. He thinks about you all the time. Yet you fight for creatures you don't even know. But I do. I lived down there with them, my whole life. They aren't like you and I, son. They know only know when they are hungry, and what to do about that hunger. They won't stop until all of Equestria, maybe the world is coated in darkness, all creatures are living in fear, and they get to enjoy every drop of it. Until there is nothing left to drain."
"It pains me to hear you speak about our family like that, husband of mine" Amore's words slithered from her mouth as she walked around Pappy, hovering over him ever watchful like a vulture.
"My eyes were opened when I met princess Amore" Pappy kept his tone flat but made sure every creature in the room heard him. "I was shown what 'real' love is, what kindness, generosity, honesty, loyalty, and laughter were. They were all magical. Friendships I've made with ponies here were magical. More precious then any metal or diamond any crown would ever be made of... you know that, don't you Sombra? Son? Because despite all you've done, there are those who would sooner forgive and welcome you with open hooves."
King Sombra listened to his father's every word, he knew what the elements of harmony were and how they seemed to influence others. The concepts are admirable, Sombra had to admit… but it wasn't for them. Not for Umbrum. Not for creatures of darkness, of shadow and fear. "Umbrum don't need friendship, father. You should have never betrayed us."
"Like you betrayed Sunny? Sealed him away to be tortured for 1000 years?" A sliver of anger rang out in Pappy's tone. "I won't bother to bring up all the innocent crystal ponies you tortured, you don't care about them. Not any more, atleast. But he was your son! You hurt him! You also hurt 'her' as well."
Knowing instantly who it was Pappy was talking about, Sombra growled, purple flames emerged from the corners of his eyes as he stomped his hooves at the ground around Pappy, creating a jagged cage of sharp and crooked, black crystals, pushing Sombra's own guards away. Sombra turned to shadow and reappeared in solid form right infront of Pappy, glaring into his eyes with a burning glare. "SHE BETRAYED ME! WHEN SHE FOUND OUT WHAT I WAS! SHE PLOTED TO TURN AGAISNT ME AND HER OWN SON!"
Cooly stairing back at his own son's rage filled eyes, Pappy just plainly asked "If she was going to betray you and Sunny, why hasn't she done so to him yet? Doesn't something seem off to you? Maybe, perhapse, things didn't happen as you think they did?"
"That is enough" Amore stomped her hoof, taking over the dark crystals surounding Pappy, bending them to her own design, and rebuilding them into large pillars that restrained the old colt. "You have something I want on your person, and you will give it to me. Then you will rejoin our 'real' family and let them decide your fate!"
Amore approached Pappy and pulled the yellow triangular corner stone from him, smiling at her prize, she raised it above her head and began laughing triumphantly with a sickeningly twisted smile. "That's two! Two of the pieces we need to set our kind free!"
Turning to Sombra, Pappy tried to plead with him one last time. "This won't end well for anycreature. But you can stop this. Please, my son. End this dark crusade of yours. Don't become your mother's tool, like I was."
This tore Amore from her malefic bliss, now glaring down at the shriveled old colt, Amore began to think of a proper punishment for her husband. She didn't have to wait long before a brilliant and justifiable punishment popped into her head. "You know, dear husband, I think you need to pay our family a little visit. See how they feel about you abandoning them. Explain your reasoning to them. Maybe 'they' will show you mercy, love, and tolerance …"
Pappy's eyes went wide from a moment, but he quickly put on a fierce expression, not wanting to give his wife the enjoyment of his fear. "I'm not afraid of you. I only fear for those I care about."
"Bold words" Amore smiled as she pranced away from Pappy, putting about ten feet or so between him and her. She then turned to Sombra and told her son "you may want to step back, oh, about another ten feet or so. Don't want to be caught up in the blast, do you?"
Not knowing exactly what to expect, Sombra stepped back and watched, eyes focused on the scene before him. Amore began to charge magic into her horn, not dark magic, but a magical aura that was light blue in color, much like the crystal heart.
Seemingly, Pappy knew what was about to happen, and turned to his son for one final farewell speech. "You were their hero. Be the pony they know you can be-"
Before Pappy could say anything else, he was blasted with Amore's spell, which covered him in a blue light and cast him out of their secret layer, and hurdaling into the sky. Beyond that, Sombra didn't know what Pappy's fate would be. But Amore knew. Once Pappy was out of sight, the magical blast did what it was supposed to, and carried him all the way into the marker in the middle of the arctic tundra not far from the Crystal Empire, that marked the prison of the Umbrum. The red crystal sensed the arrival of a new prisoner, and began to glow scarlet, allowing the crystal the ability to take in the arrival. Pappy being carried by the magical blast was shot directly into the crystal, and was thus transported deep, deep, deep underground, just barely farther then tartarus itself, in a world of darkness, where the creatures of shadow could call home. There were no cells in this prison of theirs, but there were dirt like houses that although were stable enough for beings of shadow to rest and take up lodging, most creatures would find unpleasant and uninhabitantable.
Emerged into the darkness once more, Pappy's pony disguise disputed, revealing the smoky shifting body that was his true form. The black orb that he borrowed from Sunny, that Pappy had given to his own son, was a magical tool used to give umbrum new form. He had used it to escape the prison before, but for safe keeping, Pappy gave the orb to somepony he trusted with keys to Equeatria's future.
Once he landed in the prison, Pappy was quickly greated by his kin. The wild umbrum who were starving for fear. But they cannot simply feed on one another. They need someone or something that holds something near and dear to them. Only by caring for something or another can one truly know fear. Fear of their own well being is fear, but it is like crackers to them. Filling, but you need alot of them. Fear for losing possessions, that's a step up, like a light salad. But fear for others, those you care about, that was a meal! Pappy had learned what it was like to love, laugh, and live with the ponies. He made friends with Princess Amore who knew what he was and wanted him to learn about their ways in hopes of teaching his own kind one day. But Pappy knew he never could. Princess Amore put alot of faith in him, she was his first real friend, but he never told her what the other Umbrum were like. Like locus, starved with only one thing on their minds. As he looked up, his old eyes taking in the burning looks of his own kin, knowing they smell fear in his heart, Pappy knew he had made the right choise. It was never 'he' who would bring peace to their kind, and still doubted if that was even possible. If there was such a fate for the Umbrum, it would only be through one…
The shadows enclosed around Pappy, feeding off his fear for those he loved, those he cared about, and those he hoped would be OK without him. He felt those fears intensify by the umbrum's dark magic, like they were seasoning a meal, hypnotizing the old umbrum to see what lay in store for those he cared about, nightmares come to life. It seemed like the umbrum fed on the old colt for hours, until all the fear was drained out of him. Once they were done, the shadowy beings scattered like birds, leaving behind a small puddle of shadow, unable to keep his pony like form and longer. Once he awakens, he would be incredibly weak and unable to feed unless some creature trips in him. And no creature would dare enter the prison of the umbrum.
Back at their secret Hideout, Sombra approached Amore, who appeared to be in pain, eyes closed shut with tears streaming from them, shaking her head from side to side, her voice sounding more soft and gentle then before as she muttered Pappy's name.
"Mother, are you alright?" Sombra spoke up after watching for a moment.
Amore's eyes opened from the sound of his voice, her now golden eyes looked at Sombra with great sadness before flashing back to their previous crimson color, her tears dried up and her trembling stopped on a dime. After taking a few breaths, Amore rose her head and looked down on her son, a cold glare in her eyes as told Sombra "Remember, my son. Never betray your family. There's a price to pay for betrayal. Trust nopony."
His mother's words spoken through princess Amore's mouth rang like bronze bells in Sombra's head. It was a warning and a threat in one message. Just then, something popped into Sombra's head, and he left his mother to deal with something, or rather, somepony.
Radiant Hope had made it about half a mile away from the hide out before the shadowy smoke surrounded her. She knew that she had been caught as Sombra's head formed in the center of the condensed smoke.
"What do you think you are doing?" both Sombra's tone and expression were fierce as he adressed Radiant Hope. More fierce then he had ever looked at her with before.
Upset by the sight of her friend, but wanting to show that she was not afraid of him, Radiant gathered her courage and yelled at him "I'm fixing one of your mistakes!"
"You are betraying me?! ME!?" Sombra's voice became booming like thunder. "You were my oldest friend, and yet you were about to betray me?!"
"I AM your friend, Sombra" Radiant Hope corrected the shadowy being. "And as your friend, I'm going to risk everything to save you from yourself."
Radiant pulled out of her saddle bag an item wrapped in a cloth, and began to unravel it, slowly, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she never looked away from Sombra's burning gaze. Sombra was on guard, curious as to what it was that Hope had and was about to use on him, when a flash of light shinned from the item as it unraveled more. Out of panic, Sombra quickcly cast the spell and fired it at Radiant Hope, sealing her in crystal, in a sleep like state, and the item in quesgion fell and landed in the snow. Breathing heavily, fear and panic from all that transpired, Sombra looked from his frozen friend down to the item she was about to use on him. And when he realized what it was, his heart sank, heavy with guilt and regret.
It was a photo. More importantly, it was one that Radiant had put togeather and had planned to give to Sombra. She had taken, cut and pasted pictures of herself, Sombra, Princess Celestia, Sunny and the mare Sunny had been seeing, Applejack, Sombra recalled her name. Hope had made a family picture of them all by cutting and pasting different pictures togeather. Sombra looked at the picture in his hooves for the longest time, wishing he could take a real one just like it… but he knew the path he now walked, that this was the closet he would ever again come to a family photo. Tucking it away, Sombra retreated back to the hideout, sending several of his guards out to retrieve Hope and bring her back safely inside. He would keep her imprisoned in that state until his kind were set free.
What Sombra did not notice, though, was a little sleepy ferret who popped its head out of the snow, yawned, then proceeded to return home to the apple farm. Around his neck, a small bag with a very special missing piece of a stone draconaquis…
Applejack walked through the front doors of Twilight's castle just in time to run into Starlight Glimmer. The pink unicorn had changed so drastically that Applejack almost didn't recognize her. Not just her mane style, but the over all atmosphere around her had altered to one of a more humble, but down to earth individual. But after a second, the orange apple farmer's expression turned hard and cold as she shot her glance at the reformed unicorn. Starlight, still being a little unsure of her position amongst Twilight and her friends, expected things would be a little rocky for a while, and did her best to endure Applejack's sharp glare, and continue on her way to the market. Twilight had tasked Starlight with going to the market to gather a few supplies. It was a chance to show her reformation at work, a chance for Starlight to socialize with the ponies in town, a chance to make friends, and one less chore for Twilight to do. Now with a free afternoon, Twilight could finnaly get to the stack of books she had been chomping at the bit to get to. With everything that had been going on as of recent, it was hard to pick up a book and read for a decent amount of time.
Just as Tailight sat comfortably in her cozy, reading chair in the library, lamp positioned just right to illuminate the open pages, a glass and piture of tea on a near by table. With her perfect reading environment put in place, the purple alicorn was finally ready to relax and enjoy a good book.
That was, until Applejack burst through the library doors. "Ah shudda guessed ya would be in th' library, Twi."
A little annoyed, Twilight looked up at her farmer friend and was quickly taken back by her subtle appearance. Unlike the rest of her friends, Applejack kept most of her emotions in check, especially sadness. It was hard to tell when the orange farm pony was truly upset. But as Twilight looking upon Applejack now, she could tell something was wrong. "Whats up, Applejack? Is everything okay?"
Applejack scratched the back of her head for a moment and avoided eye contact. She was struggling to find the words, not being very good at this sort of thing. Applejack eventually removed her hat from atop her head and held it to her chest with one hoof, her eyes almost watery as she locked eyes with Twilight. " its... its Sunny…"
Twilight lead Applejack to another seat that she levitated over and placed right beside her own reading chair. "Is he ok?"
"No… an'… an' ah ain't sure what ta do for him…" the words were hard for Applejack to get up, but knowing that Sunny needed her to be strong, she forced them out.
Once she got started, Applejack's words began to paint a very dark and vivid picture for Twilight. Applejack explained that Sunny hadn't been himself since the day Starlight was reformed and started living in the castle. Sunny didn't go out to see his friends, he didn't leave his room say for doing chores and work around the farm. When he did work, he was very quiet, answering mostly with 'yes', 'no', 'sure', and 'ok'. When Big Mac Apple Bloom, Granny or even Applejack herself approached him, though, the air around him made it hard to breath, and half the time they avoided him. Same was said for his friends who dropped by when he was out in the fields. They would get this uneasy feeling from being around him and make an excuse as to why they needed to suddenly leave. That was, except poor Derpy. When she tried to approach Sunny, she didn't get within ten feet before she uncontrollably burst into tears and flew away. After his chores were done, he's just go strait to his room. He didn't come out of his room for breakfast, supper or even snacks. Sunny wouldn't eat if Applejack didn't bring him something and leave it outside his front door.
Granny suggested that Applejack go into his room and drag him out and get whatever is bothering him out of him. Applejack was nervous about going up into his room, why she didn't know, its not like she hadn't been up there countless times before. But when she opened the door, she was met with a dark room completly void of light. The closed cutains weren't thick enough to keep the light completly out, but tge light never touched a single thing around the room. Applejack was able to make out the figure of Sunny, hunched over on the edge of his bed, head hanging low, eyes seemingly glued to the floor.
Taking another deep breath, Applejack shut the door behind her and walked over to Sunny, for whatever reason, almost afraid the floor was going to collapse beneither her hooves and send her falling into some dark abyss. Never the less, she swallowed her fear and pressed forward. The walk that should only have been a few moments seemed to stretch on for an hour, Applejack finnaly arrived at Sunny's side. Looking at the state he was in broke her heart. His emerald colored eyes that seemed to glow, were pale as if drained of all that made Sunny Sunny.
"What's wrong, Sugercube?" Applejack asked, her irrational fear pushed away by concern that weighed more heavily on her heart.
"I don't know what to believe anymore, Applejack…" Sunny's words spewed out like a sickness, his tone lacked any life to it.
"Talk to me, darling…" Applejack took Sunny's head in her hooves and moved him so he was laying down with his head on her lap. She often did this when he was stressed or worried. He may have been this big tough, black knight, but he was still just a stallion. And sometimes a stallion needs a mare to remind him he has somepony who loves him.
"I've seen so many terrable things, Applejack…" Sunny started, his voice now trembling, tears working their way to the corners of his eyes. He faught them back as he unloaded everything onto Applejack, starting with the world where his father was fighting a war against his mother. The same world where the farm burned to the ground and the Apples left Sunny with their ruins. Applejack did her best to reasure Sunny that she would never blame him if something like that happened. But Sunny was far from done. He told Applejack of the world over run by changelings, of the horrors he endured when Nightmare Moon returned and ruled Equestria, what Nightmare Moon had done to him, and worlds much, much worse then that, before finally ending his tale with how he, Twilight, Spike and Starlight returned from the past to the castle, where Applejack had seen them.
Applejack didn't know what to say.
She wasn't the kind to talk much or even show much emotion, and was no where near equipped to deal with this heavy burden that Sunny was now forced to carry with him. She tried, though, to tell him that it all happened, but it didn't happen. The farm was still intact, Ponyville was the same as it always had been, and despite the vibe that had chased off Sunny's friends, they were still worried and cared much about him.
"What does it matter if they care…" Sunny's voice was weak when he spoke up. "Our friendship wasn't strong enough to do anything. 'I' wasn't strong enough to do anything… You, Twilight, and the others… you were the only ones who could make a difference… I wish I could just forget any of that ever happened… why… why do I remember everything?…"
Applejack could hardly breath, the air had become so thick and constricting, it was almost like she was being buried alive. But she was a fighter, and refused to give up. She didn't know what to say to help lift Sunny's spirits, but she might know somepony who might. Twilight had told her friends all about what Starlight had done, going back in time and stopping Rainbow Dash from completing her sonic rainboom that would shape their fates forever. They all knew that Starlight didn't know what kind of alternate presents she had created, but Twilight told her friends briefly about them. All of them sounded just as Sunny described to her. But unlike Twilight who witnessed them all and was able to pop back out of them and back to the past, Sunny lived through them up to a certain point. What bothered her the most was the last world Sunny described. The one where he said he was so tired, exhausted, and numb, that all he wanted to do was sleep. THAT shook her to the bone.
"Darling, ah got ta get up, but ah'll be back as soon as ah can" was what Applejack told Sunny before sliding him gently off her lap. He simply rolled over and went dead weight, stairing up at the ceiling now.
Not two seconds after he was off her did Applejack run faster then a greased up pig at an all you can eat buffet, right to Twilight's castle, right through the front door, glaring at Starlight as she did, and found Twilight in the library. "Ah shudda guessed ya would be in th' library, Twi…"
Having repeated to Twilight everything Sunny had told her, Applejack was beside herself, unable to come up with a solution to pull Sunny out of his dark depression. "Ah mean, ah really can't blame th' fella fer feelin' the way he does."
"It reminds me alot of when Discord used the grey spell and turned you guys into your opposite versions of yourselves" Twilight remembered the trick that the chaos master pulled to prevent them from using their elements of harmony against him all those years ago. "But this is worse. I never failed to help my friends, or really fail anypony. I don't think there's anything I can say or do. I just don't have that kind of experience."
Disheartened, Applejack's ears fell flat to the side of her head as her watery eyes looked upon her alicorn friend. "Ain't there anything we can do? It breaks mah heart ta see him like this. He's our friend. He's put himself threw th' ringer for us in th' past. There must be somethin' we can do…"
Feeling a little overwelmed herself, Twilight wrapped her brain to find any possible way to reach out to Sunny in this state and let him know things would be OK. 'Friendship is the key… but we need a certain kind of friend. One who knows what its like to harbor that kind of emotional pain and work through it-'
"THAT'S IT!" Twilight shot up, flying just a little above the ground as a brilliant idea popped into her mind. "I know just what to do! I need to write a letter!"
Raising a brow at Twilight, Applejack repeated her last words, a little less then a teaspoonful of enthusiasm coated her words "ugh, write ah letter? Is this really th' time?"
"Of course it is! That's exactly what we need!" Twilight levitated a quill and parchment scroll over to her, ready to write a letter when she paused and pondered something else. "But I'll also need your help, Applejack, and maybe Rainbow Dash too if you can find her."
Seeing an idea forming in Twilight's eyes, Applejack regained some confidence in her friend. Maybe Twilight did come up with an idea that could help Sunny. After straitening her stetson hat on her head, Applejack cocked a half smile at Twilight and asked "what do ya need me ta do?"
Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Sunny lay in his room, continuing to gaze off into nothing, letting the images of the alternate presents take hold of him. The dark shadows on the walls seemed to grow darker and darker around the room, some even appearing to take a life and shape of their own. The shadows started to creep towards the sunken yellow unicorn, claws and teeth bared, but some flickering light stopped them, followed by low spoken words as soft and gentle as a self promise.
"… from all of us togeather, togeather we are friends, with the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end." A familiar voice spoke out the spell for the second time in her life.
The shadows began to cower as a thin string of light, pink in color, moved like a flowing river, circling Sunny, pushing the shadow creatures off. But the creatures were relentless and went in again. The pink light was joined by a vibrant red light, which was soon joined by a dark purple light, a light purple light, and finally a blue light. As the swirling strings of lights encased Sunny, the shadow monsters disapated as quickly as they formed. Color returned to Sunny's eyes as he lifted his head up, the lights blended togeather into a white blinding light and lifted Sunny up off the ground. The ball of light shrunk a bit before exploding into a flash. Once the flash was over, there was no sign of Sunny to be found, and the darkness that over came the room disapated…
Sunny had no idea where he was or how he got there. He looked to be walking on fog in the middle of literal nowhere. The sky and surounding area was a mixture of light and deep sky blues, with sparkling lights scattered like tiny fireflies. The temperature there was slightly cooler then that on the farm, and the earthy sweet scent of the orchard was replaced with a more serine aroma that Sunny couldn't quite put his hoof on. Immediatly Sunny felt more at peace just by being there. But where exactly was he? And how did he get there?
"Hello?" Sunny called out, earning no answer, his tone was not scared or threatening, just curious. Walking around, turning his head from one side to the other, trying not to miss anything, Sunny found himself talking to himself outloud "where am I? How did I get here?"
"You can thank your friends for that" a familiar and pleasant voice rang out from beyond the misty fog. A tall, elegant silhouette began to form in the distance. Within moments her details became clear. It was nopony else other then Princess Celestia, Sunny's own mother. Her gentle gaze on Sunny put him at ease, she spread her wings wide and welcomed him into a hug. Sunny didn't know what came over him, but he soon found himself running up to her and jumping into her embrace. "Its been a while, my son. I hear you are … troubled."
Sunny didn't speak for a long moment. His silence back in his room and the darkness that sourounded him kept his depression and sadness frozen in place. But now, in this peaceful place, in the hooves of his mother, Sunny could no longer fight against the pain, and the frozen rivers thawn. Tears streamed down from his cheeks as he faught to say the words "I… I don't… I couldn't… I-I wasn't..."
Celestia's heart nearly broke when she saw the distress her son was in. This wasn't like helping a toddler get over a scrapped knee or dealing with a lost toy. This pain was deep within Sunny. She needed to help him through it, as only 'she' could. "Before you speak, let it out. Let out all the pain you've held deep inside. You don't have to be strong right now, my son. Go ahead and let down your guard."
The tears began to flow faster and harder for what seemed like hours. Once the tears dried up, Princesses Celestia took a handkerchief from out of nowhere and offered it to her son. He had cried quite a bit on her coat, but she didn't mind. It reminded her of when he was a little colt. He would bury his face in her and cry when something really bothered him. Even as a foal, he didn't like to bother other ponies with his issues. After blowing his nose, and handing the silk handkerchief back to his mother, Sunny took a breath and layed his head against her, still in a hug. His voice was shaky and weak, but he managed to squeeze out "I'm so sorry… I failed Equestria, my friends, everypony, time and time again."
"Applejack told me what had happened, about the other worlds of Equeatria you had to live in" Princess Celestia spoke softly as she stroked her son's mane. "I'm so sorry you had to deal with all of that…"
The stream of tears eventually began to slow down to a mere trickle, allowing Sunny to speak clearly once again, but he still kept his gaze away from his mother's eyes, choosing to just to keep his head hanging down. "So many times I failed Equestria… I couldn't save my friends, I couldn't save the farm, I couldn't save Applejack and her family,... or you... it just didn't matter what I did. Every time I tried to make things better, it ended with failure. Even… even when I got my friends togeather, they betrayed me. Even Derpy! Derpy of all ponies!"
Sunny's breathing became heavier as he recalled more of the details related to his past trauma. Celestia saw the pain in his heart and embraced him against her once more, runbing his back and trying to comfort him as best she could. Her voice chimmed like small silver bells. "I know it's hard to deal with, and you can't see it now, but because you struggled and faught with it all, you are now a stronger pony for it... I've had to deal with similar events in my life…"
Sunny then pulled back and looked up at his mother after feeling something wet drip on his head. Meeting his mother's gaze, Sunny saw that she, too, was crying. Her once smooth words became a little shaky themselves. "I had to fight my beloved Sombra, your father, and seal him away in an arctic prison. I had to turn my own teacher and friend to stone after he went mad with power, feeling as though I failed him as a student. I was forced to send my own sister away for 1000 years because I was too blind to see that I was hurting her. After… after years, decades of searching, I gave up on finding my only son.…"
Pulling Sunny back into her chest, small streams of tears began to run down Celestias face. Knowing her pain, Sunny pulled her into a tight hug, his words, when he spoke them, were more firm then a moment ago, but still soft. "Why does this happen to us? Did we do something wrong?"
"No, my son" Celestia held Sunny tightly as she spoke. "We are put through these hardships for a reason. You are very much like your father, I see all the good in him in you. But you are also alot like me. You're a reluctant leader. You don't want to rule, but you are strong. And there are ponies who need you. Maybe now more then ever. These trials are like the heat applied to steal before it is put to the anvil and struck with a hammer. With each beating we take, we become stronger. It's not easy, but not just any pony can go through what we have."
"Do you think your sister could have?" Sunny asked, breaking the hug to look up at his mother.
With a small frown, Celestia shook her head. "Luna is very soft hearted, very intuned with her emotions as well as the emotions of others. She feels for them and can help them through their own trials. But given the weight that you and I bor, I dont think my warm hearted sister could have stood it."
Celestia eventually broke off from her son and began walkinging slowly down the celestial plane, pausing to encourage her son to follow her. Sunny did so, catching up with her almost immediatly. They walked for a short time in the glittery mist before images appeared all around them. Like multiple floating television screens. Each one carrying with it different images of Sunny's past! Not just of 1000 years ago, but of recent things.
"Hey! That's when I got to Ponyville!" Sunny pointed to a moving image of him arriving in town square, a party in the midst of a wild song. An image next to that was of when Sunny was helping Big Mac achieve his dream of flying. "I remember that! Ugh, you don't know how many times I've tried to get poor Big Mac airborne."
"Three times" Celestia said with a small smile as she tilted her head over to her son, a small smile on her muzzle. "You succeed on the 4th. I'm glad you were so persistant."
"How did you know that?" Sunny was a bit confused at his mother's knowledge of that adventure.
Princess Celestia had a small, pleased smile on her muzzle paired with a gentle gaze that she looked upon her son with. "Ever since I found out you came back, I've used my Celestial plane to not only keep an eye on you in the present, but I also looked back on your past as well, to see how much you have grown and leaned."
More images began popping up around Sunny and his mother. Images he was proud of like the time he saved Angel bunny from the tornado made by Lightning Dust and her Shadowbolts, helping Fluttershy feed her animal friends, taking Spike to the comic book convention. All fond memories Sunny held dear. More images began to appear around Sunny that left less then happy feelings. Images of the competition between Sunny and Allister appeared of their iron pony competition, one of when Sunny was talking to Spike to get him to lie to Twilight about the library, and one of Sunny being woken up by Applejack from a nightmare and Sunny blasting her with dark magic. Sunny's heart sank as he head hung low.
But his mother merely reached down with her hoof to hold his head back up, his eyes looking up at her with sorrowful regret. Her eyes, understanding and loving as a mother's eyes could be, looked down at her son and spoke with words that flowed smoothly "we all make mistakes. That is how we learn and grow…"
Motioning to more moving images, Sunny looked to see the images of the Pie family rock farm, it was from when Sunny and the Apples learned that sometimes the traditions could be different then your own, but that doesn't mean that sharing them with eachother is any less special or fun. Another image near to that one was of Sunny talking with Twilight after he had confessed about everything and appologized for using Spike to hide his secrets and making a mess of her library just to cover his tracks. Twilight was hesitant, but offered her hoof in friendship. It was then that Sunny knew he could trust ponies, that they wouldn't all shun him for who his father was and for his failure to protect the Empire 1000 years ago. Another imaged flashed, this time it was of Sunny confessing to Applejack all the secrets he kept from her. He watched in awe as her expression never wavered from that of a pony who was accepting, kind and understanding. At the time, his eyes were so full of tears, he couldn't make put her details as clearly as now. She truly was a beautiful, amazing mare. It was then that Sunny knew that somepony could love him for him. Not becouse he was a prince. Which was a real problem 1000 years ago. He knew then that even if he was just a simple farm pony living in a small town without a penny to his name, Applejack would love him, and treat him like 'her' prince, so long as she could be 'his' princess.
"I love her mom…" Sunny admitted, wiping a tear from his eyes. "I love her so much. She's been there when I needed somepony to hold me up, to kick me in the flank when I needed it, and believed in me when I didn't think anypony else would."
"I know" Princess Celestia smiled gently down on her son as she wrapped a wing around him. "She also gave you a family. A family you deserve. One that shows love, the simple pleasures, spends holidays togeather, works togeather, laughs and fights and makes up. And I'm sure it will continue to grow, in time. But you have others who grew closer to you and you helped to make better as well..."
Images flashed around them now of all of Sunny's friends. One was of Big Mac flying in the sky, after Sunny went to Twilight for help. Sunny was able to get a good look at his friend now, and see the huge smile on his muzzle, like a light flickered on inside him and hasn't turned off since. The one next to him was Octavia helping out with a charity concert in Manehatten, after she learned there were more important causes then promoting yourself. And where she learned a new path she wanted to take; becoming a music teacher. One just above that was the moving image of Thunderlane going to his brother, Rumble, and embracing him in a brotherly hug, after realizing he had neglected the little colt. It was then that Thunderlane started to learn how to balance his love life, family life, and work life. Sunny knew he struggled sometimes, but his winged friend was learning how to make it work. The image that followed after that had both Derpy and Doctor Whooves. They both appeared to be helping some ponies that Sunny recognized as the Thals, the earth ponies from the planet Scaro. Sunny remembered how Derpy learned that she wasn't just somepony who messed up all the time, and that when somepony really needed her, she could do great things. On that same day, Doctor realized how important others were to his life. That making friends, whether from other times, planets, or even near home, thet were relationships worth making and worth fighting for. He learned there was magic he could master, even as a pony of science. And it was this magic that made life worth while.
"It's amazing" Sunny's mother spoke up, her tone no longer trying to be nurturing, but carrying in it refined amazement, as she looked at the images before her and Sunny. "You've experianced alot in your time in Ponyville. Making friends, battling monsters, helping with friendship problems, even clashing with dark forces. I don't think there is any doubt you are my son. I always used to think of you more as a spitting image of your father, and I see his courage, his determination in you. But I also see eyes that watch over others, eyes that have compassion, understanding, who seek to protect others, but also to help them work through their troubles themselves. My dear sister pointed it out to me, and she was right. You get that from me…"
A gentle wing pulled Sunny back into a hug with his mother as a warm feeling began to raise up inside him, like a small flame growing into an ember, filling the little unicorn with a joy and pride he only felt from working on the Applefarm. A pride that he could personally enjoy and look back on, not one that would be paraded around for others to see or read about in history books or learn about in legends. But a simple pride anypony would enjoy. A good hard days work that payed off, fixing something that was broken, helping out a friend with a problem, or receiving praise from a parent. All things most ponies received, and unfortunatly some took for granted. But to Sunny, it was more valuable then gold or diamonds, worth more then any kingdom in the world. Because to him, such a thing made his whole world.
Releasing her son from wings, Princess Celestia continued to walk with him down the seemingly endless Celestial plane. Her tone was now between that of a firm parent and a gentle teacher. "You are stronger then you give yourself credit for... I know things went wrong with the alternate futures you unfortunatly remember, that have bothered you so much. But I couldn't imagine anypony being able to make things right in those worlds, if you couldn't. Your destiny is to bring out the good in others. If you couldn't in those worlds, nopony could. You shouldn't blame yourself."
The thought about the other time lines, where Sunny failed to protect the Apple farm, his friends, the Apples, Canterlot, all of Equestria… it still stung. "What… what am I going to do if something like that happens here? What if dad succeeds and releases the Umbrum? What if my friends and I, or even Applejack and her friends aren't enough?"
Another image popped up infront of Sunny and Celestia. This one, though, was one of Twilight Sparkle, long before she became an alicorn. She was talking with herself. Literally! She was back in the Golden Oaks library, talking with the future version of herself from next Tuesday where she wore a torn black stealth suit, had her mane straitened up, an eye patch over her left eye and a white headband over her head. The regular Twilight appeared to be asking a million quesgions while walking around the Twilight from next Tuesday.
"My most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, learned that you can't always prepare for troubles to come until they do come. Otherwise you'll worry yourself silly trying" Princess Celestia smiled warmly at the moving image of Twilight interacting with her future self, remembering the full story that Twilight shared in her letter about the event.
"She certainly lives a very interesting life" Sunny smiled as well, remembering all the stories he read about her and her friends in the book 'the Elements of Harmony: a reference guide and then some'.
"Funny, she said the same about you" Celestia smiled down at her son, gentle gaze meeting his. "You both have been through alot, tasks most ponies will never have to deal with, have those you wish to protect, and have trials still yet to be faced. But luckily, neither of you will have to face them alone.
"Your friends are there for you, if you let them in" Sunny's mother had to reasure him. "In the other time lines, were you alreally 'friends'? Or did you merely feel that deep inside?"
Sunny's expression sank, his ears fell a little. "I guess… deep down, I felt a connection... guess without the magic of friendship, we weren't really anything, were we?"
"I wouldn't say that, exactly" Celestia went on, her expression carrying with it slight hope. "I believe if you had remained in those time lines, somepony, if not you, sompeony who you would have come into contact with, would have continued to try and make things right. There are many ponies, throughout Equestria, who still fight against the forces of evil. Not just you, Twilight or any of your friends."
Looking up at his mother, Sunny read her expression as he asked "do you really believe so?… That Equestria… wasn't nessisarily doomed? Even the time when all Equestria was left in ruins?"
The air of wisdom and faith seemed to radiate from Sunny's mother once more, making her seem to glow. "I have faith that where there is one pony left to fight for friendship, family, and the hope, there will always be a tomorrow. "
Taking a deep breath, Sunny absorbed his mother's words and bathed himself in her growing rays. "I guess, all I can do is control what I can do and do my best when there is something I need to do."
"Well, you can do that, or take up a protege to one day take over for you" Celestia smiled playfully at her son.
"Oh? Is that your plan?" Sunny went along with it, testing to see if his mother was joking or not.
"One day" Princess Celestia's expression confirmed her relaxed feelings on the topic. "But that is a good while from now. For now, there is something I want to give you."
The shock of hearing his mother talk about retirement caught Sunny off guard to where he almost didn't process what his mother was saying. After Celestia moved her hoof over to his chest, did her words catch up to the yellow stallion. "Wait, what?"
"Do not worry, when you need more strength, just believe in yourself and your cause" his mother explained, as her horn and the hoof touching him glowed in her golden magical aura. "You can summon more then just the strength of the Umbrum power you got from your father. This should help you to find it…"
A bright and blinding light engulfed both Sunny and his mother, and for a moment, their world was washed in bleach white.
A moment later, Sunny realized his eyes were closed and his hooves were once again on solid ground. Opening his eyes, they struggled to focus. But before the blinding light gave way and allowed him to see the other colors and shapes of the world around him, a song began to fill his ears. A song that filled his heart with joy and strength unlike any he had never felt before…
"A true, true friend helps a friend in need, A friend will be there to help them see, A true, true friend in need, To see the light that shinnes in a true, true friend!"
The voices singing Sunny recognized before his eye sight fully recovered. Big Mac, Octavia, Thunderlane, Derpy, Doctor, Applejack, her friends, Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and even his Aunt Luna! But there were so many more ponies singing in the background, it was hard to tell. When his vision returned to him, Sunny was amazed to not only see his and Applejack's friends and family, but a good two dozen of so ponies from town came to Apple farm! Mr and Mrs Cake, their twins, the waitor at the restaurant Sunny would have an occasion lunch at, Rumble, Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo, and some of their friends from school. It seemed eveeypony who Sunny spent time talking with had sowed up to offer their support!
Sunny's friends all ran up to him, coating him in a hug. He was at a loss of words for a moment, but managed to ask "what are you all doing here?"
Not breaking the hug, Derpy answered first "we know you've been down lately, but we didn't know what to do."
"That is, until we all got together and asked Princess Twilight what 'she' would do in this predicament" Octavia picked up after Derpy.
"And she told us 'meet us at the farm'" Thunderlane added, giving Sunny a short nooggie.
"And just to be there for you" Big Mac squeezed harder as his smile grew another few inches.
"Which is what we should have done all along… but we're still new to this 'group of friends' thing" Doctor stated as the group released Sunny from their group hug. All of their expressions reflected shame of their action, or rather, the lack there of until they were given direction by Princess Twilight. "And for that, we're sorry. We're so, so sorry, Sunny. We're supposed to be your best friends, but in your darkest hour, we didn't do anything-"
Sunny patted Doctor on the top of his head, interrupting the Time Lord pony, and confusing him.
"Dont worry about it, Doctor" Sunny's half smile was relieving to his friends, taking much weight off his friends hearts. "You can't have all the answers. That's why it's great to have a large group of friends. If you can't do something, you have a friend who can help. I'm still learning too. In fact, I should have gone to you all to talk about what happened before, I might have saved my mom a trip down here. Guess we all learned a lesson."
Doctor Whooves, who seemed to be bearing most of the guilt over the whole thing, felt slightly relieved, and raised his head. "Thank you, Sunny."
"No. Thank you, my friend. And you all, for being my friends" Sunny then looked to the crowd of ponies who showed up and adressed them in the royal Canterlot voice so all could hear him. "THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING HERE IN MY TIME OF NEED. IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME TO SEE FAMILIAR FACES, TO HEAR FAMILIAR VOICES, TO HAVE YOU ALL HERE. THANK YOU, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I WILL BE OK NOW. THANKS TO ALL THE SUPPORT OF MY FRIENDS, MY FAMILY, AND ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!"
The crowd cheered, stomped their hooves, and tossed their hats into the air all in celebration, feeling great that they could help somepony who always went out of his way for them.
Several Apple Family members emerged from the barn, carrying long wooden tables, baskets, plates and silverware.
"Alright everypony, let's celebrate friendship the Apple way! YEE HAW!!!" Applejack announced to the crowd as her cousins set up tables, brought out food, and set up a stage where a trio of Apples began playing various instruments, with one yellow, earth pony mare taking center stage, sawing on her fiddle and playing it hot.
Sunny watched in awe, his heart filling with bubbling joy as Applejack approached him and his mother. Applejack, bowed a little, tipping her hat at Princess Celestia, and asked "Mind if ah borrow Sunny fer ah dance or two, yer majasty."
Locking eyes with Applejack for a moment, Princess Celestia's expression melted and showed her relaxed approval. She remembered how not so long ago, Applejack was so nervous around her that she would hold back from eating. Now, the same mare met her gaze, was able to smile, and asked to dance with her own son. She could see that Applejack was just the mare Sunny needed in his life. She was strong willed, had a good head on her shoulders, could appreciate him for who he was and not for what he had.
Nodding at Applejacks forward request, Princess Celestia spoke softly "you both may do as you wish. Go, have fun."
Both Sunny and Applejack smiled at eachother and were about to run off to join the other ponies dancing to the music, when Sunny turned back to his mother for a second. He motioned for her to lean in close to him, wanting to whisper something to her. And when she blowed her neck, he whispered "thank you, for everything.…" then he gave his mother a small kiss on the cheek and rushed off to join his marefriend for some good old, down home style dancing.
As she watched her son dance, the dark atmosphere that surounded him know conpletly disapated, Princess Celestia felt more at ease. She often worried about Sunny, growing up as he did, not making friends, and having to keep so many secrets no colt should. She often worried about what all that would do to him as he matured and grew.. But now, Celestia saw the weight of it all was lifted. Well, all except one. She had to fight back a tear as she thought about somepony who she wished was there with them. 'My beloved Sombra… I wish I knew what to do to get you back. We miss you. Both of us do. So much…'
"I can hardly believe it! I'm going to be a grand mother!" Twilight Velvet exclaimed with great excitement, which then turned to great horror as dread spread across her muzzle, she pulling her checks down with her hooves. "Oh my goodness! I'm going to be a GRAND mother!!!"
"Honey, honey, its ok" her husband, Night Light patted her on the back, his tone relaxed and calm as he smiled at his worried wife. "Remember? Walks in the park with our little grandfoal? Playing in the sandbox again?"
The grey mare began to relax and breath easier as her mind drifted off to better times ahead. Her voice toned down now to almost a slumbering murmer. "And baking cookies, feeding them in the high chair, bath time, oh Nighty, its just like when Twilly and Shinny were little!"
Sunny watched the couple as they interacted in the seats infront of him. He had just picked them up at the Canterlot train station, their whole group heading to the Crystal Empire to see the new foal in the family.
Sunny had gone to pick Twilights parents up as a favor to the princess of friendship. Without being accompanied by a royal, her parents wouldn't be allowed in the castle. Sunny was more then happy to do it. What are friends for, right? Besides, Sunny was curious about Twilight's parents; how they interacted with one another, how they talked about things, how they just walked about other ponies even. It was all odd to him to see parents acting like any other pony. It was so different from his own world, it was almsot like fairy tail, or more, what comes after happily ever after. After the princess and her prince ride off into the sunset.
The train was moving at a decent speed, they should arrive in the Crystal Empire within a few short hours. Sunny didn't mind, though. Where most ponies would engage in conversation, or those who were bord enough would stare blankly out the windows or fall asleep, Sunny just sat back and watched Twilights parents. The way they interacted it was fasinating to him. The way they could read eachother, the way they talked to eachother, was this what older couples were like? Not old like Granny, but couples who have been married for years, lived with eachother, did couples things like celebrate anniversaries and picked out furniture and dishes and what not.
"Honey, what do you think?" Night Light had a large photo album on his lap, with a few boxes of pictures laying around him. His wife flipping through some pictures she pulled out of one of the boxes, was able to tear her attention away from a picture to look at what her husband had been working on. "I was thinking of having a page, here, to put the new baby's picture, right next to Shiny."
"Awwww, his first picture" Twilight Velvet looked fondly over the picture, her eyes wide, hiked up by her large smile. She turned to her husband, her tone more relaxed, but still carried an undertone of excitement "Can you believe our baby is having a baby?"
"It's hard to imagine" Night Light stated as he put a hoof around his wife. "But we knew this day would come. I mean, they are married after all, and Cadence was always great with foals."
As the two held eachother dearly, embracing and comforting one another, gentle smiles on their muzzles, a million thoughts ran through Sunny's head; 'were my parents like this?', 'were Applejack's parents like this?'… then a dark thought popped into his head, one he pushed to the very back of his mind, but knew it would come to see the light one day… would Applejack want kids? They were still early into their relationship, so Sunny never brought it up. Sure, they had long conversations about what they would do when they got married; where the wedding would be held, where the honeymoon would be, living arrangments after the wedding. But foals never popped up in the conversation before. Some would say it was still too early in their relationship to talk about marriage, but Sunny and Applejack felt comfortable enough with eachother that they could talk about anything. But foals?
Watching Twilight's parents, they way they were acting, going on in what seemed to be their own little world, not caring about the other passengers, the train, or the scenery passing by the windows, it made Sunny smile. He could easily see Applejack and himself like that one day. But could they really fawn over the birth of a new baby. Maybe even their own!
Sunny suddenly felt lightheaded and got up really fast, looking around desperately for the bathroom.
"Is everything right, Sunny?" Twilight Velvet asked, looking up at Sunny, reminded of his presence.
"I'm fine-just, need to find the bathroom" Sunny stated then located it at the end of the train car.
Without waiting for a response, Sunny made a mad run for the restroom, running across several interesting characters along the way.
He managed to avoid disturbing a unicorn mare about his age, eyes wide open, muttering 'Big. Open. Spaces.' over and over again as her therapist, an older, unicorn stallion with a grey, balding mane and goatee sat next to her, sipping some tea and reading a newspaper repeated 'good, good, excellent job.' After them, Sunny almost tripped over a dog who was sleeping in the aisle. An older stallion, bald, rather chunky, chocolate brown colored, earth pony stallion wearing sunglasses to hide his blind eyes snapped at Sunny, waving a cane at him. Sunny appologized quickly before anything else could be said. The last pony Sunny came across was laying across the entry way to the bathroom. This pony was dressed in rags, but one could make out the wings under his torn and messy coat. He wore a wool cap, had facial hair that seemed to cover most of his muzzle say for his drooling mouth and his closed eyes. Unfortunately for Sunny, this seemingly homeless stallion was blocking his way to the bathroom, and he didn't know how long he could hold it.
Gently, Sunny nudged the sleeping stallion who reeked of rotten eggs. The stallion stirred, then rolled over, his back now to Sunny, but he was still asleep and still blocking the door. Sunny tried again. 'Sir, could you please move? I REALLY need to get to the bathroom!"
The stallion rolled over enough to look at Sunny with one squinted eye. "Hey! Do I bardge into YOUR house and ask to use the bathroom? Get out of MY house!"
Sunny was left a bit confused, but needing to use the bathroom badly. Not wanting to cause a sean or fight with the stallion, Sunny pulled a bit out of his hat and asked "please, I need to use the bathroom badly? Will this cover the toll for YOUR bathroom?"
The homeless stallion looked from the gold coin, to Sunny, then back to the coin. He swipped the bit, bit down on it to make sure it was real, then nudged out of the way for Sunny to proceed before promptly falling asleep again. Sunny quickly made it to the bathroom and dry heaved in the sink for about ten minutes before there came a light tapping at the door.
"Sunny" it was Twilight's father. "Are you ok in there?"
After splashing his face with some cold water, Sunny replied in the best kept voice he could muster "yes, sir! I'm fine! Dont worry! Just… got a little motion sick, I think."
"Oh, ok" Night Light replied, not sounding terribly convinced, but he knew from his years of being a father not to press such things. "Also, this gentlecolt out here said you owe him a bit for taking so long in HIS bathroom. But I got it, ok?"
"Thank you, sir, I'll pay you back" Sunny offered, still trying to steady himself.
"You can pay ME for the conversation!" The voice of the homeless colt chimmed up. "Then get out of MY house!"
A moment later, Sunny emerged from the bathroom, feeling a little light headed and parched, but better then he had felt a moment earlier. After giving the homeless stallion another bit, Sunny walked past the blind stallion and his dog, past the therapist and his patient, until finaly Sunny plopped down in his seat across from Twilight's parents and caught the attention of a train attendant. Sunny troubled the mare for a bottle of water, then asked Twilight's parents if they wanted anything, to which they declined the offer. Sunny chugged the bottle of water down and tried to relax. It was only after he finished the entire bottle that he noticed the concern looks he was getting from both Twilight Velvet and Night Light.
"Are you ok, Sunny?" Twilight Velvet spoke up first, her tone low and gentle, as if she was afraid Sunny might break if she spoke any louder.
"I'm alright, don't worry" Sunny put on his best smile, but the pair saw right through it.
"Anything you want to talk about, champ?" Night Light asked, earning a little chuckle from Sunny.
'Sounds like something a father would ask, I guess. Kinda wish my own father was here to talk to me about it.' Sunny thought to himself before returning his attention to Twilight's parents. "Ugh, well… how did you guys, ugh, feel about having foals? Like, when did you both…"
As Sunny's words trailed off, Twilight Velvet could tell he was struggling to find the right words to express what was bother him. "Oh, well, to be honest, we kinda knew before hoof that we wanted foals one day, even before we got married."
"When did you know you wanted to get married?" Sunny immediatly shot out the next quesgion, not letting his mind fill up any more quesgions.
"Oh didn't take us long to figure out" Night Light answered this time, nuzzling his wife's cheak. "It's something you just know deep down inside. Almost like that special somepony makes you feel whole, complete."
"Like you can be yourself around them?" Sunny adjusted his hat a little. "I'm sorry ta worry you folks. Guess my mind just starts running away with me. Got ah lot on mah mind."
"Or somepony in your heart?" Twilight Velvet smilled at Sunny. "You can't deny it. I saw the same look on Shinning's muzzle when he told me he proposed to Cadence."
Being compared to Shinning Armor gave Sunny mixed feelings. Enough to where he didn't want to talk about this anymore and had a way now to change the subject. "Shinning Armor… how did you guys come up with that name?"
"Now THAT is a great story!" Night Light's expression seemed to glow as he readied himself in his seat to tell the story. "See, it was one night before Twilight here was about to give birth, and we had been tossing around names when-"
Just when Night Light was getting to the good part of his story, the train came to a sudden stop, flinging almost every pony out of their seats, even the homeless stallion at the end of the cart ended up being flung to where Sunny and Twilight's Parents were. The stallion got up, grumbled and told everypony "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" before promptly taking a bench and falling back asleep on it.
"What's going on!?" The frantic mare from earlier asked her therapist who was now on the floor, his tea spilled all down the front of him and his papers scattered across the floor.
"Oh, we probably hit a patch of ice, nothing to worry about" the therapist tried to reasure her while he collected himself, acting rather calm, despite the mess.
Then the voice of the trains conductor came over some speakers "Everypony, This it the conductor speaking. It seems as though we've run into a bit of a snag in our trip. A sudden storm had coated the tracks with a tall blanket of snow. But no need to worry. Everything is going to be alright. Just, please, remain seated. We are working to clear the tracks as we speak."
"Oh, I hope the storm doesn't have anything to do with our new grandfoal" Twilight Velvet squeezed her husband's hoof.
"I'm sure its completly unrelated" Night Light did his best to reasure his wife.
Meanwhile, in the Crystal Empire, Shinning Armor and Cadence's daughter, a rather powerful pink, little alicorn had accidently destroyed the Crystal Heart that kept the barrier of the Empire up and shielded it from the harshness of the arctic tundra as well as kept monsters at bay. With it destroyed, a storm raged all around the Empire and began to spread out, threatening to coat all of Equestria in ice and snow. Princesses Celestia and Luna faught with all their magic to keep the storm contained while Cadence, Shinning Armor, Twilight and her friends did their best to repair the shattered Crystal Heart. But no pony on the train knew any of this was happening.
A moment later, the lights on the trains went out, and everypony began to panic. Just as this happened, the conductor chimmed in over the intercom again. "Everypony, we need you to remain calm. The trains power died, but our staff is working hard to get everything back online. Just remain in your seats and we'll be back on schedule in no-"
The intercom cuts off abrutly. And after a moment of processing what was going on, everypony begins to panic.
The therapist from earlier begins screaming "it is the end! We're all going to freeze in this train!!!"
His patient put her hooves on his shoulders to help try and gound him the same way he helped to ground her. "Its OK, doctor. Just think: Big. Open. Spaces-"
But the therapist shook her off, his tone more frustrated then before "that garbage doesn't work, you idiot! We're all doomed!"
Twilight Velevet and Night Light looked distressfully at eachother, then did the only thing that seemed to bring them assurance. They embraced one another in a tight hug. Seeing this, a fire began buring deep inside Sunny, giving him the strength to stand up.
"EVERYPONY, CALM DOWN!" his royal canterlot voice momentarily sieced the movment of everypony in the train cart he was in, and unknowingly to himself, the train carts around theirs as well. "Now, this is just a little hiccup. We all need to relax and get ahold of ourselves. Otherwise we're going to cause more trouble then there actually is."
"Hey, is something wrong with your dog?" The train attendant from earlier looked over at the blind old stallion, his dog had collapsed, laying on the ground and breathing heavily.
"What? Killer? What's wrong, boy?" The blind stallion fell to the ground, dropping his cane and began feeling around desperately for his pet.
Twilight Velevet hopped up out of her seat and bolted over to the ill dog. "Let me see him. I worked with animals for years in Canterlot…"
When everypony was distracted, Sunny used this as an opertunity to sneak out of the cart and find a way to help get this train rolling again. Before he slid out the door connecting the carts, Night Light put a hoof on his shoulder.
"Be careful" the blue colt told him. "I'll do my best to keep them calm."
Sunny nodded, then slipped out as quietly as he could. The storm outside was growing wild and dangerous, making Sunny almost want to change into his umbrum form, knowing the ice and snow wouldn't effect him in that form, but he couldn't put his mind in the dark state nessisary to make the change. The fire buring inside him, giving him the will to protect, wouldn't let him become that dark creature. So he pressed on, the hoping winds pushing him back as snow flakes hit him like pebbles.
Back inside the train cart, Night Light walked over to his wife who had just helped Killer, deliver HER litter of puppies. The blind stallion had a smile a mile wide on his muzzle as he both comforted his dog and thanked everypony for their help.
It was then the homeless stallion rolled over and grumbled "Hey!-"
But everypony else having heard his catchphrase one too many time before just replied "we know, we know, 'get out of YOUR house'."
"Actually, I got something else to day" the homeless stallion pulled a dirty harmonica out of his jacket and blew a tune in it before chiming into a poorly constructed song everypony was sure he was making up as he went:
"Lets all hold hooves, Here on the train, Couse we've been stuck here in the cold, For way too long!"
Before everypony knew it, they all began singing along, holding hooves with one another, singing this song that didn't rhyme and was poorly written, but did seem to warm their hearts and their spirits, just like their ancestors on the very first Hearths Warming.
The howling winds seemed to grow louder, the winds more violent as the snow that hit Sunny's body seemed to grow and hit harder. But Sunny couldn't give up. Everypony in there was counting on him to get them to the Crystal Empire safely. Twilight's parents, the other passengers, and maybe even to a degree, the homeless stallion. The more he thought about it, the less the cold seemed to bother him. His body began to burn with a drive Sunny hadn't felt since he pulled Applejack out of her dream with Charming Knightmare. He had felt this inner energy before, but it was always when he was with his friends. But now he was on his own, and again bearing the weight of others on his shoulders. Fear of failure wanted to creep its way into his heart.
'You are stronger then you believe' his mother's words found Sunny, giving him the last push he needed and drove the fear from his heart.
His body burned so hot it began to melt the ice and snow all around him, like a protective fire barrier from the storm. The howls of the wind never reached his ears, the snow that would have hit his body melted away before they ever touched him. Sunny quickly broke into a gallop and began running up to the front of the train where several ponies, covered in thick layers of jackets, wool hats, goggles and mittens, were working hard to shovle snow off the track and pick at the ice that froze the front of the train.
Jumping off the train, Sunny made his way to where they were working, the snow melting from where his hooves landed. Sunny noticed but didn't acknowledge the odd fact that everypony seemed much shorter then he remembered.
"Need a hoof?" He asked, his voice even sounded different. Slightly deeper.
Eveeypony was amazed at what stood before them. A unicorn stallion as tall as the princess of the sun, his two toned orange mane flickered and moved like fire itself, and yellow body hot enough to melt the snow around him had just appeared in their darkest hour! No pony could say a word, just nod in response.
"Well, I'm always happy to led a hoof where I can…" Sunny spoke again as he put his front hooves on the train, making sure to keep his back hooves on the track.
Taking several deep breaths, not really knowing what he was doing, but also not think too much about it, Sunny began to focus on the outer part of the train, the rails of the track and the area around the track. He pictures the ice melting away, then a layer of magic covering it all, to prevent further freezing. As he thought it, his magical green aura coated the train and the track. The train itself seemed to shine brighter then it ever had in all its years, as if some force was giving it the strength to be the best it can be, and travle the best it had ever done. The train track that was buried under snow began to glow as well, and the snow and ice that rerouted it seemed to melt away, leaving it open for miles and miles, seemingly all the way to the Crystal Empire!
The track was clear and the engin of the train flared back to life renewed and ready to move! The crew cheered and hopped back on the train. Before anypony could thank the mysterious tall unicorn with the fire like mane, he jumped up ontop of the train and began running back to his own train cart. Slowly, his body began shrinking back to its normal size, his mane stopped flickering and returned to its messy mop like state. When Sunny snuck back into the train cart where he left Twilight's parents, he could hear ponies chanting inside.
"Lets all hold hooves, Here on the the train, Couse we've been stuck here in the snow For way too long! Oh its cold, And we're scared, But since we got now where to go, Let's just all get along!"
When Sunny rejoined the group, he noticed the blind stallion's dog was curled up on the therapist's news paper with a litter of puppies she appeared to be feeding.
Sunny snuck up next to Night Light and grabbed his and another pony's hoof as they all continued singing the chant, the train still moving at top speed, cutting through the storm like a hot knife through butter. It wasn't until the train was almost at the Crystal Empire train station that the storm died down and the spell Sunny put on the train wore off. The train and track was no longer glowing, but the train still appeared brand new, keeping its shine and youthful characters.
As everypony filed off the train, the homeless stallion thanked them for taking HIS house for the ride and to get out of HIS house, but to also come again.
Twilight's parents and Sunny were greeted by Applejack, Twilight, her friends, Cadence, Shinning Armor, some orange unciorn stallion Sunny had never met before, and between Cadence and Shinning Armor must have been their baby. Sunny was shocked to see the young filly, partly becouse she was an alicorn foal, which Sunny had never seen before. That, and the little filly had the biggest pair of wings he had ever seen! They's be big on a filly five times her age! Despite that, she seemed very sweet, cuddling up to her mother who held her against her in a blue magical aura.
"You would not believe the crazy weather that delayed the train" Night Light stated to everypony gathered to greet them. "Came out of nowhere."
"But it was all worth it to see this perfect little angel" Twilight Velvet added as she approached her grandfilly. "Awww. So sweet. Come to your grandmare."
The little filly woke up and stretched out her hooves to Twilight Velvet.
"Yeah, peaceful now, anyway" Applejack commented, Sunny walking up to her side, giving him a hug, to which he returned the hug and kissed her on the cheek.
"Yeah, that spell really did the trick" Twilight added, sounding relieved.
"Awww, what's the matter? Little tyke give ya ah hard time?" Sunny joked.
"You have no idea, ah have quite the story ta tell ya later 'bout th' 'little tyke'" Applejack told Sunny.
That's when they overheard Twilight's mother tell Cadence and Shinning Armor that they can't just keep calling her 'the baby.'
"We were thinking about, Flurry Heart" Cadence smiled, turning her head and smiling in agreement with her husband. "You know, to remember the occation."
"Oh goodness, how could anypony ever forget?" Rarity chimmed in.
"I think its lovely" Twilight commented, leaning in and planting a small kiss on Flurry's nose, causing the filly to giggle.
After saying their goodbies,Applejack, Twilight and their friends all piled into the train. Before anypony got settled in, Sunny motioned for Applejack, asking her if she would mind sitting with him, alone. She could tell he had something on his mind. The rest of the girls, minus Twilight and Spike, who were having a deep conversation on their own, all sat togeather. Sunny and Applejack took up a seat near the back where the homeless stallion had once been but it seemed he got off or went to another cart.
"What's on yer mind, Sugar Cube?" Applejack could tell something was eating at her coltfriend.
Taking a deep.breath to steady himself, Sunny plainly asked "Applejack… you know I love you, right?"
"Yeah?" Applejack's worry began to raise.
"And you know you mean the world to me, right?" Sunny asked another quesgion that was still beating around the bush.
"And you do ta me too, Sugercube, but what's bothering ya?" Applejack was wanting to get right to the point.
Taking one last deep breath, Sunny looked with worried eyes to his marefriend and asked her, hoping it wouldn't frighten her off "Applejack… do you ever think about having foals?"
Applejack's face went redder then Big Mac. She had to admit, she wasn't expecting that quesgion. "Ugh, well, Sugercube, ah kinda, er, ya see... ah think marriage should come first. Least, that's how ah was raised. And well, ugh,-"
"Of course, I agree" Sunny added, not wanting Applejack to get the wrong idea. "It's just… when you get married, one day, you're gunna want to have kids, right?"
"Well, shoot, yeah" Applejack sounded more sure of herself and a little more relaxed. But she could tell something was still gnawing at Sunny. "Don't you?"
Sunny scratched the back of his head, pushing his hat forward a bit. "Honestly… I don't know."
Scooching closer to Sunny, Applejack grabbed his hoof in hers. "What's the matter, Sugercube. Ya know you can tell me anything."
Taking one last deep breath, Sunny just got to the point. "I don't know if I could ever be a good parent. I watched Twilight's parents, and it was just like watching you and me. The way they acted around one another, the way they talked, supported one another, they were eachother's whole world. But then I saw how they got so excited about their grandfoal, and their world seemed to just expand, and I just…"
"Yer scared" Applejack stated. "Yer worried ya can't cut it."
"My father was great, and when I was around my mother, she was wonderful. But I don't know what 'normal' parents are like, and well…" Sunny trailed off.
"No parents are alike" Applejack stated. "And maybe we won't be the best, maybe we will. We shouldn't try ta be just like our folks, or anypony elses folks. We just need ta be ourselves. But all we can do is offer our little ones our love and guidance and hope they can find their right path."
Hearing Applejack's words brought tears to Sunny's eyes and he pulled her into an embracing and warm hug. Applejack smiled as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmess of his hug. Then, after a few moments, started to wonder how he was covering this much of her with his body and hooves. She almost felt like she was being hugged by a bear.
When Applejack opened her eyes, she was shocked to find Sunny was atleast three times as tall as he was, lengthy, his horn stretched out almost scrapping the ceiling of the train cart, and his mane grew and looked like a large camp fire!
"Ugh, Sugercube?" Applejack started to asked, poking Sunny.
"Yeah, sweetie" Sunny asked, his eyes still closed, he was lost in the blissful moment of holding his special somepony who had relieved the stress that had once weighed heavily on his heart.
Seeing him happy like that pushed the need to tell him about his new look, and Applejack returned to just holding and being held by her special some pony. HER knight in shinning armor. Who she wouldn't mind in the least having foals with one day… after the marriage of course!
Leaves and branches crushed under its wooden and metal hooves as a rouge pony puppet raced and ran through the trees that lined the boarder of the Everfree forest. It was struggling with the instincts of the wild that gave it life and the duty that was inscribed into its own body by the puppets creator. The only action that made sence to it was to run and thrash about, attacking anything in its path, be it a cart, a flower bed, a pony, or even a large creature like a manticore! It had no fear. Little did the rouge puppet know while it raced around like a blind bull, that it was being hunted.
Like a bolt of lightning, Sunny Knight appeared in a flash of green light behind the wooden pony creature, pulling it out of its inner conflict and alerting it to danger. Had the wild spirit ben inside its wolf body made of sticks and debris from the trees of the Everfree, the creature would have lunged at Sunny. But in its puppet body, the only concensus it had was to run away as fast as it could. The one thing that it didn't think it was supposed to attack was Sunny.
Hooves pounded against the ground as Sunny chased the pony puppet for about fifty yards, making sure to hurd it in the right direction. If the pony puppet started to veer towards the Everfree forest, Sunny moved like he would follow it in there, and same if it looked like it was going to venture into the Apple orchard just to its other side. All the while Sunny's gaze was half on the puppet ahead of him and half on the trap he and Rosewood set for it. The rouge pony puppet didn't know it, but it was falling right into a trap.
Without taking notice of a sudden pile of leaves, the pony puppet continued to awkwardly run with hindged pony like legs that were different the wolf legs it was used to, it stepped into the center of the leaves, then was hurled into the air in a thick rope net! The pony puppet struggled and faught against its restrains, but it gave up after several moments of violently thrashing about and making loud clicking and rattling noises with its hindged jaw.
Sunny looked up and smiled at his handiwork, soon joined by Rosewood, the living pony puppet he considered his neice. "Is that the last one, Uncle?"
"I hope so" Sunny admitted, readjusting his hat. "I can't believe the mess I made just from trying to get rid of those Timberwolves. But I honestly don't remember ever having this many puppets. I don't know where they all came from."
"My father had a workshop at the base of the mountains just north east of Canterlot, maybe they came from there." Rosewood suggested.
"If one of the rouge puppets came into contact with a lifeless puppet,, they could transfer some of the timberwolf spirit, but from that far to here?" Sunny questioned, raising a brow to Rosewood. "Could a puppet travel that far on its own the way the rouge ones act?"
"It would only take me a few hours, to and back" Rosewood stated flatly. "Puppets don't tire, and only seem to stop when they need to be repaired. Imagine if they did get to my dad's work shop. He had atleast a hundred puppets hidden away in a secret part of his workshop."
"I really hope that isn't the case" Sunny admitted. "A hoof full of these critters is enough."
"We'll get them all, I know we will" Rosewood smiled cheerfully, trying to brighten up her uncle. "Have you figured out what to do with them after we caught them all?"
"Not yet" Sunny admitted as he began to lower the pony puppet that was trapped in their net. As it was being lowered, the pony puppet began kicking violently again, wanting to be freed. As it hit the ground, Sunny used a spell to stun it and freeze it in place. "My mother and aunt are looking into a spell to separate the Timberwolves wild spirits from them, but whatever made the Timberwolves existed long before my mother was even born.
"But we'll figure it out one day, let's just get this guy in with the rest" Sunny told his niece as he flung the frozen pony puppet over his shoulder and started walking back to the Apple farm.
Little did Sunny or Rosewood know that several pairs of eyes were watching them from the dance Everfree forest.
It was about mid day when a knock came rapping at the front door of the Apple family's farm house door. Rosewood was teaching Sunny some of the whittling techniques her father taught her when he heard the knocking. Opening the door, Sunny was shocked to see two tall deer standing there looking down at him. They were atleast two feet taller then himself, had odd looking spears in the hooves, and dawned thin red armor around their chests, front hooves and a thin red helmet that rested between their horns.
One of the deer pulled out a small scroll and read from it in a flat tone. "Sunny of the Apple farm, you are charged with tampering with Everfree natural wildlife, and need to appear in the court of King Aspen, immediately."
Sunny was a little confused, but thought it better to just go along with it and see where this lead to. "Alright, I will go."
"Uncle!" Rosewood appeared next to Sunny's side, holding his hoof. When she spoke again, her tone was slightly hushed in an attempt to keep their conversation amungst themselves. "Uncle, you could take these guys down easily! Why don't you just do that? Why are you letting them take you away?"
Sunny removed his leg from Rosewood's wooden hooves, then patted her on the head. "Sometimes, Rosewood, its better to deal with a problem with cooperation. Deplomacy over violence.
"Do me a favor, if Applejack or any othe others come looking for me, tell them where I'm going but tell them not to worry, I'll he back soon." Sunny stated, earning an uneasy look from both deer guards. They didn't know what he meant by that, and it put them both on their guard. Sunny walked down the dirt road, a deer guard on each side of him the whole time. The vegetation seemed to spead and open the forest itself up for the deer as they drew closer. Then close shut as soon as the three were in deep enough.
Even though her uncle told her to stay calm, Rosewoods star heart seemed to be pounding a million miles per hour. Thoughts of fear and dread began to fill her mind as she recalled a similar situation with her father right before HE disappeared. She couldn't just sit back and do nothing. Rosewood found herself pacing around in circles, trying to think of a way to free her uncle from the clutches of this evil deer king. But she was just one pony. Not even a REAL pony. One made of wood, metal, and a fallen star. She didn't feel comfortable asking princess Twilight and her friends for help. And sha had no idea where Sunny's friends would be. No other Apples were home. She was all alone. Just one little pony puppet.
Then an idea popped into her wooden head. 'Maybe I don't have to be just ONE puppet…'
As fast as her wooden hooves could carry her, Rosewood ran out to the barn where the cart housing the caught pony puppets was kept. Flinging open the barn doors, Rosewood peered around in the dark until her gaze fell upon a cart covered in a tarp. The cart shook slightly as maybe one or two of the rouge pony puppets were actively bouncing around. They normally went dormant after a few days, unless something provoked them.
Pulled the tarp off the cart, Rosewood woke up the sleeping pony puppets. The barn filled with their chattering and clicking as they looked around for a possible exit from their prison.
"Listen up!" Rosewood spoke, catching the attention of a few of the pony puppets for a short time. "You guys guys are going to listen to me, got it?"
The rouge pony puppets clicking became even more louder and violent as they started to thrash about their cage even more wildly.
One stomp on their cage from Rosewood was enough to stop this, though, the echoing of her wooden hooves on their metal cage seemed to catch their attention fully. "That is enough! You will listen to me!…"
An idea popped into Rosewood's head as the glowing light from the fallen star in her chest seemed to glow brighter. The glow from her chest seemed to catch the attention of the rouge puppets, the glow reflecting in their attentive eyes. Rosewood looked from her chest up to the pony puppets that stopped rioting, but on the verge of a wild outbreak. Rosewood instructed one of the pony puppets to step forward. As it did, she took its front right hoof in hers and put it on her star heart. There was a small flash of light, then the eyes of the pony puppet changed from red to a type of dark blue. Its wild thrashing were buried even deeper in its mind as it awaited further orders from Rosewood.
"Well well well, looks like we have a solution to our little rouge pony puppet problem" Rosewood noted with glee, her expression turned slightly darker as she turned her attention to the rest of the rouge pony puppets. "Everypony line up! I'm your leader… no… I'm your Queen now! And its time you learn that!"
As they traveled deeper and deeper into the Everfree forest, Sunny saw creatures he knew existed in the dark forest, such as manticores, vampire fruit bats, fly-ders, large snakes, frogs and insects, and he even caught a glimpse of a cragadile as they passed by a swampy lake. But there were creatures he had never seen before such as a bear that had the head of an owl with feathers on its arms and down its back, nasty looking vines that had mouths and seemed to spray some kind of poison on its prey, and spiders that seemed to have glowing stars on their abdomens! No creature, no matter how big or small seemed to pay attention to Sunny and the deer guards, though, as they passed by them without ever receiving a second glance. Even from the hungrier looking of the creatures.
"Sooo... you guys live deep in the Everfree forest?" Sunny playfully asked, the silance starting to bother him.
Both deer guards remained silent, their faces stern, reminding Sunny much of the royal guards both in the Crystal Empire and in Canterlot. He knew he wasn't going to get anything out of them right then, and decided to just enjoy the scenery.
Thankfully, it didn't take them too long to reach their destination. Sunny was in awe at the sight before him. The trees were as thick around as any house in ponyville, and even appeared to have houses in them! Not built into them, but rather growing from them! With part of them being made of leaves and vines to make up windows and doors! There were dozens of them all around, with bright glowing lights of unknown origin. Sunny was so amazed that he didn't notice the deer guards nudging him to proceed. After clearing their throats Sunny was able to collect himself enough to continue on.
All around him were deer, who appeared to be going about their day as normal. Some tending to small gardens, some carrying fresh water up to the various houses, some clearing debris from the road, some playing gentle sounding instruments made of wood and vines, young ones playing while elderly ones sat and watched the young ones. They all seemed to ignore Sunny who was being lead to a tree that stood at the heart of it all. This tree appeared to be the largest and Sunny supposed by default, the oldest tree there. The steps leading up to it were lined with deer guards similar to the ones escorting Sunny, and all eyes him carefully.
After entering the large tree, Sunny immeditly found himself in a wide open room lines with deer guards as well as what he assumed were prestigious deer of stature. Unlike the ponies in Canterlot who liked to show off their looks by combining mane styles and well groomed coats with clothing and fancy jewelry, it appeared that these deer preferred to keep things simple with jewelry at the base of their horns or thin items warn loosely around their necks. Nothing at their hooves or around their bodies. Sunny found this all fascinating and would really like to get to know these deer and their culture, possibly at a better time.
At the end of the large tree, where Sunny believed he was beeing led to, were three deer who seemed to stand out among the rest. One small deer, about the same size as Apple Bloom, who wore some kind of orange cylinder around his neck. Next to him was a large white deer with almost gold markings under his eyes, the top of his head and down his back. Around his neck was a red crystal piece that looked almost like a locket. This large white deer seemed to glare the hardest at Sunny with a pair of harsh green eyes. Next to him appeared to be a female deer whos gaze was more cautious and observant then judging. She had around her neck a golden necklace with what looked to be a cylinder made of wood, much like the smaller deer on the opposite side.
"Kneel before the King of the Everfree forest, leader of the Deer, and heart of the forest, King Aspen!" The guard to Sunny's right announced.
Sunny, no stanger to formal greetings, did kneel before the white deer who must have been their king.
"You may rise" the white deer spoke, his tone was more annoyed then commanding. As Sunny rose, their eyes locked. "Tell me, is it true that YOU are the one responsible for the missing Timberwolves?"
The quesgion took Sunny by suprise, but he spoke clearly with his head held high, his eyes still locked with King Aspens. The yellow unicorn did not try to hide what he did and answered simply "I am, your majasty."
The deer all around began to whisper silently amungst themselves after hearing this.
"Why would you do this?" The king asked, his tone still booming and appearing annoyed.
"They were attacking the Apple Farm and causing trouble for the ponies in town" Sunny stated. "Tell me, what are the Timberwolves to you and your kind?"
"The king will ask the quesgions!" The deer guard to Sunny's right snapped at him.
"Be calm" the deer king instructed his guard before turing his attention back to Sunny. "The Timberwolves were created centuries ago by an old witch who lived here in the early days of Equestria. She made them to guard the forest and its boarders from forces of wicked intent. While it is true that the Timberwolves do from time to time chase ponies away who get too close to the Everfree, thet would never attack unless provoked."
"I don't mean to disagree with you, your majasty" Sunny stated firmly. "But the Timberwolves DID attack innocent ponies on their own land. So I stepped in."
"What did you do!?" The king seemed to grow more furious, his eyes sharp on Sunny.
Sunny looked away, more out of shame of what happened next then for what inevitably happened. "Well, ugh, you see… "
Sunny painfully explained how he used a spell he wasn't really sure of to expell the wild spirit of the combined Timberwolves, which left their bodies to become just chunks of wood once again, but their wild spirits locked onto Applejack and turned her into a werepony, with chunks of wood sticking to her giving her Timberwolf features, like claws and teeth similar to the wooden beasts. The king and every deer listened to Sunny's story, who then went on to explain how the only way he could free Applejack from the Timberwolves was to cast the same spell again, but this time to direct the wild spirit of the Timberwolves into something else.
"I thought if I put it into my pony sized wooden puppet it would be easier to deal with" Sunny explained. "Atleast, until it began infecting other pony puppets. We have about 20 of them back at the farm."
"And what is it you are going to do with them, once you collected them all?" The female deer to King Aspen's side asked, her tone more calculating then angery.
Sunny's words were solid and honest. "I'm not quite sure. I have some family trying to help me deal with them, but I honestly don't know what to do with them."
King Aspen looked over to his right and signaled another deer guard. The guard disappeared, only to return with a cage made of wood, and inside was one of the rouge pony puppets. The king's eyes traveled back to Sunny. "Do you think you can cast your spell again? The one you used trap their spirit before?"
Trying to think back to the spell he had cast some years ago, Sunny told King Aspen "I… I think I can remember it."
"Then do so" King Aspen stated, signaling another deer guard who brought out what looked to be a barrel of leaves, sticks and logs. The deer guard then poured some glowing green liquid from a cylinder around his own neck all over the wood and leaves. "And put the wild spirit into these…"
Sunny paused and looked at the king. "I'll do it, but only if you keep those things out of Ponyville and away from the Apple farm."
King Aspen locked eyes with Sunny for a moment. He could see the strong resolve the little yellow unciorn had burning deep within him, a fire to protect those he cared for. This time, it was the deer King who broke away from Sunny's eyes. "I will make sure they keep to their forest. But anypony who ventures into the forest takes matters into their own hooves."
"I can agree to those terms" Sunny nodded, then walked over to the rouge pony puppet who was thrashing about in its cage.
Closing his eyes, Sunny tried desperately to remember the spell from so long ago. It took him a while, knowing the eyes of every deer, including the king were on him, watching and waiting, didn't make it any easier to cast. But the green magical aura around Sunny's horn began to glow brighter as a similar aura encased the rouge pony puppet. Once the aura cloaked the out of control creature, its wooden and metal limbs siezed their thrashing about. A moment later the magical aura glowed darker as it pulled away out of the pony puppet, traveled through the air, and began following Sunny's horn as he turned from the cage to the pile of wood and leaves. Once the darker magical aura plummeted into the pile, it seemed to disapear. Nothing appeared to have happened.
Sunny opened his eyes fully after the spell was complete. The air was thick, every creatures eyes were on the wheel barrel. After a moment, Sunny's attention went back to the cage with the pony puppet to see if anything happened to it. He was slightly horrified to see the puppets body turned ash grey and started to crumble into dust, even the metal parts rusted into an orange powder and crumbled more slowly then the ash turned wood. The pony puppet looked like it lost all life it ever had.
Just when Sunny was begining to quesgion what kind of spell he had cast, the wheelbarrow tipped over. Every creatures eyes fell upon the wood and leaves once again, only this time they witnessed the magic happening. The wood, sticks and leaves began to form a familiar form that Sunny hadn't seen in a while. A canine like creature with sharp teeth and claws, glowing green eyes, and a horrible stench on its breath. The Timberwolf was reborn into the form it was originally cast to take. It stretched its muscles a little, opened and closed its jaw a few times, then shook like a dog that just got out of a bath.
"Well done, Sunny" King Aspen stated as the Timberwolf turned towards the deer kind and sat down. The king showed no actual sign that he was pleased, but Sunny could tell he was as their eyes locked. "Now, you said you had the others?"
"Most of them, I believe" Sunny answered.
"Good. If you bring them here and duplicate the spell, perhapse the wolves will seek out the rest of their clan and return them to their proper forms." The King suggested. "I am sorry for the loss of your, ugh, puppet."
Sunny took one last glance at the grey and orange pile of ash and rust before returning his gaze to the king. "Its a small price to pay to set things right."
"I'm glad you see it that way. Let us discuss the matter further over a feast. You will need energy to cast the spell once again. Amd we deer make great use of the natural energies of the earth." King Aspen replied before stepping down to speak with Sunny in closer proximity. He planned to speak more in depth with Sunny about his journey to the farm later to collect the rest of the rouge pony puppets and bring them back to the deer's court room for the spell to cast them back into Timberwolf bodies.
Rosewood couldn't believe what she saw. If she had a stomach and could eat, she would have lost her breakfast. The horrible sight of that poor, poor pony puppet aging thousands of years in a matter of seconds was a sight that would haunt her for the rest of her unnatural life.
She was hidding in the tree tops, having ventured into the Everfree forest following her uncle Sunny's trail, accompanied by the rouge pony puppets that were now enfused with her star heart energy. She turned and looked at her small army, knowing that they may not be as smart as she was, and could not tell what danger they were in, but she knew they weren't just things to throw away and let fall into disrepair. They weren't just things to toss away like trash. SHE was not just something to be tossed away like trash.
Rosewood paused infront of her obedient troops, then straitened her pose, appearing more official and in control then she actually was in the given situation. When she spoke, her voice was firm, but also coated in venom as she walked up and down between the puppets. "TROOPS! It has come to my attention that my uncle has formed an alliance with an enemy that seeks to destroy us all! We must defend ourselves against not only this new enemy, but against my uncle as well! To do this, we're going to need greater numbers.
"It's a darn good thing I know where to get such numbers…" the last part of Rosewood's speech became low and ominous as she spoke.
The pony puppets under her control weren't sure what was going on, but they recognized their master, felt her feelings, then began to stomp their hooves to show they were with her. There would be a war. And they planned to win.
"I don't know how this could have happened" Sunny staired at the cage that was used to hold the rouge pony puppets, now completly empty. After a brief feast with King Aspen and his family, Sunny returned to the Apple Farm to retrieve the rouge pony puppets to bring them back to the deer king and return their wild spirits to the wood and leaves of the everfree, remaking the Timberwolves. Four guards were sent with Sunny to aid him in their retrieval. They were all shocked to see an empty cage and no pony puppets to be seen, but Sunny was more then just a little concerned. The thought of the havoc the puppets could wreak on Ponyville made Sunny sick to his stomach.
Turning quickly to face the deer guards king Aspen sent with him, Sunny spoke with great urgency in a hard tone "This is bad. If those things had the spirit of Timberwolves they could be working togeather! They could go after the town!"
The deer looked to eachother with calculating concern, as if telepathically sharing images of what destruction the pony puppets could cause based on what they saw of the one they captured. The Captain, a deer who could be distinguished from the others by the slightly more detailed armor he wore, stepped forward and started giving orders to the other deer guards. "You two, go back to the King, tell him of this. We will stay behind and investigate the situation."
As the two deer guards left, dashing off as fast as they could back into the Everfree forest, Sunny took a moment to observe the ground. He noticed something really odd.
"The cage isn't broken" the deer captain stated, drawing Sunny's attention away from the floor and back to the cage.
Sunny looked up, noticing that the cage, was infact, not damaged beyond a few scratches and dings. Sunny become more and more puzzled as he drew the guards attention to the floor. "Look at this; The hoof prints on the floor."
"Pony?" The guard stated, looking from them to Sunny.
"At first glance, but look…" Sunny made a fresh print with his hoof in the same dirt. "Mine are deeper then those. They have about the same circumstance, but whatever made these weighed alot less then a regular pony."
"The puppets?" The guard raised a brow.
"Yes, but the weirdest thing, you saw how wild the one was that you guys had" Sunny pointed out, remembering the rouge puppet.
"Yes, so?" The guard was unamused, not connecting any dots.
"So? Look at these hoof prints here" Sunny brought his attention back to the hoof prints in the dirt on the barn floor. All of them were organized, as if the puppets were standing attention attention.
"They look like they calmed down?" The captain guard guessed, looking at the light hoof prints, trying to piece things together.
"Or somepony or something was controlling them…" Sunny mumbled. He couldn't do this alone. If he needed the help of somepony, and not just any new muzzle. The deer seemed pleasant company, and slightly friendly, but Sunny felt more confident that his friends would be more successful at solving this mystery. Turning to the deer guard captain, Sunny stated nervously "I need to get to my friends, now. And possibly Princess Twilight."
"I don't think we have time for that, sirs" the guard who remained behind and silent up till then was peaking outside from the Barnes cracked door, his eyes wide and irises shrank with shocking disbelief.
Sunny and the captain Deer guard moved to where he was standing, and cautiously peered out the same crack. They couldn't believe their eyes when they saw it, but it was real.
An army of what must have been a hundred pony puppets were alive, clicking and chattering their jaws and limbs as they marched in unison. Puppets of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies alike, all appearing to have variant metal parts attached to their wooden bodies, possible possessing different abilities. One giant puppet of a dragon stood above the rest of the puppets and marched slowly at the center of their army, making sure not to crush any of its companions. And atop its back was none other then Rosewood herself, doning a dark red cloak and a black wooden crown. She had some sort of large wooden box positioned behind her, wrapped in chains.
"Wow Nelly..." Sunny stated as he readjusted his stetson hat. "Ugh. Think we found our missing puppets..."
"Halt, my brothers and sisters!" Rosewood called out to the puppets who paused their march, stopping just about fifty yards from the edge of the Everfree forest to turn to their leader. All dulled blue eyes of the hundred puppets looked to Rosewood, even the puppet dragon turned its head in an unnatural way to look upon her."Today, we take the Everfree for ourselves! We extinguish the threat of the deer! And then, we conquer Ponyville, flush out the ponies, make the town our home base! And then, we take over the rest of Equestria!!!"
As Rosewood chuckled like mad, the puppets senced the joy from her and began stomping their hooves and clicking their jaws in support.
"She isn't normally like this… she's really normally, very sweet… " Sunny mumbled to the deer guards, a little embarrassed by her behavior. "I-I'll go talk to her…"
The two deer guards who remained behind watched as Sunny ran up to the head of the army of puppets, trying to get Rosewood's attention. The captain deer guard told his remaining subordinate to warn the king and ready their village for battle. The deer guard saluted his captain, saluted his captain, then snuck quietly out the window, making sure to stay out of sight of the puppet army.
Rosewood atop her mighty wooden dragon steed was feeling an exhaustion that was foreign to her, but her spirit was driven by her righteous cause to keep her puppet family safe. If she showed Equeatria, the deers, the ponies, and every other creature alive that the puppets were a force to be reckoned with, then her puppet kin would be safe. The other creatures would fear and respect them, and never turn them into fire wood!
Earlier that day….
Rosewood traveled a great distance with her small hurd of pony puppets trailing behind her, and in little to no time, they reached the secret workshop of her missing father. A small shack like structure at the base of a mountain stood her father's old home and workshop. But hidden in the wall of the small shop that connected with the mountain, was a secret passage that fed into a large storage area, where her father kept his completed work. She had stayed in the small hut like structure, if not close to there for almost 1000 years, safe guarding her father's home and work. It was full of tools her father used to create pony puppets of all shapes and sizes, each one with different abilities. She had no idea why her father built all these puppets or why he didn't want her to tell her uncle Sunny about them, but she was about to put the to good use.
Stepping into the hallowed part of the mountain, Rosewood flipped a switch, which illuminated the entire area. A storage facility about the size of a hoofball feild, packed with pony puppets who remained dormant and in tact for 1000 years, safe from the elements that could harm them. They were all lined up carefully in rows, folded up nicely, waiting for the moment they would spring to life. Rosewood smiled when she approached the one closest to her. Putting her hoof over her heart, Rosewood closed her eyes and made her wish silently. 'I wish all these puppets to have life. To live, to move on their own, to dream, to feel, to fear, to brave that fear. To be like me.'
Her heart star in her chest glowed a bright whitish blue color, illuminating the entire area with a more majestic aura. Light from her chest flew out and fluttered around like fireflies, each one landing on a different puppet. One even landing on the chest of a rather large, dragon shaped puppet in the back. The twenty puppets Rosewood had brought with her had watched the whole ordeal in silent awe, their blue and dark green swirling eyes glazed over. The puppets before them took the light into their bodies and began to shake. Their joints rattling, their jaws clicking, and lights of their own eyes flaring to life, a dull blue color showed they had some life, but just barley.
By the end of her wish, Rosewood felt slightly weaker, but with a new drive. In the moments following her wish, she saw a bright new world. A world where her puppet brothers and sisters could not only live in peacefully, but florish! A world where they could own their own houses, run their own stores, create their own offspring, repair their own kind, and live out their own individual dreams! But there was a dark side to it as well.
She saw an upcoming battle. Not every creature would leave them in peace. Those who only saw them as THINGS would treat them as such. Steal them from their homes, separate loved ones for their own financial gain, take them apart to learn how they worked, manipulate their bodies to fit their own ideas, force them to participate in stage shows! And worse, when it was all over, and they we no longer of use to their oppressors, Rosewood saw the bodies of many pony puppets being tossed into a fire, keeping their oppressors warm during those cold winter nights!
Rosewood remembered the cruel and frightened eyes of those who found out what she was. The way they treated her for those 1000 years that she was not with her uncle. And she would not let this horrible future come true for either her or her kind!
So what if they were MADE and not BORN, they were living creatures too. SHE was a living creature. And they all deserved to be treated like any other creature!
Rosewood walked over to her father's work station, grabbed a chunk of wood and some tools and went right to work on something. While the now living pony puppets yawned and creaked to life, stretching their hooves and testing how their bodies could bend and move, taking their first steps that weren't controlled by a master, Rosewood was working hard on her project. In moments the carving was complete, then she took some brushes and some paint and began adding the finishing touches. While the paint dried, Rosewood grabbed a large silk table cloth her father would keep on a table for more delicate projects, pulled it off and wrapped it around her neck like a cape. Once that was done she turned and faced her puppet brethren.
"My fellow puppets, pony or otherwise" she spoke loudly enough for her voice to reach every puppet, collecting all their attention. A sea of dim blue eyes now locked onto her. "I have given you life, for you all deserve it! You all were made with love and care by the same father, my father!
"But it seems have to take up arms! We have enemies who wish to reduce us to nothing more then ash and dust!" Rosewood's tone turned dark as she tried to spread fear and anger amongst her kind, to spur them to action. "I will not stand for this! I plan to take on these enemies, to teach them that we aren't just firewood! That we have a right to live! Who among you will join me! Who wants to fight for the right to live!?"
Although the little bit of life the other puppets were given wasn't enough for them to think much beyond that of a 2 year old, they did understand the fear and anger Rosewood had presented to them as well as the bravado that shined in her eyes. They knew she was a leader and that she was just like them. As a result of that acknowledgement, all the puppets, pony or otherwise, began stomping their hooves and chanting out the name they knew her by. A name that rang off the walls, a name they instantly respected, the name of the one who brought them to life.
"ROSEWOOD! ROSEWOOD! ROSEWOOD! ROSEWOOD! ROSEWOOD! ROSEWOOD!" All the puppets chanted as Rosewood took her project, paint now dry, and placed it on her head. A wooden crown, painted black, fit for a wooden queen.
"Now my brethren, follow me, and I shall lead you into battle!" She called out as the giant dragon puppet stepped forward, kneeling down enough to allow her to climb upon his back and take a seat next to a sealed box, wrapped with chains. Rosewood didn't open the box, but instead refocused on her pre-battle speech. "Let us head now, back to the Everfree forest, and show those Deer we puppets are not one to mess with!"
The collective puppets cheered as they began to march, with Rosewood upon the dragon puppet leading them. Every puppet marching in unison, say for the 20 puppets that had come with her from the Everfree. There was a part of them that appeared to be in a bit of dissonance. But the one thing they knew; they needed to go back to the Everfree forest. So they marched in line with the rest of the puppets following Rosewood.
As Rosewood and her party reached the edge of the wild jungle that was called the Everfree forest, Rosewood halted her party. Standing before her was none other then her treacherous uncle. The one who destroyed a pony puppet, so coldly, before her very eyes!
"Ugh, Rosewood! Mind if ah talk to ya for ah minute?" Sunny called out, his aquired accent present.
From atop her dragon puppet stead, Rosewood looked down at him, narrowing her dimmed eyes and replied "what do you want, traitor?!"
"Traitor?!" Sunny repeated the word. "Now what in sam hill do ya mean by callin' me-"
"Don't act innocent!" Rosewood's response was hard and sharp. "I saw you turn that poor puppet to ash and dust, just to give those deer back a monstrous dog! You were willing to do it again, too!"
The army of puppets she was leading clicked their mouths, shook their metal hindges, and their glowing eyes seemed to flair as they fell upon the yellow unicorn.
"Let me explain!" Sunny tried to plead with her.
"NO!" Rosewood shut Sunny out as she stomped her hoof. "The time for talk is over!"
"If that is how you feel" a deep, commanding voice rang out from the forest. Sunny and Rosewood both turned to see King Aspen, bearing some kind of thick armor around most of his body, a spear under his seminary leg, pointing to the sky. His eyes narrowing on Rosewood and the other puppets. "Then I suppose we can't come to some sort of compromise."
King Aspen turned to the forest and let out a high pitched whistleling noise, the likes of which Sunny had never heard of before. A moment later a good three dozen or so armored deer guards emerged from the Everfree, appearing in armor much thicker then ther previous suits, that covered almsot their entire bodies. All the deer armed with spears, shields and long swords, ready for one dangerous battle.
"The time is now, my brothers and sisters! We will liberate ourselves from our oppressors!" Rosewood spoke to her kin, the puppets clicked and stomped their wooden hooves in response.
"Let us stand against these crimes against nature!" King Aspen spoke to his own company, the armored deer all cried out, but didn't appear to move much.
"ATTACK!!!" Rosewood commanded, her army behind her running, clicking, falling and getting up to charge the enemy.
"FOR THE EVERFREE!" King Aspen bellowed as he and his deer army fully emerged from the Everfree forest, running into battle, their heavier armor slowing them down slightly, but to them the extra weight was worth it.
Sunny stood in the middle, something deep, deep inside of him bubbling, boiling to the top, to where he could no longer sit by and do nothing. His body changed in a flash, growing almost three times the size, his mane growing and moving like a living flame, his horn and features becoming more lengthy and elegant, yet muscular. The opposing sides didn't take notice of his transformation until Sunny spoke out using the royal canterlot voice "STOP!!!"
A blast of green light erupted from Sunny's horn and spread like a magical barrier, coating every creature, puppet and deer, in a thick coat of Sunny's magical aura, stopping their bodies from moving. Every creature could do nothing but look around and wonder what had happened. They still could see, could hear, could think, but they lost the ability to move or speak. The tall, yellow unicorn with a firey mane and tail, that still stood in the middle of them coated his horn with his magical aura once more, but this time, he simply levitated the bodies of Queen Rosewood and King Aspen from their respective sides and brought them closer to him and within ear shot of eachother. Once they were where he wanted them, Sunny took the stillness spell off both of them.
"What is the meaning of this!?" King Aspen spoke first, outrage heavily coating his tone.
"Yeah! What do you think you're doing!?" Rosewood snapped at her uncle.
"I'm stopping you two from making a mistake" Sunny simply stated, his tone slightly deeper then before, throwing both Aspen and Rosewood a little off guard. "Listen, you both think that fighting off one another is the best way to defend your species. But you're wrong."
"I don't know who you are, colt, but I've been defending my kingdom for over 1000 years" King Aspen stated, now able to move his lips and speak. "I've dealt with medalsome ponies, fire breathing dragons and even business driven minatours. I can handle some oversized toys!"
"And I've observed ponies, dragons, griffins and more for the last 1000 years. Their internal and external affairs. I'm no stanger to conflict either. Me and my kind could trample right through a bunch of deer and not even get our hooves wet!" Rosewood stated, her tone showing she was just as hard and sure of herself as king Aspen.
"Then you both are fools!" Sunny growled, his eyes locking with theirs, a cold hard look in his eyes that chilled both Aspen and Rosewood to their cores. "Listen. Both of you. I know you're both ready to take up arms and defend your kind, but a war isn't going to help anycreature. Trust me. I know you're both very scared right now-"
"How dare you make such an accusation!" King Aspen interrupted Sunny, stomping his armored hoof.
"Why would I be scared of him?" Rosewood interjected as well, just as outraged.
"Its no use lying to me. I can hear both of you're deepest darkest fears" Sunny continued, pushing his way between the two of them. "Rosewood, you're afraid that you and your kind will be destroyed and tossed away like chunks of scrap, like garbage. And you, King Aspen, you're worried the outside world, with all the craziness of its modern ways and technologies, will destroy the world you've spent centuries protecting. Both of you aren't so different. You both are strong leaders, you both are very smart too. And I know that if you two weren't afraid for your own kind, you two could sit down and talk this out. And maybe, even become friends."
Sunny paused and bounced his softer more understanding gaze from King Aspen to Rosewood then back to Aspen again. "You two are about to start a war that won't just effect your tribes, your kind, but those who live near where you want to fight. So you both need to sit down and talk, or I'll stop the both of you. Right here. Before any damage is done to innocent folk."
"You talk so bold. Too bold.. you know no respect! Who do you think you are!? To talk to me, King Aspen, in such a manor!?" King Aspen snapped, stomping his hoof on the ground again as he raised his head as high as he could and looked down at Sunny.
"I am Prince Soleggiato, the son of Princess Celestia, a prince of Equestria, and the one known as the Black Knight." As tall as King Aspen was and as high as the deer king tried to raise his head, Sunny in his new celestial form was atleast a foot or two taller then he. It was Sunny's turn to show how intimidating he was by standing up strait and looking down on the deer king. "Do you still quesgion my authority? My right to pass judgment on this situation? Especially when you are trying to start a war not ten feet from my home!?"
Sunny pointed his dominant hoof over to where the edge of the Apple family farm stood. A white picket fence that gated it off near the Everfree forest, more as a decoration. At the archway, connected to a dirt road from the entrance of the Apple farm trailing into Ponyville, stood Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and Apple Bloom, all watching with nervous looks, but forced smiles on their muzzles and waved when they saw Sunny point to them. Thet don't know what was going on, having all just arrived home, but they sure hoped Sunny had everything under control.
Seeing the Apples, an innocent bystander family witness him about to start a terrable fight, King Aspen suddenly felt guilt and shame. The image of his own wife and son popped into his head at that moment. What if THEY had seen him act like that? Start a war in such a manor, act the way he was acting at that moment. Speaking and acting more out of pride then in the best interests of deer kind. Of any kind.He knew he needed to act better then he had been. He needed to act like a king. A king his son would respect and look up to."I… suppose we could try deplomacy."
Looking over at the Apples as well, Rosewood felt ashamed of her quick actions. They had taken her in, treated her like family, showed her respect. Others may have shunned her and turned away from her, but they didn't. They opened up their home to her, treated her like family. And she was about to turn their front yard into a war zone! She hung her head low, but her eyes looked up at Sunny, her burning rage subsided "Yeah… deplomacy sounds good to me."
"I'm glad you both have reached a concensus" a small smile appeared on Sunny's muzzle as his hard gaze on the two rulers melted into a warmer one. "Now, we need to figure out how to extract the wild Timberwolf spirits from the puppets safely without destroying the puppets they inhabit. Does that sound like a good place to start?"
Both Aspen and Rosewood nodded in agreement.
Before Sunny could suggest either doing research into Everfree history and magic or going to Twilight for assistance, three dark pillars seemed to grow from the horizon.
"I believe WE can help with that" a familiar voice called out.
Sunny narrowed his eyes on the three dark pillars approaching them. They were three beings he hadn't seen in a long, long time. Each dawning a silk, dark colored cloak that hid everything about them. The middle cloaked figure who stepped ahead of the other two had a dark red cloak, and seemed to speak for the other two. "We will help settle this matter, now that you have stopped the possible war."
"The BaBa Ya Ga sisters" Sunny spoke just a notch above a hushed breath, his expression turned neutral as he examined them more closely.
"We had to wait until we knew there would be no fighting" one of the cloaked sisters who stood behind their leader, who wore a dark blue cloak, spoke up.
"We don't care for fighting" the one on the opposite side of the red cloaked one chimmed in now.
"We are all glad you were able to stop the fighting, Golden Prince" the red cloaked leader stated. "Our mother, Baba Yaga cast the spell long ago and gave King Aspen's father the Timberwolves to keep intruders out of the forest. She taught us many spells, including one to help us with this situation."
"Bring us all the scrapps of wood, sticks and leaves that you can muster" the sister in the blue cloak stated.
The deer guards took their armor off and ran off into the woods to gather loose sticks, Rosewood ordered her puppets to collect fallen trees and logs from the forest and to bring them back as well, and Sunny focused his magic to levitate all the fallen leaves he had raked the day before. Once all the supplies were gathered, the BaBa Ya Ga sisters formed a triangle with their extended hooves, and began chanting. The piles of sticks, leaves and wood began to levitate and glow a dark green color. At the same time, the 20 pony puppets who had the Timberwolves spirits within them also began to levitate. Every creature, pony, puppet, deer or otherwise watched in amazement as a dark green aura slithered out of the possessed puppets and wafting in the air, making their way to the piles of forest debris.
A moment after the sisters stopped chanting, the sticks, leaves and wood began to shake. Subtly at first, but then it grew more violent until they sprang up and swirled into a tornado! Pieces came togeather forming bodies, legs, heads, and finnaly glowing eyes that shinned even in the day's bright light! 20 Timberwolves stood around the sisters, all growling and snarling, their fowl breath filled the air with the smell of rotting vegetation. The wolves looked around themselves for a moment, then looked to King Aspen for guidance.
"Return home" the deer king ordered. "And leave the ponies of the near by town and farm alone. Keep only to the forest."
The Timberwolves closed their mouths and bowed in respect for the King of the forest, then retreated back into the Everfree, their howls filling the air.
"And YOU, child" the sister in the green cloak had suddenly appeared next to Rosewood, handing her a rolled up scroll. "Take this."
Rosewood took the scroll, and looked from it to the green cloaked sister. "What is it?"
"Your puppets are alive, but their spirits are weak" the blue cloaked sister answered as the green cloaked sister stepped back and rejoined the other two.
"Your star heart gave them life, but they need spirit of their own. Take them, lead them, to the place on the map" the red cloaked sister began to explain. "The aurora borealis will touch down there and fill them with its spirit. They will live and dream and enjoy life like any creature else."
"You may find something else there as well" the blue cloaked one added with a small giggle.
"But you must hurry" the Red cloaked one spoke up again. "If you leave within the hour, you'll make it in a few days. But you must hurry."
Rosewood looked from the sisters, to the scroll, then back at them. "Why are you helping me?"
"Becouse" the green cloaked one answered this time. "You and your puppets deserve the chance to live. Make sure you govern them well, queen puppet."
"And if you need any help, ask your uncle" the red cloaked one chuckled. "He's a good leader, despite his reluctance."
"Keep that in mind" the blue cloaked one appeared to be addressing Sunny now. "You may have to use those skills yourself very, very soon."
"Wait, what do you-?" Sunny started to ask, but a gust of wind interrupted him.
A heavy gale carried dirt and dust in it, causing every creature to wince and close their eyes. When the wind died down, the three sisters were gone.
Stairing at his reflection in the mirror, Sunny still couldn't believe the tall stallion with a flaming mane stairing back at him was his own reflection. 'Was this the gift mom told me about? Now I can become an umbrum or a really tall unicorn?'
Checking out his body more in the mirror, flexing and turning around, Sunny didn't notice Applejack standing at his doorway, a wide smile on her muzzle as she whistled at him. Hearing the whistle, Sunny turned and saw his marefriend admiring him checking out his new form, and his cheeks quickly turned a bright red. Sunny chuckled a little to ease his embarrassment and asked Applejack "how long have you been there?"
"Not long enough" Applejack smiled and winked at Sunny. "Like th' new look?"
Clearing his throat, Sunny turned back to his mirror as Applejack hopped up and sprawled across his bed. "To be honest, I kinda do."
"Ya changed like that back on the train commin' back from the Crystal Empire" Applejack stated. "Guess ya can go back and forth."
"I guess i can change back and forth. I'll have to practice so I can do it more at will. Which form do you like better?" Sunny seeking Applejack's approval.
"Ah don't much mind any of yer forms" Applejack asked, Sunny picked up that she didn't say 'both' meaning she included his umbrum form. He didnt care for that side of him, but it was a part of him. Seeing Sunny's understanding and senceing some inner turmoil, Applejack hopped off the bed, walked over to her coltfriend, put her hooves on either side of his head, and pulled him into a kiss. The kiss lasted for a long, peaceful minute, then Applejack released Sunny, looked into his beautiful green eyes with her own beautiful green eyes and told him "your Sunny no matter what you look like. And yer mah Sunny."
Hearing this, Sunny relaxed a bit and pulled Applejack in a tight hug. Applejack grinned, eyes closed as she was lost in Sunny's warm embrace. Moments later, Applejack's eyes cracked open as she was about to offer Sunny to come down and help her make dinner, when she noticed a large wooden box in the corner. Chains that used to be wrapped around it now lay on the cound at its base. "Hey Sugercube, what's that?"
Sunny was able to turn and look over his shoulder without breaking the hug, to see what Applejack was pointing at. Sunny's expression became forlorn as he reluctantly separated from Applejack and walked over to the box. Slowly, he pulled the wooden lid of the box away, revealing its contents to Applejack. The orange farm pony almost turned white when she saw it.
"Rosewood found a note underneath the chains saying it was for me. She gave it to me without opening it before she and the other puppets started their journey to the north …" Sunny's tone carried from a heavy heart. Looking at the contents of the box once more, Sunny wished he knew why Whittier left him with such an odd and painfully nostalgic gift. "What were you thinking, old friend…"
It was another wonderful day in Ponyville, and Rose, Lily and Daisy, were all working hard in their flower shop.
All three earth pony mares had talents for growing and caring for flowers, and they all worked really well togeather, so it was only natural that they open up a shop togeather. The shop itself was quite famous in Ponyville, having provided flowers for every major event; Hearts and Hooves day, Mothers day, weddings, birthdays, Parades for both the Summer Sun Celebration as well as the Winter solstice Celebration. They always provided just the right amount of flowers and right on time.
But on this particular day, somehow without any of them noticing, a certain yellow unicorn had appeared in their shop and was looking around at the boques.
Rose noticed first and nearly dropped the watering pail she had in her mouth. "Oh! S-Sunny! When did you get here?"
Sunny turned his attention away from the boques for a moment, and looked at Rose with a confident expression. "I haven't been here long. I'm looking for some flowers for my mom. I'm going to suprise her and take her out to lunch today. But I can't decide which ones to get her…"
"Oh! Flowers for Princess Celestia!" Daisy jumped in, her entire body seemed to glow with joy.
"How about these lovely sunflowers!" Lily presented the large sun shaped flowers to Sunny.
"Wow, ugh, those are really nice. But, ugh, how about something a little less… large?" Sunny's expression was hesitant and Rose could tell he was trying to be nice and turn down the idea for the sun flowers. The size of the flowers wasn't the problem.
"What kind of flowers does your mother like?" Rose asked casually, trying to help Sunny relax. Its not easy picking out flowers for one's mother, especially when your mother is a princess that everypony looks up to. Under normal circumstances, Rose and her sisters would normally play the part like anypony else, and overreact, going overboard and try and sending Sunny away with half their shop of flowers, free of charge, all becouse his mother is the princess. Everypony would give up hundreds of bits worth of product and act like giggling dopes if it was for the princesses. But thats not what Sunny and his mother need right now, so Rose was willing to forgo their charade of citizens-desperate-to-please-the-princesses, for now.
"Well… my father used to send her roses, or orchids, but…" Sunny felt slightly guilty for not knowing what kind of flowers to send his own mother.
"Roses are for 'lovers'" Lily stated, a sly smile grew across her muzzle. "But they are also nice to recieve from one's son, brother, or even a friend."
"And orchids are lovely, but they may tie into your mother's fond memory of your father" Daisy noted.
"Hmmmm" Rose thought for a moment, then dashed off to the back of their shop. Daisy and Lily followed close behind her. Rose went right to work, grabbing flowers from here and there. Lily and Daisy stood close by, handing Rose a flower from here and there, plastic wrap, ribbon, and anything else their sister needed.
Sunny sat back at the front of the shop, his eyes locked on the entrance to the back of the store where Rose, Daisy and Lily disappeared into. He didn't have to wait for long before the three mares emerged. Presenting Sunny with a unique boque consisting of Tulips and baby's breath, all wrapped up in a clear plastic, wrapped further around a purple and gold plastic and tied with a gold trimmed ribbon.
"You three are amazing" Sunny stated, a large smile spread across his muzzle, happy with their work. "She will love these! Thank you! How much do I owe you?"
"Its fr-" Lily started to say before Rose interrupted her.
"Five bits" Rose smiled at Sunny, making sure to speak over Lily. "Tulips are fairly inexpensive, but it was a rush job."
"Thank you, that's more then fair" Sunny lifted his hat, pulled the bits out from under it, and offered them to Rose. "How about 8, the rest is a tip. Though, I owe you three for alot more then the boque."
Rose, Lily and Daisy looked confused for a moment before Lily spoke up and asked "ugh, what do you mean?"
"Today it was a boque, yesterday you all helped me and my neice out of a real pickle. Actually, you three have always popped up whenever I needed you. Helping with guidance and advice" Sunny's tone was relaxed and neutral, meaning the three mares no harm. "I don't like to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I need to know, why have you three always gone out of your way to help me?"
Lily and Daisy instantly became nervous and were thinking of a way to shake off Sunny's accusation, then turned to Rose. Rose froze for a moment, sighed, then her expression turned stoic.
"When did you figure us out?" Rose asked, her tone turning to that of her cloaked alter ego.
"That you three were the Baba Ya Ga sisters?" Sunny spoke in a more hushed tone, but his expression still relaxed. "To be honest, a few weeks ago. I just didn't think I should let you know I knew. No real need, really. You three seemed happy just working int he flower shop. What good would come from me calling you all out? But I wanted to thank you all for helping Rosewood and her other puppets."
"No thanks is nessisary, your majasty" Daisy reverted to her cloaked voice now, sounding far older then she looked.
"Please, call me Sunny" Sunny told them. "I'd like to think we all could be friends. If that's ok with you three."
All three mares looked to one another, smiled and nodded, but Rose, as the leader, Spoke for them. "We would like that very much. But there are two more things we will tell you."
"The first is you need to go to the Vetrinarian's office in three days" Lily stated. "Don't go anytime before then. 3 days. And bring a blanket."
"And the last is, although we are friends, we can offer you no further help" Daisy said forlornly.
"Wait, really? No further council?" Sunny was suprised to hear this. They had been helping him for over 1000 years. "Why?"
"The rest of the story is up to you to write" Rose spoke as if the pen to Sunny's life was in his own hooves. "We have helped and guided you, but our help ends here. One thing we could add, as friends, is to tell you to just be yourself. The happy go lucky, always believing in the good in others, always fighting for what's right, Sunny that you are. Never forget who you are."
Sunny was a little down to hear that he won't be receiving their guidance and advice anymore. But maybe that's part of growing up, making the decisions for yourself and not looking for magical witches to pop up and give you the answer. Coming to terms with that, Sunny bowed lightly to the three mares. "That you again, for all your help. And if you three ever need help-"
"We know we have a friend we can turn to" Rose smiled at Sunny.
With that, Sunny was about to leave, but paused and saw another boque. This one was made of roses of the most vibrant color. They almost seemed to glow. They stuck out above all the rest. 'Roses are for lovers, eh?… maybe Applejack would like a little suprise when she gets back from her friendship mission with Twilight.'
Before Sunny could ask about them, Rose told him "three bits."
Sunny smiled again, pulling the coins out from under his hat and handed them to Rose before taking off down the road back to the Apple Farm, with both boques levitating in his magical aura beside him.
"Do you think its really time to let cut him lose?" Daisy asked Rose, once Sunny was out of ear shot.
"He's not the lonely little colt trying to prove himself, anymore" Rose explained. "He can handle it. And he will need to. Dark times are ahead. I sence a great evil will soon arise."
"Is it really that close to happening? The release of the Umbrum? The return of Queen Mourning Cloak?" Lily asked.
"Sooner then I had hoped" Rose answered, but when she turned to her sister, she added "But have faith. Sunny and his friends will prevail. His heart will bring light to the darkness. He has made real friends, found a family, and found love. He won't rest until all is set and well. No dark intent can stop him now."
"Hellooooooo ladies" Mr. Rich walked in, hidding his nervousness behind his usual business smile. "I want something that tells my wife how much I love her."
The three mares knew he only needed something like that whenever he either had to fogo a dinner date with his wide for business, forgot her birthday, or he embarrased her infront of her stuck up friends. And luckily for them, each time he needed to make it up to Spoiled Rich, he had to add more and more to his gift piles. He looked like he had already stopped by the jewlers but didn't pick up any chocolates yet.
"Well, you got five dozen roses last time, all arranged in hearts" Lily pulled out a notepad with his last order on it.
"We could do that again, but add a small hedge cut to look like her" Daisy added, pulling out a small square hedge, then in a flash with some small sheers, cut it to perfectly look like Spoiled Rich's head.
"Yes! Yes! That sounds great! And can you deliver-" Mr Rick started to ask.
"We can have it there in 10 minutes" Rose smiled slyly. "But there is a speed delivery charge."
"Money is no object" Mr. Rich stated as he tossed a large sack of bits at them "just have it delivered in ten, I'll be there by then."
"A pleasure doing business with you, Mr.Rich" all three mares stated as Mr. Rich raced to the candy store to get his wife's favorite chocolates.
"Business sure is good" Rose chucked as she counted out the bits with her sisters, who also snickered at Mr.Rich's misfortune.
"Thats it guys, don't stop now! You're at the half way point now!" Sunny cheered to his friends who were working their way through the home made obstacle course.
A few days after Sunny returned from the Crystal Empire, Sunny held a meeting with his friends at Twilight's castle. Twilight and Sunny talked about an official meeting place for him and his friends/fellow Guardians of Harmony to meet up and discuss Guardian related issues. Twilight would have offered the map room, but Sunny declined and asked for a room where ponies wpuldnt need to access if their cutie marks flashed. Luckily Twilight's castle had rooms to spare, and the two found one such room that would fit the Guardian's needs. The day after it was furnished with a large round table and Crystal chairs, similar, but less extravagant, then the ones Twilight and her friends had, Sunny held the first, official meeting of the New Guardians of Harmony. Up until then, they never really held 'meetings' or needed a place to have them. But after the Starlight Glimmer event, Sunny insisted on them having regular meetings atleast once a week to discuss any and all issues, to check in with one another, and most importantly to discuss what to do about their biggest issue. His father.
"I hate to admit it, but up until now, I've just delt with things as they came to me. I never sought them out, but I think its our duty to do so" Sunny stated to his friends. "Between us and Applejack and her friends, I know we can find out where my father is hidding, and put a stop to his plans."
Some of his friends seemed a little less then enthusiastic.
Octavia was the first to speak up. "Sunny, I'm all for helping ponies in need, promoting generosity, spreading Harmony and protecting, when danger is present. Celestia knows we all show courage in the face of evil time and time again. But what is it exactly you are wanting us to do? Launch some sort of full scale attack?"
"I've thought about it" Sunny admitted as he placed a rolled up scroll on their table and used his magic to spread it open and hold it in place. "The way I see it, we need to strike first before my father makes a move. We find where he is hold up, then attack from within. If we can stop his influence and flow of dark magic, maybe any army he has will just dispurse and fall apart."
"You think he still has an army? Even after the Gala?" Derpy asked, her tone slightly hused and her eyes showing concern.
"If I know him, he wouldn't try and take on Equestria alone" Sunny admitted, his resolve painted heavily on his muzzle, the seriousness layed heavy in his voice. "He's a cunning strategist. The only reason why he hasn't already tried to free the Umbrum is becouse he can't without the third corner stone."
"Ok, but why not destroy the corner stone?" Thunderlane suggested planely. "I mean, if he can't release them without it-"
"He's tried" Big Mac interjected, his expression was neither that of his usual happy working expression, nor his recently adopted fun loving one. But rather one of annoyed detest.
Sunny took in a deep breath and exhaled, remembering all his failed attempts at destroying the cornerstone in his possession. He still needed to fix up those holes in the barn, make a new well, and owed Granny some new densers. "Yeah. Long story short; since the stone can't be destroyed, we need to keep it safe. I have it hidden somewhere where I can keep a close eye on it and its still hidden from harms way."
Meanwhile, the cornerstone Sunny's mother entrusted him with is safely tucked away under a pillow on Sunny's bed back at the Apple farm. But no pony knows except he and Applejack. She knows it's a great hidding spot, but she hates when she turns in her sleep and it pokes her eye.
"But I have some excersizes I'd like us to run" Sunny redirected the conversation. "Nothing too fancy, just some routine drills that will test and enhance our physical and mental abilities. I know we can overcome them and grow stronger, not just as a team, but as friends as well."
The group of New Guardians looked a little less then excited about Sunny's plan. Thankfully, Doctor Whooves spoke up from the group to break the unsure silance. "Ugh, dare I ask, just what kind of 'excersizes' you have in mind? Not all of us are as physically battle ready as you, or perhapse Big Macintosh or Thunderlane are."
"That is exactly the point" Sunny stated. "You guys aren't quite up to our physical level. And as much as I hate to admit it, myself, Big Mac and Thunderlane aren't quite up to your intellectual level, Doctor. You, Octavia, and Derpy all scored the highest on the tests I had us do the other day."
"Wait, WHAT!?" Thunderlane's head shot up, shocked by what Sunny had said. "DERPY SCORED HIGHER THEN US THREE!?!?"
The group of New Guardians all turned to Derpy Hooves who was happily coloring in a coloring book, making a flower's pedals green after coloring the stem blue.
"I was shocked myself, Thunderlane" Sunny hated to admit it. "But her test scores were almost on par with Doctors' own. She even scored higher then Octavia."
The cello player's cheeks turned slightly red as she staggered her words. "Bu-pu-… that test must be flawed!"
"Why? Becouse becouse Derpy scored higher then you?" Doctor snapped, Derpy sitting next to him looking a little ashamed.
"The test isn't flawed" Sunny caught all their attentions again, trying to stop a fight between his friends before it happened. "Half of the test was situational and based on survival.
"For example; you are stuck on an island and can only bring one item with you, what do you bring; a) a knife b)emergency food supplies or c) a board game of chess?" Sunny read the quesgion right off the test.
"The obvious answer is 'B'" Thunderlane stated. "That is, if I couldn't fly away. Couse I could totally get across any ocean in, like no time. Maybe with a break or two."
Octavia turned her gaze away, feeling a little ashamed that she answered 'c'. In her mind a chess board would have helped to pass the time until she was rescued.
"The correct answer was 'a'" Sunny stated with a small sigh. "The knife can not only act as a means of defense against hostile forces, but it could also be used to build a shelter, as well as signal others if you reflect light from the sun."
"And if you scrape it against a rock, it could make sparks that start a fire!" Derpy added with a small smile, her dreary feelings numbed for a moment, happy that she answered correctly.
"And that is why Derpy scored higher" Sunny stated. "She's used to thinking quickly on her hooves and has had to deal with similar situations that make her think outside the box. Now, with the test results in, we are going to train accordingly to make us all better Guardians of Harmony."
"Sweet! Are we going to get like cool battle armor! Or maybe cool weapons that match each of our own unique styles? Or maybe 'magical' armor or 'magical' weapons that will aid us 'magically'?" Thunderlane asked as he pictured himself in a suite of dark blue armor wielding a cool looking sword in his mouth.
"Well, no" Sunny answered, popping the dreams of his eager pegasus friend. "We're going to train our bodies and our minds…"
While the half of the Guardians of Harmony who scored high on the test Sunny had them take (Octavia, Doctor Whooves, and Derpy Hooves) worked their way through an obstical course constructed with the help of Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack, the other Guardians who scored low (Sunny, Big Mac and Thunderlane) all were near by, studying reading material Twilight Sparkle herself had suggested.
The obstical course was an elaborate battle ground and stratagy setting, with small storm clouds that shot botls of lighting at anypony who got near them, tight ropes over mud pits that one would have to cross, hurdles, tires set on their sides that a pony would have to quickly step threw, being careful not to trip, jungle gym type bars that a pony would need to climb and manuvor through, a small hall of mirrors that eventually led to a ten yard long spinning tunnel that would spin in different ways every two yards. The obstacles weren't dangerous, but it did force a pony think quickly on their hooves, otherwise they'd end up covered in mud, shocked, or landing with a hard thud.
Meanwhile, just a little ways away from where the obstical course was built, Sunny, Big Mac and Thunderlane all had their muzzles in books suggested for them by Twilight Sparkle. The suggested reading Twilight offered were all about learning survival tips, battle strategies, fundamental physics, first aid, modern technologies, and basic histories of Equestria. All of which the three stallions were having a hard time getting drawn in. Even Sunny, who was in full support of these excersizes, was struggling with his reading material.
"So much has happened in the last 1000 years" the yellow unciron had to admit, his enthusiasm wavering a bit, but he forced himself to keep going.
"Eh'yep" Big Mac agreed, appearing to be reading a book on physics but hadn't turned a page in over 15 minutes. Instead, his mind was on a certain mare he met a little while ago and a date they were set to have tomorrow night. 'Ah… Sugar Belle….'
"Too much to learn all in one day?" Thunderlane asked, hoping Sunny would call the excersizes over for the day.
But Sunny just levitated a clock up and flashed it infront of Thunderlane. "Its barely been half an hour. We need atleast two hours a day of practice."
Sighing heavily, Thunderlane fell over on his back and grumbled "soooo boring!"
"Ah know it ain't as fun as th' obstical course, but we need ta strengthen our weak ponts. Become more rounded ta be better Guardians of Harmoney" Sunny pleaded to his friend, trying to get Thunderlane to come around and see his point of view.
"Whats the point?" Thunderlane growled, growing more and more annoyed until he flaps his wings, jetting himself into the air, the book on 'Equestrian History's in his hoof as he arched his brows at Sunny. "If I wanted to be back in Mrs. Snuzzle's history class again, I'd go back to the 4th grade! This stuff isn't going to help us be better Guardians!"
The sound of their fellow Guardians of Harmony screaming redirected Sunny and Thunderlane's attention. Looking over at the obstical course, Sunny, Big Mac and Thunderlane saw Derpy lost and panicked in the hall of mirrors, Doctor unable to escape the lightning of the thunderclouds that now surrounded him, and somehow Octavia was trapped in a wheel barrel going in circles in the spinning tunnel.
Reacting quickly, Sunny gave the orders to his two companions "Thunderlane, go save Doctor from the clouds. Big Mac, help Octavia out, safely. I'll rescue Derpy!"
Without hesitation, Thunderlane took flight, staying low to the ground, but high enough to be just above the thunder clouds set for the obstical course. Doctor was getting fried lighting, the ends of his and beggining to smoke, when Thunderlane dipped in, grabbed the time traveler, and began flying him to safety. Big Mac dashed over to poor Octavia who looked really annoyed in the barrel she couldn't break free of, that continued to roll her around in circles. Big Mac giggled a little bit before apologizing and cracking the barrel open with one swift blow of his hoof, freeing his fellow earthpony Guardian from her hilarious predicament. Examining the entrance to the mirror maze, Sunny knew teleporting or levitating into the labarith wouldnt help if he himself couldn't figure out which Derpy was the real one. He thought for a second, then decided against using brute force to shatter the mirrors to break his way through. Horribleimages of broken glass flying though the air and harming Derpy, flashed in Sunny's mind. Instead, Sunny remembered a trick Applejack taught him at the fair last month. He pressed his hoof to the wall to his left and began calling out to Derpy. She sounded scared, but did as Sunny instructed and stayed where she was at, waiting for him to find her. In a matter of moments, the two met up and Sunny lead a watery-eyed Derpy out of the maze of mirrors.
Once the other half of the team was rescued, the air was thick with a mixture of relief and embarrassment. Unfortunatly, the delacat situation was made worse s Thinderlane opened his mouth without thinking.
"No need to thank us for the rescue" he boasted, puffing up his chest. "All in a days work for us Guardians."
Annoyed, Doctor narrowed his eyes at the gloating Thunderlane. "Did you forget, we are Guardians as well?"
"Of course you guys are" Thunderlane playfully nudged Doctor, who was growing more and more annoyed with the arrogant pegasus. "And if I ever need help with Rumble's math homework, I'll come to you."
Completly out of charicter, Doctor growled and grinned his teeth as she shot Thunderlane a fierce expression. "I'm a scientist and a physicist! Not a mathematician! You ignorant feather-brain!"
This caught everypony off guard. None of them had really seen Doctor get mad before. Well, except Derpy and Sunny, but that was a long, long time ago. The other Guardians were taken back by Doctor's sudden outburst. And he wasn't done there.
Doctor poked Thunderlane in the chest with his hoof, eyes still locked as he continued to growl "You were the one who set those clouds up, I know you were! So I got trapped in there because couse of YOUR negligence and lack of attention to detail!"
"Hey! Its not my fault you're a little out of shape" Thunderlane rolled his eyes, breaking the eye lock he had him in a moment ago with Doctor.
"Excuse me?!?!" Doctor's voice rose higher by his burning anger.
"Am I out of shape too?" Derpy drooped her head, feeling ashamed that she had to he rescued.
"No, no, Derpy. The maze was designed to be confusing and force you to see through deception." Sunny put a hoof to her shoulder to try and reasure her.
"So… am I dumb?" Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.
"You weren't th' one that got herself stuck in a barrel" Big Mac chuckled a little at the memory.
Octavia's cheeks turned red with embarrassment as she took great offense to Big Mac's remark. "Oh! So you're saying 'I' am dumb!?"
"Well, technically he could say your butt's big" Thunderlane called out, speaking over Doctor who was still shooting off insults at the pegasus.
Taking great offense to that, Octavia full on slapped Thunderlane across the face, knocking him off his hooves, landed on his own backside. Everypony paused and looked to Octavia who was glaring at Thunderlane.
"Well excuse me! I'm sorry I'm more educated and endowed with culture and not a jar head like you, who fell asleep attempting to read books waaaay above your reading level!" Octavia's words were sharp and cold. "Maybe if you are lucky, your marefriend can read you a bed time story instead!"
Smacking him for making fun of her butt was one thing, Thunderlane could probably make jokes about that later, and say he deserved it. But pulling Flitter into a rude joke, wasn't something Thunderlane would just sit by and take.
Thunderlane got up, his hardened gaze meeting Octavia's own as he bellowed "atleast I CAN find a Special Some Pony! What's the matter? Nopony good enough for miss-prim-and-proper? Guess you could always date your oversized fiddle!"
"Come on, guys, let's calm down" Big Mac tried to step in, which was a bad move.
"Back of farm boy!" Octavia snapped at him, remembering how he laughed at her several times earlier. "Your muscles don't make you better then any of us!"
"Ah never thought-" Big Mac started to say something but was interrupted Doctor.
"Please! Between you and that fearher brain, we can hardly breath with all the testosterone in the air" Doctor proceeded to use words that he knew would probably confuse Thunderlane.
"You gunna put on a dress and have tea time, Doc? Why don't you just go home and play with your chemistry set!?" Thunderlane chucked, which really infuriated Doctor.
"What an arrogant ignoramus you are!" Doctor snapped back. "I pitty your marefriend for having to put up with such a foal-minded nitwit like yourself!"
"Talk about Flitter one more time! Just One. More. Time!" Thunderlane grabbed Doctor by his tie, both of their muzzles inches from eachother, grinding their teeth and shooting each other daggers.
"You know what? I have better things to do then stand and exchange words with an overgrown colt!" Doctor used a swift hoof movment and was able to break his tie free from Thunderlane's hoof.
As the brown earth pony walked away from the rest of the Guardians, Thunderlane hesitated for a second, trying to process what was going on.
"Y-yeah?! Well, I knew you couldn't cut it! Science nurd!" Thundelrane yelled out to Doctor.
"Doctor, wait!" Derpy ran after him as fast as she could. Doctor never looked back or acknowledged any of the other Guardians, not even Derpy who tried to gently nudge his side. When she failed to catch his attention, she simply fell in line behind him. Her head down, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she continued to walk away from the rest of her friends.
"Well great job! Look what you've gone and done!" Octavia started to dig into Thunderlane again.
"Ya need ta go an' appologize" Big Mac put his hoof down. "Thunderlane, none of that was very nice."
"Thanks for taking their sides, Big Mac" Thunderlane rolled his eyes, jumped into the air, ready to take off, but paused. "I'm done playing for today. Let me know if there's some hero work to do."
Thunderlane took off and disappeared into the clouds.
Releasing a held sigh, Big Mac stated "He needs some time to cool off. He ain't ah bad guy, but he gets ahead of himself."
"Way to stick up for your own side, Big Mac!" Octavia hissed, narrowing her eyes on him.
"We're all on the same team" Big Mac tried to show his relaxed side as the cello player started in on him.
"Oh yeah! That's why you and Thunder-head up there are always throwing your own weight around, acting like Sunny's best buds becouse you're all macho guys! And maybe you are! But just couse you can break a barrel with your bare hooves doesn't make you better then anypony else!" Octavia's voice started off as more annoyed but grew in intensity until she ran off, small tears forming at the corner of her eyes. But she refused to let anypony see her cry.
The whole time Sunny sat back and watched, taking it all in, thinking he had made a mistake, coming up with this whole regiment to try and help his friends.
"Ya could have stepped in an' said somethin'." Big Mac stated as he walked over to Sunny, but stopped his lecture when he noticed the distressed look in Sunny's eyes. "You ok?"
"I'm sorry, Big Mac" Sunny finnaly spoke up, clearing his throat. "I just… I just wanted to prepare us for future problems. Help us all to become more well rounded… where did I go wrong? Was the whole idea wrong? Maybe I should talk to Twilight-"
"How about you and I get somethin' ta eat an talk it over. Mah sis said Twilight an' them were goin' ta Canterlot today an' won't be back till tonight." Big Mac suggested. "The others will cool off. Give 'em time. But we need to eat before we tackle that. Fuel in the tank."
Sunny nodded, simply going with what Big Mac was saying becouse if he didn't, Sunny probably would just sit there and think about every little detail that could have lead them to this point. "Ok… let's go into town. I'll buy."
Chrysalis was in a deep sleep, dreaming about draining the love out of some poor pony who thought she was his long lost love, watching the color in his eyes fade to grey. Once she had reduced him to a shivering, drooling doll, she tossed him aside, laughing evily as she sat upon her dark throan in her changeling castle. All around her were her minions who mimicked her laughter. Chrysalis was fully enjoying her dream, believing it to be real, that is, until a rather annoying sound filled the air. The sound of blowing raspberries. The dark and creepy changeling castle around Chrysalis turned bright pink and fluffed up like a thick shag carpet! Her minions all changed their forms to that resembling the same pink fluffball of a pony! With big blue eyes, her tounge sticking out, and only her face and the tips of her hooves poking out of her long, thick, pastel pink fur. It was at that moment that Chrysalis knew she was dreaming of better days and opened her eyes, waking up instantly from her dream and falling into despair.
Inches from her own muzzle was the muzzle of her savior. A fluffy pink mare who only spoke in blowing raspberries, meows and an array of different squeaks. It was this odd pony who had pulled the former changeling queen from the wreckage of her shattered hive, carried her back to the safetly of her own home, spent day after day caring for her wounds and nursing the changeling queen back to health, and provided more then enough love to sustain Chrysalis's own changeling thirst.
It was some odd anomaly; this pink pony, Chrysalis came to call Fluffle Puff (based on all the hanging embroidered pictures with that name), was able to produce more then enough love for the large changeling to happily feed off, and not suffer from any side effects. Chrysalis had drained dozens of stallions out of their love before and left them as drooling idiots. But Fluffle Puff was a different kind of pony all together.
With an annoyed sigh, Chrysalis got up and out of bed, remembering she was in the equally pink house that mirrored her savior. With a small yawn and streach, Chrysalis looked over at Fluffle Puff, and flat emotion in her voice, demanded "make me something for breakfast."
To which, Fluffle Puff flashed a wide smile before hopping out of the room, only to return a moment later with an empty box of cereal and a long look on her face. Chrysalis knew what this meant. The fluff ball was completly out of food.
"Ugh, then go and buy some more!" Chrysalis then rolled back over in bed, pulling the sheets over her, shutting her eyes. "And wake me when you get back and have food ready!"
Chrysalis was about to go back to sleep when she felt hot breath shooting bursts at her. When she cracked open her eyes, she saw Fluffle Puff standing there with a note drawn on paper in red crayon saying 'come with me, pweeese?'
The former queen rolled her eyes and growled in annoyance. "Fine! But you're gunna start a riot. If you haven't noticed I'm not exactly popular in town…"
Chrysalis threw the covers off her again and hopped out of bed, only to collapse to her knees. She breathed heavily as she sat there, wishing she had her horn still. Without it, not only could she not use any magic, but her body became incredibly weak. Getting up and out of bed was a hassle in itself. Whoever that monstrous earth pony was, he knew what he was doing when he snapped her horn off.
Before Chrysalis could try again to get up, Fluffle Puff appeared with a little red wagon. She had placed pillows on the inside for comfort and had written with more crayon on the side, in pink bold letters 'love wagon.'
Chrysalis was almost annoyed with how fluffy and lovey dovey this mare was, but the love Fluffle Puff gave off nourished her, so Chrysalis put up with it, for now. With a sigh, Chrysalis wabbled into the 'love wagon' and barked at Fluffle Puff "lets hurry up and get food so you can make me breakfast."
To which Fluffle Puff squeaked happily before grabbing the waggon's handle and tugging her special friend along behind her. Leading her out the door and down the road leading into the nearest town. Ponyville.
Sitting down with Big Mac at Sugar Cube, Sunny sipped his mint chocolate shake, his mind partly deflating from his baffled thoughts. Big Mac kept quiet and allowed Sunny to distress while sucking down on his own chocolate and banana shake. Several moments pass, Sunny finished 2/3rds of his shake then released a sigh.
"Did ah do somethin' wrong, Big Mac?" Sunny plainly asked the one friend who stuck by his side.
Swallowing one last gulp of his own shake, Big Mac answered just as plainly. "Well, what exactly were ya trying ta do?"
"Ah was trying ta help us all become more rounded. Help you, me and Thudnerlane gain some knowlage that could help us possibly later if we got into ah pinch" Sunny started to explain. "The same thing for Derpy, Octavia and Doctor. They aren't the most physically fit, an' ah wanted ta help them get to ah more active state that might help 'em later too."
"Well, that's good and all" Big Mac started, his tone just as flat as ever. "But even you have ta admit, th' stuff you an' Twilight wanted us ta read was as exciting as watching paint dry on th' barn on ah rainy day."
Signing again, Sunny put one hoof on the table and rested his head in his hoof. "Ah know… but it was ta help us better ourselves. Sometimes that ain't easy, but we all need to be prepared for every situation."
"Well, ah could be wrong, but th' way ah see it, our friends all are good at different things. Ah can lift heavy things, an' Doctor is good with science. You're good with stratagy an' all that diplomacy stuff, while Derpy is good with cheering ponies up. Octavia is all safisiticated an' Thunderlane is… ugh, good at sports." Big Mac unintentionally struggled with the last strength of their friend Thunderlane.
That struggle caused Sunny to chuckle a little. "One strength you, Derpy an' him have that Octavia and Doctor sometimes lack, it you two seem to be able ta talk an' understand the common pony. Ya make 'em feel more relaxed."
"Funny ya say that" Big Mac cocked a half smile at Sunny. "Ah hear th' same thing 'bout you. But ya also know how ta talk with them fancy ponies, too."
This kinda brought a smile to Sunny's muzzle. "So… what can we do? Our friends are all mad at eachother. We need ta get 'em back togeather an' get this whole mess sorted out. But how?"
As if by some magical unseen force, the universe gave Sunny and Big Mac the answer in the form of several screams, followed quickly by a barrel being thrown through the window of Sugar Cube Corner! The barrel was hurtling through the air, almost crashing into a glass display case of various pastries. Thankfully Sunny reacted in time and caught the barrel with his magical aura. Setting the barrel down gently, Sunny and Big Mac jumped out the broken window, laying in the streets, ready for action. But what they saw shocked them and left them a little confused.
There appeared to be the fluffies pony Sunny had ever seen, almost like a giant ball of pink fur that grew stubby legs and a muzzle. The pink fluff creature was running around on her hind two legs, holding over her head Queen Chrysalis, who was laying down inside a red waggon, holding on for dear life, both being chased by the brown earth pony Sunny remembered from the Grand Galloping Gala. Salted Carmel.
Salted was on a rampage, whipping the chain attached to his right hoof with the technique of a mad ninja. Flipping between using it like a whip and lasso. He would strike at the exact point where Fluffle Puff was about to step, only for the fluffy pony to just barely dodge the shot. Then the muscular earth pony would flip the chain back, having it wrap around a chair, barrel, or potted plant, and launch the item directly at the fluffy pony, hoping to separate her from the changeling queen she appeared to be protecting. Again, somehow, Fluffle Puff was able to dodge the attack at the last moment. Unfortunately, the objects being thrown ended up crashing into windows, houses, or almost hitting other ponies!
"I'm not sure what's going on, but we have to stop him" Sunny stated, his muscles tightening, readying himself for a fight.
"Eh, yep" Big Mac agreed, his body reacting in similarly.
"You go head on, I'll catch him from behind" Sunny spoke just low enough to where only Big Mac could hear.
The red farm pony nodded, then, upon Sunny's signal, charged at Salted Carmel before he could fling his chain again. While Salted's attention was drawn to Big Mac charging him from the front, Sunny teleported behind the Salted, then jumped onto the back of the large brown stallion. In one swift movement, with a level of strength that Sunny didn't expect, Salted Carmel grabbed Sunny from behind him, and flung him like a rag doll, sending him colliding into Big Mac! Both Sunny and Big Mac lay on the ground, aching from the impact.
When the two looked up, they were met with the burning gaze of Salted Carmel as he looked down on them with an annoyed, sharp look.
"Get away from our friends!" The call shocked Salted, but he didn't have time to react.
Thunderlane zoomed all around Salted, leaving behind a grey blure of on after image. Without Salted knowing, Thunderlane grabbed his chain like weapon and wrapped it around the large earth pony's body.
Once he was done, Thunderlane put distance between him and the angered Salted, then called out "now Doc!"
"Don't call me Doc!" Doctor Whooves yelled out as he flipped a switch on a large metal device with a large magnet attached to it. The machine shook for a moment as it powered up, then it began attracting small metal objects around it.
"Let me give you a helping hoof!" Derpy appeared infront of Salted. She had placed a wooden plank under him, a barrel at the plank's mid section, and positioned herself just right at the other end. With a mighty force that could destroy a building, Derpy cannon balled onto her end of the plank, Flipping Salted up and into the air, right in the feild of the magnetic pull of Doctor's machine.
The brown earthpony struggled for a long moment, using all his strength to try and break free of his own chins, but it was no use. His shackles that he made into his own personal weapons had once again been used to imprison him. Still, he knew they couldn't keep him locked up forever. And when he escaped, he wouldn't just leave Chrysalis under the bebris of a crumbled hive, but under an entire mountain! He would make sure nopony could get her out next time! He growled like a tiger as if vowing to never rest again until that monster was sealed away permanently!
"You need to relax" Octavia suddenly appeared, pulling Salted out of his aggressive thoughts. He narrowed his eyes on her and grunted, never breaking eye contact. "I know you're angery, and you have every right to be. But look what you've done…"
Octavia moved Salted's head around and directed his attention to the part of Ponyville where he had been rampaging through. The anger in Salted started to fizzle out as he realized what he had been doing. Homes had busted windows and walls. Foliage, trees and potted plants were crushed, snapped and broken. Ponies were hidding behind broken tables, behind closed doors half off their hindges. The sight was a nightmare. Something that one would think was left behind by a monstrous creature like an Ursa Major or a bug bear. But it wasn't. He had done it. One overly strong pony had done all this damage.
Salted looked away from the destroyed town and returned his burning gaze to Chrysalis, who was laying in a waggon not far from him. He wanted nothing more then to crush her like the overgrown bug she was. Then he took a second look at her.
She still didn't have her horn, so she couldn't do any magic, not even change her shape. The front legs she used to sit up with seemed to shake slightly, as if she was struggling to just hold herself up, and if that wasn't enough, her eyes had changed. The once green, reptilian like eyes, deprived of any and all emotion, were now a light blue color, mirroring the eyes of the fluffy pink puff ball standing between him and her. Salted looked from Chrysalis to Fluffle Puff, then back to the bug queen.
"I suppose you still aren't happy, are you?" Chrysalis's voice slithered over to Salted. "You stole my horn, and my magic. You destroyed my hive, and even stole my minions from me. If this one hadn't come along, I could have starved. But she keeps me well fed with her own love. Why she does, I dont know. But it seems to make her happy."
Fluffle Puff broke her hard gaze to make a squeek noise and hug Chrysalis, making several more high pitched squeezing noises and she boopped Chrysalis on the tip of her muzzle several times. Chrysalis growled, appearing annoyed, but did nothing to stop Fluffle Puff.
"Is that sufficient payment for whatever she did to you?" Sunny asked, approaching Salted. "How much more do you need to satisfy your rage? What will make it right? And how much more do you plan to destroy?"
Salted looked around once again at the part of the town he destroyed. Ponies were beginning to pop their heads out of their hidding places, curious to see if it was safe yet. Salted saw the fear in their eyes. Fear he created.
"I know you hurt inside" Octavia stepped forward, putting a gentle hoof on Salted's cheek. "But there is a better way. Will you let me show you a better way to express your pain?"
Salted felt his burning rage simmer down a bit. A fire still burned in his heart, but he wasable to think clearly. Releasing a sigh, Salted returned his defeated gaze at Octavia and nodded.
"If ya got him, Octavia, we'll get the town all fixed up an' make sure everypony is taken care of" Sunny stated.
"One moment, Sunny" Octavia stopped her yellow friends. "I need your help with one more thing before you go."
Octavia then motioned to the chain restricting Salted and the shackle around his right hoof.
Night had fallen, the stars were twinkaling and the Ponyville Fancy Hooves restaurant had placed a stage near the outside dinning tables. Ponies from all over town had their eyes glued to the center stage as a jazz band started another song, this one also with a saxophone solo. As the music lead up to the solo, Salted Carmel took center stage, the brass instrument in his hooves. Music just flowed through the instrument from his very soul. Notes carrying such feelings or passion. Of pain. Of yearning. Then of release. The crowd couldn't look away even if their town was on fire! The music was mesmerizing and full of emotion. Salted himself, felt as if a great weight was being lifted from his shoulders as smooth notes escaped his instrument, filling the air.
He could not speak his pain, talk to any pony, and had no patience for keeping a journal to write down his experiences. But with his saxophone, Salted was able to let free the pain and heart ache that plagued him for so many years. The rage that burned his soul now fueled a new passion. A necklace of a music note hung around his neck, made from his former magical bonds that he used as a weapon. So long as he kept the necklace on him, it restricted his muscular, behemoth like form. He was free to take it off any time he wanted, and it left his hooves free for him to play.
As the music died down, everypony stomped their hooves and cheered. Looking out to the sea of ponies who had come to listen to him and his new band mates play, Salted almsot felt a tear come to his eye. He hadn't felt so good about expressing himself in so long. He never expected he could entertain others and share his feelings in such a way. His eyes drifted to a table near the front where that grey mare sat with her friends. The one who believed in him and gave him just a few basic lessons earlier that day. She made it all possible. The mare named Octavia Melody.
"That was simply amazing" Doctor Whooves stated in a somewhat hushed tone.
"I can't believe it myself. Who knew a guy like him had the heart of a musician?" Thunderlane added, nudging Doctor a little. The grey pegasus paused for a second before directing his attention to doctor, his tone low. "Hey, ugh, sorry about earlier. I was a real donkeys behind."
"It's alright" Doctor met Thunderlanes appology with a small pat on the back. "I said things I shouldn't have as well."
"We all did" Octavia inserted herself, eyes falling to the ground, then back to the others. "I was very improper as a friend. Everything I said was uncalled for. I'm sorry I was so… so…"
"Mean?" Derpy plainly stated.
Clearing her throat, Octavia swallowed her pride, turned to Thunderlane, Doctor Whooves, Derpy, Big Mac, and Sunny "yes… for lack of a more appropriate word. Mean… can you all forgive me?"
"If you guys can forgive me" Thunderlane spoke more at ease. "I kinda started the whole thing. Sometimes I don't always think before I say something."
"Actually… this was my fault" Sunny stated, speaking up for the first time in their group appology.
"Your fault? But you didn't even say anything" Doctor noted, appearing a little confused.
"You're right. I didn't." Sunny began, taking in a breath, his expression turning more stoic. "I was the one who pushed you all out of your comfort zones, trying to make you do things you didn't feel right doing, until it all fell apart. Then when you all started going at one another, I didn't do anything to stop it. I'm supposed to be your leader as well as your friend, but I sat back and said nothing when my plans fell apart. If not for this whole incident with Salted, you all still might he mad at eachother."
"We were mad" Thunderlane stated, punching Sunny's shoulders lightly. "But friends get mad at eachother sometimes. It happens. "
"What matters is we get over it eventually, and make up" Doctor stated proudly. "I was kinda… feeling guilty about the whole fight, and wanted to find you guys to talk it all out. Thats when I saw the fight going on and worked out a plan with Thunderlane who was near by."
"And I was on my way to find Octavia to make up to" Thunderlane added. "Then when I saw what was going down, Doctor, Derpy and Octavia near by and we came up with a plan."
"And I was talking with Derpy to…" Octavia struggled with her part of the story, but pushed past her shyness. "I was talking with her to get another mare's understanding. Its not easy being the only girl around you guys sometimes. And being made out like some helpless maiden who needed rescuing pushed me over the edge. Derpy is always so thoughtful, so I thought to speak with her on the matter over some lunch. So long as we ate at a place that had plastic cups and plates."
"He he, sorry" Derpy chuckled, remembering how many plates and glasses she broke at the same resteraunt time and time again.
"Its alright, Derpy" Octavia smiled at her sweet friend. "You're perfect the way you are. If not for your kind influence, I wouldn't have pushed to help Salted half as much as I did."
Sunny looked around the table and couldn't help but smile. He had learned a very valuable friendship lesson he would have to share with his mother. "Guys, I wanted to help us by rounding out our skills and knowledge, filling in our personal gaps. But I think I see now that you don't need to be perfectly rounded, not so long as you have friends who are there to help fill in the gaps. Where some are slow or weak, you have friends who are strong and fast. And where some lack information or culture, others are endowed with that knowlage. I guess, that's what makes us good friends."
"No Sunny, that's not what makes us good friends" Doctor interjected, all eyes turning to him. "What makes us good friends is that we WANT to be there to provide help to eachother. We WANT to use our skills and strengths to help one another. To be there for eachother. And to help eachother shine. THAT is the magic of friendship."
A small applause came from their entire table after listening to Doctor give his speech.
"I guess we never really needed any kind of training to be good guardians. I guess we are the best we can be." Sunny stated after their applause died down.
"Well… actually, I would like to learn a little hoof to hoof combat, if possible" Doctor admitted. "I have a feeling it would come in handy. If you wouldn't mind teaching me, Sunny."
"I'd be honored, Doctor" Sunny tipped his hat a little to his friend.
"And I wouldn't mind spending some more girl time, maybe at the spa?" Octavia motioned to Derpy. "If you want."
A smile spread all across Derpy's muzzle, her front hooves pressed against her cheeks as if to try and contain the smile. "That would be soooo coooool! I'd love to!"
"Hey Thunderlane" Big Mac caught the grey pegasus stallion's attention, a mischievous grin on his red muzzle. "Mind if ah barrow your wings ta go flying again?"
"Ugh… well…" Thunderlane was nervous about the concept of lending another pony his wings. But he could trust Big Mac. Relaxing, Thunderlane shot his pal a smile and said. "Sure. Any time. We just need ta talk to Princesses Twilight."
"You could barrow my wings, if you want, Big Mac" Derpy turned to the farm pony. "If Octavia and I are at the spa, I don't need to fly."
"Thanks Derpy, Ah'll take ya up on that" Big Mac shot her a great full smile. "Then Thunderlane and ah could do some flyin' together."
The group of Guardians laughed and talked amungst themselves for a bit, and didn't even notice the large brown earth pony approach them. He wasn't alone. Spike and a light blue, thin looking colt with a fluffy blue mane and tail were by his side. Salted waited a few moments before clearing his throat to catch their attention. Everypony at the table stopped and turned their attention to him.
"Salted just wanted to thank you guys for everything you did for him" Spike spoke up. "You know, fixing the parts of the town he destroyed, teaching him to play the sax, setting this gig up for him, making his chains into sweet bling."
Salted let out a grunt and nodded his head.
"He said thank you, and to let him know if there's anything you guys need… you're gunna have to find where his bad is playing." The light blue stallion stated.
"Yeah, he's found his place with the Jazz band 'Careless Whispers' and they're going on their first tour starting tonight" Spike handed everypony a flyer listing all the different cities and towns the group was going to visit and when.
"I guess you found your calling" Octavia was a little disheartened by him leaving.
Salted could sence her sorrow, pulled his sax to his lips and played a forlorn tune, quickly followed up by a gentle scale.
Nodding, understanding the meaning behind music, Octavia smiled at him. "Well, get out there and have a good time. But don't think I'll wait around forever. I have music schools to run, you know."
Salted leaned in and kisses Octavia on the cheek. The first kiss he had given since he was a colt. Octavia's cheeks turned bright red, eyes wide with disbelief. Everypony didn't know what to say or do, except for Derpy, who took this opertunity to plant a small kiss of Doctor Whoove's cheek as well, who also turned bright red.
Big Mac and Thunderlane looked at eachother for a moment before Big Mac stated "you kiss me, I'll rip your wings off."
"Yeah, I'll knock your yoke off" Thunderlane replied flatly. Then both stallions laughed out loud.
Their joke brought back the laughter that filled the night air. For the rest of the night, the friends enjoyed just being with eachother.
Sunny had been staring into the magical mirror his mother gave him for what seemed like hours. The same magical mirror that he walked through in the past and magically ended up in his mother's secret room up in Canterlot. The gift was given to him to close the space between him and his mother, giving them a chance to grow closer while still maintaining their life styles. But on this day, Sunny was nervous to walk through it.
"You ok Sugercube?" Appeljack asked, standing at his doorway.
Turning to face his marefriend, Sunny sighed. He knew he couldn't lie to her even if he tried. Some invisible force that burned deep inside of him made Summy want to share the truth with her all the time. This time, though, he wondered if it was the right thing to do. "I'm … worried, Applejack. Worried I might… I might embarrass her…"
"Embarrass her? Who? Yer mom?" Applejack raised a brow in confusion.
"Yes…" Sunny's answer and tone for the entire conversation was refined and to a point, stoic, as if forcing himself to speak clearly in royal court.
Applejack knew Sunny only spoke like that when he felt he needed to and was no longer relaxed. "What makes ya think that?"
Looking away from her, Sunny replied in a low tone "she wants to show me around Canterlot, all day practically. Parading around with her son like it was just an average thing."
Still a little confused, Applejack asked "what's th' matter with that?"
"I know what kind of ponies are up in Canterlot, Applejack…" Sunny stated as he turned around and looked at his reflection in the mirror. "They'll take one look at me, and think my mother raised some… some country bumpkin."
The words struck Applejack hard. She had heard ponies refer to her and her family as many hurtful thing before in the past, even worse then a 'country Bumpkin'. But hearing the words escaped Sunny's lips, stung worse then all the rest of the insults put togeather.
"Well… do what ya gotta do…" was all Appeljack could say as she faught back the tears. A new feeling overcame the orange mare. She began to wonder if she was good enough for Sunny, a prince of Equestria.
"Yeah…I suppose I should…" was all Sunny could think to say as he took his apple family stetson hat off, looked at it for a moment, wondering if this was the right thing to do. Then placed it on the edge of his bed before stepping through the magical mirror to meet his mother for a day of mother-son bonding.
When he was gone, Applejack calmly walked into her room, shut and locked the door behind her and began to cry as she fell onto her haunches, hating herself for the first time in years, wishing she was good enough for him. Wondering if Sunny didn't deserve better.
'Today's the day!' Princess Celestia all but galloped for joy around her secret bedroom. She had been looking forward to her Mother-son day with Sunny for weeks now, ever since they worked out the time and details in their back and forth letters. She almost pulled a Twilight and scheduled the whole day, but decided on just picking a few things she knew her son would like, based on things they've talked about in their letters. 'We're finnaly going to get to act like a mother and son, not princess and prince. Just a mare and her young colt. But he isn't a colt anymore! Remember Celestia, he's a grown stallion who will be treated with the respect he deserves!'
Before Celestia could go back and forth with herself more in her head, Sunny stepped through the magical mirror. She smiled when she saw him, and calmed herself down. As Sunny finished emerging from the mirror, his eyes opened and he smiled at his mother. "Hey Mom, you ready to have some fun on our mother-son-bonding-day?"
"You bet" Celestia answered cheerfully, but since immediately that something was different with her son. He wasn't like he was when she last saw him. But she chalked it up to her excited jitters. Motherly instincts kicked in as Princess Celestia asked a queagion that all mothers have asked their children since time began "Did you eat breakfast?"
"I didn't, actually" In his worry, Sunny skipped his usual morning routine with the rest of the Apples of eating breakfast togeather. An image of Applejack and the last time he saw her flared in his mind. She looked so sad. Was he wrong for speaking his mind to her on such a touchy subject? He would have to make it up to her when he got back. Right now, he had to put on a happy face and enjoy the time he spent with his mother. Time and experiences that Sunny amd Celestia never got to enjoy before.
"How about I make you breakfast?" Celestia chimmed in a sweet tone, practically glowing. "I make a mean stack of pancakes."
Seeing how happy his mother was pushed the sad image of Applejack out of Sunny's mind for a short while, but it lingered just on the boarder of his mind. Her stone face that possibly faught back the pain, the eyes that were watery, but held back tears. 'I think I need to talk to her when I get back…'
Princess Celestia was right, she did make a mean stack of pancakes. Five pancakes stacked with just enough butter to be absorbed between each layer, topped with whipped cream, strawberries and blue berries organized into a happy face, with warm syrup on the side. Princess Celestia had asked the entire kitchen staff to take the day off so she could forfill one of her mother based dreams; cooking her son breakfast. Celestia was practically skipping as she lead Sunny out of her secret bedroom, down a few hallways, and into the kitchen.
Sunny didn't know if it was the pancakes themselves or seeing his mother act so… well, like any other mother should, but the atmosphere felt so normal. So natural. Almost like a breakfast with the Apples. He envied every colt and filly who received this treatment regularly before rushing off to school, hastily chomping down their meals, not even taking in all the serenity of their breakfast. 'Maybe Applejack would like ta join us next time.'
The thought quickly popped into Sunny's head, using his accented voice. But Sunny quickly pushed it away as his mother took a seat across from him, with her own plate of pancakes, identical to his. The table they had sat down at was a small, round wooden one that a pony would expect to see in any regular household. It was probably brought into the kitchen for the soul purpose of their breakfast. Sunny normally didn't like any special treatment, but he smiled at the notion. 'Just like ah regular family…'
There was his accented voice again!
"So today I had several things planned for us, but I wanted to go over them with you and see what 'you' wanted to do" Celestia smiled as she put her eating utensils down, levitating a napkin up to her muzzle and whipped away the small bits of syrup. While she cleaned herself up a little, she levitated a small scroll over to Sunny, who took it in his own magical aura amd began skimming over it.
There were quite a few things on the list, and sadly alot of the suggestions had the two of them out in public. 'What if ah embarrass her? If ah can't get mah accent under control? What if somepony from Ponyville shows up, especially one of mah friends and ah can't control how ah talk!?'
"Is everything alright, Sunny?" Celestia asked, peering at him from across the table, some slight concern in her eyes, worrying if all the activities she came up with weren't to his liking.
"Oh, ugh, no. I mean yes." Sunny quickly corrected himself, making sure to speak clearly and without his accent. "I just was… in deep thought. You know, I've never really seen all of Canterlot castle. How about we start with a tour?"
Easily sencing something was wrong, Celestia paused and studied her son. But after years of guiding young minds, she knew better then to press a colt for information. 'If he wants to talk, he'll talk. Just give him time.' "Alright. If that is what you want. But finish up your breakfast first."
After they finished eating, Sunny had to fight against the urge to clean the dishes himself. He kept telling himself that most princes didn't clean their own dishes, and managed to push himself away from the sink and walked out of the kitchen with his mother.
"Lets begin our tour here" Princess Celestia told her son, motioning with her hoof at the dinning hall.
Sunny stepped out of the kitchen and was instantly amazed by the stained glass windows surounding the dinning hall. Beautiful in structure and meaningful in message. There was one that Sunny recognized depicting the battle between Nightmare Moon and Applejack and her friends. The one next to that had deviant image of Discord with strings appearing above ponies who were being soaked by what appeared to be chocolate rain, next to that one was a window made of darker colored glass, depicting the Changeling Queen Chrysalis and her army. But not all the stained glass images were about the villains that Applejack and the other elements of harmony faced. There were stained glass windows depicting simpler things such as the moon, the sun and the stares. But on the opposite side of the hall where the villainous stained glass windows were stained glass images of Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess Cadence, Sunny's aunt Luna and of course Sunny's own mother.
"Beautiful, just beautiful" Sunny spoke carelessly, then stopped himself before he said anything else. He heard a faint hint of his accent and focused to correct his speech before the words left his lips. "Ugh, it must have taken a while to create such amazing glass windows."
Stepping up next to him, Celestia told her son "actually, my sister and I can do it with ease, thanks to a spell Star-Swirl taught us over 1000 years ago. I could show you some time how to do it."
Smiling at his mother, Sunny nodded "I'd like that."
The tour lead Celestia and Sunny out of the dinning hall, down several winding corridors, where Celestia stopped and showed Sunny a piece of art, an artifact, or tapestry that held a bit of interesting history behind it. Sunny was amazed at how much history he had missed in his 1000 year slumber. After Celestia and Sunny left the winding hallways, Sunny was reintroduced to the library where he and the other Guardians and Elements were told his parents story. The room next to the library was a restricted section specifically for unicorns who were granted access to it by Celestia herself. For the next part of their tour, Celestia lead her son out of the castle and into the garden, a place Sunny remembered from the galla. This time, though, it felt more peaceful, more relaxed, less like something was going to pop out of nowhere and attack you.
As Sunny walked into the garden, taking notice of the many different types of plants growing in it, as well as the many kinds of odd looking insects and animals that made the garden their home, he accidently kicked something with his dominant hoof. The item was hard, but softer then a rock. Loomong at the item in queagion, Sunny was a little shocked by what he saw.
It was an apple.
It didn't take Sunny long to figure out where it had come from. Right infront of him was a large apple tree, full of ready to buck, red, juicy apples. On impulse, he almost turned his back to it and bucked the tree's base to shake loose the ripe red fruit. But remember where he was and not wanting to embarrass his mother infront of anyponys watching, Sunny held back his bucking instincts.
"It's funny that you would come across that tree." Celestia appeared next to her son, her eyes gazing at the tall, apple filled tree. "The pony who gave me that tree as a sapling was Granny Smith's father. He gave it to me for the garden as a thank you for helping them find a place for him and his family to settle down."
"I remember Granny Smith telling that story" Sunny said, struggling still to keep his accent at bay. "Granny also talked about how she discovered Zap Apples not long after they settled down there."
"The Apple Family certainly do have a rich family history" Celestia tore her eyes away from the tree and smiled at her son. "Perhapse that is what drew you to them. They're all good ponies. Honest, noble, giving, and all very close. A family I couldn't give you, but one you deserve."
Nudging his head against his mother, Sunny tried to remind her he was there with her and shared no ill feelings towards how they had to be. "I'm here now, and so are you, and so it your sister… and Father will come around."
The thought of Sombra erased Celestia's smile from her muzzle, and a sharp wound reopened in her heart. She wanted to share a normal Family too, but the love of her life was still out of her hooves reach. "I don't know about that, Sunny."
"Trust me" Sunny nudged his mother again, getting her to look him in the eye, he beamed his bravado to her. "I'll knock some sence into him. He'll come around and we can all be one big, happy family"
Seeing the confidence her son had, Celestia couldn't help but smile again. "There isn't much of the castle left to explore. Why don't we hit the town? We can go sight seeing, visit the spa, there are a few antique stores you may want to check out."
The nervousness Sunny felt earlier had returned to him, but he had to put on a strong face for his mother. He had kept his accent hidden thus far, how bad could seeing a few sights and checking out a few antique stores be?
When Sunny and his mother left the castle, they were kept under constant surveillance by two unicorn guards both infront and behind them, maintaining a distance of 10 yards on both sides, meanwhile 3 pegasus guards kept an eye on them from the air. It was doubtful that anypony or any creature would actually try something, but it was standard procedure to keep the princess and a special guest safe. Other then the guards around them and ponies who dropped and bowed to Sunny and his mother, the walk was actually rather casual. It was a nice day, the temperature outside was a nice 70 degrees, the sun was high over head without a cloud in the sky, and Sunny had not yet embarrased his mother.
"Here we are" Celestia announced as she stopped infront of a large, older looking building. Most of the newer buildings in Canterlot city were white and purple to match the castle, but this one appeared to have been red brick that was recently spraypainted white. The name of the place hung adjacent from the wall on a wooden placard, 'Antiques and aquired things'. "The old owner just retired, but this is still the most famous antique store in Canterlot. It has things from Canterlot's early years. I've never been in here, though. Would you like to go inside?"
Looking to his mother, Sunny saw how excited she was to spend time with him doing something HE himself enjoyed doing with the Apples whenever they went out of town. Antique stores were always fun for them to visit, all the Apples being so knowlageful of older things, amd Sunny so eager to learn about them. Sunny had written to his mother all about the stores they visited which must have given her the idea. She seemed just as excited to go inside as she was teaching him about the castle. How could he say no?
Fighting back his accent, Sunny smiled at his mother. "That sounds like fun. So, you've never been in there before?"
The two walked into the store after two unicorn guards entered ahead of them to make sure it was safe. The other unicorn guards waited outside and stopped other ponies from entering, while the pegusus guards kept a look out from the rooftops.
"I'm afraid not. And I feel some what bad about it. Especially since the previous owner retired recently. I forgot who the new owners were-" Princess Celestia told her son, before a pair of yellow stallions popped up out of nowhere.
"Welcome to Flim and Flam's Treasure trove!" A yellow unicorn with a red mustache declared as he flashed a smile at both Sunny and his mother.
"And we hope you two have a-" Flim was about to continue with their welcoming routine when he paused, realizing who had entered their shop. The thin yellow unicorn claimed up quickly, his voice shrank as he pulled his hat to cover the top half of his face in a desperate attempt to hide himself. "Ugh… w-welcome to our shop."
Flam's expression dulled like his brother and they both retreated back behind their counter trying to relax their nerves by hidding behind news papers. But their nerves betrayed them as their hooves shook their newspaper shields almost enough to shake the letters right off the pages. Flam gathered the last of his courage to look up over his paper and tell Sunny and princess Celestia "If there is anything you need, please, let us know."
"We will be glad to help" Flim added, the life drained from his voice as well.
Sunny didn't care much for the con artist twins, but seeing them as they were now didn't sit right with him. They may have tried to steal the Apple family farm, but deep down, there was still a part of Sunny that didnt like seeing anypony in a state the Flim Flam brothers were in. Deep down, Sunny wanted to help them. 'There must be a place where they belong. Someplace far, far away from Sweet Apple acres. Someplace where they can put their showmen ship to good use without, well, scamming ponies.'
As Celestia and Sunny started their little adventure, looking around, Celestia pointed out a few items of interest to Sunny, telling stories linking her to them. Mostly pictures that were in black and white or brown and white from the passing of time, but there were a few commemorative statues and placards with her image on them.
"I remember this day" Celestia chimmed in again, stopping at another case of misalanious items. Sunny looked to see what his mother had stopped at. It appeared to be an old photo of herself infront of a large school with a good two dozen or so unicorn fillies and colts. A cheerful unciorn mare with her mane done up in a bun, held up a sign that read 'Gifted Unicorns, First class'.
"It was so much fun teaching them, when I could" Celestia stated as she looked down at the picture, levitating the framed picture infront of her. "They all were so eager to learn and master their unicorn magic. Not a bad one in the bunch."
"With you as their teacher, I'm sure they all went on to become great wizards or leaders of some kind" Sunny stated, smiling at his mother.
"Actually, only one went on to become a wizard" Celestia lowered the photo to show her son. "The one on the top right, Bright Horizon. He went on to travel across Equestria like Starswirl did. He wrote a few books. I have copies in my personal library. The filly next to him here actually went on to become the first mare captain of the royal guard, Captain Dazzle Flair. And next to her was Swizzle Stick, she invented the first dual flavor candy cane. The filly next to her is Drizzle, she got married, became a stay at home mother, married her school yard sweet heart and had five foals of their own. Three of them went to the school-"
"Five foals!?" Sunny was shocked to hear that, his accent peaked into his speech as his tone shot up. But he quickly gathered himself amd cleared his throat, returning to his inside, refined speaking tone. "What I mean, is, she didn't become somepony who used her magic to become great?"
"Being a mother was her dream" Celesfia went on to explain. "Even as a filly, she dreamed of having many foals, and one day many grandfoals. I was present at her family's last great gathering. She met her twelve grandfoals, seven of them were just starting to have foals of their own. Seeing how big her family was, how well they treated eachother, and how close they all still were, warmed her heart. She had completed her dream and realized she had done her job as a mother…"
Celestia hesitated for a moment as a small tear gathered at the corners of her eyes, but never fell. "I have to say… I'm a little envious. I wish I could have just been there for my one son. You. When you needed me."
Putting a hoof around hers and patting it in an attempt to comfort his mother, Sunny looked up into his mother's eyes. When their eyes met, Celestia felt the warmth and love in his eyes, eyes that were so much like his father's. "We're here now. And we have the rest of our lives to be there for one another. I'm not perfect, and I'll still need you there some times. But more importantly, I want you there, in my life. One day, you'll have grandfoals too, you know."
The thought was so warm and bubbly, that Celestia had to fight back a small prance as she giggled. "You and Applejack thinking about foals already? It's a little hard for a mother to take in."
"Ugh, well…" Sunny scratched his head. He normally would readjust his stetson hat, but with it being back at the farm, a small nervous scratch on his head was all he could do while he gathered his thoughts. "We talked about it after Cadence had Flurry Heart. You know, for way, way, waaaay down the road."
"Not too far down, I hope" Celestia winked at her son.
"Ugh, so what about these other students of yours" Sunny dodged any further talking about foals bringing his mother's attention back to the picture before them.
After going through all the fillies and colts who were in Celestia's first class of her school for Gifted unciorns, Sunny decided he wanted to buy it. He could show the Apples later and share with them the stories his mother passed onto him. As they were leaving, Sunny noticed a rack of pamphlets. They were advertising all kinds of places to see in Equestria, the great Hoofer dam, the Rainbow falls, Ponyville of course, and one more thing that caught his eye. Levitating the pamphlet up to take a closer look. Sunny quickly skimmed it over, then began talking back and forth with his mother, never speaking above a whisper as he and Celestia looked up from the pamphlet to Flim and Flam, who still stood behind the counter, still, this time pretending to wipe down the counter top and dust the items behind them.
"Brother of mine" Flim finnaly spoke through his teeth, afraid to talk above a whisper himself or make it appear that he was talking.
"Yes, brother of mine" Flam answered, mimicking his brother's discretion.
"I believe we have the worst luck in Equestria" Flim noted, dreading the day they decided to buy this store from the old mare.
"I believe you are right, brother" Flam replied, glancing slightly up at Sunny and his mother. "Do you think we'll get shut down?"
"If we aren't tossed back in prison…" Flim answered honestly. Both of their hearts sank at the thought.
Their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably as Celestia and Sunny approached them once again, smiles spread wide on the mother and sons muzzles. Flim and Flam felt like their shaky legs were about to give way when Sunny slapped a pamphlet infront of them. The two brothers paused in their panic attack and looked at what Sunny was presenting to them.
"I think you guys need a vacation" He simply stated. "Why don't you two take a few weeks to relax and enjoy yourselves without thinking about making a sale. You've had it pretty rough for a while."
"I agree with my son" Celestia stated, smiling down at the twins. "I have a friend who can look after the shop while you two are gone. And I'll purchase enough of your items to fund your vacation for the two weeks."
Flim and Flam couldn't believe what they were hearing. Sunny, Applejack's coltfriend, who they knew hated them for trying to bulldoze Sweet Apple Acres, and Princess Celestia, who sentenced them to the IronLock prison, were now giving them a vacation… to Los Pegasus!? A place where ponies went to spend buckets upon buckets of bits on cheap thrills, souvenirs and food! That was their dream! Well, not to stay there as guests, but to open up shop there! Where the bits were ripe for the picking!
The twins exchanged a side glance at eachother, then looked back at Sunny and his mother, not believing what they were hearing, assuming Sunny and the princess were just playing a cruel prank. But after a moment, the Twins broke down and fell to Celestia and Sunny's hooves.
"Oh thank you, merciful princess" Flam stated, kissing her hooves.
"Kind princess!" Flim agreed with his brother, mimicking his actions.
"And forgiving prince!" Flam then threw himself at Sunny's hooves to thank him as well.
"Yes! So forgiving and so kind!" Flim agreed once more.
After several long minutes of the Flim Flam Brothers thanking them, Sunny and his mother left their antique store. Several royal guards would be by later to pick up the items Celestia had purchased to help pay for Flim and Flams vacation, giving Celestia and her son the chance to continue on their mother-son-qualuty-bonding day.
After some window shopping and stopping for some ice cream, Sunny and Celestia decided to head next to the Canterlot spa. Sunny had told his mother how he, Applejack and even Big Mac had gone to the Ponyville spa for deep tissue massages after some specifically hard days on the farm. It was just what the doctor ordered to relax and refresh oneself. Celestia herself had massages on a weekly basis. The pressures of ruling Equestria wore on your body as well as your mind, and a spa day helped to ease the burden. It was nice that Luna was able to join her on her spa days, since her return in the last couple of years. And now, Celestia was able to enjoy it with her son as well.
After a massage, Sunny soaked in a hot tub while his mother enjoyed a hoofacure. The hot water relaxed Sunny so much, he let his guard down, and his accent was released. "Boy, ah sure do feel good 'bout helpin' those Flim Flam brothers, even if they were ah couple of swindlin' varmets who would sell water to ah duck."
"I know what you mean" Celestia stated as she relaxed herself. "That was a good idea to suggest Los Pegasus to them. I have a feeling they might just find their place there."
"Well shoot, if anypony can find peace in ah place like that, it's those two. Why, Ah bet those two won't even wait ah-" Sunny stopped his train of thought, replaying what he had been saying in his head. 'Oh no!'
Sunny frantically looked around and saw the spaw was quite busy that day, with ponies he recognized as being some of the upper crust of Equestria! Not just miss Upper Crust herself, but also Fancy Pants was there, Jet Stream, Hoity Toity, and several ponies Sunny remembered from the galla! All of which sounded so refined, carrying themselves with the airs that Canterlot was known for! 'Oh dang! Ah've done it! Ah've done it now! Ah've ruined mah mother's good image by talkin' like some cowpoke!'
Sunny sank down into the hot tub, wishing that the water would dissolve him and he could just be flushed away, after what he did. Another body entered the hot tub, causing the water to slightly raise, then Sunny felt an invisible force coat him in a gold colored aura, amd levitate him up to the surface.
"Sunny, you want to tell me what's the matter?" Celestia asked, her expression was not one of annoyance or confrontation, but more one shoing she was desperate to understand. "You just started to relax. What's the matter, son?"
It was harder to fight back the tears now, Sunny couldn't look his mother in the eye as he told her in a shaky voice "ah… ah didn't want ta embarrase you or have other ponies look at you like ya messed up in raising me 'couse ah don't speak as refined as you do. So ah've been trying ta talk like ah used to 1000 years ago… but ah guess ah couldn't do that for ya… ah'm sorry mom."
Celestia looked down on her son, slightly disappointed with him, but disappointed gave way as she pulled him into her and embraced him in a hug. "I don't care what other ponies think of me, Sunny. They can say whatever they want. I just want you to he you."
Pulling away from her son for a moment, but still keeping a hoof behind his back, Celestia smiled down at him with a more gentle expression as he wiped under his nose. "You're perfect the way you are. Accent and countryisms and all.
"You're a hard working stallion, who goes out of his way to help others, has strong moral values and strives to always do good. You make me proud to be your mother." Celestia stated, using her free hoof to push up under her son's chin. "Now, promise me you'll never be ashamed of who you are again."
Sniffaling and whipping away a few tears, Sunny nodded and promised under his breath before leaning in and giving his mother a great big hug. The crowd, consisting of both staff members of the spa and rich customers, that had been watching and listening let out a collective 'awwwww'.
When Sunny and Celestia finnaly separated, Celestia couldn't help but notice Sunny still had a troubled look on his muzzle. "Something else, wrong, Sunny?"
"Mom… ah think ah need ta make right by somepony else, too" Sunny admitted, then began to explain to his mother what he did before walking through the mirror earlier….
Back at the farm, the Apples were just finishing up dinner when Applejack heard hoofsteps coming from upstairs in Sunny's room. Her immediate excitement was quickly replaced by a pained heart ache as she remembered her conversation with her coltfriend earlier. Her whole family knew something had happened, but Applejack couldn't bring herself to tell them. It would break their hearts to know that Sunny thought they were embarrassing.
Clearing the table and piling the dishes up by the sink, Applejack didn't notice that there were more hoof steps then just the 4 belonging to Sunny. Her back was to the doorway next to the stairs where Sunny appeared.
"Welcome back!" Apple Bloom cheered and ran up to Sunny.
"Did you'll have ah good time?" Granny asked, a large smile across her muzzle.
"We had ah mighty interesting time" Sunny admitted. "But ah got somethin ta say. Actually, quite ah few things ta say."
Applejack turned and looked at Sunny, her expression hard as a rock and impossible for anypony to read. Well, anypony except for Sunny who could see she had built a brick wall around her heart to hide her feelings.
Sunny held his stetson hat in his hoof as he sheepishly walked into the kitchen. "Ah owe you all ah mighty big appology…"
This caught everypony's attention, all the Apple's eyes were guided to Sunny as he sat back on his haunches and began speaking in a regretful, but firm tone. "See… this mornin' before ah went ta Canterlot, ah thought speakin' the way ah do around ya'll would embarrassing mah mom, so ah left mah hat behind and forced mahself ta talk like ah used ta… an' before ah left, ah told that ta Applejack.
"She knew somethin' was buggin' me, she always knows. And ah stupidly insulted her and ya'll. Ah was bein' ah darn fool…" Sunny paused to look around the room at all the Apples, who were listening and taking in all he had to say, before his eyes locked with Applejacks bright, beautiful green eyes. "Ah don't expect ya ta forgive me. Ah hurt ya pretty bad… but ah mean it, from th' bottom of mah heart when ah say ah'm so sorry. And ah'll never, ever disrespect you, yer family, or way of life ever again…"
The room fell silent as the eyes of Granny Smith, Big Mac, Apple Bloom and even Princess Celestia (who up until then stayed behind in the back ground to give her son room to make his speech) darted from Sunny, to Applejack, back to Sunny, before landing back at Applejack. Everypony felt that the entirety of forgiveness rested with her judgment.
The orange mare broke her stillness by patting her chin and playfully thinking about all he said. "Ah don't know. What do ya'll think? Should we forgive him?"
A smile grew on all the Apple's muzzles when they saw Applejack's relaxed expression.
"Well… ah guess we could" Granny stated playfully, smiling a little.
"He does seem awful sorry" Apple Bloom snickered a little, enjoying the playfulness of thr mood.
"Eh'yep" Big Mac concured, nodding in agreement.
"I've never seen him show so much regret for his actions then when he hurt you, Applejack" Celestia finnaly joined the group, stepping into the kitchen. "And I saw him return from crumbling and Empire into a dessert."
"Ah tried ta reason with them!" Sunny spoke up to defend himself.
"Did ya really do all that!?" Apple Bloom heard Sunny speak about that before, but thought he was just trying to scare some folks.
"Ah kinda want ta hear 'bout that mah'self" Granny chimmed in.
"You have to tell them the story" Celestia smirked.
"Ah'right, ah'right" Sunny waved his hoof, still keeping his stetson hat over one hoof. "But first, Applejack, would ya mind if ah talk to ya alone, fer ah minute?"
A little suprised, Applejack looked over at Granny and Big Mac, who gave her the motion to proceed. Sunny then walked out onto the porch with Applejack, his hat still over his hoof. When the door shut behind them, and Sunny double checked that they were alone, he took in a few breaths before speaking to steady himself. He was feeling nervous and glittery.
"First, ah want ta say ah'm really sorry 'bout this mornin' " Sunny's brave demener melted away into one of a colt who knew he had done wrong.
Applejack's own stone walls crumbled too as tears fell from her eyes. She was so used to keeping her emotions in check, that she didn't know how to speak strait sentences through the tears. "Ah… ah thought ya… like ah wasn't … good enough for ya…"
Swallowing what she was saying, Sunny knew he messed up, big time. His tone was low and forlorn. "Ah'm just so sorry, Applejack… mah mom knew ah wasn't actin' right all day and finnaly asked what was wrong. Ah almost ruined our whole day together makin' her worry. But more importantly, ah hurt you. The most important mare in mah life."
Whipping away the tears, Applejack responded with "maybe one of the two most important mares in yer life. Yer momma should be up there too."
Sunny chuckled at her responce. Seeing him chuckle made Applejack smile. He cleared his throat, then brought up "Did you know yer great grandpappy gave ah sapling apple tree ta mah mom as ah thank you fer showing them ah safe place ta settle down and start their farm?"
"Ah knew 'bout yer mom showing Grannys folks the land where Sweet Apple Acres is now, but ah didn't know Great Grandpappy gave her anything." Applejack was suprised. "How is it? Pretty big, right? How do th' apples taste? Have ya tried 'em?"
"No" Sunny admitted, thinking if he wasn't so worried earlier, he would have thought to grab some for the family. Maybe his mother would let him grab some one of these days, maybe even bring the other Apples to see the tree too!
There was a short silance between Applejack and Sunny after that. But Sunny had something he needed to say. And now was the time.
"Applejack, you make me so happy" Sunny declared gently. "When you're happy, the sun's always shinnin', when ah'm around you, ah feel like ah can do anything. Not alot of folks can make claims ta that."
"Well… ah don't know 'bout all that" Applejack blushed a little, looking away from Sunny.
"Ah do. Applejack, ah may have been born 1000 years ago, but ah never started living till ah met you. Everything else just started ta fall inta place. Friends, family, mah world was coming back together becouse ah had you by mah side. As my friend, as my special somepony, an' ah don't ever want ta let ya go" Sunny put his Stetson hat back atop his head, where it belonged, but held something behind his back, catching the attention and curiosity of Applejack" … I've studied ah little about earthpony customs… and ah hope you take this, an make me the happiest stallion in Equestria…"
Applejack's eyes went wide as Sunny presented her with several small Apple seeds. "These were from the Apple family tree in mah moms garden. Applejack, will you take these seeds an' marry me?"
Tears ran down the edges of Applejack's eyes as she looked from the seeds to Sunny, who was eagerly awaiting her reaponce, flashing his relaxed smile at her. She couldn't move, and didn't want to breath, afraid that this was another dream she was having and she didn't want it to end.
"Applejack?" Sunny finnaly broke the silance after several minutes of Applejack crying as she took it all in. He was begining to panic, thinking she would say no. He started to repeat his proposal "Will you-"
cutting him off, Applejack tacked him to the ground, squeezing him in a tight hug, as if she wanted to sumush them both together. "AH DO! AH DO! AH THOUSAND TIMES AH DO! LETS GET HITCHED!"
Releasing a held breath, Sunny relaxed and wrapped his hooves around his new fiancé, pulling her more into him, nuzzling his muzzle into her mane, taking in her lovely, earthy scent. In that moment, Sunny felt more at peace then he had in a long time. This was true love. Not an emotion that one feels one moment and it's gone the next. But a binding thing that one felt deep in themselves, that lasted even if you were angery at one another. Becouse when you loved somepony, truly loved somepony, even fighting felt like a dance. And eventually the song will end, you two would make up, an begin another dance, hopefully a more gentle one.
Applejack looked up at Sunny, and kissed him. Her soft lips matched perfectly with his own as he returned the affection. The world could have ended around them and they would still be holding eachother in that kiss. Time just seemed to stop for them.
Reluxtantly, Applejack broke the kiss, looked into Sunny's eyes and told him "ah never thought this day would come."
Sunny chuckled and booped her nose. "Ya ain't dreamin'. Ya ready ta make the announcement ta yer family?"
"Ah've been ready fer months" Applejack admitted with a light blush on her cheeks.
"Good, me too" Sunny admitted, helping Applejack up, straitening her hat, and brushing some dirt off her back. As she did the same for him, he remembered something "oh, by the way, mom wanted to learn how to bake a cake. Feel up ta helpin' yer future mother-in-law tie up the day with ah bakin' lesson?"
'Mah mother-in-law is gunna be princess Celestia' the thought nearly knocked Applejack over.
Sunny steadied his fiancé, seeing her nervous hesitation, then spoke gently to her "my advice; just be yerself. Mom already thinks th' world of you already."
Hearing that, Applejack relaxed a bit and followed Sunny inside, already thinking of which recipe to teach a princess. To teach her soon to be mother-in-law.
"I still can hardly believe it" Celestia repeated herself herself her son.
"Believe it, mom" Sunny beamed as he held up what looked to be a small piece of concrete. For a moment Sunny was overwhelmed with joy, the final piece of Discords shattered stone body had been located! Now they can put him back together!… but there was a sacrifice. One that struck Sunny to his core.
When Sunny arrived at the Vetrinarian's office in Ponyville, as instructed by the Baba Ya Ga sisters. He was shocked to see a very, very cold Crackers the ferret there, currled up in an electric heating blanket. The poor guy had traveled far, before arriving in Ponyville in an ice cream cake train car. No pony knows when or how he got on there, but when they saw his collar, they immediatly took him to the town Vetrinarian for care. After Sunny spoke with the vet,, who reasured Sunny several times that Crackers would indeed be alright, Sunny noticed a small package tied securely around the little ferret.
Removing it from his pet, Sunny noticed a letter with his aunt Radiant Hope's hoof writing;
'Sunny, I trust you know what to do with this.
Darkness approaches. Stay true to who you are.
-Radiant Hope'
Sunny read the note over in his head several times, and each time it left a worse feeling in the pit of the yellow unicorn's stomach. Something was wrong, he just knew it. Pappy wrote that he would be borrowing Crackers and would take care of him, but why would Aunt Radiant be sending him back Crackers? Where was Pappy? And why didn't Radiant Hope's just deliver Crackers herself? Where was she? Why did she feel the need to send Crackers all on his own? Sunny's father had the missing piece to Discord, so how did Radiant get it away from him? Something was off, and it left a not in Sunny's gut. But Sunmy knew what he had to do at that moment.
"Go ahead and place the piece you have on the pile, Sunny" Celestia told her son as the two reached the spot in the garden where Discord's crumbled stone body lay. Celestia had sentries guarding it at all times, she wished there was more she could have done for her old friend, but the spell had to be performed at the same spot where the statue crumbled.
After Sunny placed the stone tooth piece ontop of the pile, Celestia focused her magic and coated the debris in a golden magical aura. The pieces began to levitate, and slowly reorganize into a familiar shape until they formed a statue in the image of Discord once more. In a mater of moments, the pieces settled into place, cracks disappearing as if it had never shattered in the first place. But he was still just a grey statue.
Sunny turned and looked to his mother with slight concern before Sunny hears a small chipping sound, and flung his gaze back to the statue, worried that it might be breaking into pieces again. A feeling of reliefe washed over Sunny when he saw the master of chaos pealing a layer of grey off him as if he were a snake or a lizard shedding it's skin.
"Discord? Are you alright?" Celestia asked, her tone a little hesitant.
The master of chaos shook violently like a dog that just got out of a bath, freeing himself from the rest of the grey pieces of skin. Once he looked like his old self, the master of chaos struck a pose and declared "I'm back! I'm back and ready to teach that stallion of yours a little manners! Maybe a few days in the chaos zone having tea with come cosmic beings will do just the trick!"
Discord snapped his fingers before anypony could stop him…. But nothing happneed.
Everypony fell silent, eyes heavy on Discord. The draconaquis paused, looked back at Celestia and Sunny, chuckled nervously, then tried snapping his fingers again. And again. And again. And again. But nothing happened. Nothing at all.
"Th-this has never happneed to me before!" Discord's shaky voice made Sunny and his mother nervous.
"Ah don't understand" Sunny looked Discord over. "We had all th' pieces. What went wrong? Was he ah pile of pieces for too long?"
Celestia narrowed her eyes, her mind reeling with every possibility. "I don't know. We'll need to get you to a doctor, maybe even a magical examiner, Discord. But other then your lack of magic, how do you feel?"
The shaken draconaquis looked his body over a few times, bending and twising in ways that only he could, before looking back at Celestia. "I think I'm fine, you know, other then having no magic… ugh, this isn't good Celestia. What is a master of chaos without his magic!? How could I bring joy to every creature I come across!? Perform great acts of entertainment for the reader to enjoy!? Mimic famous actors or referance things that needs will Google later!?"
Sunny raised a brow at Discord, half of the stuff he said normally didn't make a lick of sence, but he didn't say anything given Discord's current state. The draconaquis could be delirious and spouting nonsense.
"We'll figure out what's going on. Lets get you inside" Celestia offered her back for Discord to lean on, Sunny quickly changed into his Celestial form and took to Discord's other side.
The master of chaos was a little taken back by Sunny's sudden transformation, but shook it off, mumbling under his breath "guess there are a few things I'll need to be filled in on."
The two tall ponies holding Discord up, lead the powerless Master of chaos out of the hedge maze, steadily making their journey to the castle to get him the medical attention he needs.
Sombra glared at Radiant Hope, who was at the moment, frozen in a large crystal. Her form was solidified in a position that made her seem like she was simply floating in the water, possibly having a bad dream, given the pained look on her face. But Sombra knew she didn't have bad dreams about herself. No. She had bad dreams about those she cared about. About her friends from the Crystal Empire, about the princesses, about Sunny, and possibly, about him.
"You need not concern yourself with her" Sombra's mother's voice hissed as she took to his side. The form of princess Amore may have been standing there, but a dark miasma blanketed her, seemed to pour out of her eyes, nose, mouth, and coat her in a sickly smog. The tall unicorn's eyes glowed a sickly white color as she looked upon her son.
"I know she'll be fine in there-" Sombra started to state, but was interrupted.
"You shouldn't care about somepony who betrayed you" his mother snapped, interrupting him, her tone never reaching above a level of annoyance. "My son, I would have thought that you, of all creatures, would see by now that no pony can be trusted…"
As Mourning Cloak, still using Amore and her puppet for the time being, moved her marionette around in the darkness, she began to weave a spell in her misty form that was now secretly cloaking her son. "My son, ponies have proven time and time again to be untrust worthy, to you, to me, to our kind.
"Celestia tried to betray you, sealing you away in the ice of the tundra. Your son betrayed you, taking his mother's side, no doubt concocting a way to defeat you as we speak. Radiante Hope conspired with your father to steal the piece of Discord and returning it to give Celestia and your son an edge on you." As she spoke, more and more brown mist began to pour from her mouth.
"You took care of Discord, though. Casting that spell on it so he can't use magic if his body was ever reformed." Sombra stated, his eyes following the puppet Amore.
"I did that as a precotion" Mourning stated with a slight hiss. "You are cunning and smart, my son. You get that from me. But you are too trusting, to soft hearted. Like your father. He was weak. He let the ponies manipulate him. He grew ashamed of what he was, and forced himself into that shell of a form. But no matter how much he may try, he, you, myself, we are the things ponies fear the most. Fear itself! We should be proud of that. And never let others tell us what we are."
Her words made sence to Sombra. The shadow king stood and listened to them as they seemed to repeat in his head over and over. He never payed attention to the thin streams of brown mist that were making their way into his ears. The more Sombra repeated his mother's words in his head, the more they made sence, and Mourning Cloak could see it.
"We can't trust anypony" Sombra stated as a new fierceness shifted his eyes. He then looked out to the door, just beyond the room they were in, where the most loyal of his pony guards were. "When we are done, we'll let our family feed on those ones. It will be a good appetizer for them."
"Now you're thinking of your family" Amore's hooves patted Sombra on his back.
'Family…' the word ran in Sombra's head, clearing some of the mind numbing mist. A change in Sombra's hard gaze occurred as he tore his eyes from the door, his mind traveling to a small farm in a town far away from him, where he guessed his son was working hard. "But… what about Sunny? He's half umbrum, and my son…"
Shocked and annoyed by the connection Sombra kept with his son, Mourning took in a deep breath and decided it was time to have a motherly talk with her son.
"Do you not see what he is doing to you? He has chosen the ponies over you!" She began hard but softened her tone, knowing she couldn't force her son to take in her words as she did with his father. No, she needed to be more elegant about it. "He tried to stop you from releasing our family 1000 years ago. He has since stood in your way of trying to release them, time and time again, always choosing to side with ponies. Choosing his mother who neglected and disowned him, over his own father who did everything he could for him… do you even have a son?"
The last statment seemed to ring in Sombra's mind the most. As if it were the sound a brass bell was being rung in his ears, over and over and over.
"He chose his mother over you" Mourning hissed again, her brown mist filling into Sombra's ears directly from her mouth as she whispered into his ears. "His friends over you. Even your treacherous father over you. He's put you on the back burner, put everypony, literally every pony in the world, before you. And after everything you did for him. You were practically his best friend… but now he sees you as only an enemy…"
Images flashed of Sunny fighting Sombra, but not memories, more like clipped older memories pieced togearher with recent ones, merging them into thoughts of the upcoming battle against Sunny. Only this time, it seems Sunny isn't afraid to fight Sombra. Images flashed in Sombra's mind of Sunny stricking him down and sealing him away, again, for another 1000 years, in the ice, only to walk away and have a victory party with all the other ponies.
Was this his fate? Was this what was waiting for him if Sombra faced his son once again?
"He's turned his back on you…" Mourning's voice ran in Sombra's head like small silver bells. "He's no son of yours… he belongs to Celestia… to the ponies… he cares nothing for you, or for our family…"
'He's happier with them' Sombra thought. A numbing, yet painful thought. Then, slowly, a bubbling anger began to fill the shadow King's heart as he stood up on his hind legs and stomped his front hooves into the ground! "He wants ponies! He can have them! And suffer their fate with them! He is no son of mine!"
The last sentence began ringing loudly in Sombra's head again, with each gong the statment seemed more and more true to him. Seeing this, Mourning Cloak smirked in the shadow of her puppet, knowing soon this would all be over, and her Empire would rane Supreme, and shadows will cover the world. But something would need to happen to that annoying little sun spot. And she knew just what to do….
It had started off as an average day on the farm; the Apples all woke up before the rooster crowed, hopped out of their respective beds, cleaned themselves up a bit, then went right to work in the orchard while Granny made them breakfast. It was a hot and dry day, though. And about half an hour into the harvest, Sunny went back to the farm house to get the three Apple siblings some water.
As he entered the farm house, though, Sunny senced something was very, very off. A cold chill ran up his spine. Looking around, Sunny knew there was something in the farm house that didn't belong there, but he couldn't put his hoof on it.
"I'm upstairs…" a feminine voice called out to Sunny, one he didn't recognize, but one that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and every muscle in his body tense.
Curious and concerned, Sunny kept his eyes wide open and his guard up, as he cautiously walked up the stairs to where he heard the voice coming from. It suprised him to find the voice had come from his own bedroom. Pausing at the door frame, Sunny peeked around the corner and inside his room. Inside was a rather tall, elegant unicorn, with a pink-cream colored coat, and a flowing and curly pink mane that turned blue near the begining of the curly ends.
"Pardon my rudness, miss, but who are you? And what are you doing in my room?" Sunny asked, his accent not present as he was cautious and preparing himself for a possible attack.
The mare turned to Sunny and smiled, her green eyes glowed as they locked onto where Sunny hid behind the wall, and she shot him a small smile. Not the kind of smile that one would have when being genuinely happy, like seeing a friend or greeting a family member, but more like one a cat would have on its face as it cornered a mouse and was going to play with it for a while, knowing the mouse couldn't get away. Sunny was glad he chose to be cautious and stayed out of his room and behind the edge of the door, instead of doing the polite thing and walking inside.
"Don't you know who I am?" As the mare spoke, Sunny felt the air in the room grow colder, making it almost harder to breath. "Forgive me. I am Princess Amore. Former ruler of the Crystal Empire. And I'm looking for King Sombra. Have you seen him?"
This caught Sunny off guard. He had heard tales of Princess Amore from his father… but she had gone missing over 1000 years ago. Looking the mare up and down, she did look like the images on the tapestries that hung in the halls at the Crystal Empire castle, but how was this possible?
Letting his guard down, Sunny stepped into his room, ready to ask some quesgions. But as soon as the yellow unciorn stepped into his room, the door slammed shut behind him, and Sunny knew he made a mistake. A strong magical force, stronger then any he had felt before levitated him up and began squeezing.
"You discussing little thing!" Amore hissed, her facial features altered slightly as a brown smoke poured out of her mouth and the corners of her eyes. "Such an abomination doesn't deserve to exist! To think my son raised you, disgusts me! Such a waste of his precious time! But now it's time to take out the trash."
Amore levitated a tall mirror, similar to the one Celestia gave to Sunny, over to her. Unlike the one Sunny had, that had a boarder that was while and purple similar to the structures in Canterlot, this one was black with red crystals embedded into it, making it appear very menacing. Before Sunny could react and cast a teleportation spell, he was thrown into the mirror by the strong magical force of Princess Amore. Immediatly after Sunny passed threw the magical mirror, Amore levitated the mirror into the air, and using all the brute strength of her magical force, crushed the mirror into the tiniest little ball of black rubble. Even going so far as to crush the mirror shards into sand sized pieces.
With a vile smile and wicked chuckle, feeling victorious in her doings, Mourning Cloak still possessing Amore's body, looked down at her work, pleased that she just removed a rather annoying obstival from the picture. "No more little mongral around to trouble my son with worry full thoughts. But just to be safe, let's take care of those 'friends' of his as well…"
Sunny had been tumbling around in a blinging light and multicolor tunnel for quite some time before his unwanted ride ended abruptly, and he fell to the floor. His body hurt all over, but his warrior instinct kicked in, and he got to his hooves and looked around. Breathing heavily, Sunny recognized the room he was in as one of the storage rooms in the Crystal Empire. Doing a double take, Sunny made sure that nopony or creature was around, then jumped away from the magical mirror behind him, worried that whatever that creature was pretending to be princess Amore would soon follow. After a moment, Sunny cautiously tapped at the magical mirror. His heart sank as his hoof just seemed to touch the surface of a regular mirror, rather then a magical portal that would have sucked his hoof right into.
'This isn't good he thought as he cautiously made his way across the storage room to the door leading outside. 'If I can just get to Cadence and Shinning Armor, maybe they can use some sort of spell to get me home! They have that wizard living in the castle now, right? What's his name, Sunblast or something…'
Opening the door and stepping out of the storage room, Sunny turned around and came muzzle to muzzle with somepony he didn't expect to see.
"Applejack!?" Sunny had a mixture of emotions as his fiancé was standing right infront of him. But he pushed his questioning feeling aside and immediatly pulled the orange mare into a hug. "Oh thank mom, yer OK!"
Relief fed into fear as Sunny broke the hug and looked Applejack up and down, checking her for wounds of any kine. "Did that witch hurt you! I swear, Ah'll-ah'll…"
But Sunny noticed something different about Applejack as he looked her over once again. She was wearing some sort of crystal guard armor, her mane was braided rather then tied near the end with a red ribbon, and her expression seemed dull and emotionless. Releasing her from his grasp, Sunny looked Applejack over, sencing something was wrong.
"Are you ok, Sir?" Applejack asked in a rather dulled tone, her eyes had lidded showing little to no emotion. "You're acting a little odd."
"Applejack, you… you feelin' ok?" Sunny asked, putting a hoof to her forhead. No, she wasn't running a temperature.
"Sir, as much as I would like to play around, you are needed in the King's throan room. He requested your presence." Applejack stated, her expression and tone very flat, almost devoid of all emotion.
Not knowing what to do, but sencing something was still off, Sunny straitended himself up and told Applejack. "Alright, take me to the Throan room."
"As you wish, sir" Applejack flatly replied in a way that would make Maud look like Pinkie Pie. As Applejack lead Sunny down the hallway that Sunny knew led to the throan room, he studied his surroundings and took note that alot of the decorations were… not quite right.
Tapestries that normally hung around the castle were the same, but there were a few that appeared very different. Images of a unicorn in black armor appeared more then a hoof full of few times, appearing to be fighting dragons, Griffins, yaks, and many more armies, mostly by himself. Then there were Crystal statues of guards all around, all of them armed with Crystal guard armor and real metal weapons, and Sunny swore they were watching him.
Several thoughts ran through Sunny's mind as he took everything in. Too many to home in on. He could spend days, maybe even weeks trying to piece everything togeather, but decided it would just be best if he went with the flow. Answers would soon present themselves.
After a few moments, both the armor clad Applejack and Sunny appeared at the doors of the throan room. Applejack suprised Sunny by saluting him and asking "will there be anything else, sir?"
Not wanting to raise suspicion, Sunny simply held his head high and told the Applejackinfront of him "that will be all. Ugh, return to your post."
"Yes, sir" Applejack replied as she turned 90 degrees, stepped to the left, and staired forward. Apparently her post was the throan room. Sunny hoped she didn't notice that he didnt know that.
Wanting answers as to what was going on, Sunny pushed the doors to the throan room open and stepped through, believing he knew the only unicorn king who could be behind this, and maybe, Sunny could get some answers and hopefully help home. Stepping through the doors to the throan room, Sunny wandered in like a moth to a flame, his eyes darting all around the room, amazed and shocked by what he saw. All around the throan room were tall sheets of dark green crystal with several smaller squared of images on each of them. Almost like a large movie screen projecting the contents of several tiny television sets. The images displayed appeared to be from all around Equestria, but the cities and towns seemed… wrong… it heavily reminded Sunny of the alternate time lines he dealt with before, where things weren't quite right. There was an area that looked like Canterlot, but there was no castle, just a large tower similar to the Crystal Empire. The same was with Manehatten, and Appleoosa, and even Ponyville. Although, from the screen Sunny was looking at, Sunny saw the name of the small town was called Appleville. He thought that maybe he was slooking at the wrong town, but he saw Big Mac and Granny walk across the screen with a barrel of apples to sell. They both looked so sad, it made Sunny's own heart ache to see them like that. All of the screens circled the room, and the actual 'throan' appeared at the center of the room. The throan was different then before, being made now of dark crystals, not unlike the ones his father was able to make. Becouse of that it took Sunny a moment to realize that atop the throan was somepony clad in black armor almost identical to the color of the throan itself. The pony in quesgion sat in his seat and watched all the screens, the large dark crystal throan turning with ease left to right, right to left, making sure to show the one who sat on the throan all the screens.
"Who are you!?" The voice of the pony who sat atop the throan was deep, sounding just like a metallic version of his fathe's voice. Deep and angry.
"My name is Sunny, Sunny Knight" the yellow unicorn answered, his tone becoming more stern as he took hold of the situation, not wanting to let this black armor clad ruler hold him with fear. "I have a few quesgions for you."
"Interesting…" The balck armored unicorn stated in a deep voice as he put a hoof to his helmet and pressed a few buttons. The reflective lenses on the helmet flashed green, then yellow, then red. Sunny didn't know it, but each color change the unicorn's black helmet made was a different filter that could show the true form of several shape changing creatures of this world or a few others. When the helmet wearing unicorn only saw Sunny as what he appeared to be, he was half convinced that he was actually in his natural form. As the black armored unicorn studdied Sunny, Sunny studdied him as well. It was impossible to tell what the unicorn was actually feeling, his mask hid every inch of his muzzle, and made his voice echo and alter to negate any and all emotion. Sunny had grown fond of science fiction comics, and this pony who was conpletly covered in armor reminded him of a half pony half robot villain in one he read.
The black armored unciorn then turned to one of the large screens, and gave an order. "Take a look inside the storage room. I want a visual."
Sunny looked away from the black armored unicorn to the screen had been talking to. It was showing an image of the hallway he and Applejack just walked through, to the black armored unciorn who had stepped down from his throan. But now the image was moving down the hall, back where they came from, Sunny recognized all the decor he questioned that had the dark armored unciorn's image on it.
Now that the black armored unicorn was closer to Sunny, he could see that the black armor of this pony wasn't merely thick metal for protection, ot had very intricate parts that Sunny couldn't begin to understand their workings, much like the odd color changing helmets lences. The armor looked like it was made of dark metal, but hand a flowing silk like cloak. Every personal feature of the pony was hidden away under the black armor, not even a single hair was exposed. Reflective lenses on his helmet prevented showing any signs of the wearers eyes, and instead refected the world in their owners lences. Atop the helmet clad head was a jagged crown made of a slightly darker crystal then his armor. While Sunny studied the armored king before him, the armored king studdied the images on the screen infront of him thst started in the hall.
The screen had changed from the hall to a live feed of the storage room Sunny was in just moments before being intercepted by Applejack. Studying the details of the room, the armored king found something that wasn't there before. The armor clad unicorn's voice boomed but kept its flat tone "There! That mirror. Take it to Sparkle. And be careful."
After giving the order, the armored king turned back to Sunny and looked down at him with his emotionless masked muzzle. "Is THAT how you got here? A magical mirror?"
"Yes" Sunny answered as he stood up and straitened his stetson hat. "Tell me, where is Cadence and Shinning Armor? I need to talk to them."
"Cadence and Shinning Armor…." the dark armored unciorn repeated the names before turning to look to his screens once more. Sunny couldn't tell if the dark armored unciorn was looking for Cadence and Shinning on the screens or if he was possibly gathering his thoughts. "Tell me, who are these ponies to you? Cadence and Shinning Armor? Acquaintances of some kind."
"Family, actually" Sunny stated firmly. "Cadence is my cousin, amd Shinning's her husband. And THEY rule the Crystal Empire where I come from-"
Two images appeared on the screen infront of Sunny and the black armor wearing unicorn. There was Shinning Armor, in grey and gold armor, appearing to be leading a group of troops through the streets of Canterlot, a smile on his muzzle as he lead other guards, also clad in similar armor. Another image flashed next to it of a park Sunny recognized as also being in Canterlot. Cadence was there, playing with her daughter, Flurry Heart, in a sand box. They appeared to be OK, but something was off about the both of them. It took Sunny a moment of squinting at the image, but when he realized it, his jaw nearly hit the floor. But both of them were pegasi, not alicorns!
"So THOSE ponies are some how related to you?" The metallic voice asked.
The armored unicorn's words fell upon deaf ears as Sunnys eyes then started to dart from one image to another, all the screens were of this world, all had places Sunny Kind a recognized, but all were slightly different. In one image, Sunny saw the Wonderbolts Academy, but their uniforms were white with blue and read designs instead of blue with yellow, there appeared to be an electric fence around the Everfree forest to keep.ponies out and the creatures that called it home in, and the Friendship express train looked more sleek, grayish white in color, and moved faster then a shooting star! None of this was how he remembered it. What had happened?
"You look shocked" the dark armored unicorn stated again as he walked over to and sat down at a long, white table. He motioned for Sunny to take the seat next to him. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you aren't from my world. Which means you were sent here via that magical mirror. This actually isn't my first time dealing with incidents like this. Now. Sit. Let us talk. I will answer all your quesgions. And you will answer mine."
Stomping his hoof, Sunny snapped at the black armored unicorn. "I don't have time for this! There is some evil witch back at the farm! If I don't do something, she-!"
But the black armored unicorn raised a hoof to silance Sunny. "Be calm. I don't have a way to send you back to your world, just yet. But I had every intention of sending you back to where you belong as soon as possible. Look…"
The armored unicorns horn glowed green as one specific image on the screen seemed to grow. The image appeared to be some sort of laboratory, and working at the table near the magical mirror that Sunny came through, ruffling through various books, was a very familiar…unicorn?
"Ms.Sparkle" the black armor wearing unicorn cast a spell to project his voice through the Crystal golem stationed in the laboratory that was observing Twilight as she worked. The sudden voice shocked Twilight and made her jump nearly out of her lab coat.
The purple unicorn turned and faced the Crystal Golem, read justing a pair of square glasses on her muzzle before flashing a smile at the Golems direction. "Y-yes, your majasty?"
"You received a magical mirror a few moments ago. It was used as a portal into our world. Have you found a way to reopen it?" The King asked flatly.
"I-I believe the mirror on the other side might have been destroyed, your majasty. I'm breaking down the magical frequency right now, though. I should be able to lock onto the exact universe it was linked too within the hour." Twilight happily reported but her happy expression wavered. "But… it might be a little longer before I can establish a connection to a proper reflective surface to link the universes."
"If there is anypony who can get this done, it's you. You were my brightest pupil. " The black armored unicorn complemented Twilight Sparkle, but through the helmet it was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or sincere.
The Twilight on the screen smiled and nodded her head. "Thank you, your majasty! That means alot to me! I'll have this mirror fixed for your friend in no time."
The green screen changed to a scenery of the ocean and went mute. Several groups of ponies could be seen enjoying their day at the beach.
"So… you are a Soleggiato from an alternate universe" the armored unicorn stated in his deep and almost emotionless voice as he turned to fully face Sunny, his reflective eye lences mirroring a rounded image of Sunny. "Allow me to introduce myself; I am the Supreme King of Equestria. I, alone, have concured and brought peace and unity to MY Equestrian Empire."
Sunny had taken the seat offered to him, next to the Supreme King, his green eyes looking the Supreme King up and down. While the Supreme King and Sunny had been occupied with communicating with Twilight, several servents brought out trays of food, plates, napkins, silverware, and drinks. As Sunny began to relax and think his odd circumstances and options over in head, Sunny noticed that he was the only one eating. The food appeared very similar to the dishes back home that would be served for guests meeting with Sunny's mother and aunt. Cob salad, fruit cut into various shapes, small sandwich bites, and several other rate and rich tasting treats, but one thing that caught Sunny's attention was a plate of Apple Fritters. He knew it was more of a desert or breakfast item, but that was one of the first things Sunny grabbed and put onto his plate.
Up until the moment Sunny took the Apple Fritter, the Supreme King's attention had been drifting back to his green screens, since it would be rude to ask Sunny quesgions while he ate. But when Sunny picked up the fritter, it caught the attention of the Supreme King and held it there for a long moment before the Supreme King turned his attention back to the screens, allowing Sunny to eat and relax.
"I'm not so much 'joining you for dinner' as I am just eating your food while you spy on everypony" Sunny noted as he took a bite of his salad.
"I don't trust that somecreature might try and slip something into my food. I've caught them doing so before" the Supreme King noted. "So I make mixtures of vitamins and nutrients and hydrating liquids that are fed through my helmet."
The Supreme King presented a large cup with a curly straw, then inserted the curly straw into his helmet and began drinking the substance down.
"Sounds… scrupsious" Sunny forced a smile.
"It is efficient" the Supreme King stated before looking back to the screens. "And unfortunately, my eyes are required all around Equesteia…"
"Is that really nessisary?"Sunny asked, then looked to the many screens. How tiring it must get to keep such constant visuals on all part of Equestria. Across the various screens ponies appeared happy but anypony who glanced at the golems seemed very, very nervous. This bothered Sunny a bit.
"It is what is needed to keep the peace in my world" the Supreme King stated.
"Mind if I ask what you are so afraid of?" Sunny whipped his mouth with a napkin.
"Those with power have always been feared" the Supreme King casually replied, tearing his attention away from the screens to stair at Sunny with his mirrored lenses. "Tell me, who rules in YOUR Equestria?"
"Well, there are several rulers" Sunny stated, thinking about it. "Princess Cadence, my cousin, rules the Crystal Empire where I am from with her husband, Shinning Armor. King Aspen, king of the deer, rules the Deer in the Everfree forest-"
"Do you have a Princess Celestia where you are from" the Supreme King interrupted Sunny.
"…yes" Sunny cautiously answered. He couldn't hear emotion in the Supreme Kings tone, but he did feel something. Some kind of emotion, no matter how unreadable it would have been to anypony else, Sunny senced it.
"And a King Sombra?" The Supreme King asked, still putting out some kind of unreadable emotion.
"Yes…" Sunny kept his eyes on the Supreme King, waiting for a reaction, but the mask and reflective lenses of his face plate made it hard to gage his actual reactions.
"Tell me, how do they fair?" The Supreme King questioned Sunny, more emotion being put out now then before, yet, Sunny still couldn't tell if it was anger, fear, love, or some other emotion. But the feeling was strong.
Taking a breath and thinking how to explain the situation, Sunny started at the begining. Explaining that they were both his parents where he was from, how his father and mother had to keep the secret of who his mother was, of his father fell from grace, and the 1000 year slumber Sunny had taken. The Supreme King remained more focused on Sunny then on anything on the screens. Especially when Sunny started telling the Supreme King about when he arrived in a small town called Ponyville, how he made friends, how his friends and him became Guardians of Harmony, about meeting his mother again after 1000 years, about his father and trying to release the umbrum, then finishing his story off with how he proposed to Applejack. HIS Applejack. The one who he became so close to and became a part of her family.
The Supreme King remained silent, lost in thought as his hooves remained crossed infront of him, his breathing becoming deeper but slower, as if he were trying to keep himself calm.
After several moments, Sunny finally spoke up. "… do you have a Sunny Knight here?"
The quesgion pulled the Supreme King from his thoughts as he replied with a quesgion. "A who?"
"Er, I guess ya might also call him Soleggiato Cavalere" Sunny wasn't used to hearing his birth name now or days, much less say it outloud.
"I do. He serves as Captain of the guard. Very loyal. He keeps the peace amungst the other ponies" The Supreme King stated then chuckled a little. "But he also secretly underminee the position of the Supreme King and had lead no less then three hundred revolutions against the Supreme King's rule."
Hearing this all made Sunny's head spin a little. "Wait, WHAT!?"
"Do not be so suprised" the Supreme King stated. "You and I both know Sunny, as you call him, is popular with ponies. He can make fair weather friends easily, get them to grow into trusting comrads, earn the trust of anypony he runs into. He is perfect for the position he is in. To be honest, he's the only one I can trust."
"But you are misserable" Sunny stated.
"Excuse me?" The Supreme King's anger flared for a moment.
"You heard me" Sunny locked eyes with the reflective lenses of the Supreme King's helmet. "You're miserable. And I think I know why."
The Supreme King still harbored a flicker of anger in his heart, but sat back and gave Sunny his full attention as he told the yellow unciorn "go on. This might amuse me."
Taking a deep breath, Sunny started "You thought YOUR Celestia was going to betray you, somehow you defeated her, maybe locking her away in the moon or something, but you chose NOT to release the Umbrum locked away below, and now have succeeded in ruling all Equestria.
"But now you are lonely" Sunny continued, his tone less sharp and more forlorn. "You miss your long lost love. You hate the fact that you are distant from your son, Soleggiato, who wants to liberate Equestria from your rule and give the ponies of Equeatia their freedom back. And the only way you cope with all this and keep your emotions in check are by hiding behind an emotionless mask and keeping yourself busy with surveillance duty, letting most ponies be governed by other ponies of lesser status then royals such as mayors."
The Supreme King had patiently sat back and listened to all Sunny had to say, intrigued that he pieced togeather what he did. "Well, I must say, your accusation was an interesting one. But you got a few things wrong.
"I didn't imprison MY Princess Celestia in the moon. I actually keep her very close by…" the Supreme King waved a hoof, causing an image to enlarge on one of the green screens. A panoramic view of what Sunny recognized as the large room beneith the Crystal Empire dungeon. Lining around the room were more Crystal golems, but what they all were looking at in the center of the room sent chills down Sunny's spine and made him sick to his stomach.
In the center of the room stood Princess Celestia, turned to stone, with some sort of ring around her horn and shackles around her wings, wearing a saddened expression of betrayal on her muzzle as stone tears trailed down from her eyes. Next to her was her sister, Princess Luna, also a statue, but her expression seemed more fear sticken then saddened. Accompanying them were the stone bodies of Tirek, what appeared to be a gargoyle, Discord, Chysalis with many changelings around her, as well as a few large dragons and a flock of Griffons. But what shocked Sunny almost as much as seeing his mother turned to stone was the last statue he saw. It was one of his father, King Sombra, a rage filled face painted across his muzzle as he arched his back and looked behind him with sharpened teeth bared.
"Wait… that doesn't make any sence" Sunny looked from the image of King Sombra on the screen to the Supreme King sitting next to him. "How can you be THERE but… here?"
The Supreme King chuckled lightly, his metallic voice sounding dark and eery as it bounced off his helmet. "I see. You thought I was King Sombra. Makes sence. The black armor. Crown made from dark crystal. But I'm not him…"
The Supreme King's horn glowed its green magical aura once more as parts of his helmet became unclipped, unfastened and unlocked. Smoke flew out of his helmet as the Supreme King took his helmet off, causing Sunny's jaw to drop. Underneath the black helmet was the head of a yellow colored unicorn with a well brushed mane that was kept short to appear more official and fit inside the Supreme King's helmet. Once he opened his eyes and locked his green eyes with Sunny's, the Supreme King cracked a smile as he looked at a face so similar to his own. "I'm not our father. I'm you."
Nervous and worried, Applejack tried to keep her composure as she trotted through town, eyes open and darting around looking for her special-some-pony. She doesn't know where he went of to, but her gut told her that something was wrong. The two had plans later to work on wedding stuff, a guest list at the very least. But he just disappeared, no note or anything and if Sunny ever needed to take off suddenly and couldn't say good bye, he would alway, ALWAYS, leave a note.
As Applejack continued her walk through town, she heared a small commotion coming from the ponyville post office. Curious, and slightly hoping that's where Sunny ran off to, Applejack made her way to the front doors. But that's about as far as she could go. It was a nightmare of a sight to say the least. Ponies were cramming themselves inside, all yelling about letters they received, letters they never received, letters they wanted to send, and even a few complaining that the Post office didn't have the seasonal stamps they wanted to buy.
The mare incharge of the post office was Derpy Hooves, and although it's true that not alot of the mail gets to where it belongs, Derpy does do her best at delivering the mail. And heck, no pony else wanted the job, so it's better that somepony take it and have… issues with their efficiency, then no mail get delivered at all. Most ponies in town know eachother, so if it was something that seemed important, they would just hand it off to one another. And if it was outgoing, like, say, to Canterlot, it would be picked up by somepony else. So it had a good chance of being delivered. Most ponies in town didn't have a problem with Derpy and her… methods of delivering mail. Applejack couldn't help but wonder why ponies were acting up now, out of the blue.
Poor Derpy could only stand behind the counter and take the barrage of screams and yells. Every time she tried to speak up or apologize to one pony, it was drowned out by others yelling. Derpy was on the verge of tears when she heard something. A voice that seemed to be louder then the others, as if it was in her own head. 'How dare they be angery at you!… yell back… put them in line… or you'll never know peace…'
Something snapped in Derpy as she grinned her teeth, eyes, although still looking in opposite directions grew cold and sharp as she slammed her hooves on the counter and roared "EVERYPONY! SHUT! UP!"
But the yelling barely died down, which made Derpy's blood boil even further. An odd chill ran down her back despite her anger level raising, and the voice from earlier slipped its way into her ears past all the other ponys yelling. 'One yell won't silance them… this is a fight that you can't show mercy in… they want to yell at you?… show them you won't back down… Continue to fight back!… don't let up!…'
Derpy growled again as she rubbed the sides of her head and grinned her teeth before grabbing the nearest pony to her and pulled them closer to her. "You! What's your problem!?"
The stallion gulped a little before stating "I-I just want some Hearts and Hooves stamps-"
"We stopped selling those months ago!" Derpy shrieked before practically throwing the stallion back "Get out of my face!"
The stallion fell back on his flank, tucked his tail between his legs, then ran out of the post office as fast as he could.
Derpy grabbed the mare who stood next to the previous stallion. Derpy looked her in the eye and barked "what do you want!?"
The mare gulped and presented Derpy with a letter she needed sent by priority. Derpy took the letter and looked it over before looking back at the mare and telling her "you need to pay priority shipping, or it will take a week!"
The mare gulped and asked "H-How much is that?"
"Five bits! Take it or leave it!" Derpy snapped before pushing the mare aside before hearing weather the mare would pay for it or not.
"I'm expecting a very important letter from Canterlot" a mare stepped forward before Derpy could grab her to get to her next.
Taking note of this mares sudden burst of assertion, Derpy growled before yelling at the mare "well whoop-de-doo! Now get to the back of the line before I send YOU to Canterlot!"
Applejack couldn't believe what she was seeing! She had never seen Derpy act that way before. She pushed her way threw the crowd that was begining to quiet down, all growing afraid of Derpy and her newly found wrath.
When Applejack reached the front, she calmly asked Derpy "Sugar Cube, are you ok? Do ya want ah little help?"
But Derpy only growled and snapped at Applejack "you got a letter you want delivered?"
Shock replaced Applejack's concern as she fumbled and replied "Ugh, er, no-"
"Then GET! OUT!" Derpy roared, which practically sent Applejack's hat flying off her head.
retreating from the post office, Applejack didn't know exactly what to do, except either find Twilight or Sunny to help the poor, overstressed mare. No pony seemed to notice a tall unicorn hidden benith a cloak stood just outside the Ponyville Post office, a sinister grin on her muzzle as brown smoke flowed from the corners of her mouth and eyes. "One down, four more to go…"
"Hey Bro, didn't you make my lunch last night?" Rumble seemed concerned as he looked all around the kitchen for his tin lunch box, running late for school.
"Yeah, it should be in the fridge!" Thunderlane called down from upstairs. He himself was frantically looking for his Wondebolts jumpsuit. Today Captain Spitfire was having the Wonderbolts practice in their show suits, which were a little more flashy and reflective then the suits they normally practiced in.
Down stairs, Rumble was still looking for his lunch box when his eye caught sight of it sitting ontop of the fridge. The little pegasus couldn't fly much, but he did manage to fly up a few feet to grab his lunch box, only to grow worried when it felt so light. Popping it open, he was shocked to see it was completly empty! Rumble and his brother had their differences in the past, and were starting to really bond. Rumble didn't want to start a fight on such a big day for his brother by complaining that he didnt make a lunch for him. Rumble would just buy something on his way to school and leave it at that.
"Have a good day, Bro! Good luck today!" Rumble shouted back to his brother as he dashed out of the house, really putting a peddle to the metal to pick a lunch from somewhere before school started.
Normally Thunderlane would offer to walk his little brother to school, but if he didn't find his performing jumpsuit, Captain Spitfire was going to have his tail! He just had it cleaned the other day and swore he hung it up in his closet.
Looking under the bed one last time, Thunderlane squinted his eyes on something crumbled at the far end under his bed. As he reached for and touched it his heart sank. Pulling the item in question out, Thunderlane began to rightfully panic! The fancy, reflective jump suit that cost him almost an entire paycheck to buy, that he NEEDED to wear today, was crumbled up into a ball, wrinkled and… something else was off about it. Pulling it apart, Thunderlane felt like he was about to pass out. It was crumbled up into a ball after having peanut butter, cheese, jelly and chips smeered all across it! Then his mind jumped to his brother's lunch. He remembered that Rumble didn't sound excited about having PB and J with nacho chips for lunch, but Thunderlane told him he was on a budget this month. Rumble forced a smile and acted like he was understanding.
"He wouldn't have done that…" Thunderlane told himself outloud.
'You have been really preoccupied with the Wonderbolts…' a feminine voice seemed to slither into his ear as the air around him seemed to grow colder. '… perhapse he is getting jealous… or maybe… he's trying to get you thrown off the team… that way you'll make more time for him…'
Thunderlane looked around frantically, wondering where the voice was coming from. When he saw he was alone in his room, Thunderlane thought he must have been imagining things. It was probably all the stress.
Thunderlane turned his attention back to his soiled suit. "Ugh, the captain is going to have my flank for this… but I guess I'll have to wear my other suit. Aw man! I know I'm gunna do some serious laps for this!"
From his window, a tall unicorn mare smiled menacingly as she watched the grey pegasus fumble around. "How easily blame cracks loyalty…"
Applejack had searched high and low for Sunny, but had no idea where he could have gone off to. She was running out of ideas when she noticed she was close to the house of a certain scientific pony friend of Sunny's. Trotting up to the house, Applejack knocked several times on Doctor Whoove's front door. Each time was followed by a few moments of Applejack pausing and politely waiting. If it had been any other day, she would have just left, but she was growing more and more concerned about Sunny. Applejack had a sinking feeling he was in some sort of trouble. Peering through a window, Applejack's eyes darted around the the house of Doctor Whooves. There was barely anything in there, say for a large blue phone booth looking thing and four chalk boards with alot of writing on them that Applejack couldn't recognize. Some symbols looked like odd numbers, but there were mostly wierd circles that must have made sence to somepony. Surrounded by the four chalk boards was a disheveled looking Doctor Whooves, eyes darting from one board to another as he frantically wrote one thing on one board, turned to another board and erased something, and proceeded to follow the same patters as he went down the line of chalk boards, only to go back to the first one and keep the pattern going.
"Yes…. ugh, no that isn't right… if I take this here… and apply it here…." Doctor was mumbling to himself and oblivious to the world around him. His mane was a mess, his tie was losely hanging from his neck, there were bags under his eyes, and his hooves shook. But the poor guy was lost in his own little world. If a monster attacked the town and ripped his house up, Doctor would still be scribbling away.
Appeljack knew it was a lost cause to try and pry him away from his 'work', having seen Twilight in such a state before when she was re-reorganizing her library some time ago. Applejack decided she would make a stop back by here in a few hours to see if he was out of his 'zone' as Twilight would.
Doctor Whooves awoke that morning with a cold chill running down his spine as a brilliant idea popped into his head. An equation that would make interdimentional travel not just possible but safe as well! He knew the other Doctors told him interdimentional travel was forbidden, but surely if he presented them with a way to accomplish the jumps safely, they may see him as more then just the newest guy who is a little wet behind the ears. They were all very nice, but never took him seriously at the meetings. 'This will change all of that! I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when I show them this!'
Not even bothering to pay attention to the scientist at work, a tall, cloaked unicorn started walking away from her recent 'patient'. Who knew such a smart stallion could be convinced that finding the square root of pi could give him the key interdimentional travel. It would keep him so busy he'll forget all about his friends in need. 'Three down… two to go…'
'I can't believe this is happening' Octavia thought to herself as she stood at her podium, facing her class of eager to learn students. All of them without instruments and seemingly annoyed or board out of their minds as they just sat there in their chairs stairing at either their empty music stands or wandering around the classroom. While trying to keep herself together, Octavia thought to herself 'Curse you Big Mac! You swore you could get the supplies here by today! 'No problem' he said 'you would get back here in no time'! He said!'
"Ms. Octavia" one young colt in the front row raised his hoof.
"Oh, ugh, yes! You have a quesgion!" Her mind hopped from being furious with her friend for ruining her first day of class to being polite and sweet to her student.
"Where are our instruments?" The colt simply asked, which started a slow raising sea of whispers.
"And where is our sheet music?" A filly called out in the back without raising her hoof.
"Aren't we going to learn anything today?" Another filly, who sounded more annoyed called out.
By now, the voices of her classroom began to erupt into a sea of talking fillies and colts, their words Octavia couldn't make out.
'What am I going to do!?' Octavia was failing at calming herself down, everything overwhelming her. The chattering of her students becoming the displeased voices of their parents, all of them questioning her ability to teach and demanding a refund. Octavia was far from being a miser, but she had to take all the money she got upfront from the students parents as well as a little bit of her own savings, to buy the instruments and other supplies for her school! If they demanded a refund, Octavia would have to sell her half of the house her friend, Vynal Scratch, and her shared just to pay back half the parents! 'Big Mac! What in Tartarus are you doing!? Where are you!?'
Peering into the music school from the corner of a window, Mourning Cloak swallowed her own dripping hunger as she watched Octavia curl up behind her podium, afraid and unable to dig herself out of her own hole. The fear Octavia was putting out smelled delicious to Moutning Cloak who was still manipulating Amore's body, but the umbrum queen knew better then to feast at the moment. She was very close to succeeding in tearing these 'New Guardians' apart, but there was one thing left to do.
'Time to check on that big oaf' the demented mare chuckled to herself, then abruptly stopped. If there was one thing she hated, HATED, above all, it was laughter. Well, ok, she had to admit, Singing was worse then laughter. But both gave the spirit hope, and robbed one of their own, delicious fear. In a flash, Mourning Cloak vanished from Ponyville, leaving behind the chaos she had sown.
Broken down on the streach of road connecting Ponyville to Canterlot, Big Mac was struggling to push a very heavy, very full waggon of instruments, music stands, sheet music and other school products, out of a deep mud whole that just somehow appeared on his way back to his home town. Big Mac had offered to fetch the instruments and supplies for Octavia's school for her, trying to be a good friend and save her a small fortune on shipping costs, knowing she had already spent so much to get her dream of opening a music school underway. The trip to Canterlot by hoof would be an all day event, there were no towns or even houses along the winding road to the great city. But he was more then willing to make the journey to help his friend. The way to Canterlot had been easy, but half way back, Big Mac had to dodge alot of muddy parts on the trail that proved a threat to his journey back home. Funny, he didn't think it didn't rain I'm that time that he had been in Canterlot, and the mud traps weren't there when he ventured down it the first time. None the less, they were there, and they proved to a real pain in the behind. He had manuvored around more then half a dozen mud traps, but eventually fell into one.
This one in particular dragged the full cart of instruments down off the side of the road and a good six or seven feet down hill, sinking the wheels and back end of the cart in atleast a good six inches of mud. What made it worse was it didn't stick in the mud, but allowed Big Mac the illusion that he could easily pull it out. But the hill before him was steep and lined with fresh, wet mud. Every time Big Mac attempted to pull the cart back onto the road, he slipped and slid back into the mud, the cart returning to its spot with a loud squish every time. After more then a dozen attempts, Big Mac was covered up to his eyes in mud.
As he paused to whipe some of the wet dirt off himself he heard the flapping of feathered wings over head and thought he might be in luck with some pegusus coming to check out the ruckus, who could possibly give him some much needed help. He was wrong.
The flapping sound wasn't made by pegusus wings, but rather the wings of large black crows that took up seats in the surounding trees. Their eyes seemed to almost glow red as they looked down at Big Mac with judging gazes. Big Mac hated crows. It was a farmer thing. Farmers grow crops. Crows see the crops. Crows peck a and half each the crops. Farmers have to put up a scare crow in their fields. Its a complicated relationship. But he couldn't let their presence deter him from what he had to do.
Trying once again, Big Mac stood up from the mud, crawled over to the cart, and tried once more to pull it out of the ditch. And once again, poor Big Mac slipped and fell face flat into the mud. Only this time, an echo of the crows cawing filled the air. The sound shouldn't have held too much meaning to anypony, but Big Mac's mind linked their cawing to laughter. Looking up at them out of the mud, he saw all their little red eyes on him as they cawed.
'They ARE laughing at me' Big Mac shook it off, got up out of the mud, and began to think of his situation from every angle.
Pulling the cart wasn't an option, but maybe pushing it would help. Pressing his back against the cart, Big Mac sunk his hooves into the muddy earth around him and began to kick with all his might. After a moment of trying to push the cart, Big Mac realized all he did was push his hooves deeper into the mud. The crows cawed at him once more from the trees. But Big Mac had other ideas.
Grabbing a rope from the cart, Big Mac made a lasso, and flung it around a stump off the side of the road. He gave the rope a good tug and was able to pull himself out from the muddy ditch. Once back on the dry road, Big Mac tied the end of the rope not tied down to the stump into a lasso as well, and flung it to the cart, grabbing hold of the back strap, then began to pull with all his might. For a second, it started to move, then the brace for the back strap snapped, flew off, and hit poor Big Mac in the head. The crows cawed in laughter again at him.
By this time, Big Mac had had enough. Of the mud. Of the crows. Of this whole stupid trip! Rage and anger filled his mind as he slid down the muddy ditch, walked over to the cart, and this time, reared his back hooves and did what he was good at. He bucked the back end of the cart with a good amount of force, and amazingly, the cart moved more with that then with any of his other tries. But the crows still cawed in laughter.
'Forget those feather brains' Big Mac thought to himself. 'Ah got this now. Hold on Octavia. Ah'll get ya yer stuff yet!'
Big Mac continued to buck the cart, over and over, moving it several inches at a time, feeling proud of himself for making such head way. Each time the cart moved, the crows would caw in laughter, but Big Mac continued to ignore them. Right when he felt he could crack a triumphant smile, the cart stopped moving. He bucked the cart again, but it wouldn't budge. Walking around to the side of the cart, Big Mac saw why the crows had been laughing at him every time he bucked the cart.
The cart was now half buried in mud! Each buck didn't move the cart up the hill, it was pushing the cart deeper and deeper into the side of the muddy slope! The crows continued to laugh at Big Mac.
The the crows laughter built up in Big Mac's ears, making the world spin around him, his heart rate kicking into over drive as he true to pull the cart out of the mud, putting all of his strength into it. But his grip slipped and the big red pony fell into the mud, again. The crows cawing only grew as the big red earth pony splashed around in a fit of fury, enraged by the situation he was in, cursing everything. He cursed his good nature and offering to help his friend. He cursed the long trip he took. He cursed the students needing so much stuff. He cursed the dirt road that he had to walk. And he really, really cursed the crows for their annoying cawing.
The red eyes of the still cawing crows looked down upon Big Mac as the suriunding forest filled with their laughter, and soon with Big Mac's enraged screams.
Not far away, tucked out of sight was Amore, watching with a wide smile on her muzzle. She personally enjoyed this misdeed of hers, in particular. Not just becouse it took two Guardians out in one try, but also becouse, above all the Elements of Harmony, she hated, HATED, laughter. Laughter was the opposite of rage. It gave courage to others and erased fear. Any sane umbrum would hate laughter. And she LOATHED it. Which is why she decided to stick around and watch the big red stallion, who represented it, break down and fall to pieces for a little while longer.
After all, with Sunny out of the picture and no way home, and the other 5 Guardians out of the way, things were going to get easier for her and her son. Now she just needed to do the same thing for those pesky mares, the ones that represented the Elements of Harmony. Hearing Big Mac scream in rage in the background, Mourning Cloak cracked a smile, confident that she could break 6 fillies even easier then the new Guardians.
1000 years ago, I had just returned from a peace mission in Griffin Stone, negotiations were… stretched. But the Griffons respected me for being the Black Knight and heard me out. We didn't get the whole fruit basket from them, but we got a few apples. My father was alone in his study when I returned and saw him in a disheveled state. His mane was a mess, he was hunched over and a dark aura seemed to suround him. It kept me at a distance and as he left his study in a haste, I hid out of sight behind his door. As he left, something fell from his robe. A scroll. I had to read it, thinking it held some clue to my father's current state. When I did, I was horrified.
It was a letter from my mother, Princess Celestia, to her sister, Princess Luna. She explained that my father had discovered the truth about his mysterious appearance in the artic tundra when he was a foal, why he never received a cutie mark, and why he grows ill every year around the time of the Crystal fair. My father was one of the monsters of legend, an umbrum. My mothers letter to her sister continued as she told her sister 'what must be done to him and his son. For the good of Equestria.' She had planned to seal my father away in the arctic tundra, with the rest of the umbrum, and my fate… my own mother, planned to turn me to stone, and seal me away in the Canterlot caves beneith her castle, where no pony would ever find me.
My heart sank as I read and reread the letter, over and over. My head was spinning. I didn't know what to do, who to trust. All of a sudden, I was alone in the world. But something soon brokevme out of my trance. I heard the metallic sound of hammers on metal. Rushing down the hallway, I turned and saw my father had cast some sort of spell on a group of crystal ponies and put them to work making dark metal armor, chains, picks and shovles. He had changed his attire to match the dark armor he was having the mind controlled ponies forge. As they pressed on, I approached my father knowing only of one way to survive.
I had to join him.
He had always been my closest friend. My only friend. All the other ponies may have respected me, but I kept them behind a wall, knowing they made fun of me and my father behind our backs. They never saw anything special about me or had any real respect for me, despite my countless sacrifices I made or all the good deeds I had done. But that was about to change.
My father was glad to see I was on board, and began explaining his plan to me. The Crystal ponies would be put under a dark magic spell and serve as foot solders, temporary guards and look outs. While the rest of the Crystal ponies would be forced to mine beneath the Crystal Empire, inching their way closer to releasing the umbrum by breaching their prison the hard way. My father planned to release the unbrum when my mother and her sister arrived with their army. The umbrum would feed on their fear, then, following his lead, he would begin concuring all of Equestria. The plan was sound, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. For the next day and a half, while my father oversaw the workers and mining, chuckling atop his tower that had become as corrupt as he did, I did my own preparing.
I had practiced with Crystal Rock golems ever since I was a colt. They were a poor substitute for friends, but they did anything I asked and moved without me needing to move them. Not the brightest bunch, but they followed orders. I doubt my father knew about the secret collection of them I kept beneath the hills just north of the Crystal Empire castle. But I guessed there were around two or three hundred. They would do for my own army. But I needed to control them all at once. Luckily, that old goat of a wizard, Star-Swirl, had been working on such a spell. I was just lucky enough to have borrowed his book before he disappeared on some journey, or whatever he was doing.
I cast the spell, and it linked all the golems up, awakening them and binding them all to my will. The spell also grew a large slab of green crystal infront of me. On it, I could see through the eyes of the golems and give them commands without being infront of them. Now that I had my army, I needed one last thing to rightfully rule them. A crown of my own.
The next day, as the sun was about to set, my father and I stood atop his tower and looked out over the Crystal Empire. I was sickened by the sight. The once green hills had shriveled and dried to hard dirt. The crystal buildings that glimmering in the light had dulled to the point of common stone. Whatever ponies weren't being mind controlled and forced to fight in black armor for my father were bound and chained, forced to work in the Crystal mines. Their coats no longer Shinning and majestic, their manes no longer colorful and springy. The Crystal ponies outside image reflected what was in their own hearts. Loss of hope. The castle itself had transformed into a sharp edged, twisted, dark version of itself. Looking again at my father, I realized the castle was a reflection of its ruler. My heart sank. I knew then that what I was about to do was the right thing.
While my father's back was turned, I quickly slipped a magical dampened ring on his horn. The rings themselves are a last resort restrain used normally only against unicorns who are being restrained in prisons. But every royal guard barracks had some in case of an emergency. As well as wing restraints to use on pegusi, or even griffins. My father was shocked by my actions, but didn't have time enough to react to my spell. In a flash of green light, I cast another spell from Star-Swirl's book, and turned my own father to stone. One problem was out of the way, but another was coming. And I had prepared for them too.
My mother, Celestia, and her sister Luna had entered the castle, cautiously. Looking around every corner, waiting for my father to show himself. They expected an ambush. They didn't expect my golems to be the ones ambushing them. But they were ready for a fight. While my golems kept them busy, I managed to slip between the two and slide a magical dampening ring on the both of them. Without their magic, my golems quickly overpowered them, allowing me to slide wing restraints on them, cutting them off from any possible escape, as well as another third of their magic.
Weakening them by cutting off their flow of magic to their horns and wings was the only way I could be sure the petrification spell could work on them. I had to cast the spell on them separately, so I started with my aunt. The spell took a few moments to finish casting, the whole time, my mother just stood there and watched in baffled awe. Once Luna was fully petrified, I turned my magic to my own mother and began casting the spell on her. Tears fell from her eyes as I cast the spell, slowly turning her to stone from the hooves up.
Tears.
Tears ran like two small rivers from the corners of her eyes, as if she were hurt for what I was doing. As if 'I' had betrayed 'her'.
She was planning to do the same to ME. I just happen to get the jump on her and her sister, as well as father.
But that left a vacume in the chain of command. And against my own wishes, I took up a black crown and mask, and presented myself to the army of Canterlot as the Supreme King, after freeing the Crystal ponies. I showed off my father turned to stone to them, claiming to have overthrown him, and declared myself King of Equestria.
Of course, there were many who didn't like my self declaration as the King of all Equestria, and I was met with alot of resilience. But thanks to my army of loyal golems, any and all attempts had been fouorted. My army easily overpowered the Canterlot royal guard, and the Crystal guard were too weak to do anything against me. I made many more Crystal golems, spreading them out to all corners of Equestria. They never replaced the royal guard, but they made sure to enforce my rule. The golems weren't indestructible, but attack one and all other golems near that one will act swiftly.
To ensure my rule, I allowed any and all challenges openly. There were some brave individuals who fought in the name of my mother, who had no idea of her wicked plans prior to my rule. There were the occasional odd characters who challenged my rule; A pegasus guard who welded a magical shield, who lead a group of armored pegusi against me. Then there was a very muscular earth pony who was handy with a shovel, who lead his village warriors. At one point even a draconaquis who could bend all reality. They were quickly defeated by my own hoof. Over night, the kingdom of Equestria was mine. All other threats were turned to stone, and joined my back stabbing family as statues.
Other trouble makers included a power hungry centar and his gargoyle brother, insect like creatures that could change their shape, half aquatic horse like creatures who influenced others with their singing, and a good dozen large dragons. All fell to my might.
But as much as I did to protect my fellow ponies, they still feared me and a few tried to raise up against me. Start a revolution. I took down monsters with great power, so a small, unorganized revolution or two wasn't all that difficult to deal with. But I found myself having to lock up more ponies then I cared for. Ponies who, although they tried to overthrow me, they weren't bad. I could still see the good in them, what they could offer society, and what they would leave behind if I left them to rot in a prison cell. So I invented a simple system to give them all what they wanted while still giving them what they needed.
And thus, Sunny Knight, Captain of the royal guard, friend to all ponies, was made.
I would put a crystal golem in my place in the throne room, manipulate him from afar to make public announcements in my voice, and all the while I would spend time amungst the ponies around equestria. Performing tasks such as pushing off golems to give ponies peace of mind, to rescuing ponies from natural disasters. Yes, I did it all to gain their trust. Over time, I spent less and less time as the Captain, and more and more time as the Supreme King. But the legend of a royal guard who was for the ponies stuck around, I was a living legend. And in time, Captain Sunny Knight became head of the Revolution to overthrow the Supreme King. Why would I help them to overthrow myself you ask?
It was quite the opposite.
I helped ponies devise a plan to sneak into the castle, to bypass the Crystal golems, to get to the throne room, and if they did make it that far, in some way or another, one of them would trip an alarm, alleart a royal guard, or if they were lucky, they actually reached the throne room. If their little revolution was stopped before they the throne room, they would be taken to the dungeon to be chained up in individual cells lined with fake skeletons, and left there. The Supreme King later would approach them and tell them that their revolution had failed, that THEY had failed, and they would stay down there for the rest of their lives. After a few misserable days of feeding them food that was less then appetizing, chained to the walls of the dungeon to think about what they did and what they lost, Captain Sunny Knight would sneak in and free them, and sneak them out. He then would tell them another revolution would try again. He would fill their heads with bravado and false hopes. Some would rejoin the revolution and work to storm the castle again. But most lost hope aftair their valiant effort failed the first time. Which is what I planned. I gave them false hope so they could get out that angst feeling that fuels their revolution, and lead them right to their prison cell. But I never mean to keep anypony there longer then is nessisary.
Now, those were only the ponies who didn't make it to the throne room. The ones who actually breached the doors to my thone room are met with this long white table you see before you. I invite them all to sit and enjoy a meal. Obviously there are some smart and cunning individuals in that determined group, and I wanted to hear from them over a meal. They would hesitate, but I reasure them that information from them would be worth their weight in gold. I would have them sit and tell me what it was that they felt so strongly about that bothered them enough to go against me. I wanted their complaints, essentially. And as the ones who risked it all to achieve their goal, they had the right to speak to me.
Alot of the times we are able to verbally work out our problems. Somethings I've neglected are brought to my attention, in which I correct and thank them for it. Controlling all of Equestria isn't easy, and although I see most of the big problems, some smaller problems such as funding for new school equipment, restoration of national land marks, or even harvest being ruined by fire locust. I correct those such problems, tell the individuals that if there are ever problems such as that in the future, that all they have to do is notify me through one of the Crystal golems, and I'll take care of it. Then I send them on their way, no prison time for their successful efforts. But not all who storm the castle and make it to the throne room are as pleasant as those with such noble issues in mind.
There are some revolutionists who see me as a tyrant, despite the fact that I do very little to oppressors them, who won't be swayed by defeat or reason. They simply wish to fight the good fight and liberate Equestria from my rein. Unfortunatly, it's those poor ponies I pitty the most. I have no choice but to give them the fight they think they want. I cast a black magic spell on them that shows them the chaotic world in which I'm no longer ruling.
The illusion is different for every pony. There is no way for me to know what it was they were seeing, but nopony likes the world they see where there are no princesses and no Supreme King to protect them from the dangers of our world. Whatever quarls they had against me fade away after the nightmare, and the ponies begged for my forgiveness. And I gave it to them, along with hours of community service to show how sorry they were…
"… and THAT is MY story" Supreme King Sunny stated, his front hooves folded infront of him as he sat at the head of the long white table next to Sunny.
Sitting back in his chair, the story Sunny's counterpart just told him reeling in his head, Sunny tried to take it all in. It disturbed him. Mostly due to how similar their stories were. That all could have happened to him if he just took a few different steps. It sounded as if the Supreme King Sunny never went on any adventure with his univers's Doctor Whooves, which made him arrive at the Crystal Empire sooner then Sunny had. Eventually, Sunny gathered his thoughts enough to speak his mind. "Well, that explains it."
"Explains what?" Supreme King Sunny asked, a brow slightly raised.
"Why I couldn't pick an emotion from you earlier" Sunny stated readjusting his stetson. "You've built such high walls, no pony could ever get close to you. You act kind and forgiving, but you don't do it becouse you want to be kind or really forgive anypony. You do it to put them at ease. Everytime somepony rebells against you, you are reminded ponies don't really look up to you like they did with your mother. And after putting out so much effort to keep them safe, you're being eaten up inside."
"I would ask 'what you would know', but since our stories are so similar, it seems redundent." Supreme king Sunny stated, appearing halfway between minority annoyed and accepting. "But it doesn't really matter."
"It does matter" Sunny stated, looking the Supreme king in the eye. "You think you're doing the noble thing, but really you're running away from your problems."
"Excuse me!?" The Supreme King Sunny shot up from his seat, a flash of anger flared I his eyes. "How dare you!? Do you know all I have sacrificed for the Empire of Equestria!? For over 1000 years I monitored, protected, and preserved peace for the ponies of Equestria!"
"What you did was run away from a problem and are making excuses so you don't have to face them." Sunny remained calm as he saw the rage building up in the Supreme King's gaze, their seemingly identical emerald eyes locking.
"Are you suggesting I am afraid?" The Supreme King growled, as the fire in his eyes crackled looking at Sunny.
Meeting his burning gaze with a cool and calm one of his own, Sunny answered "You're not afraid. We WERE afraid, a long time ago. Now you're just tired. I can see it. You don't want all of this responsibility do you? Who would? You aren't just living one life you don't want, you're living two. One of some all seeing king who doesn't take his eyes off his entire kingdom, and the other a royal guard who has to work restlessly to take down the king that nopony knows he actually is.
"I thought for a moment that maybe, the ME, you, in this universe was actually ok with all of this." Sunny continued, the rage inside the Supreme King dying down a little. "And to be honest, I wasn't going to say anything. But now I see you are even more misserable then we ever were as just the princes of our own Crystal Empires."
Taking several deep breaths, questions that Supreme King Sunny had pushed to the furthest corners of his mind began to surface. Questions that proved too great a weight for the Supreme King. Supreme King Sunny fell back on his haunches, his eyes broke away from Sunny's, as his gaze fell to the ground.
"… you're right…" Supreme King Sunny stated in the weakest tone he had spoken in over 1000 years. "I… I don't want to do this. I'm not happy. And I wondered all the time, 'Did I do the right thing?' Maybe I should have let my father fight my mother and aunt. Maybe I should have stayed out of it. Maybe I should have just turned my father and myself over to my mother. Maybe I should have done what you did and tried to reason with my father, but then what would have become of us when my mother returned with her sister?"
"Let me ask you this" Sunny moved to sit side by side next to his Supreme King counterpart. "Do YOU think YOUR mother would have done that? I've seen some darker versions of Equestria, and I know not all Celestias, Lunas, or anypony else are all the same. But, would YOUR mother really do that to you?"
The Supreme King again was left to dig up feelings and memories of his own mother he thought he had buried 1000 years ago when he cast her in stone. Memories of her playing with him as a colt, of her helping him to learn to read, of her helping to take care of him when he was sick, and as he grew older, she showed how proud she was that he was going out into Equestria as a knight to help others. All memories that reflected the image of a loving mother.
Tears began to fall from Supreme King Sunny's eyes as his head drooped. "What have I done!?"
Patting his universe counterpart on the back, Sunny tried to comfort the Supreme King. "We all make mistakes. You were too assertive in protecting Equeatia, I was hesitant in fighting my father. Or maybe neither of us were 100% wrong. Neither of us are perfect. But we have choices we can make to make things right."
Taking a deep breath, the Supreme King stood up, levitated his mask and balack crown over to him and dawned both. "I know what I must do-"
Just then, a group of two dozen or so ponies, lead by Twilight Sparkle, bearing pitchforks, shovles and touches burst into the room.
"Down with the Supreme King! No longer will we live under your watchful eye and be forced to-" this universe's Twilight began calling out as she held a pitchfork high into the air, only to be cut short as the Supreme King appeared before her, looking her down. The reflective lences that once hid his actual eyes were removed from his helmet, and allowed the Supreme King's green glowing eyes to shatter any and all confidence that Twilight Sparkle and her resistance had.
For a long moment, everypony, the revolution ponies, Twilight Sparkle, even Sunny all waited and watched silently as the Supreme King towered over the purple unicorn scientist.
"You don't want me here, fine" the Supreme King turned back to his large green crystal monitors and gave the order to all his golems "this is your Supreme King, execute order IM3. "
The Crystal golems all around Equestria heard the order, and all at once, their bodies began to crack, then fall to pieces, all of them following their self destruction counter measure order given by their creator. Everypony watched as the large green crystal monitors cracked and fell, shattering into pieces that no pony in their right mind would spend time putting back togeather.
Turning back to the crowd of revolution ponies, the Supreme King announced "As of today, I will be retiring as your leader. For over 1000 years I have monitored, protected, and preserved peace for the ponies of Equestria… but I have recently sat down and talked with myself, and realized that not only am I tired, but I was running away from something. I don't want to be your king, and to be honest, I don't think I was a very good one. I wasn't bad, per say, but I'm not what you all obviously want."
The revolution ponies all looked around at one another nervously, then Twilight Sparkle stepped forward and in a meeker voice then either of the Sunnys have ever heard, stated "Ugh, we just wanted a four day work week."
"You can take that up with your new rulers" The Supreme King stated ad he pushed his way past the revolutionist ponies, and made his way out of his former throan room. Twilight Sparkle and her fellow revolutionist didn't know what to think and turned to quesgion captain Sunny Knight who they swore they saw standing with the Supreme King a second ago. Only, he seemed to vanish into thin air.
Sunny was some how surrounded by a large, circular room, dark, with a odd pillars standing around the room. The room itself was several shades of copper and brass, with orbs lining the walls say for one door that stood at the end of the room. Turning to look around, Sunny came face to face with an all too familiar pillar of green light, where, at the base of it where the pillar met the ground, was an octagonal control panel with many different kinds of switches, buttons, nobs and several other things Sunny couldn't identify.
"Well now, I never expected to see you here" an unfamiliar yet slightly familiar voice called out as somepony stepped out from behind the control panel of the TARDIS. He was an average size stallion with a cobalt colored coat and a really short, brown mane that barely stuck up above his head. He wore a leather jacket that covered most of the front of him, but what really caught Sunny's attention was the cutiemark the stallion had. An hourglass. One that looked just like HIS friend, Doctor Whooves's hourglass cutie mark.
"Ugh, who are-" Sunny started to say, but a little too slowly.
"Yes, I know you have a million and 1 quesgions, and I have all of time to answer them, BUT I rather take a look at what's unfolding right now. Shall we have a look see?" The cobalt colored stallion spoke at a rate that would have put Rainbow Dash's speed to the test. He was practically jumping all around the TARDIS's control panel, Flipping switched, pressing buttons and doing some things Sunny couldn't recognize. After a moment, he pointed his hoof to a big screen that appeared behind Sunny. "Lets take a look and your hoof work! In all real time!"
It didn't take Supreme King Sunny long to reach the deepest, darkest dungeons where he kept all the petrified beings, his mother and father being two of them. He paused and looked upon them as he did countless times, but this time it was different. There were times of uncertainty, when Supreme King Sunny had nopony to turn to, when he was stressed and unsure of a decision he had to make. It was easier to just come here and talk with statues then it was to trust anypony with free will who could end up betraying you. It seemed silly, but Supreme King Sunny would also visit the statues once a week just to talk, to feel somenthing. They may have ploted against him, but they were still his parents. And maybe the other Sunny was right; maybe he was just afraid of what might have come. And maybe, just maybe, he was wrong to have betrayed them.
Taking a deep breath and accepting that things may turn out badly for him, Sunny began reversing the petrification spell on his parents first, but stopped just before the spell effected below their necks. Their horns still had the magical inhibiting rings.
"Ugh! What is the meaning of this!? How dare you turn on me!!!" Sombra roared, eyes flailing. "How could you!? First my beloved! And then my own son!?"
"What do you mean by that!?" Celestia with her head now free to move and speak, started questioning Sombra rather then Sunny.
Struggling to get his magical inhibitor ring off his horn, Sombra growled at Celestia. "You were plotting to betray me that night you found out I was an umbrum! And our son, being half!"
Celestia's eyes went wide as she stared at Sombra in subtle disbelief. "An umbrum? But how is that possible?"
Still struggling to get the ring off, Sombra didn't turn to look at Celestia as he spoke. "Do not play dumb with me!"
"ENOUGH!" Supreme King Sunny used the royal Canterlot voice for the first time in over 1000 years as he stomped his hoof, silencing both his mother and father, though it was mostly meant for his father. Seeing a little of his father's anger subside, Sunny began to speak. It was only when he tried to form words that he realized he was crying. "I've been running Equestria for 1000 years becouse I didn't want to face what happened 1000 years ago, on that horrible day. The day I made the biggest mistake of my life. The day I turned you both to stone… I was afraid, like you Father. But I tried to cover up my fear, rather then burn threw it with anger… It took talking with myself to realize that it was a mistake at all.
"I tried to convince myself that I did the right thing. That if I didn't turn you both to stone, it would be all out war. And that by taking up the throne, Equestria would be united and happy… but I messed up" Taking a breath to steady himself, Supreme King Sunny wiped away his tears and tried to calm his shaky breath. "Now, we're all going to sit down and do what good leaders, and a good family, should do in times of conflict. Talk. This. Out."
Celestia and Sombra paused, turned their attention away from their son and looked at each other. Not just as rulers of Equestria who were responsible for the well being of many ponies, but also as parents. For Sunny's whole life, they tried to be there as best as thet could, but being a parent isn't easy, especially when you fight with the other parent. There comes a time, every now and again, when parents have to put aside their differences and talk their problems out. It looks like this is that time.
With his anger subsided, Sombra turned to Celestia and spoke in an even tone "Lets talk about that night."
"Yes. I think there is something off about that night" Celestia agreed, replying in a soft, relaxed tone to match Sombra's.
Sunny focused his magic to create a stone chair to sit down by his parents who he planned to leave mostly petrified until all this was settled and done. Then another thought popped into his head and Supreme King Sunny began to reverse the petrification on Princess Luna as well. Before either of his parents could ask why he did that, Sunny answered "also, mom, you need to talk to your sister. She's been feeling left out and needs to talk to you about how both of you run Equestria.
"But lets do this one at a time" Sunny concluded as his aunt Luna looked around the room, slightly confused but quickly gaining her barring.
Watching from the small window on the TARDIS that wasn't more then a few feet away from Supreme King Sunny and his mother, father and aunt, a wide smile grew on Sunny Knight's muzzle. "He's making things right."
"Yes, after 1000 years, he's making things right" the 9th Doctor Whooves stated, with just as wide a grin as he stood next to Sunny, looking through the same window. "And it's all thanks to you. Not the Sunny Knight with the biggest castle, most victories in battle, the most gold and jewls, but the one that learned about family and friendship, who works on a happy little apple farm."
Turning to the 9th Doctor, Sunny raised a brow but kept his happy smile "I don't know about Sweet Apple Acres here in YOUR universe, 9, but where I come from, the Apple farm is pretty big. Why don't you come by and see it some time. Ah'll bake ya one of Granny's prize winnin' apple pies."
This notion earned a light chuckle from the 9th Doctor Whooves. "Fantastic! I can't wait!"
With that notion, The 9th Doctor Whooves plucked a hair from Sunny's mane then ran over to his control, dropping the hair in his machine.
"Ow! What was that for?" Sunny rubbed his head where the hair was plucked.
"I needed something from your universe for the TARDIS to scan so it can pin point your exact, original universe. Otherwise we could end up in a number of alternate universes." 9 explained. "And if we got it wrong, we might end up running into a cranky old colt in a lab coat and his nervous grandson. Which, I'm sure he would help us out for the right crystals, but he also might not care where he sends you."
A little overwhelmed with all that information, Sunny just nodded and casually approached the control panel for the TARDIS as the glowing tower began to make a loud whooping-scratching noise, indicating it was leaving that time and place behind. Hopefully, taking Sunny back to his home universe….
He had done it.
After 1000 years of ruling the Equestrian Empire, Sunny Knight, the former Supreme King of Equestria, who masqueraded as the captain of the guard, who kept a constant eye on every creature and kept the peace, had resigned as king.
After his mother, father and aunt spent about a good two hours talking out their differences, they all came to the same conclusion that there were other forces trying to manipulate them into fighting 1000 years ago. Sunny's father realized that he had over reacted and was glad to see his beloved was not planning to betray him. Sunny's mother appologized to her sister for making her feel second best and hogging the spotlight and not acknowledging her feelings. And Sunny's aunt appologized to both her sister for never talking about her feelings, as well as to Sunny himself for being jealous of him and feeling threatened by his ability to move the moon. Before Sunny released them all from their stone bonds, he appologized as well. He claimed he was scared, that he felt alone, and that he had to take control or lose everything. After releasing his three family members, Sunny was shocked to feel his mother's hooves wrap around him in an embracing hug, soon joined by his father.
His mother told him, thru teary eyes, that she was able to hear his words whenever he visited them. She knew how lonely, how stressed, and how tires he was. She wanted them all to be a big, happy family, but there was alot of work to do to reset the order of power in Equestria, which would take time. Sunny's father suggested Sunny take some time off to relax, enjoy himself, maybe see Equestria with his own eyes, and not from a screen. Although Sunny wanted to spend time catching up with his parents and aunt, they had alot of work to do, and he did need some R and R. The former Supreme King agreed and packed his essentials before making his way to the train station.
One thing that put Sunny at ease, was with the reconstruction of Equestria's ruling order, it could be worked that his father be given the title of 'Prince' instead of 'King'. Meaning Sunny's parents could finally be togeather without his mother becoming a queen and upsetting the balance of power. But there were alot of details to work out, speeches to hold, meetings with important ponies to have, new laws to make, old laws to Vito, ect. And Sunny was glad that, for once in over 1000 years, he didn't have to do a thing about it.
After saying his goodbyes to his parents and aunt, Sunny made his way to the train station where he waited for the next southbound train. Everything north of the Crystal Empire were frozen mountains and Yakyakastan. Not really places he wanted to visit. He wanted somewhere warm, but not too hot, relaxed, but not snooty like Canterlot was. Several cities and towns came to mind, Sunny having kept an eye on them all for 1000 years. Guess he would just have to see them all till he found the right place to relax and vacation at.
Somewhat lost in thought, Sunny didn't notice somepony else take a seat across from him on the same bench waiting for the train. Looking over, he was suprised to see a familiar, freckled orange face.
"Applejack?" Her name came to his lips without thinking.
She looked over at him, appearing very different then she normally did. He was so used to her wearing her guard armor and looking so stoic and refined, that seeing her with a stetson hat and a smile on her muzzle made him do a double take, not believing she was the same pony who once served him.
"Well howdy, captain" Applejack said in a thick country accent that Sunny never knew she had. "You headin' outta town, too?"
"Yeah… with the new rulers taking over, no more Supreme King, and everything else, I think I need a change of pace, and a vacation" He stated flatly, feeling odd that this was their first real conversation they've ever had, despite the years that they worked together. "Ugh, what about you? Where are you off to?"
"I'm headin' home" Applejack stated, practically glowing. "Home to ah little farm just on th' boarder of ah small town called Appleville. Where the soil is rich, the work is hard, but the feeling of an honest day's work is the most satisfying thing anypony could ever hope for."
Sunny had never heard of anypony being so happy about working on a farm. But Applejack was an earth pony, and it does run in her genes, he supposed. "That sounds really nice. But if you love it so much, why did you apply to be a royal guard? Especially one so far away from home?"
The light on Applejacks muzzle flickered a little, her smile shrank. "Until just ah few pay checks ago, th' family farm was hoodwinked from us by two no good swindlers. Workin' as ah royal guard at th' Supreme Kings castle payed quite ah bit. No pony really wanted th' job. Everypony was afraid of the Supreme King and no pony wanted ta deal with all them revoltin' groups of ponies."
Sunny's shoulders sunk lower, the weight of his rule hung heavy over him even after he resigned. "Yeah… who would want to deal with all of that."
"But the job did help buy back th' family farm" Applejack spoke up, the cheer returning to her voice. "And ah' did manage ta get ah little bit more ta pay fer some new farming equipment. Ah was hopin' ta use that ta buy some more acreage fer ah new feild, but th' King went and resigned."
"Yeah, who would have guessed after 1000 years, his rein would be over?" Sunny noted, feeling bad about not giving everypony maybe one last paycheck.
"Ah thousand years is an awful long time ta sit up in the castle an' run all Equestria" Applejack noted. She looked around and made sure nopony was in ear shot before whispering "so, what cha gunna do with all yer free time now that ya ain't runnin' everything?"
Gulping, feeling all the color drain from his face, Sunny turned to look at Applejack, meeting her emerald gaze with his own. She knew. He took a deep breath and turned his head away. "I don't have much in bits, but you can have it if I get your silance."
"Ah don't want yer bits" Applejack realized that she must have come across as possibly threatening. "Ah wasn't gunna tell anypony 'bout yer secret. Most folks think th' Supreme King was banished in self exile."
Releasing a held sigh, Sunny felt a little relived, but why did his heart still feel heavy. "Where did I go wrong? Was I such a bad leader?"
Tossing the quesgion around in her mind a bit, Applejack answered Sunny's rhetorical quesgion. "Ah think yer biggest problem, ya kept everypony at ah distance. Ya never let anypony get close to you. No friends. No family. Ya never even went out yerself ta mingle with yer subjects. Ya just had yer golems walkin' round, makin' folks nervous. All folks ever saw of their ruler was some stallion in scary black armor."
The answer surprisingly didn't make Sunny feel aby better, his head hung lower as he staired at the ground, wondering if self exile was a better option then a vacation.
"Hey now, buck up" Applejack nudged Sunny. Something no pony had done in over 1000 years, it shocked him, and brought his gaze back to the freckled orange mare. "Ah was just bein' honest. Now, ah have ah proposal fer ya."
This caused the former Supreme King to raise a single brow. "A proposal… for me?"
"Eh'yep" Applejack smiled as she pushed her stetson hat up higher her head. "Why don't ya come work on th' farm with me an' mah family? Ah can't pay ya much, but you can get ta know ponies around town, make ah few friends, and ah good hard day's work will make ya feel good."
The idea was crazy. HE, the former Supreme King of Equestria, working on an apple farm out in the middle of nowhere? Though, he was just contemplating self exile. And maybe… just maybe… this is what might be best. 'I can write to my mother and father about my progress, possibly about lessons I learn, about possible friendships I make. That would put them more at ease, to hear I made friends. And a little physical excersize would do me some good after all my long hours of sitting infront of those screens.'
"An interesting proposal" Sunny stated to Applejack. "What would you tell your family?"
"Shoot, they already know about you bein' th' captain of th' guard. Could just tell them th' truth; ya got canned and needed ah change of scenery."
This made Sunny chuckle a little, thennpaused with a big smile on his muzzle. "You know, that's the first time in a long time that I actually laughed."
"Well, then buckle up" Applejack chuckled a little too. "Ah got me ah friend, and possible relative, back home who loves ta make folks laugh and smile."
The weight on Sunnys shoulders suddenly felt lighter. "This place is starting to sound better and better. Oh! And hey, do you 'need' new farm equipment, or is your old equipment just in need of repair."
Applejacks joyfully expression wavered again. "They're in really bad shape. Rusted, falling apart. Held togeather with duct tape."
"Well, I know a few repairing spells that work on wood, metal and crystal" Sunny stated with a small smirked, his posture now fully up right. "Maybe I could try and fix those for you."
Narrowing her eyes a little, Applejack thought about it. "Hmmmm… ah'll allow ya ta repair th' equipment. But when it comes to plantin', plowin' and Buckin, yer gunna have ta do it the Earth-pony way. Got it?"
That sounded reasonable to Sunny. One should never rely on magic to solve all of one's problems. Then a thought popped into his head "wait… what's 'Bucking'?"
This caused Applejack to look genuinely shocked for a moment, but that moment passed quickly as she started to laugh and slapped Sunny on the back. "Yer in fer ah new exercise alright! But don't worry. Ah think you'll get used ta farm life in no time, make some friends, and if yer lucky, ah might introduce ya ta some of mah friends, too. Pinkie ah know will seem wierd at first, but you'll like her. Oh! And ah have ah friend ah knew from mah years at school, she's ah bit of ah snob, but she's generous. And ah got this other friend who…"
As Applejack went on and on about her friends, Sunny couldnt help but take a second look at her. There was this new light to her. The more she talked about her family's farm, the small town of Appleville, and her friends, the more she seemed to glow. Just being around her, taking in her rays, made Sunny feel better then he had in a long, long time. 'Maybe this is where I'll belong…'
"What is going on!?" Sunny yelled as he was flung across the large circular room, gravity seeming to pull him back and forth as the TARDIS bounced around space and time.
9 was holding onto the TARDIS's control panel as if their lives depended on it, which it might. "There's a reason we don't travel through alternate dimensions! It gets rocky!"
"Can't you just call on that friend of yours! The cranky old, burping guy in the lab coat!" Sunny suggested as he grabbed onto a pillar and held on with all his might as he felt the TARDIS flip upside down.
"He never answers our calls!" 9 answered as he flipped a few more switched and pulled a leaver. "Besides, I got some good news!"
Before Sunny could ask what the good news was, the entire TARDIS shook like crazy, and Sunny was flung off his safe pillar and landed on the control panel, hitting some buttons that at the moment didn't do anything.
"It looks like we arrived at our destination" 9 stated as he pulled himself up off the ground underneath the control panel, looking at the monitor. "Yep! We arrived in your right universe! And it looks like we landed just outside your Ponyville, too!"
"Really!?" After everything Sunny had seen, he almost screamed with joy to be back in good old Ponyville.
Sunny was so happy and excited to be home, Sunny didnt stick around to see what 9 was looking at on the TARDIS'Scontrol panel, and 9 was so busy double checking their location he didn't notice Sunny exiting the TARDIS.
Opening the front door to the large blue box, Sunny was happily greeted by the warm rays of the familiar sun. Looking down the road, Sunny verified himself that this did look like HIS Ponyville, and the sign at the edge of the road looked just like the Ponyville sign that was posted outside HIS Ponyville. But something was off. It looked brand new.
"Hmmmm, somepony gave it ah fresh coat of paint" Sunny thought outloud, happy just to be there. He was a little leery, and wanted to check things out for himself. He poked his head back into the TARDIS, and told 9 "I'm gunna check out the town, make sure everything's alright, ok?"
The time lord had his hooves full trying to do repairs to his TARDIS, that had sustained quite a bit of damage during their interdimentional trip. 9 thought this Sunny was a nice fellow, but he would really like some quiet time to his TARDIS. "Yeah, sure, have fun. Don't destroy anything, look both ways before crossing the street, and all that!"
Rolling his eyes, Sunny wondered what the other Doctor Whooves were like. This one was really sarcastic but seemed more personable, where the Doctor Whooves who was Sunny's friend and a fellow Guardian seemed more task orientated, tone very flat and needed to try hard to be personable.
Leaving 9 and HIS TARDIS behind, Sunny straitened his stetson hat, and happily trotted down the dirt road leading into Ponyville. As he trotted, Sunny took note of his surroundings, making sure every detail was exactly as it was supposed to be. He became skeptical that this was his own Ponyville when he saw some small rocks that lay in the middle of the road, but assumed some foal probably was playing with them. He took a deep breath and continued down the road, only to be stopped suddenly when he came across a mother duck leading her ducklings across the same road. Sunny paused and narrowed his eyes on the duck and ducklings, wondering if he had ever seen them around Ponyville before. Shaking his head clear of suspicion, Sunny proceeded into Ponyville. When he arrived, he noticed he ended up in the middle of the market. A sea of tents and stands were set up so folks could sell their goods and supplies. It happened once a week, every Saturday. 'Was it Saturday', Sunny thought.
'Was today the day Applejack and I were going to make the guest list for the wedding? Or is that tomorrow?… maybe today IS tomorrow! Or maybe this is an alternate universe where the Ponyville market takes place on Friday instead of Saturday! Or maybe this is an alternate universe where the Market happens every day! Or every day except Saturday! And ponies walk around with boots on their heads! Or where they were cloths all the time and no cloths on special occasions! Maybe this universe is ruled by Derpy and Muffin day is a national holiday!' The endless possibilities began to make poor Sunnys head spin.
"You ok there, partner?" A soft, feminine voice called out to Sunny from a stand.
Sunny felt dizzy and wabbled around before the owner of that soft voice walked over, grabbed him using gentle but firm force, and sat him down at a seat next to her stand. While Sunny was trying to get his head to stop spinning, the owner of the stand grabbed a cup of water and offered it to him.
"Here, drink up" she told him in a non aggressive, slightly assertive tone.
Without thinking, Sunny took the glass and began to drink slowly, not wanting to choke on the water. After downing the water, Sunny placed the empty glass on the stand and looked up at the mare "Thank you, miss…"
The mare had a light peach colored coat, with a fluffy orange mane that made Sunny think of Pinkie Pie, turquoise colored eyes, and what appeared to be a cutie mark of a jar of preserves or something similar. She smiled warmly at him and told him in a sweet tone "Shoot, ain't no biggie. But you sure you're OK? Ya looked like ya just saw a ten headed, pokadotted donkey."
This caused Sunny to lightly chuckle as he readjusted his stetson. "Nah, nothin' like that. But ah got ah quesgion for you. Are you by any chance related to Pinkie Pie?"
This earned a raised brow from the mare. "Can't say I am. Why? Is she an Apple?"
"Well…" Sunny remembered a story Applejack told him about how she and Pinkie traveled with her brother, sister and Granny to see Goldie Delicious and find out if Pinkie is actually related. "It was never confirmed, but we all just go with it."
"Hey! Your hat! Are you an Apple too!" The mare pulled down Sunny's stetson, covering his eyes and hidding his face for a moment. A small smile grew on Sunny's face as he just sat there in the dark, waiting for the mare to realize she moved the hat to cover his face. After a moment of silance, the mare realized what she did and moved Sunny's stetson out of his face. "Oh! He he. I'm sorry. I can be a bit of a goof sometimes."
"No worries, miss" Sunny chucked as he readjusted his stetson back into its proper place on his head.
"Well howdy there, partner" a cheerful, masculine voice arose from behind Sunny. At first, Sunny thought the voice came from his friend Big Macintosh. It sounded very similar, but when Sunny turned around to greet his friend, he was shocked to see somepony else. This stallion looked very similar to Big Mac in build, mane style and even cutie mark. But this stallion had a yellow colored goat, bright red mane and tail, green eyes, and freckles on his muzzle. His cutiemark was also a large green apple, but it was an apple cut in half with a star at the center. If Sunny didn't know better, he'd say they could have been brothers. The upbeat stallion walked up to the mare and kissed her on the forhead, ignoring Sunny for a second "making friends as usual, Buttercup?"
The mare chuckled a little as she looked deeply into the stallion's eyes "Oh, you know me, Bright Mac. Making friends wherever I go. But I think this fella is related to you."
"Really? Well, howdy partner" Bright Mac said as he extended a hoof to Sunny. Only, when Bright Mac turned around, the yellow stetson wearing unicorn just seemed to vanish, leaving behind a small cloud of dust, kicked up from hooves that were moving as fast as they could. Both Bright Mac and Buttercup looked at eachother with bewildered expressions before going back to what they were doing before.
Back inside 9's TARDIS, the Doctor Whooves given the title of '9' was working hard to bring his TARDIS back online before any of the other Doctors hear about this. Yes, he was helping out somepony who didn't belong in HIS dimension, but some of the other Doctors can be… well, old fuddy duddies, as 9 would like to call them. While in the process of reconnecting some wires, a screaming noise caused 9 to shoot up, hit his head on the underside of the TARDIS control panel, then angrily crawl out to see what all the fuss was about.
When 9 slid out from where he was working, he saw the Sunny he was traveling with, breathing heavily and sweating like he had just run a marathon. 9 spoke with a type of catty annoyance in his tone when he asked Sunny "have a fun run around town? Or were you being chased by a swarm of bug bears?"
The sarcasm in 9's tone was completly over looked when Sunny struggled with his words "DOCTOR! BRIGHT MAC! BUTTERCUP! PARENTS! APPLES! HERE! NOW! PAST!"
There were quite a few of the Doctors who could speak multiple languages, and 9 happened to be very fluent in panic. Getting up to his hooves, 9 began to repeat what Sunny had said in a more clear way. "Are you trying to say 'we have traveled to the right place, only, in the past, where the parents of Applejack, Big Mac and Apple Bloom, naming Bright Mac and Pear Butter, are currently around, living their lives?'"
Taking several deep breaths, Sunny nodded and a smile began to grow on his muzzle as a train of thought started to pull out of Sunny's mental station, carrying with it Bright possibilities. If he was in the past, he might be able to change a small something to make for a better future.
Recognizing the smile from bad past experiences, 9's expression turned grim, his tone hard and blunt. "Don't even think about it."
Sunny's train of though hit a slight bunp, causing the entire thing to stop in its tracks. "what do you-"
But 9 cut him off. "I know what you were thinking, and you can't do that. As a general time rule, we can't meddle in the affairs of the past, and for good reason. And if what 10 said at the meeting about you and your experience with Starlight Glimmer was true, you know full well what trouble can come from meddling in the past."
"But this is different!" Sunny pleaded, desperatly wanting 9 to understand and agree with him. "I don't want to hurt anypony! I want to make something right! What's so wrong with that?"
Pushing air from his nostrils in an attempt to keep his cool, and failing, 9 lowered his brow as he locked eyes with Sunny. "All you Sunnys think you know what's best. So tell me, what do you think will happen if you DO happen to save them from their fate? If their fate wasn't already a fixed point in time, what did you plan to do?"
"I was going to make sure whatever took them away from their family doesn't happen" Sunny stood up strait and explained his simple plan of action. "Is there anything wrong with that?"
"Ok, let me explain things so you can understand." 9 started off, his voice sharpening. "If what happens to Bright Mac and Buttercup isn't a fixed point in time, which it is, but we'll pretend it isn't. And let's say you save them from their grim fate, do you know how many things will change?"
Taking a moment to think about it, Sunny thought how different life on the farm would have been if Applejack's parents were around. "Well… I guess it would be more cramped in the farm house."
"Yes" 9 nodded, but cooled off as he began to explain further. "But also, let's just say, and this is one possibility amung a million others, that Applejack's parents were there when she and her siblings were growing up, they all wouldn't work as hard. Big Mac would never respect the authority of his sister, and become not only become more protective over Applejack, but probably wouldn't let any stallion, aka, YOU, near her. Apple Bloom wouldn't have tried all those dangerous things in an attempt to get her cutie mark becouse her parents might have stopped her, and thus her friends might never have been friends becouse Sweetiebell and Scootaloo would feel a calling they would need to answer. With her parents around, Applejack may never have left the farm and recieved her cutie mark from the sonic rainboom along with her friends. That last one alone would have set forth a whole slew of events that would domino into Applejack never becoming the element of Honesty, and Nightmare Moon might have conquered Equestria! Going back to that cramped room, do you think Goldie Delicious would have sent away for help with the farm which would inevitably brought you to the Apple family, if Bright Mac and Buttercup were there to help? For all we know, if Bright Mac and Pear Butter were there, Goldie might have sent you to a rock farm.
"I'm sorry, but things are the way thet are for a reason" 9 continued as he saw that he had just doused Sunny's inner fire, leaving him in a state of emotional shock. "But all of that would never have happened becouse their fate is a fixed point in time. Some things that effect the future in such a way are pillars in time and space. Same as you couldn't go back in your time line and stop your father from ever turning to the dark side, or stop your mother from imprisoning your aunt in the moon. Those things have happened and effected too much to change. I'm sorry."
Sunny's legs gave in as he fell to the ground, a far too familiar weight returning to him. A weight that he first earned as a prince over 1000 years ago. Where he was given a position of power, and could do something to help others, but there were heavy consequences to his actions. In the end, he would have to sit back and watch as things played out without helping. It's one of the things he HATED about being a prince.
Tears started to form in the corners of his eyes as Sunny sniffles a little, his eyes falling away from 9 to the floor of the TARDIS. "I just…I want to make things right… it's not fair."
9 looked down at Sunny, suddenly feeling guilty about his anger just a moment ago. Pushing his own emotions and thoughts aside, 9 thought carefully about what to say to Sunny next. But nothing came to mind. Time travaling has a way of showing you the bigger picture of things, like the stability of all of time and space, but it also robs you of the little things in life that make life worth living. Like how to value life itself. It's not easy when you could time travel from when a pony is born to their final day in the mater of a minute or two. Looking at Sunny again and seeing how much he cared and how sensitive he could be about two ponies he never met, touched 9, and he wished there was something he could do.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, Sunny looked up at 9 and knew they had an understanding. Defeated, Sunny just sunk to the ground, his back up against a support beam inside the TARDIS and just simply spoke what was on his mind. "The Apples are so wonderful… they always stick together, support one anothe. They fight sometimes, but they always make up. Becouse thats what a family is supposed to do. They aren't supposed to be perfect. No pony is. But they are strong and caring. They took me in when I didn't even know who I was. When things got bad, they helped me. They made me a part of their family. They treat everypony with kindness and understanding, even those who don't deserve it. They go out of their way to help folks all the time… so why… why is it when I have a chance to help them, to give them back what once was their, rightfully theirs, their parents, I can't… I can't give them their parents back… why…"
In all his years of time traveling, hopping from one part of time and space to another, of witnessing catastrophes, of preventing bigger ones, of helping some individuals and stopping others from wrong doings, there wasn't a moment that 9 hasn't stopped to think about all the times where he COULDN'T save somepony. There were more then a few times when he was forced to sit back and let something happen, only becouse if he stepped in, time itself could unravel or worse. There was always a worse. You could stop a potted plant from falling and landing on somepony's head, only for that pony to have an entire tree fall on them. Fixed points in time aren't always sure to happen a certain way, especially if somepony meddles with the time line. But what is meant to happen, will happen.
Taking a deep breath, 9 walked over, and sat next to Sunny, his voice full of sorrow as he spoke softly to the yellow unicorn. "I'm sorry… I know how much it would mean to your Apple family if you could bring their parents back to them. But this is just as it was meant to be. You can't stop it, no matter how hard you try. Some things are inevitable. And I hate it too."
Taking another deep breath and releasing it, Sunny asked a rather simple quesgion "what should I do now?"
9 tossed the quesgion around in his head, then, as usual, spoke what came to his mind. "You could take a little advantage of the situation and get to know your future inlaws."
The thought made Sunny almost chuckle. "Oh, yeah, right. What do you want me to say? Just go up to them 'Hey! You both don't really know me, but I'm going to come along one day and ask your daughter, who may or may not be born already, to marry me. And I just want to get to know you here and now before you're gone forever'?"
"Well not in that harsh of tone, and maybe dial back a little bit of that honesty, as hard as it may be, and yeah! Go for it!" 9's enthusiasm was some what spontaneous and a total 180 from how he was a moment ago.
"Well… I can't change the past by interacting with them, right?" Sunny asked 9.
"Nothing so long as you don't try and change anything" 9 explained. "Just go and have a fun time. Maybe help them around the farm, talk, maybe save the town or something. Fixing the TARDIS might take a few days-"
"A FEW DAYS!?" Sunny grabbed 9 by his shoulders. "We don't have a few days! We have to get back as soon as possible! Applejack and the family could be in danger! My friends could be in danger! ALL OF EQUESTRIA COULD BE IN DANGER!"
9 put his hoof over Sunny's mouth and pushed him away, then calmly released Sunny's hooves from his shoulders. "Sunny. The TARDIS is a 'Time Machine.' We can go back, or rather, ahead in time to just a little after you were pushed threw the mirror. Easier then if the Supreme King had found a way back back you himself."
Taking a few deep breaths, Sunny began to relax. When he felt calm enough, he stood up, shook him self loose a little, then looked back at 9. "You're sure I won't change the future at all just by hanging out with them, right?"
"10 and me do it all the time" 9 stated with a wide grin. "Now go! Go hang out with your in-laws. Jut don't let them know anything about the future. No reason to cause them to panic."
'Yeah' Sunny thought to himself. 'WHY bother to worry them if their fates can't be changed.'
Watching Sunny trot at a moderate speed down the road back to Ponyville, 9 chuckled lightly to himself. He could have the TARDIS fixed in just a few hours, but this was a once in a life time opertunity for Sunny, no point in wasting it.
Sitting in a chair at the Apple family's wooden dining table, Sunny sat perfectly still, eyes looking ahead, the poor yellow unicorn was afraid to move while Granny Smith examined him. The mare studied Sunny, taking note of the various details of his person. From the hat line on his head, the dirt under his hooves, the muscles on his back legs, to even the way he breathed when she ordered him to take a few deep breaths.
When Sunny went back to the Market place to find Bright Mac and Buttercup again and tell them he was an honorary member of the Apple Family, he knew he would be met with some skepticism. Sunny didn't expect them to bring him to Granny Smith to be tested. Sunny was suptised to see Granny looking so much younger, but he had to refrain from smiling and giving her a big old hug when he saw her.
"Hmmmm, ya certainly do look like ya worked on ah apple farm before" Granny stated, relaxing her gaze as she sat back in a nearby chair."But ya still haven't said where ya got that hat from. Only a hoof full of ponies carry th' family mark. Mah own son don't even have it."
Gulping again, Sunny decided telling her some of the truth shouldn't hurt. "Well, it was quite ah while ago. Ah was sleepin' on th' side of th' road when Goldie Delicious passed me by, saw ah looked hot, then gave me this hat and told me ta go see her niece in th' next town over. Sayin' she and her friends might be able ta help me out. That's where ah met Appleja- ah mean, mah fiancé, and started honest work on her farm."
Sunny could guess that Granny was still examining him as he told his story, but Sunny spoke the truth, mostly. He did leave out a few parts and stumble once, but he was speaking the truth. After releasing a held breath, Granny declared "Well, ya check out. Ya can stay here for ah bit while yer ride gets all fixed up. But yer gunna have ta earn yer keep. Those who don't work, don't eat."
Releasing a heald breath, Sunny was relieved to have Granny's weighing eyes off of him. Bright Mac and Buttercup ran over to him and greeted him with a hoof shake and a hug respectively. Sunny hated to have to tell half truths to them, but the full truth would have been too unreal for them. He couldn't just come out and say he had time traveled to the past accidently, and was actually their daughter's fiancé in the future… especially in a future where they don't exits in…
"Welcome to Sweet Apple acres, Cousin" Bright Mac released Sunny's hoof. Sunny certainly saw where Applejack and Big Mac got their strength from.
But unlike Applejack or her siblings, neither Bright Mac nor Buttercut had a very strong southern accent. Sunny concluded 'They must have picked it up from listening to Granny for so many years. Heck, I picked it up after just under a few days.'
"Would you like a tour of Sweet Apple Acres?" Bright Mac offered Sunny, flashing a half smile.
"Ah'd love one" Sunny replied. 'It would be interesting to see how Sweet Apple Acres was so many years ago.'
"How long ya expect ta be stayin'?" Granny asked, her expression relaxing a bit.
"Mah friend said it would take 'bout three days or so to get his, er, ride all fixed up" Sunny answered, still feeling nervous about the long time gap, but confident that 9 could infact get him back just shortly after he was pushed threw the magical mirror.
"Ah'll set up th' spare room" Granny said before happily trotting out of the kitchen. It was odd for Sunny to see her so young, but even odder to see her trotting around. It made him chuckle lightly.
"What's so funny?" Buttercup asked, slightly curious.
"Oh, ugh, just thinking about mah fiancé's grandma and how similar to Granny Smith she is" Sunny answered honestly. The half truths and white lies felt wrong to him, but he couldn't let them know he was from the future.
"Tell us more about this fiancé of yours" Bright Mac lead Sunny and Buttercup out of the farm house and began the tour of Sweet Apple Acres.
"Yeah, what is she like? How did you meet?" Buttercup followed up, a new found energy radiating from her.
Thinking for a moment of how to answer this without letting them know he was from the future, Sunny started to weave his tale carefully. "Well, like I said, I was sent to find her by Goldie Delicious. Ya see, when she found me, ah didn't exactly have all mah memories. Long story 'bout that later, but Goldie knew her neice and her neice's friends were the kind ta help ponies out who 'er in need so…"
As the trio walked around the Orchard, Sunny both took in the sights as well as go on to explain about how he and Applejack met when she got back to the farm, as well as meeting her siblings, who, Sunny was sure not to mention any names. Bright Mac and Buttercup seemed to overtaken by the story, they almost didn't hear Sunny's own quesgion.
"Oh, sorry. What did you say?" Buttercup snapped out of her thoughts first, but was quickly followed by Bright Mac.
"I asked how you two met" Sunny smiled at the both them. Sunny took note that while he was telling his story, Bright Mac and Buttercup seemed at a state of peace, gazing off into the distance.
"Ah, well, OUR story goes back to when we both were just little foals…" Bight Mac started to tell their own tale.
For the rest of the tour, Sunny's attention was focused on Bright Mac and Buttercup talking about when they first met. Meeting as foals, how Buttercup got her nick name, it brought a huge smile to Sunny's face. Before he knew it, the sun was setting.
"Wow, is it really that late?" Bright Mac rhetorically asked.
"We better be getting back to the house. Granny said she was trying a new recipe for a carrot potato casserole" Buttercup said as she and Bright Mac started down the road, Sunny quickly catching up and walking beside Bright Mac. The three of them continued to their conversation with how Bright Mac and Pear Butter attended the same school, the only one in town, and would try and get the others attention in one way or another, even though they were on the far opposite ends of the schoolhouse. Sometimes that got them in trouble, but they didn't honestly care, so long as they were togeather.
Dinner was amazing. Though, Sunny knew it would be. Granny at this age might have just tried the recipe for the casserol, where he came from, she had actually made it one of her specialties. Sunny felt odd about sitting at the same table he often ate at with Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom and (a much older)Granny Smith. It was the same table, but with less wear and tear from time, and although most of the ponies at the table weren't the usual company, Sunny felt just as relaxed. Although he was trying to take full advantage of this rare opurtunity, getting a chance to be around his future in-laws, there was still a part of him that wished that Applejack could be here.
About a third the way thru his meal, Buttercup cleaned the edges of her mouth with her napkin and asked Sunny "so… has your fiancé made you dinner yet?"
This caused Sunny to almost choke on the bit he had taken. It was an honest and simple quesgion, but Sunny had been lost in thought and was shaken by the sudden quesgion. Taking his napkin and cleaning his own mouth up after swallowing the bite he nearly choked on, Sunny happily replied "yes. Actually. We both would take turns cooking meals. Sometimes I'd make lunch for her and her siblings. Sometimes dinner. Just whoever is free at the moment."
"What's your favorite dish she makes?" Bright Mac asked, a small smile on his face. Buttercup noticed a little bit of food on his cheek and motioned it to him.
"Well…" Sunny thought about it, bit it didn't really take him long. "My favorite breakfast and desert she and her Granny make are Apple Fritters. Ah could eat those day and night. But for ah real meal, there's an apple Swiss penini sandwich that we came up with one day. We were cleaning out th' fridge and came across some things that were close to expiring, and just threw it all togeather. It's kinda become our sandwich. Even wrote it down in th' family recipe book."
"You're gunna have to make it for us before you leave" Buttercup chimmed, a large smile on her muzzle. "Bright Mac and I would love to try it."
"I love me a good sandwich" Bright Mac chuckled.
"Swiss cheese and apples in ah sandwich?" Granny asked, doubting that such a concoction would taste any good.
"It's got ah little more then that" Sunny chuckled, knowing just how Granny felt. "Ah was ah little skeptical too, but trust me, it's really good."
The four of them enjoyed their dinner while stopping every now and again when another story about a dish or meal came up. It was wierd, but Sunny felt just at home with Bright Mac, Buttercup and even the younger Granny as he did with Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom and the older Granny Smith.
'Is it becouse ah see ah see a little of Applejack, Big Mac and Apple Bloom in them? Or am ah just comdortable around the Apple family in general?" Sunny pondered as he took another bite of the casserol. 'Or am ah just comfortable around THEM? Bright Mac and Buttercup.'
The thoughts buzzed around in Sunny's head until he realized he finished his meal. He lightly laughed, then offered to do the dishes. A smile grew on his face when he asked Bright Mac and Buttercup if they wanted to see a cool spell. Both of them and Granny sat back and watched as Sunny cast the dish cleaning spell on the Apple's dirty dishes. Sunny told them that he used the spell often back on his fiancé's farm to save them time and energy. He had to stand there and supervise, of course. He couldn't just set the dishes up and walk away, something could go wrong. And something normally did, but only when an overly aggressive sugar container was involved. The Apples all watched in awe as the plates, silverware and cups all began floating in the air, almost dancing as they waited for their turn to be dunked into the soapy water, scrubbed by a floating sponge or cloth, hosed off by the sink head, then floaded over to a drying towel, and finally land safely in its proper place in either a cabinet or drawer with other silverwear. All the dishes took maybe three minutes to be washed and put away. The show was so entertaining Bright Mac, Buttercup and Granny all watched in awe the while time.
"Ah don't like anypony usin' magic ta do household chores" Granny noted about half way through. "But ah'll allow it tonight. It is pretty entertaining."
"It's amazing!" Buttercup clapped her hooves togeather.
"Shucks, ma'am, thank you, but if ya like this, you'd love one of mah puppet shows" Sunny tipped his hat.
"You do puppet shows too?" Bright Mac asked, seeming heavily interested.
Before Sunny knew it, he was in the living room of the Apple Family farm house, sitting behind a makeshift puppet theater created from a few sheets, some chairs and a rope. As the curtains pulled back, several little puppets floated into view, with one of them holding what appeared to be two rectangular pieces of paper.
The one holding the slips of paper walked over to a few others in such a realistic way, Bright Mac, Buttercup and Granny were all awestruck. The mare puppet held her hoof out to the other 5 puppets that were all different colored ponies and Sunny spoke in the most Twilighty voice he could muster. "Girls! Princess Celestia sent me two tickets to the Grand Galloping Galla! But I have 5 friends!"
The performance made all three Apple family members laugh hysterically, Sunny, of course, played around with it a little to make it a little more fun and not so serious. After having each of the main 6 go through their reason as to why they want to go to the Gala, as well as try and win Twilight over with favors and promises, Sunny got to the best part.
The puppet playing as Twilight told a small puppet off to her side to take a note, unfortunately the Apples didn't have any baby dragon puppets, so Sunny used a dog puppet instead. As the puppet Twilight walked around on the stage, Sunny made sure to speak loudly and clearly for the message to the story.
"Dear Princess Celestia,
I've learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings, but when there's not enough blessings to go around, having more then your friends can make you feel pretty awful. So, though I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala
-your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle"
The puppet playing Twilight then lowered her head and sent the letter and the two tickets away, leaving the Apples who had been listening intently shocked.
Sunny paused for effect, then had another little scroll appear to the puppet Twilight, who presented her friends, and dog, each with their own ticket whole reading the scroll. "My faithful student, why didn't you just say you needed more tickets in the first place."
Bright Mac, Buttercup and Granny all laughed and cheered at the performance as the pony puppets began to sing and dance about how they were all going to the Grand Galloping Gala togeather.
"THAT was even better then the dancing, self cleaning dishes" Bright Mac cheered.
"I'll say" Buttercup agreed. "Light hearted, whimsical, and it had a great moral to the story."
Granny was about to complement Sunny on his show but she let out a long yawn. "That was ah hoot, but ah think ah better be hittin' the old sack. You kids don't stay up too late. There's work in th' mornin'."
"We won't, mom" Bright Mac told her as he and Buttercup helped to take the stage apart.
"Hey Sunny…" Buttercup smiled and spoke sheepishly. "Would you mind… maybe doing another show tomorrow?"
"Please!" Bright Mac let lose a wide smile of his own.
"Please" Buttercup repeated her husband's statment with an equally big smile.
The sight of them both so eager to hear his stories brought a smile to Sunny's own muzzle. "How could ah say no to such a wonderful audience. Sure ah'll do another show. Heck, maybe two stories instead of just one."
"How many do you know?" Buttercup asked.
"Enough to fill a few books" Sunny chuckled.
After settling in for the night, Sunny thought how ironic it was that he was sleeping in his old room, or rather, in the room that would become his room in the near future.
'They're really nice folks' Sunny smiled to himself as he staired up at the familiar ceiling. A million thoughts began flying around his head like fore flies as his eyelids became heavier and heavier. 'I wonder if they like me… I wonder how they got their cutie marks… I wish Applejack and Big Mac and Apple Bloom were here… I wish I could tell them everything…'
Sleep quickly took hold of Sunny, and he fell asleep, looking forward to the next day when he and his inlaws would have another day of work and play togeather.
The next morning was like most mornings in the Apple family home at Sweet Apple Acres; ponies were up before the rooster crowed, got cleaned up and ready for work while Granny made everypony a hardy breakfast of eggs, hay bacon, hash rooms and a bowl of fruit. By the time she was done, Bright Mac, Buttercup and Sunny had just finished with their early morning chores. They had made great headway in the day's work load, thanks to Sunny's added help.
"We'll be done with the day's work a little before noon, mom" Bright Mac told her as he took a bite of one of his sunnyside up eggs.
"Ya will, eh?" Granny smiled as she sat down to enjoy her own breakfast.
"Granny, ah was gunna ask ya" Sunny chimmed in. "Ah know of ah few restoration spells. Ya know. That can smooth out withered or rough wood, take rust off metal, and what not. Is that OK for me ta use on some of the farming equipment? Ah saw the cart out back looks ah little worse for wear."
Granny thought about it, being very strict on not using magic to do an earth pony's job. "Ah suppose fixin' equipment wouldn't hurt. Just so long as ya ain't out there usin' magic ta get th' chores done. Dishes ah'll let go, but work in th' feild needs ta be done bah hoof."
"No worries Granny, ah understand" Sunny smiled as he continued to dig into his breakfast.
After they all finished breakfast, Buttercup offering to do the dishes while Bright Mac and Sunny went back into the orchard to finish up the Bucking.
"Your fiancé buck?" Bright Mac asked as he kicked a tree.
"She sure does" Sunny answered after Bucking a tree, a few dozen apples or so fell neatly into the baskets below, with the exception of a few stragglers who missed. "She was th' one who taught ME how ta buck trees."
This caused Bright Mac to chuckle. "SHE taught YOU, huh? From what ya told us, she sounds like a swell gall. You're ah lucky guy. You get along with the rest of her family?"
This caused Sunny to freeze as he picked up the Apples on the ground and put them in the baskets. He didn't know how to answer that one.
"Ugh…" Sunny tried to think of what to say. "Well… me and her siblings get along pretty well. And her Grandma seemes ta like me well enough. But her parents… its… "
Seeing his hesitation, Bright Mac went over and put a hoof on Sunny's shoulder. "Hey, it's alright if you don't get along with them. I don't exactly see eye to eye with Buttercup's pop."
"Its not that…" Sunny sighed, as he looked away from Bright Mac. "Ya see… her parents… ain't with us no more…"
Sunny turned away from Bright Mac, he couldn't look Bright Mac in the eye as he answered, and was fighting back more tears. It wasn't until Sunny felt a hoof on his shoulder that he turned around.
The expression on Bright Mac's muzzle was a mixture of forlorn and peace. "I'm sorry… for both you and your fiancé. She sounds like a really sweet gal. And you seem like a great guy. I'm sure if you ever did get a chance to meet her folks, they'd say the same thing."
That pushed Sunny over the edge, and the yellow unicorn pulled Bright Mac into a bear hug. After a few moments, Bright Mac hesitantly patted Sunny on the back.
Releasing Bright Mac from his grip, Sunny pulled away and hastily whipped away a few tears, hoping Bright Mac didn't notice. "I'm sorry… it's just…"
"No worries" Bright Mac told Sunny. "And we'll just let that be our little secret. Ah won't mention it to anypony."
"Thanks…" Sunny smiled as he looked over his shoulder at Bright Mac. "Well, ugh, let's finish up this work. What are you and Buttercup gunna do with all your free time?"
"Well, we were gunna run it by you first, but did you want us to take you into town and show you around?" Bright Mac offered.
"You guys don't have to" Sunny bucked another tree, most of the Apples fell into the basket this time.
"You're family. And you're only in town for a few more days" Bright Mac stated. "Let us show you around."
"Well, alright" Sunny chuckled.
The town was slightly different then how Sunny knew it to be in the future. And it was kind of cool to see what it was like before he arrived many years later. There weren't as many shops, mostly just one called 'Barnyard Bargins' which Sunny remembered would be there in the future, but would also be three times the size.
"That store's run by a fella named Stinking Rich. Granny sells him jars of her Zap Apple Jam when the Zap Apples are in season" Bright Mac told Sunny.
"Its a big seller, eh?" Sunny asked, already knowing the buisness deal between the Apples and the Riches involving the Zap apple jam.
"It is. You haven't had it before, have you?" Buttercup asked Sunny.
"No, actually, I haven't" Sunny answered honestly. And he had been around for a harvesting of the Zap Apple Jam.
"We don't have any right now, but here in ah few months, the Zap Apples will be ready for jamming again." Bright Mac smiled. "We could send some to you and your fiancé if you like."
The thought was pure and innocent, but Sunny had to keep up a front and not let either Buttercup or Bright Mac know that that would never happen. "Yeah. That sounds really swell. Thank you."
The tour of the town didn't take long, and the trio happily returned to Sweet Apple acres. When they arrived, Granny wanted Bright Mac to run back into town and grab some nails so he and Sunny could fix part of the fence around the Orchard. While he was gone, Buttercup went to the kitchen to start preparing some of the orders for pies and other baked goods. Not wanting to just sit around, Sunny offered his hoof.
"Now, just gently roll the dough out, and fold it often, that will make it flakey, but don't use too much force" Buttercup instructed Sunny. She watched as the yellow unicorn handled the pie dough with great ease, making less of a mess then even Bright Mac at times. Bright Mac had told her that Sunny worked the orchard like he had been doing it for years, she didn't know he knew his way with cooking this well either.
"You do alot of baking on your fiancé's farm?" Buttercup asked as she began slicing apples for the pie filling.
"Yeah, gotta be a jack of all trades at, er, on the farm" Sunny had to stop himself from saying Sweet Apple Acres.
"Your fiancé keep you busy with work?" Buttercup laughed lightly.
"Well, we all work togeather" Sunny answered as he finished laying out the pie dough into a pan, then moved to work on another. "Her brother, little sister, her grandmother, we all do our part. And ah always wanted to learn all I could so ah could help wherever."
"Are your parents farmers too?" Buttercup asked as she began mixing in sugar, butter, cinnamon and a few other ingredients before dumping the mixture into a pot and carrying it over to the stove to simmer.
"Ugh, well… no" Sunny answered nervously. He hadn't planned on talking about his parents.
Sencing Sunny's parents might be a sensitive subject, Buttercup decided to steer away from the topic. "Well, I'm suprised. You work so hard and seem to take such pride in your work, I could have sworn you'd been working on a farm your whole life. My dad used to run a Pear farm not far from here… before he left…"
While trying to avoid a the topic of Sunny's parents, Buttercup accidently brought up the painful topic of her own father. A still very sensitive subject. She had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself and stop herself from crying at the thought of her father who chose to walk away from her rather than be a family.
"We have more in common then I though" Sunny appeared next to Buttercup, shocking her a little. His tone was dejected and full of pain. "See… my mom works in the Canterlot castle. And my father… he worked in a kingdom a little ways away. He… did some bad things. I'm still trying to get through to him, but it's hard. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't met the Apples that I did. I made friends, work an honest job, reconnected with my mother and aunt, and had my fair share of adventures."
A wide smile spread across Buttercup's muzzle as she gave Sunny a hug. After separating from the hug, Buttercup sounded happy for Sunny then she was upset by her loss of a father in her life. "I guess, we both are lucky to have found the ponies in our lives. I got Granny, Bright Mac, and my friends. You got your new family and friends."
Sunny smiled back as he returned the hug. "Ah guess we are lucky. And if ah do say so mahself, we make mighty fine additions to th' Apple family."
"I agree" Buttercup chuckled lightly, feeling the glow coming from Sunny. "Do you give your fiancé pep talks like this one?"
Sunny chuckled "Most of the time she gives them to me. She's my rock. I've been hers a time or two, but she holds me down most of the time."
"Well, I'm glad you have her in your life then" Buttercup chuckled a little bit, before returning her attention to her pie filling. When she did, Sunny went back to the dough, putting it into another pie tin, before moving on to the next one.
After finishing a few pots worth of apple pie filling, Buttercup asked Granny, who just walked into he kitchen, if she wouldn't mind tagging her out so she could go grab more sugar from the barn. Granny didn't mind at all, and was, in fact, popping in to see how everypony was doing. While she stirred the pot of apple pie filling, Granny kept a close eye on Sunny, still unsure that a unicorn is suited for farm work.
Watching him work the dough, quickly and efficiently, Granny thought he might have worked with food before, possibly as a baker or something."Hey, Sunny, what was it ya did, you know, before ya worked on ah farm?"
"I was a royal guard " Sunny plainly stated, not seeing the harm in being honest about it. "Oh, and a knight."
"Hmmmm, ah didn't think knights were still around" Granny mumbled to herself. There was a part of her that was warming up to Sunny, but she was still half suspicious still of him. Something he wasn't saying that gave her a nervous feeling in her bones. "Is that where you got yer name?"
"Actually, my real name is Soleggiato Cavalere" Sunny moved aside to allow Granny to pour the hot contents of pie filling into the pie bases he finished making."But everyone calls me Sunny Knight. My father was also a knight. And a captain in the guard."
"And ya chose ta leave being a knight ta work on ah farm?" Granny raised an eyebrow at Sunny, questioningly.
"Being a royal guard was great but…" this was another tough subject Sunny was trying to avoid. "It was… complicated. I cared for my sub-, er, those I served to protect. But… it's not what I wanted. I wanted to be around ponies who liked me for me. Not for stopping a swarm of fire locusts, for fending off dragons, or any of that. And working with my fiancé and her family, on the family farm, well, its more important to me then any castle."
"Well, ah can't blame ya for that" Granny chuckled. "Ah feel th' same way 'bout Sweet Apple Acres. Ah hope mah kin carries it down from generation to generation, just like mah pa did with me. One day, ah'll be passin' it on to mah son, who'll pass it down to his son or daughter."
Taking in a sharp breath, Sunny didn't know how to respond to that and focused more on his pie dough.
Granny didn't much care for the silance. A smile grew on her muzzle as she asked Sunny "so … does yer fiancé like ah stallion in armor?"
This caught Sunny off guard. "Ugh, what was that, Granny?!"
A sly smile spread across Granny's muzzle as she lowered her eye lids and raised her brows. "Just askin' if she likes it when ya wear yer armor."
The gesture made Sunny chuckle lightly. "Well… actually she-"
Their conversation was interrupted by Buttercup screaming from the barn. Through the kitchen window, Sunny and Granny could see she pressed herself up against the barn, a Bugbear hovering infront of her, growing angrily as it lashed at her with its four bear claws. Buttercup threw the sack of sugar she had been carrying and managed to dodge the Bugbear's attack!
Without thinking, Sunny teleported out of the kitchen and made a mad dash to Buttercup. A second before Sunny reached her, several nails flew at the Bugbear, irritating its back and causing the creature to let out an anger filled growl as it rubbed the area hit by the nails. Turning around, the Bugbear came face to face with a very displeaded Bright Mac, who narrowed his dagger eyes at the beast. Joining him in surounding the Bugbear, Sunny took a fierce battle ready stance.
"What say we teach this brute a lesson in how to treat a lady?" Sunny kicked up dirt with his right hoof, appearing ready to charge, lowering his horn.
"Lets show him what happens when you rumble with the Apple Family" Bright Mack cracked his hooves, narrowing his eyes on the ferral beast.
Just when a fight looked like it was about to break out, the Bugbear fell to the ground and covered its head with its claws in a feeble attempt to hide, crying its eyes out. Sunny, Bright Mac and Buttercup hesitated for a moment, then approached the weeping creature.
"Ah have ah sinking feelin' this is the start to some adventure" Sunny tipped his hat back, looking down at the crying Bugbear.
"Poor thing…" Buttercup began petting the creature on its back. "Maybe he needs our help."
Bright Mac looked back to the farm house and waved at his mother. "MA! I think we're gunna figure out what's bothering this big guy. Might be a little late to dinner."
"Fine, but don't bring back any more pets!" Granny sighed in reliefe and retreated to the kitchen to wrap up what she could of the pie orders.
A few hours later, Bright Mac, Buttercup and Sunny all come trotting back up the dirt road that lead from a large rocky mountain just on the boarder of Ponyville, back down into Sweet Apple acres. The three of them had just completed a quest that none of them will soon forget.
"Ah can't believe Quarry eels managed ta sneak into ah Bugbear's cave all the way from Ghastly Gorge" Sunny stated as he happily trotted.
"I can't believe how soft and cute Bugbear cubs are!" Buttercup smiled, remembering the adorable little critters.
"I can't believe we somehow managed to lure the eels out of the cave, away from the cubs, send the eels back to their gorge, feed the mother Bugbear and her cubs a scrupcious meal and sent them on their way back to Bugbear territory and still had enough sunlight to fix the fence!" Bright Mac summed up their adventure pretty well.
"Boy, we sure have some story ta tell Granny!" Sunny chuckled as he trotted down the dirt road.
"I wonder if she'll believe us" Bright Mac paused and took a big whiff of the air. A smile spread across his muzzle. "Looks like she made us some Chilli and cornbread.
"Wow, ah haven't had that in ah while" Sunny was watering at the mouth.
"It's one of my favorites" Bright Mac admitted as he rushed down the dirt road leading up to the Apple farm house.
"Last one back's a rotten apple!" Buttercup made a bolted the road, quickly passing up Bright Mac.
Not wanting to be left behind, Sunny broke out into a full gallop. As he ran passed the trees, Sunny took another look out to the orchard. It's so much smaller then what he was used to. Almost like looking at a little sapling when you were used to looking at it as a full grown tree. Just then, Sunny wished Applejack could be there with him. To see the farm, the town…her parents. She would have loved it all… But Sunny knew that couldn't happen. It was a fluke that HE was there in the first place. Taking another deep breath, Sunny finished the race last, but didn't really care. Racing his unknowing in-laws was a hoot of fun.
Time seemed to go by so fast. Sunny had enjoyed the last couple of days with Bright Mac, Buttercup and (younger) Granny Smith. He almost lost track of time, but knew these days couldn't last forever. On the last day, Sunny told the Apples that he needed to check on his friend at the edge of town, and galloped as fast as he could back to 9 and his TARDIS. When he arrived, Sunny knocked a few times on the front door of the big blue box. He paused and got nervous for a moment, until 9 opened the door and let out a long yawn, wearing a Sombrero.
"Ugh, 9? You ok?" Sunny asked, an eye brow on Sunny's face raised in questioning concern.
After stretching, 9 rubbed his eyes and looked over at Sunny. "Ah, yes. I'm fantastic. Was just about to have a bowl of Wheaties, care to join me?"
"Ah was actually gunna offer you breakfast with th' Apples. Since it's mah last day, they decided ta take the day off. We're all havin' ah large farewell breakfast." Sunny stated, eyes still looking Doctor up and down, noticing not just the odd hat he was wearing, but also the confetti that stuck to his leather jacket and the smell of mango and pineapple on him. "Say 9… is the TARDIS up and running yet?"
After stretching and stepping out of his big blue box, 9 tossed the Sombrero back inside, then patted the door with his hoof like someone would for a companion pet. "Yep, she's right as gold, good as rain and ready to go when you are. Just got back from test driving her. She has pin point time accuracy all down now. Something I REALLY should have fixed a while ago. I wanted to make sure I got you back to the proper time."
"If ya have th' time accuracy down, ah suppose… we don't have ta rush too much…" Sunny tried to hold back a wide smile as he trailed off for a second, trying to read 9's reactions. "So, would ya like ta come have breakfast with Applejack's parents? Or would you rather have your Wheaties?"
"A breakfast feast with the Apple family? Who would turn that down?! That's like saying no to a dance with princess Millennium at the grand Galloping Gala, 2999!" 9 made sure the TARDIS was locked before practically running down the road.
"The Apple Farm is this way!" Sunny called out to 9 who was running in the opposite direction.
The 9th Doctor Whooves paused, flipped around, and continued running but this time in the right direction. After he passed Sunny, 9 told him "I knew that. Just wanted to streach my legs a bit before getting to the real run. Hey, think you can out run me to the Apple farm?"
"Loser does the dishes?" Sunny suggested, that being a popular wager amungst him, Applejack and her siblings all the time.
"Deal! I'll have you know, I ran several times in the great running of the bulls where I came from!" 9 informed Sunny, picking up speed.
"And ah'll have you know, ah once outraced an avalanche" Sunny smirked as he pulled slightly ahead of 9.
The two would have kept trying to one up eachother with other examples of what would give them an edge, but before they realized it, they reached the archway that fed into Sweet Apple Acres.
"So, who's yer friend again?" Granny asked as she passed 9 a plate full of food.
"Doctor Whooves" Sunny told Granny, taking a bite of pancakes.
"Though, my friends call me 9" 9 cheerful stated and thanked Granny for the food.
"9?" Bright Mac repeated the last thing their new guest had said.
"So you have eight other numbered friends?" Buttercup asked, then took a sip of her orange juice.
"Twelve, actually" 9 answered. "1 thru 8, a cranky old guy named War, then there's me, 10, 11 and 12. 12 is kinda cranky too, but he's way more fun then War. We all hang out in a secret club house and talk about history. We're all into Equestrian history. Oh! And SciFi! We love good SciFi nonsense! Robots, aliens, time travelers and all the like!"
"You're a big reader, eh?" Bright Mac asked after he swallowed a big bite of hashbrowns. "I'm a fan of mystery novels myself."
"Hmmm, maybe one day you'll get to go on a big adventure and solve a few mysteries" 9 chuckled as he took a sip of his own orange juice.
"What makes you think we haven't already?" Buttercup smirked, catching both Sunny and 9 off guard a little. To most ponies, the comment would have seemed like a small joke, but Sunny being tied to the element of Honesty, and 9 having developed a very active lie detector section in his head, they both knew she was serious.
Everypony was silent as they ate for a moment until Granny spoke up. "So, Sunny, how far off is th weddin'? Ah don't think ya ever told us?"
"Yeah, or where you planned to hold it" Bright Mac added after swallowing the mouthful he had been chewing.
"Do you have somepony helping with the baking? Maybe I could help. I have a great friend in town who owns a bakery, and she makes the most wonderful cakes!" Buttercup chimmed in, a large smile growing across her muzzle.
All the quesgions at once made Sunny nervous. He and Applejack had been working on things here and there for the wedding, but never set a date. There was always something on his mind, something he felt he needed to do first before he tackled his big day.
"Are you worried about your father?" 9 casually asked in an indoor appropriate tone, not loud, not hushed, and oddly enough, not stressed or serious either. Almost as if he had just asked Sunny if he wanted more to drink, rather then if Sunny were worried about his evil tyrant father and whatever schemes might be brewing that could otherwise ruin his big day.
Anxiety overtook Sunny like a giant wave hitting an cliff's side. He felt like he was drowning in disbelief. Sunny didn't notice everypony had stopped eating after 9's quesgion and had turned their attention to him. The atmosphere surounding the yellow unicorn had gone cold and dence. He suddenly found himself swallowed up by worries and fears he normally suppressed. Sunny was frozen in place, unable to speak.
It wasn't often that 9 regretted something he said, but this was one of those rare moments. He looked over at Buttercup, Granny Smith and Bright Mac for help, desperate for an idea of what to do or say. Taking a deep breath, Bright Mac tried to grab the reigns.
"You shouldn't worry about your father" Bright Mac shot Sunny an aged, wise but relaxed smile, siezing his role as Sunny's Father-in-law and not just some friendly stallion. "When Buttercup and I decided it was time to tie the knot, we both were worried what our parents would say or do."
"My father wanted to move far away from the Apples and their farm. But I couldn't leave Bright Mac" Buttercup jumped into the conversation, sharing a loving gaze with Bright Mac. "I wouldn't want to spend a day away from him. Being separated would have torn me apart."
Still distressed, Sunny found the strength to speak, but his words were low and lacked his usual bravado. "I just… I wish this trouble with my father would be over, so Applejack and I could have a normal wedding, a honeymoon where we don't have to worry about anything, and start a normal life togeather…"
Bright Mac returned his attention to Sunny and told him. "Don't let the world tell you when it's a good time for you and Applejack to get married. Just go ahead and do it."
"Applejack…." Buttercup muttered the name under her breath. The hairs on the back of Sunny's neck stood on end.
He had spent the last three days trying to NOT say Applejack's name so he didn't mess up the future, and here, during a moment of weakness, he let his guard down and let her name slip.
"Applejack… we were thinking of that name for a girl, when we finnaly have our foal" Buttercup smiled and blushed a little as she turned from Bright Mac to Sunny. "That's the name of your fiancé? The one you've talked about who's a hard worker, competitive, honest, down to earth and daring?"
Gulping down his nervousness, Sunny smiled weakly and nodded. 'I hope I didn't just mess up the future some how…'
"Yeah, I like that name. Mom, wasn't your great grandmother named Applejack?" Bright Mac asked Granny.
The middle aged green mare thought as she scratched her head a little. "Ugh… maybe. Ah can't remember right now. Buy if'in you think so. Ah guess she was."
"What about if you have a boy?" 9 asked with a wide grin on his muzzle, trying to steer the conversation away from Applejack's name.
"Oh! We were going to name him Little Mac, like Bright Mac Jr. But not" Buttercup smiled as she nearly bounced out of her chair with joy. "Oh! I can't wait to have some foals!"
The rest of the dinner was spend eating and going back and forth with foal names, clothing ideas, foal tips from Granny and surprisingly 9. Sunny was shocked by how much 9 knew about foals and babies. But the atmosphere allowed Sunny to calm down and enjoy the rest of his meal, all thoughts about his father were pushed out of his mind for the moment. After everypony was finished, Sunny offered to do the dishes, like he had for the last three days, wanting to contribute as much as he could, but Bright Mac insisted he get them and told Sunny to go relax with 9, Buttercup and Granny.
"We still have some time before we have to leave, what would you like to do?" 9 asked Sunny. The way he said it made it seem like 9 was ignoring everypony else in the room.
"Well…" Sunny thought about it, the looked to Buttercup. "Ah'd really like ta hear some more stories from y'all. Maybe go over some family albums and hear some tales about some adventures ya'll have had growing up and what not."
"Sounds like fun to me" Bright Mac joined the group having finished his dish duty. On his way over, Bright Mac grabbed a family album off a near by bookshelf and sat next to his wife on the family couch and invited Sunny over to the seat next to him.
Leaning over to look at the pictures in the open page, Sunny was shocked to see an old time picture of Bright Mac as a foal. "Is that you, Bright?"
"Sure is" the yellow stallion chuckled. "Sure was small, wasn't I?"
"You were th' cutest foal in the hospital" Granny chuckled.
"Only becouse Buttercup wasn't born there" Bright Mac noted as he flipped a page and showed off Buttercup's foal picture. She was a smiling little filly with a bouncy tuft of a mane.
Sunny listened to Bright Mac and Buttercup share stories of their youth, of when they got in trouble for breaking curfew, some of the times Granny didn't know about and gave them the stink eye for, stories of them having secret picnics in the near by forest, and of when Buttercup wrote Bright Mac and her a song.
After talking about it, Buttercup offered to play it for them. Pulling out her guitar out of the hall closet and tuning it, Buttercup began to sing her song that she wrote just for Bright Mac and her.
"We're far apart in every way, But you're the best part of my day…"
This wasn't the first time Granny had heard it, but it still brought a tear to her eye just the same as it did 9 and Sunny. Though, for 9 and Sunny, it hit them harder, knowing what they knew about the future.
After the song, Bright Mac had the idea to challenge Sunny to a lassoing contest out in the barn, which everypony seemed interested in. Granny still didn't seem one hundred percent convinced that a unicorn could do the work of an earth pony on a farm without magic, and wanted to see his lassoing skills.
Both Sunny and Bright Mac readied their lassos and showed off their hoof work at spinning them in the air, to their sides, even hopping back and forth through the loops, earning cheers from the small crowd of Granny, Buttercup and 9. Once the two were done warming up, 9 brought out a few still targets for them to lasso first. The first target was Granny's rocking chair, which both were able to lasso with ease. Next 9 brought out a lamp, this one was a but more tougher, since neither competitors were allowed to let the lamp fall and break its light bulb. If the lamp started to fall, they have to try and pull it to them and catch it before it hit the ground. Bright Mac focused, tossed his lasso, and managed to snag the lamp and not have it even jiggle. Sunny up next, tossed his lasso, ropped the lamp, but unfortunately hit the lamp at the wrong angle and almost knocked it down. Last minute, he pulled with all his might on his lasso and sent the lamp flying thru the air at him! With quick thinking, he used his body to cushion its blow and caught it before it his the ground, laying on his back. After ropping a few more still furniture from the house, Buttercup brought out one of their friendlier cows for the boys to lasso. The bessy was happily chewing some grass and ignoring anything beyond what she was chewing.
"Whatch this one" Bright Mac told Sunny as he readied his lasso, twirling it around in the air near him a few times before shooting it out and catching the unamused cow by the horns. The cow seemed rather annoyed by the sudden appearance of the rope wrapping around her horns, but continued to just chew some grass in her mouth. With a flick of his rust, Bright Mac undid the lasso and pulled it back to him, freeing the bessy.
"That was pretty good" Sunny chuckled, straitening his stetson hat and readying his own lasso, twirling it slowly at first in the air. "But check this one out…"
After picking up more speed, Sunny tossed his lasso with a bit more force then what was needed, and unfortunately, his lasso missed its cow target and landed beyond sight.
Bright Mac chuckled lightly and padded Sunny on the back. "Better luck next time, partner-"
Before Bright Mac could say anything further, Sunny, who was still gripping hard onto his rope, was pulled with enough force to lift him off his hooves and flying through the air. Several loud angry grunts echoed in the air, letting Bright Mac, Buttercup, 9 and Granny all know what Sunny must have lasso by mistake!
Pulling Sunny to him with all its might, Brutus the farm's bull who's horns Sunny's lasso seemed to grab hold of unexpectedly, grunted once more as Sunny depended from the air to him. The bull was shocked at first when a random lasso hooded onto his horn. But then when he realized some pony had lassoed him probably as a joke, Brutus saw red and began running around in his pen, dashing one way then the other. No pony was going to make a joke out of him so long as he could put up a fight.
Meanwhile, Sunny held onto his lasso for dear life, but decided it was literally time to take the bull by the horns! Just as Bright Mac, Buttercup, 9 and Granny Smith all arrived at Brutus's pen, Sunny had pulled himself all the way to the bull's neck and literally grabbed him by the horns in an attempt to direct him. Brutus didn't take kindly to anypony touching his horns, and let out an enraged howl before attempting several bucks to relieve his back of Sunny. Seeing everypony watching him, Sunny decided it was as good a time as any to show off a little.
Letting go of Brutus's horns, Sunny grabbed the lasso that was still tied around them with one hoof, and with his free hoof grabbed his stetson and began waving it in the air. A wide smile grew on his muzzle as he let out a loud 'Yeeeehaaaawwww!"
This earned a cheer from his small crowd, but another angry cry from Brutus, who had never been so humiliated before. The bull began kicking and jumping every which way to throw Sunny off, growing more and more frustrated. Sencing a raise in the bull's anger, Sunny decided he had had enough fun with Brutus and began thinking of a way to get off.
He didn't have to think for long, becouse Brutus swerved to his left and bucked the pony on his back, off. Sunny was flying through the air, with very little time to think or focused in a spell to save himself. Everypony moved quickly out of the way as Sunny crash landed through one of the beams that closed Brutus into his pen. Sunny had landed on his head, hard enough for him to feel very sleepy….
Several moments later, or maybe a bit longer, it was hard to tell, Sunny awoke, shooting strait up and looking around in sudden confusion. He was somehow back in the farm house.
"Ya alright there, Mr. Rodeo star?" Granny chuckled as she looked up at him from some cross stich piece she was working on, rocking back and forth in her favorite rocker.
There was a throbbing feeling on the side of Sunny's head. "Ah… remind me never ta do that again."
"I see my patient's awake" 9 entered the room with Bright Mac and Buttercup following behind him. 9 took a seat next to Sunny and pulled out an odd looking instrument that looked like a thick metal pen with a light on end of it. Holding down a button on it, the instrument emitted a bluish light while making a buzzing noise. After a moment of running the light over Sunny, 9 looked at a small screen on the instrument and read the odd circle letters on it. "Well well, Mr.Knight, looks like you're going to be just fine. But I have to advise not doing that for atleast a week."
"Ah ain't planned on doin' that ever again" Sunny chuckled as he sat up.
After sharing a few more stories related to Sunny's incident, mainly about Granny's cousin who runs a rodeo and started off as a rodeo clown, the sun started to lower in the west. It was just about dinner time. Granny and Buttercup went into the kitchen to make something special for Sunny's last dinner of his trip. Sunny tried get up and help, but 9 instructed Bright Mac to make sure he stayed put, that he still needed to rest.
"You took quite the hit from old Brutus there, partner" Bright Mac tried to reason with Sunny to keep him on the couch and relaxed. "Best ta just let us do some of the work."
"After dinner, you should he fine to move up and about" 9 plainly stated.
Sitting back and trying to relax, Sunny looked over and watched as Bright Mac, Buttercup and Granny all worked on the night's dinner togeather. It was oddly familiar to see how well they worked togeather, made eachother laugh, understood one another's language when it would make most ponies second guess what they meant. They were a fine tuned working machine when they worked togeather. It brought a smile to Sunny's muzzle as he thought how Applejack, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom all came by it honestly.
"So are you going to put on a show again tonight?" 9 asked in a low tone, reminding Sunny he was there. 9 motioned his head in the direction Sunny had piled the items used for his make shift stage and puppets for his shows at.
"Do I have my doctor's permission to use magic?" Sunny smirked and raised a brow at 9.
"No" 9 stated with a smug look of his own. "I can't quite speak for YOUR Doctor, but you have MY permission."
"Good, now, I just need to think of a story" Sunny sat back and looked up at the ceiling, trying to decide which story to conclude his show with. "I want to make it a good one. Maybe the one about Applejack and her friends going to their first Grand Galloping Galla? Or how about the one where they faced off against Discord?"
"How about your own story?" 9 suggested casually.
Sunny gulped not know quite what Doctor meant. "You mean, like, tell them a story about ME?"
"You're an interesting guy, as far as Sunnys go" Doctor elaborated lightly. "I'm sure there's some story you can tell about yourself without telling that it was about YOU, if you want. This would be the only time you could give a silent confession to your in-laws about who YOU really are. Take that opertunity, or don't. But think carefully about it."
Before Sunny could protest, Granny called them all in for dinner. 9 helped Sunny get to his hooves and lead him into the dinning room, where they enjoyed a good meal with the Apples.
Like most meals, that last dinner that Sunny would share with Bright Mac and Buttercup was over much too fast, despite the conversations they had, the jokes and stories they told, and there was a bit of messing around with everypony throwing biscuits at one another. Even Granny got in on, laughing like she hadn't done in years. After clearing the table and finishing the dishes, everypony retired to the living room.
"If everypony wouldn't mind, I'd actually be honored ta put on one last show for y'all" Sunny spoke up after dinner.
This caught everypony by suprise. Bright Mac and Buttercup looked nervously at one another, but before either of them could speak, Granny chimmed in. "Ya don't have ta do that, Sunny."
"Ah know, but it's something ah want to do" a half smile cracked across Sunny's muzzle when he told them "besides, ah wanted ta tell ya'll mah favorite story…"
"No worries, miss" 9 interjected, catching Granny's attention. "Sunny is fine to give a farewell performance. Doctor's word."
After everypony was reasured by Doctor, the time traveler gave Sunny a nod to proceed with whatever preparations he needed to do. Using a few spells, Sunny quickly altered the structure of the puppets he had been using, touching some up with a color changing spell or two, adding some aluminum foil for armor or jewelry, and stacking a few boxes togeather to make a make shift castle. At last, Sunny was ready to weave his tale.
Eyes went back to Sunny once again as the stage curtains to the male shift puppet theater opened up. Looking out to his crowd, which consisted of Bright Mac, Buttercup, Granny Smith, and 9 himself, Sunny cleared his throat and began to build his setting. "A long, long time ago, not long after all three pony tribes came togeather to live in peace, did a princess live with her sister and magical teacher in a castle that almost reached the clouds…."
Sunny could tell everypony was interested in his tale thus far. He may have changed the names of the characters in his story, but everything else about his story would be kept the same. His life story.
Bright Mac, Buttercup, Granny Smith and 9 all watched and listened with great interest at the tale Sunny weaved. A tale of a forbidden love, a missing princess and a foal the forbidden lovers had in secret. Pausing for a second to put some make shift armor on the puppet of the prince, Sunny saw how sad the audience was and decided to brighten their priorities with a few shows of his ventures as a prince, before he told the fall of the Empire. The prince puppet was shown sparing with the king, his father, and his father teaching him the code of a knight. Thinking quickly, Sunny made some make shift dragon puppets out of Bright Mac's boots near the door and played thru the scene where he was deemed 'the Black Knight'. And to add one more touch, Sunny played the scene out with him meeting the Baba Ya Ga sisters for the first time when he had to deal with a field's worth of fire locusts, using some dish towels as the cloaked figures. Those short stories brought smiles to everypony's faces. Which was good, becouse the next part of the story… was going to be Sunny's least favorite part.
Manipulating the prince puppet to climb a tower made of the stove top pipe, Sunny reenacted his own climb up the Crystal castle tower, where he would fight his own father. When the armored puppet arrived at the top of the stove pipe, er, tower, he came face to face with a dark grey puppet king, who after the first three acts, had changed and altered to look more evil. Eyes a different color, mane and tail out of control, and a toothy smile on his muzzle.
"'There you are' the dark King's voice rang like a deep bronze bell. 'I was begining to think you wouldn't show up' the king kept his back to the knight." Sunny continued to narrate.
"'Who are you?! Where is my father, the king?' The knight asked, his heart shaken with worry."
"'Why, I'm hurt, you don't recognize me?' As the stallion turned to face the knight, the Knight's heart sank when he realized this dark ruler was his own father the king! His entire look had changed. He was no longer the kind, good king the knight remembered."
"'Father… is that… you?' The knight struggled to speak." Sunny paused to take a deep breath, not for dramatic effect, even if it came across that way to the Apples watching the show.
'"Come here, Look at my beautiful empire.' The dark unicorn king told his son the knight as he looked down at the misserable pony puppets appearing to mine for him as they marched around in tin foil chains."
"'What… What have you done?' The knight puppet asked his father."
"'I have taken what is mine!' The evil King puppet looked like he stomped his hooves down in anger. 'This is the way my Empire is to be run! With my loyal guards by my side, and my slaves working day and night to serve me!'
"'No! No! This isn't right!' The knight puppet seemed very upset."
"'I want you by my side. Your potential and skill in the unicorn arts could help to expand the Empire! Think of it!' The king tried to sway his son. 'All of Equestria could bow before us! No pony could stop us!'"
"'And what of my mother?' The knight puppet asked his father." Sunny took another deep breath, the images in his mind replaying that horrible day once again.
"'I have a special spot in the Dungeons just for her. I thought about turning her to stone, but I want her to see me in all my glory when I rule all of Equeatria!' The evil King puppet chuckled."
The knight puppet then appeared to have his horn glowed green. "With a teleporting spell, the knight summoned warriors carved from wood to aid him. This shocked the evil king. 'What is the meaning of this?' He asked his son."
"'I'm not going to let you do this' the knight told his father. 'Stop this madness, set the ponies free, and change things back to the way they were… please, father. It isn't too late' the knight pleaded once more to his father."
Sorrow worked its way into Sunny's heart as the puppet playing the part of his father paused, then turned back and strick out at the knight puppet, but instead hit the earth pony wooden warrior puppet. "'As if a few toys could stop me!' The King's heart was untouched by his son's words. And a battle broke out."
The puppets played out the battle almost exactly as it happened, well, say for the dark crystals. It would be impossible for Sunny to make the dark crystals without channeling dark magic. So in lieu of the dark crystals Sombra manifested, Sunny used sharp pebbles he found on the porch. The battle had Granny, Buttercup and Bright Mac at the edge of their seats, while 9 simply watched as if he were a regular bystanders watching someone performing an everyday feat. By the end, everypony witnessed the dark king puppet turn the knight puppet to stone after declaring that he would cast a spell to lock the knight in a nightmare until he saw things his way, then shot him off into space.
The Apples all paused, mouths slightly open, all waiting for the story to go on, but Sunny never continued with his story.
"What happened next?" Bright Mac was the one who spoke up and broke the silance.
Taking a deep breath, Sunny quickly illustrated with the puppets what happened as he cut a few corners to save on time. "Well… the knight circled the stars, losing his memory to protect his mind from the horrors of a 1000 year long nightmare, and in doing so forgot who he was. He eventually ended in a small town, made many friends, including a new family who took him in, and they all went on lots of fun adventures togeather."
"But what about his father, the evil king?" Buttercup asked, sneering as she said 'evil king'.
"Well, ugh, ua see…" Sunny thought up an answer, just not as quickly as he had hoped. "I haven't written that part of the story yet."
"Awww" the three Apples released a wave of dissonance with the sigh.
"But tonight's your last night here! Can't you tell us what's gunna happen!" Bright Mac pleaded. "It's gunna drive me nuts not knowing what happens!"
"Do you have a slight idea of what might happen?" Buttercup asked, giving Sunny a watery eyed look. It was at that moment that Sunny knew where Apple Bloom got her puppy dog eyes from.
Scatching his scapt, Sunny tried to think of an ending to his own story.
"Its your story" 9, who had been silent the whole time, watching with great indifference, finnaly spoke up. "How do YOU WANT it to end?"
The answer was simple. Sunny once again manipulated the puppets to have them all standing togeather, holding hooves then pulling one another togeather for a big hug. "The evil in the King's heart melted away. He and the Knight's mother were happily married at long last. The prince also got married to a very special mare who didn't care whether he was a prince or a popper. They all had to face many more challenges, but from that day on, they would do it togeather, as a family. A true happily ever after…"
Sunny was met with a loud roar of cheers and hoof stomps. It appeared that the Apples, and even 9 all loved how he ended the tragic story. It wasn't until Sunny stood up to bow that he realized he himself had been crying, this time he knew why. 'Because I want us to have that happy ending for us…maybe one day, we willbe that one big happy family…'
"Are you sure you have to go?" Buttercup looked at Sunny with a sorrowful expression.
"Ah'm afraid so" Sunny pleaded with her, feeling remorseful, with a part of him.woshing he could stay longer. "Ah have ahlot of things ta tend to back home."
"Wedding arrangements?" Bright Mac cocked a half smile at Sunny.
"Amungst other things" Sunny replied and tipped his hat to Bright Mac.
"Best not to keep Applejack waiting" Buttercup noted, also wearing a small smile.
After Sunny gave Granny and Buttercup each one more hug, and shook Bright Mac's hoof, Sunny and 9 waved goodbye to the small family and to the old farm house that Sunny knew he would see again soon. As Sunny and 9 disappeared into the distance, Granny let out a long yawn and retreated into the house.
"You kids don't mind cleaning up th' puppet show stage, do ya? Ah'm plum tuckered out." Granny asked as she was already walking up the stairs to her bedroom.
"No worries, mom, we got it" Bright Mac called to her, his words reaching her right before she shut her bedroom door.
As the young couple began cleaning up the furniture and sheets used to make the stage, Buttercup looked over at Bright Mac and asked in a hushed tone "so… what do you think of him?"
"Sunny?" Bright Mac asked, earning a small nod from his wife. He flashed her a small, modest smile "I think our kids are in good hooves if he's there."
Buttercup picked up the puppets, looked at them for a moment, then pulled them in for a hug. In her mind she thought of them as her own children. "I wish we could have been there more for them. Helped guide them as they grew up… it's what parents are supposed to do, right?"
Tears began to fall from Buttercup's eyes as she silently wished she change what would happen. Bright Mac felt that same aching pain, but swallowed his sadness and wrapped his loving wife in his hooves.
"We won't be there for them… but they aren't alone…" Bright Mac whispered softly to Buttercup. "They are in good hooves with my mom, friends they make, and eachother…"
"And Sunny" Buttercup forced a smile as she looked up at Bright Mac, her hoof rubbed his cheek gently. "He reminds me alot of you…"
That made Bright Mac chuckle. "Guess our girl's got good taste then."
"And if she's anything like me, she'll keep him out of trouble" Buttercup smiled weakly.
"Only time will tell…" Bright Mac smiled back at his wife as he planted a soft kiss on her lips, wishing their time togeather would last forever…
"If I take the 3…and divide it… decide it by 12… I should get…" Doctor Whooves, also known to some of his other friends as 10, was still in his workshop when a loud whooping scratching noise echoed in his house. It sounded like the TARDIS, but it wasn't HIS TARDIS. HIS TARDIS was collecting dust in the corner, having not been used all day. Doctor Whooves was so focused on his equations, so driven to solve the equation that would allow safe interdimentional travel, that he completly missed the Doctor Whooves who was also knows to HIS friends as 9, and was oblivious to the yellow unicorn trying to get his attention.
'He's in some sort of trance' Sunny thought after his third failed attempt to try and break Doctor away from his equations on the chalk boards that surounding him. Sunny had tried yelling at Doctor Whooves with the royal Canterlot voice, standing infront to him waving his front hooves like he was on fire, and even offered Doctor his favorite snack of hazelnut tea and lordhoof cookies. But nothing. Nothing broke the intellectual earth pony from his seemingly endless quest to find, ugh, whatever it was he was trying to find. Curious, Sunny stepped back and took a good look at the calk boards to try and see what his friend was trying to work through. All the numbers seemed to mesh togeather at one point, becoming a mess of numbers that crossed over eachother. It was hard for Sunny to figure out where one line of numbers ended and another began. But that gave him an idea.
While Doctor continued scribbling on one Chalk board, Sunny erased the entire contents of one chalk board and went right to work on writing something else in its place.
"Then I take the .004… and plug it into…hmmm" Doctor thought he would have to take the answer from the previous equation and plug it in for a substitute for a variable in another previous equation, but something was off. Where an equation should have been was an unsolved tick-tack-toe game. The sudden appearance didn't break Doctor's consideration. In his current state mind, Doctor somehow rationalized that the game was part of the equation. There was only one of two moves to make, and whenever Doctor played, he always chose 'O's. He placed an 'O' in the center of the game and crozzes a line connecting the 'O's from top left to bottom right. He then proceeded to the next side of the board where a crossword was crudely drawn out as if in a hurry.
Doctor Whooves scratched his chin as he narrowed his eyes on the puzzle. "Hmmmm… a ten letter word that could be described as Magic… hmmm… 4th letter is 'E' and ends in a 'P'… AH! It's 'Friendship'!"
After scribbling in the word, Doctor Whooves then followed an arrow drawn at the end of the word that trailed across several recently erased chalk boards to one that ended up being just on the other side of the wordsearch. At the end of the long arrow was a fill in the blank puzzle with only a few letters left.
In the word bank were only three vowels so it was easy for Doctor Whooves to guess what the message might be, and Sunny stood by, watching, hoping that THIS snapped him out of his trance.
"I'm going to say… 'O', 'I', and 'E'" Doctor said half smug. He may be a science and physics genius, but that didn't mean he was any good at guessing at a few word games. Doctor took a few tried, but managed to put all the letters in their proper places.
By the end of it, Sunny tapped his hoof on the message it spelled out. Doctor narrowed his eyes and repeated the message, mumbling it to himself. "Hmmmm…your friends might be in trouble and need your help!…GREAT HOUR GLASS!"
Doctor started panicking as he bounced back and forth, pushing his chalk boards out of his way, looking out the window half expecting the sky to be falling.
Sunny wrapped his earth pony friend in his green magical aura and floated him in the air for a second before levitating him over so they could speak face to face. "I'm glad you snapped out of it, Doctor, but we might have a bigger problem."
Rubbing the sides of his head with his hooves, Doctor winced and teared up, not remembering blinking all day. Had he been at it all day? What day was it? Doctor didn't even remember how all this madness started with the chalk boards. All he remembered was some equation, or was it a number? And somepony's voice. A mare's voice, whispering in his ear. It wasn't Derpy. It didn't sound like anypony he knew… who was it?
"Doctor, I need you to focus" Sunny stomped his hoof to catch his friend's attention.
"Y-yes! I'm sorry" Doctor pushed the thoughts out of his head for the moment and gave Sunny his undevided attention. "What's going on!? Who's in danger!?"
"I don't know for sure" Sunny lowered Doctor Whooves, and freed him from his magical aura. Sunny then dashed over to the front door and flung it open. "But I have a very bad feeling. I'll fill you in on the way, but we need to move fast…"
The Ponyville Post office was silent and still. Everypony who had been there today either was helped or left the office out of fear. More then half of the ponies who were 'helped' were pretty much told they couldn't be helped and told to leave by the only mail mare, Derpy. Weather it was becouse the Ponyville post office didn't have the stamps they wanted, or the posy office wouldn't ship something without the proper postaging, or pony had the audacity to ask for a speedy delivery last minute. The ponies who had the proper postage, didn't want holiday stamps that were out of season and just had something to be delivered with more then enough time to spare, were handled coldly.
Derpy Hooves, who once greeted every customer of the post office with a warm smile and an offer of a muffin, now shot daggers from her opposite direction eyes, hissed at them from clenched teeth, and kept things fast going and brief. It's true her new pace got all her work done in less then an hour, but she was misserable. She had aggressively stood up against ponies who were ganging up on her, but she couldn't help feeling like she was in the wrong some how.
The front door to the post office rang, letting Derpy know that sompony else entered the building. Her first reaction had her jump to her hooves, ready to strike, but she hesitated a little, feeling ashamed of her new train of thought. She sighed and recited her usual speech, but with much less enthusiasm "Welcome to the Ponyville Post Office, My name is Derpy, how may I…"
Deepy had almost finished her entire speech when she bothered to look up at the pony who actually entered the post office. Doctor Whooves stood there, looking around at the post office curiously before turning his attention to Derpy "seems like an oddly slow day… Are you alright Derpy?"
He was the straw that broke the mules back. Even when things got bad, really bad, Derpy knew Doctor would come into her world and help make it right. Seeing him was like seeing her knight in shinning armor, only this time, she felt like SHE was the bad guy in this pony tale. Derpy fell to her hooves and started crying out loud, trying desperately to whipe away her tears. "Oh Doctor…. I'm so… so sorry!"
Confused as to what Derpy could be sorry about, Doctor hesitated only for a second, then realized his body was moving on its own and took to her side, comforting the weeping Derpy, holding her in a hug with her head on his chest.
"There there, Derpy…" Doctor cooed while petting Derpy, running his hoof down her mane while his other hoof continued to hold her in the hug. "Why don't you tell me what happened."
After several sniffles, Doctor looked around for a tissue, but there were none. Without hesitation, Doctor undid his own tie and offered it to Derpy in lue of a handkerchief. Derpy looked from the tie to Doctor, who gave a reassuring nod. Derpy then blew into the tie, and wiped away her tears.
After a few more deep breaths, Derpy mustered the strength to speak. "It was awful, Doctor… I don't know what came over me. One minute, Everypony was pushing, yelling and mad at me, like every day, then the next thing I knew, I was yelling back! I was the one being pushy, snappy, and mean! I don't know why I did that, but ponies stopped being mad and did what I told them… but… it felt wrong…"
"Its alright Derpy" Doctor took the soiled tie from her and promptly flung it into the nearest waste bin, where it landed with a gross slap. Doctor met Derpy's gaze with understanding eyes as he told her "Your job is stressful, and not everypony who comes in here knows how to talk to you."
"Its like they're speaking another language" Derpy admitted. "I don't even know why anypony wants Hearths Warming stamps right now, that's almost a year away!"
"Ponies can be wierd" Doctor admitted, chuckling to himself how ironic it was that a pony who travels to other planets in time and space in a big blue box, dealing with all kinds of aliens and anomalies, made THAT statment referring to ponies who just live everyday lives. "But the important thing is that YOU keep being YOU Derpy. You're a special mare. And although most ponies don't see that, and they get frustrated becouse they don't understand you, it doesn't mean that either of you are wrong. It's just a little miss communication."
"So it's like… apples trying to talk to strawberries?" Derpy asked, trying to make sence of what Doctor Whooves was saying.
"That's right" Doctor understood what Derpy meant. Both apples and strawberries were fruit, sweet and most of the time red, and although they didn't talk, the fruit have different tastes to them. "But you know what they both taste good in?"
A glow returned to Derpy as a wide smile spread across her muzzle. "MUFFINS! I know what I have to do, Doctor!"
After getting up and kissing Doctor on the cheek, Derpy raced to the back of the post office where the break room was, grabbed all the nessisary ingredients out of the cabbords and fridge and went right to work. Doctor, on the other hoof, just stood still in shock, his face bright red as he tried to process that Derpy kissed him. He didn't know exactly why, but his heart was pounding hard, his hooves were sweaty, and for once, his calculating brain couldn't even fathom the recepe for tapioca pudding.
When he came back down from cloud 9, Doctor called out to Derpy "Hey, Derpy! I need to go check on our other friends! Will you be ok for a bit?"
"No problem, Sweetie! I have alot of muffins to bake! Tell everypony I said hi!" Derpy felt light as a feather and as good as gold. She knew what she had to do to make it up to the ponies of Ponyville for her bad attitude.
Doctor took a few steps out of the post office before he paused and muttered to himself "Did she just call me 'Sweetie'?…"
Not knowing what this meant for their dynamic as friends and time traveling partners, and why his heart started pounding like crazy again, Doctor took a few deep breaths and told himself "One thing at a time. Derpy is better. Sunny's checking on Octavia… guess I'll check on Thunderlane, ugh…"
Although Doctor had reconciled with the grey pegasus in the past, that still didn't mean that they saw eye to eye. The two were as opposite as oil and water, and rarely mixed. This was going to be a tough one.
When Sunny reached the house Octavia shared with a pony named Vynal Scratch, Vynal answered the door and presented Sunny with a flyer for Octavia's music school. The odd white mare didn't say a word to Sunny and only pointed to the part of the poster that had the address of the school on it. Sunny ended up back tracking into town, running as fast as he could. According to the poster, Octavia should be only be about 18 minutes into her first lesson. Not wanting to burst in if nothing is wrong, Sunny peered in through the window. His hope disappeared when Sunny saw that his musically gifted friend was not doing well.
Octavia stood nervously at her podium, flipping through a book, trying to find something, anything, she wasn't really sure she knew what she was looking for, but she had to do something! Meanwhile, all the students of the classroom appeared to be talking so loudly it almost sounded like a conflicting day in royal Court, say for the wadded up paper balls flying rough the air that just barely missed a paper airplain soaring just above the student's heads. Octavia was overwhelmed and had lost control and it wss eating her up.
Sencing the fear in her, Sunny was able to tap into the umbrum part of his bloodline and found what was bothering her. 'Where is Big Mac with the instruments!? I'm going to lose my school before it got a chance to take off! I'm going to have to sell half my house to pay back the parents! I'm going to end up on the street!'
Without hesitation, Sunny teleported inside the school, catching everypony's attention, silencing all the talkative fillies and colts. The paper airplane floaded over and landed on Sunny's hat. He had to stop himself from laughing as he took it off and approached Octavia, speaking to her in a hushed tone so the students wouldn't hear. "What's going on, Octavia?"
The grey mare had to take a deep breath to steady her nerves before whispering back to Sunny "Big Mac was supposed to deliver the instruments and music sheets from Canterlot to the school hours ago. I stuck around and waited, but he never showed and I had to open the doors and prayed that he would show up at any moment. The students are restless, and I'm going to lose my school!"
The whole while, Octavia's voice began to grow louder and louder, But Sunny motioned for her to breath amd relax. As she did, Sunny made a suggestion. "Want me to help?"
"Please…" Octavia released a heavy breath, her body becoming less tense, feeling at ease that Sunny was here to help. If anypony could help make this mess right, it was him. Well, him or Princess Twilight. But honetly, Octavia was glad it was Sunny who had come to her rescue.
"Ok, I just need you to trust me" Sunny told Octavia, who simply nodded, relaxing a bit. Sunny then turned to the classroom of foals, who had started up talking in a low murmur. "Hello class! My name is Sunny."
"Hello Mr. Sunny" all the foals all said in unison.
Being called 'Mr. Sunny' made Sunny laugh a little. "Please, just call me Sunny. So, we have ourselves ah little situation. Seems ah friend of ours who was deliverin' yer school supplies didn't show up on time."
The foals all looked shocked, with a few of them talking amongst themselves in a hushed tone.
"Here's what we're gunna do for today" Sunny suggested loud enough to catch their attention. "Ya can't play any instruments, but Ah'm sure ya all have some story ta share as to why yer all wanting to learn from mah good friend, Octavia, here. Why don't ya'll move yer chairs into ah circle, and ya'll can take turns telling what inspired ya ta pick up an instrument, and why your specific one."
The foals all smiled and spoke positively about this solution, and went right to work moving their chairs into somewhat of a circle.
Octavia looked up at Sunny with a great full expression, appearing more relaxed. "Thank you… thank you so much… Are you going to go check on Big Mac? I'm ashamed to admit it, but I never thought that he might be in trouble."
"No worries" Sunny shot Octavia a half smile. "Ah'll find him. Ah was just gunna go check on Thunderlane and Doctor really fast, first."
"I'd go with you, but for the next… 37 minutes, I'm in charge of these kids" Octavia felt a little ashamed about not being able to drop everything and rush to her friend's aid.
"Don't you fret nothin'" Sunny told Octavia as he straitended his stetson hat. "Ah'll make sure Big Mac's alright. By next class, you'll have yer school supplies."
Sunny then teleported out of the classroom and left Octavia in charge once again. Taking another deep breath, Octavia took an empty seat in the circle and addressed her class. "Alright students, rocky start, but all things happen for a reason. Now, let's find out WHY we want to play. Let's start with… Liza Doolots. Care to share your story?"
A little light blue unicorn filly with a purple mane who sat across from Octavia in the circle was suprised to be called upon. The filly gulped and started to share her story in a slightly shaky voice. "Well, ugh, I guess I wanted to try and get my cutie mark by plating an instrument. My big sister plays in a band…"
Sunny was shocked to see Doctor had arrived on the scene just before he did and was already attempting to talk with Thunderlane. Sunny was not shocked by the fact that Doctor seemed to not be getting through to Thunderlane at all and seemed to be growing more and more frustrated with the grey pegasus. Stepping back, Sunny took in the scene. Inside Thunderlane's house, Thundeelane himself was in the kitchen, cooking something while Doctor Whooves attempting to talk to him, which didn't seem to be going very well. Thunderlane's expression was deadpan and completly lacking of any emotion. Off in the next room, Rumble, Thunderlane's younger brother, hid his muzzle in a comic book with a large box of Apple chips next to him, popping one in right after he finished swallowing the previous one. Taking a deep breath, Sunny thought it best to regroup with Doctor and see what he found out.
After seeing Sunny signaling him, Doctor left Thunderlane to his cooking and went to report to Sunny. In a slightly hushed tone, Doctor told Sunny "it seems like Yhunderlane and his brother are fighting, but I've never seen either of them act like this. I think I prefer the loud, obnoxious Thunderlane who never keeps his mouth shut, to this. They haven't spoken to eachother at all since I've been here. Maybe not all day. And neither will tell me what happened."
Nodding a little, Sunny thought about the best way to deal with this situation. An idea popped into his head and he whispered his plan in Doctor's ear. Doctor rubbed his chin, running the plan over in his head. When Doctor came to the conclusion that Sunny's plan might work, he proceeded back to the kitchen where Thunderlane was busy cooking. Sunny himself went to go sit next to Rumble, who looked up at Sunny for a moment, then went back to reading and eating.
"Those good?" Sunny asked Rumble, motioning to the chips.
After a long moment, Sunny wasn't sure that Rumble was going to answer. When he did, it was in a low murmur. "They're OK… better then starving."
"Been there, done that…" Sunny remembered the horrible apocalyptic universe of Equestria he had visited. The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He then peeked over at the comic Rumble was reading, it was a Dark Detective comic! "Hey! I remember that one! It's where the Dark Detective and Humdrum get captured by Frost Bite, right?"
Pulling another chip from the box, Rumble was about to take a bite, but stopped and looked over at Sunny with a numbed expression. "Yeah, what's it to you?"
"Well, I don't think your big brother told you this, but Spike and I got sucked into a magical comic and were in that very issue playing out the story. He was Humdrum and I was the Dark Detective." Sunny sounded a little dramatic when he said the character's names to add theatrics to his story.
Rumble turned away right after a pained expression broke out across his muzzle. "Guess that's something else that slipped Thunderlane's mind."
Rumble went back to eating apple chips and focusing on his comic.
"Wanna tell old Sunny what happened?" Sunny asked, his tone softened to seem comforting.
Rumble sighed, but didn't look at Sunny, he kept his muzzle in his comic as he spoke. "Thunderlane said he made me a lunch, but when I looked, he didn't. I was late to school becouse I stopped to pick up a lunch. The only lunch I could buy was a spinach salad. I hate spinach. But I got it anyway hoping I could trade with someone else. But no one wanted it. I forced myself to eat half of it, then threw the other half away. When I got home, I wasn't going to say anything about the lunch. Thunderlane was in a bad mood. So I just started doing my homework. He asked me how lunch was, and I told him it was good. He hasn't said anything to me since. He's just been acting moody.
That sounded completly out of character for Thunderlane. Thunderlane was always one to speak his mind on something that bothered him. Sunny hoped Doctor was having better luck then he was.
"For the love of Physics! Will you stop stiring that pot and just say something!" Doctor Whoove's voice was growing louder and louder, coated thickly with annoyance and anger. Doctor had been trying to get Thunderlane to open up, but all he's done since Doctor came into the kitchen was stir the same pot of chili, slowly, eyes locked on the substance. "Ugh! The one time I want you to open that hole you call a mouth and speak, you do just the opposite!"
Part of Doctor Whooves wanted to just take the pot of chili and toss it out the window, but he stopped himself before he acted irrationally. Taking a beep breath to calm himself, Doctor tried to think what Derpy would do. She was good with these kinds of situations. The kind of situations that called for kindness. Or even Sunny would be better suited for this. He and Thunderlane were close.
"Doctor" Thunderlane spoke up finally, which pulled Doctor Whooves immexiatly out of his thoughts and had him running to Thunderlane. The grey pegasus's voice lacked any energy at all, which was very out of character for Thunderlane.
"Yes, Thunderlane" Doctor tried to speak in the most monotone voice he could so as not to push Thunderlane back into his emotional hole or send him yelling in a fit of anger.
"Can you pass me the cumin" Thunderlane pointed with his hoof to the spice rack on the other side of the kitchen.
Doctor smacked his forhead with his hoof, annoyed and frustrated, but he did walked over to the spice rack and grabbed the desired spice. After handing it to Thunderlane, Doctor thought for a moment about what else to say to Thunderlane, when the stallion actually spoke up.
"I don't know what to do, Doc." Thunderlane spoke softly while stiring the chili. "This morning, I found Rumble's lunch that I made for him smashed into my Wonderbolts show flight suite. I've told him about my special practices all this week where I need that special suit. He was upset earlier that the lunch I made for him wasn't what he wanted, but I'm not rolling in the bits, Doc. I try my best to take care of him, and thought I was doing good. I don't want to think my little bro did that, but, what else can I think?"
After hearing this, Doctor began to relax, stood up strait and put a hoof on Thunderlane's shoulder. "Did you talk to him about it?"
Thunderlane's almost glossed over eyes met Doctor's calm blue eyes. "Well, no… but I don't wanna accuse him of something and have him mad at me. I'm under alot of stress, Doc. Between caring for my little bro, making sure to make time for Flutter, my job, and Wonderbots training, I barely have time at the end of the day to do most chores around the house."
"If you don't say anything, you'll stay this mopey until something happenes." Doctor made a very good point. "Besides, he's your brother. I've seen the way you two destroy the town on a daily basis with your sports or whatever it is you two do. He might be mad for a little bit, but he'll get over it."
That statment made Thunderlane chuckle, he knew exactly what Doctor was referring to. "We break one of your windows and you make it sound like we're worse then Discord."
"Atleast Discord left my windows alone" Doctor noted firmly before cracking a smile. "So. What do you say? Will you talk to your brother?"
"Yeah, I guess so" Thunderlane ran his hoof over his Mohawk, appearing a little unsure. "I just… I kinda don't know how to bring it up without sounding like I'm accusing him."
"You don't have to" Rumble emerged from around the corner of the entryway leading into Thunderlane's kitchen, Sunny standing right behind him. Rumble walked up to his big brother and began telling his part of the story.
Thunderlane heard every word of what Rumble said, then followed up with his side. If the two had shared their stories in anger, they would have been at each other's throats, calling the other a lier, or worse. But the way things were set up, they each were able to look at eachother with clear heads and see that the other's story was honest and genuine. After realizing that the other wasn't to blame for their own misfortunes, Thunderlane smiled and offered Rumble a hoofbump to show he wasn't upset at him. Rumble, on the other hoof, felt it was more appropriate to jump at his older brother with a tackling hug. The two laughed as Sunny and Doctor watched them roll around and play fight.
"I'm really glad you two made up, but we still have a problem" Sunny's expression turned serious, catching everypony's attention. "Big Mac is still unaccounted for. We need to find him and make sure he's ok."
"Find big red, got cha" Thunderlane jumped to his hooves before turning to his little brother and asking him "Mind keeping an eye on the chili? It still needs some time to simmer."
Rumble smiled as he straitened his back, put on a stern expression and saluted his big brother. "You can count on me!"
The trio of Sunny, Doctor Whooves and Thunderlane left the house and Rumble behind, making their way to the edge of town, searching for their possible friend in need.
The mud some how still remained wet and slippery, preventing Big Mac from leaving or retrieving his cart and the music supplies from the mud. Not that the big red farm pony was planning on getting up any time soon. The echoing caws and black silhouettes of the crows above filled Big Mac's mind and drowned out everything else, leaving Big Mac in a fetal position like he had never been before. Broken. The crows looked down on Big Mac with burning red eyes. Millions of red, beady little eyes. The stuff of nightmares. And when the nasty birds weren't glaring down at him from their branches that circled around, they were lightly flying to a new perch where they found a better position to resume their hard stares and cawing at Big Mac. The poor earth-pony just sat in the cold, merky mud, eyes glazed over as he became more lost in thought, his hopeful ambitions swallowed up and cawed out by the crows.
'The crows aren't the problem…' Big Mac told himself as the world seemed to grow darker around him. 'The real problem… ah ain't good enough…
'Sunny chose me to be his second in command. Ta look after things if he ain't around… but ah can't even help mahself.' Big Mac sighed, head sinking lower. 'Ah never had ah problem ah couldn't handle. Well, maybe one or two .. but ah had friends and family ta help me out… as Big ah fella as I am, ah should have been able ta nip this in the butt. Delivering ah cart full of stuff for ah friend. Ah couldn't even manage that… what ah useless friend ah turned out to be…'
Off into he distance, still enjoying the scene she painted with Big Mac, was the possessed princess Amore. A wicked wide smile spread across her muzzle as she savored the sight of the Guardian of Laughter, now reduced to a self loathing, sorry sunken sack of muddy lump.
'Oh this is too precious!' She chuckled silently to herself. Umbrum, like Mourning Cloak herself, could only feed on fear and rage, not sadness and self loathing, so she was not feeding for sustenance from Big Mac, but rather enjoying the fruits of her work. All laughter, real laughter, had left the entire forest area, replaced by haunting cawing of crows. 'The spell on the crows should last another hour or so. I think its time I set out and start work on breaking that Princess Twilight and her friends as well.'
Right as Amore was about to leave with a teleportation spell, something struck a nerve. It wasn't a song or a cheerful melody. No. It was something that she remembered from primal times. Something that struck her like lightning at her very core, and set her on edge. She couldn't see anything beyond the forest, but it was out there. She could FEEL it! It was close!
"You need help there, pal?" A familiar voice overpowered the cawing of the crows.
Looking up with a numbed expression, Big Mac was shocked to see a certain yellow unicorn in a stetson hat smiling down at him with a half cocked smile. "Sunny? What are you doing here? Ain't ya supposed ta be with Applejack workin' on weddin' stuff?"
"It's ah long story" Sunny cleared his throat, then became aware of the annoying cawing crows. Sunny looked over his shoulder at the crows, then back at his friend. "Hold on just one moment…"
Sunny moved to stand at the epicenter of the clearing in the forest where the crows seemed to have gathered. Taking in a deep breath, Sunny channeled some of his magic into his throat, tapping into a trait passed down from his mother to him, and used the royal Canterlot voice to declare to the crows above "GET OUT OF HERE! GO ON! SHOO!"
The shock wave of magic broke the spell Mourning Cloak had put on the birds to have them harass Big Mac, and returned them to their natural statE. Half of them flew off in a group to find some food and the other half of them flew back to their nests away from Sunny and Big Mac. After hearing Sunny's royal Canterlot voice, Thunderlane and Doctor Whooves appeared shortly after the last of the crows left.
Doctor quickly assessed the situation and began making a rope out of jungle vines. He shot a smile at Sunny while made the make shift rope. "Remind you of Scaro?"
"'Yep" Sunny smiled back before returning his attention to Big Mac. "Are ya hurt, Big Mac?"
"Just mah pride" Big Mac sulked, finding himself unable to make eye contact with Sunny.
"We'll have you up here in a sec" Sunny called out as Doctor finished his vine rope. They tossed it down to Big Mac, who was impressed by Doctor's hoof work with the vines. Big Mac grabbed ahold of the rope and Doctor teaming up with Sunny, began pulling up their large earthpony friend from the muddy pit.
Thinking of what HE could do, Thunderlane thought quickly and shot up into the sky, grabbed a small rain cloud, and dragged it back down to his friends. About the time he returned, Sunny and Doctor Whooves had succeeded in pulling Big Mac out of the mud. Thunderlane then placed the rain cloud over Big Mac and started Stomping ontop of it, causing a slight downpour on the red earth pony. After about a minute of rain, Thunderlane kicked the cloud away and began hitting Big Mac with a large gust of wind to dry him off. By the end of it, Big Mac looked like a large red bottle brush with his hair sticking out like crazy.
Sunny, Thunderlane, and Doctor all did their best to hold back their laughter, but coudn't hold it for long. The trio of stallions burst into tears, all laughing at Big Mac and his new frizzy body. Big Mac, on the other hoof, didn't find it so funny. He straited out his coat and mane and pushed pased Sunny and the others, promptly displaying his distaste for their laughter.
Thunderlane and Doctor looked to eachother, then to Sunny, wondering if they had done wrong by laughing at their friend. Sunny knew they didn't mean anything by it, and thought it would be best if he went to go talk with Big Mac while Thunderlane and Doctor started gathering up the cart and instruments.
Following after Big Mac, Sunny called out to him. "Big Mac! Wait up!"
"Why!? So ya'll can laugh at me again?" Big Mac spat the words at Sunny without looking in his direction.
Galloping up beside Big Mac, Sunny tried to look him in the eye, but the red stallion looked away from him as he pressed forward, trying to put as much space between him and the others as possible.
But Sunny was not having any of that. Teleporting infront of Big Mac, Sunny stood his ground, made Big Mac look him in the eye, and nearly growled at him "Talk to me. Now."
A little taken back by the sudden fierceness of his friend, Big Mac stopped and nearly fell back on his hindquarters. The quick change in Sunny's eyes shocked Big Mac enough to get him to stop and think about what he was doing. Big Mac hung his head as he spoke, unable to bear the shame and look Sunny in the eye. "Ah failed…"
"What do you mean?" Sunny asked I'm a more relaxing tone as lowered his own head, trying to meet Big Mac on his level.
"Ah mean, ah… ah couldn't even help ah friend of mine by dragging ah cart from one point to another. Somethin' simple. Somethin' ah should have been able ta do in mah sleep. But ah couldn't even do that…" The deep, dark feeling returned to Big Mac, making his heart feel as though it were falling into a deep chasm.
A hoof landed on Big Mac's shoulder, causing him to look up. Sunny looked at Big Mac with understanding eyes. "We all fail at one point or another, Big Mac. No pony is perfect. Sometimes we fail to do the simplest things; like moving stuff from one point to another, fail to listen to somepony who needs us, failing to take a second look at a situation and it sometimes blows up in our muzzles. But the important thing is we get back up and make it right."
"It's too late" Big Mac insisted, tearing his gaze away from Sunny. "Ah let Octavia down."
"Don't worry about Octavia, she's fine" Sunny tried to reasure his friend. "Ah stopped by there before coming here. She'll be good for today. But we should get these supplies to her by the end of th' day, so she has them for her next class."
This still didn't lift Big Mac's spirits. "How can ya ever trust me ta be second in command if ah can't handle this?… Maybe Doctor would be ah better second in command for ya. Or Thunderlane."
"Doctor doesn't always know how to lead others, and Thunderlane works well on a team, but ain't sure on how ta giving proper orders." Sunny started to explain. "Ah trust you ta look after th' hurd in mah absence becouse ya know how ta lead, ta pull back, take ah good hard look at ah situation, and ta keep others safe. Don't let today ruin faith in yourself."
Sunny could see his words were barely seeping into Big Mac.
"Ah believe in you" Sunny put a hoof on Big Mac's shoulder again. "Th' others have faith in you too. Ya just need ta show them what yer made of. And no better time then right now. Pick yerself up and get ta work."
The little pep talk was just what Big Mac needed. He didn't feel 100% better about himself, but it was a start that he needed.
Getting up off the ground, Big Mac turned around and galloped back to where Thunderlane and Doctor Whooves were trying to get the cart and instruments out of the mud. Big Mac did a sliding jump back into the mud, landing on all fours, then began gathering the muddy instruments and sheet music onto the cart.
"Doctor, toss me the rope!" Big Mac ordered.
"You got it!" Doctor cocked a half smile and tossed his vine rope down to Big Mac.
After wrapping it securely around the base of the back side of the cart, Big Mac tossed the rope up to Thunderlane. "Run that end around that tree branch, an' when ah say let go, you let go. Got it?"
"Yes sir!" Thunderlane saluted and followed Big Mac's instructions.
"Now you three up there, pull the rope, and don't let go!" Big Mac ordered.
The trio of Sunny, Thunderlane and Doctor Whooves all pulled the rope with all their might, lifing the back end of the cart out of the mud. When it was a good foot or two off the ground, Big Mac turned about face and bucked the back end of the cart with all his might. The cart flung up and out of the muddy area, but was still suspended by the vine rope. "NOW! LET GO!"
As the cart came into full swing up the muddy hill, Sunny and the others released their grip on the rope suspending the cart. For a moment, the cart filled with muddy musical school suppiles was airbord. The momentum from Big Mac's buck and the angle from being raised from behind was enough to get the whole cart out of the mud.
When the cart landed on the side of the road fully out of the mud, everypony was silent for a moment out of slight disbelief. But when they realized that Big Mac's plan was truely successful, Sunny, Thunderlane and Doctor all cheered and stomped their hooves, cheering for Big Mac, his plan and their victory over the difficult situation.
The cheering was broken, though, when a large blob of mud hit Sunny in the muzzle. Everypony turned and looked down at Big Mac, still in the mud with a wide grin on his muzzle. "Looks like you got mud on yer face!"
Thunderlane and Doctor turned to look at Sunny before bursting into laughter.
Sunny joined in the laughing for a moment before scrapping the mud off his muzzle and throwing it at Thunderlane, who dodged it at the last moment. The mud that missed him then landed in the face of Doctor Whooves, who continued to laugh as he whipped it off his own muzzle. Teaming up with Sunny, Doctor tacked Thunderlane before he could fly away, and all three landed in the mud with Big Mac. They didn't know why, but they couldn't control themselves as they began making mud pies to throw at eachother, tacked one eachother into the mud, and enjoyed just horsing around. This lasted what must have been an hour before they all climbed out of the mud pit and began their long walk home.
Along the way, Thunderlane gave them all another rain cloud shower and dry. All their coats, manes and tails puffed up and made them all looked like puff balls. They proceeded to laughed at eachother and themselves once again, their laughs echoing and spreading through the entire forest surounding them.
"Boy, after a day like today, I needed a good laugh" Thunderlane stated as he brushed down his frizzy coat with his hooves.
"I couldn't agree more" Doctor concured, doing the same, and reaching for his tie that wasn't there. He remembered he gave it to Derpy for a tissue then threw it away. He shrugged and told himself he needed to remember to grab one of his back up ties.
"You guys had ah rough day too?" Big Mac asked as he straitened out his mane.
"It's ah long story" Sunny smiled and shook his head as he finished straitening out his own mane and putting his stetson hat securely back on. "Ah'll fill everypony in once we get back ta town."
Sunny and Thunderlane held the cart up and allowed Big Mac and Doctor to repair it using some sticky tree sap, Doctor's vine rope, and some chunks of wood they collected. When the cart was in decent enough condition to move,, the four stallions started their journey back to Ponyville, ready to put this day behind them, but looking forward to laughing at the story they'll tell of it.
Meanwhile, not far off, the possessed Princess Amore grind her perfect teeth, more then agitated. "Not only did those fools come togeather after I spent so much time and effort breaking them all apart, but that mongral is back! How in the dark shadows did he get back here!? I destroyed the mirror! He should have been gone for good! Ugh… No matter… I have bigger fish to fry…"
Pushing her own rage and anger down deeper, Mourning Cloak used a teleportation spell to take her back to the dark hideaway.
Little did Mourning Cloak herself know that deep down in the body she possessed, Princess Amoure was silently celebrating the victory of Sunny and his friends.
"Thank you all for coming, after such a rough day yesterday" Sunny stated taking his stetson hat off and placing it on the back end of his chair.
All the Guardians of Harmony had met in their meeting room in Twilight's castle, along with Spike the dragon, who was taking notes to share with Twilight and the others later. Starlight Glimmer asked if she could sit in, wanting to help in any way that she could, and Sunny agreed. Twilight and the girls were out and couldn't return right away, otherwise, they all would have met up for this meeting. Twilight and her friends, along with Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence and Shinning Armor, were all sent warnings to watch out for a dangerous tall, pink, unicorn mare. More of an explanation would be sent later after the Guardians had their meeting, and Spike had time to put more detail down on paper.
"Rough day, indeed" Octavia let out a sigh and took a sip of some ice tea Spike graciously provided for everypony.
"Ah think ah need ah good theropist after yesterday" Big Mac admitted, fearing he might develop a phobia of crows.
"I'm just glad everypony in town got a muffin" Derpy's shoulders sank as she twirled her silly straw in her cup of ice tea, the memory of her angered feeling haunting her still.
Turning to face his friends, Sunny put both hooves on the table, appearing very serious and fierce. "We have a new and obviously very cunning enemy. I suspect she has ties with my father, but I can't say for sure."
"Really? Your dad's behind this?" Thunderlane spoke up after sipping down his entire cup of ice tea. "I gotta say, dude, your dad is kinda a jerk!"
"What makes you think that this tall, pink mare has anything to do with your father?" Doctor asked, narrowing his eyes, hungry to learn all the details.
"Before my father ruled the Crystal Empire 1000 years ago, he served a unicorn princess by the name of Princess Amore" Sunny explained. "She had statues, books and paintings about her all around the Crystal castle. I've never met her, but I'd know her anywhere. My father used to tell me about her when I was younger. SHE was the lost princess my father was looking for all those years ago, before I was even born."
"So, this missing princess from 1000 years ago, shows up out of nowhere, pushes you through a magical mirror, then goes about causing trouble for all of us to… what avail exactly?" Doctor was trying to piece everything togeather, but there were things that didn't quite link up.
"I think she was trying to break up the Guardians of Harmony" Sunny's expression hardened as his tone went deep, eyes sharpening. The weight of the truth in his words sent shivers down everypony, and dragon's backs. "She went for me first, and some things she said didn't sit well with me."
"What did she say?" Derpy asked curiously as she poured herself another cup of ice tea.
"She said something about me being a 'mongral', and sorry her 'son had to raise me.'" All of Sunny's friends looked insulted for their friend, but Sunny remained focused. "That's when I knew something wasn't quite right. The princess Amore I read about and my father talked about was a kind hearted mare who would rather talk out her problems rather then fight."
"Is it possible she was under some sort of spell?" Doctor suggested, patting his chin with his hoof. "Maybe Somepony was manipulating her."
"That's possible" Sunny said weakly, unsure of weather it was a spell Amore was under or something else.
"Sunny, ugh, I'm not familiar with your family history" Starlight Glimmer spoke up, catching everypony's attention. "But if she did say those things to you, it sounds like she's you fathers mother."
"That's not possible" Sunny disregarded the theory. "My father was found by princess Amore's guards when he was a foal and taken to an orphanage. She never adopted him. Actually, he was never adopted at all. He and my Aunt Radiant Hope grew up in the orphanage."
"Oh! Oh! I think I know!" Derpy chimmed in, as if a light bulb flickered on over her head. She caught the attention of everypony in the room.
"Yes Derpy" Sunny pointed to her as he took a seat, a little shocked she had so much enthusiasm. "You have the floor."
"I don't want the floor" Derpy chuckled a little. "But I want to say what I just thought. Well, if she was talking like she was Sunny's grandma, but she looked like Princess Amore, maybe Sunny's grandma turned into a ghost and went inside princess Amore and is controlling her body like a puppet!"
Everypony paused and thought about the theory for a moment, leaving Derpy to wonder if what she said was stupid and maybe she should have just kept her mouth shut.
"That… might actually he possible" Sunny finally spoke up, redirecting everypony's attention to him. "Although ghost might not be quite the right word for it. I don't know everything about my father's liniage or what umbrum are fully capable of, but their bodies can become shadow and smoke. They might have the power to posses others.
"Whatever the case, though, we now have a new enemy to worry about" Sunny refocused the group. "I'll have a sketch made and copies of the possibly possessed Princess Amore to be passed out and posted around, warning others about her."
"Ah! This would be an excellent opertunity to test out my latest invention!" Doctor Whooves spoke up, a smile spread wide across his muzzle. "It takes the image of a piece of paper, uses light and Inc and makes a copy of it! Although I can only duplicate images in color, not black and white, so words will have to be a shade of blue or red."
"Hey guys And! An evil princess is trying to break us apart, you know what this means?" Thunderlane chimmed in again, everypony and baby dragon redirecting their attention to him. "It means… we as Guardians of Harmony, have our first official arch enemy! That's great! We really are, like heros! I mean, we took down Charming Knightmare, but he's, like a good guy now, I think. And we had help from Princess Twilight. But this is a bad guy all our own!"
His statment was met with mixed reactions. Doctor and Octavia seemed rather annoyed at his ignorant boasting statment, Derpy looked a little confused becouse she didn't know how she felt about having an 'arch enemy', Sunny and Starlight cchuckled in an awkward way at the pegasus's boasting, and Spike and Big Mac didn't react. Mostly becouse Spike was busy writing everything including Thunderlane's statment down, and Big Mac didn't quite know how he felt about having an 'enemy' at all, much less an 'arch enemy'.
It was in the middle of this reacting that Sunny's flank started to glow, images of his cutie mark began to appear and close in around his actual cutie mark before falling away. Starlight was the first to notice it, even before Sunny, who was trying to think of a way to get his friends back on track.
"Hey Sunny, I think you have a call" Starlight stated to him casually, pointing to his flank.
Looking down at his flank, Sunny realized what she meant and knew instantly that he was being summoned by the Vutie Mark Map. Getting up out of his seat, Sunny caught sight of another pony's glowing flank. He pointed to Starlight and stated in a natural tone "You too?…"
Looking down, Starlight Glimmar saw her cutie mark was also flashing, indicating that the map was calling her as well.
Turning his attention back to his group of friends, Sunny spoke up loud enough to catch the attention of anypony who hadn't noticed his glowing cutie mark. "Guys, looks like ah'm gunna have ta go help somepony in need. Will ya'll hold down th' fort while ah'm gone?"
Stepping up and standing beside Sunny, Big Mac smiled and nodded. "Ah'll conclude our meeting. Ya'll just go and help that pony in need, alright, Sunny?"
With a nod and a tip of his hat, Sunny and Starlight left the Guardian's meeting room and ran strait for the map room.
"Ah'll right" Big Mac called out, catching everypony's attention. "Now, do we have any other new Guardian buisness?"
Thunderlane's hoof shot strait up, causing some of the other Guardians to raise a brow at his sudden enthusiasm after his last statment.
"What cha got, Thunderlane-" Big Mac started to say before Thunderlane shot straight up and started to hover just a foot or two above the ground, fueled by enthusiasm.
"Ok guys, picture it!" Thudnerlane started, and paused, looking around the table with a wide grin. "Stay with me and picture this! Matching! Uniforms!"
The entire group released a held sigh, sharing the same thoughts and feelings on uniforms for themselves. The only pony who wasn't technically against it was Derpy, who was too busy picturing what the uniforms would look like, pictured something like bucket ball uniforms, then a long, thin smile spread across her muzzle as she thought about Doctor wearing such a uniform. She thought he would look so handsome.
Some time later, Sunny and Starlight were both on the friendship express train, on their way to the same destination. The map had called them both to the same location for the same mission most likely, which Starlight was actually happy about. She never interacted with Sunny much, even though he is engaged to one of her best friends and lives in the same town. Half the time she's either on a mission or Twilight is trying to teach her some sort of friendship lesson. She wouldn't admit it outloud but she still felt guilty about what happened to Sunny during her whole time traveling fiasco. It was one thing to mess up the future in multiple ways, its another to have caused one pony to witness the different horrible way in which it changed. The worlds she made a mess of changed back when they set the time stream right, unfortunatly for Sunny, his memories stayed. He may have forgiven her, but Starlight still felt, deep down, that she had to earn his friendship to really forgive herself.
"So, ugh, been to this place before?" Starlight asked Sunny, realizing the silance between them had grown uncomfortably awkward. They hadn't said a single word since they boarded the friendship express and they were more then half way to their destination.
Sunny had been lost in his own train of thought, pondering why the map would send him THERE of all places. Hearing Starlight's voice pulled him out of his own head and he turned to look at the pink unicorn. "Ugh, what? Oh! Sorry, what did ya say?"
Clearing her throat, Starlight repeated her quesgion "have you been to Iron Hill before?"
Returning his gaze forward, Sunny remembered the first and only time he had been there, over 1000 years ago. He bounced the idea back and forth of weather or not to tell Starlight about that day when he pushed the ponies of the town away from the dragon's cave and helped the dragon mother destroy the foundations that the towns folk were building having ignored his warnings. In the end, Sunny decided as much as he didn't want to relive it, it would be best to fill Starlight in before they walk into a possible situation.
"Well… it was 1000 years ago…" Sunny started the story, wishing he had been sent anywhere, ANYWHERE, else other then the town of Iron Hill.
As the train pulled into the Iron Hill station, Sunny did his best to lead a very worried Starlight off the train. Sunny himself had pulled his stetson hat over his horn, hoping no pony would recognize him.
Jumping to Sunny's side, Starlight asked in a tone that, although hushed, was still too loud for Sunny's taste "You don't think the town's folk are still mad at the Black Knight for what happened 1000 years ago, do you? I mean, it was 1000 years ago, it's not like alot of ponies from back there are still around. And they just kinda turned around and left at the Crystal Empire, right? So the town might be over what you did 1000 years ago, right?"
As if the town was answering Starlight's quesgions, Sunny and Starlight walked into he shadow of a large statue that stood in the middle of the town. Their jaws dropped as they gazed up at a large Iron statue of an armored, fiendish looking unicorn ridding on the back of a dragon as it seemed to breath fire at the town around it!
"Ugh… that might help keep the feelings alive" Starlight chuckled sheepishly.
Taking in a deep breath, Sunny pushed the image of the less then flattering statue out of his mind and turned to Starlight. "Maybe we should split up. Cover more ground. And meet back here in an hour or so."
"You sure that's a good idea?" Starlight asked Sunny, seeming a little more then concerned for Sunny's own safety. "I mean, this town seems to hate the Black Knight-"
Again, as if the town itself wanted to answer her quesgion, a stallion caught Starlight and Sunny's attention as he yelled "Alright! Pull her down!"
Sunny and Starlight turned and looked behind them the statue which now had ropes around it and was being pulled up by the roots off its place at the center of the town. The large statue started to fall away from them,, but it got caught on an iron rod that once held it in place. It's new direction had had statue falling in a way that almost landed on Sunny and Starlight. Thinking quickly, Starlight grabbed Sunny and teleported them both about ten feet away from the statue. They avoided being crushed, and coughed as a huge cloud of dust erupted when the statue hit the ground with a loud clang.
When the smoke cleared, Sunny and Starlight's coughing alerted the stallion, who was yelling earlier, to their presence. Looking around the statue on the other side, a large, plump earth pony rushed right over to both unicorns and met them with a humble smile. "Tourists! I am so sorry! I didn't see you there! Please, allow me to welcome you to our town of Iron Hill! I am the mayor, Mayor Carehoof ! At your service."
"Nice ta meet cha" Sunny smiled nervously at the mayor of Iron Hill as he extended a hoof. The mayor's hoof grabbed Sunny's and shook it wildly like it was a rodeo bull.
"It's awful nice ta meet new folks! Welcome to Iron Hill! Our town mines the near by mountain for Iron ore and makes alot of Iron based goods sold and traded all around Equestria! From tools to pans, from stakes to weapons and armor for the royal guard! We make it all! Care ta take a tour! I can get you somepony to show you around." Mayor Carehoof had been shaking Sunny's hoof the whole time he spoke, luckily his words spat out at a hundred miles her hour, so Sunny didn't have to hold on for too long.
When Sunny managed to free his hoof and stop shaking like he was in the middle of a violent earth quake, he asked this mayor "Ugh, wasn't there some other fella in charge?"
"Oh, you must have visited when our old mayor, Hot Iron, was in office" Mayor Carehoof looked a bit unease speaking about the previous mayor. "Well… ya see, after an incident at the Crystal Empire, the folks of Iron Hill thought it best to rethink our values and life goals. But mayor Hot Iron refused to let his family's old grudge go. And in the last election, they voted him out, me in, now he-"
As if on some sort of comical coincidence, a rather grumpy looking stallion in a grey custodian jump suite, popped up from an alleyway and marched right up to Mayor Carehoof. "Carehoof! I just found several more minners just lollygaging down by the river during work hours! If you can't control the workers of our town's most precious resource, how do you expect to fend off an attack!?"
Mayor Carehoof sighed and frowned for the first time in Sunny and Starlight's presents as he looked at the aggressive custodian. "Hot Iron, we've talked about this before; you aren't the mayor anymore. You have to stop trying to control everypony. It's not your place."
"No, it's yours!" Hot Iron snapped and shot daggers at Carehoof. "It's the Mayor's job to keep the peace and to make sure everypony upholds the law! And here you are, destroying the statue MY ancestors made! How do you expect to educate the next generation about the dark rein of the Black Knight if you don't have a stature to strike fear into their hearts!? It brings the past to life and let's them see what our ancestors saw! A horrible, monstrous, evil-"
This time is was Mayor Carehoof's turn to interupt, his annoyed expression turned even more sour and silanced Hot Iron. "Missunderstanding! If our ancestors had heeded the warnings of the Black Knight 1000 years ago, they could have been half way where we are now and not lived all those years in fear that the sky was falling! Hot Iron, get back to your job, and keep your nose out of other pony's business. Unless somepony put the wrong items in the recycling or trash bins, I don't want to hear any more form you!"
The anger filled burst from Carehoof made Sunny and Starlight feel like flies on the walls as they watched Hot Iron sizzle out, but his hard muzzle remained fuming. The earth pony knew when to call it quits. Hot Iron picked up a broom he discarded, and began to sweep the streets aggressively to expell his enduring frustration.
Mayor Carehoof waited until Hot Iron was out of sight before turning back to Sunny and Starlight, his furious expression changed into a nervous smile. "I'm really sorry you folks had to see that! Iron Hill is really a kind and welcoming place, say for, ugh, our former mayor and current head custodian. Please accept a meal on me at any of our fine restaurants as an apology! Explore our town and tell any restaurant that Mayor Carehoof will cover your meal."
Leaning close between Sunny and Starlight, mayor Carehoof whispered "the password of the day is 'blue bird'." The mayor then proceeded to direct the construction ponies who were hauling away the unflattering statue of the Black Knight and the dragon.
After a moment or so, Sunny cleared his throat and promptly stated "well, time ta get lookin' for that friendship problem!"
"Really?" Starlight's flat tone indicated that she couldn't believe that Sunny was willing to write off what they just saw as nothing.
"Those two didn't seem like friends" Sunny stated, his accent void from his voice. "No friends, no friendship problem. Obviously we're here for somepony else. Now, why don't we start by looking around the town?"
Starlight knew Sunny was avoiding dealing with Hot Iron, but she knew they weren't on too much of a time crunch. Maybe if she went along with him avoiding the problem, eventually the problem will catch up to him. Besides, as she looked around, Starlight's gaze became focused on a shop that sold iron based nicknacks and gifts with the town's name on them. And she wanted to check them out before they left.
After visiting the gift shop, and leaving with several gifts for the others back home, the two unicorns ventured to the town's main Iron works factory, hoping to find their friendship problem along the way. The two joined a tour along with a good half dozen or so other ponies who were lead by an earth pony mare with smile that looked almost too large for her muzzle.
"This factory was built ontop of the original factory 400 years ago and still stands to this day" the tour guide explained as she lead Sunny, Starlight and the other tourists past several factory ponies hard at work heating the iron and pouring the heated liquid metal into molds. "And the original factory stood for over 600 years before that."
"618 years…" a growl from a corner, correcting the tour guide. The growl's owner was none other then Hot Iron himself, who was focused on sweeping up bits of iron debris to be put in the recycling bin. "And it was built two years after the original town was destroyed by the Black Knight and his evil dragon."
Clearing her throat but keeping the wide smile, the tour guide tried to redirect her group's attention away from Hot Iron. "Ugh… yes! Back then, our town's main product happened to be skillets, cooking grates for outdoor cooking-"
"Armor, Sheilds, and swords" Hot Iron interrupted again, once again tearing the attention away from the tour guide. "The town wanted to make sure that if they ever were attacked again, like the town had been when the Balck Knight showed up, they would be ready for a fight. And the town's folk were trained to handle the weapons they made. Their bodies made strong by the labor in the mines and the process they took to melt the ore, so the heavy Iron armor barely weighed then down. Puhhhh. Can't say that for the town's folk of today…"
The tour guide had one last ditch effort to regain control over her group. "Oh! Crafts! Yes! Let's all walk over here to the craft station, where you all could make some wonderful and unique souvenirs! Be careful, and use those thick aprons and heat resistant gloves and goggles!"
Almost the entire group's attention had been redirected by the thought of unique iron items they could make to remember their trip as they were lead down a corridor by the tour guide. All except two unicorns from Ponyville. Starlight and Sunny both took one last glance back at the disgruntled custodian, Hot Iron, who returned a hard glance back at them, his eyes almost seemed to glow. Then the two unciorns from Ponyville left the custodian behind and rejoined their group, and try their hooves at Iron forging.
After visiting the Iron mines, Sunny and Starlight decided it was a good idea to take the mayor up on his offer of a free meal and settled on a restaurant near the next site they planned to check out, the main town.
After sitting down and looking over the menu, Sunny's eye caught something he knew he had to try. "Ah think ah know exactly what ah want! There's ah salad on here with fresh apples grown just outside th' town. Ah wanna see how they compare ta Granny's Apple garden salad."
Starlight chuckled. "You can take the pony out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the pony. I have to say, I would never have guessed that YOU grew up living the high life, eating the fanciest foods, wearing expensive outfits and dinning with royalty. Looking at you now, I can hardly believe you're Celestia's son."
Starlight's last statment made Sunny sink in his seat. He waved a hoof at her trying to keep her quite as he looked around nervously. "Hey, keep it down. I don't want anypony to recognize me."
"Why? Aren't you proud of your mom? She's kind of a big deal" Starlight raised a brow at Sunny.
Sitting strait up in his seat again, Sunny avoided looking at Starlight, and hid from the other attendants of the restaurant behind a raised menu. "It's not that I'm not proud of my mom. It's just… well… I don't like special treatment. That's why I feel so comfortable with the Apples. Even after finding out I was a prince, and who my mother was, they still treated me like ME."
"Ah, the curse of being royal" Starlight chuckled again but let her joke die down. "In all seriousness, you shouldn't try and hide who you are. Ponies want to get to know the REAL Sunny. And I bet if you let them, you'll see alot of ponies like YOU for YOU."
"Get out of my kitchen!" A mare in a chef's uniform screeched, emerging from the restaurant's kitchen, pushing a familiar looking custodian out with his own broom.
"But when was the last time you sharpened your knives? Or checked the expiration date on your fire extinguisher?" Hot Iron pleaded nervously as the chef pushed him more and more with his own broom. "What about the-!"
Hot Iron had been walking backwards and didn't pay attention to his footing until he tripped over a rock and fell backwards with a painful thump.
The chef loomed over him, her narrowed eyes beeming down at the former mayor. "THIS is MY kitchen. I never told you how to run the town, and I'm not going to tell you how to pick up trash, so don't tell me how to run my kitchen!"
The chef mare then tossed the broom at Hot Iron who caught it in mid air, looked frightened for a moment until the chef mare disappeared back into her kitchen and all eyes were once again on him. He casually stood up. Brushed the dirt off his custodian uniform, then glared back at the eyes that weighed down on him and snarled "What are you all looking at?! Shows over!"
The frustrated former mayor then stormed off with his broom over his shoulder. Once he was out of sight, the low sounds of conversations returned to the restaurant.
"Still don't think HE'S part of the friendship problem?" Starlight raised a brow at Sunny.
"If anything, he's got an occupation problem" Sunny stated, tearing his attention away from the direction that Hot Iron left in. "He definatly needs a life coach to lead him to a job he actually likes."
"Are you both ready to order?" A cheerful unciorn levitating a notepad infront of himself appeared, a casual but wide smile on his muzzle.
"Yes, I'll have the house salad with the Apple slices" Sunny tried to put on a smile, but all of Starlight's suggestions were starting to get at him. He refused to believe Hot Iron was the pony they were there to help. Surely there was somepony there who was arguing with their friend or fighting with a close family member, who really needed their help, and they just haven't found them yet.
Across from him, Starlight could see the conflict within Sunny, but was still annoyed that he refused to acknowledge the real problem was Hot Iron. She would have to just keep on him as they checked out the rest of the town. There was only so much a pony could deny, and Sunny was reaching his limit.
"The Apples were interesting" Sunny stated as they left the restaurant behind and made their way to the housing area. "But Sweet Apple Acres still has waaaay better quality apples."
"Great, but don't forget why we're here" Starlight had slightly enjoyed her meal. The pasta dish she ordered was OK, but she wished it had more sauce. She had to remind herself, and Sunny, that they were there on a mission.
"You're right" Sunny straitened his hat, not realizing he had just reveiled his horn. Up until just then, Sunny had been very cautiousand kept his horn hidden from the moment the two of them arrived in town. "We need to find that pony in need and help them with their friendship problem, then get back to Ponyville."
Just before entering the housing area of Iron Hill, there was a small sweets shop that looked as though it had a fresh coat of paint and a flashy new sign out front that read 'Sweeter Treats'. As Sunny and Starlight passed it, making it just one hoof step into the actual housing area, a too familiar voice rang out like a rusty bell in their ears.
"What do you meant you got rid of the 'Power Up Shakes'?" Hot Iron yelped as he was pushed out of the sweets shop.
"No pony liked them" the mare running the sweets shop flatly told Hot Iron, her expression cold and hard despite the sweet warm cent emerging from her shop as she opened the door, which caught the attention of several other ponies walking by, not just Sunny and Starlight.
"What do you mean!? I had atleast two a day! I know others did-" Hot Iron's outraged plea was interrupted by the shop owner.
"Nopony, Except you, liked them" she repeated herself, then stomped her hoof. "And another thing, I don't want you to come in my shop again. You're bad for buisness."
Hot Iron's outrages expression cracked as he went pale and shocked. "B-but I'm one of your best costomers!"
"I'm getting more customers now that YOU aren't in office" the baker mare went on. "But every time you come around, ponies either walk out or take their treats to go. Like I said, You're bad for business, and I have a pair of foals who want to attend Princess Celestia's school. And it isn't cheep. Now SHOO!"
The sweets shop owner then used her own broom to brush at Hot Iron's hooves, forcing him to jump back, falling on his backside in the street. The sweet shop owner added insult to injury by slamming the door on him.
"Still not convinced that HE is the reason we're here?" Starlight asked Sunny.
Looking all around the housing area for a possible way out, er, a friendship problem, Sunny fumbled with his words, feeling the pressure build up. He knew there wasn't much more he could deny. They were running out of areas in the town to check and this guy kept popping up as if it were a sign. "Well, ugh, it could be, and possibly-"
"I knew it!" A bellowing cry caused Sunny and Starlight to look over to see a very angry looking Hot Iron approached them. Eyes balzing as he stomped over to them, his broom extended like a weapon at Sunny. "I knew it was you from the moment you got off the train! I could just feeeeel your evil presence! You may think you're so smart, disguising yourself like some sort of farm colt, but I knew you were none other then The Evil Black Knight!"
The commotion had caught the attention of everypony around the housing area and even some from just beyond at town Square. Older ponies feeding pidgons crumbs of bread, young foals playing games in the street, a pair of friends playing game of checkers under a tree, the tourist and tour leader, Mayor Carehoof, and a good three dozen other ponies who were going about their daily routines had emerged and made their way to Sunny and Starlight.
"And now that you are hear, I, Hot Iron, descendent of the town's founder, will-" by his tone, Hot Iron was about to say something more threatening, but he was interrupted by a rather cheerful mayor.
"He will welcome you to our town as an honored guest!" Mayor Carehoof flashed a wide, toothy smile as he put one hoof around Hot Iron and extended his other hoof to Sunny. "If I had known the son of Princess Celestia was coming, shoot, I'd have hung up some banisters, balloons and maybe prepared some of those party cannons I've heard so much about!"
The mayor grabbed Sunny's hoof with both of his hooves, shook it wildly, then turned and faced the town, speaking loudly for all to hear. "If not for this gentlecolt, we all would still he working night and day to prepare for some dagon attack. Our children would still be taught how to make and use weapons in schools. But thanks to him clarifying what REALLY happe Ed all those years ago, we all can relax and enjoy life without fear! Let's all give the prince a big Iron Hill welcome, what do you all say!"
Everypony cheered, stomped their hooves and screamed at Sunny with great enthusiasm. This was the most exciting thing to happen to their town since that fiasco in the Crystal Empire, which was something they all rather forget and move on from. The mayor saw Hot Iron was about to say something else, something that would only make matters worse, and he quickly turned Sunny away from the former mayor and began leading Sunny back towards Town Square.
"Your majasty, It would do us a great honor if you would help us design a new center piece for our town square." Mayor Carehoof spoke to Sunny as cheering townsfolk followed them. "We wanted to get rid of that frightening statue for so long, but we can't seem to come up with a new statue to take its place. Our town staff have been at each other's throats trying to come up with something that will fit our town perfectly and welcome travelers with open hooves. I hear you're talent is seeing the good in everything and helping to bring it out. You are just the pony we need to help design out town's new statue. What do you say? Will you help us?"
'The committee is at eachother's throats? And my talent can be used to help an entire town, not just two ponies? Sounds like we found our 'Friendship' problem.' "Mayor, ah'll do whatever ah can ta help yer town." Sunny amswered proud fully as he began to relax, feeling that now he had discovered the REAL friendship problem.
The crowd cheered louder when they heard Prince Sunny was going to help their town with its statue. Everypony followed behind Sunny and the mayor, even braking out into a cheerful song. That is, everypony except for a broken Hot Iron. Starlight Glimmer watched as the crushed custodian realized he had truely lost his place in his home town.
Falling to his knees, Hot Iron's burning inner fire flickered. "I don't have a place here anymore. This isn't MY Iron Hill."
Approaching him, Starlight put a hoof on his shoulder. "Things change. I used to be the leader of a town once, too. But it wasn't for me. Maybe being mayor of this town just wasn't for you."
"You don't get it" Hot Iron opened up to Starlight. "Since I was a foal, old enough to stand, I had been trained by my father to fight. I mastered a sword by age 5, a lance by 7, and every other weapon our town used to produce by the time I graduated high school. It was my duty, no, my destiny to protect this town from the dangers of the Black Knight and his monstrous hord. We all were read stories as foals of the dragons that burned down our old town, of the threats of an evil Black Knight, and how we would have to raise up and protect our town." All the feelings and thoughts that Hot Iron kept alive in his mind and heart began to pour out, draining his drive.
"I used to think I knew what was right for everypony, too" Starlight moved to stand infront of Hot Iron, trying to catch his full attention. "But I was wrong. I was trying to force everypony to give up what made them special and unique. The hardest thing I ever did was admit I was wrong. I just wanted everypony to be happy. Isn't that what you want?"
Tugging away from her, Hot Iron's temper flared a little. "I wanted to keep them safe. I wanted them to live without fear. They're all so happy pretending there aren't dangers out there, lerking in the shadows, just becouse the Black Knight wasn't evil, doesn't mean there isn't still evil out there."
"If you knew Sunny wasn't bad, why were you so quick to jump on him just now?" Starlight's kindness and understanding wavered a little.
Turning his back fully on Starlight, Hot Iron stud up, and began ripping off his custodian uniform. "You wouldn't understand! You have a princess to protect you and your small town! We had an army, but our army tossed away their weapons, and their fight. I was the only one left to stand up and protect the town, but I couldn't do it alone! I give up! Let this place be over taken by dragons and monsters! Let the town's folk realize I was right! But I'm out! I'm done!"
No longer weighed down by self pity, Hot Iron stormed off to gather his things and move to somewhere, anywhere else. He was done with the town that was done with him.
Taking a break from a meeting with the town's statue redesign committee, Sunny stepped outside town hall to get some fresh air and saw a rather frantic Starlight Glimmer running up to him.
"Howdy there, Starlight. Ah think we'll be able ta head home soon. Th' commity have several new designs ta vote on, but they seem to be gettin' along just fine now." Sunny spoke with great relief, readjusting his stetson hat.
"The committee isn't the problem" Starlight told Sunny, slightly out of breath. "I need you to come with me, right now! Hot Iron's leaving town! He doesn't think anypony appreciates him!"
The relaxed and cheerful expression Sunny had melted away into one of dissonance. For a moment, Sunny was unsure of how to feel. "Well… why is that a bad thing?"
Starlight was shocked to hear Sunny say such a thing. "How can you say that!? This is his home! And he doesn't feel like anypony wants him here!"
"The guy spent his whole life filling everypony here with fear of ME! Like 'I' was some monster!" Sunny's anger began to grow.
"You aren't a monster, but neither is HE!" Starlight took a second to calm herself, seeing that anger would only make Sunny emotionally back away further. "He's been taught his whole life that he needed to fight for what he loves. And he loves this town. Ponies think he's paranoid or pushy, and maybe he is, a little. But that's only becouse he doesn't want anything bad to happen to them… he's alot like you, if you think about it."
"How do you figure that?" Sunny's anger started to flare up again.
Starlight huffed, pushing out her anger in a focused sigh through her nostrils as she held a glare at Sunny. She could stand there and connect the dots between Hot Iron and Sunny all day, and Sunny would still try and deny every connection. Instead she pointed in the direction that Hot Iron ran off. "Go. Talk to him. What have you got to lose? He's one pony. Just… just talk to him. Please?"
Taking in a deep breath and exhaling it through his own nostrils to control his own anger, Sunny gave way and was willing to do THIS, if for nothing else, then to possibly get this mission over with and get back home, where HE belonged.
It didn't take Hot Iron long to pack a suit case and leave the small home he was moved into when he lost his title of Mayor. Even when he was Mayor, Hot Iron didn't bother with fancy things like silver silverwear, or fancy portraits of himself unlike the past mayors of the town. The big house he lived in when he took office came furnished with fancy tables, chairs couches and what not, but to be honest, Hot Iron would rather have the simple things. He didn't even bother the maids and butlers who were employed by the town for the mayor. He just had them go about their usual cleaning business of the large mayor's house, while he tended to his own daily routine himself. But once Hot Iron was out of office, most of his own personal things fit into a small cart that he wheeled to the very edge of town, to a small, run down house.
Hot Iron had time to fix every problem with the small, rundown house, now that he was no longer mayor and responsible for the safety and well being of the townsfolk. He found he rather enjoyed fixing up the house's leaky roof, patching up the holes in the walls, and giving the place a fresh coat of paint. It wasn't the best looking house on the block, but it was HIS. And he was proud of the work he put into it. It had actually been fun and took his mind off his loss of power and position, as well as his current, less respectable job as town janitor. Taking one last look around his fixed up, humble house, Hot Iron shut the door behind him, ready to make his way to the train station. His cousin offered for him to stay with her for a little while in Manehatten. Hot Iron thought that was the kind of place a pony can start off fresh. So much going on, who would notice somepony new poping up? Who would ask quesgions? Any maybe he could get a better job there then 'janitor'.
"Where do you think you're going?" A familiar voice called out to Hot Iron, stopping his dead in his tracks, making every muscle in his body stiffen.
Turning around, Hot Iron scowled at the yellow unicorn across from him. "Oh. You. What do you want?"
"Honestly, I want to go home, where my family is waiting for me" Sunny admitted as he advanced to Hot Iron. "But first I have to deal with the friendship problem here. I'm pretty sure I solved it, but my friend thinks YOU are really the one with the problem."
Hot Iron snorted. "What would some stuck up prince know about a normal pony's problems?"
"Now listen here, buster!" Sunny moved to look Hot Iron right in the eye, his own eyes almost on fire with rage as he glared the other stallion down. "I may be a prince, but my life has been far from easy! Since I was a foal I have had to work hard to earn the respect of others, respect wasn't just given to me! I studdied hard so I can have the knowlage to settle problems! And with the exception of my father, my grandfather and on occasion, my own mother, I was all alone! Ponies didn't respect me until I proved my worth. I worked for everything I had 1000 years ago, and I work hard now to keep what I have!"
Hot Iron's hard expression remained unchanged as he glared back as Sunny, his chest raising and falling as he took deep breaths to keep what little cool he had. After a few moments, Hot Iron broke the silance. "Well, good for you. You faught and got to keep everything."
"I didn't keep everything" Sunny's tone was still hard but less angry then a moment ago. "I lost everything at one point. Both my parents, my home, even my memory. I was like a foal, wandering around with no purpose or anything to him, not even a name."
This caused Hot Iron to waver a bit. "Yeah? What did you do?"
"It's not what I did" Sunny began to relax a bit more, feeling like he was talking to a regular pony rather then a jerk. "Ponies gave me a chance. One pointed me in the direction. Of help, I followed it, and eventually I found a new home. One I wanted to protect with all my might. One with good, kind Ponies. Ponies who gave me a home. And after some hard work, troubling times, more then a few mistakes, and effort to making up for those mistakes, I got to where I am now. I have friends, a home, my mother back, along with a large, new family who seem to really like me."
Sunny's words dug deep into Hot Iron. The dark coated earth pony had to do a double take at the yellow unicorn he had been listening to. "Are you really the Black Knight from 1000 years ago? Who destroyed the town?"
"I told you before" Sunny started to tense up a bit, but his voice held more of an even tone then a defensive one. "It was complicated, and your ancestors didn't help."
This surprisingly made Hot Iron chuckle. "Guess I come by my thick headedness honestly."
With a small sigh, he flipped his suit case flat and sat on it, looking in the direction away from the town.
Moving towards him, Sunny stood and looked out in the same direction he was looking, trying to figure out what was going through Hot Iron's head.
"It was stupid…" Hot Iron thought outloud, catching Sunny off guard. "My whole life I worked and prepared for the dark day when YOU would return and possibly threaten our town again. If you never showed up, I would have had foals of my own and trained them like my father trained me, and his father trained him. It would have never ended."
"It looks like you get to make your own choices now" Sunny flatly, not making eye contact as they both still stared at the horizon. "So… what are you going to do? Who do you want to be?"
"Who did you become?" Hot Iron asked just as flatly, simply wanting an answer.
Thinking about it for a moment, Sunny tried to find the right words. "I became a farm pony, in a small town. I made friends with a bunch of ponies in that small town. Every now and again we solve friendship problems, take on monsters, travel through space and time, bit still try and make it home for dinner. Soon, I'm going to take a very special mare to be my wife, and probably have a few foals with her, starting a family all our own."
"Probably?" Hot Iron chuckled as he looked over at Sunny, cooking a half smile. That was the first time Sunny had ever seen the former mayor smile, it was odd, but also relaxing.
Thier peaceful moment was disturbed when they heard ponies screaming in the direction of town. Both of them simultaneously stood up and looked back at Iron Hill. They couldn't see exactly what was going on, but they did see a few teenaged dragons flying over the town.
"Are THEY with you!?" Hot Iron questioned Sunny with a sharp expression.
"No" Sunny answered flatly, trying to ignore Hot Iron's suspicion.
"Then we need to help the town's folk" Hot Iron began galloping in the direction of town.
This shocked Sunny a little, and he began to connect the dots of what Starlight was getting at. Sunny teleported in a flash of green light and reappeared infront of Hot Iron, almost causing the dark coated earth pony to run I to him.
"Get out of my way!" Hot Iron snapped, glaring at Sunny, his inner fire once again in a blaze.
"Why are you so eager to protect the town that shunned you? I saw how those ponies treated you, why stick your neck out for them?" Sunny needed to know the answer before he made a rather bold move.
"I don't care what they think of me!" Hot Iron snapped, annoyed at the yellow unicorn. "They're in trouble and need help! That's what's important!"
Hot Iron tried to move around Sunny, But Sunny got in his way again. "Are you going to just leap into a fight? Or are you going to try and talk things out?"
Hot Iron was gettin impatient. "Those are teenage dragons. They won't just 'talk things out'. You need to put your hoof down and use some force!"
Realizing Hot Iron had a point, Sunny restructured his quesgion. "If you COULD solve the problem without harming anycreature, would you?"
"I don't want anypony hurt" Hot Iron admitted, still very much annoyed. "I just want those dragons to go away. If I COULD shoo them away, I would."
Hot Iron tried this time to push past Sunny, but Sunny was stronger then the average unicron and kept Hot Iron back a bit. "I'll let you go if you answer me one last question; Name each Elements of Harmony…"
Back at Iron Hill, Mayor Carehoof was doing his best to herd the townsfolk away from town square where several teenage dragons appeared to be playing some sort of game where they pick up rocks or small pieces of wood, light it on fire, then throw them at one another. Almost like some sort of dragon version of a water balloon fight. Although this would be a common and mostly harmless activity in the dragon lands where almost everything is either fire proof or burned already, and where the dragon's scales protect their bodies from being harmed by the flamming debris. But Equestria, most of the things and creatures are not fire proof. Which is why half the town was scrambled, trying desperately to take cover while the town's fire brigade was also trying desperately to put the fires out. All the ponies and their troubles were being ignored by the flight of dragons who were focused only on their game.
Before one of the older male dragons could throw a chunk of burning rock, a deep voice yelled out from just over the horizon as a black figure stood like a monolith. "Stop this at once!"
The voice rang inside the teenage dragon's heads and caused them all to obay the black figures orders and stop their game. It was as if an order from the Dragon Lord herself spoke the words.
"W-w-what gives?" One of the older male dragons asked as he gathered the strength to speak up.
The figure trotted into view, his dark armor rattling as he ran. Everypony in town who had been hidding, watched as the pony they all knew as the Black Knight approached the town square where most of the teenaged dragons had gathered and were playing. Even the Mayor stopped evacuating ponies and watched, curious as to what would unfold
When the Black Knight, standing tall in all his glory, reached the center of town, spoke loudly and addressed all the dragons at once. "What is the meaning of this!? Who amung you dragons is your leader?!"
Several of the surounding dragons pushed a slightly plump, purple dragon with a snaggletooth, forward. He didn't know why, but that purple dragon seemed nervouse to answer, something that most dragons didn't really have a problem with, especially when talking to ponies, who were maybe half their hight at best. "Ugh, I am, sir. I'm the oldest."
The helmet of the Black Knight turned to face the purple dragon "Do you want to tell me WHY you're here? And WHY you thought it was a good idea to set this place on fire?! Do you have any idea to this town's history!?"
The purple dragon felt rattled. Never before had he felt so small, except that one time when he was scolded by Dragon Lord Torch for doing a cannon ball in a lava pit that splashed him in the face. Gulping down his nervousness, the purple dragon answered "Well, Ugh, you see, sir, just on the other side of the mountain is our family's nesting cave. We all take a family vacation there once a year. And we just decided to play a game of fire fight. And, well, we ended up here."
"Do you have any idea of the damage you've done!?" The Black Knight was fuming, his voice shooting off his helmet and ringing loud like a brass bell.
All of the teenage dragons looked around, suddenly becoming aware of the damage they had been causing. Several buildings were on fire, a dozen small trees planted around the town square had been snapped and lay broken, and the new town's statue had bits of itself broken off. Without thinking, the teenage dragons were breaking it apart to use as ammo on one another. Not much was left of the statue that was recognizable. Which was a shame, becouse Sunny really wanted to know what the committee had decided on.
"Oh, ugh, oops" was all the purple dragon could say as he sheepishly looked back at the Black Knight.
Fear started to creep into the hearts of every dragon there when the Black Knight took a hard step towards their eldest relative. "Now listen, and listen good! You all are going to help put out the fires, fix the damage you all have done, appologize for the way you've acted, and then vow to never, EVER return to this town without MY permission. Do I make myself clear!?"
The dragons all looked nervously around at one another, hoping one of them would say something. But none of them did.
"Am I Clear!?" The Black Knight roared, causing all the dragons to shake and cower in their spots, unable to move until they were dismissed.
Something deep down inside of them rattled and forced them to obay the commands of the Black Knight. Instructions from their ancestors who were instructed by their respected Dragon Lord. All at once the teenaged dragons nodded their heads in response and replied with "yes, sir!"
With more urgency then they ever thought they could muster, the teenage dragons all began rushing around the town, putting out the fires, and doing their best to fix what they had damaged.
Feeling that the town was once again safe, the townsfolk came out of hidding and gathered around the town square where the Black Knight supervised the teenaged dragons clean up. He didn't even pay much attention to the townsfolk until Mayor Carehoof approached him and took his armor clad hoof in his own, shaking it with great enthusiasm.
"Brave Knight, we of Iron Hill owe you a great dept of gratitude!" This shocked the Balck Knight, but he remained silent as the Mayor put a hoof around his armor clad body and faced the town. "Three cheers for Prince Sunny! The Black Knight! Hip-Hip!-"
"Actually, I'm over here" a familiar voice belonging to a well known yellow unicorn called out from the crowd, causing everypony to turn and face him. Ponies who had been around him stepped away to clear the path. Standing in the crowd was none other then Sunny Knight, tipping his stetson hat at the folks as they cleared a path for him.
The mayor was confused as Sunny happily trotted up to him and the Black Knight standing beside him. "Wait… then who?…"
Twisting and turning the helmet on his head, the Black Knight popped the helmet off and reveiled his face to everypony. Underneath the helmet was nopony other then Hot Iron.
"Wait, I don't understand, what is going on!?" Mayor Carehoof spoke the words the entire town was thinking.
Putting on a wide smile, and puffing out his chest, Sunny pulled a green crystal sword, he had made a bit ago, from his side and presented it infront of him. Understanding what he needed to do next, Hot Iron flashed a smile that quickly faded so he could dawn a more humble and honored expression, kneeled and bowed his head to Sunny.
"I, Sunny Knight, Prince of Equestria, here by pass on the title, armor, and responsibility of the Black Knight, to you, Hot Iron of Iron Hill, along with the powers of the Black Knight, so long as you are worthy of it." Sunny didn't think he needed to use the royal Canterlot voice, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. "Do you, Hot Iron, swear to uphold the code of the knight, to protect the weak, to choose diplomacy before the sword, to always harbor the Elements of Harmony in your heart, and to work to building a better future for all species, not just ponies?"
"I swear" Hot Iron answered as loudly as he could with his muzzle still facing downwards, eyes still closed.
"Then, I dub thee, Sir Hot Iron, the 2nd Black Knight of Equestria" Sunny took his green crystal sword and tapped Hot Iron's shoulders, knighting the earth pony in the traditional fashion that hasn't been done in almost 1000 years. "Raise, Knight."
Hot Iron arose and was greeted by applause and cheers from everypony and even a few dragons around him. He was taken back by the whole thing. Never had he ever felt as appreciated as he did at that moment, not even when he was Mayor. This was the moment where he could hold his head up high, feeling he had found his true calling. The moment where the entire town looked at him as a hero, one who would serve Equestria, protect them, and bring honor to their little town by the mountain.
"Hot Iron, ugh, Sir Hot Iron" Mayor Carehoof approached Hot Iron nervously, followed by the tour guide, the chef, and the sweets shop owner. "I… I'm sorry for the way some of us treated you. Can you ever forgive us?"
Hot Iron paused and thought about something for a moment, which made several ponies nervous. But when a smile cracked on Hot Iron's Muzzle, they slightly relaxed. "Don't sweat it, Mayor. I was… kind of a jerk."
"How about a protein shake, for old time's sake?" The sweet shop owner spoke up.
"Sounds good to me" Hot Iron smiled warmly at her.
"Good! If you drink them, I can rename them as Knight Shakes and sell them like crazy!" She and Hot Iron laughed a little at that.
Hot Iron then turned and faced Sunny with a mixed expression on his muzzle. Sunny shared the same expression."Don't think this means you can boss me around all the time, just 'couse you knighted me or anything."
"Ah don't like ta do that" Sunny admitted, adjusting his hat a little. "Just make sure ya stay worthy of that armor, or ah'll have ta take it back."
"I was thinking about that" Hot Iron admitted. "I think we should start a tradition of passing on the armor when the time is right. I mean, I won't be young and fit forever. Somepony else might have ta take up the armor."
"Maybe ya can start some sort of academy and train ponies to become knights, or something. Ya got all that fighting knowlage and what not." Sunny suggested. "Ya can pass on th' armor and title to whoever earned it. Th' armor won't accept just anypony. Only a pony who is worthy can wear th' armor. But ah'm sure the princesses would help ya fund such ah school."
"You'd put in a good word for me?" Hot Iron asked, raising a suspicious brow at Sunny.
Sunny raised both brows at Hot Iron. "Don't think this makes us friends or nothin'."
"Course not" Hot Iron replied instantly.
"Good" Sunny shot back.
"Good" Hot Iron quickly replied to Sunny's reply.
The two paused, making the entire town watching nervous again. Then the two extended hooves and met with a hoof bump. As they did, the town erupted I to cheers again.
"Three cheers for Hot Iron and Sunny Knight!" Mayor Carehoof addressed the crowd and lead them into more cheering as Sunny and Hot Iron were lifted into the air by some of the surrounding townsfolk. "Hip-Hip!"
"Horray!" The town's folk called out.
Sunny didn't pay much attention to the other Hip-Hips or Harrays. He was too focused on his cutie mark flashing. Indicating the friendship mission was a success, their little adventure was over, and now he and Starlight can return home.
"Now you believe me that the friendship mission was about putting things right with the town and Hot Iron?" Starlight Glimmer asked as she and Sunny were on the tain, heading back to Ponyville.
Sunny just rolled his eyes and smiled. "Yeah, yeah, you were right."
"Actually, I think I was wrong" Starlight admitted, which caused Sunny to jerk his head and look over at her. She flashed him an even smugger look as she elaborated. "I think the REAL mission was about YOU and Hot Iron."
That caused Sunny to chuckle a little, not really disagreeing with her but not agreeing with her, either. Becouse if he did, that would be solid proof that HE and Hot Iron were friends. "Whatever ya say, Starlight. Point is, mission is over, ponies are happy, and we're on our way back home."
"I got to know, though" Starlight caught Sunny's attention again. "Why did you give up the Black Knight armor?"
Tilting his hat back, Sunny looked over at Starlight with a half smile. "I felt it was time. When I got the armor from Garganda, he told me that only a pony worthy of the armor could wear it. It would reject anypony unworthy. And when the time came, and I found somepony else worthy, I would feel it was time to pass it on. I honestly didn't think that time would ever come. I actually was hoping a little, that one day I would pass it onto on of my kids. But Hot Iron, and don't you ever tell him I sad this, was worthy, and I could feel it was calling to him."
Starlight was shocked and amazed. She didn't know much about the Black Knight or the armor beyond what Twilight told her. She doubted Sunny told her THIS part about the armor. Starlight would have to fill her mentor in about it later.
Something still was troubling Starlight, Sunny could feel it, and asked "What else is on your mind, Starlight?"
The pink unicorn brushed her mane out of her muzzle, and sheepishly looked at Sunny with a slightly shamed look. "Sunny… I still feel bad about what happened. And I was hoping to make it up to you on this mission. But YOU ended up solving the problem by yourself. I just, kinda wanna make things right."
Shooting Starlight a relaxed smile, Sunny spoke softly in a voice that reminded Starlight alot of his mother. "Starlight, if it wasn't for you, I might still be there trying to solve a friendship problem I was avoiding. It takes courage to speak up to anypony, it takes real courage to speak up against a friend and get them to do what is best for them. We're good, Starlight."
"Friends?" She nervously asked.
"Friends" Sunny offered her a hug, which Starlight took, small tears at the corners of her eyes.
After a moment of hugging, Starlight pulled back and wiped the ears from her eyes, hopping nopony had seen her. Wanting to lighten the mood a little, Starlight told Sunny "Oh, did you hear, Hot Iron was thinking of changing his name to 'Iron Knight'. You know, something that suits his new job title."
"'Iron Knight'?" Sunny repeated the name with a grimmice. "No offense, but that's just a ridiculous name."
The two laughed as they played with the names of ponies they knew, adding 'Knight' to their name in one way or another. 'Big Knight' for Big Mac, 'Pinkie Knight' for Pinkie Pie, and so on. It was a fun way to pass the time on the ride home.
As Princess Luna approached her sister's private chamber( not her secret one used to escape everypony, but the one that the royal guards actually stand outside and guard), she could hear papers ruffling, a quill scribbling, and sound of books hitting the ground with a thud. The princess of the moon sighed and thought how much Twilight picked up from her dear sister. The guards opened the door for Princess Luna, who was met with a similar scene of Celestia's room. Under normal circumstances, Celestia's private chambers (the well known one) would be tidy, with at most, a stack of books and scrolls on her bedside and work desk. But at the moment, there were open books scattered all around the room, scrolls hanging from her canopy bed, sheets of paper scattered all around, books left in positions that would have given Twilight Sparkle a heart attack, and Luna's dear older sister in the corner at her desk hastily scribbling away about something. Luna approached her sister to ask what it was she was working on when Celestia grew frustrated, crumpled up a piece of paper, and tossed it into an already overflowing trash can, where it was greeted by many similar crumpled up pieces of paper.
Looking at her sister, Luna's concern grew. Celestia's normally gently flowing mane had actually ceased its movment and had spots where several strands of hair were sticking out of their normal flow. Celestia's normally relaxed and regal posture crumbled and left her hunched over her desk to be as close to her work as possible. But what concerned Luna the most about her sister's obsession in her work was the lack of sleep Celestia was getting. Celestia had drank so much coffee that she and her room smelled like a coffee shop. Not a chain coffee shop like Ponybucks, but a self owned one where they only use organic beans and operate in small quarters and boast about roasting their own coffee beans.
"Sister" Luna called out to Celestia, who was once again busy scribbling away at a piece of paper. Celestia didn't reply or even acknowledge Luna's existence.
"Sister!" Luna tried again to get her sister's attention, speaking a little louder. But Celestia only grew frustrated with what she was writing, crumbled up the paper and sent it to join the others in the waste bin.
Luna didn't want to resort to the royal canterlot voice, but it seems that she had no other choice. Luna cleared her throat, puffed out her chest, and she channeled her magic into her vocal cords as she spoke. "SISTER! IT IS 'I', PRINCESS LUNA! ACHKNOWLAGE ME!"
To the Princess of the moon's suprise, Celestia still didn't budge, well, other then to grab a scroll that was open on the ground. Celestia looked it over, then returned to scribbling something down on her new sheet of paper.
Releasing a puff of air, Luna knew what she had to do, but avoided doing it. It would shock her sister, and in her fragile state, Celestia didn't need the added stress. But it was the only thing left Luna could think to do to snap her sister out of this funk.
Leaning in close to her sister, Luna whispered gently into Celestia's ear "morning sister, Sunny's here-"
Celestia stood up strait, panicked and began racing around frantically, kicking books and scrolls out of the way in such such violent manner, it would have made Twilight faint. "No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!"
Luna wanted to interject, but thought it best to let Celestia work a little of the panic out of her system, and tire herself out a little, before she spoke up. Luna didn't enjoy seeing her sister like this at all. After several moments of running around, Celestia started to run low on energy, looked over to a tray of untouched food and three empty pots of coffee. One pot still had a few drops of coffee sitting at the bottom of it. Celestia focused her magic and tried to levitate the pot over to her so she could give her body a desperate jolt of energy.
"I think you have had enough, Sister" Luna intercepted the pot and placed it back on the serving tray. "It is time for bed. You have a big day tomorrow."
"Wait! I thought you said-!" Celestia started to protest as Luna used her magic to levitate her older sister into the air and place her in her bed.
"It is night" Luna examined, wrestling Celestia into her bed and forcefully tucking her in. "You need your rest for tomorrow."
For the last week, Princess Celestia had been planning a special day with her son, Sunny. A day where Luna would take over for all her royal duties, where the Apples would handle all of Sunny's work around the farm, Twilight and her friends would keep Equestria out of danger, and the other New Guardians of Harmony would hold down the fort. A day where Celestia could be just a mother, and Sunny could just be her son. And they can just have a fun, regular day togeather. But for the last week, Celestia had tried to spend some time figuring out what they could do as mother and son. Between her diplomatic duties, royal meetings, as well as a suprise appearance from a foreign ambassador, Celestia had no time to actually think of what to do on their mother-son day.
"I can't rest, Luna! I need to do more research! Come up with a plan!" Celestia tried to protest, but her magic and physical strength had depleted due to her exhaustion.
"What you NEED now is some sleep" Luna spoke forcefully. "Listen to me, sister; you have been planning this day for over a week, you have a pretty good idea of what Sunny would like and would not like to do. You made sure the weather team will have it a bright, sunny day with a fair temperature. I will keep Canterlot running, and Twilight and her friends will keep Ponyville safe. So please, do yourself a favor and relax. Get. Some. Sleep."
Her sister's words barely sunk in as Celestia's heart remained filled with worry. "But, what if something goes wrong?! What if we eat at a restaurant that he doesn't like the food at? What if there is a sudden storm the weather team can't handle!? What if-!?"
Luna cut her sister off. "What if fire fell from the sky, and your nose fell off?"
Celestia was about to agree and paint a more vivid picture for her younger sister when she realized her sister was trying to show her how ridiculous she was being with all her worrying. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, some small tears gathered at the ends of her eyes as she let out a wide yawn. "I… I just want to be a good mother…"
"You are a good mother" Luna tried to tell her sister.
"Tell that to the son I haven't spent hardly any time with in over 1000 years…" Celestia quipped. "And now he's getting married, starting a family of his own… I bet he-"
"Enough, sister!" Luna snapped, catching Celestia's attention. "Self pity is not becoming of you. Now, as a pony who has popped into Sunny's dreams before, I can tell you he loves you, and he is looking forward to spending time with you. Don't ruin it for you two by overthinking. Just go out there and have fun."
Taking a few more breaths, Celestia felt her eye lids grow heavier, sleep began to take hold of her. She turned to her sister and flashed her a warm smile "thank you sister. I needed that."
"I know, now, good night, sister" Luna cast a quick spell to help Celesria get into a deeper sleep. As the princess of the sun began to slumber, Luna quietly snuck out of her sister's room and released a held sigh. 'You and your son are so alike. HE is just as worried about tomorrow and wants to be a good son to YOU. Ugh… I personally can't wait until the day AFTER tomorrow. Maybe THEN you two can have more relaxed dreams.'
Sunny was finishing his breathing excersizes as the train pulled up to the Canterlot station. He was equal parts nervous and excited about today, and glad he got a decent night's sleep. As the train stopped and ponies began to pour out of the carts, several royal guards had to usher them away, telling them to keep moving. On the deck of the station, Princess Celestia eagerly awaited her son's arrival, wondering if it would have been better to have picked him up in Ponyville in her chariot and flown him back to Canterlot. She decided against it, though, remembering his fear of heights. Besides, the only real hassle she and he would have is meeting up at the station and getting out of the sea of ponies. After that, she had a plan mapped out to allow them their space and privacy to enjoy the day as mother and son.
'Maybe I should have come in disguise. I do have that changeling amulet that could change my appearance' Celestia thought. But before she could think more on a way to avoid the crowd of ponies gathering around her, Sunny came into view. He waved at her with a wide smile spread across his muzzle, and she returned the eager wave and smile. Celestia found herself speaking Luna's words as if it were her new mantra 'Just enjoy the day. Just enjoy the day. Relax. And just enjoy the day.'
"Hey mom!" Sunny had crossed over several ponies and made his way to his mother, practically leaping at her, giving her a big hug.
The warmth of the hug was soothing and for a moment, put Celestia's mind at ease. After several moments, she reluctantly broke the hug. "I've been looking forward to this day."
"Me too!" Sunny cheered, still dawning a wide smile. "In your letters, you said you had a, ugh, list?"
"Indeed" Celestia smiled as she made a scroll appear out of nowhere, opening it and flashed it to Sunny. "I have spent the last week going over all the fun things Canterlot has to offer and cross referencing it with books on parental child bonding and things I know about you."
Hearing this caused Sunny to chuckle a little.
"What's so funny?" Celestia hastily asked, worried that she might have gone overboard with studying up, or thinking maybe she should have kept the list part to herself, but then also thought 'no, Sunny is my son, we should be open with one another about such things'. Buy fears and paranoias still grew inside the Sun princess's head.
After a few seconds of being lost in her thoughts, Celestia felt a hoof over hers. That slight touch pulled her out of her fearful state and snapped her back to reality. Looking down, she locked eyes with Sunny. His emerald green eyes reminded Celestia so much of his father, the way Sombra used to be. "I'm sorry, mom. I just though how much like Twilight you sounded. I don't know if she got that from YOU or you just took a page from HER book."
Hearing that caused Celestia to relax a bit and breath. She laughed a little now, herself mirroring Sunny's action. "Twilight was like that long before I ever met her. So I guess I took a page from HER book."
"Well, I guess I'll take a page from Cadence and tell you 'not to worry so much'" Sunny started to lead his mother off the deck of the train station and into the streets of Canterlot. "'Couse today is just about you and me. Let's just have fun, ok?"
Celestia smiled down at her son, amazed at how level headed, yet cheerful, he had become. He was so different then how he was 1000 years ago. 'Was this who he was hidding behind that refined wall all that time? Do i… do I even know my own son?'
Princess Celestia felt another nudge, looked down and saw Sunny nudging her lightly as he looked up at his mother, eyes wide and pure. "Don't over think things, ok?"
The Princess of the sun shook away her troubling thoughts and in that instant decided to listen to her son on the matter. Now clear of worries and troubling thoughts, Princess Celestia walked with her son to a carrage that she had waiting for them.
"So, what do you want to do first?" Sunny asked his mother, his bright and cheerful disposition toned down a bit so they could relax as the carrage began moving.
"Well, I was thinking about showing you Canterlot's shopping dustrict" Celestia admitted. "We can sample food and drinks from all the different food vendors, we can window shop, and there is one ship in particular I wanted us to visit. I know Rarity gave you a rather nice looking suite for the Galla, but I'm going to guess that you don't want to wear that out to every formal occation."
Thinking hack to the effort Rarity put towards his tuxedo that he wore to the Grand Galloping Galla, Sunny didn't think he would have too many formal occasions to wear it out, but it would be nice to have something else to wear should the occasion call for it. Even Applejack, who was all about necessity, has a few different dresses in her closet. Maybe it would be a good idea to try and keep more then one. "Ya have ah good point, there."
Hearing Sunny agree to the shopping trip made Celestia beam a little with great joy. Yhe princess of the sun loved walking the shopping district, seeing all the different shops from the baked goods, china shops, and various clothing stores she always found enjoyable even though she could rarely do it herself without catching a great deal of unwanted attention.The thought of helping her son try on various tuxedos and formal wear made her heart feel ten times lighter. And maybe… maybe she could get her son the very tuxedo he would wear on his special day.
Celestia's glow flared a bit, beaming with the joyful thought but also flickered with some slight worry. Sunny could tell something was bothering his mother, but before he could ask, one of the stallions pulling the royal carrot called out to them.
"We've arrived, your majasties" one of the stallions called out in a firm and flat tone, hiding any and all emotion, as royal guards did.
"Thank you" Celestia pulled herself away from her thoughts as her door opened, a royal guard on each side of the door.
Having six royal guards to one carrage seemed a little excessive at first to Sunny, but as he took a step out of the carrage, his opinion quickly changed. The six royal guards cleared a pathway from the carrage leading up to the shop's front doors, keeping two groups of ponies from pushing their way through to see Princess Celestia and her son. The groups of ponies were cheering and calling out Sunny and his mother's names, flashes from cameras came from both sides. Everypony around was excited to see the royal mother and son.
Having dealt with overexcited crowds many times in the past, Celestia simply smiled and walked down the space the six guards kept clear for her and her son. After taking a few steps, Celestia got a funny feeling, turned to look behind her, and saw Sunny was lagging behind. His muzzle plastered with an expression of nervous unease. She realized that although she had dealt with the public like this for over 1000 years, her son didn't. When he was a prince 1000 years ago, nopony went as far as this crowd to shower him with flooding attention. Thinking quickly and acting swiftly, Celestia raised her left wing and reached out to her son, sheltering him from half the crowd, but giving the appearance of a loving mother who wants to he close to her son. This seemed to snap Sunny out of his frozen state and togearher, they walked up and into a clothing shop.
Once inside the shop, Sunny looked over his shoulder and watched the six royal guards break into two group. One pair stayed outside and guarded the entrance, preventing anypony else from entering the shop. The other four disappeared out of sight. Princess Celestia knew, though, that the other guards disappeared to the roof top to keep an eye on them from the sky, with one guarding the back entrance. Although security wasn't really nessisary to keep the princess or her son safe (with their combined magic and strength, the two could handle almost anything in Equestria) but more or less to keep ponies from bothering them during their quality bonding time.
"Ah! Princess Celestia! You are here!" A lengthy mare in high heels ran up to Sunny's mother and greated her with a bow. It was a sight to see her elegantly bow in those high heels and not fall over. The mare then turned her attention to Sunny, causing the young stallion to flash a nervous smile. "And this handsome young colt must be the son I've heard so much about! My, my, my! I bet you had to beat the mare's off with a stick! If you weren't getting married, you'd have to beat me away too! Ha! But no worries! Let's get started! Right this way! Right this way!"
Celestia walked behind her son who was lead to the back of the shop into one of the fitting rooms. There, the shop owner put Sunny up on a small stand infront of three mirrors angled around him. Celestia stood out of sight of the mirrors, a smile spread across her muzzle as she watched the shop owner dress her son in a number of different outfits ranging from a loose fitting Eastern style of formal wear, to a western style that would have pit a smile on Applejack's muzzle, before ending up with one that she thought looked perfect for a formal occation.
"There! What do you think?" The shop owner asked.
Looking at her son, Celestia could see Sunny was trying to put on a shocked and amazed expression, but she knew her son better then that. He certainly had his mother's talent for hidding behind a false expression.
"It's amazing! It feels nice, what is the material you used?" Sunny asked in a relaxed but still eager tone, trying to sound more interested in the suit then he actually was.
"It is 100% saddlearabian sattin" the shop owner explained as she looked over the tuxedo, pulling at the various sleeves and checking how certain ends fit, making sure it wasn't too snug. "Want to walk around and see how it moves? I know you royal guard types value mobility. What with needing to jump into action at a moments notice, even at formal times."
Watching her son as he got down off the pedestal and walked around a bit, Celestia saw he brightened up for real when he saw how flexable he could be in the suite.
"Mind if I have a moment with my son?" Celestia stepped forward and asked the shop owner, flashing her a gently smile.
"Of course! Of course! I'll, ugh, would either of you like some tea? Or water?" The shop owner nervously asked, thinking how she should have asked that when the two first arrived. She was so excited to not only have the one and only Princess Celestia in her shop, but her son as well, that she forgot her normal routine of dealing with prestigious company. Most of the other royals who grace her shop are met with beverages or- "or would either of you like something to eat? Strawberries? Carrot squares? Cucumber sandwiches?"
"I'm fine, thank you" Sunny and his mother both said at the exact same time, which caused them both to look at eachother, smile and chuckle a little.
The shop owner smiled and dismissed herself after telling them both to simply call for her when they needed her, that she would be within ear shot.
Approaching her son, standing directly behind him as they both looked into the mirror, Celestia studdied her son for his REAL feelings on the suite. After a small pause, she finnaly just asked him. "What do you think? Honestly. If it's not to your liking…"
Sunny spoke up gentle energy "I love it. I really like that it's as flexible as it is. It just… has me worried a bit. And thinking…"
"About your father?" Celestia knew that was the only thing that could be bothering Sunny about the wedding. Most ponies worry something will go wrong, but most ponies worry about somepony misplacing the rings, or the cake being the wrong color, the invitations being sent out on the wrong date, or even the bride tripping while walking up to the alter. Unfortunately, her son had worries of his own father crashing the party with some villainous scheme.
A deep sadness washed over Sunny, and his mother could see it in three different directions, thanks to the mirrors. When he spoke, Sunny's voice was regal and forlorn. "I… I was hoping we would have this all sorted out by the time the wedding rolled around so dad could walk Applejack down the isle, since Big Mac is my best stallion….We talk sometimes about stuff like that. 'If my father reforms before the wedding, would you want him there?' You know what she said?"
Celestia shook her head, the world around her seemed to disappear except for her and Sunny. It was moments like this, no matter how painful or sorrowful they were, that she wanted to share. Opening hearts to one another.
"She said 'from all ya told me 'bout him before he went all evil king and what not, he sounds like ah sweet guy. Ah'd be honored ta have him walk me down the isle. If he's reformed by then.'" Sunny smiled as he shook his head. "We have talks like that some times. Like 'If you were in the Crystal Empire 1000 years ago, what would ya do for ah living?' And she told me 'I'd grow the first orchard worth of crystal apples, and keep you in line. Somepony needs to.' Then we'd laugh. Guess I couldn't have gotten away with half as many pranks with Pappy if Applejack was there to stop me."
That brought a smile to Celestia's muzzle. She outstretched and put a wing around her son, her voice ringing like a small silver bell. "I never gave you both my blessing. But I want you to know, I'm glad you found such a wonderful mare, who makes you happy and, hehe, keeps you in line."
The last part made both Celestia and Sunny chuckle a little bit. When Sunny stopped his laughter he turned to his mother and shot her a wide smile. "Ya know, ah'm not just getting ah wife. Yer also getting ah daughter. Well, ah whole family. Ah tell the Apples 'bout you all the time. At first, they thought you were just some untouchable princess who could do no wrong. But ah made sure ta tell them all yer embarrassing secrets."
That made Celestia a little nervouse. "Oh? Like what, prey tell?"
"Like when you're stressed, you eat chocolate cake" Sunny started with a half cocked smile. "Or how you visit a small spa hidden in the castle between meetings on busy days to help unwind and prepare yourself. Or how you sometimes give your assistants the slip and make them stress out."
"You told them all that?" Celestia grew a little nervouse. Especially after remembering the youngest, Apple Bloom, was part of a news paper that had once spilled secrets of ponies all around town.
"Don't worry, ah made them Pinkie promise ta keep it all ah family secret" Sunny said to put his mother at ease. His expression turned grim as he muttered in a deep low tone "and nopony breaks a Pinkie promise. No pony…"
The sudden seriousness in Sunny's tone when he mentioned the 'Pinkie Promise' concerned Princess Celestia a bit, but her worry was interrupted by a royal guard stepping inside. "Your majasty, we need to leave now if we're going to make the show."
"Show?" Sunny asked, looking towards his mother.
Celesria smiled down at her son. "I think you'll really like it. Some things have changed, but others have bested the test of time. We still have some time before the show. Why don't we do some more shopping?"
Peering past his mother to the front windows of the shop, Sunny saw many ponies climbing and clawing to get to see them. Trying too get pictures holding up signs and waving to catch their attention. Gulping, Sunny suddenly felt nervous about simply exploring the shopping area.
To avoid the paparazzi, Celestia teleported herself and Sunny into their carrage after paying for his new suit, the guards following behind from the street. After putting some distance between themselves and the group of ponies wanting autographs, pictures and the like, Celestia decided it would be more fun to continue on hoof. To a point, it was. Sunny did his best to ignore the crowd of ponies kept at bay by the guards who circled him and his mother, and focus more of the shops around them.
The shopping strip of Canterlot was classy indeed, with only the most successful and wealthy shop owners able to keep their shops running. Celestia led Sunny into an antique shop that she knew her son would find interesting. SHE always did, being able to pick out a genuine antique from a false one, Celestia made sure no antique shop in Canterlot could sell anything but genuine pieces. Just to prevent falsifying actual antiques, Celestia passed a law about a decade or two back that declared any antique store selling false antiques would have every sign or lable with 'antique' on it to be replaced with 'thrift', including the store's sign. And if anypony tried to change the signs or labels back, there was a heavy fee. Counterfeiting things is bad enough, but counterfeiting items from the past, made Celestia feel insulted. And in Canterlot, if your 'antique' store suddenly turned into a 'thrift' store, it made most ponies stay away. Those stores were able to pick up and move to less popular shopping areas and continue their work, but they weren't fetching 1500 bits for a 'thrift' dresser anymore.
The antique shop was a good call. Sunny was amazed at all the things that were dated between when he disappeared and the present day. He would turn to his mother with great curiosity and ask her a million quesgions about everything that caught his eye. Having been a teacher herself at one point, Celestia was more then happy to explain about the various antique paintings, odd items that used to be in every house hold, and furniture. Her son had the same reaction she did.
"Why do they have to give every different piece of furniture a different name? Can't they just all call it what it is? A dresser? A bed frame? Night stand?" Her son raised a brow at his mother.
Hearing her own thoughts come from her son made Celestia laugh. "I often wonder the same thing. I suppose it makes it sound fancier then what it is."
After finishing up at the antique shop, Celestia and Sunny browsed a few more stores before settling at an ice cream parlor where Sunny was amazed they had over 200 flavors! Well, that is, they have about 30 different individual flavors and could combine two or more to make new flavors. Sunny had ordered a combination of mint and peanutbutter ice cream in a cone, Celestia had cake and strawberry also in a cone.
The two of them sat outside the store and enjoyed their sweet, cold snack. It was really nice, the both of them just getting to sit there and relax.
"Do you come here often?" Sunny was genuinely curious, then took a livk of his ice cream that was slowly melting.
"I haven't in a long time. Not since before Cadence got married. She's a big fan of ice cream. But us mares got to keep up our figures." Celestia answered her son then took a long, hard lick of her own ice cream.
"You used to go out on trips with her like this?" Sunny asked casually as he took another lick.
"We did, not so much any more" Celestia explained. "She has an empire to run, a husband and daughter. It's not easy for us to get togeather much anymore. We do still write to one another and keep in touch, but we haven't spent any quality time togeatger like we used to."
Sunny felt a little bad that his mother and Cadence didn't get to spend much time togeather. It was worse then him and his mother. Sunny may work hard on the farm and have his new life in Ponyville, full of friends and his new family, but Sunny could make time for his mother easier then Cadence. Maybe he could think of a way to change that and help his mother get some time with her niece.
A ploping sound pulled Sunny away from the eyes. He looked down and saw his half eaten ice cream fell to the ground.
"Oh, I'm sorry Sunny" his mother seemed very sympathetic. She stood up "I'll get you another one."
"Oh, no, thats OK." Sunny stopped her. "I'm actually full. Guess ice cream fills me up. So, are you going to tell me about this 'show' now?"
"I wanted to keep it a suprise…" Looking over her shoulder at a large clock placed on the street, Celestia mumbled slightly "Its a little early… but I suppose we could head on over."
A royal guard brought their carrage around, Celestia hopped inside, still finishing her own ice cream. Sunny stepped inside behind her and the guard shut the carrage door for him. All togeather, Sunny, his mother and the 6 royal guards accompanying them travled down the cobble stone road to the inner part of Canterlot city and away from the outer shopping district.
A short dive later and Celestia and Sunny arrived at the Canterlot Theater. Although it was smaller and had less up to date lighting then the popular Manehatten theater, it was still quite extravagant. Large white marble pillars kept a purple and gold roof over their heads and fed into a single theater that was lined with red velvet seats. Above the floor seats were seven balconies lining the ceiling. And the best seat in the house was always reserved for the Princesses, of course. Whenever the princesses made an appearance at a play, the house always sold out, so the theater managers always kept their box empty for them or their honorable guests.
"Tonight is one of my sister's favorites" Celestia informed Sunny, passing him a panflit with a sad clown on it. "Its called 'Ponyacci'. Although she and I prefer the 'Opera Phantom Pony', this play was first conducted 1000 years ago. It's a show about passion, love-"
"Wait! Was it made by Leoncoltino?" Sunny's eyes went wide with disbelief and awe.
"Ugh, why yes." Celestia answered after taking a quick glance at the play's pamphlet. "Wait, you knew Leoncoltino?"
"Yeah! When I was on a mission in the south east sea front, he was directing street performers" Sunny explained with great vigor in his voice. "Nice guy, a little odd, but nice. He had alot of really good writing ideas, but he didn't believe in himself. Before I left, I helped him set up his first stage. That's where I recognized the name. It was his first big time play. He told me all about it before I had to leave, since I coudlnt stay and watch the actual performance."
"I have to say, I'm amazed" Celestia was worried Sunny wouldn't appreciate such a dark play. But after hearing the history he shared with the director, she relaxed a bit. "I'm glad your friend's play has survived long enough for you to see it."
"Me too" Sunny beamed, seeming more enthusiastic then she should about such a play.
The lights dimmed completly, and ponies dressed in older style clothing danced on stage singing in an older style of Italequestrian dialect that had changed slightly over the years.
To most ponies who had read up on the old language, the play is about a mare in a love triangle with her husband, a hunch back and the stallion of her dreams. But to Sunny, who still had the old language fresh in his mind and had never seen the play before, it came out as about a mare who was looking for something to eat. Her husband had burned her dinner, a stallion with a sore back who's leg fell asleep offered her pancakes, but her cousin's best friend offered her the dish of her dreams, a low sodium seaweed wrap. Right after the cousin's friend left to go see his friend a duck, the mare's husband was about to confront her about not eating his burnt casserole and stealing his last slice of pie, Sunny could no longer contain himself. The yellow unicorn burst into laughter, tears of joy streaming down from his eyes.
Everypony in the audience turned their attention to the chuckling yellow unicorn in the princess's balcony. It's a general rule in showbuisness to keep the show going, even if there is a major disruption and to let the ushers deal with anypony or creature causing a ruckus. Unfortunately, said ruckus was being caused by Princess Celestia's one and only son, and the ushers didn't quite know how to handle it, and stayed nervously back. If it were just simple laughter Sunny was making, the actors could sing over it. Unfortunatly for everypony else, Sunny's royal canterlot voice sprang up and his laughter filled the entire opera house! It was so loud, the actors and singers stopped what they were doing, breaking the shows illusion, and all turned and stared at Sunny.
Feeling extremely awkward by her son's outburst, no matter how innocent it probably was, Celestia nudged him, trying to get his attention. "Sunny…"
After feeling his mother tap him on the shoulder, Sunny did his best to gather and compose himself, wiping several tears away from his eyes. When he did, his laughter finally faded, and he realized the entire orchestra had gone silent. Sunny was confused for a moment before he read the room and got that everypony was shooting him a hard gaze. Trying to ignore everypony's eyes, Sunny shrank in his seat, and wished he could just disappear.
"Did you want to leave a little early?" Celestia whispered to her son who was melting into a puddle in his seat.
"That would be nice" Sunny spat out so fast his mother had to wait for her mind to repeat it back in slow motion to understand what he had just said.
After a quick moment of her horn growing golden, Princess Celestia and her son disappeared in a flash of golden light, just as the curtains closed and the managers came on stage to appologize for the disruption and offered to start the play over again in just a moment.
"I see. That would explain your reaction." Celestia popped the tip of her hoof against her lower lip as Sunny explained to her why he was laughing at such a somber play. The two were back in his mother's carrage and were driving away from the theater.
"I'm sorry…" Sunny hung his head, ashamed he had embarrassed his mother so badly in her own city. "Ugh, the papers are going to have a feild day with this one! I'm so, so sorry mom."
"You don't need to apologize" Celesria tried to comfort her son who looked like he was crumbling up into a wad of paper in his seat. "It was an honest mistake. And don't worry about news papers. Headlines come and go. But our mother-son day is far from over. I had a feeling you would be rather rusty on the events that took place over the last 1000 years, so I thought a quick lesson was in order."
This caused Sunny to pop up out of his defeated position and raise a questioning brow at his mother. He wasn't exactly studious like her most faithful student, but maybe a crash course in modern history might help prevent another opera scene.
It didn't take them long to arrive at the next destination. The building before them seemed to be modled slightly differently then the other structures in Canterlot. The pillars to the outside were structured more closely to the buildings in Cloudsdale, and the roof appeared more pointed at an angle. It really stuck out in comparison to the other flashy gold, purple and marble white buildings with swirled tops.
"'The Canterlot Musium of Equestrian History'?" Sunny read the name of the building outloud.
A smile spread gracefully across Celestia's muzzle as her confident magenta eyes met her son's. "You lived 1000 years ago and hopped over to this time. You missed 1000 years of history, and I thought you may want to catch up. What better way then with paintings, statues and relics from those times? Plus, I was able to send word ahead, and we have the entire museum to ourselves."
Celesria was hoping that last part would be a big selling point with her son. She guessed that Sunny would want some quiet time alone without ponies popping up around them wanting pictures or autographs.
"That… might have been a good choice" Sunny agreeded with his mother, but his words fell flat. 'Especially after my flub up a the opera'
Celestia could since her son was troubled and leaned in closer to him. "Is this OK, Sunny? If not, we can do something else."
Sunny snapped himself out of it and focused on what was important. 'I don't want to completly ruin our day togeather. There have been a few bumps in the road, but the day's barely half over!' Putting on a smile, Sunny looked his mother in the eye and told her "hope you're ready to teach 1000 years of history."
Seeing her son's renewed bravado lightened Celestia's spirits. "I hope you're ready to learn."
As they walked up the steps, Celestia suddenly remembered the last time she visited museum. "You know, this reminds me of the time when Twilight was in her second year at my school for gifted unicorns."
"Oh?" Sunny kept up his chipper pace with his mother. "How so?"
"She was so eager to learn as much as she could, I decided to suprise her with a trip here. I even had the place cleared out so I, her mentor, could have her full and undivided attention." Celestia was so proud and lost in her memory that she failed to see her own son's expression change.
Sunny had felt odd about something, but couldn't quite put his hoof on it. These places his mother had taken him, she had mentioned a different pony at every one. Cadence at the ice cream shop, his Aunt Luna at the opera, and now Twilight at the museum. He was starting to see some pattern, but pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Today was about him and his mother. And he wasn't going to do anything else to ruin it for them.
"Ah, and here we have the Pegasome section" Celestia happily told her son in the most cheerful and informative manner she could. She couldn't quite put her hoof on it, but she had a feeling something was bothering Sunny. But she pressed forward and tried her best to keep their day going. "You recall your last encounter with Camander Hurricane's grandson?"
Thinking back brought a smile to Sunny's muzzle. "I remember…"
Over 1000 years ago, Sunny had gone on a peaceful mission to check in on Pegastome, the great city of pegasi before Cloudsdale was ever dreamed up. Commander Hurricane, one of Equestria's founders, had started the construction, but it wasn't completed until just after his Son, Cold Front, passed the touch of leadership to HIS son, the newly appointed commander Sky Runner. When Sunny met the young leader, he connected with him instantly. Sky Runner was a very likable guy. Firm with his leadership, but more understanding then his father or grandfather had been. Sunny helped Sky Runner chase off an army of gremlins who created artifical storm clouds, and from there on, even though Sunny kept others at a distance, Sky Runny always considered Sunny to be a good friend and ally.
"Well, I'll have you know that Sky Runny had lead Peagastome into a golden age." Celestia brought Sunny back to the present. "Under his rule, the pegusi started creating many machines that would later be the foundations for the weather factory. Without his ideas and leadership, the pegasi might still be trying to make rain clouds by hoof. It wasn't just Sky who you helped. Galop Gazer, the young aspiring astronomer you helped up in the Foal mountains, was able to created Equestria's largest telescope. Pepperdance, the mare who you inspired to venture out past her small town, started the venture into the southern desert part of Equestria, and created the first railroad system that ran from what is known as Appaloosa today all the way to here in Canterlot and inspired the creation of the friendship express. And you remember that filly you met in the wetlands? Puddle Splash? Well, believe it or not, because you shared a single pot of tea with her, showing her how to brew it and telling her different leaves and spices make different tasting teas, she moved out of the wet lands and started the largest tea company in Equeatria! Even changing her name to Tea Love."
"Wow…" was all Sunny could say as his mother motioned to the first working weather machine, built by Sky Runner 1000 years or so ago. It was an old beat up metal box with broken tunes and light bulbs on it.
"It was all thanks to you and your encouragement" Celestia smiled at her son. "Sometimes believing in somepony just a little bit can have a great impact."
"I'm glad I made such an impact in their lives" Sunny admitted, smiling pleasantly at the images of a beaming city in the clouds woven into a tapestry next to the old weather machine.
Seeing her son cheered up, Celestia presses on. "And here we have the mare who created the modern day oven! She started with just brick, mud and some fire, but was able to…"
Sunny was about to follow right behind his mother when a brightly colored tapestry caught his eye. Sunny paused, his mother's words became muffled in his ears. He didn't quite know what the image was that he was looking at, but it was horrifying. A city in the clouds set a blaze. Buildings on clouds were all on fire, images of ponies screaming and running around made Sunny's heart sink. It wasn't until Sunny saw a falling image of a light blue pegasus with a green mane and tail. It took him a moment, and Sunny didn't want to believe it, but there was no denying that the falling pony was none other then Sky Runner.
"Sunny, I thought I lost you" Celestia galloped up to her son, sounding a little annoyed. "I was talking to nopony for a while before I realized you…"
The Princess of the sun trailed off as she caught sight of what her son was looking at.
"The fall of Pegastome" Sunny read the description of the tapestry outloud. "The fall of the once great city was brought about when one of the first weather machines went haywire and caught the newly constructed weather making station on fire. Although the ponies were able to rebuild their city, the stallion responsible for the machine, Sky Runner, was seen fleeing the scene."
Sunny didn't know if his mother knew about this and just didn't want to tell him, or if she honeslty forgot this ever happened and only focused on the good parts of Sky Runner's history. 'What else don't I know.'
Before Celestia could calm her son down, Sunny disappeared in a flash of black smoke. The princess of the sun worried about her son's mental state, tapping into his umbrum powers like that. Several more puffs of smoke cropped up here and there as Sunny teleported all around the musium. Celestia feared what Sunny was looking for he wasn't going to find. She knew not all the ponies Sunny met and interacted with had pleasant stories or happy endings.
Finnaly, Sunny stopped poofing around and ended up at a bench near the heart of the musium, his head hanging low as he stared at the ground, his eyes returning from red and green to just emerald green, pruple flames at the far ends of his eyes flickered out. Celestia approached her son as calmly and quietly as she could, unsure of what she could say to him.
"Galop's telescope was built on the side of a mountain, and fell multiple times, forcing him to sell everything he owned to rebuild it" Sunny stated for his mother to hear as she approached him. "Pepperdance started her railroad team with over fifty ponies, but drove half of them away with her 'crazy songs and dancing', she was made fun of by her own home town and never went back. And Tea Love, she left her friends and family behind to travel Equestria, obsessed with finding the best ingredients for her teas. She never saw her family again…"
"I know how all this looks-" Celestia finnaly reached out to her son, but was hesitant to put a hoof on him. Why was she so hesitant? Was she doing something wrong? Did Sunny have a right to he this upset?
"Did I do anything right?" Sunny asked his mother without tearing his eyes off the floor. "Did I ever really help anypony back then?"
Taking a deep breath, Celestia took a seat next to her son. "You can tell when a pony is lying, right? You have an affinity, like Applejack with the element of Honesty."
Looking up at his mother, Sunny couldn't muster words, but was able to simply nod.
"Then, please, listen to me. The whole story isn't something that is shown at the museum, mostly becouse we have nothing to show off of it and the curator insists on only showing eye catching things. No matter how tragic or incomplete it may be.
"First off, yes. Sky Runner's machine DID burn the factory to the ground. Yes, he did run away, and it was a while before he returned to his city to help them rebuild. But he DID eventually return. He went looking for somepony to help him, to give him an idea of what to do. Unfortunately… you weren't there. He got lost looking for YOU and the Crystal Empire. He was rescued from a storm and brought to me in Canterlot. I helped him with a redesign of his machine, as well as safety precautions for the structure of a weather factory. The ponies of Pegastome were a little hesitant to take him back, but gave him a second chance. His new machine and rebuilt factory worked and never caught fire again, and all was forgiven."
Sunny had watched his mother carefully as she spoke and payed great attention to every word. He felt every word was honest and true, which made him feel a little better that his old aquantance's story wasn't as tragic as they made it out to be. But his mother wasn't done there.
"Galop's telescope did fall off the mountain, about 7 times" Celestia continued. "And yes, he did sell his house and all his worldly possessions to pay for repairs and new parts. I tried to offer him a grant to pay for the telescope, but he insisted that he make the great sacrifice. That he earn his place in Equestrian history with his hard work and self sacrifice. He lived in a small shack next to his telescope on the mountain side. To this day, his telescope still stands where it did 1000 years ago, secure on the same mountain. Pepperdance… well, yes, she did chase off half her team with her songs and dancing. But the other half who enjoyed her dancing and singing went of to invent country style music and square dancing. She started her new style of song and dance to help keep up the spirits of her team members during the trying and difficult times they faced when making the rail road. And I know families are supposed to stick together. But Tea Love's family in the wet lands shunned the idea of her and her love for brewed tea. She left yhe wet lands and never returned, but she met a very sweet colt on her journeies who DID share her love of tea. And togeather, they had many foals, who also all had many foals. She was always a family mare. One of her decendants even owns a tea shop, here, in Canterlot, and was named after her ancestor."
There was so much to take in. Anypony else would have thought that Celestia was lying and making the stories up to lighten the blow. Anypony who couldn't tell when somepony was lying, that is. Sunny sat and reeled his mother's words around in his head, repeating the stories, as well as testing the honesty in his mother's words. After several moments of silance, Sunny leaned over to his mother and hugged her.
"I'm sorry" Sunny's words were horse. "I just… I feel like I'm messing today up. I wanted it to be special, but I keep ruining everything."
Nudging her son a little before wrapping her wings around him and pulling him into a hug, Celestia was doing her best to he motherly, closing off her worryful thoughts and listening to a voice deep inside. "I'm just enjoying spending time with you. I want to make up for lost times and … I hope you can forgive me."
Sunny thought he had heard his mother wrong, but Celestia elaborated on her words. "I've been running you around, doing things with you that I did with Cadence, Twilight, Luna and even Shinning Armor. I guess all those times I was with them, teaching, relaxing, shopping, I… was preteninding it was always with you. I started a school so unicorns who struggles with magic could learn, thinking how I wish YOU had a school you could have gone too. I took Cadence in and adopted her as a niece becouse I wanted a family. I took Twilight under my wing becouse she reminded me of you. Gifted, but unpolished, and needing sompony there to help bring out the good in them. But none of them WERE you. And I never bothered to ask YOU what you wanted to do."
It was Sunny's turn to be comforting. He relaxed and focused his magic to release his magical energy and once again grow into his larger form. He was just a few inches taller then his own mother, his hooves just a little longer then hers, which all suprised Celestia as he wrapped his hooves around his mother, pulling her into his chest. It was different having somepony else comforting you like this, but it brought her peace as she felt his heart beat. The heart beat of somepony she bought into this world. Of somepony she hoped loved her as much as she did him. It was a soft but strong beat, and very warm.
"I love you mom" Sunny's voice was slightly deeper, more like his father's but still just as gentle as the colt she watched grow up. "I'm not mad. I just want us to spend time together."
"I'm happy knowing you're ok…" it was time tears fell from Celestia's eyes. Tears she kept locked up, buried deep inside. Not tears of fear, anger or sadness, but ones of relief. Her son was there with her, holding her, showing his love. He had grown into a fine stallion, she only wished she had done more to help him as he grew up. "And I'll always be there for you. From now on."
Releasing his mother from his hug, Celestia looked her son up and down, taking in the impressive sight of her big, strong, boy who looked now more like her then his father. A small beam of pride flashed from her muzzle.
"Ugh, so, what do you want to do now?" Sunny asked, clearing his throat.
"Whatever YOU want to do" Celestia stated with a small smile on her muzzle. "Do YOU have anything you wanted to do today?"
A smile cracked across Sunny's own muzzle as a flash of green made his stetson hat reappear. After pulling out a folded piece of paper, Sunny put the hat back atop his head and held his own small list out to his mother, who skimmed over it.
"Hmmm, well, if we're going to hit everything on this list before sunset, we better get started" Celestia noted as she looked from the list to her smiling son.
The sun had set a little while before Sunny and Celestia arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. The Apples were more then a little shocked to see Sunny had brought his mother home with him. If they had known they would have cleaned things up a bit more. Washed out the fire place, waxed the deck of the front porch, cleaned the cob webs out of the attic. But Sunny reasured them that his mother wanted them to see his home the way HE always saw it and wanted them to just act natural.
After showing his mother the rooms of the house, the kitchen, the living room, where the bedrooms were at, Sunny offered to show his mother his room. She was suprised to see the clash of country style and regal elegance it had. Sunny's items from various adventures were organized and presented around the room.
Sunny had been watching his mother closely the whole time whole he showed the house off to her, trying to decrypt her facial expressions, and see what she really thought of his living arrangements. After a while in his room, Sunny gave up and asked his mother strait out "so…. what do you think?"
Sitting on her son's bed and bouncing a few times, a wide smile broke across Celestia's refined muzzle. "I think you have a great home, full of love. That's all I ever wanted for you."
"You can be a part of it to" Sunny gave his mother the biggest puppy eyes he had ever made. "If you want to he. That is."
A wide smile spread across Celestia's muzzle as she closed the space between her and her son. "I'd like that."
"And after you remove the Fritters from the oil" Sunny removed the hot pastry from the oil using a pair of tongs, showing his mother who stood next to him. "You bring it over to the grate to drip the excess oil off, and let it cool for a second before coating it with the icing."
"And THIS is your favorite apple desert?" Celestia asked, wanting to make a mental note for the future where she might make some up in Canterlot and send it to her son as a suprise. She resisted the urge to smile and prance when she thought of doing that for her son.
"Eh'yep" Sunny smiled and nodded, handing a pair of tongs over to his mother via his magical aura. "Would ya like ta pull some out while ah get th' icing ready."
"I'd love to" Celestia smiled down at her son lovingly as she moved to the boiling pot of oil and began fishing the ready apple fritters from the pot.
At the table, the Apple family had their attention torn between seeing Princess Celestia making Apple Fritters in their kitchen to the scrap book infront of them.
"So let me get this strait. Sunny an' his mom went back in time some how an' got pictures form their past an' made ah scrapbook out of them?" Apple Bloom blurted out what she could piece togeather of what Sunny told them. Sunny offered them the scrapbook to look at while he personally taught his mother how to bake apple fritters.
Big Mac who was just as confused about it as she was simply shrugged.
"Not time travel, Apple Bloom" Applejack spoke up as she looked at the pictures with great interest. "Though, Sunny has done that. Ah think ah saw some ah few pages back. But he and his mom went to th' Celestial plain an' captured th' moments in crystal."
"Th' Celestial what now?" Granny asked, still a little confused on the whole concept.
"Think of it like ah walk in crystal ball" Applejack thought how best to put it to her family. "Celestia can go there ta look at things in th' past. But only of specific ponies. Like Sunny or Twilight."
"Oh… so like a magical security camera?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Kinda" Applejack chuckled. She saw Big Mac and Apple Bloom kinda understood, but Granny gave up and was happy just looking at the pictures.
"Then we took the Crystal images to Twilight's castle and she and Starlight turned the crystal images into photographs for us." Sunny chimmed in before checking on his mother's progress with the fritters.
"Knowing Twilight, she probably had ah few scrap books layin' around, just in case." Applejack commented as she flipped another page over. The next page she barely caught a glimpse at before she hastily skipped past it to another, hoping Apple Bloom wouldn't ask any quesgions.
"Actually, it was Starlight who offered us the album" Celestia answered this time as she pulled the last of the Apple Fritters from the oil and turned the burner off.
"That sure was nice of her" Applejack shot out, her voice shaking a bit. When she saw her little sister trying to flip back to the previous page, Applejack slammed her hoof on the current page. Thinking quickly, Applejack cleared her throat and pointed to the current picture. "Ugh, Sunny, is that you and your mom sky diving?! I thought ya'll were afraid of hights?"
Sunny walked over and looked at the open page of pictures. He cracked a half smile as he chuckled. "Yep. Still afraid. But ah figured it would be better ta face one's fears, 'specially if it meant me an' mah mom could have some fun."
"Are those the ones from today?" Celestia asked as she brought over a tray of the Apple Fritters she and Sunny made. She was a little worried she might have burned them or added too much cinnamon, but was still hoping for the best.
"Yeah, look" Sunny pointed to the pictures of when they jumped from the sky diving zeplin, and the one where they landed. "Wow. I was terrified. And mom, I haven't seen you have that much fun in ages."
"Maybe we can all go as ah group next time!" Apple Bloom Suggested.
"Hold yer horses there, partner" Applejack shot her a hard look. "Maybe we can all do it in ah few more years. But yer ah little too young ta do that."
"There is ah age limit" Sunny spoke up before Apple Bloom could argue.
But his interjection didn't make the little filly feel any better.
Seeing this, Celestia turned the page to change the subject. "Oh, look! It's our trip to the zoo!"
"Which zoo?" Applejack quickly hopped on the topic, wanting to redirect her sister's attention.
"Ah th' Canterlot Zoo, we should all go there some time" Sunny spoke up, pointing to one of the pictures of him looking excitedly at a large tiger. "THAT was th' biggest cat ah've ever seen."
"Hey look! Princess Celestia's holding a big snake!" Apple Bloom cheered up and pointed at another picture. It was true, Celestia, Sunny and several other ponies got to hold a giant anaconda. It was hard to tell what all the other ponies were more excited about, the sun Princess or holding the large carnivorous reptile.
"Holy crab apples!" Granny spat out nearly falling out of her chair at the sight of the giant snake. "Why in tar-nation would ya want ta go an' hold ah thing like that?!"
"It was ah nice, mellow snake, Granny" Sunny held back a laugh, not wanting to insult the elderly earth pony. "Its ah event they do. Like the petting zoo or the shows where the animals show off their tricks and talents."
"Lookie here!" Apple Bloom pointed to Sunny and Celestia sitting in bleachers watching a condor spread her wings.
"Ah yes" Celestia smiled down at the picture. "What a beautiful creature. With a wing span of ten hooves and can fly at 15000 hooves high, she was very impressive. I think her name was Tabitha."
"And look! The ducks!" Sunny got excited when he saw the pictures of him and his mother feeding the ducks the pellets of food the ponies at the zoo provided. Sunny looked like he was having a blast.
"You loved feeding those ducks" Celestia smiled and shook her head while smiling.
"An' goats too, apparently" Applejack chuckled a bit as she pointed to the picture down and to the left of it, where Sunny and Celestia were seen feeding animals at the petting zoo. Sunny was surrounded by a sea of goats, while his mother stood in the back ground feeding a calf.
"Is that you, Princess Celestia?" Apple Bloom pointed out a picture of the sun Princess looking nervously at a chicken as it approached her.
Princess Celesria felt embarrassed by her fear of chickens. What most ponies didn't know was when she was younger, Princess Celestia had accidentally crushed several wild chicken eggs up in the mountains (that Canterlot would be built on many years later). The wild chickens were vicious, even to a fully grown pony. A good dozen to two of the wild fowl jumped up and attacked young Celestia, pecking at her and covering her to a point where their angrily pecking bodies blocked out the sun. It seemed like forever until Luna came by and shooed the birds away. From that day on, Princess Celestia was afraid of chickens. She'll still have eggs and products with eggs in them, but whenever she is around chickens, her back tenses up and her pupils shrink.
Seeing his mother in a bit of a trance, Sunny decided to skip a little ahead (which also included going back in time). When he found a good picture, he chimmed in. "Hey Applejack, remember this?"
Peering over at the open page, Applejack saw her and Sunny at the last Grand Galloping galla, wearing similar masks that matched their alias of 'Appleknight'. A fond smile grew on Applejack's muzzle as she found herself lost in memory of that night, more when they were dancing then when everything fell to pieces and Sombra's forces attacked. "Ah sure do."
"We should practice dancing some time" Sunny shot her a small smile as his eyes locked with hers. "Ah think my dancing moves have gotten a bit rusty since then. And ah wouldn't mind practicing some time before our big day."
The thought made Applejack blush. The first dance. Then the thought of what their first song they would dance to would be. They would have to talk about it later.
"I know there's still alot to do for the wedding" Celestia chimmed in. "But if I can help in any way, please, let me."
"Why, thank you, yer majasty" Applejack smiled and took her stetson hat off and held it to her chest.
"I don't want to be too forward" Celestia started to say, then looked to her son for approval. Sunny somehow knew what his mother was going to say, smiled and nodded, as if telling her to go ahead. Turning her attention back to Applejack, who was looking a little more then confused, Celestia told her "I know I could never take the place of your real mother, if you want, you can call me mom, too."
Tears began to build in the corner of Applejack's eyes as she struggled to breath them back. She wasn't much for crying, but there were a thing or two that made the tears overflow. And her parents were one of them. The feelings swirling around inside her were hard to determine, but Applejack focused on Celestia's own feelings. She was being genuin, kind, warm and inviting. After a moment of silance and stillness, Applejack put her hat on the table, walked over to Celestia, and gave her a big hug. She was suprised by Celestia's warmth, and Celestia was suprised by Applejack's strength. Both hugged for a moment before both Applejack and Celestia waved for Sunny, Apple Bloom, Big Mac and Granny Smith to join in the hug.
"Ah think Mamma would have liked you, ah lot" Applejack told Celestia, a few tears falling from her cheeks.
"I would have liked to meet her and your father, and thank them for having such a wonderful daughter" Celestia spoke to Applejack.
"Hey, what 'bout me?" Apple Bloom spoke up.
Sunny chuckled and patted her on the head. "You too, squirt."
The group laughed and eventually broke off the hug. Sunny moved to add the icing to the Fritters, now that they were ready. And passed them out to everypony, more specifically watching his mother and what she thought of it. Sunny was pleased to see his mother liked it, although, he had a feeling she would have preferred Applejack's famous Apple upside down cake. He'd have to ask her to make that for his mom one of these days.
"Wow, is that you, Sunny?" Apple Bloom asked, flipping back to earlier pages into he book, to a picture where Sunny had first acquired the armor of the Black Knight and was facing down a flight of dragons.
"Eh'yep" Sunny smiled at Big Mac, using his coined phrase. Big Mac just smiled and nodded his approval.
Along with pictures of their day togeather, both good and bad (getting ice cream, pushing through the crowds, the opera house, the museum, and the zoo), Sunny and Celestia filled the book with pictures of Sunny and a bit of Celestia's past.
The Apples looked on and saw the first Grand Galloping Galla that Star Swirl organized to help Celestia and Luna to mingle with the powerful ponies that controlled Equeatria. There were even a few pictures of King Sombra and when Celestia and he first met.
"Wow, Sunny, now ah see where ya get yer dashin' looks from" Applejack nudged Sunny a bit. "Yer Pa looks like one smooth character."
"Don't let looks fool you" Celestia butted in. "He looks calm and collected, but he was really nervouse. We both were. But he was better at hidding it."
"Is that you?" Big Mac pointed to another picture of Princess Celestia in her secret room, not long after Sunny was born. She looked exhausted, her normally flowing mane was a mess with strands sticking out every which way, but she held a different glow to her. In her hooves, she held a fuzzy, yellow little colt wrapped up in a blue blanket.
"That was when Sunny was born" Celestia smiled warmly at the picture, before turning to her son. "I'm glad you convinced me to make a picture from that moment."
"Well, ya know" Sunny was a little embarrassed by the picture and bobbed his head over to Applejack. "Granny showed me th' pictures of Applejack when she was born. An' ah thought it would be nice ta have pictures of us as newborns in an album next to an open page for… well… when we have foals. You know, some time down the road."
Applejack and Sunny both turned bright red and avoided eye contact for a while. But eventually their eyes met again, and Sunny shot Applejack a nervous smile. Applejack returned a bashful smile, but they didn't look away from eachother.
"B-but let's wait a while" Sunny added, the red on his muzzle disappearing.
"Yeah! 'Course!" Applejack answered louder then she meant to. "W-we should focus on eachother, an' buildin' ah home and what not."
"That is a wise idea" Celestia chuckled. "But I'm glad to hear you both warmed up to the thought of having foals some day. The two of you would have beautiful children… who I can spoil to bits."
The last comment Celestia made was spoken in a whisper as she turned her head away in an attempt to somewhat hide her intentions. She would have kept her true intentions in her mind, but the joy of having grandfoals to spoil and play with and make more memories with filled her with overwhelming joy. Another aspect of regular pony life she coudlnt wait to take part in.
The Apples all sat and enjoyed the fritters Sunny and his mother made, they were pretty good for a first timers attempt, a little too much cinnamon. But to a pony who had never had one, or to ponies who enjoyed having them becouse of who made them, they were the most delicious they had ever had.
Later that night, Celestia bid fairwell to the Apples and traveled back to Canterlot in a split second via the magical mirror in her son's room. After seeing his mother off, Sunny turned around to use the restroom before bed, only to be stopped by Applejack. The orange mare stood in the doorway, her eyes seemed to glow in the dim light. She shut the door behind her and walked up to Sunny, never breaking eye contact.
"We need ta talk" Applejack stated, her words hard as castle stone.
"I-is everything OK, Sweetie?" Sunny asked in a slightly shaky voice. He had never seen Applejack like this before.
Not wanting to draw this out any longer then nessisary, Applejack pulled out from behind her back the album Sunny and his mother had made and flipped open to a page that she hid from the rest of her family. "Care to explain this?"
Sunny looked at the open page, gulped, and wished he had talked to Applejack about it sooner, but was always too nervous to bring it up. It was a sensitive subject.
"This happened before I came back, after being pushed through that mirror by that evil princess Amore" Sunny stated, knowing his explination was a bit more complicated then that.
"Ya told me that ya went through ah mirror, met ah evil king version of yerself, got another Doctor Whooves ta give ya ah lift, but ya never said ya made ah pit stop" Applejack was confused on how she actually felt. She thought she should be angry, but she was also curious, and a little hurt.
Taking in a deep breath, Sunny tore his eyes away from the pictures of him and Bright Mac and Pear Butter on the farm, and looked Applejack in the eye. "9 tried to get me back HERE, to my own time and reality. Only, he came up a little early. I had to wait for him to do repairs to his ship before he could get me back, and, well, I wasn't going to get that chance again…"
Applejack had been in the meeting with Twilight when she told them all about Starlight Glimmer going back to the past and making a small change that snowballed into altering the entire future of Equestria, so she knew it wasn't a wise idea for a pony to meddle in time travel. She didn't blame Sunny for not trying to prevent her parents fate. But deep down, it still hurt.
Without realizing he moved, Applejack felt Sunny's hooves around her. She knew his warm embrace anywhere. She felt a few tears fall from above like a light rain. She fought back her own tears now. It was easier now that she knew how much it hurt Sunny. She feels like she knew him her whole life now. Applejack knows that if Sunny had the chance to save her parents, he would have done so. She knows HE would want that for her and her sister, and her brother, and Granny, and her parents. As much as she hated to admit it outloud, Applejack knew there was nothing Sunny could really do.
Returning the hug, pulling her future husband in closer to her, Applejack let Sunny know that she wasn't mad, and silently, that she understood. After several long moments, possibly an hour, Applejack spoke up after clearing her voice. "So, ugh, what did ya think of 'em?"
Taking a deep breath, Sunny looked his future wife in the eye and told her "they were great. Just great. Ah think they liked me. Yer dad liked mah puppet shows, atleast."
Thinking back, Applejack remembered stumbling across some old puppets in the attic a few months ago. She thought it was wierd one looked like Twilight. Returning her attention back to Sunny, Applejack asked "could ya… would ya mind…"
Without needing to hear all of what Applejack was trying to spit out, Sunny hopped up on his bed, back against the head board, levitated the album to him, propped it up on his leg, and patted the seat next to him, inviting Applejack to join him.
Taking her hat off and putting it on the bed post, opposite side of where Sunny hung his own hat, Applejack climbed into the bed and sat next to Sunny, looking onto the pages that were open. Pictures of Sunny, Pear Butter, Bright Mac and a younger Granny Smith.
Sunny started telling Applejack of how 9's TARDIS malfunctioning and landing in Ponyville's past, where he first met her mother, then her father. Applejack listened intently, eyes darting between the pictures on the album's open page and Sunny's own reactions. He was so lost in his story that he added voices, sound effects and motions to the story. Applejack just sat and listened to everything Sunny had to tell. She loved hearing stories about her parents, ever since she found out her mother was a Pear. Applejack didn't have many memories of her parents, but she felt like she knew her parents better through the stories others shared of them. And here, her future husband got a chance to meet them. There was a part of her, somewhere, deep down, that told her from the way Sunny wove the tale and the pictures infront of her, that her parents approved of him. Kinda funny too, that Sunny looks a bit like her dad, when he wears his stetson hat and covers up his horn. Guess Applejack might have a type. But to be honest with herself, she thought her dad might look dashing with a horn.
Granny woke up a few hours after falling asleep needing to take a trip to the bathroom. Walking down the hall, she cursed her old bladder for all the bathroom trips taken every night, Granny saw Sunny's bedroom door was left wide open. She was going to shut it, knowing how loudly he snored sometimes, but paused when she noticed he wasn't alone in his bed. Narrowing her eyes to better help her focus on what was hidding in the dark. Granny was shocked at first, but calmed down as the whole scene came into focus for her old eyes.
Applejack and Sunny fell asleep, sitting up next to eachother, Sunny's photo album open between them. The both of them appeared to be having pleasant dreams.
Granny couldn't help but notice that neither of them had covered up. Wanting to be the good grandmother she was, Granny pulled a thick, hoof woven blanket out from the end of Sunny's bed, and pulled it over the both of them. As she went to cover them, Granny picked up the album and happened to glance at the open page. A smile came to her muzzle when she saw the familiar images.
Pictures of Sunny working out in the feild with Bright Mac, of Sunny helping Pear Butter bake in the kitchen, and of all of them sitting in the living room, watching Sunny put on one of his puppet shows. The memories came flooding back to the elderly green mare. 'Ah had ah feeling ah seen that fella before. Mah, what fun days those were…'
A tear fell from Granny's eye, thinking about the loss of her son and daughter-in-law. She wipped it away and forced herself to smile, looking down at Sunny and Applejack. 'These foals still need ol' Granny. Ah'll keep taken' care o' them for ya.'
Shaking away her sadness, Granny closed the album, put it on Sunny's desk, then returned to her venture to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
The journey into the far north from Ponyville was long and trying on both Rosewood and her pony puppets. Their pigramage was met with no breaks along the way since they required no rest and very little maintenance. Along the way, more then a few were met with conflict. The other pony puppets were able to overcome various attackers, Bugbears, cragodiles, chimera, as well as beasts Rosewood had never seen in her 1000 years. The weather up until her hurd of pony puppets reached the designated mountain was rather warm and at times humid. Now, the air blowing from the mountain was fridged and freezing, making the puppets bodies seem to stiffen a bit, their wooden bodies obsorbed much of the water in the air from their journey. Although they could not feel pain, hot or cold, the pony puppets still felt the struggle to move their freezing bodies up the mountain.
Rosewood stopped them part way up when they reached a cave and had them settle down. She then boldly broke off parts of herself that she knew would grow back in time, thanks to the magical properties of her Heart Star, and used the chunks to build a fire. The pony puppets clicked their jaws and stomped their wooden and metle hooves in cheering applause as best as animated puppets could cheer. While they all warmed themselves by the fire, melting the ice and drying out their wooden bodies. The other puppet ponies could barely think beyond following the one who gave them life, otherwise they would have realized the painful sacrifice Rosewood made.
But Rosewood was willing to do it. It was her duty to protect the ones she gave life to. But she felt her life was fading. Her wounds weren't healing as fast as they normally did, her movements were alot slower then she wanted them to be, and her mind, she could feel, was starting to fog slightly. She was greatful that the other pony puppets couldn't notice, much less recognize that she was weakening. It would have been even more tiring to try and put up an act of being alright to keep them all from panicking.
The night passed, and by sun up, Rosewood and her pony puppets continued their journey up the mountain where the aurora borealis lights would touch down and supposedly refuel the pony puppets spirits, and hopefully her own as well. With every day of their travels Rosewood felt her Star Heart growing weaker and weaker. The journey had taken its toll on all of them. A good third of her fellow pony puppets were being carried by the others, their wooden bodies too damaged from traveling to carry on without help.
Up the mountain they continued, their wooden and metal hooves crunching in the snow as they pressed on. Something deep inside Rosewood was telling herself that they needed to get to the top of the mountain before sundown. She had a feeling deep telling her they needed to reach the top by that time. The Baba Ya Ga sisters that gave her the map and told her what to do never mentioned an exact time, but she felt it deep in her Star Heart that told her it was true. The winds that had been vicious this whole time blowing down from the mountain seemed to grow kind to them and stopped their violent blowing, allowing their weakened bodies easier passage up the mountain. Oddly enough, a path seemed to reveal itself on the mountain's side that zig-zagged safely to the top. It might take a little longer then just trying to walk strait up, but Rosewood achknowlaged alot of her fellow pony puppets wouldn't be able to make it up the rougher way in their condition, even if she could, and she refused to let anypony fall behind.
Leading the pony puppets up the stone road before them, Rosewood continued the gentle climb up the mountain. Every now and again, she would look back and make sure no puppet had fallen behind. They had to stop twice, a few puppets who's legs gave way and snapped, barely hanging onto their bodies by means strings of wood. But other puppets moved to help carry their damaged commands. If Rosewood didn't know better, she would think they had atleast a basic instinct to help one another. But puppets had no basic instinct, and there was no timberwolf left in them. Still, she was greatful they were looking out for one another.
The sun was begining to set as Rosewood and her group reached the top of the mountain. The sky had just turned from blue, to red, then to a deep violet as Luna raised her moon into view, bringing with it stars that glittered the night sky. Rosewood and her fellow pony puppets all waited and stared up at the sky for the lights that would supposedly give them new life. It seemed like hours passed, and Rosewood was starting to give up hope, wondering if trusting some cloaked legendary witches was such a good idea.
Then it happened.
Flashing lights of green, blue, purple, and white all blazzed across the night sky, stretching from the north east part of the world and swam towards the mountain Rosewood and her company were on. The lights washed overhead, never touching down until something deep inside began to burn. It was then that Rosewood knew what she needed to do.
The living pony puppet plucked her own star heart from her chest and raised it above her head. The aurora borealis flashed in reaction. Rosewood, feeling her life slipping away without the star heart inside her body, made a silent wish. She knew if she spoke it outloud that it would never come true, that's how wishes worked with falling stars. She felt her joints began to stiffen as she lost almost all feeling his them. The numb, lifeless essay began to spread up her legs to her body, and crawled up her neck till they we're just at the boarder of her muzzle. Before she lost her sight, the lights in the sky focused on a single point, the fallen Star Heart Rosewood was presenting to the lights. When the lights touched the Heart, the Star Heart flashed with a light as bright as the sun that blinded every creature there. Rosewood could barely hold onto her Star Heart, but felt that she shouldn't let it go.
An odd sensation started to spread from her front hooves that heald the star heart and trickled down her forhooves, to her chest, and up to her head and body. A new life energy began to course through Rosewood and she mustered the strength to look at her hooves. Awestruck, Rosewood couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her wooden hooves that had been chipped and broken, chunks missing from the journey, had been healed and looked almost new! No. Not new. They were different. The metal joints at her anckles and hooves that allowed her to bend were gone! But she felt she could still move them! Looking down at her still tingling body, Rosewood was shocked to find her body had undergone a similar transformation, appearing to still be made of wood, but no longer needing metal joints or pegs to move! She was like one solid piece of living wood! If she didn't know better, she'd say she was a regular pony with a wood colored coat. Wait! She noticed something else. Where yarn had been used in lue of a tail, it seemed that branches of a rose bush had grown! And she could feel it! She felt she could move her tail! Like it was one of her own limbs! She could feel every part of there tail move at her whim! This was amazing! Something fell in her face, obscuring her vision as she tried to look out to the rest of her group. Using one of her hooves to push something out of her eyes, Rosewood was amazed to find not only had her yarn tail been replaced by a rose bush but so had her yarn mane! She had a real mane! Well, a mane made of what looked like rose peddles, but still! A real mane that she could style, cut, and do whatever she wanted with! No more worrying about a thinning yarn mane, worrying about brushing it too hard or anything!
It was at that moment that Rosewood realized she had let go of her Star Heart and fell forward, landing on her own two hooves. The Star Heart floated up into the air for a moment, absorbing the light of the aurora borealis as it hovered just out of reach. Rosewood's eyes left the Star Heart for a second when she heard voices coming from all around her.
Amazed at what she saw, Rosewood did a double take, Rubbing her eyes and looking out onto her hurd of pony puppets. They were changing just like she did! Some grew longer muzzles like regular stallions, with broader larger bodies, some more small and elegant muzzles with more curvy bodies. But like her, their metal parts disappeared, their new bodies were now flexable, living wood. And similar to her, they too had frown some kind of flora on their heads and backsides where normal ponies had manes and tails. Most of the puppets that appeared to be stallions had heads and tales made of different kinds of small leaves, where the puppets that appeared to take more of a mare shape grew flowers or petted plants, each of them appearing to have a select kind growing on them.
The broken puppets began to heal back to full form, the ones missing legs or parts had regrown limbs of living wood, now able to stand on their own four hooves. Once their bodies fully changed, the no longer pony puppets began to look at their bodies and the bodies of the others around them, curious but mostly still in a daze. As if they were waking up from a dream, but not yet fully awake. Their eyes still locked almost any life to them. That is, until the Star Heart floated back down into Rosewoods hooves. It appeared much smaller now and had somehow been placed at the center of a silver necklace that hung around Rosewood's neck. The small Star Heart rose up again, floating like a life boat in the air, being tethered down to Rosewood, but glowing brighter then before.
Every former pony puppet looked up at their leader as streams of rainbow light began to pour out of the star heart, similar to the shape of the aurora borealis. The light weapt across Every former pony puppet there, giving their eyes each individual color and filling them all with the spirit they all craved. It was a breath taking sight to see so many numb eyes begin to glow with every color of the rainbow, waking them all up from a deep sleep. Once every former pony puppet was filled with spirit, the aurora borealis seemed to disappear, and the Star Heart fell to Rosewood's chest, still holding a little of the spirit filling light within it. All the former pony puppets were confused and overwhelmed by what happened, but slowly they began to explore themselves and eachother once more, this time their heads filled with thoughts and hearts with emotions. Rosewood was the only one to remain looking down at them, more interested in how they acted and reacted then she was with trying out her new body.
"Wow" one former pony puppet spoke as he shook his head, feeling overwhelmed by all that just happened, which caught the attention of the other former pony puppets.
"Hey! You can talk!" A female former pony puppet called out the one that just spoke.
"So can you!" Another female former pony puppet chuckled with glee as she pranced a little in place, filled with so much joy she couldn't stand it. "And look! So can I! I can talk!"
"Can I talk?" A timid sounding, female former pony puppet asked quietly, not wanting to draw attention to herself, but more or less test speaking.
"I think you just did" a male former pony puppet who appeared more relaxed then the others answered, trying not to frighten his new friend.
'Ths is amazing!' Rosewood thought as she not only saw the former pony puppets testing out their new voices, but also interacting with one another. Not only did the former pony puppets now have fully organic bodies, but they all had differences between them. Manes and tails made up of different foliage, different voices, males and females instead of them all being from the same molds, and from what Rosewood could see, some of them had personalities as well. Timid. Relaxed. Hyper. Calculating. Friendly. There were ones of all different kinds, and they weren't having stings pulled or anything! They were just acting naturally some how.
"Looks like you did well, my little girl…" A voice Rosewood hadn't heard in over 1000 years had rang in her ears.
Turning around to the source of the voice, Rosewood couldn't believe what she saw. Not ten feet away from her was her father, Whittler, the stallion who carved her and the other pony puppets out of wood, who gave her the shooting star for a heart and brought her to life, who disappeared over 1000 years ago promising he would be right back. There he was, in his wheele chair, appearing as if not a day went by. If she had bothered to look just slightly into the distance, Rosewood would have seen a pony called Doctor Whooves, also called 12, sneaking back into a large blue box which made loud noises while it disapeared, fading into nothing.
Whittler looked forlorn, eyes falling to the ground as he spoke up "I'm sorry I left for so long. It's a long story, but if you want, I can-" eBefore he could finish, Rosewood ran over to him and gave him a big hug, pulling him tightly into her. Something she noticed immediatly from the hug, she could now feel. Not like before where all sensation of touch was numb to her, but actually feel. His coat was rough and course, but his body was warm despite the slightly cold air surounding them. Tears flowed from her eyes as she pulled him in tightly.
"Sweetie" Whittler patted Rosewood's front leg. "You're… chocking… me…"
Rosewood released him, shocked and amazed by her newfound strength, but noticed something she didn't before. She had grown several inches taller and more slender, compared to the other former pony puppets.
"I think they want your attention" Whittler motioned to the crowd gathering behind Rosewood.
Turning around, Rosewood saw all the former pony puppets had gathered into a collective group and were all looking to her with their rainbow of colored eyes. After a long moment, one of the former pony puppets that Rosewood saw earlier questioning and studying their bodies stepped forward.
"Excuse me, ugh, Princess Rosewood" the mare former pony puppet spoke up, slightly nervous, but more determined to get answers. "What are we? Why are we here? What are we meant to do?"
Turning away from the quesgining former pony puppet to her father, Rosewood looked to him for answers, but like so many other times when he was faced with a difficult quesgion, he shrugged, but this time he smiled at her and spoke softly "you're the leader. Lead them."
Rosewood remembered when she first returned to her father's old work shop, how she was driven by the thought of liberating her kind, making sure thet were safe, wanting to give them life. Well, most of that was done. The former pony puppets had life, and they were liberated. Something deep down told Rosewood that her kind would never be forced to be tools of war ever again. But Rosewood still felt that she needed to protect them, look out for them, and now even guided them. Looking at them all again, they all appeared to be lost children in the dark, wanting their mother to help guide them to safety. But one thing she wanted to address for sure.
Taking a deep breath, Rosewood puffed out her chest, arched her back, and spoke loudly to the crowd of former pony puppets. "My fellow former pony puppets, you all have been given your own life and spirit to make you unique. You all are different from one another, and no longer weapons or tools. You'll start a new life from this day on. You can make your own choices, choose your own paths, and I will be there to guide and protect you. The world, if you can't remember, isn't the safest place, and there are those who might fear you. But do not be afraid, there are those who are kind and open hearted who will look to you as friends. Friendship is the most powerful thing in the world. And I will teach you, as my father was taught by his friend, my uncle, Sunny Knight."
"So… you are our leader?" The quesgioning one asked, her muzzle hidding any and all emotion.
"If you choose, you may follow me and I will do my best to get our lives in this world started" Rosewood was speaking unlike she ever had before, with thunderous courage and devotion, but also open to free will. Maybe it was the magic of the Star Heart hanging around her neck, maybe it was part of her new transformation, or maybe it was a voice she had inside her all along.
The quesgoning pony looked back at the other former pony puppets, then back at Rosewood. "Alright. I think most of us will follow you. But can I ask one thing? Can we be come up with a group name other then 'former pony puppets'? we aren't quite normal ponies, not puppets anymore."
Rosewood thought for a moment, then a lock of her rose petal mane fell into her face. When she brushed it away, an idea popped into her head. "I agree. We, as a new species of Equestria, need a new name. How about Petal Ponies?"
The other former pony puppets whispered amungst themselves for a moment, even the questioning one returned to her group to join in the whispering. Rosewood waited patiently for the answer, her muzzle regal and restraining any and all emotion. Studying how they all interacted with on another before the questioning one looked back and Rosewood, smiled, and nodded their concensus approval.
"Then from this day forward, we are Petal ponies" Rosewood lifted up one of her front legs, puffed out her chest, making a regal pose as she looked down at her new species and family.
The other Petal ponies cheered and stomped their hooves, not really knowing the meaning behind any of it, all they knew was it felt good to react in such a way.
"It's going to be a lot of work, getting them situated" Whittler told his daughter as he rolled over to her. "I know it won't make up for leaving, but can inlend a hoof with your new family?"
Rosewood could tell her father felt terrible about being gone, and it was odd that he appeared to not have aged a day, but Rosewood was just happy to have him back in her life again. "You may stay as long as you like. Buy we're going to have a long conversation about where you have been."
Whittler chuckled. "Deal."
"Also" Rosewood added, catching her father's attention again "disappear for another 1000 years and I'm not going to be so forgiving."
Her father paused then chuckled lightly at her statment. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere this time."
Snowstorm entered and kneeled before King Sombra and Princess Amore, who had been talking but had silenced their conversation upon his arrival. "Your majasty, you have summoned me?"
"Yeeesss" King Sombra hissed, his cold voice sent a chill down Snowstorm's back. The unicorn guard who served King Sombra so faithfully never felt this way before, swearing the temperature in the room dropped the moment King Sombra spoke. Snowstorm was frozen in place, afraid to move until his master instructed him to do so. But King Sombra just took a few steps towards Snowstorm, stopping about two feet infront of him. Snowstorm's eyes still locked to the ground, now Peering at King Sombra's hooves as the shadow King spoke. "I have an important mission for you. One you absolutely cannot fail."
Gulping, Snowstorm hesitated to ask, and kept his head down as he remained in his kneeling stance.
Before Snowstorm could ask, Sombra answered, his voice like distant thunder. "You are to eliminate Sunny Knight. By any means nessisary."
Aware that this unicorn, the son of Princess Celestia, had been a thorn in King Sombra's side for so long, messing up his plans to release the Umbrum, Snowstorm could understand why the King would want him out of the way, but there was a lingering suspicion that something was wrong. Snowstorm could have sworn that this Sunny Knight, was some how related to King Sombra. He could have sworn that King Sombra told him in the past to leave Sunny Knight alone when the opurtunity to strike him down was possible. Had something changed? Or did Snowstorm imagine it all?
Snowstorm gathered enough courage to turn his head and look slightly up, only for his gaze to be caught by the sharp eyes of Princess Amore glaring at him. Her eyes seemed to fill Snowstorm with even more fear then Sombra's presence. Making his insides run cold.
"Go. Do as I command. And don't return a failure." Sombra growled at Snowstorm, reminding him who was in charge.
"Yes, my King. It will be done" Snowstorm pushed all other thoughts, other then his most recent order, out of his mind. Memories of Sunny being King Sombra's son and King Sombra forbidding him to attack Sunny must have just been part of a bad dream Snowstorm forgot about.
Mourning Cloak watched as Snowstorm, the unicorn guard who still barely had a purpose in their plans ran off to do his final duty. When Snowstorm was gone, sencing his fearfilled heart was far enough away, she spoke though Princess Amore's mouth, to her son. "I hope you aren't worried about him."
"Worried about a pony?" Sombra's harsh tone had never been more cutthroat, almost surprising her. "Why? When it's THEIR kind's fault OUR kind is trapped. Imprisoned. All ponies are good for is food. Their fear is great sustenance."
Mourning Cloak forced a smile on Amore's muzzle, despite the possesed princess still resisting. Caring more about the work she had done on her own son's mind and heart, Mourning Cloak pushed the resisting Amore problem to the back of her mind. It's true, Sombra's heart had taken a while to reconstruct and fool. But Mourning Cloak had succeeded in using her dark magic to twist his mind and heart to believe that Sunny Knight was not his son at all, nor that Princess Celestia ever really loved him. The pain of Celestia's betrail was left as that of a friend. Friendship was dead to Sombra, and any chance that he cared about ponies along with it.
'Nopony will stand in our way now' Mourning Cloak thought with a sinister snicker. 'Game time is over. It's time to free the Umbrum!'
Sunny had been experiencing rather lazy morning at Sweet Apple Acres. Well, as lazy as one can have. To most ponies, a lazy morning could be sleeping in till almost noon, eating breakfast at lunch time, and either relaxing at home on their couch with a good book or catching some rays. But not to anypony who worked on a farm. For the Apples a 'lazy morning' consisted of waking up just shortly after the roosters crowed and lacking the energy to jump out of bed and get right to work. This was the kind of day Sunny was having. Just as he was able to drag his hooves into the kitchen to grab a glass of orange juice, he saw Applejack stepping out the front door. But she had time enough to reel off some important information to him.
"Morning, sugar cube" She smiled at him and used her usual greetings. "Sorry, but ah gotta run, Twilight called an emergency meeting. Don't know 'bout what, but from the letter it was really important. Granny took Apple Bloom and her friends to Appaloosa for ah carnival this morning on the train, and Big Mac went ta visit his marefriend Sugar Belle. Ah left ya ah list of chores and some breakfast on the table. List shouldn't take ya too long. And ah'll have Spike sent ya ah scroll if the meeting turns inta ah adventure, ok? Love ya!" Applejack locked lips with Sunny for a long, hard kiss that ended with a smack. Applejack released a now fully awake Sunny, and dashed out the door. The yellow unicorn was free to enjoy his breakfast and the empty house.
Sitting down at the table, Sunny smiled at the breakfast his fiance left him. A bowl of cinnamon oatmeal with apple slices, his desired glass of orange juice, a warm muffin with a square of butter melting on it, an orange already peeled, and a small tack of pancakes. "She's too good for me somtimes."
Sitting down and taking a bite out of the pancakes, Sunny grabbed the list and began reading what was on there to do. Applejack wasn't wrong, it was a relatively short and easy list. He could get it done before lunch if he took his time.
Before he could lay the list of chores down, Sunny felt something hard hit him from behind, nailing the center of his back! Everything had happened so fast, as if it all had been done in one swift motion. As a hard blow landed between Sunny's shoulder blades, something wrapped itself around his horn. Sunny suddenly felt like he lost half his energy before he hit the ground. The blow sent Sunny flying through the air, flipping the table over, spilling his breakfast everywhere. Sunny landed with a thud into the wall of the Apple Family kitchen, where a few framed pictures fell off the wall and landed with a crash, sending broken glass everywhere. Scrambling to sit up, but fighting a sudden tiredness, Sunny flipped around, used the overturned table as a shield, and peeked over at the attacker. Standing in the kitchen was a unicorn clad in black armor of a style Sunny had only seen once, back at the Gala. It was one of his father's followers, this one Sunny remembered his father had to call off.
"Snowstorm" Sunny called out, the unicorn jerked his head over to where Sunny's head was slightly visible over the table. Snowstorm's eyes were hidden behind the blue plastic visor of his scifi style helmet, but Sunny could feel his eyes narrow on him. "Awful rude ta interupt ah fella while he's eating, ain't it?"
"Make all the jokes you want" Snowstorm's voice appeared deeper and more metallic then it did at the gala. "With that magical inhibitor ring on, you have no magic. No changing into your larger or umbrum forms either."
'Somepony's done his research' Sunny mentally complemented his opponent, not wanting to feed Snowstorm's ego. But he had more then a few tricks up his sleeve himself, incase something like this happened. He was just lucky nopony was home who could get hurt. Although clean up would be a hassle.
Snowstorm kept his eyes glued to the faint outline of Sunny hidding behind the wooden table. Everything up till now had been carefully calculated. He had read all the reports Sombra's spies had made about this 'Sunny Knight' character. Snowstorm knew he had relinquished his Black Knight armor recently, leaving him without armor he could easily summon with magic. He knew about Sunny's larger form that boosted his magical abilities, as well as his ability to turn into a terrifying umbrum. Unlike Lightning Dust and her team of Shadowbolts, who rushed in and got their flanks handed to them, Snowstorm knew one had to wait and strike swiftly and precisely. He cut off Sunny's unicorn magic before he could even think of casting a spell. Without magic, Sunny was as good as defeated. There was nothing a unicorn could do without their magic. And the only way to get that inhibitor ring off was if the one who put it on also took it off. With most inhibitor rings, anypony or creature could take the ring off. But this one was a special kind that only the top royal guards were allowed to use. Snowstorm had a few in his possession from his old days in Canterlot, and knew they would come in handy one of these days.
"It's over" Snowstorm stated, his helmet making him sound more like a machine from a horror film then a pony, which he preferred. Straitening up and pulling out a thin sword, Snowstorm cast a spell to turn the blade red hot so it could cut through almost anything, a trick he often liked to use. "The king has ordered your destruction. Let's make this quick."
"Pops that angery at me, eh?" Sunny spoke up.
Snowstorm knew him talking was only to delay the inevitable. He took several steps carefully towards the table Sunny was hidding behind and readied his red hot glowing sword. "King Sombra has had enough of your meddling. And so have I!"
With a mighty swing, Snowstorm cut right through the table, at the exact point where Sunny was hidding. Only when the smoke and ash from the burning table cleared, there was no sign of Snowstorm's target.
"Hey tin head!" Sunny called out from the other room, smiling back at Snowstorm. "Try and catch me!"
Snowstorm teleported right where Sunny had been standing, not wanting to waste time running and letting Sunny have the lead on him. Only Sunny expected this, and with all the force expected from somepony who worked all day on a farm bucking trees, Sunny bucked Snowstorm in the chest with his two powerful back legs. Snowstorm lost his grip on his sword, the air pushed from his lungs, as well as his concentration on the spell that kept it glowing red hot. It was his turn to go flying through the air. A moment after hitting the ground, before Snowstorm could catch his breath, Sunny had grabbed some rope and hogtied Snowstorm faster then the armored pony could figure out which direction was up.
When Snowstorm was able to catch his breath, he struggled for a moment against his bods, then remembered he could use magic. It didn't take the former unicorn guard long to use his magic to cut through the rope bonds. Jumping to his hooves, Snowstorm looked around for his sword. In the moment Snowstorm had been winded, he had lost control of his sword, it had flown out of the kitchen entirely and landed right in the center of the Apple family's couch. It must have still been red hot when it landed becouse it had burned a hole through the couch to the solid wood floor below and cooled, practically seeling it. The polyester appolstry of the couch even melted to the sword. Snowstorm grabbed hold of his sword again and cast the red hot spell again, making the sword once again glow. But this time, the couch caught fire! The flames began to grow and spread until it covered the entire couch, the flames reflecting off Snowstorm's black armor making his expressionless muzzle look even more terrifying then it already was.
"No more games" Snowstorm stated firmly as he looked around the farm house, eyes hunting for his quarry.
Snowstorm didn't have to look for long. When he turned around, something hard hit him in the head, making his entire head shake, his helmet ringing like a bell. The force behind it had been great enough for Snowstorm to lose focus again and drop his sword. The spell that kept it lit once again flickered out. When a unicorn can't even think strait, all spells they are consintraiting on end. The no longer burning sword fell to the ground as Snowstorm jumped out of the way and ripped his helmet off. After tossing his helmet aside, he saw Sunny standing there with a large fire extinguisher, putting out the blazing pile of wood and polyester appolstery that was once a couch.
"You hit me with a fire extinguisher!?" Snowstorm was appalled, but his head was still ringing and he knew his best chances of beating Sunny in a fight was to use magic. The fact that Sunny had kept on par with him thus far had been through cheep tricks.
"Ya really had ta set th' couch on fire? This has been in th' family fer fifty years!" Sunny sounded annoyed, but he never dropped his accent, showing he didn't feel too far out of control of the situation.
Once the ringing in his head stopped, Snowstorm had decided enough with the sword, that perhaps a shield would be a better bet. Snowstorm let Sunny put the fire completly out to allow himself time to recover as much as possible. When Sunny had put out the last flickering flame, Snowstorm rushed him, catching the yellow unciorn off guard, took the extinguisher from him, punched Sunny in the stomach, then cast his shield bubble spell around Sunny, making sure to not allow anything else Sunny could use as a weapon or tool to be in the shield with him.
Trapped in a floating red bubble of Magic, Sunny looked all around for a possible weak spot, hoping that Snowstorm wasn't able to fully concentrate on the spell, and would still be suffering from the recent blow he took. Unfortunately for Sunny, the spell looked like it had been done perfectly. Sunny startes to feel slightly defeated, then turned to Snowstorm, who was smiling triumphantly at his catch. "Well, ya caught me partner, now what? Gunna take me ta mah dear old dad?"
"I don't know who your 'dear, old, dad' is" Snowstorm chuckled to himself, his red eyes blazing. "But I'll he sure to send what's left of you to him…"
Snowstorm's still glowing red horn began to glow even brighter as he cast a secondary spell ontop of the shield spell. Sunny didn't have to wait too long to figure out what kind of spell Snowstorm was casting, becouse he felt the part of the shield around him began to shrink. That wasn't good. Snowstorm was going to try and crush him!
"Squirm all you like" Snowstorm baited as he focused to keep control of his spell. It's alot of strain to keep a spell up and add a second spell ontop of it, for most unicorns. "Your tale ends here."
The bubble was shrinking rapidly, and soon Sunny wouldn't have room to move a hoof. He didn't know for certain if the inhibitor ring really prevented him from using his umbrum form and powers or not, but he didn't want to take that risk. He couldn't use magic and he didn't have any tools but his own four hooves, so he did the only thing he could think to do. Sunny struggled to break free by punching the edges of the bubble as hard as he could with his front two hooves. It had no effect on the stability of the shrinking barrier, Sunny's hoof bouncing off like he had just hit the wall made of rubber. Sunny didn't see that hitting the barrier actually was putting a strain on Snowstorm. With every hit, Snowstorm had to refocus his energy as if HE were the one actually taking the hit. What Sunny did notice, however, was the barrier was floating just a few inches above the ground and seemed to move a little with every punch. The barrier bubble was almost constricting him now to a point where he almost couldn't move! He had to think fast or there wouldn't wouldn't enough of him to fit into a match box! Positioning himself at just the right angle, Sunny mustered all the strength he had left and bucked with all his might. Snowstorm realized too late what Sunny had done when his own barrier collided with his helmetless head, sending him flying back off his hooves for a few seconds. The shield spell had been canceled when Snowstorm was struck, freeing Sunny. Sunny didn't know all the details of Snowstorm's orders, but he knew then that Snwowstorm meant serious buisness. Like blowing up the Golden Oaks library serious. Sunny also knew that the only way to get that inhibitor ring off him was with Snowstorm's own hooves. If Snowstorm decided he couldn't win the battle, he might try and teleport away. If he did that, Sunny would be cut off from any and all magic!
Little did Sunny know that Snowstorm wasn't only planning on leaving, but he wouldn't allow Sunny to walk away either. After getting half way up to his hooves, Driven by a burning need to forfill his mission and please King Sombra, Snowstorm tried to cast another barrier spell, but was tackled hard enough by Sunny to send them both flying out the front door to the farm house. The two unciorns faught on the ground, kicking and punching wherever they could, looking more like a pair of colts in a schoolyard skirmish then two experienced royal guards in a battle for their lives. The two tumbled around the patio of the farm house for a while before rolling down the front steps and into the gravel.
Snowstorm managed to get at an angle to where he could kick Sunny off him. With his back hooves between them, Snowstorm managed to kick Sunny off him. The yellow unciorn landed with a loud thud in the dirt road, the wind being slightly knocked out of him. Little did Sunny know that Snowstorm had just been keeping him busy while HE had been letting his mind settle, needing a clear, consintraited mind to cast more spells. Now Snowstorm would be able to cast a number of spells and finish Sunny off for good. But which spell to try and wipe out his opponent with, Snowstorm wondered.
He didn't have too long to ponder. Sunny was back on his hooves and charging right at him, his horn lowered and taking aim at it's owner. Snowstorm knew Sunny couldn't cast a spell with that on, but he also knew that that ring wouldn't break under just any kind of pressure. Sunny was using his cursed item as an asset. Last minute Snowstorm dodged Sunny's lundge, junping safely aside. Snowstorm realized last minute that Sunny had never intended to lunge at him with that ring wearing horn of his, but instead wanted to get in close with Snowstorm to deliver a third buck attack!
Sunny had stopped just about six inches away from Snowstorm when he leaned forward on his front hooves, arched both of his back legs and before Snowstorm could move out of the way, Bucked again with all his might. The blow landed contact and sent Snowstorm flying though the air until he landed with a wet plop! Looking over his shoulder, Sunny saw Snowstorm had landed in the pig pen, now covered from horn to hoof in mud. Not wanting him to let him escape escape, Sunny ran up to the now broken fence of the pig pen and leaped onto the muddy mess that was Snowstorm.
The two unicorns continued to punch and kick eachother, even bitting at one point or another, until Snowstorm wiggled out his right hoof and landed a hard punch to the side of Sunny's head, making the yellow unicorn see stars for a moment and forget what it was he was doing. Taking advantage of Sunny's confusion, Snowstorm decided to return one of the bucks Sunny had given him, landing a hard blow to Sunny in his chest, sending HIM flying this time, out of the muddy pen and rolling in the dirt back to the farm.
Snowstorm used a quick spell to clean himself off, wanting to appear presentable when he defeated the biggest thorn in his King's side, when he was hit with a flow of cold running water. Putting his hooves infront of his muzzle and narrowing his eyes out to the source of the fridge watery attack, Snowstorm saw a damp Sunny with a garden hose in his hooves, set to full blast. Annoyed Snowstorm focused enough to teleport out of Sunny's range of fire and reappeared behind his assailant. Sunny didn't expect him to do that or for him to deliver a blow to the back of his head. Sunny fell forward, but rolled to avoid injury and put distance between him and Snowstorm. The blows to the head were starting to get to him, Sunny could feel it. The ringing in his ears was telling him he needed to end this fight fast some how.
But before Sunny could think up a plan, Snowstorm cast another spell, breaking up the hard dirt pathway infront of the farm house into giant chunks of hard gravel, condensing them into even harder, and sharpened debris, and set them on fire with his red magical aura. Not giving Sunny a second to catch his breath, Snowstorm sent his fire rocks hurdaling at Sunny with enough force to really do some damage. Sunny tried to dodge them as best he could, but but cut off from any magic by the inhibitor ring, Sunny was feeling the fight was wearing him down. The flames from the missles grazed parts of him, singeing his fur. One had barely missed the top of his head. Never before today was he so glad to have forgotten his stetson hat upstairs. It would have been burned to a crisp if it had been at the top of his head.
With every missed shot, Snowstorm became more and more frustrated. But then a thought occurred to him. 'He's slowing down, his body is tired. His mind must be exhausted too. For a unicorn to not be able to cast spells is as frustrating as a pegasus with their wings bound! I know just how to finish him off!'
Levitating several new clumps of dirt into the air, Snowstorm didn't bother lighting them on fire as he sent each one, one right after another, shooting right at Sunny. Needing to be even quicker on his hooves, Sunny mustered more of his energy to bounce side to side, flip, land and roll out of the way of the hurtling earth being shot at him. Sunny REALLY wished he had gotten the chance to finish his breakfast, he was running low on energy. Sunny knew his movements were slowing down, less power were in his punches he delivered to Snowstorm a moment ago. But he had very little time to think as several large clumps of earth seemed to squeeze togeather and formed a massive clump and shot right at Sunny! The yellow unicorn wished that he could have teleported away, it was going to be hard to get away from the mass charging at him.
Running away as fast as his exhausted legs could carry him, Sunny had a sinking feeling when he saw the shadow of the dirt mass getting closer and darker that he might not be able to outrun it, and put his hooves into overdrive. But it was hopeless, and the large chunk of earth smashed and crumbled ontop of Sunny.
The pile of dirt the mass left a small hill as tall as a trackerz with no physical sign of Sunny. Snowstorm paused. And for a moment, everything was still. Then, there came a subtle shaking from one of the pile's edges. Little bits of dirt and rock began to move. Then, a small mound, almost like a gopher hole popped out of the pile or dirt and rocks, with Sunny's own head sticking out of it in lieu of a small furry rodent. Coughing up bits of dirt, Sunny shook his head in a feebal attempt to get the dirt out of his eyes. He just prayed Snowstorm didn't run off, planning to hide somewhere until Sunny's father had a chance to inact his devious plans. To Sunny's suprise, Snowstorm appeared right infront of him, only to send a chill down Sunny's back and a sinking feeling to his gut.
A pair of red and green eyes looked down at Sunny from Snowstorm's head, a chuckle coming from him as the former unicorn guard looked down at his captured hunt, purple flames flickering at the far corners of his eyes. "This is it! I'll break your mind! Then turn you to stone and toss you in the Ghastly gorge! You'll break into a thousand pieces! No pony would even bother to look for you there! Your pieces will glittered away slowly with the stream, and you'll never be put togeather again! Have fun with oblivion!"
Sunny struggled under the earth, trying desperately to drain his body of the rest of its energy, but it was no use. No magic, no energy, and no friends to help him. Things were looking very grim. Looking back at Snowstorm's cheeky muzzle as dark magic began to brew in the form of black and purple bubbles around Snowstorm's horn, Sunny did the only thing he could.
He stritened up and locked eyes with Snowstorm, and told him the honest truth. "I'm not afraid of you."
This caught Snowstorm off guard. Anypony else could try and make this their last ditch effort to save themselves, or even try and plea to him. But not this pony, not Sunny. Snowstorm saw the resolve in the unicorn's eyes. There was a deep, realness to it, that he had only seen in two other ponies before. One, the king he served when he informed him about his plan to release the imprisoned Umbrum, and the other… the other was Princess Celestia herself. Faced with difficult decisions, when Princess Celestia had made up her mind, even if she didn't want to do it, she made the hard decisions and stuck by them. In the face of danger, Sunny still embodies the essence and strength of his parents.
Unfortunatly for Snowstorm, the spell he had been charging up till then was at full power, and with no direction as to where to go, it coated him in a bubbling black and purple aura. A moment after then spell was finished, the Dark magic seeming to blow away, Snowstorm was left in a fetal position on the ground, trembling as he called out his father's name and mumbled how sorry he was.
"What a disappointment" Snowstorm's father sneered, too disgusted to even look at his son. "You can't do ANYTHING right, can you!?"
"Father, please, it was an accident" Snowstorm had reverted to the age of a colt just barely younger then Applebloom. "It won't happen again! I promise!"
"You said that the last time. And the time before that." Snowstorm's father's voice seemed to double as another one of him appeared, walking just a few steps behind the first. Both of them circling Snowstorm, never meeting his gaze.
"You can't even deal with one, magic stripped, farm pony" a third father appeared and joined the line.
"You had one job, and you failed" a fourth appeared and followed behind that one.
"You were a disappointment as a son" a fifth one joined the group.
"A disappointment as a royal guard" a sixth appeared and added.
"You turned your back on Eauestria to join some evil king" a seventh one popped into existence.
"And you even failed him, time and time again" an eighth one joined the group.
"You are just no use to anyone" a ninth version of Snowstorm's father stated, now closing a circle around Snowstorm.
"Disappointment"
"No use to anypony"
"Disgrace"
"No son of mine"
"FAILURE!"
"DISAPOINTMENT!"
"DISGRACE!"
"Wow, ah wonder if all folks have th' same fears" a different voice spoke up from the sea of Snowstorm fathers. The elderly stallions all seemed to vanish as Sunny came walking up casually as if he were walking through a garden.
The young Snowstorm took a few deep breaths and began to relax, wiping tears from his eyes. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Well… ta be honest, ah kinda felt bad for ya" Sunny twirled around and took a seat next to Snowstorm, not asking why he was a young colt.
"I don't need anypony to feel sorry for me" the young colt looked away from Sunny, grumbling angrily.
"Ya know, you and ah ain't so different" Sunny stated, taking a good hard look around, the darkened area seemed so familiar.
"What do you mean by that?" Snowstorm asked, still sounding gruff but a glimmer of curiosity flickered.
"Well, when ah faught mah dad 1000 years ago and lost, he cast th' same spell on me and sealed me away." Sunny began to explain. "You seemed ta be bothered most by what yer own pa thinks of you. Me, ah was haunted bah all th' ponies ah failed ta protect back in th' Crystal Empire. It took me over 1000 years ta figure out what ah needed ta make th' nightmares go away."
"What did you need?" Snowstorm no longer seemed annoyed and had grown quite curious.
"Ah needed friendship" Sunny gave the honest but very cheesy answer. "See, ah never made friends when ah was prince at th' Crystal Empire. And ah always felt like ah had ta do everything ah could ta keep ponies safe or ah was ah failure. When mah dad used that spell on me, ah was faced with that very fear. Th' fear that ah was ah failure, that ponies were sufferin' 'couse of me."
Sunny's words began to clear something up in Snowstorm's mind. Something that had been coving up the truth. Sunny REALLY is Sombra's son! But Snowstorm didn't interupt Sunny. A part of him wanted the yellow unicorn to continue. "How did friendship change that? You still were responsible for them."
Taking a deep breath, Sunny locked eyes with Snowstorm, maintaining his relaxed tone. "True. And ah held it against mahself when ah remembered what had happened. But it was all thanks ta mah friends that ah was able to push past th' fear of mah failure an' focus on what was really important. Ya can't focus too much on what ya failed at. Focus more on what needs ta be done IF ya fail. And don't think 'bout that till ya actually fail. Becouse of mah friends, ah learned th' ponies you meet could easily become friends, too, if ya take th' time an' get ta know them. And when ya make friends, ya get this feelin' that ya want ta do whatever you could ta protect them. An' real friends will do the same for you. When ya stand togeather, yer stronger then ya are apart."
Slowly, as Sunny's words sank into Snowstorm's head, the grey unicorn guard began to grow older and older, until he reached his right age. If Sunny or Snowstorm noticed the subtle change, they didn't achknowlage it.
"I don't mean to quesgion you on your story. But what does that have to do with me? Obviously my problem is my father…" Snowstorm admitted, slightly embarrassed. "I could make friends, easily. If I wanted to."
"The problem you have that ah had is the same" Sunny said without skipping a beat. "Yer trying hard ta be somepony ya ain't and yer not happy 'bout it. Ah tried mah hardest ta be th' prince ah thought everypony wanted me ta be. Ah was misserable and no pony ever got close ta me. If ah had just been mahself, ah could have made real friends an' ah would have realized THEY would never have blamed me fer what happened and knew ah did mah best. Maybe YOU should be honest with yer father 'bout how you feel."
Thinking about it, Snowstorm gulped and tore his eyes away from Sunny then muttered something under his breath.
"What ya say there, partner?" Sunny asked, unbale to hear what Snowsrorm was mumbling.
"I said…." was all Snowstorm said clearly before mumbling more.
"Ah'm sorry ah-" Sunny started to say before Snowstorm screamed at him.
"I WANT TO BE A TEACHER!!!" Snowstorm screamed outloud his deepest darkest secret before turning to Sunny. "I always wanted to be a teacher! Maybe even teach at Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns! Maybe coach a sports team, too! But I want to teach basics of magic, advanced magic, history of magic, horse feathers, I'd be happy teaching math! But… but my father only seemed to care about the royal guard. His time in the royal guard, his friends in the royal guard, the newest recruited in the royal guard… it seemed like the only way I could get my father's attention was to become a royal guard.
"You should have seen how his muzzle lit up when he heard I was accepted into the royal guard" Snowstorm remembered the subtle smile his father had, which was the most emotion he showed in the longest time. The smile faded from Snowstorm just as quickly as it arrived. "How disappointed do you think he would be if he found out all I wanted to do in life was be a teacher?"
"Ya want the honest, hard truth?" Sunny flatly asked Snowstorm, who half nodded. "Ya care too much what others think of ya. Ah had that problem too. Life's much easier if ya only worry 'bout what makes ya happy, an what's the right thing ta do, 'stead of what ya think other people want from ya. Ya can't please everypony, but ya can do what makes ya happy. Ya might find that others are happy with ya if yer happy."
It was alot for Snowstorm to think over on his own time, but one thing was for sure, he knew what he had been doing it till then, all he had done for King Sombra, was wrong. Looking at Sunny, Snowstorm's envious feelings he had towards him and Sombra, seemed so childish and misplaced now.
"I'm sorry, Sunny" Snowstorm spoke in a mellowed tone, defeated and relieved. "I made such a mess of things. I want to make things right. But I don't know how."
"Ya took th' first step already, partner" Sunny flashed a half smile and tipped his stetson hat. "Ya admitted ya done wrong, and ya want ta do right. Now ya just need ta wake up."
"Wake up?" Snowstorm repeated the last two words before the dark world around him flashed white, and Snowstorm found himself jumping up, awake and startled, breathing heavily, feeling like he just fell 1000 feet.
"Yer awake, good" Sunny was standing next to Snowstorm, smiling down at him. Snowstorm noticed the inhibitor ring was off Sunny's horn, guessing he must have put Snowstorm's limp hooves togeather while he was out cold and pulled it off. Sunny then offered Snowstorm a sandwich "Here. Yer gunna need yer strength."
"For what?" Snowstorm asked as he willingly took the sandwich, realizing just how hungry he became.
"Fer fixing that" Sunny motioned to the half destroyed farm house behind them.
"… that's the next step, isn't it?" Snowstorm sheepishly asked.
"Eh'yep" Sunny answered as he plopped a tool box next to some lumber beside Snowstorm. "You and I are gunna fix it. Then yer gunna appologize ta Applejack and the rest of th' family fer th' mess ya made."
"Sunny!!!" Applejack's voice echoed through the orchard like a violent wind, sending a chill down Sunny's back.
At first, Sunny thought she had seen the destruction on the farm and the house, and was worried something bad had happened. Granted, something bad did happen, but he was there, appearing fine. As Applejack ran down the dirt road, her expression didn't change when she saw him. There was something worse bothering her. Worse then half her home being destroyed.
When she reached him, Sunny's accent was absent in his speech as he looked her in the eye and asked "what happened?"
Terror was thick in Applejack's shaky voice as she spoke the words "Cadence! Shinning Armor! Flurry heart!"
Sunny heart sank as fear began to fill him. It was his turn to sound shaky "What about them!? What happened are they ok!?"
It would be a lie if Sunny said that he didn't have nightmares about a day like this. And he wasn't one for lying anymore. But there he stood, in the royal fitting room in the Crystal Castle, being fitted for his royal attire that he would have to wear as King of the Crystal Empire.
His mother's concerned voice repeating in Sunny's head as he stood still and let the royal fitters do their jobs…
"The Crystal guards looked all over for Cadence and her family, but not even the royal crystaller could locate them with his best seeking spells. Without somepony to lead them and fill them with love, the light of the Crystal Heart will fade. The entire Empire could be swallowed up by the storm surounding it. We need you and Applejack to head to the Crystal Empire and keep their spirits high while WE go looking for Cadence, Shinning and Flurry Heart." Celestia concluded as she finished packing two sattle bags for herself and her sister, preparing all the essentials as well as a few other emergency items.
"Hold on mom" Sunny tried to slow her down, feeling everything was going way too fast for his head to wrap around. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to them? Where do you even plan on looking? Is it just you and Aunt Luna who are looking? Shouldn't you take guards!? And what about Canterlot? And Ponyville? Both of them would be unprotected! And why does Applejack need to come with me? She has other things to do on the farm. Half the farm house is in ruins!"
"I heard about your run in with Snowstorm. He was a very promising student of my school at one point" Celestia's tone made her seem disappointed. Her expression softened when she looked back at her son. "But thanks to you, he's come back to make amends, which includes leading us to Sombra's secret hide out. My sister and I will lead a group there. I have a feeling Cadence and her family are there."
"Princess Twilight will watch over Canterlot with her friends" Luna walked in, carrying some supplies with her, appearing less relaxed about the whole situation then her sister. "They can use your mirror from the farm that connect to my sister's mirror in Canterlot to travel back and forth in seconds."
"And as for Applejack" Celestia pulled a strap with great force on her saddle bag, sealing all the supplies in there before turning to her son. "YOU need HER. As much as you have grown, as brightly as you glow now, you shine when you are with her. You love her, she loves you,, and it shows. And the Crystal Empire needs that love right now."
Sunny narrowed his eyes at the floor, as if trying to read the ground.
"I know this is the last thing you wanted, but the ponies of the Crystal Empire need you." Celestia reasured her son, raising his lowered head with her hoof, greeting his redirected attention with a sincere smile. "I know you can do this. Just be yourself. They'll all love you just as much as your friends do."
Sunny gulped, fearing that alot of ponies will assume him raising to be king, even though it is just a temporary position, will be just like his father and possibly last years, and maybe even, one day, Sunny could become a dark, corrupt king like his father.
"Do you have your speech prepared?" Sunny's Auny Luna asked him, shaking Sunny free from his darkening thoughts.
"Speech?" Sunny gulped.
"Yes, it is customary to give a speech at any royal assembly, no matter how temporary it is" Celestia admitted. "Perhapse, just speak from the heart. Let them know that Cadence, Shinning Armor and Flurry Heart will be returning soon."
"Let them know that WE are on the job" Luna interrupted, smirking confidently. Knowing alot of ponies have faith in them.
"That alone could put their worries at ease" Celestia commented, but returned her relaxed expression to Sunny. "But over all, just be yourself."
'Just be myself' Sunny kept repeating to himself as the last royal Crystal fitter finished her work and cut the last stray thread. Sunny had been so preoccupied with what to say during his speech that he didn't notice what he was being fitted with. His King's cloak looked like his father's. If Sunny had been a shade of grey, he would have looked like a much younger version of his own father. Sunny had mixed feelings of pride and disgust. 'This probably isn't the best way to greet the Crystal ponies, looking like the pony who enslaved them.'
"Everything alright, your highness?" The fitter asked, knowing what displeased looks on regal muzzles looked like.
"Ugh, well…" Sunny looked himself up and down in the mirror, the armor that went with the outfit, light blueish silver, and matching crown complemented the purple Cloak, but it… it didn't seem like something that fit Sunny. More like Sunny was playing dress up with his father's cloths. "It just… doesn't seem me."
The fitter took a few steps back, looked him up, smiled then went right back to work, asking Sunny to hold still. Sunny did as he was instructed, even closing his eyes, trying to relax as he went over his speech mentally. A few minutes later, the fitter stopped and told Sunny to open his eyes.
Gazing into the mirror now, Sunny could hardly believe the amount of work the fitter had done in such a short time. The purple cloak was now a noble emerald green, matching Sunny's eyes. The armor and crown had some how changed color as well to a glimmering gold that complemented the emerald cloak perfectly. Even the gem atop the crown that mirrored Sunny's father's emerald had changed to a bright red ruby that reminded Sunny of a ripe fresh apple.
"Amazing…" Sunny admitted as he looked himself over a bit, turning around and even posing as humbly as he could. He was astonished that anypony could get this amount of work done in such a short time. He turned to the royal fitter. "How did you…?"
"I have my tricks. I know just how to bring out a pony's most prestigious look" the fitter admitted, smirking. "You think this is good, wait till I get my hooves on your wife. You two will look just divine."
"Oh, ugh, she's not my wife, yet" Sunny corrected the royal fitter pony before she left.
"She will be, though" the fitter commented without hesitation. "Better get used to it."
And with that, Sunny was left with his thoughts. The idea that he and Applejack would be getting married soon also brought mixed feeling into his heart. He wanted nothing more then to start their life togeather, on the other hoof, with all this going on, his cousin and her family missing, his father still plotting in the shadows, now his mother and aunt are on some search and rescue mission which might be playing right into his father's hooves, then there's that evil Princess Amore to deal with, not to mention when Sunny and Applejack had to leave half the farm house was still in ruins!
Sunny felt dizzy and needed to sit down. Luckily there was a small couch near by. It wasn't very comfy, being more for short sitting spells and looks rather then comfort, but it was better then falling to the ground.
"You ok, partner?" A too familiar voice rang in Sunny's ears, causing the still dizzy unicorn to look up. His jaw almost hit the ground when he saw Applejack.
His fiancé had been fitted with a simple, but graceful looking emerald green silk dress that flowed in waves at her sides, with a ribbon that swung from the front of her chest to her tail, with a ruby at the center of her chest that matched the one on Sunny's crown. At the top of her head sat a thin, elegant gold tiara that completed her whole transformation.
"Ah said, you ok, partner?" Applejack repeated herself, still concerned about her fiancé. He had been stairing at her for a few moments, his mouth hanging open, but not words were coming out.
"Ah… ugh… you're beautiful" was all Sunny could muster, which earned a small laugh from Applejack. There were so many other words he could have used to describe how wonderful she looked, how much of a dream she appeared to be, how she looked like she should be sitting in a castle of her own surrounded by acres and acres of the finest Apple trees in all Equeatria, but Sunny was worried that in his current state he'd trip over his own words.
"Well thank ya, kindly" She smiled and blushed a little. "Not mah idea of duds, but ah do think ah look good. Not as good looking as yourself, Mr prince."
"If they adressed me as 'prince' to the ponies of the Crystal Empire, it would be solidifying that I was here to stay. And they would all assume Cadence and Shinning Armor wouldn't be returning…" Sunny sighed, not wanting to think about it.
Applejack took a seat next to her future husband, making a silent comment about the uncomfortable coutch, then took one of his hooves in hers. "This ain't gunna be forever. Just 'till yer mom and Princess Luna find them. And they will, ah know it."
This still didn't put Sunny at ease, Applejack could read there was more on his mind then ever before. "This is all happening at the worst possible time. I just know my father had his hooves in this some how."
"All we can do is our part" Applejack tried to tell Sunny, realizing it didn't help.
"But we have so many things that need to be done" Sunny began to unload, worry broke across his muzzle. "The farm house needs to be rebuilt, we have the rest of the wedding to deal with, my father is still out there, doing who know what-"
One of Applejack's hooves found its way to Sunny's muzzle and stopped the flow of words. Sunny paused, looked from her hoof to Applejack's own worried expression, then to lighten the mood, stuck out his tounge and locked the hoof that was pressed against his lips.
"Yer lucky they washed mah hooves" Applejack cracked a smile. "Fer all you know, ah could have stepped in ah cow pie."
This caused them both to chuckle and for a moment, forget all their worries.
After a good chuckle, Sunny wipped the tears from the corners of his eyes. "Ya have no idea how badly ah've been needin' that."
"Probably just as much as ah have" Applejack admitted. "But in all seriousness, Sugar cube, Big Mac and ah few friends from around town are helpin' ta rebuild th' house, might even make ah few improvements to it while they're at it. Ah wouldn't worry 'bout th' weddin'. Neither you or ah are goin' anywhere. And your daddy better behave himself or yer gunna have ta hold me back, 'couse ah ain't gunna be as nice as th' Cryatal Heart was when it blasted him."
That also caused Sunny to chuckle. Applejack was a very tough mare, and the thought of his father stepping out of line, despite all his magic, facing Applejack might be one for the history books. 'Shadow King taken down by honest Apple farmer.'
"Ah'm glad ah could tag along with ya fer this" Applejack told Sunny when he stopped laughing again, her tone more gentle then a moment ago.
This shook Sunny of all his giggles and brought him back to the present. "I hate that you had to leave the farm, though… and that you had to see it in such a condition."
"Oh shoot, sugar cube, that was bad, but ya should have seen it when ah hosted th' Apple Family reunion, an' th' whole barn fell apart!" Applejack remembered that day, it was certainly one to remember. "But we got th' barn back up, an' better then ever."
That put Sunny at ease. "To be honest, ah'm really glad you're here too. Ah think ah can do this if you're here. 'Sides, how many Apples can say they've been ah Queen?"
Now it was Applejack's turn to laugh. "Not many, less you count Queen of th' county fair."
"Your majasties" a crystal guard stuck his head into their room, looking refined and lack of emotion. "I hate to interupt, but it's time to address the Empire."
"Thank you, Berry Gust " Sunny smiled and nodded to the guard, who looked shocked that Sunny knew his name, and withdrew to return to his guarding position at the door.
"Ya ready, mah king?" Applejack used Sunny's temporary title to help ease him into it.
"Ready if you are, mah queen" Sunny mimicked her, studying her reaction. But the only thing he noted was the Sparkle in her eye. Not from being called a queen, but from being called 'his'. Taking another look at his future wife, Sunny realized he had never seen a more beautiful pony in all his life.
The whole Empire was buzzing with gossip, some whispers that King Sombra had kidnapped the royal family so his son could rule, some with its all a hoax and Cadence and Shinning Armor took Flurry Heart on a top secret vacation, some even thought Cadence wanted to step down as princess of the Crystal Empire to become a full time mom and thought the whole 'missing/kidnapped' story would be the easiest way to ease the Crystal ponies into a new ruler. All the whispering dies down when Sunny and Applejack emerged from the Crystal Castle and walked up to a platform set up at the base of the castle. Everypony in the Crystal Empire had gathered around the platform, eager to hear what exactly had happened to their beloved Princess Cadence, Prince Shinning Armor and their daughter, Princess Flurry Heart. Sunny approached the podium, Applejack to his right side, and on their respective sides where the crystaller, Sunburst and his friend, Starlight Glimmer. The Cryatal ponies noticed Sunny's attire right away. A King's attire, and began muttering under their breath to one another until Sunny addressed them.
"Everypony! May I have your attention, please!" Sunny didn't use his royal Canterlot voice, trying to express his concern for the situation, which was why he wanted to address the Empire from the ground rather then from the castle's balcony where royals normally made their announcements in the Crystal Empire. The muttering died down, and a sea of eyes fell upon Sunny. Taking a deep breath, looking to his future wife for support, and after receiving a reassuring smile and wink from her, Sunny continued to address the crowd. "As you all know, my cousin, Princess Cadence, her husband, Prince Shinning Armor, and their foal, Princess Flurry Heart have gone missing."
Chattering broke out in the crowd as ponies turned to one another, but their attention quickly returned to Sunny when he started to speak again.
"In their absence, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna saw fit to appoint me and my future wife, Applejack, the temporary positions of King and Queen of the Crystal Empire" Sunny ripped the bandage off right away on that bit of news. Sunny had to speak up louder to recapture everypony's attention. "Do not get comfortable with us, though, our visit will be short, and your royal family will be returned in no time. But until they are returned, please, go about your lives as normal. Rest assured, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are doing everything in their power to find our missing family members."
"We'll, ugh, take any quesgions you have now" Sunburst said in a shaky, unsure tone.
A sea of hooves went up as ponies began calling out Sunny's original name, Soleggiato. Sunny hated hearing that name at the moment and would have to address that as soon as he possibly could.
"Yes, miss, what's your quesgion" Sunny chose a mare sitting near the front who looked like she had to fight her way though the crowd to get there.
"Prince Soleggiato, do you think your father had anything to do with the royal family's disapearance?" The mare's quesgion sent a shockwave of whispers though the crowd.
"First of all, and this goes for everypony, call me Sunny. You can address me as King Sunny for the moment. Not prince. If you want, you could even just adress me as 'Sunny'" Sunny spoke clearly to the crowd before returning his attention back to the mare who asked the initial question. "And to answer your quesgion, we do not know. But you bring up another excellent point I need to address.
"Everypony listen up!" Sunny silanced the crowd again, say for a few whispering in the back. "We do not know whether my father is behind this or not, but we do have another enemy to worry about. She tried to get rid of me and hurt my friends back in Ponyville. We don't know her real intentions, but she takes pleasure in torturing and harming others. She looks just like the lost princess Amore. But she is not the kind hearted princess I heard so many wonderful things about. If you see her, please, report it to a guard, then return to your homes and hide. She is not to be trusted."
After hearing about the princess Amore look alike, the crowd spoke more loudly amungst themselves again before Sunny chose another pony to answer their quesgions.
"Pri- er, sorry, King Sunny" the stallion corrected himself. "Its common knowlage that you are engaged, what do you plan to do if the royal family isn't returned in the near future? Do you plan to hold off the wedding? And if so, for how long?"
Taking a deep breath, Sunny looked over at Applejack, who shot him a concerned smile and extended her hoof to him. As he squeezed it gently, he looked back at the stallion and answered "if Cadence, Shinning Armor and Flurry Heart don't return I'm a reasonable time, we will proceed with the wedding. I won't have my future wife wait forever for us to start our lives togeather. But we will have to make some changes, such as having the wedding here. Now yes you, in the back."
"Yes, King Sunny" a mare called out, squeezing though the crowd to the front to get closer to Sunny. "What do YOU think happened to the royal family? Were they kidnapped? Did they leave on vacation without telling anypony? Or something else?"
"To be honest, I have no idea. I can tell you this, though, I seriously doubt this was planned by the royal family at all." Sunny admitted.
"Then how can you be so sure they'll be back soon?" The mare's follow up quesgion seemed to set the crown into a mumbling panic.
Sunny took a deep breath and waited for the group to quiet down a little, but they never did. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are looking for them, as well as some of their most trusted aids. I have faith they will find them.
"Yes, you in the front row" Sunny picked a very familiar looking pony, one who had a lengthy grey body, glasses that still didn't allow her to see very well, and atop her three toned grey and white mane sat a bird with a recorder.
"King Sunny" the mare Sunny met a while ago, who he knew as White Out spoke up, a neutral expression on her muzzle. "What do you plan to do if anything happens while the royal family is gone? What if there is a natural disaster? A monster attack? Or even, what if King Sombra attacks?"
This set the crowd into an uproar, with ponies panicking, scrambling and looking worried. White Out immediatly regretted asking this quesgion, Sunny could see the regret flashing in her face.
Sunny didn't want to use the royal canterlot voice, but it looked like he had no choice. Taking in a deep breath of air, Sunny called out "BE CALM!!!"
As if by command, everypony stopped what they were doing, froze for a second, and listened to what their new King had to say.
"If anything were to happen" Sunny started to explain. "Then it will be dealt with accordingly. Or have you all forgotten I'm no foal. I've taken on mad wizards, dragons, monsters, and even fire locusts. Applejack has seen more then her fair share of trouble too. Or did you all forget she and her friends took on Nightmare Moon, Discord, my own father and other troubles?"
Ponies began to calm brown and muttered in a low tone once again, if speaking at all.
"We aren't alone, either" Sunny added. "We have the Crystal guards here, Twilight Sparkle's best student, the great crystaller, as well as the Elements and Guardians of Harmony, should we need them. Equestria is not defenseless."
The crowd muttered amungst themselves for a second, leaving Sunny standing there at his podium, trying to appear as regal yet friendly as he could while reading their expressions. For the most part, they all seemed as relaxed as anypony could under the circumstances.
"Now, if there are no further quesgions" Sunny called out to the crowd, gathering their attention once more. "My Queen and I have to begin our daily royal duties. Should anypony have any information regarding the location of the royal family, though, any possible threats, or see Princess Amore or anything suspicious, please alert us or the Crystal guard immediatly. Thank you all for your cooperation. I know these are uneasy times, but togeather we can get though them. Just believe in yourselves and eachother."
Sunny then started to leave when something arose from the crowd that made him pause and look back over his shoulder.
"Three cheers for King Sunny!" A stallion called out of the crowd. "Hip-Hip!"
"HORRAY!!!" The crowd of crystal ponies all cheered at once.
Sunny back tracked to the podium and looked over the sea of now cheering ponies. Ponies who once looked down at him 1000 years ago. Since then, they had stood by him when an entire town's worth of an angry mob wanted to drag him away. And that was after he came clean about breaking their prince's leg in a jousting match.
"Hip-hip!" The same stallion called out.
"HORRAY!!!" The crowed screamed out once more.
"HIP-HIP" the stallion screamed out even louder.
"HOOOORRRAAAAAYYY!!!" The crowd stomped their hooves, whistles and cheered for Sunny.
Sunny never dreamed that THIS would be the reaction he got when he accessed the throne as king of his home land, but it was most certainly appreciated. Sunny walked off stage again, with his front hoof around his fiance's, and a wide smile spread across his muzzle. He had earned the respect of the Empire, now all he had to do was keep them safe while his mother and Aunt looked for Cadence, Shinning Armor and Flurry Heart. He just hoped they would find them before there was any trouble.
As they passed the Crystal Heart to enter the Crystal castle, Sunny took note that it was glowing and shinning just as brightly as if Cadence and Shinning Armor were here. He could hardly believe that it had ever shattered into a million pieces at one point….
Not far away from the Crystal Empire was a cave, cold but dripping in the icy tundra. It ran deep into a mountain, far enough that no creature would dare venture down there alone. Luckily, the two adventurers weren't alone.
Rumors had it that ponies saw what looked like a swarm of giant insects flying towards this mountain, like a dark storm cloud, then disappearing without a trace. Folks around the mountain left as soon as they hears the hissing and snapping, not wanting any part of the evil that now haunted the mountain's cave. The princesses had a good idea as to what had taken up residence in the mountains caves, especially when their decendance reveiled a rather disgusting, sticky green substance on the walls that appeared fairly new. Princesses Celestia and Luna, along with their band of half a dozen royal guards, ventured down into the catacombs of the mountain while the other half remained outside to defend and warn the venturing team about anything else that might enter the caves, or send for help should the new residence of the caves be too much for them.
"Sister, look" Princess Luna spoke in a hushed tone and pointed at what appeared to be a changeling sleeping in a cocoon.
Celestia approached it carefully, a small light glowing at the end of her horn, kept dim so as not to awaken the creature. It appeared to be in a very deep sleep.
"There's another over here" of of their guards whispered out to the princesses as he pointed to another cocoon with a sleeping changeling inside.
"You aren't going to believe this…" a second guard brightened his horn's light to reveiled a huge casum big enough to hold a castle, with its walls, lined with endless cocoons harboring changelings! It must have been the entire changeling hive! They all were in some sort of hibernation.
A rusty, dried out voice came from the direction of the entrance of the cave. "She… she told me… told me to put them in a sleep…"
The princesses turned to face the owner of the voice, their guards taking a battle ready stance, with spears, swords and shields at the ready.
A rather thin and tall changeling appeared to be wabbaling down the tunnel, a gold, but unpolished crown atop his head, broken glasses hung off balanced on the end of his muzzle, one of the lenses cracked. Wabbaling still towards the princesses, King Ha Mon, the former physician of the IronLock prison and newly crowned king of the changelings, complely ignored the royal guards and their weapons that happened to be aimed right at him.
"I was… to king… the king…" even his words seemed to stumble over eachother as he reached the end of the royal guards spear heads. He stopped walking and looked up at everypony, causing them to take a second look at him. The creature that had rose to become the Changeling King looked malnourished, exhausted, his eyes had a grey tint to them almost as if he was going blind, mis lips were dry, cracked and peeling as his words blew past them like a winter's wind.
Celestia stepped forward, speaking in a surprisingly concerned tone "Please, let us help you. You aren't well. We can help."
"Help…" Ha Mon repeated the word weakly as if he didn't quite understand the word and repeating it over and over would clarify its meaning.
Something else was off about him, or rather something was odd about the air around him. The temperature had taken a sudden chill despite there being no air flow, the space around Ha Mon had grown darker, and whispering could be heard coming from behind the Changeling King, even though his mouth wasn't moving. Princess Celestia strained her ears to try and hear what he obviously heard, but to no avail. Princess Luna did the same, only, the whispering seemed to speak very clearly to her, her eyes went wide as words began to spin thoughts into her head. Old memories began to resurface, a lesson learned was forgotten, and something deep in the far corner of Princess Luna's mind began to resurface.
"Yes…." Ha Mon hissed, his eye lids closing around his dulled eyes. His head shot up, then translucent, cracked and damaged wings flung up and carried him as high as he could in the low ceiling cave. His eyes were still grayed over, but the expression on his insect muzzle became feral, his tone loud and commanding. "Arise my changelings! Arise! Take flight! It is time to feed!"
Listening to their King's command, all the changelings began to stir, breaking free of their cocoons, hissing and screaming like the wild creatures that had become. They always seemed to be feral creatures driven by hunger before but now they had become consumed by it. Their hunger was all the drive their weakened bodies had. The call of their king only meant the promise of food. Delicious love.
Ha Mon cried out to the now awake changelings "Come, my army! We fly! Let's feed! The Crystal Heart will feed us all! We shall feed!"
"We shall feed! Feed! Feed! Feed!" All the changelings began chanting as they began to swarm down the tunnel.
"We can't let them escape!" Celestia told her guards as she focused to put up a condensed colored barrier ahead of the swarm.
The changelings didn't even flinch at the sight of Celestia's barrier.
As Celestia prepared to brace for the impact of countless changelings attacking her barrier, a strong magical blast hit the sun Princess from behind. The blast was a single shot, but it felt like a thousand lightning bolts just surged though her body. Her mind went blank as she collapsed to the ground, her constantly flowing mane had stopped moving and lay still. When the royal guards turned to face the attacker they were shocked to see an old foe standing there in the darkness.
Her coat as black as your darkest dreams, cyan reptilian eyes, royal blue armor coating her body, with a stary night sky mane and tail flowing with her radiant, but evil, power.
"The night, shall last, forever!" Nightmare Moon chuckled triumphantly as she stood looming over her fallen sister.
The royal guards tried to put themselves between Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia, but were blasted away by her magic, like swatting away flys. After fending off her weaker attackers, Nightmare Moon proceeded to gloat and chuckle, finally feeling victorious over her oppressive sister. Never realizing there was something even darker and more sinister whispering in her ear with a stronger hold over her then Nightmare Moon realized.
It was business as usual back at the Crystal Castle, Sunny had just finished a stack of papers taller then he was, when Sunburst brought in another pile even bigger then the first. The yellow unciorn slammed his face on the desk and groaned.
"How does Cadence and Shinning Armor get through all this?" Sunny asked Sunburst, dragging his face up off the flat surface.
"I'm sorry, your majasty, normally there isn't this much paperwork" Sunburst stated, readjusting his glasses on his muzzle. "But with them missing, there's alot of technicalities to go over in the absence of a missing member of the royal family. Ontop of all the usual paperwork, there are alot of papers that were in the works that now have to be redone by the, ahem, active royal member incharge of the Empire."
"Ugh… there was never this much paperwork when ah was prince 1000 years ago" Sunny grumbled, Rubbing the base of his muzzle.
"Thirsty?" A familiar voice that didn't belong to Sunburst asked Sunny as a dark hoof like appendage with a hole in it place a tall glass of cryatal berry juice infront of Sunny.
"Thank you, ah actually-" Sunny happily grabbed the glass but did a doubly take as he looked up at the one who had given it to him. A little shocked at first, Sunny almost jumped into battle mode. Luckily his brain connected the voice to the owner and a smile spread across Sunny's muzzle. "Thorax? Is that you?! What are you doing here?"
Sunny got up from his desk and gave the familiar changeling an enthusiastic hoof shake.
Thorax knew Sunny had thought he was just another changeling and for a split second felt he was a threat, but was relieved to see the yellow unicorn not only remembered who he was, but welcome him so warmly. Taking Sunny'a hoof and shaking it firmly, Thorax chuckled and explained. "A little while ago, I made my was here when I senced the strong amount of love coming from the Cryatal Empire. When Flurry Heart was born there was enough love around to keep me happily fed. But I hid in disguise, until Spike found out my secret. We quickly became friends, and he gave me the courage to be myself and show Princess Cadence and Prince Shinning Armor that I wasn't dangerous. They were relieved, and very welcoming. They even gave me a job working here in the castle so I could take in as much love as possible from being around them and Princess Flurry Heart."
Mentioning their names caused worry to fill Thorax's heart, and Sunny could feel it.
"They will find them, right?" Thorax asked Sunny in a forlorn tone as his insect like eyes looked towards Sunny for an honest answer.
"I know they will" Sunny told Thorax honestly. "Unless they manage ta escape on their own an' make it back here on their own hooves."
The idea made Thorax chuckle a little. Sunny took note of Thorax's appearance, just then noticing how different he looked from when they first met. The holes in his legs were smaller, his shell seemed to almost Sparkle, his wings looked fully healed, and the scars that had been on his shell were completly gone.
When Thorax gathered himself and wiped away a tear, still smiling, Sunny noticed his eyes even looked brighter without a hint of any negative feelings in them. "Thank you Sunny. I needed to hear that. Working in the castle, I learned alot about Cadence and Shinning Armor. They are really great. I also saw what their duties were like. And a tall glass of Crysyal Berry juice always helped them. And if you need any advice, I think I could help."
"Ah appreciate that" Sunny took in a deep breath and exhailed, relaxing his body a bit as he took a sip of the Crystal berry juice.
Sunny almost wished something would happen so he could put off all the paperwork. As if on cue, the doors to the room flew open, Applejack was standing there, no longer in her royal dress, breathing heavily while holding on to her stetson hat.
Before she could answer, Sunny stood up and was hit with a wave of fear from her. "What happened? What's going on?!"
"Changelings!" Applejack was able to muster before looking over to Sunny's side. She recognized Thorax as one of Spike's friends who she met before, and elaborated. "Other changelings! Looks like th' whole swarm's ah comin'!"
"Sound the alarm!" Sunny ordered a nervous looking Sunburst, with two crystal guards joining him on either of his sides. "Have everypony meet at the castle! Applejack, can you use the mirror to get to Ponyville and let Twilight know we might need her help?"
"Ah'll get there and back, faster then ah greased up jackrabbit" Applejack saluted, then ran out of the room.
"And Thorax" Sunny turned to the friendly Changeling, who appeared nervous just to be standing there. Sunny softened his tone and tried his best to relax his expression. "Maybe you should just sit back in the castle in the guest room. You know, where it's safe."
Thorax thought about this for a moment, but shook off his fear, and flashed a courageous expression as he stood tall and proud. "No! Cadence and Shinning Armor are my friends, and this was their home. I won't sit by while it's attacked."
Sunny was impressed by Thorax's devotion and sudden burst of courage. Looking into Thorax's heart, Sunny could see a blaze of light casting out all doubt and fear.
"Then I think a change of wardrobe is in order" Sunny stated with a confident smile. In a flash of light, Sunny had made a set or Crystal guard armor appear on Thorax that fit his changeling body perfectly, along with a spear and shield. "Will this do?"
Thorax looked himself over, unsure of what to think, but nodded, just wanting to get down and join the rest of the royal guard. Togeather, he and Sunny traveled down the winding stairway and arrived just as the Crystal guard had gathered everypony at the base of the castle.
The forcefeild around the Empire was wavering, the sky had turned black with the wave of changelings upon them. All the Crystal ponies huddled togeather at the base of the castle, frightened and scared at the sight of the swarming hive. Sunny had wished at that moment that he had kept his big mouth shut and just did the paperwork.
Spike came rushing into the Canterlot castle throne room where he knew Twilight Sparkle was, and stopped suddenly just after he entered through their doors. Something was off. He rushed in feeling like he had something really important to tell Twilight, but now he can't remember what it was. Almost like it was so long ago that some important news that he needed to tell Twilight was relivent. So long ago.
"Everything OK, Spike?" Twilight asked as she levitated another scroll up to her and placed one she was previously looking at down. Over the years Twilight had grown in size comparable to Princess Celestia herself, complete with flowing mane and tail, while still retaining her purple color pallet. Her tone was a faint sort of cheerful, like a single birthday candle on a cake, compared to how it used to be years and years ago.
"Ugh, to be honest, I don't remember" Spike admitted. He shrugged off a feeling that was eating at him and casually walked up to Twilight's throne. While walking, he caught sight of his reflection in a mirror, flexed his muscles and thought how well cut he had become in maturing into the young adult dragon he was, complete with strong wings and a square chin that would have had Rarity swooning over him. After briefly examining his own image, Spike continued his now casual walk to Twilight's throne.
It was odd for Spike to think the throne belonged to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna so long ago, seeing everything the way it was now. It still feels like only yesterday that they went on a quest to find Cadence, Shinning Armor and Flurry Heart. Spike let out a sigh at the thought just as he reached Twilight's throne, taking a seat at a smaller throne next to hers, holding his head up with one claw as his mind reeled back the memories that seemed fresh to him.
Noticing his downed spirit, Twilight paused in her reading and looked down at her number of assistant. "Everything OK, Spike?"
Letting out a sigh, Spike looked up at Twilight with eyes reflecting a conflicting sence of sadness and confusion. "Something doesn't feel right. About what happened long ago. Or, well, to be honest, it feels like it happened yesterday. Something bad. Really bad."
"Lots of bad things happened in the past, Spike" Twilight stated in a dulled up beat way, her eyes back on her scroll as she talked. "You want to be a little more specific?"
Spike adjusted in his throne, which was custom made to seat him perfectly, but like his memory of the past events, it didn't seem quite right. "Well… the Crystal Empire. What happened to Cadence, Shinning Armor, and Flurry Heart? I can't… seem to remember…"
Putting the scroll down, Twilight took a slow and unnoticeable deep breath to help keep her calm. This story always hit her hard at her core, but the many years of being the Princess of Equestria had taught her how to present herself in a way completly different to how she felt, to keep up thr appearance of control. Outside she may appear to be calm, cool and collected, but inside she could have been filled with doubt, worry, sorrow, anger occasionally, and most often, regret. "What don't you remember, Spike?"
"Any of it. Or all of this for that matter!" He motioned wildly, like he was still a baby dragon, at the throne room and the stained glass windows that had replaced all the ones that depicted the battles Twilight and her friends have had. "I don't remember any of this! But… I do. Like… this is supposed to make since to me, but it doesn't. Where are our friends? The princesses? I think I know, but… tell me what YOU think. What YOU know."
"Well, Spike, many, many moons ago, after Celestia and Luna left to find Cadence, Shinning Armor and Flurry Heart, I had to a assume the roll of acting Princess of Equestria" Twilight began her tale, most of it seemed familiar to Spike, well, except the part about it being 'many moons ago'. But he said nothing and nodded for Twilight to continue.
"Sunny and Applejack became the acting King and Queen of the Crystal Empire, our friends came with us to Canterlot help with what was supposed to be a temporary arrangement. The other Guardians of Harmony, Sunny's group of close friends, all stayed back and watched over Ponyville while we were here" it was at this point Twilight had to try her hardest to keep up her regal disposition, this part of the story always broke her heart. "Well… Celestia and Luna never came back… Neither did Cadence, Shinning Armor or Flurry Heart. Years past and, well… we all kinda broke apart.
"See, Rainbow still had her duties with the Wonderbolts. Practices, shows, traveling and training the new recrutes" Twilight explained as she moved to a stained glass window with the image of an older looking Rainbow Dash with a thick flight jacket and a sick looking Mohawk, surrounded by pegusi dressed in wonderbolts uniforms. "She eventually became the leader of the Wonderbolts when Spitfire stepped down. With all that responsibility, she didn't have time to help out with Canterlot or any other related duties."
"Rarity, I think you remember" Twilight treid to speak casually on the topic of this friend, knowing full well that Spike had deep feelings for her and didn't want to reopen any wounds. The image of Rarity in the stained glass window next to Rainbow dash showed her in a thick fur coat, surrounded by her sewing machine, and countless sparkling dressed and her fasion line's personal insignia. "Well, it's hard to be up to date on the latest fashion being stuck in the castle all the time. She left to create her world renown line of clothing, becoming the top designer in all of Equestria."
"Pinkie Pie ended up going back to Ponyville and trained to take over Sugar Cube Corner for Mr. and Mrs. Cake when they retired" Twilight motioned with her long front leg to another stained glass window of Pinkie infront of the sweets shop. "Running a business isn't all sugar, spice and everything nice. There are alot of numbers and planning involved. Pinkie was always good at planning parties, but needed alot of training with the numbers relating to orders, back stock and other aspects of running a business."
Twilight approached another stained glass window, Spike following behind her. This window had an image of Fluttershy with a slightly messier and longer mane and tail, surrounded by animals, with Discord in the distance. "Fluttershy had to get back to her animal sanctuary, Discord couldn't do it all by himself, not without his magic and guidance. So she returned to take care of the sick and injured animals."
'Discord doesn't have his magic' Spike thought to himself. 'That right. Something happened to him when he returned from stone. But everything else still seems wrong. Fluttershy doesn't even have an 'animal sanctuary'.'
"Oh, and Applejack" Twilight's gaze quickly caught sight of a window depicting friend she almost overlooked. "She and Sunny got married, but knew they couldn't be happy living as King and Queen of the Crystal Empire. So, they appointed Starlight and Sunburst as the next King and Queen. It took the Crystal Ponies a while to warm up to them, but they did eventuality. With the Empire in good hooves, Applejack and Sunny returned to Sweet Apple Acres, where they raised three foals, I hear."
"You 'hear'?" Spike repeated Twilight's last word. "Don't you ever go down and see them or, I don't know, send letters or anything?" Spike asked, seeming concerned, as if he didn't already know Twilight's day to day life.
A forlorn expression broke the refined look Twilight tried to hold onto. "I'm sorry Spike. It's just a fact of life. Friends grow apart. I didn't like it anymore then anypony else, but we each have our own responsibilities, our own destenies. Equestria is at peace right now, but I can't just take a day off to pop in and see ponies I used to know. It's been too long. They all are living their own lives. They don't want to dig up the past."
"That's not true!" Spike snapped. Twilight looked shocked at the muscular dragon's outburst, as if he had never done such a thing. Something deep inside him told him his outburst had two meanings, but he went with the one that made more sence. "It doesn't matter how long its been since you saw your friends. Friendship doesn't diminish with time. Only when somepony gives up. Tell me, Twilight, have you given up on friendship?"
For the first time in what felt like decades, Twilight sat and thought about FRIENDSHIP, and what it had meant to her…
Shinning Armor was at a table in the Crystal guards local hang out, drinking his seventh glass of crystal berry juice. He preferred the Apple Cider that came from Sweet Apple Acres, but it was hard to ship something like that so far without damaging the goods. Halfway though his drink, Shinning thought about the argument he had just had with his wife.
'I saw you! Earlier! When you were out with the 'girls'!' Shinning had snapped at Cadence as soon as she walked in the door. He had offered to take care of Flurry Heart that day so Cadence could have some time with her gal pals. He took Flurry Heart to the park, not expecting to see Cadence there, being pampered by some Rick looking stallion, holding her hoof and kissing her on the forhead, the cheek, and worse, on the lips. It broke his heart.
'What are you talking about!?' Was Cadence's only response. 'I was at the spa with my friends all day! But they had some interesting storied to tell about YOU! Like the extra attention you pay to the mares in the Crystal guard! Making sure THEY get payed extra to keep quiet and be your personal guards when I'M not around! Do you know how humiliating that is!? To be the princess of love and have your husband hanging around a bunch of mares when I'm not looking!?'
'That's not true!' Shinning stood up, anger causing his blood to boil. 'Nice lie to cover up YOUR unfaithfulness! I know what I saw! And I can't believe you! I thought you loved ME!'
'I see the way you look at other mares! Don't try and weasel your way out of this one!' Cadence hissed, narrowing her eyes on Shinning.
Shinning knew he wasn't going anywhere with this. He grabbed his coat and stormed past Cedence, not even looking back. 'I'm going out. Don't expect me to come back.'
'Enjoy your mares' Cadence spat, pain and anger in her words.
'Enjoy your stuffed shirt' Shinning growled then slammed the door, never looking back.
Looking into his glass, Shinning could hardly believe what had happened. Cadence accused him of being unfaithful. Him!? He had only been in love with her since highschool. She could have anypony she wanted. She was beautiful, smart, talented, ponies adored her, and she was a princess. She could have her pick of anypony she wanted. Why did he ever think she would be happy with some bucket head like him…
Tears fell from Cadence eyes as she walked out of Flurry's bedroom. It was hard to get Flurry Heart to stop crying after Shinning left, slamming the door on his way out. When he did, Cadence's heart broke in two. She wasn't going to say anything to Shinning about what her friends had gossips about in the spa that day, but his hard tone was too much. She had alway felt like she wasn't giving HIM enough attention, especially after Flurry was born. But she thought he was more understanding that. She thought that if he really had a problem, he would talk to her. Cadence had never seen him so angry before.
Shutting the door to Flurry's room and dragging her hooves several steps away, Cadence fell to the ground in tears, one hoof to her muzzle as she faught to keep her cries as silent as she could, not wanting to wake her daughter.
'I wasn't enough for him' she thought, her heart breaking further. 'I didn't give him enough attention. I knew I was putting in alot of time with my royal duties, but I should have spent more time with him. Been a better wife. Maybe then he wouldn't have become so distant…'
Standing over a defeated Celestia, Nightmare Moon began thinking of a proper way to punish her sister for 1000 years of imprisonment followed by more years of subservience, being forced to play nice with her sister who 'always knew what was best.' When something came over Nightmare Moon, like she had just ran a week long marathon without magic.
Nightmare Moon fell to the ground, collapsing with only one eye able to look up. Her reptilian eyes began to change back to the irises that belonged to Princess Luna as she felt her magic drained from her.
Standing tall and proud of her work was none other then Mourning Cloak. Using Amore's body, the wicked Umbrum Queen chuckled as she drained the magical energy from Nightmare Moon, forcing her back into princess Luna. As the villainess drained the princesses of the night further, Mourning Cloak began to feel more and more whole. It was time. She no longer needed to latch onto Amore and her body. She could leave the old princess behind and become her own being!
Amore began to float in the air for a moment, her eyes and mouth expelling black smoke and mist as her body began to tremble. The Black gaseous substance collected and formed a creature similar in hight and shape to Princess Amore, with the exception of a pair of large, sickly looking butterfly wings, several shades of brown and black with a green outline streached to the top of the cave. The mare's body was elegant but full, as if she had never seen a single day without a meal, and didn't have an ounce of body fat to her. Her eyes glowed a wicked scarlet in the darkness just above two rows of sharp teeth that lay in her muzzle. A flowing green and brown mane seemed to blow down from the top of her head like smoke from a witch's coldrin, her tail acted the same and reached the floor behind her.
Princess Amore fell to the floor out cold. Now free, Queen Mourning Cloak, mother of King Sombra, Queen of the Unbrum, one of the original three ancient shadow creatures, was whole once more! An overwhelming feeling of twisted joy burned inside her, she couldn't help but begin a rumbling laughter that could fill the prisoners of Ironlock prison with nightmares for days. The laugh continued to grow and grow until it echoed like a mad beast in the caves tunnel and spilled out into the wilderness, chasing off any and every creature within miles of the mountain.
Charging out from the castle, Sunny and Thorax quickly ran into the crowd of frightened Crystal ponies. Everypony had been quickly rounded up just as he had ordered, faster then he expected. Sunny noticed Starlight and Sunburst at the far edge of the group lined up with the Crystal guard. Starlight appeared ready for a fight while Sunburst put on the toughest expression a pacifist bookworm could muster.
"Starlight, Sunburst" Sunny galloped over to them. "We're going to need a force feild around the base of the castle. The safety of the Crystal ponies and the Crystal Heart is our number 1 priority. Do you two think you can do that?"
Starlight's hardened expression wavered a little. "Honestly, I don't know. I've never made a force feild that big before."
Sunburst pulled a book out from under his cloak and began flipping though the pages as fast as his hooves could coinside with his vision. Finnaly he came to the right page and set the book down infront of Starlight. "We might be able to pull it off if we combine our magic. Under normal circumstances, we would need atleast a weekend two to tune our magical frequencies-"
"We don't have weeks, we have minutes" Sunny stated firmly.
Sunburst adjusted his glasses nervously, stuttering a little as he continued "Ugh, r-right, I know that. What I meant to say, was becouse we've worked our magic in conjuction before, we should, theoretically, be able to merge our magic togeather by following this spell…"
Starlight glanced over the spell several times, taking in as much of it as she could. "We don't have a choice. But Sunny, what are YOU going to do?"
The barrier that surrounded the Crystal Empire and protected it from the harshness of the tundra was turned black as the swarm of starving, hissing changelings faught against it, trying desperately do break through. Narrowing his eyes on the changeling swarm Sunny answered "I'm going to deal with some overgrown bugs."
"You can't just charge in there, alone, and without a plan!" Sunburst blurted out, making Sunny's statment seem pretty foolish.
"He isn't alone" a familiar voice spoke up from behind Sunny as a not so familiar looking pony stepped forward.
A mare, the same hight and similar build as Cadence, stepped forward. But the hight and build was about where the similarities ended. The mare in quesgion appeared to be made of wood, like a tree, with a mane and tail composed of what looked to be rose peddles. And she wasn't alone. Marching behind her were atleast a hundred creatures just like her. Beings in pony form with various foliage in lue of hair who's bodies were some kind of flexable, living wood.
Narrowing his eyes on the pony like creature, Sunny raised and lowered his head, as if changing his physical point of view would help identity of the mysterious newcomer.
"Don't recognize me, uncle?" The mare shot Sunny a half smile followed by a light chuckle as she flipped her rose petal mane. "Well, I did do something different with my mane. Do you like it?"
Sunny's eyes went wide when he realized who this pony like creature was. "Rosewood!?"
"Queen Rosewood" She corrected him, then motioned to the rest of her group. "Me and my bravest Petal ponies offer our services to you, your majasty."
"Yeah! Let's squash some bugs!" An eager stallion Petal pony cheered, getting hiked up.
"Well…" Sunny looked back at the Crystal Guards who had taken up positions to protect the Crystal ponies at the castle. He could summon some of them to aid him, but he didn't want to run his numbers too thin. Turning back to Rosewood, Sunny smiled and nodded. "We could use a hoof or two, if you and your, ugh, Petal ponies, wouldn't mind."
Turning back to her followers, Queen Rosewood adressed them in a tone of commanding authority. "Those who wish to fight, follow me! The rest of you, stay behind with the Crystal ponies, do what you can to keep yourselves and them safe!"
Sunny signaled for a third of the Crystal guard to follow him, and the rest to remain behind to protect the Crystal ponies and Petal ponies ies remaining behind. Once the group lead by Sunny and Rosewood were outside the radius of the castle, Starlight and Sunburst went right to work casting their spell.
Moving towards the center of the castle, Starlight and Sunburst sat back on their haunches and began to focus their magic. Closing their eyes for better focus, the two unicorns ran the spell though their heads, their horns flickered and flared, and became coated in their respective magical auras. Streams of their magic began to appear all around the base of the castle, weaving between one another's like threads forming tapestry. Although a bit shaky at first, Starlight and Sunburst had to focus on the spell and the sound of eachother's breath. They needed to breath as one. Their breathing now synced, the two spellcasters were able to aline their magical frequencies and a bright pink barrier formed around the castle, shielding all the gathered ponies inside. Starlight and Sunburst couldn't move while the spell was in effect, but they could peek around and see what was going on. Everypony was scared, but remained as calm as anypony could be, under the circumstances. Starlight and Sunburst silently hoped for the same thing; that Sunny and them take those changelings down as soon as possible.
Galloping towards the edge of the Empire and the barrier that surrounded it, Rosewood turned her head slightly towards Sunny and asked "what's your plan?"
"To be honest, I was going to go out there and either transform into my Celestial form or my Umbrum form and take the changelings down with brute force or magic" Sunny admitted.
"All guns blazing, eh?" Rosewood joked but her expression seemed unamused. "Got anything else? You have magical tree ponies and Crystal guards with you now, and ugh, is he with you?"
Rosewood had pointed a hoof over Sunny's shoulder. When Sunny followed the direction of her hoof, he saw that Thorax was buzzing right beside them, charging ahead with them, seeming slightly nervous.
"Yeah, He's with us" Sunny reasured his niece. "He broke away from the hive a while ago."
"Hey, ugh, Sunny…" Thorax spoke up, Rubbing his helmet covered head with one of his insect like hooves. "I… I think I hear something…"
Concerned, Sunny started to slow his gallop to a trot. "Thorax, you ok there pal?"
The closer they got to the edge of the Empire, the more it appeared Thorax's head ache worsened. "I… I think something is using some sort of spell… errrr. To control… ugh, the hive."
"King Ha Mon" Sunny muttered. "He was the one who attacked the Galla with the changelings."
"Do you think if we take him out…" Rosewood started to say.
"That maybe the changelings would stop attacking?" Sunny finished her thought.
"Ugh… it's worth a shot" Thorax spat out, trying to block out the buzzing that was growing louder and louder in his head. The more he fought, the easier it got. But the closer they got to the edge of the barrier, the more he had to fight to keep control. He could hear King Ha Mon's voice muttering behind the buzzing, ordering him to attack the Crystal Empire and feed on the love it held. But Thorax faught back, keeping in mind that this place welcomed him, that his friends lived there, and that others were counting on him.
"Let's take the king out" Rosewood stated, a smug smile spreading across her muzzle.
"You and the other Petal ponies keep the hive busy, my guards will help make a way to King Ha Mon, and I'll take the king" Sunny stated loud enough for everypony near to hear him. He then turned to the struggling Thorax and asked "are you sure you're up for this?"
Nodding his head quickly, Thorax put on a shaky smile and raised his hoof to indicate that he was well enough to fight. But I the back of his head he could still hear the buzzing and King Ha Mon's whispers.
"Then you're with me" Sunny told the armored changeling.
The group of petal ponies, Crystal guards and one changeling reached the edge of the barrier, and without hesitation, charged through into the arctic tundra.
Immediatly they were hit with feral changelings scratching, hissing and spitting at them worse then a cat getting a bath. The petal ponies jumped in, stomping one of their hooves to the ground and the other to the sky. Their outstretched hooves began growing branches at incredible speeds, wrapping around and trapping several hissing and snapping changelings in place. Other petal ponies jumped into the air and began punching and kicking with their bare hooves, the sound of their impacts mimicked the thumping of wooden clubs. The changelings were being hit with the same force as running head first into a tree. Only this time, it was the trees doing the hitting.
The Crystal guard jumped into a V formation, with Sunny at the center of them. They pressed forward, moving as one to push the enemies aside, making way to their king for Sunny to take on. Some of the guards were picked up and pulled away by changelings, who chose to gang up on them. As much as they and Sunny wanted to stop and help their commrad, they knew they had to press on. Most of the Crystal guard kept in formation, urging forward to their target; the changeling King.
Thorax, however, had remained behind, floating neat to the barrier, eyes wide at the scene before him. The buzzing orders of King Ha Mon's hive mind spell was still in Thorax's head, but his heart sank as he saw the state of the hive. It's true the hive was cold and cruel to him before. But it was under Queen Chrysalis's orders. Although she never dared to use the hive mind spell to control the hive, out of fear of growing mad, Chrysalis keep an iron hoof rule over them. Thorax never liked forcefully feeding off others, draining them of love and alot of their life. He proposed to the queen that the changelings could coexist with the enhabitants of Equestria, live side by side, and earn their love and effective, that THAT alone could sustain them. But the Queen called him a radical extremist and had the others… make an example of him infront of the whole hive. Every changeling saw what happened to a changeling who went against the 'natural order'. He had the scars and broken limbs to prove it.
But that was long ago. Queen Chrysalis was no longer in the picture. Instead, a mad king was driving the hive to destruction. Although most of the hive remained a force to be reconed with, that was simply out of desperate starvation. If anypony looked down the way the hive must have traveled from, they would see a trail of fallen changelings who were too weak from hunger to carry on, who merely looked to the Empire in desperation, begging for food. Thorax's heart went out to them. It wasn't their fault they were like this. It was… HIS!
Thorax looked to the battle feild where changelings faught to break free from the petal pony's branches, where changeling hooves hit Chrystal guard shields with a loud metallic clang, where changelings bit and clawed pony fur and bark like skin. Down the way, far from him, Thorax saw Sunny, now in a taller form with a blazing orange mane and tail, fighting with King Ha Mon, who was looking more wild and rabid looking then before. Sunny looked as though he had the upper hoof on Ha Mon. The mad Changeling king was doing everything he could to just dodge or block Sunny's attacks. That is, until Ha Mon touched his crown, who's stones began to glow a dark green.
The eyes of the changelings flashed the same shade of green. Every able bodied and free changeling was immediatly called back to their king. Sunny noticed too late that the hive had gathered around him and all togeather, the changelings closed in around him, and began sucking the love from him. They could feel the love he had in his heart, for the ponies of the Empire who he was fighting for, for his missing Cousin and her family, for his fiancé who could be on her way, the love he felt for his mother and aunt who he hoped never crossed the changelings whole searching for the royal family. All that love in one large pony was atleast a bite of food to all the changelings, which was more then they have had in a long time. Sunny put up a forcefeild to protect him from the changeling magic, only, the changelings began drawing the love through his shield. It didn't stopped their feeding, but slowed it down, like sipping a thick shake through a thin straw.
King Ha Mon chuckled, lost within the overwhelming power, he stood back, watched and waited for his lackies to finish Sunny off. Then he would turn his attention to the Empire, where his Changelings can feed on everypony hidding there. Perhapse, after everypony there has been drained of all their love, he could have the hive reform the entire Empire into his own changeling Kingdom! The idea made him laugh even louder.
Still connecting with the hive mind spell, Thorax knew what King Ha Mon planned to do. The armored changeling couldn't just stand back and let this happen. While all the changelings were busy trying to drain Sunny, Thorax cut though the sky, his insect wings vibrating faster then ever before as he hovered just a foot above the ground to avoid being spotted. Not that it mattered much, King Ha Mon was drowning too much in his twisted daydreams to notice anything around him.
With the force of a rampaging buffalo, Thorax tacked Ha Mon, knocking him to the ground. The changeling King lost his wind, but staggered his hooves, ready for a fight. When Ha Mon saw his bold attacker was a changeling, he cracked a smile and put one of his insect like hooves to his crown. The buzzing in Thorax's head became louder, but the voice couldn't stop the feeling Thorax had burning deep inside.
"You are an unfit leader, even worse then Chrysalis" Thorax roared at King Ha Mon.
King Ha Mon was shocked to see Thorax could still speak. He focused harder with his crown, trying to regain control over Thorax. The buzzing became so loud, some changelings who were feeding from Sunny began passing out from the intensity. But Thorax didn't stumble, much less show the spell was effecting him. Ha Mon growled at Thorax as the rogue changeling continued his advance, both their eyes shooting daggers at one another.
"Errrr, why won't you obay me! I AM YOUR KING!" Ha Mon barked as he got to his hooves and jumped at Thorax.
Thorax met Ha Mon's hooves with his own, blocking the attack. Locking eyes with the mad changeling King again, Thorax answered "You are no King! You're a foal who thinks others are his toys!"
Hearing this, Ha Mon moved his head and snapped his jaws at Thorax who pulled his head back, barely avoiding his face being bitten off. Ha Mon shook free from his lock with Thorax, fell to the ground and bucked with his back insect like legs. The blow landed on Thorax's side, pushing him a few inches but only becouse of the snow around them. There was hardly any strength behind Ha Mon's attacks. Thorax turned just in time for Ha Mon to jump at him like some sort of wild cat leaping onto his prey. Thorax easily threw him off and pushed Ha Mon onto the snow. Ha Mon landed in the white powder with a crunch, but immediatly jumped back and tried to attack Thorax again. Only this time, Thorax stepped aside and socked Ha Mon with a punch that sent the weakened changeling King flying. This time, when Ha Mon landed on his backside in the snow, he did not get up. He sat there, looking up at Thorax who stood over him, looking down on the fallen King as if he were a child throwing a tantrum.
"You don't deserve to be king" Thorax stated as his burning eyes looked down at Ha Mon.
"Oh? And YOU do?" He snapped, his voice crackling as he shakily got to his hooves, his eyes becoming somewhat clear as he narrowed them again on Thorax. "You… I know who you are! The kicking dog of Chrysalis. Your old queen made an example of you, did she? How sad. But what is this? Looks like you found a new ruler to bow to."
Ha mon motioned to the crest on Thorax's armor, it was the symbol of the Crystal Empire. But Thorax didn't take his eyes off Ha Mon for a second. He knew what the mad king was trying to do, and Thorax refused to play his mind games, and instead continued to advance.
"Working for ponies? I used to do that too" Ha Mon snorted, slowly taking a step back away from Thorax, hoping the changeling didn't notice his slight retreat. "And you know where that got me? No where! I was no better then a school nurse to a bunch of ponies society rather forget existed! I graduated top of my class, worked for years on progressing our medical science! All so some beurocrat could tell me my methods are unethical so he could climb further up the ladder?"
Thorax reared up and stomped his hooves hard into the snow, eyes burning as he yelled at Ha Mon "You are a whining foal!"
This shocked Ha Mon who fell over when Thorax stomped the ground. It took him a moment to recover, and when he did, all he could muster was "…Excuse me?"
"You heard me!" Thorax had never been so angry in his life. He stomped up to Ha Mon who was now crawling backwards on his back, sencing what a threat Thorax actually was. Thorax didn't stop his advance as he continued to yell " You are a foal who thinks every creature is your play thing and you make excuses for not treating others rights! 'You're a doctor' so you can torture others with wierd experiments. 'You're a king' so you can force others to do what you want. But a REAL king would put the safety of his subjects first! All YOU care about is power and control! The hive tortured and imprisoned me, and 'I' feel more for them then YOU do! They need a kind ruler! They need love! They need somepony who actually CARES about THEM! You and Chrysalis are terrible leaders!"
"Oh? And you think YOU could do better?" Ha Mon stopped retreating, trying to throw Thorax off his grove. The moment he did, Ha Mon would strike.
But that moment never came. Instead, Thorax thought about all he had learned at the Crystal Empire from Cadence and Shinning Armor. About how a real leader puts the good of everypony above themselves. About how one needs to show kindness and honesty to obtain loyalty. And a good leader does the right thing, even if others don't like it. Standing up strait and tall, Thorax looked down at Ha Mon and told him in a much firmer and commanding voice then Thorax ever had before "Yes. I do. And if you ask any of my friends, they'd say the same thing."
A new magic began to flow from within Thorax, raising him into the air, his armor peeling off like old leaves, then the magic coated him in a cocoon of pure light. The changelings who had been feeding on Sunny stopped. Every changeling turned and faced the bright light coming from the direction of their king. The light was odd, as if it held within itself a type of magic that could sustain them more then love that they forcibly steal. It was an odd feeling that seemed to warm them down to their core. No longer fluttering, buzzing and hissing, the changelings tread through the snow towards their king and the blinding light.
Ha Mon had to shield his eyes from the light coming from Thorax. After a moment, the cacoon of light began to grow and pulse until it cracked open and a new being emerged from it. The creature had a light green body in the shape of a broad chested pony, but a dark green underbelly similar to an insect. The similarities to an insect streqched to its back, where a bright violet shell opened up to release a pair of transparent wings. Where a tail would be on a pony was another transparent appendage, almost like a third wing in lue of a tail. The creature bore three gem like stones on its chest. Traveling upwards, the being had a very pony like head, but for eyes it had two shinny velvet lidded orbs that matched its shell. Two orange antlers stuck out from either side of its head, great and wide, with one tiny horn at the center of his forhead that matched his body's color. All of the changelings looked upon this new being as if he were a life time supply of food.
After a moment, Ha Mon broke out in a feat of laughter "w-what are you supposed to be? Some kinder gardener's failed art project? What is with those colors? And those horns! Are you part moose or something?"
Thorax wavered a little, but somepony spoke up from behind the crowd of changelings that circled him. "Don't listen to him, Thorax! He's scared!"
"Scared?" Ha Mon laughed louder then before. "What do 'I' have to be scared of? This … thing? Whatever you are? A moose bug thing? Ha! Don't make me laugh!"
"No" Thorax regained his confidence, turning his attention back to Ha Mon. "He's right. You are afraid. Just like Chrysalis, you're afraid of losing power! You kept the changelings starving so YOU could be the one to feed them and appear to be their hero. But you know what?! We don't need to forcibly feed on others! Since I made friends, I haven't felt the need to feed at all!"
Turning his attention to the changelings surounding him, Thorax announced to them in a much more friendlier tone "we don't need to steal love! We can make friends! And when we share friendship, it fills us more then any love we could ever steal! We can live peacefully with others. Please, my hive, I ask you to consider friendship. To consider a life where you don't have to fight for scraps! Where you can do more with your life then feed! Please, choose friendship!"
Every changeling remained silent, looking nervously at one another, unsure what to make of what Thorax was saying.
"They don't care about friendship" Ha Mon stated as he got to his hooves. "They are humble servents who need a strong leader to guide them. Simple creatures that just need to feed and nothing-"
But Ha Mon's rant was interrupted when a changeling off in the crowd became surrounded by a cacoon of light similar to the one Thorax was in. Thorax and Ha Mon both watched as it emerged and fluttered to the ground. Similar to how it looked as a changeling, only, its body was solid, no holes, and turned in color to shades of pink with bright blue eyes, instead of a black and grey. Another cacoon of light arose a little ways away from the first one. And another after that. Then a third after that. Then several at once after that! In no time, changelings where metamorphosising into new, pastel colored forms of themselves, lacking wholes in their wings and legs, fangs, and forked tongues! Before they knew it, Thorax and Ha Mon were surouded by a sea of brightly colored insect ponies who no longer craved love to feed on, but desired friendships and bods that they could share and enrich their lives.
Thinking quickly Ha Mon put both his front hooves on the sides of his crown and focused with all his might. But not matter how hard he focused, the hive mind spell amplified by the crown didn't work on the new changelings.
"Its over, Ha Mon" Thorax told him, looking Ha Mon in the eye.
But Ha Mon refused to give up. He redirected his focus on Thorax only, thinking if he could atleast control HIM, he might be able to control the rest of them. Try as he might, the spell had no effect on Thorax what so ever.
"Are you done, Ha Mon?" Throax asked.
Taking another look around, Ha Mon knew he had been beat. He slunk his shoulders in defeat and simply nodded, then removed his crown and tossed it at Thorax's hooves. Thorax raised his might hoof and in one stomp, crushed the changeling crown, which shattered like glass before evaporating into dust.
To his suprise, Ha Mon saw Thorax hold out a hoof to him, flashing his a gentle smile. "Not everypony is meant to lead. You do act like a foal, Ha Mon, but you might just need somepony to show you how to grow up. What do you say? Wanna be friends, Ha Mon?"
Ha Mon looked at Thorax's hoof for a long moment, unsure of what it actually meant. But he knew one thing now that his mind was beigining to clear, he HATED being the leader. The power was fun, but it was WAY too stressful. Maybe being by the leader's side was where he meant to be all along. It was fun when he was by Snowstorm's side. Ha Mon took Throax's hoof and stood up, only for himself to be circled in a cacoon of light as well.
Inside his own cacoon, Ha Mon felt a familiar warmth, one that he felt long ago when he made friends with a filly back in school, who's mom was a nurse. She too, wanted to become a nurse. He and her had gone to medical school togeather, but when he started messing with things he shouldn't have, that friend of his didn't want to see him again. And it hurt. Seeing her image again after so many years reminded Ha Mon what REAL friendship was all about. The light began to fade as Ha Mon broke free from his cacoon, reborn as a new changeling. Ha Mon looked himself over, taken back a little by his new appearance.
He was a pearl white color with a slight grey belly. And although he couldn't tell, his eyes were a bright yellow color. He looked no different then any of the other reformed changelings, say for his color, and kind of preferred it that way. Turning his attention to the crowd of changelings, Ha Mon didn't know what to say at first. Then something swept into his mind as he looked at Thorax, who offered him friendship, having faught him for the entire hive. Thorax would be a great king. "All hail King Thorax!"
To which every changeling replied "All hail, King Thorax! All hail, King Thorax! All hail, King Thorax!"
"I don't mean to break this historical moment up" Sunny emerged from the crowd of changelings to reach the newly appointed King Thorax, his expression flashing with great worry. He had reverted back to his smaller pony form, alot of his magic having been consumed by the changelings before their transformation. "But we need to get back to the castle, now. Something is wrong. Really wrong."
Thorax Ha Mon and the other reformed changelings all looked I the direction of the Crystal Empire. The barrier surrounding it was being poisoned, turned black and bubbling purple and grey, with only small parts at the base not poisoned by dark magic, yet.
Grabbing Sunny and throwing him onto his back, Thorax spread his wings and began flying at top speed to the Crystal Empire's barrier. "Let's hurry! Every creature, to the castle!"
The other changelings followed behind their king, even the former King Ha Mon, who was tailing right behind Thorax. All of them filled with a new since of urgency as their King rushed into what might be the second greatest battle of their lives..
Any ruler, whether they be a King, Queen, Princess, Prince, Lord, Duke, Dutchess, General, Captain, Mayor or even club President, will be remembered for their greatest triumph or their worst impacting decision…
The changelings had managed to make it inside the Crystal Empire barrier before it was completly engulfed by black magic. From the inside, the Empire was like an apple. The grass had quickly died in the short time they were gone, the Crystal structures all lost their shine and glow. The dark magic just seemed to coat the outside of the Empire, but couldn't break through enough to actually change the structures into dark crystals. Holding onto Thorax's back as they flew to the castle at top speeds, Sunny felt nauseous as a feeling of deja vue made his stomach turn. He felt an overwhelming sence of fear radiating from the castle.
As the newly transformers changlings zoomed across the fields surounding the Empire, they too became aware that something was wrong. It was quiet, eerily too quiet. It didn't take them long to reach the abandoned city of the Crystal Empire, where the defining silance didn't end. If anything it was worse. The only sounds they all seemed to hear were the sounds of their own breath and the beating of their own hearts. Even the sound of their fluttering wings that had been buzzing up till then, had some how faded to silance.
"Something is wrong" Thorax tried to whisper to Sunny under his breath, but due to the silance, every changeling heard him.
Sunny said nothing, but his eyes kept darting all around the town, scanning each building, every bench, every light post for something that was out of place. A million different thoughts passed through Sunny's mind as they neared the Crystal castle, ranging from a silencing spell to throw them off so some enemy could ambush them, to them being tricked into a dark magic illusion and all this was just in their minds. It's possible that they never made it past the barrier and were actually on the ground outside the Cryatal Empire, laying in the snow, stuck in a nightmare that was about to take a sudden turn for the worse.
Things were about to go from bad to worse, but this was no illusion.
Crossing the edge of the Crystal city that fed into the Empire's castle, Throax and Sunny grasped when they saw what was awaiting them on the other side. There was an army of ponies, all wearing black armor, coated with spikes, masks on their muzzles hid their faces, a green glow emmiting from small slits where their eyes would be, indicating that they were under a dark magic spell of some sort. If only it were just ponies amung their ranks, they wouldn't have been as would have been as intimidating. Unfortunatly, a dozen dragons, about eight minatours, several yaks, four manticore and several creatures who lived in the Everfree forest including cragodiles, giant spiders, and a hydra, all seemed to be a part of this dark army. All of the other creatures wore similar black spiked masks like the ponies had, but no armor for their bodies. The creatures didn't stir, despite their usual habits of bobbing their heads, swishing their tails, growling at anything that moved, or flexing their muscles. The only movement the creatures made, other then the dragon's silently flapping wings, was moving their masked muzzled to face Sunny and the transformed changelings. Sunny had Thorax land about fifty feet from the edge of the Dark army and let him down.
When his hooves touched the ground, a chill ran up Sunny's spine, almost as if he landed in a freezer. Looking over his shoulder at his companions (the reformed changelings, petal ponies and small group of royal guards who accompanied him into battle) Sunny saw they all shivered as they touched the ground as well, all of them looking incredibly nervous. Before anycreature could speak, though, the Dark army of armored ponies and other mask wearing creatures separated and made way for Sunny to walk through. Just Sunny. The rout was too narrow for the changelings to join him, they all got that message.
Taking a deep breath, Sunny raised his head and stepped forward. His shoulder was caught by Throax's green insect like hoof. Looking back at the new Changeling King, Sunny shot him a look that told Thorax that this was something he needed to face, even if it was alone. Despite Thorax's silent plea, Sunny's resolved expression didn't waver. He may have been weakened from the battle with Ha Mon and the other changelings and forced back into his smaller pony form, but Thorax saw the fire in Sunny's eyes. Releasing Sunny's shoulder, Thorax stood back and watched with the others as his friend walked up the narrow aisle the dark army made for him. As Sunny pressed forward towards the Crystal castle, the Dark army closed behind him, indicating they wouldn't let him turn back. He could only go forward, and in the direction they opened to him.
Keeping his pace steady, his head held high and eyes forward, Sunny took note from his peripheral vision of his current situation. An army of black armor wearing ponies and other creatures all surounding him, moving like silent puppets, he could feel their eyes locked on him, their heads only moving as he proceeded. They were definitely being controlled. No creature moves like this of their own free will. There were two individuals that came to Sunny's mind who could be behind this.
Reaching the end of the the dark army, Sunny saw both of the culprits at the base of the castle. His father, King Sombra, and the mare who he assumed to be the fake Princess Amore, though she now covered herself in a disgusting brown and black cloak with only her muzzle exposed. A chill blew into Sunny when he looked upon them, he could feel their eyes burning like ice as their gaze weighed down upon him. Although the hood of the cloaked mare kept her eyes hidden, Sunny's father's eyes blazed red as he glared at Sunny, looking at him like a roach he found in the kitchen. Sunny had never felt this cold of a feeling ever coming from his father before. Sombra was a completely different pony.
Taking a deep breath, holding his head high, Sunny continued to advance towards Sombra and the cloaked mare, making sure to keep a decent distance from them. The two trouble makers were just a few yards away from the barrier Sunburst and Starlight were holding up. Inside the barrier, Sunny could feel the fear of the Crystal ponies growing, their eyes locked on the image of King Sombra. Sunny stopped when he stood between his father, the cloaked mare and the barrier that housed everypony inside it.
"Father" Sunny stated coldly, testing to see how much of his father was still in Sombra.
"I don't know what you've been told, foal, but i'm not your father" Sombra's words were colder then any blizzard Sunny had faced.
His words struck Sunny hard, hecouldn't help but show pain. But he was able to pull himself togeather, push his feelings to the side, and focus on the main issue. Standing up strait, chest puffed out, Sunny narrowed his eyes and, in a firm tone questioned Sombra "What are you doing here?"
"I've come to free my kind" although Sombra seemed to speak in a calm tone that only Sunny should have been able to hear, the quiet calm made it so their entire conversation could be heard by every creature in the Empire, but few actually knew what Sombra was referring to. Only Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shinning Armor, Applejack, her friends, and Sunny's friends knew the truth about Sombra. To clarify, as well as strike fear into their hearts, Sombra turned to the shielded Crystal ponies, cracked a wicked smile, and spoke a name that filled the Crystal ponies with fear. "The Umbrum."
Many of the Crystal ponies grasped and began speaking in hushed whispers while keeping their heads low. Those too terrified to speak merely watched with horrified awe, fearing the darkness that might come.
"You can't release them without all the corner stones" Sunny stated in a flat tone, his unblinking eyes locked on King Sombra. "And I have the last one hidden."
"You're going to give it to me" Sombra declared, his smile faded, sencing he nolinger needed it to strike fear into the hearts of the Crystal ponies.
"What makes you so sure?" Sunny asked. "Just becouse you have us surrounded ten to one? We have reinforcements on the way, and if you recall, the last time you tried to take the Empire, you were…. blasted. Into a million pieces."
Even though Sunny was trying to appear threatening, using the Crystal Heart as a weapon to scare off Sombra, it still bothered him deep down to think about doing that to his own father, no matter how awful Sombra may be acting.
"Please. You are in no shape to fight, much less rally the Crystal ponies to fill the Crystal Heart" Sombra protested, appearing unafraid of Sunny's threat. "And as for your 'reinforcments', by which, you mean that annoying purple alicorn and her friends, they've been taken care of."
Sunny didn't like the sound of that, nor did he like the fact that all this was causing the inner light of the Crystal ponies to flicker and fade. Without the Crystal Heart, the Umbrum's prison would be weakened, the barrier around the Empire will collapse, and the Crystal ponies would be open game.
"You talk a big game" Sunny stated with great confidence. "But Twiliht and the other Elements of Harmony aren't our only reinformcnets."
"The princesses are down for the count, too" the mare spoke. Her voice was like nails on a chalk board, words scratching as they escaped her lips. If Sombra's words were colder as ice hers was cold electricity, striking you in an instant, instead of giving you a fighting chance. Red eyes glared out from under her hood as she spoke. "I turned them on one another and took the winner down. Your precious mommy won't be coming to your rescue."
Narrowing his eyes on the cloaked mare, Sunny swore he recognized the foul mare.
"Besides, if I wanted to take the corner stone by force, I would have done so" Sombra declared, holding his head up in triumph, turning his gaze towards some of the controlled dragons of his dark army, and stomped his hoof signaling them. "But I've come here to trade. The corner stone, for them…"
Sunny's jaw dripped when he saw what the dragon's had in their claws. The image filled the Crystal ponies, changelings, peral ponies, Sunburst and Starlight with dread. Everypony who was in control of their mind couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"So it was you!" Sunny was barely able to speak the words, feeling shocked and insulted. "How could you!"
"Do we have a trade?" Sombra snickered as he put a hoof on a black magical bubble that floated in the air just a few inches above the ground. Within the sphere were three ponies, dormant in some kind of sleep like state. Flurry Heart who appeared to be sleeping peacefully, while Shinning Armor and Cadence, who appeared to be suffering in some kind of nightmare. "Your choice. I can take the stone, and the Empire by force, or you can give them both to me and I give you them."
*********************
Ever since Spike had asked Twilight if she had given up on Friendship, she had sat at her throne looking over her old journal. The one she and her friends started the first couple of years she lived in Ponyville. A sorrowful expression on her muzzle as she looked the pages over, Pinkie had snuck in and added pictures of the events, which helped make the past all the more real.
"We sure got into alot of trouble, didn't we?" Twilight spoke up after a long while of being quiet, catching Spike off his guard.
The now adult dragon had been practicing push ups, making it just barely over 300 when Twilight broke his consintration. The purple and green dragon fell to the ground, but picked himself up immediately, then flew up to where Twilight was looking over her old journal. The open page was the on about Pinkie's 'Pinkie sence' "Oh yeah! I remember that day! You tried all kinds of tests to prove Pinkie didn't have a 6th sence. Remember you got so frustrated, I swore your mane and tail caught fire!"
Spike chuckled a little, which actually got Twilight chuckle with him.
"Oh! Remember the night at the Gala?" Twilight had flipped ahead several pages. The open page had several pictures of each of the girls in their ideal situations, but none of it went as planned. How Pinkie got all those pictures, even of one of her up on stage with all the regal guests showing annoyed looks, Twilight still couldn't figure out.
"Yeah. The Gallas after that went much smoother" Spike noted, then flipped the pages ahead a bit."Hey! Speaking of Pinkie, remember when she made all those clones of herself and they were running around like crazy all over town?"
"Who could forget?" Twilight laughed lightheartedly. "What a crazy adventure that was. But the important thing was Pinkie learned her lesson; decide which friend to spend time with, but not to feel bad, becouse a real friend will have more opertunities to hang out with them."
"We had some wacky adventures, but we sure did learn some valuable lessons didn't we?" Spike noted, flipping past a few more pages.
"We did, indeed, Spike…" Twilight nodded as her words seemed to trail off. Something didn't seem right. It felt like Twilight had been reading the book of one life she and her friends were living, only to suddenly pick up another book and start at the last chapter. The two stories were similar, but things didn't seem to link up right.
Looking over her book again, Twilight began to feel something was wrong in the pit of her stomach. It's true that someones ponies grow apart, but Spike had a point. No letters to eachother, no visits, no invitations to parties. It's almost like they live in their own worlds or something…
**************
Applejack had jumped out of the magical mirror connecting the Crystal Empire to the Canterlot castle and made her way to the princess's throne room, needing to alert Twilight immediatly. But as the orange farm pony stepped into the room where Twilight should have been, she was hit with an odd wave of magic. It made her head spin, almost like the hands on a clock were spinning round and round at top speed, years flying by like seconds. She felt older, her mind still trying to catch up with her body and the world around her. Finnaly when the world stopped spinning, Applejack found herself back home at Sweet Apple Acres, standing at the edge of the orchard. She didn't know how she got there, the farm house and the barn looked a little different, but it was Sweet Apple Acres alright.
"Hey honey! Ya commin' in fer breakfast!" Sunny called from the porch, rising a triangle that Granny often used to summon the kids back for meal times.
Without thinking much of it, Applejack casually trotted down the dirt road back up to the farmhouse, up the steps, over the porch, through the front door and casually into the kitchen.
"Morning momma!" A cheery little earth-pony filly greeted Applejack. Her mane was red, much like Apple Blooms, but her body was a shade lighter of orange then Applejack's own, with a pair of bright green eyes.
"Morning mom" a second filly, a unicorn, greeted Applejack with less enthusiasm, half her attention lost in a book. Her coat was a light aqua marine color, her mane and tail were purple and strait, but cut short. Her orange eyes skimmed the open page of a book she had infront of her.
"Crisp, no books at the table, you know that" Sunny appeared, levitating several plates of food, placing two of them infront of the fillies, and two in open seats.
"Any word from Jazz about Manehatten yet daddy!?" The first filly asked, nearly bouncing out of her chair, appearing overly excited.
"Nothing yet, Honey" Sunny shot her a weak smile as he levitated her some syrup for her pancakes. "But you know your brother. He gets lost in the music and forgets things. Ah'm sure he's workin' hard ta make his dreams come true."
"So hard he doesn't write home, like, ever" the filly known as Crysp mumbled under her breath, putting her book away reluctantly. "When I get older and go to study at Grandma's school for gifted unicorns, I'm going to make it a point to write home atleast once a week. Like Princess Twilight wrote to grandma."
"And we'd appreciate that" Sunny said with a smile, kissing Crysp on the forhead. "Now eat up. If ya finish yer chores before noon, ah'll have some time ta teach ya ah new spell."
This brightened Crysp's mood up. The little unicorn began eating as fast as she could, making sure to chew every bite twenty times before swallowing, not wanting to cause a tummy ache.
"Dad, some of the kids from school were wondering if we could use the clearing in the north orchard for bucket ball. Can we? Please, please, please, pleeeeease!" The filly Sunny called Honey begged her father, trying to flash puppy dog eyes at him while puffing out her lower lip.
"So long as you finish your chores first" Sunny simply stated, patting her on the head as he made his way to an empty seat. Pulling it out and turning to Applejack. "Hon, ya gunna join us? It's gettin' cold."
Applejack took it all in. It was a wonderful scene, a dream. She knew the fillies were her twin daughters, and that Sunny and her had a son who moved to Manehatten earlier that year to play jazz music and become a famous musician. She and Sunny had taken over the family business of running running farm since Apple Bloom was always on the go with her line of work helping ponies with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders, Granny had moved to the Silver Shoals retirement home and was enjoying retirement with the other Golden Horseshoe girls, and Big Mac had started his own apple orchard in Sugar Belle's home town, growing all kinds of fruite, mostly apples, for Sugar Belle and her buisness. She even remembered the birth of her nephew, Bright Bramely, and Sunny and her being named his God parents. It was such a wonderful life, raising her foals, teaching them how to work the farm, telling them the stories of their youth, and… something was wrong.
"Hey, Sunny…" Applejack didn't move from where she stood. She knew certain things were right, but, alot was wrong. "What happened with your father? When we were King and Queen of the Crystal Empire?"
Sunny stood there, paused, and after a moment, looking at first like he was about to go into detail of some wonderful grand adventure like he sometimes did. But he hesitated. His expression became filled with sorrow but still his smile remined as he looked up at Applejack, his forlorn eyes locking with hers. "I… I can't lie. In your mind, I can't even lie. I'm in trouble right now, out there. In the real world."
Applejack was confused but knew something was off. "Ya…ain't th' real Sunny, are ya? None of this… is real."
The fillies got up and moved to their father's side. He hugged them both, pulling them in as tightly as he could. "It's as real as you want it to be."
Tears began to fall from her eyes as Applejack looked all around her. She had to take a few hard breaths before speaking once again. "Ah want it ta be real, so much. Ya have no idea how much ah want our lives ta be like this."
"But you can't lie to yourself" the fake Sunny smiled at her. "Its OK. 'This' all around us is an illusion. But you can still make your own dreams come true. But not if they win."
"Who? Sombra!? Oh my gosh! Ah have ta find Twilight! The Empire's under attack!" Applejack began to panic, prancing in place, wanting to bolt in any direction but didn't know which direction to go.
"Applejack, please listen" the fake Sunny stepped away from his frieghted daughters to grab ahold of Applejack by her shoulders, trying to ground her mind. When his eyes met hers, he knew she was conflicted. She knew he wasn't the real Sunny, but he looked so much like him. "Applejack, the real ME needs you. He can't do this alone, but you have to go out there with a clear head. Sombra and his mother will do anything to keep everypony separated, becouse thats when anypony is most vulnerable. But don't lose hope. Keep walking, keep believing that things will turn out right. And if you find yourself lost in the dark, hold on to your happy thoughts. Ok?"
Tears were falling from the fake Sunny's eyes now as he told her all of this. Applejack calmed down enough to see that the world around her was fading away into darkness. The scene of the farm though the windows went first, turning black, then the pieces of the kitchen began to go too. The table was gone. The floor, ceiling and walls of the farm house kitchen disapeared, leaving just the two fake daughters, the fake Sunny and her.
"Go" the fake Sunny told Applejack as he released her. "We'll be alright."
"But… but you'll disapear!" Tears fell from Applejack's eyes as she reached out to grab for the fake Sunny, only for her hoof to faze though his.
The fake Sunny never stopped smiling as he rejoined his daughters, pulling them tightly into his fading body as their bodys became transparent as well. "We will, but the real versions of us are out there. Or, will be out there, eventually. But not if you don't save tye REAL Sunny"
The unicorn filly, the fake Sunny called Crysp, tried to hold back tears as she waved goodbye to Applejack, unable to muster the strength to say anything.
The earth pony filly the fake Sunny called Honey, forced a smile that looked so much like her father's as she yelled out in a fading voice "ah'll see ya later, mamma!"
The fillies had faded away, leaving a transparent fake Sunny alone in a world of darkness alone with the real Applejack. His voice was an echo in the void. "Run to the light. And never lose hope…"
With his final words, the fake Sunny vanished but a small light in the distance remained where the last bit of him used to be. Taking a moment to wipe away her tears, Applejack strained her hat, took a deep breath, and began running at top speed towards the light. It seemed like an endless run with her making no progress at all, but Applejack was driven by the fact that her REAL Sunny was in danger. He needed the help of her and her friends, there wasn't a moment to lose!
The burning feeling deep inside, to help the stallion she loved, seemed to bring her closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. Picking up speed, her target so close, Applejack reached the light and ran though…
************
"Something just isn't right, Spike" Twilight said after flipping through the old journal for the tenth time. "I can't quite put my hoof on it, but something is definitely off. Almost like-"
Interrupting Twilight, Applejack burst through the stained glass window of herself and Sunny on the wall, ripping through it like it was paper. A little confused, Applejack looked around for a moment and swore she was in the Canterlot castle, only, it was different some how. Her gaze traveled up and saw somepony she thought she recognized.
"Ugh, that you, Twi?" Applejack asked as she took a few steps towards Twilight's throne.
Twilight was unable to form words, still trying to piece together what had just happened. Applejack, her old friend, looking the same as she did years and years ago, just burst through a stained glass window, that Twilight swore was made of glass, just like it was a paper banner!
"Applejack, is that you?" Spike asked, getting up from his own throne, next to Twilight's, taking a step towards the familiar orange earth pony.
Applejack's eyes nearly popped out of her head when her brain connected the voice to the dragon that was moving towards her. "Spike? That you, partner?"
Looking down at himself, Spike smiled and decided to flex, assuming it had been any years since Aplejack had seen him and he had matured quite a bit. "Yep! It's me! All me."
"Impressive, Spike, but this is all ah lie" Applejack told him, feeling a little bad about shattering his confidence.
The muscles Spike had seemed to deflate with the sound of a balloon losing its helium. The once buff and cut adult dragon shrunk back down to a baby dragon that didn't even have wings. Seeing himself as he remembered, Spike sighed and kicked the ground.
"What!? Ugh, how did you..?" Twilight was more confused then before as she looked from Spike to Applejack, to the the whole in the wall Applejack made, then back to Spike then back to Applejack.
"Ah need ya ta keep calm, Sugar cube" Applejack climbed the stairs to Twilight's throne, stopping about half way. She was cautious as she explained the situation to the best of her ability. "Ah don't know much 'bout what's goin' on exactly. But what ah do know is Sombra is behind this. It's all ah lie. Ah illusion."
"An illusion" Twilight's mind began to rationalize what was going on. "Now it all makes sence! Everything seemed right becouse our minds were meant to make it seem right! But there was a part that I didn't trust!"
"We need ta get out of here an' find th' others" Applejack pulled Twilight's attention back to her. "Sunny's in trouble. Th' Empire's under attack. We need ta get th' girls."
"We're right here!" Pinkie's voice caused Twilight, Applejack and Spike to turn and look in the direction of what was Pinkie's stained glass window. Just like Applejack's, Pinkie seemed to burst through it like paper. "Sorry we're late!"
"Yeah, you won't believe what I was just doing" Rainbow Dash started to say as she took off some flashy wonderbots uniform that looked like it had been half burned off.
"I should have known having my own line of boutiques all around Equestria was too good to be true" Rarity sighed as she took off what looked like was an expensive fur coat. "Is anypony else getting tired of being trapped in dreams, illusions and fake world, or is it just me?"
"I don't know. I kinda liked my dream world. It inspired me." Fluttershy said smiling at what she just walked away from, keeping in her mind the animal sanctuary she wanted to build in the near future.
"Speak for yourself! Numbers are hard!" Pinkie grumbled, Rubbing her temples. "So. Many. Numbers…"
Focusing her magic, Twilight first teleported to where Spike and Applejack were, grabbed them,, then teleported a second time next to the rest of their group of friends. Her large body slowly reverted back to the one that her friends recognized. Once back to normal, Twilight pulled her friends into a big hig with her magical aura wrapping around all of them. No pony put up a fight when they realized what their friend was doing.
"I'm sorry girls" Twilight started to say, refusing to release her friends from her hug. "I was so foolish to think we would grow apart so easily. We would never let that happen."
"Well duh! We'd never let that happen!" Rainbow Dash snorted.
"We may have our own destines to face alone one day, darling" Rairity added.
"But as long as we make the effort, we won't ever drift apart" Fluttershy beamed, adding a little more force to her hug.
"Even if it's just writing letters, we'll always stay connected!" Pinkie Pie chimmed in, almost bouncing out of the hug.
"Ah'm real glad we agree ta always stay friends" Applejack spoke in a relatively calm voice before erupting into a more panicked one. "But the Empire is under attack! We have ta get out of here!"
The group of friends broke the hug up and began looking around thinking how they could so that.
"Last time I was under Sombra's spell, Spike was able to pull me out of it" Twilight remembered what it was like back when she was looking for the Crystal Heart when the Empire returned after being lost for 1000 years.
"But we don't know anypony-" Spike started to say when his addition to the conversation was interrupted by the sound of muching.
Everypony turned and looked to see Derpy Hooves sitting back, watching them while nibbling on what appeared to be a giant muffin.
"Derpy? What are YOU doing here?" Rainbow jumped into the air to get a better view of the grey pegasus, nibbling on a giant pastry.
After swallowing the mouthful she had, Derpy pulled out a napkin and wipped away the crumbs on her lips before speaking. "Oh! We're here to rescue you. I offered to shake you awake. But then I saw this giant muffin and-"
"Wait, we? Who's 'we'?" Twilight asked when a blinding light illuminated the entire throne room. The ground beneath their hooves faded away, leaving Twilight and her friends floating in a white void for a moment before they seemed to hit the ground with a thud.
It took them all a moment to regain their composure, blinking and rubbing their eyes to bring the room into focus. Looking around, Twilight saw all of her friends and Derpy on the ground, as if thet all had just woke up from a deep sleep. Rushing over to them were Sunny's group of friends, also known as the New Guardians of Harmony.
"You all gave us quite a scare" Octavia stated, offering Twilight a hoof up.
"Ya'll feelin' ok?" Big Mac said as he helped his sister and Derpy to their hooves.
"I think so" Derpy responded as she rubbed her head. She then became estrogen with a moment of panic and began frantically looking around. "Wait! Where's my giant muffin!?"
After everypony was up and on their hooves, Rainbow Dash blurted out the quesgion on everypony's mind. "What the heck just happened? One minute I was rushing in to tell Twilight about some storm coming in, and the next I was captain of the Wonderbolts."
"It was that" Twilight motioned to a broken crystal on the ground. Everypony turned and looked at a faded red rock that appeared to have lost all its magic. Before their eyes, the magic less Crystal crumbled and blew away into nothing. "I saw something like this back at the Crystal Empire. Sombra used it to curse a doorway so whoever tried to open it would see their worst fear."
"But I wasn't afraid" Fluttershy spoke up, giggling a little. "To be perfectly honest, it was a really happy dream I was having."
"That was th' point" Applejack interrupted, panicked still heavy in her voice. "Sombra, an' possibly Sunny's Granny, wanted us all out of th' way. Thet didn't want ta torture us, just keep us busy. We have ta go now! Changelings are attackin' the Empire!"
"Its not the changelings you need to be worried about anymore" an unfamiliar voice spoke up as an older looking colt stepped out from behind a pillar. He had short curley grey hair dark lines under his eyes a pale cream colored coat, lime green eyes and was dressed in a wrinkled blue three piece suit.
"And who are you?" Thunderlane asked, raising a brow at the stallion who appeared out of nowhere.
"For all intents and purposes, call me Twelve" the old colt told them, ignoring the shocked look on Doctor Whoove's muzzle. "And right now, you all need to get into Doctor's TARDIS. And Doctor, it would be best if you punch these coordinates into your ship's computer."
The old colt handed Doctor Whooves a long thin piece of paper with atleast three dozen numbers on it, separated every now and again by commas, semicolons, and a few parenthesis.
"And where are you going?" Rainbow Dash asked, feeling that she was being kept out of the loop about something which always annoyed her.
The stallion who adressed himself as Twelve looked back at the group, smiled as he walked behind a pillar and told them "no worries, I'll be seeing you all soon. I just have to pick up a few friends. Shouldn't be too long."
Before anypony could say anything else, Twelve disapeared behind a pillar, then an odd sound filled the room like an odd horn and scrapping of metallic walls, followed by a series of loud bubbling echoes. As soon as the noise stopped, everypony, say for Doctor Whooves and Derpy, seemed to forget they ever heard a noise.
"We have to go, Now" it was Doctor's turn to press the matter. "Come on, I have a faster way to get us all to the Crystal Empire…"
*****************
All around her was a endless void. Darkness had swallowed her and wasn't planning on letting her go. Celestia had never felt such a feeling of flat emptiness, never before felt like conscious nothingness. She might as well have been a rock at the bottom of the sea. She didn't know what had happened, only that something evil had returned. And now, her world was in darkness.
"Wake up…" an unfamiliar voice reached out to her. "Wake up, young princess…"
That feeling of flatness began to dissipate as Celestia felt herself being lifted from the void. With every word spoken to her, Celestia felt herself acend more. But the unfamiliar voice wasn't enough, and the princess of the sun began to sink back into the void once more.
"Sister?" This voice sounded familiar. But… where had Celestia heard it before? "Sister please wake up! I'm sorry! This is all my fault! I'm so sorry Tia! Please! Please, wake up! Please!"
The voice sounded so sad. Full of guilt and remorse. But at the moment, Celestia couldn't even remember her own name, much less the name of the pony speaking to her. Yet, her decent into the black void stopped. Her mind was dwindling between a century long sleep and awakening. The only thing that was keeping her from falling into that long, long sleep was the sadness in the pony's voice who continued reach out to her.
The voice sounded like she was crying now, full of pain. "Celestia…. sister… please wake up… I need you… please sister…"
The tears felt so familiar. Images began to flash back of a mare of darkness, a monster who wanted to spread eternal night. Details were foggy, but emotions were clear and strong. Celestia felt great sorrow as she sent the mare of darkness away for a long, long time. She felt so much every night for that long, long time until the mare of darkness returned. Some other ponies were there, and the mare of darkness was gone, but somepony… returned? Yes, Celestia remembered. She lost somepony when the mare of darkness came. Somepony Celestia cared for. But there was also a lingering feeling of failure on her part. Since that time long ago, all had been forgiven. The memory of emotions was uplifting. The two had been reconnected. Celestia's heart felt so much lighter after recalling one of the brightest moments of her life, the day she was reconnected with her sister…
"Luna…" Celestia spoke her sister's name softly as her eyes fluttered open, colors and shapes became gradually more clear and sharp. Clearing her throat, Celestia called her sister's name once more "Luna? Sister… where are you?"
Stepping into view was a much younger looking Princess Luna. Her coat was lavender rather then royal blue, her light blue mane was short, solid color, and stayed in one place rather then wavering and reflecting the night sky. She had returned the form she had when Twilight Sparkle and her friends freed her from being Nightmare Moon.
Getting to her hooves, Celestia also noted her own mane seemed to fall to the ground rather then move and wave like a day's breeze. Turning to Luna for answers, Celestia saw tears still in the corners of Luna's eyes as she avoided eye contact. Celestia tried to make her voice as calm as possible when she asked "Sister… what… what happened?"
"I'm… I'm so sorry, sister…" Luna's words came out very low and hoarse, more tears forming and falling from the corners of her eyes.
"This wasn't your fault, Luna" a mare in a cloak that was frayed and full of holes, spoke up as she stepped forward to Celestia with a clean wash cloth and what appeared to be a container of ointment. The cloaked mare gently grabbed one of Celestia's hooves, holding it tenderly in her own, ready to apply some ointment to it.
Celestia back up a bit and pulled the hoof that the cloaked one wanted to work on away, her tone becoming hard with suspicion. "Excuse me, but who are YOU?"
The cloaked mare looked up then pulled back her hood to reveil somepony Celestia recognized, but at the same time didn't. Her muzzle began to age slightly, her features became sharper and less full of life, with dark rings under her eyes. But the kindness in those yellow eyes was as kind, her intention was clearly pure. All the mare ever wanted to do was help others and allow their inner light to shine. But this was the first time, in a long, long time, thst she was free to act on it.
"Princess… Amore?" Celestia began to relax as she studied the mare up and down, making note of every action the aged mare took.
"I am now" the mare commented as she applied ointment to Celestia's leg that had a minor scratch on it. "And it's a good thing, too. You two needed some real help."
Turning her attention back to Luna, Celestia asked "what happened, sister? Why are you like this? Why do I feel so…"
"Drained?" Amore finished Celestia's quesgion, after she finished up with what appeared to be Celestia's only physical wound. "Mourning Cloak took some of your magic, too. Explains what she did to the sky…"
"What do you mean, did to-" But Celestia was interrupted by Luna who raced up towards the entrance of the cave. Celestia decided to follow.
In their current state, running the distance to the mouth of the cave was hard, their breathing became heavy as they neared their destination. Once at opening, Celestia felt her heart drop. The night sky, or was it supposed to be the day's sky, was a dark brown. A very dark, not quite black, brown sky, purged of its sun, moon and stars. The sky looked sick, polluted.
"This is all MY fault…" Luna hung her head in shame, still avoiding eye contact with her sister as she fell against the cave wall. Before her sister could press for an answer, Luna threw it out there. "I became Nightmare Moon again, and attacked you…"
Luna couldn't muster more words then that as she looked up with tearing eyes at Celestia, her eyes screaming how sorry she was that she allowed that to happen again.
Without hesitation, Celestia reached out and pulled her sister into a hug. "Its alright, Luna. I know you didn't mean it."
The moment lasted for a few seconds before another pony joined them at the caves mouth.
"I told you she would understand." Amore smiled as she joined the two sisters, her relaxed expression turned hard as she looked in the direction of the Crystal Empire. "That wicked creature, Mourning Cloak. She's the one who did this to you. Both of you."
A little confused, Celestia asked "what do you mean?"
"She broke your heart by turning your lover against you and your son" Amore's words were hard and clear as she spoke. "And now she's captured your niece and her family, and turned your own sister against you. She is the strongest dark magic user I've ever seen. She could twist a harmless bunny into a ruthless creature if she wanted."
"Which is what happend to me…" Luna still felt shame from her action, but a gentle hoof reached out for hers.
Celestia smiled gently at her sister, her eyes reassuring Luna that she understood and forgave her, before turning her attention to the Crystal Empire. "We need to go there. If she plans on releasing the Umbrum, and has Cadence, Shinning Armor and Flurry Heart, you know she'll use them against Sunny. Sunny needs us."
"But sister, what can we do like this?" Luna asked, breaking away from her sister, and jumping into the air a little, trying to fly, only for her wings to let her down. Luna fell to the ground, landing on her stomach with a thud. "We can't even fly, let alone take on a monster like Mourning Cloak!"
"We have to try, Luna" Celestia stated as she looked towards the Empire that seemed to be coated in a black and purple bubble. "Not just for Sunny, but for Cadence and her family, and the Crystal ponies. All of Equestria will be in danger too if we don't stop Mourning Cloak."
Taking a moment to ponder something, Princess Amore stepped between the two princesses and grabbed their hooves. Both princesses looked down at Amore, who just kept her eyes on the Crystal Empire. "Make a vow to me, young princesses. State that you'll stop that witch and save the Empire…"
Luna looked confused thinking the mare had lost her mind, Celestia shot her a similar look, but decided it was best to go along with it.
"We promise" both Luna and Celestia said at the exact same time, each one squeezing one of Amore's hooves a little tighter.
"With that vow, I offer you my power to make it come true…" Amore stated, completing an ancient spell.
The once lost princess began to glow yellow as her body began to age rapidly. Her neck began to hang a little, her skin became more wrinkled, her mane began to bleach until it became grey then white, her limbs became thinner losing all muscle they had, and her over all body shrank. She looked very similar to Granny Smith, if Granny Smith had a pink body and mane that reached the floor. The energy from Amore's body, her body's natural magic, flowed from her body into Celestia and Luna's own bodies, refilling them with enough energy to give them a fighting chance. Luna's form returned to her more regal, older form and give Celestia enough energy for her mane to start flowing again.
"Amore…" Celestia was the first to speak up, feeling terrible for taking the lost princess's Magic and leaving her in the state she was.
"Don't feel bad for me" Amore spoke up, her voice sounding so old and tired. "I wanted to do this. Now go out there, kick that monster's flank, and get your stallion. I know for a fact that he still loves you."
Celestia and Luna shared a glance, nodding to one another. Now was not the time to feel guilt for accepting such a generous gift. Now was the time to save Equestria from the most foul of evils. With one mighty beat from their wings, Celestia and Luna took to the skies, flying as quickly as they could to the Cryatal Empire.
"Good luck, girls…" Amore said before retreating to the cave for a nap. She knew the fate of Equestria was in good hooves, and was suddenly feeling very, very tired…
*******
Sunny's hard gaze locked with his father's, who was appearing very smug in his stance as he put a hoof on the magical floating ball that contained the slumbering Cadence, Shinning Armor and Flurry Heart.
"Do we have a deal or not?" Sombra's words were more playful, feeling he was in complete control of the situation with no possible way he could lose.
After a long hard moment of staring at King Sombra, Sunny stated something that shocked everypony, who could hear their conversation perfectly due to the eerie silance. "I forgive you."
Sombra didn't expect that answer. He was unsure of how to take that or what to say to it. Starlight and Sunburst, everypony within their barrier, all the changelings and petal ponies on the opposite side of the dark army, all gasped, trying to figure out what made Sunny say such a thing. But they all were speechless wanting to hear what their king would say next to Sombra. Some felt like Sunny was betraying them, but most knew Sunny was up to something.
"Excuse me?" Was all Sombra could say to this.
"You heard me. I forgive you" Sunny restated, his expression softening a little. "Everything you ever did; enslaving the Crystal ponies, attacking the Galla, sealing me away in my worst nightmare for a 1000 years, brain washing all these creatures to do your bidding, even kidnapping Cadence and her family. I forgive you for it all. The biggest thing anypony could do is forgive somepony who hurt them. It hurt when you turned your back on us. When you enslaved those you needed you. When you turned your back on me. When you turned your back on my mother…"
The mentioning of Celestia rattled something in Sombra, a mixture of anger and pain that made the shadow King clench his sharp teeth.
"Despite all of that, I still see good in you" Sunny admitted, his expression softening more. "I'll trade you the corner stone for Cadence, Shinning Armor and Flurry Heart. I'll even take everypony here and leave, changelings and petal ponies included, and go build a new home for all of them somewhere else. You and the other Umbrum can have the Empire so long as you just keep the Umbrum at bay and don't attack anypony. I'm sure we can work out the details later. But for now, please, let's just end this…"
Never breaking eye contact, Sunny stuck out his hoof to Sombra to shake, sealing the deal.
Sombra retained eye contact as he walked over to Sunny, his muzzle full of disgust and anger. But Sunny was unafraid of him which might have been the very thing that angered Sombra so much. In place of the sweet fear that should have coated Sunny's heart, was bitter sorrow. It made Sombra turn his nose up at the yellow unicorn as he approached him. 'How dare he! He's more sad then afraid of me? Is he sad for me? Or did my words really strike such a blow? And what is that I sence beneath the sorrow? Hope? He has… hope beneath the sadness in his heart? What a pathetic foal!'
Now only a leg's length away from him, Sombra stopped infront of Sunny, broke eye contact to look at Sunny's still raised hoof. The moment dragged on for a while. Which was something Sunny secretly wanted. If nothing else, all this was killing time. Deep down, he hoped Applejack and her friends were on their way. In all honesty, Sunny wanted nothing more then to just end this fighting and hoped that his father would accept the terms presented. But if things went wrong, he would need their help to free Cadence, Shinning Armor and Flurry Heart.
"You are truly pathetic" Sombra stated, then smacked Sunny's hoof away. "All you ponies are. Did you think the Umbrum wanted to be FRIENDS!? Don't you get it? They crave fear! They drain ponies of it after using their dark magic and exposing them to their greatest fears! But this was amusing, and a nessisary waste of time."
As Sombra looked up at the castle, two minataurs burst through one of the castle walls, slid down the side of the castle, and landed next to him, presenting him with the pyramid shaped corner stone Sunny was given by his mother to protect.
Everypony in the shield let out a worryfilled gasp as they began to lose more and more hope.
Sunny was shocked then outraged. "You never planned to make the trade, did you!?"
"Nope" Sombra said smuggly and she turned his red eyes back to Sunny. "Just wanted to give everypony false hope. That way, when my servents returned with the cornerstone, their hopes would be dashed and real fear would drown their hopes."
Once again, Sombra looked onto Sunny, expecting to sence fear, or even helplessness which would turn into fear. But something even worse tasting was radiating off of him. Disappointment.
The yellow unciorn's expression turned to one of anger as he looked Sombra in the eye again. "Father, I gave you one last chance. You'll get no more from me. This time, I'll throw you into Tartarus myself!"
This earned a laugh from Sombra and the cloaked mare, who were the only opposing forces who could laugh. But Sombra was the only one to speak to Sunny. "Oh? You and what army? I know you're a foolhardy knight, but even you must realize when you're outnumbered a thousand to one!"
"He's not alone" Rosewood called out as she and the other petal ponies seemed to fall from the sky. After landing she struck an elegant but threatening pose as her eyes locked onto King Sombra. She and the other petal ponies were still slightly weathered from the fight, but they were healing fast. "I stand by my uncle. He was there when I need him, it's time I return the favor."
"We do as well!" Decending from the sky following the petal ponies were the newly transformers changlings, including King Thorax and Ha Mon. The other changelings carried on their backs the Crystal guards Sunny took with him. Landing beside Sunny, every changeling and guard took a battle ready stance. Thorax, although having a more regal and peaceful disposition, also had a fierce look in his eye that showed he was ready for battle. "We fight to protect our friends, their home, and Equestria."
"I'm impressed" Sombra stated, casually walking away from Sunny, his back turned to him showing he was not afraid of him or his reinforcments. After returning to where he stood before, Sombra turned and appeared apathedic as he told them all "But it still won't be enough…"
There was a loud click, like the sound of an old, rusty lock being opened for the first time in many, many years. Sunny's eyes shot around and noticed the cloaked mare had moved back to the circular snow flake design in front of the castle. She had lined up all four corner stones and had her hoof pressed at the center of the snowflake. The entire dark army had moved away, but still kept facing the castle, as the ground opened up. The earth beneath their hooves shook and trembled as the ground opened up as if yawning after thousands and thousands of years of sleep. Nothing immediatly happened but as soon as the entrance to the Umbrum prison was opened, howling screams and scratching of hooves on concrete could be heard. They were coming.
Sombra chuckled out loud, his wicked laughter filling the air, while the cloaked mare who always remained standing behind him smiled and laughed lightly just barely showing a set of yellowing, sharp teeth.
"Do you see now that your efforts were futile?" Sombra bellowed, feeling more and more arrured of his victory as he bathed in the overwhelming fear radiating the air. "There is no way you and a bunch of overgrown bushes and bugs could ever hope to defeat my armies now!"
"My sentiments exactly!" A voice only Sunny found slightly familiar came from behind him and his wall of allies. Everypony turned around to see a large blue box with the words 'police call box' on it, and a funny looming stallion with a short cut mane and a leather jacket poking his head out of the box's only door. "Which is why I brought some friends."
The Doctor Whooves, Sunny knew as 9, put his hoof to his lips and blew, whistling loud enough for all in the empire to hear, several more blue police call boxes appeared, some in the air, some on the ground, 12 more in total. Each opening their doors with a different looking Doctor Whooves sticking their heads out and flashing a different but still confident smile, even the gruff and stern War Doctor appeared in good spirits.
"Oh, and Sunny, you'll need this!" 9 moved aside and allowed a large wooden box wrapped up in chains to levitate over to Sunny in a green magical aura.
Sunny didn't know who was levitating the box over to him, but he recognized the box immediatly. It was the one Rosewood had given him before she took the Pony puppets on their journey. It was the last pony puppet. Only Sunny and Applejack knew what was inside. The chains fell to the ground as the still levitating box switched from one magical aura to Sunny's. Consintraiting hard on the spell, Sunny cast the 'come-to-life' spell once more to give the puppet motion without him needing to focus on it. At that moment, Rosewood held up her Star Heart necklace, which shot a thin stream of light that went right through the wooden box, hitting the puppet inside.
"What's this? Another one of your toys?" Sombra raised a brow, almost seeming annoyed. "When will you grow up?"
After setting the box up right, Sunny stopped his flow of magic keeping it levitated, and the box landed with a small thud. The shock of the fall broke the lid off, which hit the ground lighter then the box. No pony in Starlight and Sunburst's barrier could see what it was, but Sombra, who was facing it, looked shocked, eyes growing wide for a moment.
"Play time is over" Sunny stated, his tone more serious then he had been in over 1000 years.
Stepping out of the box, given a life of its own, was a puppet designed to look, move, act, and even speak just like King Sombra. The puppets actual body was a dence, yet light weight wood, with no additional hidden weapons like most of the other pony puppets Sunny used to use. His eyes were black where white should have been, but had green emeralds for the irises. His mane and tail were actual black horse hairs donated from a royal of Saddlearabia. A voice box was even developed and to speak several phrases that mimicked the king's own voice. Standing up strait, the Sombra puppet reached and pulled out a sword that was an exact duplicate of King Sombra's own sword he used 1000 years ago. He took a battle ready stance beside Sunny and spoke in a withered voice that mirrored Sombra's. "Shall we teach these trouble makers a lesson?"
"What is this abomination!?" Sombra growled, narrowing his eyes on his wooden doubleganger, something deep inside Sombra was rattled, a mixture of anger and pain.
An emerald colored crystal blade appearing in Sunny's hoof as he took a battle stance similar to the Sombra puppet. Sunny's answer filled the shadow King with fury "What's left of a good king…"
Staring at the overgrown toy that mimicked his former image, King Sombra felt a tug at the back of his mind that something was wrong. Half of him felt enraged and insulted by his wooden doppelganger, wanting to smash it to bits, and the other half felt… was it remorse? Like he had done something terrible. He quickly shook it off, refocusing on the task at hoof. He had done nothing wrong. There was nothing he should feel guilty about… and yet, what was this feeling he had when he tore his attention from the puppet to its user. The look in those eyes. He had seen it before when he faced Celestia 1000 years ago, right before she sealed him in the arctic tundra. That look of pain, of duty, of heart ache, and responsibility. While Sombra appeared lost in thought, the cloaked mare appeared slightly nervous by the sudden appearance of all these blue boxes that came to Sunny's aid. She had not planned for this, but she did have a back up plan should that prove problematic. She ALWAYS had a back up plan.
No pony knew what to make of the twelve blue boxes appearing out of nowhere at first. But after one delivered that vital gift to Sunny, everypony hoped that THEY were the reinforcments Sunny spoke of. They weren't, of course, but Sunny focused more on the enemies before him and pushed all quesgions aside for later.
The first Doctor to have appeared was known as 9, who delivered the Sombrapuppet to Sunny, but that wasn't all he brought with him. Emerging out of his TARDIS was a familiar face. A unicorn stallion almost identical to Sunny in everyway, say for the overalls he sported, a pitch fork he kept swung over his shoulder, and his ruby red eyes. He was accompanied by a mare who looked almost like Applejack, but she wore a straw hat rather then a stetson, and had a rather calm and reserved feel to her rather then a bright outgoing one. Accompanying them, where two dozen or so scarecrows that seemed to walk on their own, each made of old cloths stuffed with straw, burlap sacks for heads, buttons for eyes, and at their core wooden posts for skeletons to help them stand up strait.
The ruby eyed Sunny and the straw hat Applejack walked up and stood beside the emerald eyed Sunny. The two Sunnys eyes met, and the stallions shared a nod, with the emerald eyed Sunny cracking a confident smile.
************
From a distance away, the Doctor known as 1 emerged from his TARDIS, a rather older looking fellow with a light grey coat and snowy white hair, wearing a vest over a button up shirt. She smiled as he stepped aside and let his guests out of HIS TARDIS. Ponies from another world who knew Sunny, 10 and Derpy from long ago, but not so long ago. Just long enough for a certain filly to grow up big and strong. A fierce looking earth pony mare, or as they would call themselves, Thal, emerged from the TARDIS, wearing half organic, half metal armor, holding a spear that was made of a special metal that could cause loud sound vibrations. She marched forward and brought with her a herd of two dozen more Thals as well as a dozen Kaleds, all who were dressed in similar armor. Once her herd had fallen in line, a slightly older looking warrior emerged last, bringing up the rear.
"You ready for the battle of the century, my daughter?" The slightly aged Prim Rose turned to Rose Bud, who was the first to emerge from the TARDIS.
"I've been training ever since the three great ones saved our world when I was a foal" Rose Bud beamed as she spoke, but quickly hid her enthusiasm. A wise leader doesn't lead her herd into battle to enjoy a fight. Over the years, Rose Bud had trained hard to become a warrior, all the while helping to mend the gap between thr Thols and the Kaleds. Slowly over time, she had brought the two tribes togeather, and working as one, the two tribes used their knowlage of science and organic life to rebuild their once beautiful home to its former glory before the great War.
Facing the Crystal Empire, Rose Bud knew this would be her finest moment. A chance for her herd to pay back the kindness of the three great ones, as well as etch into history a battle that was out of this world.
************
From another TARDIS not far from one, an odd looking stallion emerged, playing a little tune on his recorder. He had a black bowl cut, a light blue coat that was mostly hidden under a black and white patterned jacket. He seemed really cheery as he stepped aside and allowed his guests to emerge from HIS TARDIS.
"Ugh! Can you PLEASE STOP PLAYING THAT THING!" Midnight Blossom flew out, her hooves covering her sensitive bat like ears. The batpony guard was hovering just above the ground, wearing her purple, nightmarish armor she had from her time as a night guard. On her hooves were retractable blades that turned her front hooves into cat like claws when she flipped her legs a certain way in battle.
"Yes, please, the first song was… alright" Cloud Skipper was trying to agree with his marefriend and fellow guard while also trying to appear greatful to their odd transporter. The white pegasus guard wore his golden armor he was awarded when he became a special missions guard. By his side was a special blade enchanted with a spell to help him deflect and break through magical spells, a handy tool for a non unicorn guard. "But really, some of us have sensitive hearing."
"Shame, I was going to ask him to play 'Hot Cross Hooves'" the third guest emerged, a half smile on his muzzle. Allister, er, Charming Knight, emerged, wearing his new yellow Cloak and guard shoulder pads, carrying a new spear he had purchased just last week and had grown rather fond of. The grey unicorn was eager to test out his new abilities on the battle feild, rather then in a training practice. He had gained quite a bit of control over the dark side within him and was ready to test it.
"You know, I think I prefer you being quiet alot more then you having a terrible since of humor" Midnight hissed as she removed her hooves from her ears, glaring at Charming Knight. All three of them stepping forward to aid a certain acquaintance of theirs in the upcoming battle.
"You kids go have fun!" The Doctor Whooves known as 2 smiled and waved his recorder, waiting for the young mare with the sensitive ears to step just far enough away that he can begin playing his annoying instrument again.
************
Stepping out of another TARDIS was a thinner stallion with a curley white mane dressed in a tight, velvet suite, appearing like he might join the fight himself if anypony steps too far out of line. There was an edict to these kinds of things and he thought the enemy should behave professionally. But for the moment, he would let the allies of the party have their fun. Moving aside, he let his company emerge.
Several ponies, all dressed in spandex and dawning masks emerged. To anypony who never picked up a comic book, these individuals might look like they missed the train for the circus. But to anyone who even walked by a comic book store would recognize them immediatly. In a white, skin tight suite with purple arrows streached all along it, was a green earth pony known to her friends as Fili-Second. Following behind her was a unicorn mare named Radiance, carrying herself with elegant poise, who's outfit was covered in blue, pink and yellow diamonds. After her was a loud and proud pegasus who's power matched her personality, the thunderous Zapp. Following her much bolder allie was a rather timid and quiet mare, in a skin tight green outfit decorated with flowers to help keep her calm, who went by the name of the Saddle Ranger. Preparing her lasso for battle after the Saddle Ranger stepped aside, was a mare in a black and red suit who was deemed Mistress Mare-velous. Following up after her was a duo of a small green colt named Hum Drum, the team's former sidekick and new personal relationships advisor, dressed in his signature black mask and red cape, and the team's leader, the Masked Matter-horn. The Masked Matterhorn readjusted her goggles and narrowed her eyes on the scene infront of her, calculating a plan for action.
"Well well well, quite an interesting scene we have here" a stallion's voice spoke up from behind the Masked Matter-Horn, nearly causing her to jump out of her suite.
"W-what are you doing here!?" The Masked Matter-Horn snapped, a hoof holding her chest as she breathed heavily, neither she nor her other power pony companions expecting somepony else to show up with them, much less the Phantom member of their team, the Dark Detective.
The stallion who had got the jump on the power pony leader wore all black; his signature garments were a black cloak over a black skin tight suite, a black Renaissance style fedora hat ontop of his head, and a simple black mask to cover his eyes similar in style to Hum Drum. He cracked a smile at the Masked Matter-Horn as he flipped his cape out in a heroic fashion. "Out there is another me, from another world, facing the forces of evil, how could I not come to his aid?"
"Besides, I asked him to come, reeeaaally nicely" Sunday Speinkles, a mare who was mutated in a horrible lab axident indirectly caused by the Dark Detectice, popped up behind the caped crime fighter, even more stelthfully then he had snuck up on the Masked Matter-horn. Sunday had upgraded her refrigeration suite a few times to include a thicker material to withstands the constant fights she keeps getting caught up in, a utility belt that had patches to repair the suite, as well as various tools for crime fighting, her goggles upgraded to also include night vision and infer red. She also upgraded her suit's material to look like it was made of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla ice cream with her upper body being whipped cream with sprinkles. "It was thanks to THAT Dark Detective that things started changing for the better for me. I kinda want to repay him."
The leader of the Power Ponies straitened herself up, cleared her throat and did her best to ignore the presence of the only pony to ever leave her super hero team. The Masked Matter-Horn knew the Dark Detective had every right to be there as they did, maybe more so. This Sunny Knight WAS an alternate universe version of himself, after all.
"Tea miss?" The Dark Detective's butler Penny Worth appeared out of the blue as well, but by this time, the Masked Matter-Horn had grown used to the sudden appearances from the Dark Detective's allies.
The leader of the Power Ponies sighed, took the cup, sipped it down a little then handed it back to the butler who offered some to the Doctor known as 3. 3 was delighted at the offer.
************
Out of another TARDIS, a rather nervous looking, brown earth pony, known as 4, stumbled out, almost tripping over his long, multi colored scarf. He repositioned his battered green and brown fedora that he nestled back ontop of his thick, curley brown mane, then scrambled out of the way allowing his guests through.
The Pie family consisting of the old English speaking stallion, Igneous Rock, the stern but loving mare Cryatal Quartz, the shy and timid Marble Pie, the ever monotone Maude Pie, and the aggressive new boss of the rock farm, Limestone Pie, emerged and looked down at the Crystal Empire.
"Looks like that dummy got himself in a jam" Limestone snorted.
"Mm-hm" Marble stated, looking more then a little nervous at the sight of all the opposing enemies.
"Provinance will smile upon us. Our motives most true, to aid family and save thine world" Ignious put a hoof on his younger daughter's shoulder, wanting to reasure her.
"Regret will fill the hearts of those who stand against the Pie family" Crystal Quarts stated firmly.
Despite her lack of expression, Maud was in complete awe over the whole situation. She never expected to be picked up in a magical box that could travel through space and time, much less being picked up and told they needed her help to save Equestria. Looking out at Sombra's dark army, all the ponies and monsters they'd have to face, Maud was terrified. But she knew that if this Sombra guy was involved with Sunny at all, Applejack wouldn't be too far from the trouble. And if Applejack is in trouble, Maud knew Pinkie wouldn't be far behind. The expressionless mare said the bravest, coolest thing she could think of, "Let's rock their world."
************
A little ways away from the Pie family and the Doctor known as 4 who brought them in HIS TARDIS, a smooth looking stallion opened the door to his own TARDIS, and stepped aside with a half smile on his muzzle. His guest was shocked and amazed at the situation and in awe at the TARDISthat brought them there. This Doctor Whooves was known as 5, and happened to be a younger stallion who's golden smooth, but angled, mane that was just a few shades darker then his body's yellow coat. He dressed in a slick cream colored coat, that almost seemed to glow white. Most of the other Doctor Whooves wore coats of some form or another, but he was one of the few who wore a light colored one. His tone was casual, as if this sort of thing happened everyday, which it almost did for HIM, but wanted to appear relaxed to put his guests at ease. "Ladies, we have arrived at our destination. Please, watch your step as you exit the TARDIS."
The first to step out of the TARDIS was none other then the famous dancer/singer/ choreographer, Sapphire Shores. She nearly tripped when 5 stuck out his front hoof and caught her. She smiled and chuckled nervously. "Thanks, hot stuff. Guess I don't quite have my space ship legs yet."
"No worries" 5 smiled as he helped steady her and got her back to her hooves.
As Saphrire Shores brushed herself off and moved aside, she was taken back first by the sight of the Crystal Empire. She had never been there before, but was hired by Shinning Armor to perform at Princess Cadence's birthday in a few moons. It was an amazing sight, Sapphire Shores had a weakness for diamonds and crystals. After the initial shock, Sapphire Shores noticed that the buildings, the landscape and even the castle was much duller then the pictures she had seen. It all seemed as if the Empire itself was sick. Then her eyes fell upon the black armored army that surrounded the castle. Fear began to fill the super star as she wondered what she was even doing there.
All of Sapphire's dancing crew mimicked their leader's reactions as thet exited the TARDIS, excitement and awe followed by a quick moment of worry and even fear at the sight of the enemy. Sapphire wanted to tell her crew to run back into the ship with the cute stud and fly them out of here, but she remembered what the stud had told them.
'I believe you owe this particular stallion a big favor. He would never cash it in, but if you can find it in yourself, maybe you can come to his aid. He needs all the help he can get.'
She had to help Sunny. He had saved her and her crew from the hooves of that monster, Al Ca'pony. Taking a deep breath, Saphrire Shores steadied her nerves, gathered up her courage, and turned to adress her crew as if this were any other gig. "You ladies are the best dancers in all of Equestria, and I ain't just sayin' that becouse I taught ya'll. To be a good dancer, you need conviction and determination. You build a strong body and a sharp mind. I know this is scary as Tartarus, ah'm scared too. But those ponies who saved ya'll from that nasty Ca'pony jerk are down there and need our help. We owe them this. Besides, if those creeps win, I seriously doubt we'd dance in Equestria again. Let's get out there and show them what we got!"
Her speech made sence and motivated her dancing crew enough to earn their hoof stomps and cheers.
'Girl really knows how to get a crowd going' 5 smirked at the show pony.
************
A rather annoyed looking stallion stepped out of his TARDIS, nearly being knocked over by a Gust of feathers that flew out the front door. The Doctor Whooves known as 6 was a maroon colored stallion with a dark crimson colored mane, who's body was mostly covered by a coat that looked like it was thrown togeather using parts of 10 different coats and oddly enough, had a stick of celery pinned to the right part of the chest. He was a little reluctant to go and pick up these… creatures.
Bodies covered in various brown, white, grey, and black feathers and fur, claws that clenched swords and shields, wings that carried them and cut through the air, their battle cries escaping their beaks. These were the proud warrior allies Sunny had made in Griffonstone many years ago, lead by their brave leader and prince, Razor Claw. All the griffins wore armor to protect their sides, chest and heads, but otherwise gave them free motion to move around. All prepared for battle thanks to their combat training with their swords and spears. And all ready to aid their allie who aided them in their time of need.
Razor Claw himself turned to face his mighty warriors, his signature weapons being blade like claws strapped to his own front claws, slicing the ground as he walked on it and addressed his team. "Warriors of Griffonstone! Today, we return the favor and aid the Black Knight, Prince Soleggiato! Let's show this dark army what real warriors can do!"
This earned powerful screeches that 6 was sure all the Empire could hear. Personally, he was rather annoyed at the screeching, but deep down appreciated their assistance. Deep, deep, deep down he appreciated it.
***********
Hearing the echo of the griffins screeches, The Doctor Whooves known as 7, figured they must have either arrived at the right time and place or they made a wrong turn in the space time continuum and ended up at a Bird Brains concert. This Doctor Whooves stepped out of his TARDIS, appeared to be a shorter, portly stallion dressed in a egg white colored suite with a number of red quesgion marks all over it, carrying a cane with a red quesgion mark on the top of it, as well as a fedora that matched the suite. His body was a butter yellow and had a short black mane. 7 smirked as he looked around saw his cohorts all gathering for the good fight. He mimicked them in releasing his guests from his big, blue time machine.
"Gentle colts, we have arrived" he said as he motioned to the battle feild with his cane as if presenting a side show at a carnival. "Step lightly, the ground is rather… unpleasant at the moment."
Stepping onto the fields of the Crystal Empire out of 7's TARDIS was an army consisting of half an entire town, all in dark grey armor, weilding dark grey swords, spears and shields. Only one soilder differed. He wore armor black as coal, and a sword he had forged from a very large black scale, generously donated from a very odd dragon that passed through their town.
Turning and facing his solders, Hot Iron, the second pony to dawn the Black Knight armor in the last 1000 years, addressed his fellow townsfolk. He knew they were all more then a little skeptical to join him in this call to arms. Seeing the Crystal Empire in its current state didn't make them feel any better. But something deep inside gave Hot Iron the words to sooth their worried hearts. "My fellow townsfolk, my friends, we came here to aid Prince Sunny. He faces impossible odds alone. The enemy is formidable, but we answered the call to arm becouse deep down, our loyalty, our honor is what burns. Let the fire inside you grow, and never let the enemy douse it! We! Are! Iron Town!"
The nervous ponies shook off their fear and tossed it in their inner fire to feed the flames. Their hearts now ablaze, they were ready to take on the enemy that stood before them and aid the Prince Sunny.
**************
Landing a little further away from the area where one could actually see Sunny, Sombra and the rest of the stilled action, the Doctor Whooves, known to his cohorts and friends as 8, opened the door to his TARDIS and peeked out, a little disappointed in his landing.
"Looks like we arrived at the right place and time," he called back to his guest who still remained hidden in his TARDIS. After pulling his head back out and taking a step forward onto the grassy feild, 8 muttered to himself "I just wish I had been given a better location to land. My guests and I are just as important as the others. Have we gone on as many adventures, well no, but we are still important."
"Is everything OK, Mr. Whooves?" Ipsy asked as she poked her head out of 8's TARDIS.
Ipsy was the kelpy Sunny and some of the Katherine met while camping near the lake between Ponyville and the Everfree forest. The group of ponies had been telling scary stories before bed, and unfortunatly for them and Ipsy, the kelpy had been wandering around near the lake, using her transforming powers in combination with telepathy to move freely in the air in her aquatic form. She had been training her mind and body so she could one day make the journey back to the sea and hopefully rejoin her family. While a powerful creature, having the ability to transform from a aquatic creature appearing half fish half horsez to a creature that was more horse with fish like characteristics, as well as some telepathy allowing her to lift objects with unicorn like magic, the poor creature hasn't quite met her true potential yet. She had alot of growing to do, but worked hard with her telepathy when not working at her job as forest Ranger and teacher. She loved interacting with ponies, who were amazed not only by her uniqueness as a creature few of them have ever heard of, but also by all the facts about the forest, the creature's who live there, and the basic survival techniques she shared. She had made many friends while living in the lake so close to Ponyville, both with the ponies in town as well as the creatures of the Everfree. She was suprised to see a big blue box appear out of thin air and an odd stallion sticking his head out of it to issue her a call to arms. But when she heard it would be to aid Sunny, she hopped out of her lake so fast, you would have thought she teleported.
"Don't worry about it, miss" 8 said as he cleared his throat and straitended up, puffing out his chest. "But prepare yourself for the worst. It's hard to tell which way this will turn."
Focusing her magic on her body, Ipsy transformed her aquadic serpent like body into a more equine one. Taking a few steps forward, the transformed kelpy dug her hooves into the ground, ready to charge at any moment.
************
Celestia and Luna could hardly believe their eyes as they looked around at the inside contents of what, from the outside, appeared to be a large blue box, with windows, a light on top, and the sign above the door saying 'Police Call Box' in white letters. A strange stallion in a brown tweed jacket with elbow patches, a red bow tie, and a fez ontop of his head, appeared just appeared not far from the cave the Princesses just left. Luna and Celestia only just took off for the Empire when they saw the stallion waving his hooves above his head on yhe ground, next to his call box. The odd stallion's body seeming wiggly in nature as it flowed with the kind of sugar rush and carefree energy you only found in foals on a sugar high after nightmare night. He simply stated that he knew Sunny, that Sunny was in a bit of trouble, and that he could take all three of them to Sunny in a split second with his big blue box. Sencing the odd stallion was speaking the truth, Celestia and Luna agreed to his help and walked inside his odd blue box. Celestia barely ducked to stick her horn through. Once inside, though, they were amazed at the room.
"Its… its…" Celestia started to say the phrase that the Doctor Whooves, also known as 11, loved to hear.
"…bigger on the inside…" Luna finished her sister's sentence, which made 11 chuckle like a little school colt, but he knew now was not the time to laugh, although he technically had all the time in the world, and then some.
"Its about time you two got here" a familiar voice arose from behind Celestia and Luna, causing both mare's to turn around, both shocked by the elderly mare's sudden appearance. The elderly princess Amore streached, cracking her back as she hobbled over to Luna and Celestia, offering them a bow. " I'm here too. I this odd colt says all hooves are needed on deck. He was nice enough to let me sleep here for about, oh, 8 hours or so."
"What!? But, HOW is that possible?" Luna gasped.
"We literally left you a few moments ago!" Celestia stated, appearing just as confused as her sister.
"Welcome to the TARDIS, ladies!" The wiggly stallion chuckled once more, showing off possibly the creates machine that has or ever will be invented. "This beauty can take you any place in time and space. See, that's how she got her name. Time And Relivant Distance In Space! TARDIS!"
"Basically, he took me once around to let me sleep before picking you two up" Amore explained, cracking a small smile. "He's an odd one. But very sweet."
Rushing over to a circular control board at the center of his ship that had a tower spiraling to the ceiling, 11 went right to work, punching in a long code of numbers that he had written down, flipped a few switches, pushed a button or two, then flipped his head over to the princesses, smiled and told them "your majasties, you may want to hold onto something."
Celestia and Luna looked worried for a second, while princess Amore simply walked over to a chair that was nailed to the ground and sat down. Her old body was hard to get used to and it tired easily. Before Celestia and Luna could think to crab onto something or even cast a heavy hooves spell that would anchor their hooves to the ground, 11 hit one final button, causing the entire ship to shake, rattle and roll. Celestia and Luna were tossed in the air and all around as the area around them seemed to be shaken up, knocked this way and that, and then finnaly landed with a thud. Luna ended up hanging from one of the rafters on the ceiling, her mane covering her face, while on the opposite side of the room, Celestia had managed to grab hold of a pillar opposite her sister and held on for dear life just before thet landed. Meanwhile the elderly princess Amore had fallen asleep in her chair, the rocking seeming to relax her enough to where she could fell asleep, despite the screaming from the other princesses. The sudden stop caused her to stir, streach and let out a yawn.
"We're here, ladies" 11 said as he ran up to the entrance door and peaked outside. "Ah, just a little ahead of schedule. Looks like Sunny's giving his father the 'I forgive you' speech to try and win him over. A kind pony, your son, Princess Celestia."
Letting go of her pillar, Celestia rushed up to the door and looked outside. Fear struck her as she saw the terrible army Sombra had gathered, and her poor son was caught in the middle of it. It looked like he wasn't alone, but from where she was, Celestia thought she saw ponies made of bushes standing behind him. It honestly wouldn't supruse her if they were just that, Sunny's made a habit of making odd friends. Luna had teleported herself down from the rafter and joined her sister and 11 in looking out the window.
"Let me out of here" Celestia ordered, her voice becoming firm without needing to turn to 11. "He needs me."
"He does, but there are steps we need to take" 11's face still seemed very colt like, but his tone was more serious then even Celestia's as he locked eyes with her for a second then turned to Luna's as well. "There's an order that we need to do this in. If we mess up the order, we will lose not just this reality, but others as well. Darkness will spread to all."
"My son needs me" Celestia's hard tone melted to that of a caring and concerned mother.
"And you will go to him, but give him a chance" 11 explained further. "This is the hardest part of being a parent; letting your child face dangerous situations alone. But that's what shapes them. You have to admit, Sunny's changed from 1000 years ago, and not just with his stylish head wear. He goes out of his way to make friends and he's more open about how he feels. That's only becouse he's been given room to grow."
Tearing her eyes off 11 and looking back at her son, Celestia wondered if he even needed her.
"Its thanks to your love that he turned out half as good as he did" 11 saw the questioning expression on Celestia's muzzle and knew what she was thinking. "Everypony grows up and eventually doesn't need their parents looking out for them. But that doesn't mean they don't want them there when things get tough. Just be patient and wait for the right time. It's coming. In the mean time, do you think you two can fix the sky? It would be about 4:23 pm, but I was thinking of something special, you know, to help Sunny."
Just then, 11 remembered he needed something, something very specific that somepony asked of him and he rushed over to one of the floor panels and began rummaging through a bunch of odds and ends nick nacks and tressures, until he found a very heavy box. The princesses watched him, both equally confused, as he lifting it up and gently setting it down, before turning back to look for something else. Taking a closer look at it, Luna and Celestia realized the heavy box was a loud speaker of some sort. They both remained equally confused as 11 returned to the box with a utility dolly and a microphone with an extremely long cord.
"Sorry, sorry, a pal of mine requested this, said he couldn't conjure one up at the moment, but will need one shortly." 11 apologized, as if the princesses themselves were expecting him to have it prepared already.
************
Another blue box floated in the air just above the Crystal castle. As the door swung open, an elderly stallion with a short, curley grey mane in a thin dark blue suit nearly fell out, grabbing onto the other door to HIS TARDIS and holding on with all his strength. He managed to pull himself back inside and mumbled about it being ridiculous that HE was the one who had to collect the bird ponies.
"Let's roll, team!" Spitfire called out as she and the other Wonderbolts ran into a take off, flying out of 12's TARDIS and into the air above the Crystal Empire. They quickly got into formation and waited for a signal.
Once the Wonderbolts had all left, 1w was about to take a breather and enjoy a cup of tea before the action started, but noticed about a good two dozen pegasi still lingering in his TARDIS. These ones had purple and black suits that almost mirrored the blue ones.
"What are you lot waiting for?!" 12 spat out, appearing annoyed as he approached the leader of this group of flyers. 12 then turned his attention to the supposed leader of the group, a light green mare with a golden mane and tail. "This is your time to shine! Go! What's keeping you!?"
Lightning Dust turned her head slightly away from 12, something deep inside still bothering her. "I… I don't know if we can do this."
"Let me talk to her" an elderly stallions in a flight jacket with a white scarf around his neck put a hoof on 12's shoulder, shooting him a sincere smile.
"Fine! Just hurry! We don't have time to dilly-dally!" 12 stated as he walked away and stood by the front door of his TARDIS, thinking he actually had all the time in existence and then some, but he really wanted to get that cup of tea to steady his nerves.
Putting a hoof on his grand daughter's shouoder, Wind Rider spoke in a gentle, concerned tone. "What's the matter, little spark?"
Hearing his nick name for her, Lightning Dust couldn't help but open up a little to her grandfather who always supported her. "Grandpa… I've done alot of bad things, and I know I need to make up for it, but…"
Seeing the look on her muzzle, Wind knew exactly what was going though her mind. "You're scared."
Hearing that, Lighting felt like she needed to justify her fear. "You don't know what those things are like! We faught one! Not even a full fledged one! And it took out my whole team and then some! Those things, those Umbrum, are real monsters!"
Wind pulled Lightning into a hug and held her tight for a moment. He could see 12 impatiently glaring at him, but ignored the old timer. When Wind Rider spoke again, it was honest and full of understanding. "I understand, I've seen what those things can do. But it's becouse you and I know what they can do that we need to go and help. If we don't, those things might take over all of Equestria! Maybe even the entire world!"
Lighting pulled her muzzle away from her grandfather's chest and looked nervously at the ground. "… can't princess Twilight and the others just deal with it? They deal with this kind of stuff all the time."
"Everypony helps" Wind stated as he used his hoof to raise Lighting's head by her chin so she was meeting his gaze. "YOU could be the one pony to tip the scale in our favor if things get tough. But, only if YOU choose to."
Taking a few deep breaths, Lighting gathered the courage and boldness she had hidden away, stood up and faced her team of Shadowbolts who were all seeming more then hesitant to join the fight. "Listen up, Everypony! I know you all remember what happened last time an umbrum went on the rampage! We can't let that happen again! Not only that, but we owe one to Sombra! He used us like pawns, then threw us away! Let's get out there and show him he can't mess with us and get away with it!"
This raised the spirits of the Shadowbolts enough to where they began chanting their team's name. "Shadowbolts! Shadowbolts! Shadowbolts!"
Before 12 could complain more about them needing to leave, the Shadowbolts lived up to their name, shooting out of the TARDIS even faster then the Wonderbolts had, knocking 12 on his backside. Wind Rider moved and helped pick him up before putting on his flight goggles and doing a somewhat swan dive out of the TARDIS himself. When everypony was gone, 12's hard expression cracked into an enthusiastic smile. Things were about to get epic. With his heart racing, 12 decided he didn't need any tea.
************
If Crackers knew that everypony else had hitched a ride with scifi mad men in blue boxes that could bend all of time and space, he would have snuck aboard. He, however, didn't even remember what he ate for lunch that day. So for all he knew, a Doctor could have invited him aboard his TARDIS, but Crackers could have just let out a wide yawn and fallen asleep. Ferrets weren't well known for their attention span.And yet, Sunny's pet was able to hotwire what he called a 'Bull-doze-R', and drive it all the way from Manehatten to the Crystal Empire. The machine amazingly made it all the way, through rugged terrain, rain and snow, just in the nick of time. Crackers was feeling good about himself for making it that far all on his own. That is, until he heard a loud and annoyed screech. Looking back over his shoulder, Crackers remembered how he had gotten that far on his own now. Becouse he didn't make it all on his own.
The pet ferret had been operating the steering wheel, gas, and gear of the Bull-doze-R, but the one that told him the direction at which to turn the wheel, when to pump the gas, or when change gears, was a monstrous thing to him. A large, musty eagle owl, who had one eye larger then the other, a slight Crack in his beak from something that happened long ago, the same could be said about two of his missing claws on one leg. It's feathers on its head made it look like it had stuck its tounge in a light socket and never recovered. This unfortunate creature struck fear in the hearts of all of Fluttersky's other animal friends, even the large and often friendly bear. This beast of an owl was know simply as the one word it seamed to speak. Toast.
It screamed once more at Crackers and pointed forward with its Claw that was missing two talons. Crackers nervously nodded and pressed on the gas while keeping the steering wheel strait, silently praying Toast wasn't getting hungry.
************
It had been a long flight from the dragon lands to the Crystal Empire, But Tourch, the former Dragon Lord, had received a letter from Sunny asking for his help with security. Tourch would have arrived sooner, but a storm was raging in the tundra, and he hated the cold. When the former Dragon Lord finally arrived, he was shocked to see that Sunny had barely been in charge for a few days and already it looked like a war was going to break out!
'Well, this looks like it could be fun!' Touch thought to himself. Retiremenr was boring. Nothing further to do but lay around on one's hoard and look over their treasures all day. But he was still a well embodied dragon! He needed action! And what better action then helping out a friend!? He didn't think Sunny of all ponies would get into trouble this fast, but Tourch was more then ok for a good fights! Full of bravado, Tourch dove down, performed a forward flip and landed in a brave pose with one fist hitting the ground, landing on one knee. 'Nailed it!'
He then let out a loud roar as he blew a blast of his dragon fire into the air with one of his mighty roars, catching the attention of two dark looking ponies near Sunny. "Any enemy of Sunny's is an enemy of mine!" ************
No pony saw him enter the Crystal Empire, or see how he had gotten to the top of the Crystal Empire castle. What everypony and creature below did see, however, was a pony dressed in red and blue spandex decorated with a spider web like design, swinging down from the top of the castle, hanging by a white rope, as he bounced off the sides of the castle and performed unique acrobatic movements in the air. When he leaned on the ground maybe ten yard from Sunny, he made sure to land on the tips of his hooves as if he were some wall crawling, web slinging spider pony.
"You aren't going to start with out me, are you?" Another familiar voice spoke up, one that only Sunny or Spike could recognize.
"Comic Stan?" Sunny asked, more then a little suprised.
Pulling off his red mask with white eyes and a spider web design, the grandfather of comics shot everypony a half smile, his mustache raised on his right side. "Yep! Your friendly, neighbor hood, comic guy! Web slinging in as one of my favorite heros to fight for what's right."
Standing up strait, the comic book master pulled out two odd looking hoof held devices that he strapped to his front hooves, flipping switches to activate them, then he loaded some small cartridges into them. His eyes narrowed as he put on his signature sunglasses. "Alright! Excelsior!"
*************
Looking around at all the ponies and miscellaneous creatures who had gathered at the call, Sombra was actually impressed. This army Sunny had gathered actually met his own in terms of numbers, maybe eclipsed it. Others were still pouring in from all sides, even from the sky above.
Sombra blew a held breath through his nostrils as he tore his gaze from the opposing forces around him back to Sunny, narrowing his eyes that were turning a solid green. "You've gathered a fine army. But they won't stop us."
"First off, they ain't just an army" a familiar voice caused Sunny's heart to nearly jump out of his chest, filled with a mixture of relief and worry. Turning his head slightly to look behind him while keeping his father and the cloaked mare in his vision, Sunny saw Applejack, her friends, as well as his fellow Guardians of Harmony, all emerging out of the TARDIS he was most familiar with. The one owned by his fellow Guardian, Doctor Whooves, also known as 10. "We're his friends and family. And second, yes, you can bet the farm we'll stop you."
"Your rein of terror ends now, Sombra" Twilight Sparkle stated as she and her friends stepped forward, a fierce look in their eyes, all burning at Sombra.
"I couldn't have said it better myself" another spoke up, finally emerging from 11's TARDIS. Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna, followed by the elderly princess Amore who kept herself hidden in the back, emerged and took their place behind the Elements and Guardians of Harmony.
Shock spread across Sombra's muzzle, his hard expression cracked. The hooded mare hesitated a little, but kept her cool. She still had a few tricks up her own sleeve.
"I believe a change of scenery is I order, don't you sister?" Luna turned to her sister and shot her a confident half smile.
"Let's do it, Sister, togeather" Celestia mirrored her sister's confidence, but held back most of her bravado, her horn now glowing gold with her magical aura.
"Togeather" Luna agreed, her horn now glowing with her blue magical aura.
The two sisters lowered their heads, eyes closed, their minds focused one one specific spell. Slowly, their horns began to glow brighter and brighter as they slowly raised their heads perfectly synchronized. In the distance, the moon began to raise from the west, and the Sun from the east. The two masses seemed to wipe clear the sickening brown sky that coated Equestria, replacing it with a mixture of blue daylight and purple starry night. Everypony watched, amazed at what was happening and feeling relieved now that the sky was a more natural color. Few guessed what the princesses were doing until both the sun and moon met, the moon being cast infront of the sun, causing a solar eclipse. A strong magical energy began to flow down from the eclipse and cast a large rainbow ring in the sky. The creatures who faught along Sunny in the past, they knew this was both a symbol of his warning, and a show of his might. To the rest of Equestria who knew the two sisters created the eclipse themselves twice a year to show unity. Either way, the eclipse brought much needed hope and vigar to Sunny's allies. Only the few ponies who were still hidding behind the shield saw the effect of the world around had on the Crystal Heart. Not only did it begin to shimmer and glow like never before, it seemed to catch fire! The Heart was set ablaze with bravado and courage. It was full of light from all who had come to the Empire to aid Sunny and save Equestria. The light and heat from the burning crystal heart spread through all the Crystal ponies and pedal ponies who had stayed to be protected by Starlight and Sunburst's magical barrier. Starlight herself was shocked when she felt a small hoof tap her shoulder. Looking back she saw a Crystal mare who had been very eager to stay behind and protect her foal, looking back at her with a battle ready glare. Her young foal was clenching to her back in a sling, a spoon for a weapon in his mouth and a small pot on his head acting as a helmet. Tapping Sunburst on his shoulder, Starlight pointed out what she was trying to show him. He too, was amazed at the sudden change in the atmosphere. All the Crystal ponies who were nervous and wanting to hide before, appeared ready for a fight. Turning to eachother, Starlight and Sunburst read eachother's expressions, nodded, then lowered the barrier they made. As the Crystal ponies and the rest of the petal ponies repositioned themselves for battle, a wave of warrior like spirit swept across the area and spread all across the Empire, filling those who sided with the cryatal ponies with determination like they never felt before!
Sunny himself felt the energy flowing back into him, a mixture of the eclipse's energy and the burning fire from the Crystal Heart. Turning his attention back to his father, Sunny spoke in a tone that almost matched Sombra's own. Somehow, when Sunny spoke, every creature who had gathered there could hear him. His emerald eyes locked with Sombra's now green eyes. "Stand down. You can't hope to win in a fight against us. Father, stop this madness before anycreature gets hurt."
Sombra remained silent for a moment, his eyes locked on Sunny's. For a moment, his heart wavered, not from fear of possibly losing this fight, but from something about Sunny. There was something he felt for the son of Celestia. Something one shouldn't feel for the child of an enemy. Pride. Looking at Sunny now, seeing all who he helped, all he had done, how much he seemed to have grown, Sombra felt proud. Somepony else senced this feeling within him. The cloaked mare who up until now had remained in Sombra's shadow and watched, wanting to continue to work through Sombra. Manipulating him as both a puppet and working him to be the face of her new Empire, she kept her distance and allowed him to do most of the talking. But somehow, he was breaking free of her dark influance. She sneered as she looked at Sunny. She wouldn't allow some disgusting mutt to ruin her perfect future.
The cloaked mare stepped forward, her cloak unraveling, revealing it not to be made of cloth of any kind, but of smoky moth like wings. Unfolding from her body, a pair of large, sickening brown and black wings spread wide, presenting the creature underneath. She was similar to an alicorn form or more closer, to Queen Chrysalis. Long legs attached to a thin body with ribs showing from her base, a long neck with a rounded horse head at the top. The now unfolded wings which streached nearly double her body's size, reveiled horrid shifting face designs on them, faces that seemed to be weeping and crying out in pain. Her body's outline seemed to be flowing and moving, almost like the shadow of smog. Following up her muzzle from two rows of sharp teeth, were a pair of glowing green and red eyes with purple flames flaring from the far corners of those haunting eyes. A horn sat atop her head, like a spire of smoke, which was now glowing a sickening brown and green.
"I'm sick and tired of you getting in my way, you mongral!" As the mare spoke through her teeth, her voice raspy, like a snake with a bad cold, the green that had covered Sombra's eyes flashed brighter. He pulled his lips back further to flash his sharp preditor like teeth.
Sunny recognized her voice almost immediately. "You! You through me through that mirror!"
"Very good, for an abomination" the mare hissed and turned her nose up. "But now it's time you join your, oh, what did you call that traitor. Oh, yes, 'Pappy'."
Sunny's heart skipped a beat as his breathing paused as the world once again went silent. "… what did you say?"
"I said" the mare felt more smug knowing the spell she was secretly casting was working, and her other reinforcments grew closer. She just needed to distract these foals for a little while longer. Playing at one's heart strings normally kept sentimental creatures busy, if you played them at just the right tune. "You're 'Pappy', my traitor of a husband, got what he deserved. To think, he not only betrayed his kind, leaving us to rot in prison for over 1000 years, but he also played grandfather to a creature like you! That's worse then any betrayal-"
"Don't you talk to my son that way, you witch!" Celestia could no longer hold herself back and stepped forward next to her son, taking his side opposite of the side where the Sombra puppet stood.
The image of seeing Celestia standing with Sunny and the image of his former self caused the dark magic influence in Sombra's mind to waver, the spell on his kind began to crack.
Mourning Cloak knew she couldn't waste more time, and pushed the spell to summon her reinforments sooner. In the sky, a new figure materialized, one who appeared more machine then pony. From his waste down, it looked like he was sitting inside some kind of construction of black steel decorated with metal balls. But from his waste up, the stallion kept one hoof on a joystick to control his chair, the other, hidden beneath a control pad. He wore a black leather suite that clung to his shriveled body. The stallion's wrinkled muzzle that housed two closed and darkened eye sockets and a third large unblinking, artifical, blue eye, was covered by a mask just like every creature in the dark army.
"Davros!" Every one of the Doctor Whooves spoke out at once, including 10, who had only dealt with him once, but knew what kind of a monster he was.
"Do it, slave" Mourning Cloak ordered, not turning to face her summoning. "Call your 'children'."
"I obey…" Daveos spoke weakly, then moved his visible hand over and hit a few buttons on the control panel infront of him.
Small creeses in the air appeared, as if time and space itself were bunching up, then pressing something through. Following a small flash, a metal being appeared, then another, and another. One after another, after another, after another, until there were just as many of these creatures in the sky as there had been pegasi. They all had a similar bases as Davros, made of metal with silver balls decorating it. But from what could be defined as its waste up was more metal rather then any sign of life. The creatures looked to be entirely of metal, almost appearing like a giant trash can with one appendage infront of it looking like a toilet plundger and the other some odd whisk. The top of their heads were a dome shape, with one long rod sticking out of it with a mechanical eye at the end. The mechanical eye had a glowing blue light for a pupil. The glowing blue eyes looked all around, lacking all emotion as they survayed the scene before them. Sunny had not seen in over 1000 years.
"Unlike the others" Davros spoke into a microphone so the Doctors and their companions could hear him. "These Daleks are creatures born from me, in my lab. Not ponies gifted with my mark 2 travel devices. You will not persuade them to aid you like before. These are MY children, Doctor!"
'Awefully talkative for a mind controlled servent' Mourning Cloak glared at the floating pony from another world, thinking he was merely putting up an act. 'It doesn't matter. He brought his army, and is willing to take on my enemies.' "Now for another suprise, I'm sure you remember this one. He tried very heard to prevent this day, and out all his faith in you. Now he'll see how wrong he was to do so…"
With another wave of her Phantom horn, Mourning Cloak cast another spell. Nothing immediatly seemed to happen, everything was silent, then the mountains surounding the tundra began to shake! The mountains themselves began to raise to the heavens, followed by a large pair of leathery wings that shifted, pulsed ,then fully extended, clearing the storm around the Crystal Empire completly! A mighty head arose from the ground, a pair of red eyes glowing behind a black and grey mask that was the size of a castle. The creature was as big as Canterlot mountain. The creature first marched towards the Crystal Empire years ago, when he wanted to obliterate the Crystal Empire completly to prevent the return of the Umbrum. The very same dragon who gave Sunny Knight his Black Knight armor, that was forged from his own scales. The largest dragon in all of Equestrian history, the legendary black dragon Garganda!
"Oh? And what is that I hear?" Mourning Cloak snickered as she motioned a hoof to her ear.
Ignoring the giant dragon moving towards the Crystal Empire, most creatures turned their gaze to the open tunned that fed into the prison of the umbrum. A hiddious sound came howling out of the tunnel, echoing off the walls which increased the volume, making it so all creatures around knew what was coming. Every creature remained still, eyes on the tunnel as the world went silent and still. Even the tremors caused by Garganda's steps seemed to have stopped.
The calm didn't last long. Out of the tunnel's mouth emerged a smoky, oily hoof like appendage, landing with a hissing smack on the ground it touched. Creatures not under the control of Sombra and Mourning Cloak watched in horror. Even when Sunny lost control and became an umbrum like creature, his body seemed more natural then the creature emerging from the darkness. The blood on his mother's side mostly likely gave Sunny's umbrum form a more natural feeling of existence. The creature emerging from the tunnel, though, was a full fledged umbrum, and felt very alien to the magical world. Another hoof joined the first, and togeatger, the hooves pulled a creature up from the darkness that was a living shadow. A starved looking horse like head emerged from the tunnel, its body constantly shifting like puffs of smoke as it looked up and saw the light of day for the first time in countless winters. It's body was light green in color, unsettaling and moving like smoke. It's eyes were pale white like looking into a star that was about to burn out. As it pulled itself up, it shook its head which caused its smoke like mane to flop back and forth. On its back were a pair of wings that looked way too small for its body, even if they weren't tethered and torn. Once fully emerged, every creature could see the monster infront of them did indeed look starved. It's ribs were visible, its legs thin at all points except at its knees and hooves, and the way it hung its head left its mouth open, it's lips pulled back to reveil crooked rows of teeth. One could almost feel bad for this umbrum.
Any and all petty anycreature had for this starved umbrum was quickly lost when it tossed its head back and let out a bellowing howl that echoed through the entire Empire. The monstrous sound spread through the entire Empire, sending a cold chill down even the bravest warriors. Sunny could feel almost every creature there shake for a moment with fear at the mere battle cry of the Umbrum.
"Awwww, you all aren't scared are you? This little one just woke up. He's a little cranky when He's hungry" Mourning Cloak spoke loud enough so every creature could hear her. A far more gruesome smile cread across her own muzzle, stretching further then any smile ever should. Her own teeth and voice becoming more monstrous in appearance and sound as she added "there are far more dangerous, more terrifying, more HUNGRY Umbrum on their way."
"They won't make it out of there!" Sunny declared, stepping forward, his own courage in the face of fear itself caught the attention of the weak umbrum, its sickening white eyes locking onto him. Buy Sunny's inner fire didn't waver. "But I think it's about time YOU go back! Friends, Allie's-"
"Hold up! One sec!" Just then, stopping everything, including a secondary Umbrum who was in mid crawl out of the prisons tunnel, was a voice most creatures grew annoyed to hear, except maybe Fluttershy.
Discord prepared, wheeling a moving dolly that had on it a huge speaker attached to a microphone. He casually rolled the dolly past the Crystal ponies, the pedal ponies, the princesses, the mane 6, the Guardians of Harmony, and Sunny, until he reached a spot between them and the confused umbrum, Sombra and Mourning Cloak, who had all paused for some reason but were all growing more and more annoyed.
Clearing his throat, Discord tapped the microphone making a loud cracking noise that annoyed every creature around, even the great dragon Garganda, who was a good few mountains away. "Thank you all for your patience. Welcome to the battle of the century! Now, let's get ready to RUMBAAAAAAALLLL!"
"For Equestria!" Sunny called out as he made a green crystal sword materialize infront of him, then grabbed it and pointed it right at his target, the grand Master puppeteer, it seemed. The real leader of the Umbrum, Mourning Cloak.
"For Equestria!" Princess Celestia repeated her son's battle cry as she and her sister took to the air, blasting whatever they could of the Daleks out of the sky.
"Calling all Doctors, calling all Doctors" Doctor Whooves heard from his TARDIS. Always being a thinker first and a fighter second, Doctor Whooves (also known as 10) ran back inside his Tardis and looked at the screen above the control panel. 12 was on the screen looking rather smug. He was calling out to all the other Doctor Whooves. "Now! Activate the dampaning frequancy!"
"Activating dampaning frequency!" Doctor Whooves, also known as 10, stated as he slammed his hoof on a green button on the control panel.
All the other Doctors that gathered at the Empire symotaniously hit similar green buttons on their respective control panels at the same time as well, just in the nick of time.
Right after Celestia and Luna blasted a few Daleks out of the sky, other Daleks near by began blasting away at them. These new Daleks blasts have been able to desolate whole planets in a day. But when the princesses were hit, the blasts became one one-millionth of their normal strengths, causing only a slight burn, like a sun burn. It stung, but it was no where near as dangerous as it could have been. All around the skies, Daleks were blasting away at the pegasi and other airborne enemies, as well as blasting downward at the fighters on the ground, confused and shocked to see their weapons had little to no real effect on them.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Davros growled beneath his mask before pulling it off with ease.
Mourning Cloak, who made sure to keet the image of Davros in her peripheral, was shocked to see him pull the mask off so easily. She would have tried to cast her spell on him once more, but a certain annoying and very determined halfling was fighting his way towards her. She focused her magic on manipulating the mind controlled ponies to step forward and fight Sunny off, but mere pawns weren't enough to keep him busy for long. Pawns don't easily take knights out. Mourning Cloak the focused her magic to reach out to Sombra using one of the mind controlled ponies. That pawn was just barely able to direct Sombra's attention to her before Sombra had to block another attack. He himself was being attacked by his puppet doupleganger, who was putting up a better fight then Sombra expected from an overgrown toy.
Davros began typing away at his own control panel, trying to figure out what was going on with his army of Daleks, when a holographic screen popped up infront of him with a very familiar face on it.
"Hello, Davros, miss me?" The Doctor Whooves known as 4 smiled widely and chuckled.
"What have you done to my Daleks!?" Davros growled.
"Well, while we couldn't disable their weapons, we did have a pretty good guess as to the frequency you use to communicate and control most of their actions" 4 began to explain, readjusting his fedora ontop of his mop of curly brown mane. "So all we needed to do was tap into it and input a complex code that would dim down the amount of energy put out into their blasts. They can still do some damage to anypony without sunblock. Well, enjoy the fight. I never really cared for fighting. But I know 3, 9 and a few others are giving it a good show."
With that, 4 cut out, leaving Davros clenching his teeth with fury. "Curse you Doctor! Curse you and all your variations! Ugh!"
Not giving up, Davros began typing away at his keyboard once more, trying to possibly change the frequency on his Dalek's systems. If he could rewrite it, whatever formula the Doctor's came up with would be utterly useless. But it would take time.
"Sister!" Celestia called out to Luna after she blasted three Daleks out of the sky.
A quick Arial menuver and Luna swooped in by her sister's side. "Yes, sister?"
"We need to stop Garganda. Gather fliers and heavy hitters." Celestia stated, then blasted a masked teenaged dragon who tried to sneak up on them.
"Do you think we can actually stop him with brute force?" Luna knew the threat Garganda was under the control of someone as evil as Mourning Cloak.
"I think Sombra and that mare control so many creatures with the help of those mask they all wear" Celestia quickly explained. "If you manage to get his mask off, he might snap out of it. Be sure to take Fluttershy with you."
"Fluttershy?" Luna repeated the name, then blasted another mind controlled creature that was trying to dive bomb her and her sister while they talked. When it landed, she realized it was a mind controlled Griffin. Luna returned her attention to her sister "Why Fluttershy?"
"She has a way with reaching out to other creatures" Celestia explained before turning her attention towards the tall mare known as Mourning Cloak. "I have a rather annoying mother-in-law to deal with. No pony talks to my son like that…"
Seeing the anger in her sister's tone gave Luna goosebumps. Putting their plan into action, Luna began teleporting all around the battle feild, asking others who could fly to aid her in taking on the larger then life dragon.
"Please, let me help" Luna's attention was caught by the voice of a familiar former guard. Looking down at the ground after convincing a pair of Shadowbolts to join her. Snowstorm, the former guard who just recently renounced Sombra after working for him since his return, appeared ro be pleading to the princess of the night. Luna landed next to him, an apathetic expression spread across her muzzle. Before she could reject him, Snowstorm added "I'm a brilliant tactician when it comes to arial battles. I can use a spell to communicate with the pegusi and other flyers. I can keep us organized so we can-"
Before he could continue, the former unicorn guard was lifted up by a claw large enough to crush him, but held him by his scruff with just two long nails. The former Dragon Lord, Torch, had heard Luna gathering forces to take on Garganda, and he wanted in! It would be a great honor to take on an opponent as legendary as Garganda. His voice was gruff and tough as he asked princess Luna "you want this guy with us?"
Luna didn't argue with Tourch as to weather he, himself, was going with the rest of the flyers or not. Having a fully grown dragon with his strength and flying ability made him a great asset. As for Snowstorm, though, Luna thought hard about trusting a pony who was once completely loyal to Sombra.
"Please, let me help to make things right" Snowstorm pleaded, a need for understanding was radiating from him.
Luna recognized such a need. It wasn't so long ago that she herself attacked her own sister, and had deep regrets about it, even if she was under the influence of great evil. Taking a deep breath, Luna told Snowstorm "Alright. But if you try anything funny, I'll have Torch here to eat you."
This made the former Dragon Lord chuckle. "Sounds good to me. I think I may like you ponies. You're cute and cuddly, but you have bite!"
With that, Snowstorm hopped onto princess Luna's back, and they, Touch, several Shadowbolts, Lightning Dust, a nervous Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, a hoof full of Wonderbolts, half of the Power Ponies, and even the griffins with prince Razor Claw, all took flight, heading to take on Equestria's largest dragon in recorded history.
************
Despite all the help that had arrived to aid Sunny and defend Equestria from the threat of Sombra and the return of the Umbrum, the battle on the ground was going back and forth, with no solid victor in sight. Although the only help Sombra had on his side were the weakened Daleks and mind controlled creatures that were little more then mindless drones, they proved quite formidable despite the drive and boost in energy Sunny's allies had from the Crystal Heart. The Daleks would not stop fighting until their mechanical travel devices were completly inoperable, and even then a small creature with one eye and tendrils could jump out and do what it could to continue fighting, despite being the equivalent of tapioca pudding and spaghetti. The mind controlled drones were worse, they would get knocked down, beat up, scratched, clawed, battered and bruised, but unless they were tied up and unable to move or knocked out cold, they would get up and keep fighting.
On one end of the battle field, Octavia was fighting along her best friend, Vynal Scratch, using her cello as a blunt weapon to knock drone ponies left and right. Every now and again she would actually manage to render a few unconscious, and Vynal attempted to blast them away with wubbs using giant speakers she managed to transport to the battle. But the drones seemed unaffected by the pulsing music. Vynal's speakers were smashed to pueces with one claw belonging to a manticore wearing one of Sombra's masks. As the mind controlled manticore ripped the speakers apart, Vynal made a leap and landed next to Octavia, who's cello had taken quite a beating and was falling apart.
Both girls readied themselves to fight with their bare hooves against the dark army drones closing in around them when a scale of notes played on a saxophone rang in the air, turning the drones attention to their left. The furthest drone was knocked to the ground when a saxophone hit him in the face, cracking the mask and knocking him out cold. Another drone quickly followed the first in falling to the ground, mask in pieces. By the time the fifth one fell, a clear image of a very familiar student came into view. Octavia and Vynal were relieved to see Salted Carmel, the first pony Octavia had helped to discover a love of music, was standing there, smirking as if to say 'hey, teach, I'm here to help.'
"Right! This fight isn't over!" Octavia stated as she and Vynal jumped in and started bucking, punching and even bitting the drones who went after them, while Salted used his faithful saxophone to batter them away. It wasn't until the done manticore finished destroying Vynla's speakers that Salted decided it was time to get serious. He took of his restrictive chain and tossed it and his saxophone to Octavia and Vynal. Without the magical restriction of his necklace, Salted's body grew four times its normal size, his muscles buldging. He was now looming over the manticore drone, who lacked the better judgment to run away. One quick hoof jab to the manticore's Masked muzzle not only knocked the creature out, it dented the mask it was wearing and broke the spell completly. The poor manicore fell backwards and landed with a loud thud.
Not far from them, Applejack and Big Mac were tag teaming, back to back, they bucked enemies left and right, but no matter how hard they sent the mind corneolled drones filing, they kept getting back up. Part of them felt bad for putting the hurt on so many ponies who were unfortunate enough to become mind controlled puppets of King Sombra's, but at the same time, the drones weren't exactly being friendly either. Both Apple siblings had received blows and hits as well, but growing up on a farm where you take care of all kinds of ornery critters prepared them for such things.
"Applejack!" Twilight called out, flying above the two, blasting Daleks and dark army flyers as she got to Applejaack and Big Mac. "Aim for their masks! If you hit them hard enough, you can knock them out or- AH!"
Twilight was hit by ten Daleks at once, which, hurt quite a bit. Before the Daleks could close in, one by one, something white and sticky splattered across the Dalek's glowing blue eyes. The domed heads of the Daleks began to spin around and around as strings of the same fluid hit each one of them. A blur of red and blue began swinging around the confused Daleks, wrapping them all together until they were in a giant ball of… webbing?!
"Hope I wasn't too late, miss princess of friendship" Comic Stan chuckled as he finished webbing up the Daleks into a giant ball. He looked at the devices on his wrists and pulled out some small metal cylinders "Gatta change my web cartridges. But go on."
"Ok, well as I was saying…" Twilight was a little taken back by Stan's sudden appearance and his choice of weapon, but that's something she would think about later. Turning her attention back to Applejack, Twilight was about to finish her sentence when she saw Applejack and Big Mac had already knocked out all the surounding enemies, now focusing on the masks that covered the dark army's muzzles.
"No worries, Twi, we got this" Applejack chuckled confidently.
"Eh'yep" Big Mac agrees with his sister.
"Excuse me…" a weak voice spoke up, tapping on Twilight's shoulder.
Twilight turned around to surprisingly come face to face with an elderly mare, who looked very much like a pink version of Granny Smith, but with her grey mane down and a horn on the middle of her forehead. "Ugh, yes, can I help you?"
But the mare only pointed at the bubble floating near Sombra and Mourning Cloak that still held in its contents Cadence and Shinning Armor who appeared to still he stuck in a nightmare as well as a happily slumbering Flurry Heart. "Help them, please."
"Shinning! Cadence! Flurry!" Twilight gasped. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about them. Granted, there was the mot epic war of the century going on, but still! Her family!
"I asked these kind ponies to help you get to them…" The elderly mare stated as she turned her head to Starlight, Sunburst, Thorax and Rosewood.
"Don't stress, Twilight, we got your back!" Starlight stated with a confident and daring look.
"Thank you all" Twilight wanted to appear more greatful, but a Dalek just flew over her head his eye gummed up by more of Comic Stan's webbing.
"Get going!" Applejack yelled as she bucked another blinded Dalek into the sky, knocking it into another airborne Dalek, both of them crashing towards the ground. "We got this area covered!"
"You need to get them to the Crystal Heart!" The elderly mare called out as Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Thorax and Rosewood all ran to the the dark bubble containing the royal family. "They need the Crystal Heart's power!"
Just as a pair of mind controlled dragons were about to leap at the elderly Princess Amore, who was caught up in watching Twilight Sparkle and her friends run off, the dragons were levitated into the air and launched far away. A half pony half fish looking creature appeared next to the elderly Amore and offered her back to her. "Let's get you to safety, ma'am. A battle field's no place for you. No offence."
"None taken" Amore smiled at the odd creature. She could tell the kelpy was sincere and happily boarded her back. "Please, take me to the Crystal Heart. I will be needed there soon, ugh, I'm sorry, what was your name again?"
"Ipsy, ma'am" the Kelpy said with a small grin as she took off, using her telepathy to pick up a few more mind controlled drones to use as shields as she made her way to the Crystal Empire castle. "And yours?"
"Oh, just call me Granny Amore" the elderly mare stated, feeling more comfortable being old and incrontol of her elderly body then she had felt in the 1000 Mourning Cloak controlled her young body.
************
"This isn't good" 7 stated as he continued viciously typing away at his TARDIS's computer keyboard, the other Doctor Whooves images appeared on the screen infront of him, all of them doing the same thing, well, all except for the Doctor Whooves known as 10, who appeared to be caually eating a muffin.
"Tell me about it!" 6 stated, sounding more annoyed then ever. "Davros is rewriting the Dalek's control codes."
"If he succeeds, then the Daleks Exterminate every creature in seconds" 1 stated more annoyed sounding then worried.
"We need to rewrite the formula to include the new codes" 5 tried to sound calm, but the sound of munching from 10's mic was growing more and more annoying.
It wasn't until 12 noticed something was off about 10 that he paused and asked 10 "Excuse me, 10, is there a reason you're breaking for a snack?"
"Yes, you seem rather calm" 9 noted, stopping his reworking of the formula.
"Don't worry about Davros" 10 simply stated as he took another small bit of his muffin.
Looking around at his screen at the scene of 10's own TARDIS, a smile began to grow on 11's muzzle as he asked 10 "any idea where Derpy is?"
All the other Doctors paused and looked up at the screen with 10 on it. 10 finished chewing his bite, swallowed, then wipped his lips before calmly stating "Oh, she went to go say hello to our old friend and introduce him to a certain party pony."
"Oh my" 2 stated with nervous glee.
"Oh yes" 11 held back a chuckle. "Very clever."
"That's fantastic" a wide smile grew on 9's muzzle.
"Almost feel bad for him" 12 cracked a half smile as he and the other Doctors began to relax, no longer worrying about the threat of the Daleks or their father.
"Almost being the key word" 1 added as he pulled out a cup of tea and held it to his monitor, where more then half the Katherine Doctors were toasting. "Cheers."
************
Typing away as wast as his one hand could type, Davros was close to rewriting the Dalek's battle codes, returning them to their original destructive design. And once he had done that, he would dominate the battle and then turn his army on the creatures who brought him here and attempted to control him with such primitive dark magic. 'Magic, puh! I am the great Davros! Ruler of worlds! Father of the Daleks! I will live forever and rule ALL! As if some silly magic trick could ever hope to curb me!'
"HI there!" A pink pony with a bouncy, darker pink mane, appeared to Davros's left side. "I'm Pinkie Pie!"
"Ugh! What are you doing!? Get off of me!" Davros tried to push the party pony off him but his one hoof was incredibly weak, lacking almost any muscles.
"That isn't very polite" Derpy appeared to his right. "I wanted to introduce you to my friend."
"And I NEEDED to talk with you! Let's talk parties" Pinkie started as she strapped a party hat onto Davros's head and shoved a noise maker in his mouth before pulling out a clip board, her words spilling out at a million miles per hour. "Now, you said these Dalek guys are all your kids, right? Well, that's alot of birthdays to plan! I mean, really, I don't know how you kept up with it before! Not to worry, though! I'm here to help take some of that weight off by helping you! Don't worry! It's what I do! Now I'm going to need a list of names, any allergies, their favorite ice cream, their favorite candy, what they may like, like do any of them like sports? Or a favorite TV show? Oh! Or do any of them like to dress up as princesses? Cause I know a mare who does great work with dresses! We can get them fitted as soon as next week! But you'll have to make an appointment-"
While Pinkie was busy chatting with Davros, keeping half his attention while the other half of his attention was directed at getting the party hat off his head, it was obscuring his vision with his one good, artificial eye at the center of his head, Derpy's mind was wandering over the many shinny buttons on Davros's panel. One button in particular really caught her attention. It had the words 'Emergency Temporal Shift' written on it. Something Doctor told her before about that was nagging at the back of Derpy's mind, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. In the end, she shrugged and guessed it was something good, and pressed the button.
There was a loud beeping that started slow and drawn out, but quickly picked up pace, redirecting Davros's attention to his keyboard. Davros finally ripped off the party hat in time to see the area all around him bend and warp as he was sent hurdaling through time and space. Derpy had just managed to catch Pinkie as Davros disappeared in a flash of light.
"Huh, must have gone to the store to get supplies" Pinkie guessed. "Atleast one of these Daleks must have a birthday today!"
At that statment, one of the Daleks stopped in mid air, turned to Derpy and Pinkie who were gently floating down to the ground and approached them. When they landed, the Dalek screamed "ACTUALLY! ACCORDING TO MY DATA BANKS, TWELVE OF US WERE CREATED ONE YEAR AGO TODAY!"
"Great!" Pinkie and Derpy cheered up, their faces Lighting up with excitement. "Do you have their names? And their favorite flavors of cake?"
The Dalek leaned in to Pinkie's side and began lazering the information onto her clip board with his toned down lazer, running it across the page like a printer.
************
"So let me get this strait" The former Supreme King Sunny spoke casually as he and Hot Iron tag teamed against a mind controlled chimera, dodging its snake tail strikes and smacking it with his pitch fork. "he shows up at your town, after he pretty much dethroned you, sat down, talked with you, and got you to turn life in a different direction?"
"That's the gist of it" Hot Iron blocked one of the chimera tiger claws, then held up his fully armored front legs so his entire armored body could take the brunt of the Chimera's fire blast. When the flames calmed down, The former Supreme King Sunny looked at the armored pony, expecting him to be a pile of ash after that, but Hot Iron was completly unharmed. "Oh, and he gave me this cool armor. Found out it's more then just dragon fire proof."
"Huh, generous of him. I would have kept it." the Supreme King stated as he and Hot Iron split up to attack the chimera on opposite sides.
The chimera goat head followed the former Supreme king to their left while the tiger head followed Hot Iron to their right, while the snake head tail sat far back and watched, not that it really mattered. Without speaking verbally, the creature's three minds were not connected, so they couldn't see the crazy maneuvering Hot Iron and the former Supreme King were performing. Hot Iron last minute jumped up into the air and uses his smithing hammer to hit the side of the goat head hard, while The former Supreme King went low, slid under the beast, flipped to his stomach, and bucked up as hard as he could, nailing the tiger head under the jaw. Both blows seemed to knock the two heads out cold. The former Supreme King rolled out from under the beast just in time to watch it fall to the ground. All but the snake head was out cold. For a moment, the two ignored the snake tail as it repeatedly tried to strike and bite them, but the two ponies remained just far enough out of reach.
Looking over his shoulder, Hot Iron took note of the orange, freckled mare who was knocking drone ponies down left and right with her bare hooves. He chuckled and asked the former Supreme King "she with you?"
"Yep" the former Supreme King cracked a hald smile. "Was gunna propose to her when this crazy stallion showed up and told us the other me needed our help with a big, nasty fight."
The two stallions stood there and watched for a moment as the other Applejack finished knocking one drone pony out by swinging another drone pony at him.
"What a mare" Hot Iron commented with a small chuckle. "You got your hooves full with that one. She's a fighter."
"Yep" the former Supreme King agreed, then, having grown annoyed at the hissing of the snake tail, punched it hard enough to knock it out. "You got ah special somepony?"
Not far off from where they were, the armored ponies of Iron town were battling a large group of the dark army, swinging smithing hammers, spears, swords, and one mare an iron rolling pin. Hot Iron pointed to the mare with the rolling pin and said in a proud tone "that one there. She owns a bake shop. Makes protein shakes like no other."
The mare with the rolling pin swung her baking utensil hard enough to crack the mask of a hypnotized, teen dragon, knocking the creature out before it could release its fire blast. When the dragon was on the ground, the mare let out a loud battle cry as she raised her rolling pin into the air, striking a victorious pose.
"She seems nice" the Supreme King stated, cracking a smile.
"If you two boys are done with yer tea party" the other world Applejack yelled at her coltfriend and Hot Iron. "We still have ah war ta win!"
The two nodded, shrugged off their relaxing muscles and started towards a large Masked dragon. The beast growling as he took in air, his mouth already lighting a fire just behind its razor sharp teeth. The former Supreme King held his pitch fork over his shoulder and signaled for Hot Iron to mount it. Understanding what the former Supreme King was thinking, Hot Iron mounted the pitchfork. Right as the glucagon was about to blast the two stallions with an ember that could melt steel, the former Supreme King flicked his pitch fork, launching Hot Iron like a rocket at the dragon. Hot Iron rolled in the air, but extended his hoof when he reached the Dragon, nailing it in the jaw before the adult dragon could release its fiery breath. The force of the impact rippled through the dragon's jaw and vibrated upwards, rattling the mask it wore, and caused it to shatter.
Hot Iron hit the ground, creating a small crater where he landed. A second later, the knocked out adult dragon hit the ground about twenty feet away from him. Acting cool, Hot Iron casually walked back to where the former Supreme King stood and suggested "we should double date some time."
"Yeah" the former Supreme King chuckled. "I think there's another war I'll need to prevent next week. You two free?"
************
Mourning Cloak didn't like how the battle was fairing so far. Three of her umbrum kin had emerged from the prison opening, and two were struggling to get out at the moment. They were beyond starving, lacking almost any energy to fight.
'It's that Crystal Heart' Mourning Cloak thought as she narrowed her eyes on it. The ancient artifact was burning with energy that Mourning Cloak had not predicted. She had taken every precaution; draining the princesses, putting those Elements of Harmony in a sweet dream prison, kidnapping the princess of love and her family, even raising an army of loyal servents and then some. Yet her plans are failing! 'If only I could get to that Crystal Heart, I might be able to corrupt it! Yes! I bet if I could fill it with my dark magic, I could install fear in the hearts of every creature here! That much food would be all the incentive the umbrum need to push free from the prison! Nothing like waving a meal infront of starving animals to spur them into action!'
The Crystal Heart wasn't far away, all Mourning Cloak would have to do is turn her body to smoke or shadow and slither her way over to it. But somepony stood in her way. The arrogant mare had landed just a moment before Mourning Cloak could dissolve her form. It was the princess of the Sun, the mare who seduced Sombra and birthed that abomination, Princess Celestia.
"Well well well" Mourning forced a wicked smile, feeling more annoyed and thinking of a way around the alicorn princess. Although she had absorbed the magical powers of Celestia and Luna, Mourning Cloak still didn't want to risk a battle that she might lose, and was thinking of a way to distract the sun Princess long enough to transform and slip by her. "To what do I owe the pleasure, miss 'sit-by-and-let-others-do-her-dirty-work'?"
Celestia's hard gaze and stone like expression didn't falter as if Mourning's words were muted. "You hurt my sister, my Sombra, and my son. You won't walk away from this."
"Bold words from a princess who-" Mourning started to say but was hit with a sharp blast of a golden colord beam of magic, shot from Celestia's horn. The blast created a whole in her smoke and shadow like body that fizzled, still burning. Mourning let out a ear piecing scream as she put one of her misty hooves to her sizzling wound.
This caught the attention of King Sombra, who at the moment, had his hooves full, fighting Sunny and the puppet Sombra.
"Don't let your guard down!" Sunny called out as he struck King Sombra across the face with his bare hoof, keeping his Crystal sword up and on guard in case Sombra struck out with his own dark crystal sword.
The blow was a much harder punch then Sombra remembered Sunny having 1000 years ago when he taught him hoof to hoof combat tactics.
Sombra paused.
'Wait… I… I remember… why would I train Sunny if he wasn't…' things weren't adding up in his head. Sombra felt like he was half way in a dream, realizing thing weren't the way they were meant to be.
Sunny and the puppet Sombra paused when they noticed King Sombra hesitating, fighting his own internal battle. But before any resolution from Sombra's internal struggle could arise, two of the three Umbrum took to Sombra's side, howling at Sunny, their smoke like hooves pounding the ground as their bone white eyes burned like hot coals at the yellow unicorn.
The Sombra puppet launched at them, only for his own Crystal sword to faze right through them, doing no damage whatsoever. The umbrum then launched at Sunny, their bodies seemed to do some damage as they fazed right through him. Their bodies so cold it felt like Sunny just swallowed a bucket of snow. Sunny himself tried to strike at the shadow creatures, only to have his hooves faze though them, like fighting arctic wind. Thinking of a different tactic, Sunny closed his eyes and focused on putting up a shield. This kept the umbrum at bay until the dark Crystal sword King Sombra was weilding pierced it, causing the shield to crack and eventually shatter. King Sombra had regained enough clarity to realize his kin were defending him. That's right. He remembered he was fighting to free the umbrum. THEY needed him. Only after the sword was thrown did Sombra notice that annoying purple alicorn princess and her friends dragging away the dark energy bubble that contained the princess of love and her family.
"Oh no you don't!" Sombra cried out as he rose up on his back hooves and stomped the ground, sending a rippling wave of dark crystals slithering their way to Twilight and her friends. The Dark crystals swung around infront of Twilight and the others then burst into a wall of dark crystals that easily towered over them! After he cast the spell, King Sombra felt the sharp end of a Crystal blade cut across his cheek. This shook the shadow King and made him turn towards his attacker. His burning eyes fell upon his wooden doubleganger, who held his green crystal sword out at him in a very formal fashion.
"Your fight is with me, not with them" the puppet Sombra stated, his voice very clear and organic, and full of anger.
"I'm going to chop you into fire wood!" King Sombra growled as he stomped the ground again, creating more dark crystals in the air.
The shards all pointed at the wooden Sombra and began firing, shooting at him as fast as they could. But the puppet Sombra quickly dodged most of the larger shards, ignoring all the smaller ones that barely pierced his wooden body. After all the dark Crystal shards had been fired, the puppet Sombra lundged at the real Sombra, only to trip and fall for some reason. When the puppet Sombra looked back at his hind hooves, he saw the smaller dark crystal shards he ignored that landed in his legs began to expand and grow, sealing him to the ground.
"Pathedic" King Sombra stated as he approached the puppet that mirrored his former self. "Same old toys taken down with the same tricks-"
But the real Sombra was interrupted when his puppet bouble used his green crystal sword to cut off his own legs right above the line where the dark crystals reached, freeing himself. Before the real Sombra could react, the puppet Sombra used his sword like a pole vaulting rod and launched his now free body at the shadow king! The puppet tackled Sombra to the ground and began launching punch after punch with one wooden hoof while holding onto Sombra by the neck with the other.
Rolling around on the ground, unable to collect his thoughts enough to cast a spell of any kind, Sombra Struggled to get free. "Ugh! These toys of his are annoying!"
"You should be proud of him" the puppet Sombra snapped as he delivered a good blow to the real Sombra's gut. "He's become, ugh, quite the stallion! Isn't that what you wanted!?"
While the puppet was busy talking, Sombra seized an opening, grabbed it by its punching hoof, and tossed it off of him, slamming it hard to the ground enough to crack its wooden body.
Taking a few breaths, King Sombra straitened his mane and looked down at the broken puppet version of him. "Why would I be proud of somepony like him?"
"Becouse…." The puppet Sombra's voice now sounded shaky and slightly off, like a record that was dusty. "He's y-y-our, your, your…son."
Sombra growled as he put a hoof to the puppets chest, apply pressure which seemed to cause the puppet great pain as the board of his chest creeked, like it was ready to snap. King Sombra's eyes burned as he glared at his puppet doupleganger. "No he's not! That stupid foal is Princess Celesria's son! Not mine!"
The puppet chuckled despite his pain. He met King Sombra's gaze with eyes that felt no fear from him. "YOU are the stupid foal. That witch did something t-t-to, to, to, to, you, you, you, you… just… listen…"
The puppet Sombra then twisted his neck to the left then right, activating a secret property Whittler installed in it for Sunny, should he ever need words of encouragement. A recorder began to play back a message that Sombra himself helped create. It was a recording Sombra had made over 1000 years ago. "Hey there, Sunny. I'm guessing things must be tough if you're breaking this out for a fight. I won't alway be there to help you, and neither will these puppets…. I know you have a hard time trusting others, I understand. Life as a young prince isn't easy… I don't know what trials await you in the future, but I know you'll over come them… just continue to believe in others the way you always do, and most importantly, believe in yourself… your mother and I love you, so much… so much…. so much… your mother… and, and and, I….I… love you…"
The small recording device was damaged when the puppet Sombra hit the ground, but most of the message remained in tact. The puppet Sombra felt his life fading fast, but it didn't matter much. He wasn't a REAL puppet, like the others were. He was a memory. He existed just to remind somepony of who he was, nothing more. Now that that pony was remembering, the spirit of the puppet, the essence that gave him life, was returning to where it belonged. Looking back at the shadow King, the puppet Sombra saw tears in his eyes as he fell to his knees. Was it regret Sombra was feeling? Was everything he had done finnaly catching up to him? Or was remorseful for all he had done to his son? His beloved Celestia? The puppet wouldn't get his answer. The last thing he saw before fading to black was King Sombra mouthing the words 'I'm sorry…' which put the spirit of the puppet to rest. His body jerked and rattled one last time before falling silent…
************
Fighting the good fight against their dark armored enemies, Prince Razor Claw lead his warriors of Griffonstone against a good two dozen black army members, mostly consisting of hypnotized ponies wielding shields, spears, and swords. The only thing that the griffins could hear was the energizing sounds of metal on metal as their claw blades locked, blocked and struck against the armor and weapons of the dark army pawns.
"Tis a most excellent battle!" One of the griffins commented to the prince.
"What?" Prince Razor Claw yelled, trying to get his companikn to repeat himself as he slashed his claws against an armored pony's mask. With the mask removed, the spell forcing him to fight broken, the pony passed out from pure exhaustion.
"I said!" the griffon tried to repeat himself, but his words came out even more muffled then before as an armored minotaur attacked him, appearing out of nowhere and slamming a huge battle ax downward, luckily missing Razor Claw's companion.
"Watch out! There's a minotaur!" Prince Razor Claw yelled as he picked up a spear belonging to the dark army pawn he just knocked out. Taking aim, the prince shot the spear from his Claw with great force. The spear cut through the air and sliced through the wooden handle of the Masked minotaur's battle ax.
"What did you say, your majasty?" One of the other griffins asked, not being able to hear over a new ruckus erupting over the horizon.
The minotaur seemed unscaved by the loss of his weapon and instead decided to continue fighting with his bare hands. His target, the prince who destroyed his ax. The minotaur's muscular, outstretched hands looked as though he could squeeze his enemies to a pulp. Several dark army pony pawn joined him in ganging up on the griffins who refused to back down from a fight, no matter how outmatched they were.
"Stand your guard, men!" Prince Razor Claw ordered, screaming as loud as he could.
"Actually, I think we better move" one of the griffins who was looking behind them mumbled, tapping Prince Razor Claw on the shoulder.
"What did you say?" Prince Razor Claw asked with a yell.
Another griffon turned his head just in time, and both he and the first griffon managed to pull the prince and their companions out of harms way at the last moment.
A loud screech overpowered all other sounds as a loud metal monster came trudging over the hill, an owl appearing to be ridding this mighty metal creature as smoke blew from two horns atop its head. The metal beast bellowed and raised its curved face, scooping up the dark army pawns, both ponies and the minotaur, then carried them away.
The group of griffins were stunned by what they saw, having never seen a Bull-doze-R before, much less one being operated by an owl. Before the great machine and owl rider vanished from sight with their haul, the owl turned its head back, eyed the griffins with both one good and one bad eye before letting out several more scratches.
"What did he say?" One of the griffins spoke up. With the loud enemies sweept away from their area, all the other griffins could now hear as plain as day.
"I don't know, I don't speak owl" another griffon added, feeling like he and his companions were just one upped by a beast no bigger then their lunch.
"He said 'Toast'" prince Razor Claw mumbled, dumbstruckand confused by what just happened as well as the owl's battle cry.
The first griffon caught a whiff of something that smelled delicious. "Does anyone else smell ferret?"
************
The Masked Matterhorn's gaze shot between her comerads who were aiding on the battle feild as well as the taking a quick count of the pile of ponies that continued to grow next to her. As her fellow power ponies, Fili-Second, Radiance and Mistress Mare-velous, all worked to collect the fallen ponies and creatures on the battle feild, her other companions Hum Drum and Sunday Speinkles teamed up with some of the medical ponies from the Crystal Empire to give aid to the injured. The Power Pony's leader couldn't help but notice a certain caped crusader missing in action.
As Hum Drum passed by the Masked Matter-Horn, she asked him "do I want to know where the Dark Detective is?"
"Oh, ugh…, well, ya see… he kinda" Hum Drum hated being in between the Masked Matter-Horn and Dark Detective. He respected them both as authority figures and heroes with their own ways of doing things.
Sunday suprise, on the other hoof, had no problem ratting out her boss and spat out as she passed the Masked Matter-Horn "he went with Zapp and Saddle Ranger to fight that giant dragon."
"Of course he did" the Masked Matter-Horn sighed as she continued to calculate a plan on her clip board.
"Yeah, said he wanted to test out his new Darkcopter" Hum Drum felt a little more relaxed when he saw the Masked Matter-Horn wasn't as angery as he thought she would be.
The goggles wearing leader of the Power Ponies paused, turned to Hum Drum and mumbled through a tight pair of lips. "He. What?"
Hum Drum gulped nervously and repeated himself. "Well, ugh, he has a new Darkcopter. You know. Helicopter painted in his colors with his logo on it?"
"How did he get a helicopter here!?" The Masked Matter-Horn sounded more annoyed now then she nromally was when the conversation involved the Dark Detective.
"Portable… it's portable" the Masked Matter-Horn repeated the word twice before mumbaling it to herself as she hastily worked on the plans she had on her clip board before handing the paper to Hum Drum. "Here. Please pass this off to Mistress Mare-velous. Based on the way the battle is going, most of the heat is still at the front near that creepy tunnel opening. Have Fili-Second pull any and all civilians away from there and Mare-velous and Radiance cover her as she does."
"What should I do?" Sunday Speinkles asked as she finished making another batch of ice packs for the injured with her unique powers.
"I need you to continue helping me and the other medical ponies to tend to the injoured" the Masked Matter-Horn's tone was still commanding but it softened a little. She could see the young, eager heroine inside Sunday Speinkles who wanted to get out there and join the action. She understood what it was like to feel left out of the action. Putting a reassuring hoof on Sunday's shoulder, looking her in the eye with a relaxed expression, the Masked Matter-horn told her "I know you want to be out there, but we need you here. You and I are trained in medical aid. There are others who can fight, but only a hoof full who can tend to the injured. I can't force you to stay and help. But I'm asking you, as a hero, will you stay and help me with the sick and injured?"
Taking a deep breath, Sunday Speinkles shot the Masked Matter-Horn a half smile and replied. "Heros don't just fight bad guys. We go where we are needed. Right?"
Hearing the young heroine say that made the Masked Matter-Horn proud to stand beside her. "You're on your way to being a true hero, kid."
"Better then the Dark Detective?" Sunday brightly asked, a wide smile spread across her muzzle.
"Yeah, even better then him" 'You're better then him now. Although, every now and again, he does suprise me, when he can put aside his own ego and actually help others' the Masked Matter-Horn thought as she began rushing some of Sunday Speinkles's ice pack to some of the injured.
************
"For Holder's Boulder!!!" Limestone shouted as she plummeted down to the earth, nailing a masked pony with a punch hard enough to shatter the metal mask she was wearing like it was made of glass. The no longer masked mare fell to the ground, unconscious as Limestone twirled around, teeth gritting, eyes sharply looking around for her next target. She didn't have to wait long before a good dozen or so Masked ponies circled her. Feeling outmatched but unwilling to show fear or weakness, Limestone flexed her muscles and yelled at the top of her lungs "COME AND GET SOME!!!"
The crowd of masked, mind controlled ponies closed in on Limestone, jumping at her, only for half of them to be knocked away by something grey and fast as lightning. The half that weren't knocked away landed punches and kicks on their target. Limestome took the hits, showed signs of brusing and cuts, but remained standing. After their blows made contact, the masked ponies were swiftly flung back by a lighting grey whirlwind.
Standing above several now unmaked ponies was Ignious Rock, a large sledge hammer flung over his shoulder. He didn't look it, but the older stallion could still swing such a tool as fast as lightning. Ignious readjusted his hat, expression still deadpan as he stated "Me thinks you lot made an unwise move attaching our daughter in such fashion."
The grey whirlwind calmed down and paused long enough to reveil Crystal Quarts with several chiseling tools in her hooves, a fierce look in her eye like a cobra. "Skilled, we are, at more then farming rocks."
The dark army pawns who still had unbroken masks got to their hooves, quickly joined by more of their ranks who had successfully taken down their opponents. Facing more opponents now then before, Limestone and her parents regrouped, and formed a triangular formation with their backs to eachother. Then, when the moment was right, the trio of earth ponies launched their attack, jumping out and striking down their foes, making sure to aim at their masks.
************
Swinging her spear with great precision, Rose Bud knocked down one opponent after another, making sure the end of her spear collided with one part of her enemy's armor before taking an immediate swing to hit one of their masks. Unlike the others fighting on Sunny's side who overheard princess Twilight shout to her friends about attacking or removing the masks the enemy wore, Rose Bud and her warriors found out by accident. Her spear ricocheted off the armor of one she was fighting and hit the jaw part of their mask. The sonic wave hit caused the mask to crumble and freed the pony underneath. Rose Bud's mother, Prim Rose, the previous leader of the Thals, was amung the warriors who followed Rose Bud's orders. She watched and kept an eye on her daughter as she led her troops into battle. The little filly she had raised back on Scaro had grown into a fine leader that she was proud to leave the position of chief to.
Unfortunatly, Rose Bud was the only warrior equipped with a spear that could use vibrationnas a weapon. She had a much easier time freeing the dark army pawns then her fellow warriors, but that didn't mean the other Thals or Kelads were useless in the battle.
"Archers!" One of the Thal warriors called out to his group as he pointed to a spread out hurd of dark army pawns equipped with bows and spears. The Dark archers made sure to position themselves a good distance away from themselves and their targets. All of them raising their loaded bows, taking aim at Rose Bud and her warriors.
"Everypony, draw back!" Rose Bud yelled her orders."Kaleds! Defend!"
The unicorn warriors dropped their weapons then pulled out small metallic devices, holding them out infront of them. When the dark archers released their arrows, clear blue light grew from their mechanical devises the Kaleds held, emmiting similar energy shields thay unicorns normally created. The energy shields folded over one another, forming a giant shield around Rose Bud and her warriors. Upon impact, the arrows sizzles and turned to ash, blowing away in the slight breeze, leaving the shield undamaged.
"Keep formation and advance to the archers!" Rose Bud ordered.
The group of Thals and Kaleds moved very slowly. Although their shields protected them from the Dark archer's arrows, they couldn't move very fast. The archers saw this and began moving out of their own formation, spreading around the shielded group of Thals and Kaleds to suround them.
"Kaleds, spread around!" Rose Bud saw what the archers were up to and had the Kaleds with their shields spread to completly cover them. Although the shields did reach fully around and cover them, the warriors from Scaro were now stuck in a bubble suroudnded by the enemy.
"What do we do now, sir?" One of the Kaled soilders asked Rose Bud.
"The shields might have a few more minutes of power left" another Kaled spoke up, sounding more then a bit nervous.
Taking a deep breath, Rose Bud began planning her attack. There was one archer closest to them that she could reach and take down in a few strides if she ran at top speed, after she took that one down, the others would surely go after her. But she was the only one who could achieve such a specific task.
Taking a few deep breaths, she instructed her soilders "Put down the shield infront of me. I'm going to take that archer down. While they are firing in me, all of you move to take down the archers closest to you. After I take that one down, I'll signal you all before I use my spear to create a sonic boom. That should distract some of the archers momentarily."
"Sir, that's crazy!" One of the Thal warriors commented, his voice shaky. "Isn't there another way?"
"There's no time to think up another plan" Rose Bud snapped. "Follow my orders."
Before Rose Bud gave the Kaled closest to her to drop his shield and let her out, Prim Rose put her hoof on her daughter's shoulder and kissed her forhead for good luck. This isn't the first time Rose Bud did anything dangerous, she actually did it quite often. But the stakes were much higher this time, and her mother could tell Rose Bud wasn't on a whim either. This wasn't a battle any of them could afford to lose.
Nodding to the Kaled to drop his shield, Rose Bud dashed through her opening and raced like the wind to the archer in her sights. Arrow after arrow began to fly through the air, aimed at Rose Bud. She managed to manuvor around where she guessed the arrows would fly. One thing she noticed about the dark archers, even though they appeared more calculating then the average dark army pawn, they were still predictable. By the time Rose Bud made it to her target, she had hit her spear on a rock, causing it to vibrate and activate its sonic abilities. She barely touched the archer's mask and the whole thing shattered, freeing the archer pony underneath.
Turning as fast as she could, Rose Bud tore the chest plate form the fallen dark archer, and tossed it into the air infront of her. Making sure to smack a rock on the ground to activate her spear again, Rose Bud pulled her spear back over head, ready to slam it down on the plate as hard as she could to create a forceful sound wave that should generate a good amount of energy and knock a few of the archers off their hooves, giving her warriors time to take them down and her a chance to rejoin them. The plan might have worked if another archer hadn't shot an arrow right at the base of her spear, activating it's sonic powers right before Rose Bud was ready. As her spear made contact with the chest plate, it made the armor shatter and turn to dust even worse then the mask she destroyed a second ago.
Looking up from the debris that had once been a chest plate, Rose Bud knew she had distracted the dark archers and given her fellow warriors a chance to attack. But she also knew without even looking up that more arrows were coming her way. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw a swarm of them all closing in on her. She had no time to dodge, nothing to hide behind, climb or drop down into. She could deflect a few arrows at best. But was there time enough now for her to react?
Just when the Thal leader thought this would be her final battle, a giant slate of rock appeared infront of her, atleast ten ponies high and wide! Rose Bud could hear the sound of the arrows hitting the other side of the slade of rock and bouncing off. Before she could process what had just happened, her eyes fell upon a grey coated mare, wearing a cobalt colored dress (if one could call such a basic piece of clothing a dress), and a purple mane cut strait at the bangs, with an expressionless muzzle. The mare who had come to Rose Bud's aid was holding up the giant slab of rock with one hoof, appearing relaxed as she held up a rock that would normally take ten to twelve ponies to hold.
"You ok?" The grey mare asked Rose Bud, her tone as flat and expressionless as her muzzle.
"Y-yes" Rose Bud managed to find her words. "Thank you."
"No problem" the grey mare flatly answered.
Not far off from where the archers were, Marble Pie had stationed herself flat on her belly, an odd looking wooden pea shooter with a long barrel in her hooves. The pea shooter she had a pair of small legs at its center for stability, and several extra tight rubber bands connected at the end of it to shoot the ammo through the barrel. Marble pulled back and ready for firing her ammo of choice.
Marbles, what else?
Taking a deep breath, Marble Pie loaded a marble into the long barrel pea shooter, a super tight rubber band pulled back ready to fire the marble. Marble Pie took aim at one of the archer's bows, and pulled the trigger. At top speed, the marble cut through the air faster then any arrow, and broke the archer's bow clear in half, leaving the dark archer weaponless, standing there in their confusion. Their only orders had been to use their bows and arrows to take down their enemies. Without their bows, they didn't know what to do and remained standing motionless. One after another after another, Marble shot the bows of the archers, disabling them.
One archer realized where the shots were coming from, looked over to see Marble Pie in the distance, took aim, and fired an arrow right at her!
Marble didn't expect retaliation, and froze. She didn't know whether to try and shoot the arrow down with one of her marbles or to try and run away. She just watched as the arrow seemed to slowly move through the air, the world slowed down as the arrow drew closer and closer to her.
Just when Marble started to regret following her sisters and parents here, a small shadow zoomed across the sky, knocking the arrow and saving Marble. Looking over at the thing that had saved her, Marble was shocked to see it was Boulder. Maud's pet rock.
Thinking quickly, Marble loaded her pea shooter and took aim at the archer who fired at her. She was suprised, though, to see that all the other archers had been defeated and demasked already by the Thals and Kaleds.
"Oh Boulder, you brave, brave fool" Marble turned to see Maud appeared at Boulder's side. The oldest Pie sister stroked there pet's head gently, noticing a scratch on his surface. "You always wanted to be a hero. Don't do it again. I don't know what I would do if I lost you."
Marble always thought her sister's choice of pets was odd, but it was even odder that she spoke with him as if he were alive and actually injured.
Picking Boulder up and putting him safely back in her pocket, Maud asked Marble "are you ok?"
To which Marble replied with her usual "mm-hmm".
"Good. Let's see how Limey, ma and pa are doing" Maud used the nick name Pinkie gave to her salty sister, feeling that might help relax Marble and her a bit. The battle wasn't over yet, but they needed to keep their heads on right.
************
"Just like old times?" Midnight Blossom asked her coltfriend as she slashed a weapon out of a dark army pawns hooves before doing a flip kick and sent the disarmed pawn flying.
Cloud Skipper blocked a dragon's claw with his magical blade. He remained standing, but was pushed back several inches. As the dragon took in breath, ready to expell its lungs worth of fire, Cloud Skipper seized the opertunity to slash at the mask on the dragon's face. The special ops pegasus guard only managed a scratch on the black metal mask, but it was enough to stop the dragon from breathing fire. He wished he could trust himself to cut the mask right in two and not harm the wearer, but Cloud Skipper knew he wasn't that skilled with a sword just yet. "Yeah. Old times."
Four more dragons came to the call of their allie, all also wearing Sombra's mind controlling mask. The dragons didn't go to their friend's aid, but rather turned their attention to Cloud Skipper, the one who inflicted the wound.
The white pegasus gulped, but steadied his nerves ad he held his blade infront of him, ready to dodge and attack, starting with the dragon on the far left.
"I'll take the right, you take the left?" Midnight Blossom whispered in Cloud Skipper's ear as she joined him, taking her own battle ready stance, one clawed hoof over head and one curled up, the stance almost gave her a look of a snake baring it's fangs.
The two of them being side to side like this brought Cloud Skipper back to the mission they had to take on while their third companion was MIA. They had gone on a search for their companion, Allister, when they were ambushed by a group of lizard people who were capturing creatures from the Everfree to sell in their home, Klugetown. The two royal guards had quite a fight on their hooves, the lizard people were quite strong. The fight was exilerating, and left the two guards physically exhausted. After they freed the captured creatures and turned the lizard people over to the royal guards posted at the edge of the Everfree forest, Cloud Skipper treated Midnight to a small feast at a local diner. It was there that he finnaly shared his true feelings for her. She knew all along and also feelings of love for him, but wanted him to have the guts to say it first. That was a day neither of them would forget.
"Equestria to Skipper, come in Skipper" Midnight Blossom hissed, pulling Cloud Skipper back from his trip down memory lane. "You taking the one on the left or what?"
Shaking his head Clear, Cloud Skipper nodded and agreed. "Right. I got the left."
The dragon's slowly approached the two guards, their claws raised like they were going to attack with them first before fire breath. Both Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom were about to leap into action when the dragons suddenly fell to their knees, arms falling to their sides. Although they were a little confused by this sudden change, both royal guards knew better then to let their guard down, even if the enemy appears defeated. In another moment, though, they knew they could relax. The dragons all fell over, their masks falling off to reveil that they had fallen asleep, their masks had lost all power once the dragons were out cold. Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom looked up, saw what had happened and began to relax from their battle stances.
Standing behind where the dragon's once stood was their third companion, a grey unicorn by the name of Charming Knight. His eyes glowing grey, having to sacrifice three of his senses to focus on controlling his newest power. A stream of grey shadow was protruding from the back of his head, curving and stretching out where it reached the dragons infront of them. At the end of the grey shadow was a monstrous pony's head wearing a black top had and bearing sharp white teeth. His beady, reptilian eyes turned from the four dragons he had incompasitated to look now at Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom. The other two guards winced at the shift in his attention, but tried to relax.
The ghost like head chuckled, it's top hat lifted as if an invisible hoof where tipping it to them, then the monstrous spector retreated back to Charming Knight. Once the grey shadow was completly gone, Charming Knight regained his senses, and stumbled a little. His two companions jumped to either side of him, to help him steady himself as he regained his footing. His voice was weak when he spoke, but he spoke with a smile. "Thanks guys. I'm still not used to that."
"Now isn't the best time to be using HIM" Cloud Skipper scolded his team leader, his expression as hard as he could make it.
"Probability not" Charming admitted then levitated his spear up to him. Casting the simple levitation spell after his spell to utilize his dark side, Charming Knightmare, was exhausting. Charming would need atleast twenty minutes to recover before attempting any further spells. "I think we have company."
A good two dozen Masked ponies gathered around the three guards, each weilding a weapon of some kind. Armed with spears, axes, swords, and hammers, the mind controlled ponies appeared to really mean buisness.
"Togeather?" Cloud Skipper moved into position, his sword held infront of him.
"Togeather" Midnight Blossom agreed with her special somepony, and took a crouching position, like a cat ready to pounce.
"Togeather" Charming Knight kept his smile as he took his spear in his hoof, ready to fight the enemy with or without magic.
Charming had changed so much since his run in with Sunny Knight and those friends of his. He learned that no pony is perfect, and you should never try and be. We all have our flaws, and those who really care about you won't care about your flaws. More so, it's OK to work with others and accept their help. That ponies are stronger in in hurd. These two other guards that Charming always teamed up with don't care what things he's done in the past or his current condition with his darker side. They accept him for who he is. They are ponies he feels he can whole heartedly depend on. That is true friendship.
The two dozen Masked ponies began to charge at them, weapons raised as they ran to their opponents. Charming Knight, Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom waited for just the right moment, then leaped into battle.
Jumping over the boys, Midnight Blossom attacked from above, her claw like blades outstretched giving her the appearance of a flying wild cat. She let out a hiss as she leaped onto the masked muzzle of a drone who was weilding a large hammer. Cloud made a quick side dash from Midnight's left to her right, avoiding an attack from a drone who swung a large ax that missed him and sunk into the dry ground. Cloud then used the hilt of his magical sword to bash the masked muzzle of a pawn in, shattering the mask, before twirling around and cutting the mask of the parn next to the first, splitting the mask in half. While his companions were busy with the ponies infront of them, Charming had turned his attention to the ponies who were attacking their flanks. Using skilled precision, Charming launched a number of atta
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Staring at the overgrown toy that mimicked his former image, King Sombra felt a tug at the back of his mind that something was wrong. Half of him felt enraged and insulted by his wooden doppelganger, wanting to smash it to bits, and the other half felt… was it remorse? Like he had done something terrible. He quickly shook it off, refocusing on the task at hoof. He had done nothing wrong. There was nothing he should feel guilty about… and yet, what was this feeling he had when he tore his attention from the puppet to its user. The look in those eyes. He had seen it before when he faced Celestia 1000 years ago, right before she sealed him in the arctic tundra. That look of pain, of duty, of heart ache, and responsibility. While Sombra appeared lost in thought, the cloaked mare appeared slightly nervous by the sudden appearance of all these blue boxes that came to Sunny's aid. She had not planned for this, but she did have a back up plan should that prove problematic. She ALWAYS had a back up plan.
No pony knew what to make of the twelve blue boxes appearing out of nowhere at first. But after one delivered that vital gift to Sunny, everypony hoped that THEY were the reinforcments Sunny spoke of. They weren't, of course, but Sunny focused more on the enemies before him and pushed all quesgions aside for later.
The first Doctor to have appeared was known as 9, who delivered the Sombrapuppet to Sunny, but that wasn't all he brought with him. Emerging out of his TARDIS was a familiar face. A unicorn stallion almost identical to Sunny in everyway, say for the overalls he sported, a pitch fork he kept swung over his shoulder, and his ruby red eyes. He was accompanied by a mare who looked almost like Applejack, but she wore a straw hat rather then a stetson, and had a rather calm and reserved feel to her rather then a bright outgoing one. Accompanying them, where two dozen or so scarecrows that seemed to walk on their own, each made of old cloths stuffed with straw, burlap sacks for heads, buttons for eyes, and at their core wooden posts for skeletons to help them stand up strait.
The ruby eyed Sunny and the straw hat Applejack walked up and stood beside the emerald eyed Sunny. The two Sunnys eyes met, and the stallions shared a nod, with the emerald eyed Sunny cracking a confident smile.
************
From a distance away, the Doctor known as 1 emerged from his TARDIS, a rather older looking fellow with a light grey coat and snowy white hair, wearing a vest over a button up shirt. She smiled as he stepped aside and let his guests out of HIS TARDIS. Ponies from another world who knew Sunny, 10 and Derpy from long ago, but not so long ago. Just long enough for a certain filly to grow up big and strong. A fierce looking earth pony mare, or as they would call themselves, Thal, emerged from the TARDIS, wearing half organic, half metal armor, holding a spear that was made of a special metal that could cause loud sound vibrations. She marched forward and brought with her a herd of two dozen more Thals as well as a dozen Kaleds, all who were dressed in similar armor. Once her herd had fallen in line, a slightly older looking warrior emerged last, bringing up the rear.
"You ready for the battle of the century, my daughter?" The slightly aged Prim Rose turned to Rose Bud, who was the first to emerge from the TARDIS.
"I've been training ever since the three great ones saved our world when I was a foal" Rose Bud beamed as she spoke, but quickly hid her enthusiasm. A wise leader doesn't lead her herd into battle to enjoy a fight. Over the years, Rose Bud had trained hard to become a warrior, all the while helping to mend the gap between thr Thols and the Kaleds. Slowly over time, she had brought the two tribes togeather, and working as one, the two tribes used their knowlage of science and organic life to rebuild their once beautiful home to its former glory before the great War.
Facing the Crystal Empire, Rose Bud knew this would be her finest moment. A chance for her herd to pay back the kindness of the three great ones, as well as etch into history a battle that was out of this world.
************
From another TARDIS not far from one, an odd looking stallion emerged, playing a little tune on his recorder. He had a black bowl cut, a light blue coat that was mostly hidden under a black and white patterned jacket. He seemed really cheery as he stepped aside and allowed his guests to emerge from HIS TARDIS.
"Ugh! Can you PLEASE STOP PLAYING THAT THING!" Midnight Blossom flew out, her hooves covering her sensitive bat like ears. The batpony guard was hovering just above the ground, wearing her purple, nightmarish armor she had from her time as a night guard. On her hooves were retractable blades that turned her front hooves into cat like claws when she flipped her legs a certain way in battle.
"Yes, please, the first song was… alright" Cloud Skipper was trying to agree with his marefriend and fellow guard while also trying to appear greatful to their odd transporter. The white pegasus guard wore his golden armor he was awarded when he became a special missions guard. By his side was a special blade enchanted with a spell to help him deflect and break through magical spells, a handy tool for a non unicorn guard. "But really, some of us have sensitive hearing."
"Shame, I was going to ask him to play 'Hot Cross Hooves'" the third guest emerged, a half smile on his muzzle. Allister, er, Charming Knight, emerged, wearing his new yellow Cloak and guard shoulder pads, carrying a new spear he had purchased just last week and had grown rather fond of. The grey unicorn was eager to test out his new abilities on the battle feild, rather then in a training practice. He had gained quite a bit of control over the dark side within him and was ready to test it.
"You know, I think I prefer you being quiet alot more then you having a terrible since of humor" Midnight hissed as she removed her hooves from her ears, glaring at Charming Knight. All three of them stepping forward to aid a certain acquaintance of theirs in the upcoming battle.
"You kids go have fun!" The Doctor Whooves known as 2 smiled and waved his recorder, waiting for the young mare with the sensitive ears to step just far enough away that he can begin playing his annoying instrument again.
************
Stepping out of another TARDIS was a thinner stallion with a curley white mane dressed in a tight, velvet suite, appearing like he might join the fight himself if anypony steps too far out of line. There was an edict to these kinds of things and he thought the enemy should behave professionally. But for the moment, he would let the allies of the party have their fun. Moving aside, he let his company emerge.
Several ponies, all dressed in spandex and dawning masks emerged. To anypony who never picked up a comic book, these individuals might look like they missed the train for the circus. But to anyone who even walked by a comic book store would recognize them immediatly. In a white, skin tight suite with purple arrows streached all along it, was a green earth pony known to her friends as Fili-Second. Following behind her was a unicorn mare named Radiance, carrying herself with elegant poise, who's outfit was covered in blue, pink and yellow diamonds. After her was a loud and proud pegasus who's power matched her personality, the thunderous Zapp. Following her much bolder allie was a rather timid and quiet mare, in a skin tight green outfit decorated with flowers to help keep her calm, who went by the name of the Saddle Ranger. Preparing her lasso for battle after the Saddle Ranger stepped aside, was a mare in a black and red suit who was deemed Mistress Mare-velous. Following up after her was a duo of a small green colt named Hum Drum, the team's former sidekick and new personal relationships advisor, dressed in his signature black mask and red cape, and the team's leader, the Masked Matter-horn. The Masked Matterhorn readjusted her goggles and narrowed her eyes on the scene infront of her, calculating a plan for action.
"Well well well, quite an interesting scene we have here" a stallion's voice spoke up from behind the Masked Matter-Horn, nearly causing her to jump out of her suite.
"W-what are you doing here!?" The Masked Matter-Horn snapped, a hoof holding her chest as she breathed heavily, neither she nor her other power pony companions expecting somepony else to show up with them, much less the Phantom member of their team, the Dark Detective.
The stallion who had got the jump on the power pony leader wore all black; his signature garments were a black cloak over a black skin tight suite, a black Renaissance style fedora hat ontop of his head, and a simple black mask to cover his eyes similar in style to Hum Drum. He cracked a smile at the Masked Matter-Horn as he flipped his cape out in a heroic fashion. "Out there is another me, from another world, facing the forces of evil, how could I not come to his aid?"
"Besides, I asked him to come, reeeaaally nicely" Sunday Speinkles, a mare who was mutated in a horrible lab axident indirectly caused by the Dark Detectice, popped up behind the caped crime fighter, even more stelthfully then he had snuck up on the Masked Matter-horn. Sunday had upgraded her refrigeration suite a few times to include a thicker material to withstands the constant fights she keeps getting caught up in, a utility belt that had patches to repair the suite, as well as various tools for crime fighting, her goggles upgraded to also include night vision and infer red. She also upgraded her suit's material to look like it was made of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla ice cream with her upper body being whipped cream with sprinkles. "It was thanks to THAT Dark Detective that things started changing for the better for me. I kinda want to repay him."
The leader of the Power Ponies straitened herself up, cleared her throat and did her best to ignore the presence of the only pony to ever leave her super hero team. The Masked Matter-Horn knew the Dark Detective had every right to be there as they did, maybe more so. This Sunny Knight WAS an alternate universe version of himself, after all.
"Tea miss?" The Dark Detective's butler Penny Worth appeared out of the blue as well, but by this time, the Masked Matter-Horn had grown used to the sudden appearances from the Dark Detective's allies.
The leader of the Power Ponies sighed, took the cup, sipped it down a little then handed it back to the butler who offered some to the Doctor known as 3. 3 was delighted at the offer.
************
Out of another TARDIS, a rather nervous looking, brown earth pony, known as 4, stumbled out, almost tripping over his long, multi colored scarf. He repositioned his battered green and brown fedora that he nestled back ontop of his thick, curley brown mane, then scrambled out of the way allowing his guests through.
The Pie family consisting of the old English speaking stallion, Igneous Rock, the stern but loving mare Cryatal Quartz, the shy and timid Marble Pie, the ever monotone Maude Pie, and the aggressive new boss of the rock farm, Limestone Pie, emerged and looked down at the Crystal Empire.
"Looks like that dummy got himself in a jam" Limestone snorted.
"Mm-hm" Marble stated, looking more then a little nervous at the sight of all the opposing enemies.
"Provinance will smile upon us. Our motives most true, to aid family and save thine world" Ignious put a hoof on his younger daughter's shoulder, wanting to reasure her.
"Regret will fill the hearts of those who stand against the Pie family" Crystal Quarts stated firmly.
Despite her lack of expression, Maud was in complete awe over the whole situation. She never expected to be picked up in a magical box that could travel through space and time, much less being picked up and told they needed her help to save Equestria. Looking out at Sombra's dark army, all the ponies and monsters they'd have to face, Maud was terrified. But she knew that if this Sombra guy was involved with Sunny at all, Applejack wouldn't be too far from the trouble. And if Applejack is in trouble, Maud knew Pinkie wouldn't be far behind. The expressionless mare said the bravest, coolest thing she could think of, "Let's rock their world."
************
A little ways away from the Pie family and the Doctor known as 4 who brought them in HIS TARDIS, a smooth looking stallion opened the door to his own TARDIS, and stepped aside with a half smile on his muzzle. His guest was shocked and amazed at the situation and in awe at the TARDISthat brought them there. This Doctor Whooves was known as 5, and happened to be a younger stallion who's golden smooth, but angled, mane that was just a few shades darker then his body's yellow coat. He dressed in a slick cream colored coat, that almost seemed to glow white. Most of the other Doctor Whooves wore coats of some form or another, but he was one of the few who wore a light colored one. His tone was casual, as if this sort of thing happened everyday, which it almost did for HIM, but wanted to appear relaxed to put his guests at ease. "Ladies, we have arrived at our destination. Please, watch your step as you exit the TARDIS."
The first to step out of the TARDIS was none other then the famous dancer/singer/ choreographer, Sapphire Shores. She nearly tripped when 5 stuck out his front hoof and caught her. She smiled and chuckled nervously. "Thanks, hot stuff. Guess I don't quite have my space ship legs yet."
"No worries" 5 smiled as he helped steady her and got her back to her hooves.
As Saphrire Shores brushed herself off and moved aside, she was taken back first by the sight of the Crystal Empire. She had never been there before, but was hired by Shinning Armor to perform at Princess Cadence's birthday in a few moons. It was an amazing sight, Sapphire Shores had a weakness for diamonds and crystals. After the initial shock, Sapphire Shores noticed that the buildings, the landscape and even the castle was much duller then the pictures she had seen. It all seemed as if the Empire itself was sick. Then her eyes fell upon the black armored army that surrounded the castle. Fear began to fill the super star as she wondered what she was even doing there.
All of Sapphire's dancing crew mimicked their leader's reactions as thet exited the TARDIS, excitement and awe followed by a quick moment of worry and even fear at the sight of the enemy. Sapphire wanted to tell her crew to run back into the ship with the cute stud and fly them out of here, but she remembered what the stud had told them.
'I believe you owe this particular stallion a big favor. He would never cash it in, but if you can find it in yourself, maybe you can come to his aid. He needs all the help he can get.'
She had to help Sunny. He had saved her and her crew from the hooves of that monster, Al Ca'pony. Taking a deep breath, Saphrire Shores steadied her nerves, gathered up her courage, and turned to adress her crew as if this were any other gig. "You ladies are the best dancers in all of Equestria, and I ain't just sayin' that becouse I taught ya'll. To be a good dancer, you need conviction and determination. You build a strong body and a sharp mind. I know this is scary as Tartarus, ah'm scared too. But those ponies who saved ya'll from that nasty Ca'pony jerk are down there and need our help. We owe them this. Besides, if those creeps win, I seriously doubt we'd dance in Equestria again. Let's get out there and show them what we got!"
Her speech made sence and motivated her dancing crew enough to earn their hoof stomps and cheers.
'Girl really knows how to get a crowd going' 5 smirked at the show pony.
************
A rather annoyed looking stallion stepped out of his TARDIS, nearly being knocked over by a Gust of feathers that flew out the front door. The Doctor Whooves known as 6 was a maroon colored stallion with a dark crimson colored mane, who's body was mostly covered by a coat that looked like it was thrown togeather using parts of 10 different coats and oddly enough, had a stick of celery pinned to the right part of the chest. He was a little reluctant to go and pick up these… creatures.
Bodies covered in various brown, white, grey, and black feathers and fur, claws that clenched swords and shields, wings that carried them and cut through the air, their battle cries escaping their beaks. These were the proud warrior allies Sunny had made in Griffonstone many years ago, lead by their brave leader and prince, Razor Claw. All the griffins wore armor to protect their sides, chest and heads, but otherwise gave them free motion to move around. All prepared for battle thanks to their combat training with their swords and spears. And all ready to aid their allie who aided them in their time of need.
Razor Claw himself turned to face his mighty warriors, his signature weapons being blade like claws strapped to his own front claws, slicing the ground as he walked on it and addressed his team. "Warriors of Griffonstone! Today, we return the favor and aid the Black Knight, Prince Soleggiato! Let's show this dark army what real warriors can do!"
This earned powerful screeches that 6 was sure all the Empire could hear. Personally, he was rather annoyed at the screeching, but deep down appreciated their assistance. Deep, deep, deep down he appreciated it.
***********
Hearing the echo of the griffins screeches, The Doctor Whooves known as 7, figured they must have either arrived at the right time and place or they made a wrong turn in the space time continuum and ended up at a Bird Brains concert. This Doctor Whooves stepped out of his TARDIS, appeared to be a shorter, portly stallion dressed in a egg white colored suite with a number of red quesgion marks all over it, carrying a cane with a red quesgion mark on the top of it, as well as a fedora that matched the suite. His body was a butter yellow and had a short black mane. 7 smirked as he looked around saw his cohorts all gathering for the good fight. He mimicked them in releasing his guests from his big, blue time machine.
"Gentle colts, we have arrived" he said as he motioned to the battle feild with his cane as if presenting a side show at a carnival. "Step lightly, the ground is rather… unpleasant at the moment."
Stepping onto the fields of the Crystal Empire out of 7's TARDIS was an army consisting of half an entire town, all in dark grey armor, weilding dark grey swords, spears and shields. Only one soilder differed. He wore armor black as coal, and a sword he had forged from a very large black scale, generously donated from a very odd dragon that passed through their town.
Turning and facing his solders, Hot Iron, the second pony to dawn the Black Knight armor in the last 1000 years, addressed his fellow townsfolk. He knew they were all more then a little skeptical to join him in this call to arms. Seeing the Crystal Empire in its current state didn't make them feel any better. But something deep inside gave Hot Iron the words to sooth their worried hearts. "My fellow townsfolk, my friends, we came here to aid Prince Sunny. He faces impossible odds alone. The enemy is formidable, but we answered the call to arm becouse deep down, our loyalty, our honor is what burns. Let the fire inside you grow, and never let the enemy douse it! We! Are! Iron Town!"
The nervous ponies shook off their fear and tossed it in their inner fire to feed the flames. Their hearts now ablaze, they were ready to take on the enemy that stood before them and aid the Prince Sunny.
**************
Landing a little further away from the area where one could actually see Sunny, Sombra and the rest of the stilled action, the Doctor Whooves, known to his cohorts and friends as 8, opened the door to his TARDIS and peeked out, a little disappointed in his landing.
"Looks like we arrived at the right place and time," he called back to his guest who still remained hidden in his TARDIS. After pulling his head back out and taking a step forward onto the grassy feild, 8 muttered to himself "I just wish I had been given a better location to land. My guests and I are just as important as the others. Have we gone on as many adventures, well no, but we are still important."
"Is everything OK, Mr. Whooves?" Ipsy asked as she poked her head out of 8's TARDIS.
Ipsy was the kelpy Sunny and some of the Katherine met while camping near the lake between Ponyville and the Everfree forest. The group of ponies had been telling scary stories before bed, and unfortunatly for them and Ipsy, the kelpy had been wandering around near the lake, using her transforming powers in combination with telepathy to move freely in the air in her aquatic form. She had been training her mind and body so she could one day make the journey back to the sea and hopefully rejoin her family. While a powerful creature, having the ability to transform from a aquatic creature appearing half fish half horsez to a creature that was more horse with fish like characteristics, as well as some telepathy allowing her to lift objects with unicorn like magic, the poor creature hasn't quite met her true potential yet. She had alot of growing to do, but worked hard with her telepathy when not working at her job as forest Ranger and teacher. She loved interacting with ponies, who were amazed not only by her uniqueness as a creature few of them have ever heard of, but also by all the facts about the forest, the creature's who live there, and the basic survival techniques she shared. She had made many friends while living in the lake so close to Ponyville, both with the ponies in town as well as the creatures of the Everfree. She was suprised to see a big blue box appear out of thin air and an odd stallion sticking his head out of it to issue her a call to arms. But when she heard it would be to aid Sunny, she hopped out of her lake so fast, you would have thought she teleported.
"Don't worry about it, miss" 8 said as he cleared his throat and straitended up, puffing out his chest. "But prepare yourself for the worst. It's hard to tell which way this will turn."
Focusing her magic on her body, Ipsy transformed her aquadic serpent like body into a more equine one. Taking a few steps forward, the transformed kelpy dug her hooves into the ground, ready to charge at any moment.
************
Celestia and Luna could hardly believe their eyes as they looked around at the inside contents of what, from the outside, appeared to be a large blue box, with windows, a light on top, and the sign above the door saying 'Police Call Box' in white letters. A strange stallion in a brown tweed jacket with elbow patches, a red bow tie, and a fez ontop of his head, appeared just appeared not far from the cave the Princesses just left. Luna and Celestia only just took off for the Empire when they saw the stallion waving his hooves above his head on yhe ground, next to his call box. The odd stallion's body seeming wiggly in nature as it flowed with the kind of sugar rush and carefree energy you only found in foals on a sugar high after nightmare night. He simply stated that he knew Sunny, that Sunny was in a bit of trouble, and that he could take all three of them to Sunny in a split second with his big blue box. Sencing the odd stallion was speaking the truth, Celestia and Luna agreed to his help and walked inside his odd blue box. Celestia barely ducked to stick her horn through. Once inside, though, they were amazed at the room.
"Its… its…" Celestia started to say the phrase that the Doctor Whooves, also known as 11, loved to hear.
"…bigger on the inside…" Luna finished her sister's sentence, which made 11 chuckle like a little school colt, but he knew now was not the time to laugh, although he technically had all the time in the world, and then some.
"Its about time you two got here" a familiar voice arose from behind Celestia and Luna, causing both mare's to turn around, both shocked by the elderly mare's sudden appearance. The elderly princess Amore streached, cracking her back as she hobbled over to Luna and Celestia, offering them a bow. " I'm here too. I this odd colt says all hooves are needed on deck. He was nice enough to let me sleep here for about, oh, 8 hours or so."
"What!? But, HOW is that possible?" Luna gasped.
"We literally left you a few moments ago!" Celestia stated, appearing just as confused as her sister.
"Welcome to the TARDIS, ladies!" The wiggly stallion chuckled once more, showing off possibly the creates machine that has or ever will be invented. "This beauty can take you any place in time and space. See, that's how she got her name. Time And Relivant Distance In Space! TARDIS!"
"Basically, he took me once around to let me sleep before picking you two up" Amore explained, cracking a small smile. "He's an odd one. But very sweet."
Rushing over to a circular control board at the center of his ship that had a tower spiraling to the ceiling, 11 went right to work, punching in a long code of numbers that he had written down, flipped a few switches, pushed a button or two, then flipped his head over to the princesses, smiled and told them "your majasties, you may want to hold onto something."
Celestia and Luna looked worried for a second, while princess Amore simply walked over to a chair that was nailed to the ground and sat down. Her old body was hard to get used to and it tired easily. Before Celestia and Luna could think to crab onto something or even cast a heavy hooves spell that would anchor their hooves to the ground, 11 hit one final button, causing the entire ship to shake, rattle and roll. Celestia and Luna were tossed in the air and all around as the area around them seemed to be shaken up, knocked this way and that, and then finnaly landed with a thud. Luna ended up hanging from one of the rafters on the ceiling, her mane covering her face, while on the opposite side of the room, Celestia had managed to grab hold of a pillar opposite her sister and held on for dear life just before thet landed. Meanwhile the elderly princess Amore had fallen asleep in her chair, the rocking seeming to relax her enough to where she could fell asleep, despite the screaming from the other princesses. The sudden stop caused her to stir, streach and let out a yawn.
"We're here, ladies" 11 said as he ran up to the entrance door and peaked outside. "Ah, just a little ahead of schedule. Looks like Sunny's giving his father the 'I forgive you' speech to try and win him over. A kind pony, your son, Princess Celestia."
Letting go of her pillar, Celestia rushed up to the door and looked outside. Fear struck her as she saw the terrible army Sombra had gathered, and her poor son was caught in the middle of it. It looked like he wasn't alone, but from where she was, Celestia thought she saw ponies made of bushes standing behind him. It honestly wouldn't supruse her if they were just that, Sunny's made a habit of making odd friends. Luna had teleported herself down from the rafter and joined her sister and 11 in looking out the window.
"Let me out of here" Celestia ordered, her voice becoming firm without needing to turn to 11. "He needs me."
"He does, but there are steps we need to take" 11's face still seemed very colt like, but his tone was more serious then even Celestia's as he locked eyes with her for a second then turned to Luna's as well. "There's an order that we need to do this in. If we mess up the order, we will lose not just this reality, but others as well. Darkness will spread to all."
"My son needs me" Celestia's hard tone melted to that of a caring and concerned mother.
"And you will go to him, but give him a chance" 11 explained further. "This is the hardest part of being a parent; letting your child face dangerous situations alone. But that's what shapes them. You have to admit, Sunny's changed from 1000 years ago, and not just with his stylish head wear. He goes out of his way to make friends and he's more open about how he feels. That's only becouse he's been given room to grow."
Tearing her eyes off 11 and looking back at her son, Celestia wondered if he even needed her.
"Its thanks to your love that he turned out half as good as he did" 11 saw the questioning expression on Celestia's muzzle and knew what she was thinking. "Everypony grows up and eventually doesn't need their parents looking out for them. But that doesn't mean they don't want them there when things get tough. Just be patient and wait for the right time. It's coming. In the mean time, do you think you two can fix the sky? It would be about 4:23 pm, but I was thinking of something special, you know, to help Sunny."
Just then, 11 remembered he needed something, something very specific that somepony asked of him and he rushed over to one of the floor panels and began rummaging through a bunch of odds and ends nick nacks and tressures, until he found a very heavy box. The princesses watched him, both equally confused, as he lifting it up and gently setting it down, before turning back to look for something else. Taking a closer look at it, Luna and Celestia realized the heavy box was a loud speaker of some sort. They both remained equally confused as 11 returned to the box with a utility dolly and a microphone with an extremely long cord.
"Sorry, sorry, a pal of mine requested this, said he couldn't conjure one up at the moment, but will need one shortly." 11 apologized, as if the princesses themselves were expecting him to have it prepared already.
************
Another blue box floated in the air just above the Crystal castle. As the door swung open, an elderly stallion with a short, curley grey mane in a thin dark blue suit nearly fell out, grabbing onto the other door to HIS TARDIS and holding on with all his strength. He managed to pull himself back inside and mumbled about it being ridiculous that HE was the one who had to collect the bird ponies.
"Let's roll, team!" Spitfire called out as she and the other Wonderbolts ran into a take off, flying out of 12's TARDIS and into the air above the Crystal Empire. They quickly got into formation and waited for a signal.
Once the Wonderbolts had all left, 1w was about to take a breather and enjoy a cup of tea before the action started, but noticed about a good two dozen pegasi still lingering in his TARDIS. These ones had purple and black suits that almost mirrored the blue ones.
"What are you lot waiting for?!" 12 spat out, appearing annoyed as he approached the leader of this group of flyers. 12 then turned his attention to the supposed leader of the group, a light green mare with a golden mane and tail. "This is your time to shine! Go! What's keeping you!?"
Lightning Dust turned her head slightly away from 12, something deep inside still bothering her. "I… I don't know if we can do this."
"Let me talk to her" an elderly stallions in a flight jacket with a white scarf around his neck put a hoof on 12's shoulder, shooting him a sincere smile.
"Fine! Just hurry! We don't have time to dilly-dally!" 12 stated as he walked away and stood by the front door of his TARDIS, thinking he actually had all the time in existence and then some, but he really wanted to get that cup of tea to steady his nerves.
Putting a hoof on his grand daughter's shouoder, Wind Rider spoke in a gentle, concerned tone. "What's the matter, little spark?"
Hearing his nick name for her, Lightning Dust couldn't help but open up a little to her grandfather who always supported her. "Grandpa… I've done alot of bad things, and I know I need to make up for it, but…"
Seeing the look on her muzzle, Wind knew exactly what was going though her mind. "You're scared."
Hearing that, Lighting felt like she needed to justify her fear. "You don't know what those things are like! We faught one! Not even a full fledged one! And it took out my whole team and then some! Those things, those Umbrum, are real monsters!"
Wind pulled Lightning into a hug and held her tight for a moment. He could see 12 impatiently glaring at him, but ignored the old timer. When Wind Rider spoke again, it was honest and full of understanding. "I understand, I've seen what those things can do. But it's becouse you and I know what they can do that we need to go and help. If we don't, those things might take over all of Equestria! Maybe even the entire world!"
Lighting pulled her muzzle away from her grandfather's chest and looked nervously at the ground. "… can't princess Twilight and the others just deal with it? They deal with this kind of stuff all the time."
"Everypony helps" Wind stated as he used his hoof to raise Lighting's head by her chin so she was meeting his gaze. "YOU could be the one pony to tip the scale in our favor if things get tough. But, only if YOU choose to."
Taking a few deep breaths, Lighting gathered the courage and boldness she had hidden away, stood up and faced her team of Shadowbolts who were all seeming more then hesitant to join the fight. "Listen up, Everypony! I know you all remember what happened last time an umbrum went on the rampage! We can't let that happen again! Not only that, but we owe one to Sombra! He used us like pawns, then threw us away! Let's get out there and show him he can't mess with us and get away with it!"
This raised the spirits of the Shadowbolts enough to where they began chanting their team's name. "Shadowbolts! Shadowbolts! Shadowbolts!"
Before 12 could complain more about them needing to leave, the Shadowbolts lived up to their name, shooting out of the TARDIS even faster then the Wonderbolts had, knocking 12 on his backside. Wind Rider moved and helped pick him up before putting on his flight goggles and doing a somewhat swan dive out of the TARDIS himself. When everypony was gone, 12's hard expression cracked into an enthusiastic smile. Things were about to get epic. With his heart racing, 12 decided he didn't need any tea.
************
If Crackers knew that everypony else had hitched a ride with scifi mad men in blue boxes that could bend all of time and space, he would have snuck aboard. He, however, didn't even remember what he ate for lunch that day. So for all he knew, a Doctor could have invited him aboard his TARDIS, but Crackers could have just let out a wide yawn and fallen asleep. Ferrets weren't well known for their attention span.And yet, Sunny's pet was able to hotwire what he called a 'Bull-doze-R', and drive it all the way from Manehatten to the Crystal Empire. The machine amazingly made it all the way, through rugged terrain, rain and snow, just in the nick of time. Crackers was feeling good about himself for making it that far all on his own. That is, until he heard a loud and annoyed screech. Looking back over his shoulder, Crackers remembered how he had gotten that far on his own now. Becouse he didn't make it all on his own.
The pet ferret had been operating the steering wheel, gas, and gear of the Bull-doze-R, but the one that told him the direction at which to turn the wheel, when to pump the gas, or when change gears, was a monstrous thing to him. A large, musty eagle owl, who had one eye larger then the other, a slight Crack in his beak from something that happened long ago, the same could be said about two of his missing claws on one leg. It's feathers on its head made it look like it had stuck its tounge in a light socket and never recovered. This unfortunate creature struck fear in the hearts of all of Fluttersky's other animal friends, even the large and often friendly bear. This beast of an owl was know simply as the one word it seamed to speak. Toast.
It screamed once more at Crackers and pointed forward with its Claw that was missing two talons. Crackers nervously nodded and pressed on the gas while keeping the steering wheel strait, silently praying Toast wasn't getting hungry.
************
It had been a long flight from the dragon lands to the Crystal Empire, But Tourch, the former Dragon Lord, had received a letter from Sunny asking for his help with security. Tourch would have arrived sooner, but a storm was raging in the tundra, and he hated the cold. When the former Dragon Lord finally arrived, he was shocked to see that Sunny had barely been in charge for a few days and already it looked like a war was going to break out!
'Well, this looks like it could be fun!' Touch thought to himself. Retiremenr was boring. Nothing further to do but lay around on one's hoard and look over their treasures all day. But he was still a well embodied dragon! He needed action! And what better action then helping out a friend!? He didn't think Sunny of all ponies would get into trouble this fast, but Tourch was more then ok for a good fights! Full of bravado, Tourch dove down, performed a forward flip and landed in a brave pose with one fist hitting the ground, landing on one knee. 'Nailed it!'
He then let out a loud roar as he blew a blast of his dragon fire into the air with one of his mighty roars, catching the attention of two dark looking ponies near Sunny. "Any enemy of Sunny's is an enemy of mine!" ************
No pony saw him enter the Crystal Empire, or see how he had gotten to the top of the Crystal Empire castle. What everypony and creature below did see, however, was a pony dressed in red and blue spandex decorated with a spider web like design, swinging down from the top of the castle, hanging by a white rope, as he bounced off the sides of the castle and performed unique acrobatic movements in the air. When he leaned on the ground maybe ten yard from Sunny, he made sure to land on the tips of his hooves as if he were some wall crawling, web slinging spider pony.
"You aren't going to start with out me, are you?" Another familiar voice spoke up, one that only Sunny or Spike could recognize.
"Comic Stan?" Sunny asked, more then a little suprised.
Pulling off his red mask with white eyes and a spider web design, the grandfather of comics shot everypony a half smile, his mustache raised on his right side. "Yep! Your friendly, neighbor hood, comic guy! Web slinging in as one of my favorite heros to fight for what's right."
Standing up strait, the comic book master pulled out two odd looking hoof held devices that he strapped to his front hooves, flipping switches to activate them, then he loaded some small cartridges into them. His eyes narrowed as he put on his signature sunglasses. "Alright! Excelsior!"
*************
Looking around at all the ponies and miscellaneous creatures who had gathered at the call, Sombra was actually impressed. This army Sunny had gathered actually met his own in terms of numbers, maybe eclipsed it. Others were still pouring in from all sides, even from the sky above.
Sombra blew a held breath through his nostrils as he tore his gaze from the opposing forces around him back to Sunny, narrowing his eyes that were turning a solid green. "You've gathered a fine army. But they won't stop us."
"First off, they ain't just an army" a familiar voice caused Sunny's heart to nearly jump out of his chest, filled with a mixture of relief and worry. Turning his head slightly to look behind him while keeping his father and the cloaked mare in his vision, Sunny saw Applejack, her friends, as well as his fellow Guardians of Harmony, all emerging out of the TARDIS he was most familiar with. The one owned by his fellow Guardian, Doctor Whooves, also known as 10. "We're his friends and family. And second, yes, you can bet the farm we'll stop you."
"Your rein of terror ends now, Sombra" Twilight Sparkle stated as she and her friends stepped forward, a fierce look in their eyes, all burning at Sombra.
"I couldn't have said it better myself" another spoke up, finally emerging from 11's TARDIS. Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna, followed by the elderly princess Amore who kept herself hidden in the back, emerged and took their place behind the Elements and Guardians of Harmony.
Shock spread across Sombra's muzzle, his hard expression cracked. The hooded mare hesitated a little, but kept her cool. She still had a few tricks up her own sleeve.
"I believe a change of scenery is I order, don't you sister?" Luna turned to her sister and shot her a confident half smile.
"Let's do it, Sister, togeather" Celestia mirrored her sister's confidence, but held back most of her bravado, her horn now glowing gold with her magical aura.
"Togeather" Luna agreed, her horn now glowing with her blue magical aura.
The two sisters lowered their heads, eyes closed, their minds focused one one specific spell. Slowly, their horns began to glow brighter and brighter as they slowly raised their heads perfectly synchronized. In the distance, the moon began to raise from the west, and the Sun from the east. The two masses seemed to wipe clear the sickening brown sky that coated Equestria, replacing it with a mixture of blue daylight and purple starry night. Everypony watched, amazed at what was happening and feeling relieved now that the sky was a more natural color. Few guessed what the princesses were doing until both the sun and moon met, the moon being cast infront of the sun, causing a solar eclipse. A strong magical energy began to flow down from the eclipse and cast a large rainbow ring in the sky. The creatures who faught along Sunny in the past, they knew this was both a symbol of his warning, and a show of his might. To the rest of Equestria who knew the two sisters created the eclipse themselves twice a year to show unity. Either way, the eclipse brought much needed hope and vigar to Sunny's allies. Only the few ponies who were still hidding behind the shield saw the effect of the world around had on the Crystal Heart. Not only did it begin to shimmer and glow like never before, it seemed to catch fire! The Heart was set ablaze with bravado and courage. It was full of light from all who had come to the Empire to aid Sunny and save Equestria. The light and heat from the burning crystal heart spread through all the Crystal ponies and pedal ponies who had stayed to be protected by Starlight and Sunburst's magical barrier. Starlight herself was shocked when she felt a small hoof tap her shoulder. Looking back she saw a Crystal mare who had been very eager to stay behind and protect her foal, looking back at her with a battle ready glare. Her young foal was clenching to her back in a sling, a spoon for a weapon in his mouth and a small pot on his head acting as a helmet. Tapping Sunburst on his shoulder, Starlight pointed out what she was trying to show him. He too, was amazed at the sudden change in the atmosphere. All the Crystal ponies who were nervous and wanting to hide before, appeared ready for a fight. Turning to eachother, Starlight and Sunburst read eachother's expressions, nodded, then lowered the barrier they made. As the Crystal ponies and the rest of the petal ponies repositioned themselves for battle, a wave of warrior like spirit swept across the area and spread all across the Empire, filling those who sided with the cryatal ponies with determination like they never felt before!
Sunny himself felt the energy flowing back into him, a mixture of the eclipse's energy and the burning fire from the Crystal Heart. Turning his attention back to his father, Sunny spoke in a tone that almost matched Sombra's own. Somehow, when Sunny spoke, every creature who had gathered there could hear him. His emerald eyes locked with Sombra's now green eyes. "Stand down. You can't hope to win in a fight against us. Father, stop this madness before anycreature gets hurt."
Sombra remained silent for a moment, his eyes locked on Sunny's. For a moment, his heart wavered, not from fear of possibly losing this fight, but from something about Sunny. There was something he felt for the son of Celestia. Something one shouldn't feel for the child of an enemy. Pride. Looking at Sunny now, seeing all who he helped, all he had done, how much he seemed to have grown, Sombra felt proud. Somepony else senced this feeling within him. The cloaked mare who up until now had remained in Sombra's shadow and watched, wanting to continue to work through Sombra. Manipulating him as both a puppet and working him to be the face of her new Empire, she kept her distance and allowed him to do most of the talking. But somehow, he was breaking free of her dark influance. She sneered as she looked at Sunny. She wouldn't allow some disgusting mutt to ruin her perfect future.
The cloaked mare stepped forward, her cloak unraveling, revealing it not to be made of cloth of any kind, but of smoky moth like wings. Unfolding from her body, a pair of large, sickening brown and black wings spread wide, presenting the creature underneath. She was similar to an alicorn form or more closer, to Queen Chrysalis. Long legs attached to a thin body with ribs showing from her base, a long neck with a rounded horse head at the top. The now unfolded wings which streached nearly double her body's size, reveiled horrid shifting face designs on them, faces that seemed to be weeping and crying out in pain. Her body's outline seemed to be flowing and moving, almost like the shadow of smog. Following up her muzzle from two rows of sharp teeth, were a pair of glowing green and red eyes with purple flames flaring from the far corners of those haunting eyes. A horn sat atop her head, like a spire of smoke, which was now glowing a sickening brown and green.
"I'm sick and tired of you getting in my way, you mongral!" As the mare spoke through her teeth, her voice raspy, like a snake with a bad cold, the green that had covered Sombra's eyes flashed brighter. He pulled his lips back further to flash his sharp preditor like teeth.
Sunny recognized her voice almost immediately. "You! You through me through that mirror!"
"Very good, for an abomination" the mare hissed and turned her nose up. "But now it's time you join your, oh, what did you call that traitor. Oh, yes, 'Pappy'."
Sunny's heart skipped a beat as his breathing paused as the world once again went silent. "… what did you say?"
"I said" the mare felt more smug knowing the spell she was secretly casting was working, and her other reinforcments grew closer. She just needed to distract these foals for a little while longer. Playing at one's heart strings normally kept sentimental creatures busy, if you played them at just the right tune. "You're 'Pappy', my traitor of a husband, got what he deserved. To think, he not only betrayed his kind, leaving us to rot in prison for over 1000 years, but he also played grandfather to a creature like you! That's worse then any betrayal-"
"Don't you talk to my son that way, you witch!" Celestia could no longer hold herself back and stepped forward next to her son, taking his side opposite of the side where the Sombra puppet stood.
The image of seeing Celestia standing with Sunny and the image of his former self caused the dark magic influence in Sombra's mind to waver, the spell on his kind began to crack.
Mourning Cloak knew she couldn't waste more time, and pushed the spell to summon her reinforments sooner. In the sky, a new figure materialized, one who appeared more machine then pony. From his waste down, it looked like he was sitting inside some kind of construction of black steel decorated with metal balls. But from his waste up, the stallion kept one hoof on a joystick to control his chair, the other, hidden beneath a control pad. He wore a black leather suite that clung to his shriveled body. The stallion's wrinkled muzzle that housed two closed and darkened eye sockets and a third large unblinking, artifical, blue eye, was covered by a mask just like every creature in the dark army.
"Davros!" Every one of the Doctor Whooves spoke out at once, including 10, who had only dealt with him once, but knew what kind of a monster he was.
"Do it, slave" Mourning Cloak ordered, not turning to face her summoning. "Call your 'children'."
"I obey…" Daveos spoke weakly, then moved his visible hand over and hit a few buttons on the control panel infront of him.
Small creeses in the air appeared, as if time and space itself were bunching up, then pressing something through. Following a small flash, a metal being appeared, then another, and another. One after another, after another, after another, until there were just as many of these creatures in the sky as there had been pegasi. They all had a similar bases as Davros, made of metal with silver balls decorating it. But from what could be defined as its waste up was more metal rather then any sign of life. The creatures looked to be entirely of metal, almost appearing like a giant trash can with one appendage infront of it looking like a toilet plundger and the other some odd whisk. The top of their heads were a dome shape, with one long rod sticking out of it with a mechanical eye at the end. The mechanical eye had a glowing blue light for a pupil. The glowing blue eyes looked all around, lacking all emotion as they survayed the scene before them. Sunny had not seen in over 1000 years.
"Unlike the others" Davros spoke into a microphone so the Doctors and their companions could hear him. "These Daleks are creatures born from me, in my lab. Not ponies gifted with my mark 2 travel devices. You will not persuade them to aid you like before. These are MY children, Doctor!"
'Awefully talkative for a mind controlled servent' Mourning Cloak glared at the floating pony from another world, thinking he was merely putting up an act. 'It doesn't matter. He brought his army, and is willing to take on my enemies.' "Now for another suprise, I'm sure you remember this one. He tried very heard to prevent this day, and out all his faith in you. Now he'll see how wrong he was to do so…"
With another wave of her Phantom horn, Mourning Cloak cast another spell. Nothing immediatly seemed to happen, everything was silent, then the mountains surounding the tundra began to shake! The mountains themselves began to raise to the heavens, followed by a large pair of leathery wings that shifted, pulsed ,then fully extended, clearing the storm around the Crystal Empire completly! A mighty head arose from the ground, a pair of red eyes glowing behind a black and grey mask that was the size of a castle. The creature was as big as Canterlot mountain. The creature first marched towards the Crystal Empire years ago, when he wanted to obliterate the Crystal Empire completly to prevent the return of the Umbrum. The very same dragon who gave Sunny Knight his Black Knight armor, that was forged from his own scales. The largest dragon in all of Equestrian history, the legendary black dragon Garganda!
"Oh? And what is that I hear?" Mourning Cloak snickered as she motioned a hoof to her ear.
Ignoring the giant dragon moving towards the Crystal Empire, most creatures turned their gaze to the open tunned that fed into the prison of the umbrum. A hiddious sound came howling out of the tunnel, echoing off the walls which increased the volume, making it so all creatures around knew what was coming. Every creature remained still, eyes on the tunnel as the world went silent and still. Even the tremors caused by Garganda's steps seemed to have stopped.
The calm didn't last long. Out of the tunnel's mouth emerged a smoky, oily hoof like appendage, landing with a hissing smack on the ground it touched. Creatures not under the control of Sombra and Mourning Cloak watched in horror. Even when Sunny lost control and became an umbrum like creature, his body seemed more natural then the creature emerging from the darkness. The blood on his mother's side mostly likely gave Sunny's umbrum form a more natural feeling of existence. The creature emerging from the tunnel, though, was a full fledged umbrum, and felt very alien to the magical world. Another hoof joined the first, and togeatger, the hooves pulled a creature up from the darkness that was a living shadow. A starved looking horse like head emerged from the tunnel, its body constantly shifting like puffs of smoke as it looked up and saw the light of day for the first time in countless winters. It's body was light green in color, unsettaling and moving like smoke. It's eyes were pale white like looking into a star that was about to burn out. As it pulled itself up, it shook its head which caused its smoke like mane to flop back and forth. On its back were a pair of wings that looked way too small for its body, even if they weren't tethered and torn. Once fully emerged, every creature could see the monster infront of them did indeed look starved. It's ribs were visible, its legs thin at all points except at its knees and hooves, and the way it hung its head left its mouth open, it's lips pulled back to reveil crooked rows of teeth. One could almost feel bad for this umbrum.
Any and all petty anycreature had for this starved umbrum was quickly lost when it tossed its head back and let out a bellowing howl that echoed through the entire Empire. The monstrous sound spread through the entire Empire, sending a cold chill down even the bravest warriors. Sunny could feel almost every creature there shake for a moment with fear at the mere battle cry of the Umbrum.
"Awwww, you all aren't scared are you? This little one just woke up. He's a little cranky when He's hungry" Mourning Cloak spoke loud enough so every creature could hear her. A far more gruesome smile cread across her own muzzle, stretching further then any smile ever should. Her own teeth and voice becoming more monstrous in appearance and sound as she added "there are far more dangerous, more terrifying, more HUNGRY Umbrum on their way."
"They won't make it out of there!" Sunny declared, stepping forward, his own courage in the face of fear itself caught the attention of the weak umbrum, its sickening white eyes locking onto him. Buy Sunny's inner fire didn't waver. "But I think it's about time YOU go back! Friends, Allie's-"
"Hold up! One sec!" Just then, stopping everything, including a secondary Umbrum who was in mid crawl out of the prisons tunnel, was a voice most creatures grew annoyed to hear, except maybe Fluttershy.
Discord prepared, wheeling a moving dolly that had on it a huge speaker attached to a microphone. He casually rolled the dolly past the Crystal ponies, the pedal ponies, the princesses, the mane 6, the Guardians of Harmony, and Sunny, until he reached a spot between them and the confused umbrum, Sombra and Mourning Cloak, who had all paused for some reason but were all growing more and more annoyed.
Clearing his throat, Discord tapped the microphone making a loud cracking noise that annoyed every creature around, even the great dragon Garganda, who was a good few mountains away. "Thank you all for your patience. Welcome to the battle of the century! Now, let's get ready to RUMBAAAAAAALLLL!"
"For Equestria!" Sunny called out as he made a green crystal sword materialize infront of him, then grabbed it and pointed it right at his target, the grand Master puppeteer, it seemed. The real leader of the Umbrum, Mourning Cloak.
"For Equestria!" Princess Celestia repeated her son's battle cry as she and her sister took to the air, blasting whatever they could of the Daleks out of the sky.
"Calling all Doctors, calling all Doctors" Doctor Whooves heard from his TARDIS. Always being a thinker first and a fighter second, Doctor Whooves (also known as 10) ran back inside his Tardis and looked at the screen above the control panel. 12 was on the screen looking rather smug. He was calling out to all the other Doctor Whooves. "Now! Activate the dampaning frequancy!"
"Activating dampaning frequency!" Doctor Whooves, also known as 10, stated as he slammed his hoof on a green button on the control panel.
All the other Doctors that gathered at the Empire symotaniously hit similar green buttons on their respective control panels at the same time as well, just in the nick of time.
Right after Celestia and Luna blasted a few Daleks out of the sky, other Daleks near by began blasting away at them. These new Daleks blasts have been able to desolate whole planets in a day. But when the princesses were hit, the blasts became one one-millionth of their normal strengths, causing only a slight burn, like a sun burn. It stung, but it was no where near as dangerous as it could have been. All around the skies, Daleks were blasting away at the pegasi and other airborne enemies, as well as blasting downward at the fighters on the ground, confused and shocked to see their weapons had little to no real effect on them.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Davros growled beneath his mask before pulling it off with ease.
Mourning Cloak, who made sure to keet the image of Davros in her peripheral, was shocked to see him pull the mask off so easily. She would have tried to cast her spell on him once more, but a certain annoying and very determined halfling was fighting his way towards her. She focused her magic on manipulating the mind controlled ponies to step forward and fight Sunny off, but mere pawns weren't enough to keep him busy for long. Pawns don't easily take knights out. Mourning Cloak the focused her magic to reach out to Sombra using one of the mind controlled ponies. That pawn was just barely able to direct Sombra's attention to her before Sombra had to block another attack. He himself was being attacked by his puppet doupleganger, who was putting up a better fight then Sombra expected from an overgrown toy.
Davros began typing away at his own control panel, trying to figure out what was going on with his army of Daleks, when a holographic screen popped up infront of him with a very familiar face on it.
"Hello, Davros, miss me?" The Doctor Whooves known as 4 smiled widely and chuckled.
"What have you done to my Daleks!?" Davros growled.
"Well, while we couldn't disable their weapons, we did have a pretty good guess as to the frequency you use to communicate and control most of their actions" 4 began to explain, readjusting his fedora ontop of his mop of curly brown mane. "So all we needed to do was tap into it and input a complex code that would dim down the amount of energy put out into their blasts. They can still do some damage to anypony without sunblock. Well, enjoy the fight. I never really cared for fighting. But I know 3, 9 and a few others are giving it a good show."
With that, 4 cut out, leaving Davros clenching his teeth with fury. "Curse you Doctor! Curse you and all your variations! Ugh!"
Not giving up, Davros began typing away at his keyboard once more, trying to possibly change the frequency on his Dalek's systems. If he could rewrite it, whatever formula the Doctor's came up with would be utterly useless. But it would take time.
"Sister!" Celestia called out to Luna after she blasted three Daleks out of the sky.
A quick Arial menuver and Luna swooped in by her sister's side. "Yes, sister?"
"We need to stop Garganda. Gather fliers and heavy hitters." Celestia stated, then blasted a masked teenaged dragon who tried to sneak up on them.
"Do you think we can actually stop him with brute force?" Luna knew the threat Garganda was under the control of someone as evil as Mourning Cloak.
"I think Sombra and that mare control so many creatures with the help of those mask they all wear" Celestia quickly explained. "If you manage to get his mask off, he might snap out of it. Be sure to take Fluttershy with you."
"Fluttershy?" Luna repeated the name, then blasted another mind controlled creature that was trying to dive bomb her and her sister while they talked. When it landed, she realized it was a mind controlled Griffin. Luna returned her attention to her sister "Why Fluttershy?"
"She has a way with reaching out to other creatures" Celestia explained before turning her attention towards the tall mare known as Mourning Cloak. "I have a rather annoying mother-in-law to deal with. No pony talks to my son like that…"
Seeing the anger in her sister's tone gave Luna goosebumps. Putting their plan into action, Luna began teleporting all around the battle feild, asking others who could fly to aid her in taking on the larger then life dragon.
"Please, let me help" Luna's attention was caught by the voice of a familiar former guard. Looking down at the ground after convincing a pair of Shadowbolts to join her. Snowstorm, the former guard who just recently renounced Sombra after working for him since his return, appeared ro be pleading to the princess of the night. Luna landed next to him, an apathetic expression spread across her muzzle. Before she could reject him, Snowstorm added "I'm a brilliant tactician when it comes to arial battles. I can use a spell to communicate with the pegusi and other flyers. I can keep us organized so we can-"
Before he could continue, the former unicorn guard was lifted up by a claw large enough to crush him, but held him by his scruff with just two long nails. The former Dragon Lord, Torch, had heard Luna gathering forces to take on Garganda, and he wanted in! It would be a great honor to take on an opponent as legendary as Garganda. His voice was gruff and tough as he asked princess Luna "you want this guy with us?"
Luna didn't argue with Tourch as to weather he, himself, was going with the rest of the flyers or not. Having a fully grown dragon with his strength and flying ability made him a great asset. As for Snowstorm, though, Luna thought hard about trusting a pony who was once completely loyal to Sombra.
"Please, let me help to make things right" Snowstorm pleaded, a need for understanding was radiating from him.
Luna recognized such a need. It wasn't so long ago that she herself attacked her own sister, and had deep regrets about it, even if she was under the influence of great evil. Taking a deep breath, Luna told Snowstorm "Alright. But if you try anything funny, I'll have Torch here to eat you."
This made the former Dragon Lord chuckle. "Sounds good to me. I think I may like you ponies. You're cute and cuddly, but you have bite!"
With that, Snowstorm hopped onto princess Luna's back, and they, Touch, several Shadowbolts, Lightning Dust, a nervous Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, a hoof full of Wonderbolts, half of the Power Ponies, and even the griffins with prince Razor Claw, all took flight, heading to take on Equestria's largest dragon in recorded history.
************
Despite all the help that had arrived to aid Sunny and defend Equestria from the threat of Sombra and the return of the Umbrum, the battle on the ground was going back and forth, with no solid victor in sight. Although the only help Sombra had on his side were the weakened Daleks and mind controlled creatures that were little more then mindless drones, they proved quite formidable despite the drive and boost in energy Sunny's allies had from the Crystal Heart. The Daleks would not stop fighting until their mechanical travel devices were completly inoperable, and even then a small creature with one eye and tendrils could jump out and do what it could to continue fighting, despite being the equivalent of tapioca pudding and spaghetti. The mind controlled drones were worse, they would get knocked down, beat up, scratched, clawed, battered and bruised, but unless they were tied up and unable to move or knocked out cold, they would get up and keep fighting.
On one end of the battle field, Octavia was fighting along her best friend, Vynal Scratch, using her cello as a blunt weapon to knock drone ponies left and right. Every now and again she would actually manage to render a few unconscious, and Vynal attempted to blast them away with wubbs using giant speakers she managed to transport to the battle. But the drones seemed unaffected by the pulsing music. Vynal's speakers were smashed to pueces with one claw belonging to a manticore wearing one of Sombra's masks. As the mind controlled manticore ripped the speakers apart, Vynal made a leap and landed next to Octavia, who's cello had taken quite a beating and was falling apart.
Both girls readied themselves to fight with their bare hooves against the dark army drones closing in around them when a scale of notes played on a saxophone rang in the air, turning the drones attention to their left. The furthest drone was knocked to the ground when a saxophone hit him in the face, cracking the mask and knocking him out cold. Another drone quickly followed the first in falling to the ground, mask in pieces. By the time the fifth one fell, a clear image of a very familiar student came into view. Octavia and Vynal were relieved to see Salted Carmel, the first pony Octavia had helped to discover a love of music, was standing there, smirking as if to say 'hey, teach, I'm here to help.'
"Right! This fight isn't over!" Octavia stated as she and Vynal jumped in and started bucking, punching and even bitting the drones who went after them, while Salted used his faithful saxophone to batter them away. It wasn't until the done manticore finished destroying Vynla's speakers that Salted decided it was time to get serious. He took of his restrictive chain and tossed it and his saxophone to Octavia and Vynal. Without the magical restriction of his necklace, Salted's body grew four times its normal size, his muscles buldging. He was now looming over the manticore drone, who lacked the better judgment to run away. One quick hoof jab to the manticore's Masked muzzle not only knocked the creature out, it dented the mask it was wearing and broke the spell completly. The poor manicore fell backwards and landed with a loud thud.
Not far from them, Applejack and Big Mac were tag teaming, back to back, they bucked enemies left and right, but no matter how hard they sent the mind corneolled drones filing, they kept getting back up. Part of them felt bad for putting the hurt on so many ponies who were unfortunate enough to become mind controlled puppets of King Sombra's, but at the same time, the drones weren't exactly being friendly either. Both Apple siblings had received blows and hits as well, but growing up on a farm where you take care of all kinds of ornery critters prepared them for such things.
"Applejack!" Twilight called out, flying above the two, blasting Daleks and dark army flyers as she got to Applejaack and Big Mac. "Aim for their masks! If you hit them hard enough, you can knock them out or- AH!"
Twilight was hit by ten Daleks at once, which, hurt quite a bit. Before the Daleks could close in, one by one, something white and sticky splattered across the Dalek's glowing blue eyes. The domed heads of the Daleks began to spin around and around as strings of the same fluid hit each one of them. A blur of red and blue began swinging around the confused Daleks, wrapping them all together until they were in a giant ball of… webbing?!
"Hope I wasn't too late, miss princess of friendship" Comic Stan chuckled as he finished webbing up the Daleks into a giant ball. He looked at the devices on his wrists and pulled out some small metal cylinders "Gatta change my web cartridges. But go on."
"Ok, well as I was saying…" Twilight was a little taken back by Stan's sudden appearance and his choice of weapon, but that's something she would think about later. Turning her attention back to Applejack, Twilight was about to finish her sentence when she saw Applejack and Big Mac had already knocked out all the surounding enemies, now focusing on the masks that covered the dark army's muzzles.
"No worries, Twi, we got this" Applejack chuckled confidently.
"Eh'yep" Big Mac agrees with his sister.
"Excuse me…" a weak voice spoke up, tapping on Twilight's shoulder.
Twilight turned around to surprisingly come face to face with an elderly mare, who looked very much like a pink version of Granny Smith, but with her grey mane down and a horn on the middle of her forehead. "Ugh, yes, can I help you?"
But the mare only pointed at the bubble floating near Sombra and Mourning Cloak that still held in its contents Cadence and Shinning Armor who appeared to still he stuck in a nightmare as well as a happily slumbering Flurry Heart. "Help them, please."
"Shinning! Cadence! Flurry!" Twilight gasped. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about them. Granted, there was the mot epic war of the century going on, but still! Her family!
"I asked these kind ponies to help you get to them…" The elderly mare stated as she turned her head to Starlight, Sunburst, Thorax and Rosewood.
"Don't stress, Twilight, we got your back!" Starlight stated with a confident and daring look.
"Thank you all" Twilight wanted to appear more greatful, but a Dalek just flew over her head his eye gummed up by more of Comic Stan's webbing.
"Get going!" Applejack yelled as she bucked another blinded Dalek into the sky, knocking it into another airborne Dalek, both of them crashing towards the ground. "We got this area covered!"
"You need to get them to the Crystal Heart!" The elderly mare called out as Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Thorax and Rosewood all ran to the the dark bubble containing the royal family. "They need the Crystal Heart's power!"
Just as a pair of mind controlled dragons were about to leap at the elderly Princess Amore, who was caught up in watching Twilight Sparkle and her friends run off, the dragons were levitated into the air and launched far away. A half pony half fish looking creature appeared next to the elderly Amore and offered her back to her. "Let's get you to safety, ma'am. A battle field's no place for you. No offence."
"None taken" Amore smiled at the odd creature. She could tell the kelpy was sincere and happily boarded her back. "Please, take me to the Crystal Heart. I will be needed there soon, ugh, I'm sorry, what was your name again?"
"Ipsy, ma'am" the Kelpy said with a small grin as she took off, using her telepathy to pick up a few more mind controlled drones to use as shields as she made her way to the Crystal Empire castle. "And yours?"
"Oh, just call me Granny Amore" the elderly mare stated, feeling more comfortable being old and incrontol of her elderly body then she had felt in the 1000 Mourning Cloak controlled her young body.
************
"This isn't good" 7 stated as he continued viciously typing away at his TARDIS's computer keyboard, the other Doctor Whooves images appeared on the screen infront of him, all of them doing the same thing, well, all except for the Doctor Whooves known as 10, who appeared to be caually eating a muffin.
"Tell me about it!" 6 stated, sounding more annoyed then ever. "Davros is rewriting the Dalek's control codes."
"If he succeeds, then the Daleks Exterminate every creature in seconds" 1 stated more annoyed sounding then worried.
"We need to rewrite the formula to include the new codes" 5 tried to sound calm, but the sound of munching from 10's mic was growing more and more annoying.
It wasn't until 12 noticed something was off about 10 that he paused and asked 10 "Excuse me, 10, is there a reason you're breaking for a snack?"
"Yes, you seem rather calm" 9 noted, stopping his reworking of the formula.
"Don't worry about Davros" 10 simply stated as he took another small bit of his muffin.
Looking around at his screen at the scene of 10's own TARDIS, a smile began to grow on 11's muzzle as he asked 10 "any idea where Derpy is?"
All the other Doctors paused and looked up at the screen with 10 on it. 10 finished chewing his bite, swallowed, then wipped his lips before calmly stating "Oh, she went to go say hello to our old friend and introduce him to a certain party pony."
"Oh my" 2 stated with nervous glee.
"Oh yes" 11 held back a chuckle. "Very clever."
"That's fantastic" a wide smile grew on 9's muzzle.
"Almost feel bad for him" 12 cracked a half smile as he and the other Doctors began to relax, no longer worrying about the threat of the Daleks or their father.
"Almost being the key word" 1 added as he pulled out a cup of tea and held it to his monitor, where more then half the Katherine Doctors were toasting. "Cheers."
************
Typing away as wast as his one hand could type, Davros was close to rewriting the Dalek's battle codes, returning them to their original destructive design. And once he had done that, he would dominate the battle and then turn his army on the creatures who brought him here and attempted to control him with such primitive dark magic. 'Magic, puh! I am the great Davros! Ruler of worlds! Father of the Daleks! I will live forever and rule ALL! As if some silly magic trick could ever hope to curb me!'
"HI there!" A pink pony with a bouncy, darker pink mane, appeared to Davros's left side. "I'm Pinkie Pie!"
"Ugh! What are you doing!? Get off of me!" Davros tried to push the party pony off him but his one hoof was incredibly weak, lacking almost any muscles.
"That isn't very polite" Derpy appeared to his right. "I wanted to introduce you to my friend."
"And I NEEDED to talk with you! Let's talk parties" Pinkie started as she strapped a party hat onto Davros's head and shoved a noise maker in his mouth before pulling out a clip board, her words spilling out at a million miles per hour. "Now, you said these Dalek guys are all your kids, right? Well, that's alot of birthdays to plan! I mean, really, I don't know how you kept up with it before! Not to worry, though! I'm here to help take some of that weight off by helping you! Don't worry! It's what I do! Now I'm going to need a list of names, any allergies, their favorite ice cream, their favorite candy, what they may like, like do any of them like sports? Or a favorite TV show? Oh! Or do any of them like to dress up as princesses? Cause I know a mare who does great work with dresses! We can get them fitted as soon as next week! But you'll have to make an appointment-"
While Pinkie was busy chatting with Davros, keeping half his attention while the other half of his attention was directed at getting the party hat off his head, it was obscuring his vision with his one good, artificial eye at the center of his head, Derpy's mind was wandering over the many shinny buttons on Davros's panel. One button in particular really caught her attention. It had the words 'Emergency Temporal Shift' written on it. Something Doctor told her before about that was nagging at the back of Derpy's mind, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. In the end, she shrugged and guessed it was something good, and pressed the button.
There was a loud beeping that started slow and drawn out, but quickly picked up pace, redirecting Davros's attention to his keyboard. Davros finally ripped off the party hat in time to see the area all around him bend and warp as he was sent hurdaling through time and space. Derpy had just managed to catch Pinkie as Davros disappeared in a flash of light.
"Huh, must have gone to the store to get supplies" Pinkie guessed. "Atleast one of these Daleks must have a birthday today!"
At that statment, one of the Daleks stopped in mid air, turned to Derpy and Pinkie who were gently floating down to the ground and approached them. When they landed, the Dalek screamed "ACTUALLY! ACCORDING TO MY DATA BANKS, TWELVE OF US WERE CREATED ONE YEAR AGO TODAY!"
"Great!" Pinkie and Derpy cheered up, their faces Lighting up with excitement. "Do you have their names? And their favorite flavors of cake?"
The Dalek leaned in to Pinkie's side and began lazering the information onto her clip board with his toned down lazer, running it across the page like a printer.
************
"So let me get this strait" The former Supreme King Sunny spoke casually as he and Hot Iron tag teamed against a mind controlled chimera, dodging its snake tail strikes and smacking it with his pitch fork. "he shows up at your town, after he pretty much dethroned you, sat down, talked with you, and got you to turn life in a different direction?"
"That's the gist of it" Hot Iron blocked one of the chimera tiger claws, then held up his fully armored front legs so his entire armored body could take the brunt of the Chimera's fire blast. When the flames calmed down, The former Supreme King Sunny looked at the armored pony, expecting him to be a pile of ash after that, but Hot Iron was completly unharmed. "Oh, and he gave me this cool armor. Found out it's more then just dragon fire proof."
"Huh, generous of him. I would have kept it." the Supreme King stated as he and Hot Iron split up to attack the chimera on opposite sides.
The chimera goat head followed the former Supreme king to their left while the tiger head followed Hot Iron to their right, while the snake head tail sat far back and watched, not that it really mattered. Without speaking verbally, the creature's three minds were not connected, so they couldn't see the crazy maneuvering Hot Iron and the former Supreme King were performing. Hot Iron last minute jumped up into the air and uses his smithing hammer to hit the side of the goat head hard, while The former Supreme King went low, slid under the beast, flipped to his stomach, and bucked up as hard as he could, nailing the tiger head under the jaw. Both blows seemed to knock the two heads out cold. The former Supreme King rolled out from under the beast just in time to watch it fall to the ground. All but the snake head was out cold. For a moment, the two ignored the snake tail as it repeatedly tried to strike and bite them, but the two ponies remained just far enough out of reach.
Looking over his shoulder, Hot Iron took note of the orange, freckled mare who was knocking drone ponies down left and right with her bare hooves. He chuckled and asked the former Supreme King "she with you?"
"Yep" the former Supreme King cracked a hald smile. "Was gunna propose to her when this crazy stallion showed up and told us the other me needed our help with a big, nasty fight."
The two stallions stood there and watched for a moment as the other Applejack finished knocking one drone pony out by swinging another drone pony at him.
"What a mare" Hot Iron commented with a small chuckle. "You got your hooves full with that one. She's a fighter."
"Yep" the former Supreme King agreed, then, having grown annoyed at the hissing of the snake tail, punched it hard enough to knock it out. "You got ah special somepony?"
Not far off from where they were, the armored ponies of Iron town were battling a large group of the dark army, swinging smithing hammers, spears, swords, and one mare an iron rolling pin. Hot Iron pointed to the mare with the rolling pin and said in a proud tone "that one there. She owns a bake shop. Makes protein shakes like no other."
The mare with the rolling pin swung her baking utensil hard enough to crack the mask of a hypnotized, teen dragon, knocking the creature out before it could release its fire blast. When the dragon was on the ground, the mare let out a loud battle cry as she raised her rolling pin into the air, striking a victorious pose.
"She seems nice" the Supreme King stated, cracking a smile.
"If you two boys are done with yer tea party" the other world Applejack yelled at her coltfriend and Hot Iron. "We still have ah war ta win!"
The two nodded, shrugged off their relaxing muscles and started towards a large Masked dragon. The beast growling as he took in air, his mouth already lighting a fire just behind its razor sharp teeth. The former Supreme King held his pitch fork over his shoulder and signaled for Hot Iron to mount it. Understanding what the former Supreme King was thinking, Hot Iron mounted the pitchfork. Right as the glucagon was about to blast the two stallions with an ember that could melt steel, the former Supreme King flicked his pitch fork, launching Hot Iron like a rocket at the dragon. Hot Iron rolled in the air, but extended his hoof when he reached the Dragon, nailing it in the jaw before the adult dragon could release its fiery breath. The force of the impact rippled through the dragon's jaw and vibrated upwards, rattling the mask it wore, and caused it to shatter.
Hot Iron hit the ground, creating a small crater where he landed. A second later, the knocked out adult dragon hit the ground about twenty feet away from him. Acting cool, Hot Iron casually walked back to where the former Supreme King stood and suggested "we should double date some time."
"Yeah" the former Supreme King chuckled. "I think there's another war I'll need to prevent next week. You two free?"
************
Mourning Cloak didn't like how the battle was fairing so far. Three of her umbrum kin had emerged from the prison opening, and two were struggling to get out at the moment. They were beyond starving, lacking almost any energy to fight.
'It's that Crystal Heart' Mourning Cloak thought as she narrowed her eyes on it. The ancient artifact was burning with energy that Mourning Cloak had not predicted. She had taken every precaution; draining the princesses, putting those Elements of Harmony in a sweet dream prison, kidnapping the princess of love and her family, even raising an army of loyal servents and then some. Yet her plans are failing! 'If only I could get to that Crystal Heart, I might be able to corrupt it! Yes! I bet if I could fill it with my dark magic, I could install fear in the hearts of every creature here! That much food would be all the incentive the umbrum need to push free from the prison! Nothing like waving a meal infront of starving animals to spur them into action!'
The Crystal Heart wasn't far away, all Mourning Cloak would have to do is turn her body to smoke or shadow and slither her way over to it. But somepony stood in her way. The arrogant mare had landed just a moment before Mourning Cloak could dissolve her form. It was the princess of the Sun, the mare who seduced Sombra and birthed that abomination, Princess Celestia.
"Well well well" Mourning forced a wicked smile, feeling more annoyed and thinking of a way around the alicorn princess. Although she had absorbed the magical powers of Celestia and Luna, Mourning Cloak still didn't want to risk a battle that she might lose, and was thinking of a way to distract the sun Princess long enough to transform and slip by her. "To what do I owe the pleasure, miss 'sit-by-and-let-others-do-her-dirty-work'?"
Celestia's hard gaze and stone like expression didn't falter as if Mourning's words were muted. "You hurt my sister, my Sombra, and my son. You won't walk away from this."
"Bold words from a princess who-" Mourning started to say but was hit with a sharp blast of a golden colord beam of magic, shot from Celestia's horn. The blast created a whole in her smoke and shadow like body that fizzled, still burning. Mourning let out a ear piecing scream as she put one of her misty hooves to her sizzling wound.
This caught the attention of King Sombra, who at the moment, had his hooves full, fighting Sunny and the puppet Sombra.
"Don't let your guard down!" Sunny called out as he struck King Sombra across the face with his bare hoof, keeping his Crystal sword up and on guard in case Sombra struck out with his own dark crystal sword.
The blow was a much harder punch then Sombra remembered Sunny having 1000 years ago when he taught him hoof to hoof combat tactics.
Sombra paused.
'Wait… I… I remember… why would I train Sunny if he wasn't…' things weren't adding up in his head. Sombra felt like he was half way in a dream, realizing thing weren't the way they were meant to be.
Sunny and the puppet Sombra paused when they noticed King Sombra hesitating, fighting his own internal battle. But before any resolution from Sombra's internal struggle could arise, two of the three Umbrum took to Sombra's side, howling at Sunny, their smoke like hooves pounding the ground as their bone white eyes burned like hot coals at the yellow unicorn.
The Sombra puppet launched at them, only for his own Crystal sword to faze right through them, doing no damage whatsoever. The umbrum then launched at Sunny, their bodies seemed to do some damage as they fazed right through him. Their bodies so cold it felt like Sunny just swallowed a bucket of snow. Sunny himself tried to strike at the shadow creatures, only to have his hooves faze though them, like fighting arctic wind. Thinking of a different tactic, Sunny closed his eyes and focused on putting up a shield. This kept the umbrum at bay until the dark Crystal sword King Sombra was weilding pierced it, causing the shield to crack and eventually shatter. King Sombra had regained enough clarity to realize his kin were defending him. That's right. He remembered he was fighting to free the umbrum. THEY needed him. Only after the sword was thrown did Sombra notice that annoying purple alicorn princess and her friends dragging away the dark energy bubble that contained the princess of love and her family.
"Oh no you don't!" Sombra cried out as he rose up on his back hooves and stomped the ground, sending a rippling wave of dark crystals slithering their way to Twilight and her friends. The Dark crystals swung around infront of Twilight and the others then burst into a wall of dark crystals that easily towered over them! After he cast the spell, King Sombra felt the sharp end of a Crystal blade cut across his cheek. This shook the shadow King and made him turn towards his attacker. His burning eyes fell upon his wooden doubleganger, who held his green crystal sword out at him in a very formal fashion.
"Your fight is with me, not with them" the puppet Sombra stated, his voice very clear and organic, and full of anger.
"I'm going to chop you into fire wood!" King Sombra growled as he stomped the ground again, creating more dark crystals in the air.
The shards all pointed at the wooden Sombra and began firing, shooting at him as fast as they could. But the puppet Sombra quickly dodged most of the larger shards, ignoring all the smaller ones that barely pierced his wooden body. After all the dark Crystal shards had been fired, the puppet Sombra lundged at the real Sombra, only to trip and fall for some reason. When the puppet Sombra looked back at his hind hooves, he saw the smaller dark crystal shards he ignored that landed in his legs began to expand and grow, sealing him to the ground.
"Pathedic" King Sombra stated as he approached the puppet that mirrored his former self. "Same old toys taken down with the same tricks-"
But the real Sombra was interrupted when his puppet bouble used his green crystal sword to cut off his own legs right above the line where the dark crystals reached, freeing himself. Before the real Sombra could react, the puppet Sombra used his sword like a pole vaulting rod and launched his now free body at the shadow king! The puppet tackled Sombra to the ground and began launching punch after punch with one wooden hoof while holding onto Sombra by the neck with the other.
Rolling around on the ground, unable to collect his thoughts enough to cast a spell of any kind, Sombra Struggled to get free. "Ugh! These toys of his are annoying!"
"You should be proud of him" the puppet Sombra snapped as he delivered a good blow to the real Sombra's gut. "He's become, ugh, quite the stallion! Isn't that what you wanted!?"
While the puppet was busy talking, Sombra seized an opening, grabbed it by its punching hoof, and tossed it off of him, slamming it hard to the ground enough to crack its wooden body.
Taking a few breaths, King Sombra straitened his mane and looked down at the broken puppet version of him. "Why would I be proud of somepony like him?"
"Becouse…." The puppet Sombra's voice now sounded shaky and slightly off, like a record that was dusty. "He's y-y-our, your, your…son."
Sombra growled as he put a hoof to the puppets chest, apply pressure which seemed to cause the puppet great pain as the board of his chest creeked, like it was ready to snap. King Sombra's eyes burned as he glared at his puppet doupleganger. "No he's not! That stupid foal is Princess Celesria's son! Not mine!"
The puppet chuckled despite his pain. He met King Sombra's gaze with eyes that felt no fear from him. "YOU are the stupid foal. That witch did something t-t-to, to, to, to, you, you, you, you… just… listen…"
The puppet Sombra then twisted his neck to the left then right, activating a secret property Whittler installed in it for Sunny, should he ever need words of encouragement. A recorder began to play back a message that Sombra himself helped create. It was a recording Sombra had made over 1000 years ago. "Hey there, Sunny. I'm guessing things must be tough if you're breaking this out for a fight. I won't alway be there to help you, and neither will these puppets…. I know you have a hard time trusting others, I understand. Life as a young prince isn't easy… I don't know what trials await you in the future, but I know you'll over come them… just continue to believe in others the way you always do, and most importantly, believe in yourself… your mother and I love you, so much… so much…. so much… your mother… and, and and, I….I… love you…"
The small recording device was damaged when the puppet Sombra hit the ground, but most of the message remained in tact. The puppet Sombra felt his life fading fast, but it didn't matter much. He wasn't a REAL puppet, like the others were. He was a memory. He existed just to remind somepony of who he was, nothing more. Now that that pony was remembering, the spirit of the puppet, the essence that gave him life, was returning to where it belonged. Looking back at the shadow King, the puppet Sombra saw tears in his eyes as he fell to his knees. Was it regret Sombra was feeling? Was everything he had done finnaly catching up to him? Or was remorseful for all he had done to his son? His beloved Celestia? The puppet wouldn't get his answer. The last thing he saw before fading to black was King Sombra mouthing the words 'I'm sorry…' which put the spirit of the puppet to rest. His body jerked and rattled one last time before falling silent…
************
Fighting the good fight against their dark armored enemies, Prince Razor Claw lead his warriors of Griffonstone against a good two dozen black army members, mostly consisting of hypnotized ponies wielding shields, spears, and swords. The only thing that the griffins could hear was the energizing sounds of metal on metal as their claw blades locked, blocked and struck against the armor and weapons of the dark army pawns.
"Tis a most excellent battle!" One of the griffins commented to the prince.
"What?" Prince Razor Claw yelled, trying to get his companikn to repeat himself as he slashed his claws against an armored pony's mask. With the mask removed, the spell forcing him to fight broken, the pony passed out from pure exhaustion.
"I said!" the griffon tried to repeat himself, but his words came out even more muffled then before as an armored minotaur attacked him, appearing out of nowhere and slamming a huge battle ax downward, luckily missing Razor Claw's companion.
"Watch out! There's a minotaur!" Prince Razor Claw yelled as he picked up a spear belonging to the dark army pawn he just knocked out. Taking aim, the prince shot the spear from his Claw with great force. The spear cut through the air and sliced through the wooden handle of the Masked minotaur's battle ax.
"What did you say, your majasty?" One of the other griffins asked, not being able to hear over a new ruckus erupting over the horizon.
The minotaur seemed unscaved by the loss of his weapon and instead decided to continue fighting with his bare hands. His target, the prince who destroyed his ax. The minotaur's muscular, outstretched hands looked as though he could squeeze his enemies to a pulp. Several dark army pony pawn joined him in ganging up on the griffins who refused to back down from a fight, no matter how outmatched they were.
"Stand your guard, men!" Prince Razor Claw ordered, screaming as loud as he could.
"Actually, I think we better move" one of the griffins who was looking behind them mumbled, tapping Prince Razor Claw on the shoulder.
"What did you say?" Prince Razor Claw asked with a yell.
Another griffon turned his head just in time, and both he and the first griffon managed to pull the prince and their companions out of harms way at the last moment.
A loud screech overpowered all other sounds as a loud metal monster came trudging over the hill, an owl appearing to be ridding this mighty metal creature as smoke blew from two horns atop its head. The metal beast bellowed and raised its curved face, scooping up the dark army pawns, both ponies and the minotaur, then carried them away.
The group of griffins were stunned by what they saw, having never seen a Bull-doze-R before, much less one being operated by an owl. Before the great machine and owl rider vanished from sight with their haul, the owl turned its head back, eyed the griffins with both one good and one bad eye before letting out several more scratches.
"What did he say?" One of the griffins spoke up. With the loud enemies sweept away from their area, all the other griffins could now hear as plain as day.
"I don't know, I don't speak owl" another griffon added, feeling like he and his companions were just one upped by a beast no bigger then their lunch.
"He said 'Toast'" prince Razor Claw mumbled, dumbstruckand confused by what just happened as well as the owl's battle cry.
The first griffon caught a whiff of something that smelled delicious. "Does anyone else smell ferret?"
************
The Masked Matterhorn's gaze shot between her comerads who were aiding on the battle feild as well as the taking a quick count of the pile of ponies that continued to grow next to her. As her fellow power ponies, Fili-Second, Radiance and Mistress Mare-velous, all worked to collect the fallen ponies and creatures on the battle feild, her other companions Hum Drum and Sunday Speinkles teamed up with some of the medical ponies from the Crystal Empire to give aid to the injured. The Power Pony's leader couldn't help but notice a certain caped crusader missing in action.
As Hum Drum passed by the Masked Matter-Horn, she asked him "do I want to know where the Dark Detective is?"
"Oh, ugh…, well, ya see… he kinda" Hum Drum hated being in between the Masked Matter-Horn and Dark Detective. He respected them both as authority figures and heroes with their own ways of doing things.
Sunday suprise, on the other hoof, had no problem ratting out her boss and spat out as she passed the Masked Matter-Horn "he went with Zapp and Saddle Ranger to fight that giant dragon."
"Of course he did" the Masked Matter-Horn sighed as she continued to calculate a plan on her clip board.
"Yeah, said he wanted to test out his new Darkcopter" Hum Drum felt a little more relaxed when he saw the Masked Matter-Horn wasn't as angery as he thought she would be.
The goggles wearing leader of the Power Ponies paused, turned to Hum Drum and mumbled through a tight pair of lips. "He. What?"
Hum Drum gulped nervously and repeated himself. "Well, ugh, he has a new Darkcopter. You know. Helicopter painted in his colors with his logo on it?"
"How did he get a helicopter here!?" The Masked Matter-Horn sounded more annoyed now then she nromally was when the conversation involved the Dark Detective.
"Portable… it's portable" the Masked Matter-Horn repeated the word twice before mumbaling it to herself as she hastily worked on the plans she had on her clip board before handing the paper to Hum Drum. "Here. Please pass this off to Mistress Mare-velous. Based on the way the battle is going, most of the heat is still at the front near that creepy tunnel opening. Have Fili-Second pull any and all civilians away from there and Mare-velous and Radiance cover her as she does."
"What should I do?" Sunday Speinkles asked as she finished making another batch of ice packs for the injured with her unique powers.
"I need you to continue helping me and the other medical ponies to tend to the injoured" the Masked Matter-Horn's tone was still commanding but it softened a little. She could see the young, eager heroine inside Sunday Speinkles who wanted to get out there and join the action. She understood what it was like to feel left out of the action. Putting a reassuring hoof on Sunday's shoulder, looking her in the eye with a relaxed expression, the Masked Matter-horn told her "I know you want to be out there, but we need you here. You and I are trained in medical aid. There are others who can fight, but only a hoof full who can tend to the injured. I can't force you to stay and help. But I'm asking you, as a hero, will you stay and help me with the sick and injured?"
Taking a deep breath, Sunday Speinkles shot the Masked Matter-Horn a half smile and replied. "Heros don't just fight bad guys. We go where we are needed. Right?"
Hearing the young heroine say that made the Masked Matter-Horn proud to stand beside her. "You're on your way to being a true hero, kid."
"Better then the Dark Detective?" Sunday brightly asked, a wide smile spread across her muzzle.
"Yeah, even better then him" 'You're better then him now. Although, every now and again, he does suprise me, when he can put aside his own ego and actually help others' the Masked Matter-Horn thought as she began rushing some of Sunday Speinkles's ice pack to some of the injured.
************
"For Holder's Boulder!!!" Limestone shouted as she plummeted down to the earth, nailing a masked pony with a punch hard enough to shatter the metal mask she was wearing like it was made of glass. The no longer masked mare fell to the ground, unconscious as Limestone twirled around, teeth gritting, eyes sharply looking around for her next target. She didn't have to wait long before a good dozen or so Masked ponies circled her. Feeling outmatched but unwilling to show fear or weakness, Limestone flexed her muscles and yelled at the top of her lungs "COME AND GET SOME!!!"
The crowd of masked, mind controlled ponies closed in on Limestone, jumping at her, only for half of them to be knocked away by something grey and fast as lightning. The half that weren't knocked away landed punches and kicks on their target. Limestome took the hits, showed signs of brusing and cuts, but remained standing. After their blows made contact, the masked ponies were swiftly flung back by a lighting grey whirlwind.
Standing above several now unmaked ponies was Ignious Rock, a large sledge hammer flung over his shoulder. He didn't look it, but the older stallion could still swing such a tool as fast as lightning. Ignious readjusted his hat, expression still deadpan as he stated "Me thinks you lot made an unwise move attaching our daughter in such fashion."
The grey whirlwind calmed down and paused long enough to reveil Crystal Quarts with several chiseling tools in her hooves, a fierce look in her eye like a cobra. "Skilled, we are, at more then farming rocks."
The dark army pawns who still had unbroken masks got to their hooves, quickly joined by more of their ranks who had successfully taken down their opponents. Facing more opponents now then before, Limestone and her parents regrouped, and formed a triangular formation with their backs to eachother. Then, when the moment was right, the trio of earth ponies launched their attack, jumping out and striking down their foes, making sure to aim at their masks.
************
Swinging her spear with great precision, Rose Bud knocked down one opponent after another, making sure the end of her spear collided with one part of her enemy's armor before taking an immediate swing to hit one of their masks. Unlike the others fighting on Sunny's side who overheard princess Twilight shout to her friends about attacking or removing the masks the enemy wore, Rose Bud and her warriors found out by accident. Her spear ricocheted off the armor of one she was fighting and hit the jaw part of their mask. The sonic wave hit caused the mask to crumble and freed the pony underneath. Rose Bud's mother, Prim Rose, the previous leader of the Thals, was amung the warriors who followed Rose Bud's orders. She watched and kept an eye on her daughter as she led her troops into battle. The little filly she had raised back on Scaro had grown into a fine leader that she was proud to leave the position of chief to.
Unfortunatly, Rose Bud was the only warrior equipped with a spear that could use vibrationnas a weapon. She had a much easier time freeing the dark army pawns then her fellow warriors, but that didn't mean the other Thals or Kelads were useless in the battle.
"Archers!" One of the Thal warriors called out to his group as he pointed to a spread out hurd of dark army pawns equipped with bows and spears. The Dark archers made sure to position themselves a good distance away from themselves and their targets. All of them raising their loaded bows, taking aim at Rose Bud and her warriors.
"Everypony, draw back!" Rose Bud yelled her orders."Kaleds! Defend!"
The unicorn warriors dropped their weapons then pulled out small metallic devices, holding them out infront of them. When the dark archers released their arrows, clear blue light grew from their mechanical devises the Kaleds held, emmiting similar energy shields thay unicorns normally created. The energy shields folded over one another, forming a giant shield around Rose Bud and her warriors. Upon impact, the arrows sizzles and turned to ash, blowing away in the slight breeze, leaving the shield undamaged.
"Keep formation and advance to the archers!" Rose Bud ordered.
The group of Thals and Kaleds moved very slowly. Although their shields protected them from the Dark archer's arrows, they couldn't move very fast. The archers saw this and began moving out of their own formation, spreading around the shielded group of Thals and Kaleds to suround them.
"Kaleds, spread around!" Rose Bud saw what the archers were up to and had the Kaleds with their shields spread to completly cover them. Although the shields did reach fully around and cover them, the warriors from Scaro were now stuck in a bubble suroudnded by the enemy.
"What do we do now, sir?" One of the Kaled soilders asked Rose Bud.
"The shields might have a few more minutes of power left" another Kaled spoke up, sounding more then a bit nervous.
Taking a deep breath, Rose Bud began planning her attack. There was one archer closest to them that she could reach and take down in a few strides if she ran at top speed, after she took that one down, the others would surely go after her. But she was the only one who could achieve such a specific task.
Taking a few deep breaths, she instructed her soilders "Put down the shield infront of me. I'm going to take that archer down. While they are firing in me, all of you move to take down the archers closest to you. After I take that one down, I'll signal you all before I use my spear to create a sonic boom. That should distract some of the archers momentarily."
"Sir, that's crazy!" One of the Thal warriors commented, his voice shaky. "Isn't there another way?"
"There's no time to think up another plan" Rose Bud snapped. "Follow my orders."
Before Rose Bud gave the Kaled closest to her to drop his shield and let her out, Prim Rose put her hoof on her daughter's shoulder and kissed her forhead for good luck. This isn't the first time Rose Bud did anything dangerous, she actually did it quite often. But the stakes were much higher this time, and her mother could tell Rose Bud wasn't on a whim either. This wasn't a battle any of them could afford to lose.
Nodding to the Kaled to drop his shield, Rose Bud dashed through her opening and raced like the wind to the archer in her sights. Arrow after arrow began to fly through the air, aimed at Rose Bud. She managed to manuvor around where she guessed the arrows would fly. One thing she noticed about the dark archers, even though they appeared more calculating then the average dark army pawn, they were still predictable. By the time Rose Bud made it to her target, she had hit her spear on a rock, causing it to vibrate and activate its sonic abilities. She barely touched the archer's mask and the whole thing shattered, freeing the archer pony underneath.
Turning as fast as she could, Rose Bud tore the chest plate form the fallen dark archer, and tossed it into the air infront of her. Making sure to smack a rock on the ground to activate her spear again, Rose Bud pulled her spear back over head, ready to slam it down on the plate as hard as she could to create a forceful sound wave that should generate a good amount of energy and knock a few of the archers off their hooves, giving her warriors time to take them down and her a chance to rejoin them. The plan might have worked if another archer hadn't shot an arrow right at the base of her spear, activating it's sonic powers right before Rose Bud was ready. As her spear made contact with the chest plate, it made the armor shatter and turn to dust even worse then the mask she destroyed a second ago.
Looking up from the debris that had once been a chest plate, Rose Bud knew she had distracted the dark archers and given her fellow warriors a chance to attack. But she also knew without even looking up that more arrows were coming her way. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw a swarm of them all closing in on her. She had no time to dodge, nothing to hide behind, climb or drop down into. She could deflect a few arrows at best. But was there time enough now for her to react?
Just when the Thal leader thought this would be her final battle, a giant slate of rock appeared infront of her, atleast ten ponies high and wide! Rose Bud could hear the sound of the arrows hitting the other side of the slade of rock and bouncing off. Before she could process what had just happened, her eyes fell upon a grey coated mare, wearing a cobalt colored dress (if one could call such a basic piece of clothing a dress), and a purple mane cut strait at the bangs, with an expressionless muzzle. The mare who had come to Rose Bud's aid was holding up the giant slab of rock with one hoof, appearing relaxed as she held up a rock that would normally take ten to twelve ponies to hold.
"You ok?" The grey mare asked Rose Bud, her tone as flat and expressionless as her muzzle.
"Y-yes" Rose Bud managed to find her words. "Thank you."
"No problem" the grey mare flatly answered.
Not far off from where the archers were, Marble Pie had stationed herself flat on her belly, an odd looking wooden pea shooter with a long barrel in her hooves. The pea shooter she had a pair of small legs at its center for stability, and several extra tight rubber bands connected at the end of it to shoot the ammo through the barrel. Marble pulled back and ready for firing her ammo of choice.
Marbles, what else?
Taking a deep breath, Marble Pie loaded a marble into the long barrel pea shooter, a super tight rubber band pulled back ready to fire the marble. Marble Pie took aim at one of the archer's bows, and pulled the trigger. At top speed, the marble cut through the air faster then any arrow, and broke the archer's bow clear in half, leaving the dark archer weaponless, standing there in their confusion. Their only orders had been to use their bows and arrows to take down their enemies. Without their bows, they didn't know what to do and remained standing motionless. One after another after another, Marble shot the bows of the archers, disabling them.
One archer realized where the shots were coming from, looked over to see Marble Pie in the distance, took aim, and fired an arrow right at her!
Marble didn't expect retaliation, and froze. She didn't know whether to try and shoot the arrow down with one of her marbles or to try and run away. She just watched as the arrow seemed to slowly move through the air, the world slowed down as the arrow drew closer and closer to her.
Just when Marble started to regret following her sisters and parents here, a small shadow zoomed across the sky, knocking the arrow and saving Marble. Looking over at the thing that had saved her, Marble was shocked to see it was Boulder. Maud's pet rock.
Thinking quickly, Marble loaded her pea shooter and took aim at the archer who fired at her. She was suprised, though, to see that all the other archers had been defeated and demasked already by the Thals and Kaleds.
"Oh Boulder, you brave, brave fool" Marble turned to see Maud appeared at Boulder's side. The oldest Pie sister stroked there pet's head gently, noticing a scratch on his surface. "You always wanted to be a hero. Don't do it again. I don't know what I would do if I lost you."
Marble always thought her sister's choice of pets was odd, but it was even odder that she spoke with him as if he were alive and actually injured.
Picking Boulder up and putting him safely back in her pocket, Maud asked Marble "are you ok?"
To which Marble replied with her usual "mm-hmm".
"Good. Let's see how Limey, ma and pa are doing" Maud used the nick name Pinkie gave to her salty sister, feeling that might help relax Marble and her a bit. The battle wasn't over yet, but they needed to keep their heads on right.
************
"Just like old times?" Midnight Blossom asked her coltfriend as she slashed a weapon out of a dark army pawns hooves before doing a flip kick and sent the disarmed pawn flying.
Cloud Skipper blocked a dragon's claw with his magical blade. He remained standing, but was pushed back several inches. As the dragon took in breath, ready to expell its lungs worth of fire, Cloud Skipper seized the opertunity to slash at the mask on the dragon's face. The special ops pegasus guard only managed a scratch on the black metal mask, but it was enough to stop the dragon from breathing fire. He wished he could trust himself to cut the mask right in two and not harm the wearer, but Cloud Skipper knew he wasn't that skilled with a sword just yet. "Yeah. Old times."
Four more dragons came to the call of their allie, all also wearing Sombra's mind controlling mask. The dragons didn't go to their friend's aid, but rather turned their attention to Cloud Skipper, the one who inflicted the wound.
The white pegasus gulped, but steadied his nerves ad he held his blade infront of him, ready to dodge and attack, starting with the dragon on the far left.
"I'll take the right, you take the left?" Midnight Blossom whispered in Cloud Skipper's ear as she joined him, taking her own battle ready stance, one clawed hoof over head and one curled up, the stance almost gave her a look of a snake baring it's fangs.
The two of them being side to side like this brought Cloud Skipper back to the mission they had to take on while their third companion was MIA. They had gone on a search for their companion, Allister, when they were ambushed by a group of lizard people who were capturing creatures from the Everfree to sell in their home, Klugetown. The two royal guards had quite a fight on their hooves, the lizard people were quite strong. The fight was exilerating, and left the two guards physically exhausted. After they freed the captured creatures and turned the lizard people over to the royal guards posted at the edge of the Everfree forest, Cloud Skipper treated Midnight to a small feast at a local diner. It was there that he finnaly shared his true feelings for her. She knew all along and also feelings of love for him, but wanted him to have the guts to say it first. That was a day neither of them would forget.
"Equestria to Skipper, come in Skipper" Midnight Blossom hissed, pulling Cloud Skipper back from his trip down memory lane. "You taking the one on the left or what?"
Shaking his head Clear, Cloud Skipper nodded and agreed. "Right. I got the left."
The dragon's slowly approached the two guards, their claws raised like they were going to attack with them first before fire breath. Both Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom were about to leap into action when the dragons suddenly fell to their knees, arms falling to their sides. Although they were a little confused by this sudden change, both royal guards knew better then to let their guard down, even if the enemy appears defeated. In another moment, though, they knew they could relax. The dragons all fell over, their masks falling off to reveil that they had fallen asleep, their masks had lost all power once the dragons were out cold. Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom looked up, saw what had happened and began to relax from their battle stances.
Standing behind where the dragon's once stood was their third companion, a grey unicorn by the name of Charming Knight. His eyes glowing grey, having to sacrifice three of his senses to focus on controlling his newest power. A stream of grey shadow was protruding from the back of his head, curving and stretching out where it reached the dragons infront of them. At the end of the grey shadow was a monstrous pony's head wearing a black top had and bearing sharp white teeth. His beady, reptilian eyes turned from the four dragons he had incompasitated to look now at Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom. The other two guards winced at the shift in his attention, but tried to relax.
The ghost like head chuckled, it's top hat lifted as if an invisible hoof where tipping it to them, then the monstrous spector retreated back to Charming Knight. Once the grey shadow was completly gone, Charming Knight regained his senses, and stumbled a little. His two companions jumped to either side of him, to help him steady himself as he regained his footing. His voice was weak when he spoke, but he spoke with a smile. "Thanks guys. I'm still not used to that."
"Now isn't the best time to be using HIM" Cloud Skipper scolded his team leader, his expression as hard as he could make it.
"Probability not" Charming admitted then levitated his spear up to him. Casting the simple levitation spell after his spell to utilize his dark side, Charming Knightmare, was exhausting. Charming would need atleast twenty minutes to recover before attempting any further spells. "I think we have company."
A good two dozen Masked ponies gathered around the three guards, each weilding a weapon of some kind. Armed with spears, axes, swords, and hammers, the mind controlled ponies appeared to really mean buisness.
"Togeather?" Cloud Skipper moved into position, his sword held infront of him.
"Togeather" Midnight Blossom agreed with her special somepony, and took a crouching position, like a cat ready to pounce.
"Togeather" Charming Knight kept his smile as he took his spear in his hoof, ready to fight the enemy with or without magic.
Charming had changed so much since his run in with Sunny Knight and those friends of his. He learned that no pony is perfect, and you should never try and be. We all have our flaws, and those who really care about you won't care about your flaws. More so, it's OK to work with others and accept their help. That ponies are stronger in in hurd. These two other guards that Charming always teamed up with don't care what things he's done in the past or his current condition with his darker side. They accept him for who he is. They are ponies he feels he can whole heartedly depend on. That is true friendship.
The two dozen Masked ponies began to charge at them, weapons raised as they ran to their opponents. Charming Knight, Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom waited for just the right moment, then leaped into battle.
Jumping over the boys, Midnight Blossom attacked from above, her claw like blades outstretched giving her the appearance of a flying wild cat. She let out a hiss as she leaped onto the masked muzzle of a drone who was weilding a large hammer. Cloud made a quick side dash from Midnight's left to her right, avoiding an attack from a drone who swung a large ax that missed him and sunk into the dry ground. Cloud then used the hilt of his magical sword to bash the masked muzzle of a pawn in, shattering the mask, before twirling around and cutting the mask of the parn next to the first, splitting the mask in half. While his companions were busy with the ponies infront of them, Charming had turned his attention to the ponies who were attacking their flanks. Using skilled precision, Charming launched a number of attacked at the enemies pressure points. Although the pawns showed no sign of pain, their muscles still gave way when the right ones around the knees and elbows were hit. Charming managed to knock a few to the ground before using his spear to rip the mask from their muzzles. The three guards didn't escape completly unharmed, though.
A part with a short sword managed to get in close and landed a few cuts on Midnight Blossom, one especially across her left cheek. Cloud Skipper, while trying his best to avoid doing any real damage to the masked pawns, had his back left hoof smashed by a hammer. He managed to cut the mask off from the pawn who delivered the blow, but his hoof was definalty broken. Charming narrowly escaped having his ear cut off. He managed to duck in the nick of time to save his ear, but before he could dish out some counter attacks Charming had been hit by a spear several times from a single pawn. Wounds were all over his body, but he managed to take down the 6 guards who he was fighting.
Looking over his shoulder, he saw Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom were in just as rough a state as he was. But the three guards never gave up. They struggled through the fight and were victorious. All the dark army pawns that tried to surround them were demasked and out cold.
"We beat them" Charming cracked a smile.
"We ain't out of the woods yet" Midnight Blossom pointed her clawed hoof behind Charming.
Both he and Cloud Skipper turned around to see possible thirty or more masked pawns marching their way.
Taking a deep breath, Charming turned about face, cracked his neck, then took a battle ready stance. "Guess we got our work cut out for us."
"You can say that again" Cloud Skipper added, taking his own battle stance, holding his sword out infront of him.
"We soooo severe a vacation after this" Midnight Blossom mumbled as she readied herself for the attack.
************
"Maybe if we combine out magic, we can drill through" Twilight suggested to Starlight and Sunburst.
"Combining magic takes a while" Starlight pointed out right before another explosion took place not far from them. "Besides, if we can't calmly consintrate, we could end up hurting ourselves. This isn't the best place for that."
"I could turn into something big, oh! Like a dragon! And just punch or claw my way through!" Thorax suggested, but was quickly stopped when Rosewood up a hoof to his chest.
Before he could ask what she did that for, she put her hoof to the ground. A wooden root sprouted from the ground and launched at the wall of dark crystal infront of them. As soon as the wood touched the Crystal, the dark crystals spread all across it, agressively stretching across the ground, and nearly reached Rosewood's hoof if Thorax hadn't ripped her away her away.
"Ok, not a good idea to touch it" Thorax sheepishly put Rosewood down.
Sunburst readjusted his glasses as he examined the wall of dark crystal. "I spent some time studying dark magic and the effects it has on magical crystals. I think we need somepony who can manipulate the dark crystals. Either make them part or disapear altogether."
Twilight looked nervously at the wall infront of them. "Its been a while since I used dark magic, and I don't know if I can overpower Sombra's."
Their conversation was interrupted by a monstrous howl as scrapping hoof noises approached them. Twilight and the others turned around only to realize they had been cornered by three umbrum. One that had avoided Sunny, and two who had struggled free from the prison tunnel! All of them senced the fear in the pony's hearts, cracked toothy smiles, and began salivating at the thought of a meal.
Twilight and her friends were now trapped between an evil wall of dark crystal and a trio of starving Umbrum.
************
Mourning Cloak cracked a smile despite her wound Princess Celestia gave her. Ignoring Celesria charging up for another attack, Mourning Cloak's voice slithered from her sharp teeth as she told Celestia "I think you have bigger fish to fry…"
Following Mourning Cloak's gaze, Celestia quickly peered behind her and saw two situations that required her immediate attention; her son was barely holding his own against two Umbrum who appeared to be draining energy from him while they switch off lashing at him with their shadowy hooves and hitting him with their heads, all the while Twilight and her friends who had retrieved Cadence and her family were cornered by three umbrum, backed against a dark crystal wall!
"Oh decisions, decisions" Mourning Cloak egged Celestia on, her wound slowly healing. "Do you aid your only son, or your faithful student who has your precious adopted niece? Or you could do what 'I' would do and finish off your enemy while they are weak."
Turning back to look at the loathsome Mourning Cloak, Celestia could see right through her ruse. Celestia followed her heart and took to the sky to aid both her son and her student if she could, not knowing exactly how, but she would do both at the same time.
As the princess of the sun flew away, Mourning Cloak chuckled to herself. Things worked out perfectly. She knew the pure hearted princess wouldn't let anything happen to her abomination of a son or stooge of a student. This gave Mourning Cloak a chance to heal herself and survey the area. She didn't just needs to poison the Crystal Heart with dark magic, she also needed to supply the umbrum with some more… incentive. If she managed to throw to them somepony emotionally strong, have the pony completly engrossed in the dark abyss prison, she knew the other umbrum could drain ever drop of fear from their heart. Not enough to feed them all, but just enough to wet their appetites. She eyes all the creatures around her who were fighting with all their might, looking for just the right victim.
************
Celestia couldn't decide who to help, but Sunny was closer to her then Twilight had been, so the princesses of the sun went tight for him. As she neared her son, Celestia was shocked to see somepony else appear in a flash of green light next to her son, coming to his rescue. She didn't recognize him at first without his armor, crown or cloak. But that rugged jaw, that slick mane, and that broad chest, there was no mistake. It was Sombra. HER Sombra. He had returned!
Sombra had kneeled down next to Sunny, who was barely able to stand. He put his hoof on Sunny's back and stroked it, doing his best to comfort his son. Sunny's eyes flickered, his vision burned as he looked up at the pony who came to his aid and swore he was dreaming. "D-dad?…"
"Its OK, son, I'm here" Sombra beamed at his son, his voice softer then it had been in over 1000 years, yet still so strong. "You take it easy, catch your breath for a sec. Let your old man take care of your cranky cousins."
A wide smile grew across Sunny's face as he relaxed on the ground, but forced himself to stay awake, not wanting to miss anything. Sombra turned his attention to the Umbrum who appeared confused, but more nourished and vicious then before. They had a taste of fear that lay behind courage, and it was the most suculant, most hardy, most nutritious, thing the they ever tasted. And they wanted more.
"BE gone!" Sombra ordered as he stomped his hoof, glaring at the Umbrum who looked at his son as a meal. The Umbrum wavered, but didn't retreat. Insulted by their feral ways, Sombra dug deep within himself and found a source of magic he didn't know he had. The royal Canterlor voice. "I SAID, BE GONE!!!"
The thunderous tone rocked the umbrum to their core and made their smoky bodies shiver. The monsters stepped back and began to slowly retreat before turning around and breaking into a full gallop back towards Mourning Cloak.
Sombra turned his attention to the sky to see his beloved Celestia hovering above, her hard expression had melted away. Looking her in the eye, in just that split second, he was able to put her mind at easy, saying he would keep their son safe. She accepted that and went to help her student.
Sombra's expression turned hard again as he focused his mind, his green magical aura flairing around him, something else was backing up his magical energy now that he faught with Valor in his heart. He could feel it. The Crystal Heart itself was aiding him in both recovery and preparation for the fight at hoof. His eyes met with the detestable gaze of his own sneering mother, who looked upon Sombra as if he were the second most distasteful creature in the world.
************
Twilight focused her thoughts to channel dark magic while the others kept the three Umbrum at bey. Starlight kept firing blasts of magic at the shadowy creatures while Rosewood lashed out at them with thorny whipped she grew from her tail, and Thorax turned into some sort of large insect that shot off lightning, but the umbrum seem little, if at all, fazed by their attacks. Meanwhile Sunburst was hastily flipping through one of his spell books to try and find something to push the umbrum away.
It was a long couple of moments, but Twilight finally was able to channel her inner rage, anger and hatred and sew it into her magic. When she did, she had to focus only on blasting her magic at the dark Crystal wall and was oblivious to the world around her. If she wasn't having to focus so hard on the dark magic coursing through her, she would have seen her teacher, Princess Celestia arrive in the nick of time to blast the umbrum away with a beams of her own magic. The umbrum retreated, turning into shadow and smoke, back to Mourning Cloak and the umbrum who had just been chased off by Sombra.
It wasn't until Twilight felt the aiding presence of another magic user that she turned her head and peek at the pony beside her. She relaxed for a second when she saw her help was coming from Princess Celestia herself. Togeather, both the princess of the sun and the princess of friendship blasted the dark crystal wall away, reducing it to little more then rubble, that quickly crumbled into dust and blew away into the wind. Behind the wall none other then the elderly mare who instructed Twilight to get Cadence and her family to the Crystal Heart.
Sunburst and Starlight levitated the dark orb containing the royal family up to the Crystal Heart as everypony else followed.
"Bring them over here" the elderly Amore instructed, waving a hoof over to a spot right infront of the Crystal Heart.
For a good long moment nothing happened, everypony sat and waited, wondering what was going to happen, if anything. The only pony who seemed confident in this action was the elderly Amore, who calmly sat back and waited. After several painfully long moments, the dark bubble containing the royal family, began to change color, fading and becoming less dark by the moment, until it was a clear blue color.
"Cadence must have cast this to keep her and her family safe" the elderly Amore stated as she studdied the now clensed bubble more closely. "She was smart to do so. It kept them all togeather. Otherwise that witch, Mourning Cloak would have had three separate hostages to use. The magic should wear off soon, and they should wake up."
"I'm sorry, who?" Sunburst asked, pushing his glasses up again, appearing still confused.
Princess Celestia turned her gaze towards the battle feild and the monstrous mare she left battle wounded. The sun princesse's eyes narrowed as she thought about how much she would have to pay that wicked mare back for all the pains he caused her loved ones.
"Mourning Cloak…." The elderly Amore repeated the name. Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, the kelpy Ipsy, the Petle Pony Rosewood, and reformed changeling King Thorax, all listened intently as Amore's gaze also traveled to the distant image of Mourning Cloak. "A true monster. Born centuries ago from the fear of a small, but powerful foal, she only lives to fill others with fear and feed on it. She had two other siblings. One I don't know where they went, and the other, well, some of you knew him as Pappy."
"Wait! Pappy is an Umbrum!?" The words burst from Twilight's mouth.
"Yes, he is" Amore tore her eyes away from the battle field and lowered her head, tears I her eyes. "He was a wild and untamed creature when I first met him, but he was different then Mourning Cloak. He saw fear as a tool to prank others and was able to sustain a healthy amount of it from their suprise, which never did much harm with others. He lived with me, here, in this very castle. He took a pony form to better blend in with society. Seeing him adapt and even make friends with ponies lead me feel like other Umbrum could do the same."
"Is that why you went misssing?" Starlight asked, chiming in for the first time in this conversation.
Amore nodded. "I thought I could reach out and speak with them the way I did when I first met Pappy. The one I spoke with was half imprisoned and had been trying to claw her way out. She said she wanted to help make the world a better place for her and her kind. She weaved her words so I believed her to be a kind and caring ruler who wanted what was best for her kind. I thought we were kindred spirits. I offered my hoof to help her, only, she betrayed me. Weakened by forcing her way through the umbrum prison, she nestled her smoke and shadow body in mine, faught me for control, and unfortunately won. She took my body over and used my body to do terrible things."
Her attention turned to princess Celestia, who up until then, had a fix on Mourning Cloak in the distance. The princess of the sun softened her expression and looked down at the elderly mare.
"I'm so sorry for all the heart ache I caused you and Sombra" Amore's voice was shaky. "I couldn't stop her. We both saw that he loved you, to the point that you had his child. It pained me to see you had to keep your love a secret, and it disgusted her that her own son had a child with a pony… she doesn't know what love is. To her, family are just others to use and control."
The rage that Celestia felt for Mourning Cloak had increased substantially, but the praise from Amore for the love she shared with her beloved Sombra eclipsed all negative feelings Celestia had. After all, before Cadence, Amore was the closest to a princess of love. After all, her name literary translates to 'love'. Reforcusing herself, Celestia spoke in a softer form of her regal tone. "Thank you for sharing all of this. You were very brave. I'm so sorry suffered with that creature for so long. Time is of the essence. Do you have any idea how to stop her?"
A loud popping noise causdd everypony ot turn away from the elderly Amore. Everypony turned to see the protective bubble Cadence and her family were in had popped. Shinning Armor, Flurry Heart and Cadence herself fell lightly onto the ground. Slowly, they all began to open their eyes, the world blurry to them at first, their heads felt fluffy, as if waking up from a long mid day nap.
"Ugh, where… are we?" Cadence asked, her voice groggy as she spoke.
"What happened?" Shinning Armor's voice clearing a bit as he spoke, but still sounding as bad as his wife.
"Goooo gooo" Flurry let out followed by a yawn and a streach before she flapped her wings a little.
"Are you two alright!?" Twilight rushed over to her brother and sister-in-law after seeing Flurry appeared to be fine.
Shaking his head Clear, Shinning looked around, a little confused. "I think… I was having some sort of…"
"A bad dream" Celestia spoke up. "Thanks to Mourning Cloak."
"A Dream? It was all a bad dream? Wait, who?" Cadence shook her head clear, having a hard time believing such a vivid nightmare wasn't real.
"Long story" Twilight interrupted, appearing very anxious. "But right now we have to-"
"LET HIM GO!" Sombra's words could be heard over all the sounds of the battle feild, causing every creature, including the ones still under the hypnotizing spell, to turn towards Mourning Cloak, who had snagged Sunny in her putrid brown magical aura. She had snarred him and dragged him across the battle feild to where she stood.
The witch hissed at her son as he approached her, galloping at top speed. She cast a second spell to blast him and every other creature around her away, putting atleast 50 yards of distance between her and any creature else. She squeezed Sunny tightly in her aura as she hissed at Sombra "You Disgrace! You're just like your father! Well, atleast you did one thing right. You brought our family a nice, juicy meal-"
Mourning Cloak was interrupted when an orange mare hopped on her back. The freckled farm pony yelled right in her ear "let mah stallion go!"
The wicked umbrum empress chuckled as she made her body transparent, sending Applejack to the ground at her hooves. Applejack turned around, about to jump for Sunny in a desperate attempt to free him from Mourning Cloak, when she notices what he was positioned over. Mourning Cloak had him dangling over the tunnel opening into the Umbrum prison!
"Well, if you want me to let him go, I guess I could give you that as a wedding present…" Mourning Cloak teased as she released Sunny from her mercy magical aura.
Time seemed to slow down as everypony watched Sunny plummet down the vertical tunnel into pure darkness. Most grasped in horror, but none more then Applejack, who was standing right there. Thinking as fast as she could, jumped for him, her hoof outreach for his. Her only thoughts were to grab him and use all her strength to pull him to safety. Diving for him and sliding on the rough ground, her hoof streachdd out as far as she could for her beloved fiancé.
But it came up an inch too short.
Applejack watched as Sunny looked back at her with a horrified look on his muzzle as he faded into pure darkness. Applejack only sat by for a moment as it all set in, Mourning Cloak chuckling at her minor victory, her words Applejack couldn't make out, her mind was dead set on one thing. Going after Sunny.
Without a second thought, Applejack jumped after Sunny, falling into cold, pitch black, darkness, the world of light above vanished faster then she expected. She didn't know how deep the tunnel went, whether or noth something soft was going to cushion her fall, or what exactly awaited her at the bottom. The only thing in her mind was Sunny, nothing else seemed to matter at that point. He needed her, and she was going to be there for him.
It was truly a horrific sight. A dragon taller then the tallest mountains, who's cleared the sky for miled with a single beat of his wings and who's foot steps shook the very earth below, was now making his way towards a heavily populatd Crystal Empire. To make matters worse, he was now under the complete control of the wicked Queen of the Umbrum!
"We're really going to fight that thing!?" Lighting Dust asked, trying remain cool looking and not let her subordinates hear her or see how panicked she actually was. "We're like nats to that thing!"
Flying closest to her in ear shot were Princess Luna with Snowstorm on her back, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Thunderlane, and Tourch the former Dragon Lord.
"Have faith, my stylish friend" appearing from out of nowhere, a cloaked stallion stood on Torch's neck. He wore a black mask that barely hid his yellow coat, a long rimmed, Renaissance style fedora that he tucked his orange silky mane in. His body was hidden underneith his black cloak that wrapped tightly around him. Tourch appeared just as suprised as anypony else at his sudden appearance. "We can stop this mighty creature if we follow the words of the other Masked Matter-Horn."
More then a little confused, Rainbow Dash asked the obvious question "where did you come from?"
"Did he just call me 'stylish'" Lightning asked under her breath.
"Not important right now" the Dark Detective stated flatly, eyes looking up and down at their large target, formulating a plan. "And yes. Black and purple are a great combo. I prefer just black myself. But I did wear purple for a short time."
"Focus!" Snowstorm spat out before checking himself, realizing he want technically wasn't the one in charge. Clearing his throat, he asked princess Luna, "do you mind if I formulate a quick plan?"
"Thou had better make it quick" Luna suggested as Garganda took another large step towards the Crystal Empire. "A few more steps and he'll be at the Empire."
"Alright, New guy" Snowstorm pointed at the Dark Detective, who looked up at him with an expressionless muzzle. "What are your skills?"
"Well, I'm really good at charades" the Masked hero stated with a smile. "Oh! And stratigo. I love stratigo."
Growing frustrated, Rainbow and Lighting dust symotaniously smacked their heads with their dominant hooves. Rainbow spoke up and stated in an annoyed tone "what skills do you have that can help stop a giant dragon!?"
"Ah! Those skills" the Dark Detective stated as if he didn't already know what Snowstorm meant. "I'm great at safe cracking, lock picking, being stealthy, I've mastered several martial arts, including one that utilizes the magical energies from the surounging area-"
"Good! I got a special job for you! Hold on for just one second." Snowstorm interrupted the Dark Detective to return his attention to the flying team leaders. "Rainbow Dash, can you hit Garganda with a sonic rainboom?"
Now that the surounding storm had cleared, Rainbow had no obstructions or wind currents that could throw her off. "Yeah, totally!"
"Good. I need to aim for the mask-" Before Snowstorm could finish his instructions, Rainbow Dash zoomed off flying as high as she possibly could to gain maximum momentum.
"Are you kidding me!?" Lightning barked at Snowstorm, shooting him a rage filled look. Before he could ask what her problem was, Lighting spat at him "if you only needed HER do do her 'sonic rainboom' then why are the rest of us here!? There's like, 40 flyers here who came to help!"
"Hold your horses. We have to time this perfectly" Snowstorm told Lightning Dust, who looked like she wanted to say more on the matter, but was silenced when Princess Luna shot her a cold look. Lighting Dust claimed up immediatly. Turning back to the Dark Detective, Snowstorm instructed him "I want you to get up to his face and see if you can't try and help pry the mask off."
The Dark Detective took a second glance at the large mask on Garganda's large head. "Its a big job. Good thing I brought this!"
The Dark Detective pulled some sort of folded up contraption out of nowhere and held it in like a trophy. Before anypony could ask what it was, the Dark Detective unfolded it and shook it, locking the contraption into position. It looked like Pinkie's flying bike, minus the wheels and balloons. In place of the missing parts were chains and gears that led up to a large propeller that had unfolded from almost nothing. It looked impressive with a slick, reflective black paint job and the Dark Detective's logo on the tail. The Dark Detective hopped on the contraption and began pertaining with all his might.
Unfortunalty, right after the Dark Detective took off of Torch's head, the entire Darcopter fell like a sock filled with rocks. Ponies who had been impressed by the Dark Detective's flying machine a moment ago were too in shock to do anything to save the falling hero as he quickly plummeted to the ground, landing with a small explosion.
"Ugh…. I don't think it's supposed to do that…" Thunderlane stated what every other creature was thinking.
Before anypony could say anything else, the Dark Detective called out from atop Garganda's head at the edge where his scales met the metal mask "Don't worry, I'm OK!"
Shocked, everypony turned and looked at the Dark Detective, who was now taking a closer look at Garganda's mask.
"How did he do that?" Princess Luna asked the quesgion everypony was thinking.
"I don't know, but we don't have much time" Snowstorm reminded everypony about the task at hoof. "Rainbow Dash should be reaching the nessisary hight any second. Lighting Dust, Thunderlane and Princess Luna, we need the flyers to go and damage Garganda's wings."
"Wait, why?" Lightning Dust questioned Snowstorm.
"If he flies away before Rainbow Dash has a chance to land a blow on his mask, We're in trouble." Snowstorm explained, growing annoyed at everypony waiting time.
"I don't recommend that" Torch stated, flatly.
Snowstorm was a little suprised the large dragon spoke up at all, took a deep breath and asked "why not?"
"A dragon's wings are sensitive" Torch started to say in an annoyed tone. "You go for his wings, first thing he'll do is fly away."
Snowstorm thought for a moment, but decided time was of the essence and just decided to ask Torch "What do YOU recommend we-"
But just then, Rainbow reentered the atmosphere and shot right at Garganda going at the speed of sound. She finished the move and released the Rainbow energy by bouncing up suddenly mere inches from Garganda's mask. The blast caused the giant dragon to shake a little, but no damage was done to the mask.
"Aaaand we missed the rainboom" Snowstorm was growing more and more annoyed, rubbing his temples with his hooves.
"Calm yourself" Luna tried to comfort Snowstorm while refocusing the group. "Torch, what do you recommend for a plan of attack?"
"The larger the dragon'" Torch started to explain right as Rainbow Dash rejoined the group. She was silanced by Lightnjng Dust who quickly out a hoof to Rainbow's muzzle to silance her. "The harder they fall."
"We need to try and trip him?" Lightning Dust asked, seeming more then a little skeptical.
"Won't he just fly away?" Snowstorm seemed skeptical.
"I think if we distract him we might have a chance." Princess Luna stated, unsure if it would really work, but putting up a good front.
"So we just have to distract the big guy and trip him up! No biggie! We just need some really, really strong rope and-" Thunderlane started to say when Snowstorm, who had been quietly calculating up till then interrupted him.
"Yeah, if we want to completly flatten the Empire" Snowstorm harshly pointed out.
Everypony and Torch did a double take and saw where Garganda stood. Unfortunatly he was close enough to the Empire to actually flatten it if he fell forward.
"Ok, well let's push him so he falls backwards" Lightning Dust suggested, getting annoyed herself now.
"That won't work either" Torch shot the idea down immediately. "Most dragons have great balance thanks to our tails, and won't fall backwards."
"But they can fall to their sides, right?" Snowstorm asked, trying to piece togeather a new plan.
"That is true" Torch nodding after thinking about it for a second.
"Ok, New plan" Snowstorm gathered every creature's attention as he made the plan clear to them all. Quickening his pace, not wanting to waste any more time, Snowstorm barked out the orders and instructions to Lighting and what her Shadowbolts would do, same to Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane and the other Wonderbolts, before Luna pointed out a flaw in the plan.
"Don't we still need something to tie Garganda's legs togeather?" The princess of the moon didn't want to put a damper on Snowstorm's plans, but it wss an important part of the plan.
"Princess Luna, could you try and use your magic to make a rope and wrap it around his legs?" Thunderlane suggested, thinking out loud.
"I don't think you should try that" Snowstorm suggested against the idea. "Garganda is too large. If he breaks a rope you make with your magic, the recoil could do so serious damage to you, your majasty."
"You got any bright ideas, mouthy little pony?" Torch snorted, sencing that they might lose the fight, along with any braging rights he might obtain.
"I do" a deeper voice spoke up, drawing every creature's attention to Tourch's head once more. Atop of it stood the Dark Detective, his cloak covering him like a battle wings.
"No luck getting the mask off?" Snowstorm asked, not meaning to sound cheeky.
Ignoring Snowstorm, the Dark Detective flipped one hoof out from under his cloak and held out what appeared to be silver string.
"What? Are we going to floss his teeth with that or something?" Thunderlane joked and let out a half hearted laugh.
"I once used this material material to help return a giant gorilla to its home island. HE wasn't much smaller then Garganda. If we manage to wrap it around his legs twice at least, that should do it."
"Ok, say we do do that" Rainbow chimmed in. "He's still going to fall flat and crush the Crystal Empire and everypony there!"
"Not if we push him over ourselves" Torch suggested, smirking and he flexed his muscles.
Thinking about what the former Dragon lord said, Luna expanded on the idea. "If we start pushing him on one side, when he trips and falls, he'll fall away from the Empire!"
"It's a little crazy, but we're running out of time!" Lightning Dust pointed to where Garganda was. Four more large steps, and the larger then life dragon would be at the Crystal Empire, and still under Mourning Cloak's control!
"Ok, let's do it everypony!" Snowstorm suggested quickly, sending every pony or dragon off to contribute to the crazy plan.
Rainbow Dash and Lighting Dust flew as fast as thet could to get around Garganda's legs, waiting for the exact moment when he moved to take another step. Every other creature other then them flew into position, ready to fly into and push the giant dragon with all their might. All their hearts racing a million miles per hour as they watched the giant dragon lift his leg in super slow motion. When one leg began to cross infront of the other, Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust zoomed as fast as they could to wrap the silvery string around the large dragon's legs, leaving streaks of Rainbow and golden lightning behind them in a jet stream. Seconds before they had begun to move, the Dark Detective latched his grappling hook onto the side of Garganda's leg and shot himself down to level where Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust would eventually meet. The two speedy pegusi met with their two ends right as the Dark detective stopped his descend. The Masked hero worked at lighting speed to tie a knot in the unbreakable string, and finished right as the giant dragon's leg was lefting past the other.
Right when Guarganda's leg caught, the string actually stopping his leg from moving forward, Princess Luna, Thunderlane, the former Dragon lord Torch, the Wonderbolts, the Shadowbolts, and even the two power ponies, Zapp and the Saddle Ranger bolted through the air,, closing the space between them and Garganda's side, and hit him with all their might, never stopping the beating of their wings as they continue to push after their initial impact. Zapp had called forth lighting from the sky with the use of her pendent, filling her body with the needed strength to try and move Garganda. While the Saddle Ranger chuckled to herself. Her power was summoned when she was angry, but years ago she learned to control her anger. Now, for the most part, she was always angry. Her body streached, showing slits in her baggy costume that were meant to open when she changed jnto her larger form. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust quickly joined the group, putting aside their differences to push with all their might. It was a good long moment before Garganda's body began to wabble, and slowly, he began to fall.
Snowstorm screamed at the top of his lungs, "every creature! Push with all your might! Don't let up! Push harder! HARDER!!!"
"PUSH WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT!" Princess Luna yelled, her voice being herd from everypony in a ten mile radius.
All togeather, the flyers began putting in 120% effort to push the falling Garganda out of the way of the Crystal Empire. Unfortunatly it didn't look to be enough. They needed more force!
An odd sound came up over the horizon, but everypony was too concerned and focused on pushing Garganda that they ignored the battle cry of some other creatures. The things that screached their battle cry cut through the air with such great speed, they left a streak of grey and white behind them. When the creatures reached Garganda, poniss who looked up for a second to see what had joined them in colliding with the giant dragon, pushing with all their might. Eagles. Giant white and grey eagles!
Flying on the back of one carrying up the rear was none other then Fluttershy! Somehow the timid pegasus wanderd off and made some new friends with the giant snowy eagles of the surounding area. Later, she might tell them about HOW exactly she made friends with the eagles in such a short time, but for now, they all pushed with all their might.
Garganda was falling fast, the aid of the giant eagles really helped to steer the giant dragon off course, but it still wasn't enough! Without hesitation, Luna turned her head around and told Snowstorm "Hold on tight."
Snowstorm had little time for his mind to process what Luna had said to him before the princess of the night zoomed kicked off from her position on the falling Garganda. The impact from her kick off added a little force, but what the princess of the night was planning would help far more then that. When she reached a good 100 yards away, Luna paused in the air for a second, then, focusing her magic into her wings, flapped them once, shooting across the sky, faster and harder then a comet! She rejoined the rest of the flyers in pushing Garganda out of the way, landing at an open spot on the dragon's side. The last push from Princess Luna was exactly what the flyers needed to push Garganda safely out of the way. The giant dragon began to fall faster, but now in a direction away from the Crystal Empire! The mind controlled Garganda hit the ground hard enough to create an earthquake that split the ground around the arctic and create a rippling that would cause a tsunami on the other side of the world. But that was another story, for another time.
All the flyers, including Snoestorm who was still holding onto princess Luna for dear life, Tourch, the eagles, and the Dark Detective, who was now in the hooves of the still muscular Saddle Ranger, paused for for long moment to survay the area and make sure they actually had succeeded. After the briefly pause, every creature began to cheer, scream, roar and hoot in victory! A moment after the large dragon hit the ground, the mask that had been controlling him popped off, cracking into three large pieces that hit the ground with a metallic thud. The poor dragon was out cold and enjoying a nice dream.
Regrouping, Luna told Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Fluttershy, Torch and the other leaders "You all did well, but we need to get back to the Empire. I'm afraid the fight isn't over just yet."
It was dark where Sunny fell. His eyes fluttered open a moment ago to see a world completly devoid of any and all light. As he got up from a cold, rocky ground, he tried very hard to let his eyes adjust to the pitch blackness. No pony could naturally see in the darkness that surrounded him. Luckily for Sunny, though, he had some of his father's umbrum blood in him, and after a short while of looking around, the world reveiled to him shapes and forms.
There were wobbly buildings off in the distance that appeared to be made of clay, molded into houses stack ontop of another while they were still very wet. Other then that, there appeared to be stalagmite growing from the ground scattered in small groups here and there while stalactites hung down from a very, very tall ceiling. The area was wide and pretty bare other then the structures Sunny just took note of. Shaking his head clear, Sunny looked up at the ceiling and saw the opening that he fell through, his heart sinking into his gut when he did.
Above, there seemed to be black forms similar to warped, long limbed ponies with warping bodies, desperately to squeeze through the same opening. The creatures snapped at eachother with their long mouths, their pulled back lips and reveiled teeth made the feral creatures appear that much more terrifying. Sunny didn't know if they knew he was there, but could guess they either didn't yet or didn't care. But Sunny needed to find another way out. No way he could get past them, not in his state. He hadn't felt this exhausted since Apple Bloom gave him the GoGoGo berries. His limbs were sore, his head was fuzzy, it was taking all of his strength to keep himself standing, and the air was freezing, making it hurt to breath.
After taking several deep, silent breaths, Sunny quietly ventured out to explore the cave and hopefully find a way out. He made sure to pick his hooves up with every step in an attempt to keep as quiet as possible, less he draw attention to the creatures he now recognized as the umbrum.
'Was I that terrifying when I transformed?' Sunny thought to himself as he tore his eyes away from the phantom creatures and focused on the world around him. When Sunny had blacked out and went into his umbrum form, he felt like he had just fallen asleep in a row boat. He could tell his body had been moving but he had no control over it. The only things that ever pulled him out of it were Applejack or his better senses. Like he could feel something was wrong and that jolted him awake.
Did those umbrum feel the same way? They looked starved and sickly. Had so many years without food driven them to this? The thought made Sunny remember he had been like that for a short time, when he landed in the alternate time line where nopony or creature had survived and the world was dried up and in ruins. He could remember his weightless form gliding across the ground, his mind going blank. He had only dealt with that for a short time. Possibly, these poor creatures were what he would have become if HE had spent 1000 years in that empty, dried up world.
Sunny paused when he felt his hoof touch something wet. He paused and looked at the ground to see what it was he had stepped in. It was a pale blue puddle of what looked like ink. Sunny was about to just walk away from it when the puddle seemed to speak to him.
"Ssssuuunnnnyyyy…." a frail voice wheeze. It's odd, but Sunny swore he heard that voice before. "Sssuuunnnnnnyyy…"
Then the dots connected and Sunny fell to the ground, wanting to pull the puddle into a hug. But not a hug of relief or over joy like Pinkie Pie often gave almost everypony she came across. This hug would be one trying to comfort the puddle. Tears falling from his eyes as Sunny looked at the inky like substance and pushed the words from his mouth "P-Pappy? Pappy i-i-is that you?!"
"Yeesss…" the voice was weak, and held very little emotion in it. Almost as if Pappy was struggling to stay awake. "Sunny… Sunny… you must… must save them…"
Taking a deep breath and whipping away the tears, Sunny tried hard to gather himself and talk with Pappy while Pappy could still talk. Sunny could feel his weakened grandfather fading. "How, Pappy? How do I save them!?"
Pappy took a moment to answer, struggling to speak his next words, but knew what he had to say. "By. Being. Who. You. Are…"
The puddle spread further across the rocky ground as if melting further. Sunny could still feel life inside Pappy, but knew he wouldn't get anything more out of him. Pushing the pain of seeing his loving grandfather in this state out of his mind, Sunny got to his hooves. He needed to find a way out of there, and save everypony from that vile grandmother of his, as well as the umbrum she was releasing. Taking a few hard breaths, Sunny got to his feet, the hardest first step, then paused one last time to look down at Pappy before attempting to walk away.
"What issss thisssss?" Sunny had turned and walked almost into a form of living shadow and smoke. The umbrum's eyes glowed yellow in dark sockets as it flashed a smile at Sunny the way Big Mac often smiled at a large Hay Burger.
"Lookssss like a meal" a second Umbrum appeared to join the first. This one's body appeared to be a more greyish green smoke where the first was a blueish smoke. It's eyes were a glowing green color in its dark sockets.
"We sssshould sssshare" a third one joined in, this one a crimson colored smoke with glowing blue eyes.
All three circled Sunny, scencing fear in him. Delicious fear. Thick from being filled with love for others who he might lose. Ripe with the dread that he won't be strong enough to save them. With a dash of dispare for what may lay ahead of him.
The three umbrum opened their mouths and began to inhail, draining the fear from him. Sunny knew what this felt like. It left one cold, wanting to curl up into a ball, like you were all alone in the darkest place where nopony could ever fund you no matter how much you wanted them to. Sunny tried to fight it, but alot of his fight had already been pulled out of him before he was tossed into the umbrum prison. Seeing Pappy in the state he was in didn't help lift his spirits either. Sunny felt his hooves growing cold and numb as the three pairs of glowing eyes circled him, their inhaling breaths being the only sound he could hear.
'Is this really it?' Sunny asked himself, all positive feelings in his heart began to fade. He saw in his mind all the friends and allies he ever made, how they had joined him in his final battle to save Equestria from his wicked grandmother and her army of darkness. Was it worth it? Could they defeat his grandmother and stop her without him? Sunny felt like they would have to. 'After everything… this is how it ends?…This is the end to my tale… was my tale even worth telling…'
It's not like he was the main character in a story. If anypony was, it would probably be Twilight Sparkle. SHE seemed like the main character type, not him. He was happy just being a farmer. a simple farm pony who only wanted the simplest things in life. A home to call his own, a family, and-
Sunny's personal thoughts were interrupted when a scream arose from the entrance to the umbrum prison. A scream he recognized immediatly.
His eyes shot up to the entrance, his depressing thoughts leaving him as his eyes locked onto a very familiar mare falling from the opening in the ceiling. Pushing past the Umbrum, Sunny ignored the chill that he got when his body touched their smoky bodies, and ran as fast as he could to where Applejack was falling. Once again, time slowed down, Sunny's heart beating a million miles per hour, his unblinking eyes locked onto Applejack. She had passed out and was falling like a rag doll. Just before she hit the ground, Sunny jumped and caught her in mid air. He couldn't use magic, and had to resort to a falling method he learned in his second year of guard boot camp to save his beloved.
After catching Applejack and pulling her into himself while he was still in the air, Sunny curled himself into a ball around her, so that his back received the full brunt of the fall. After Sunny successfully landed, his back aching, scratched and banged up from the hard rock he landed on, he looked down at his fiancé.
Poor Applejack was as cold as the air around then, eyes closed snd shivering. She was muttering something under her breath. Sunny tried to shake her awake, tried to reasure her that she was fine and that it was alright to open her eyes. But Applejack didn't come out of it, she continued to shake, shiver and mutter, her eyes clenching shut.
'She's having a nightmare' Sunny thought to himself, then pulled Applejack in tightly into himself. Leaning his mouth to her ear so she might be able to hear his words Sunny spoke softly "Don't worry, Applejack, I'm here. I'll always be there when you need me… I love you. So very, very much…"
All around him umbrum gathered, including the ones who fed on Applejack as she fell into their prison and the three who were feeling on Sunny moments ago. They initially gathered to feed on Sunny and Applejack, but stopped and watched the two ponies, curious about Sunny's actions. They could tell now that he was a little like them. The could sence something about him, that he could feed on her fear. They knew the mare in his hooves was a meal just sitting in his lap, yet he tried to sooth her rather then nourish himself. They were perplexed. Their confusion kept them watching and waiting.
Sunny ignored the umbrum as he continued to whisper sweet words into Applejack's ear, holding her tightly and stroking her mane with his hoof. It took him a little while, but his loving future wife began to climb out of her nightmare and fall into a sweet slumber. She smiled and relaxed in his hooves, nuzzling her muzzle into his chest, listening to the relaxed rhythm of his familiar heart beat.
A few more moments after Applejack's nightmare ended, the red colored umbrum with the blue glowing eyes from earlier approached Sunny and asked him "why didn't you feed? You could have taken sssstrength from her. You could have ussssed it to fight ussss off."
Looking away from Applejack to the red colored umbrum, Sunny spoke in a soft tone so as not to wake Applejack from her dream. "I could never do that to her…I love her."
"Love?" The blue one repeated the word to the green umbrum next to her, who seemed equally confused.
The word spread across a sea of smoky monsters, having never understood the word, only that ponies they fed on once had great fears tied to it.
"I'm sorry, I think we got off on the wrong hoof" Sunny continued to whisper as he extended a hoof to the red umbrum. "My name's Sunny, Sunny Knight. What's your name?"
The red umbrum recoiled at the extended hoof,, thinking Sunny was trying some sort of attack. When one didn't come, she looked down at his still extended hoof, confused. After a moment the umbrum looked at Sunny and stated "we do not have names. Only the Queen has a name."
This didn't suprise Sunny. His his Grandmother seemed like the kind that wouldn't bother with naming others. "But, how do you adress eachother?"
The red one turned to the blue and green umbrum standing behind her, looking for an answer. The blue one spoke up "we just look them in the eye when we talk to one another."
"Which isn't often" the green one added. "What is there to talk about?"
Sunny thought for a moment then a light flickered in his heart. A light, that although was a metaphorical one, caught the attention of every umbrum there, as if somepony actually had turned on a light. All the umbrum's heads were turned and focused on Sunny. "How would you like me to give you a name?"
The red umbrum looked confused for a moment then shrugged it off. An angered expression splattered across her muzzle as she hissed "you think I need a name!? All we need is food! You and that one are ripe for the picking!"
All the umbrum's expressions flashed and quickly turned violent and angery as their howling and hoof scrapping filled the air. The sound echoed off the walls and amplified. The sound was driving Sunny crazy, but he took a deep breath, looked the red one in her glowing blue eyes and told her in a stern voice "that's enough."
The red one stomped her hooves and looked Sunny back in the eye with just as hard of an expression as she could before hissing "who are you to command us!?"
"I'm an adult telling you that that's enough." Sunny spoke in a monotone voice.
A chuckling came from his lap, causing Sunny to break eye contact with the red umbrum and look back at Applejack, who had stirred awake from the commotion. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she looked up at Sunny with her bright green emeralds eyes.
"Ya sound like ah parent already" Applejack commented as she leaned in and gave him a big kiss on the lips.
As soon as their lips touched, the world around them was put on hold. Sunny felt a warm feeling fill him as Applejack's lips touched his, her hoof reaching up behind his head as if to lock them into place.
The light inside Sunny that the umbrum were confused and drawn to began to glow inside the other pony as well, becoming even brighter then before. The umbrum all fell silent at once and watched Sunny and Applejack embrace eachother. It was something they had never seen before. They couldn't quite grasp the feeling the two were radiating with. Was it love? No. The umbrum knew what love felt like. This had love in it, but there was more.
When their kiss finally ended, Applejack looked Sunny up and down. "Ya OK, partner?"
"Yeah, ah'm fine" which wasn't a lie. His back hurt from the fall, but he was over all OK now that SHE was. He knew they had to get out of there, bit something told him to wait a bit, to continue holding his mare in his hooves. "So, what were you dreaming about?"
Applejack blushed a little as she broke eye contact with Sunny, a small smile on her muzzle. "Ah had ah dream… we were back on th' farm. We had foals. Three of them."
"Really?" Sunny beamed, smiling at the notion. "Any of them as pretty as you?"
Applejack chuckled a little bit and booped Sunny on the tip of his muzzle, causing him to laugh a little. The umbrum around them had watched the two ponies interact, eyes all glowing in the darkness.
"What are you doing?" The red umbrum spoke up again, catching Sunny and Applejack's attention.
"What in the hey!" Applejack jumped when she realized they weren't alone, a pair of glowing eyes all that she could see.
Sunny quickly calmed her with a single hoof on her shoulder and a look that told her not to be afraid. He adressed Applejack first, looking her in the eye and calmly telling her "well, hon, these are, kinda my family. On my father's side."
He then turned to the red umbrum, then shifted his gaze to adress the rest of the umbrum around him. "And this is Applejack. My fiancé."
Applejack cleared her throat and nervously waved st the Umbrum suroudning them. "H-howdy ya'll."
The umbrum broke eye contact with Sunny and Applejack to whisper amongst themselves for a long moment.
"What is a 'fiancé'" the green umbrum in the back called our, looking back at Sunny and Applejack.
"Its somepony you are going to marry" Sunny simply stated.
"Why get married?" The red one asked. "What are you afraid of if you don't get married?"
"I'm not 'afraid' of anything if I don't get married" Sunny explained. "We just want to both show that we're all we need. We want to start a life togeather. Eventually, have foals togeather. Grow old togeather."
"But… why?" The red umbrum asked, still confused.
"Becouse it makes us happy" Sunny didn't know how better to explain it.
"If ah was honest, ah was afraid" Applejack admitted, catching the red umbrum and Sunny's attention. "Ya see, ah always thought ah wouldn't find ah stallion who was up ta mah standards. All mah friends attracted stallions, 'cept me. An' when ah did get th' attention of ah colt, he wasn't up for th'long haul.
"Then this stallion fell inta mah life" Applejack ran her hoof across Sunny's cheek. "And ah knew ah met th' one. Ah thought ah would always be alone, grow old alone, never have foals of mah own. But when ah'm with him, ah know all mah dreams are gunna come true. Ah wasn't afraid anymore."
"Awe, sugar cube…" Sunny learned down and kissed Applejack on her forhead. She returned it with one on his cheek.
"He… relieved you of your fear?" The blue one spoke up, seeming very confused.
"Ah guess he did" Applejack smiled and stoked Sunny's cheek again. "Ah love him."
The umbrum looked upon Applejack again, curious at what it was they were sencing. They could sence fear behind anything, even behind courage that seemed to push them away. But this feeling wasn't courage in the face of fear. It was something else.
"But, how do you eat?" A grey umbrum stuck its muzzle out of the darkness, its expression more curious then angry, though, he still looked frightening.
"Can I ask you guys something" Sunny spoke loud enough for all the umbrum to hear, all their eyes were now on him. Applejack got up and helped Sunny to his hooves. Raising his head and speaking in a clear voice, Sunny asked the Umbrum "what do you all plan to do when you get our of here?"
"FEED!" All the umbrum answered at once, followed by more of their howls and hoof stomps.
"Alright, alright" Sunny tried to quiet them down. Slowly, the umbrum did quiet down. "But what about after that? After you all have filled your bellies with fear? What do you all plan to do?"
The half of the umbrum looked confused, having never honestly thought about that.
The angry grey one from earlier spoke up in a confident tone "we hunt for more to feed on, then feed more!"
To which half the umbrum cheered, but oddly enough, the other half, including the three who had fed on Sunny a little bit ago, remained silent and pondered the quesgion, giving it more thought.
"Is they all you want out of life? To eat and eat till you can't eat any more? If that's even possible?" Sunny asked the whole group, but his eyes passed over the large angry grey one more often then the others.
The large, angry grey umbrum was about to blindly answer but hesitated. He rolled words aound in his mouth before asking "what else is there?"
"We're umbrum" a darker grey umbrum stuck her head out of the darkness, her glowing greenish yellow eyes falling on Sunny. "Its… what we do?"
"Isn't it?" The blue umbrum asked, feeling unsure.
"You all know Pappy?" Sunny asked the umbrum, who appeared confused by the quesgion, never having known that Pappy had a name. Sunny reluctantly pointd to the blue, inky puddle that was once Pappy. The umbrum knew immediatly who Sunny was talking about, some even felt shame for a reason that was unknown to them.
Applejack ghasped after her narrowed eyes fell upon the inky blue puddle. She turned to Sunny, and without answering beyond a mournful nod, Applejack took her hat off and put it over her heart, fighting back tears with deep breaths.
"Pappy…" Sunny continued, fighting back his own tears. "Was an umbrum, just like YOU all."
"He was a primal umbrum" the blue umbrum stated. "One of the eldest and strongest."
"And HE managed to find a way to live in peace with ponies for over 1000 years!" Sunny stated, his voice hardened. "If the umbrum that earned the title 'the Howling Mountain' could learn to live in peace with ponies without feeding on them, you all can too. So don't say that 'Feeding' is all you do!"
The umbrum whispered amongst themselves for a moment, bouncing ideas off one another, questioning what they heard, wondering if it really was possible.
"Oh yeah? How do you expect us to do that, exactly?" The red umbrum asked Sunny, narrowing her eyes on him.
Sunny took a deep breath, eyes locked with the red umbrum before offering his hoof to her once again. This time the red umbrum didn't flinch at the motion. "I don't know, but I'll help you to figure it out. After all, yer all family."
"Family?…" The green one turned to the blue umbrum, repeating the word to her in a whisper, again, seeking an answer.
"An' if yer his family, guess that makes us family too" Applejack put her stetson back atop her head. "An' ah'll help ya'll figure this out too. Me an' mah friends will do all we can ta help ya'll out. So long as ya ain't suckin' th' life outta folks."
The umbrum began Chattering louder amongst themselves, unsure if they could live without feeding on fear. But if a primal Umbrum, one they were all born from, could do it, shouldn't they be able to do it too?
"Do you really believe there's a way? For us to life without feeding on fear?" A lighter blue and grey umbrum pushed their way out of the shadows, shooting Sunny a questioning look.
"I know there's a way. And you won't be alone." Sunny said without hesitation, the light inside of him began to flair up again, catching the Umbrum's attention, pulling them away from their back and forth Chattering.
"How?" The red umbrum closest to Sunny asked as her hot glowing nose eyes flared. "How do you know? You never lived your entire life off fear."
"If Pappy could do it, if my father could do it, so can all of you" Sunny stated firmly before turning back to adress the rest of the umbrum. "But it's up to all of you to take that chance! Do you want to spend the rest of your lives living like starved dogs, fighting for every meal, or do you want to go out there, see the world and find your place in it?"
The umbrum said nothing this time oddly, all were silent as they looked from Sunny to breaking eye contact and looking off in different directions.
"But…" The green umbrum broke the silance. "What would we do? You know, with our lives?"
"Ya'll could go out there and make some friends" Applejack spoke up. "Ah've seen alot of rough 'round the edge ponies grow mighty happy from making a friend er two."
"Who would want to be friends with ussss?" The Dark grey umbrum from before hissed, causing a ripple of whispers again.
"I would" Sunny spoke up immediatly. "I'd like to get to know you all better. We're family after all."
"Ah'd give ya a shot too" Applejack stepped forward with her fiancé. "Ya'll be Apple kin soon enough. Maybe we could get togeather at th' farm and have ah big old barbecue."
"We could play games, introduce ya'll to ponies from town" Sunny smiled as he continued off Applejack's idea. "And ya'll can try some of Granny's famous apple pie."
"Pie?" The green umbrum repeated the last word, her head riasing up at the word.
"I… think I know what Pie is…" The red umbrum's expression softened a little as she thought. "Its a… baked, sweet food, right?"
"Eh'yep" Applejack used her brother's famous quote. "And we won't just have Apple pie, neither. Apple fritters, Apple tarts, candied apples, Apple sauce, Apple crumble cake-"
"Anything other then apples?" The angry grey umbrum asked.
"Well, yeah, ah can grill up some hay burgers and hay dogs, we can have tossed salads, all kinds of fruites" Sunny added to Applejack's list of foods.
"What's a hay burger?" The blue umbrum asked curiously.
"Wanna go find out?" Sunny smiled at her before turning to adresss the umbrum again. "I want you all to live wonderful lives. Lives where you don't have to be monsters who obsess over torturing creatures and feeding on their fear. It's possible. But YOU have to make that choice for yourselves. Do you want to be monsters? Or do you want to be YOU?"
The umbrum spoke in skattered conversations, still a little unsure of what to do. It wasn't until the red umbrum took a step towards Sunny, looked him right in the eye and stuck out her hoof at him, mimicking his previous actions. Every umbrum quieted down and watched.
"I want…" The red umbrum spoke clearly without the slightest bit of hissing in her tone. "I want… to… I want to learn to cook."
This suprised every creature there, pony and umbrum.
Sunny smiled took her smoky shifting hoof and shook it lightly, suprised at how solid and warm it felt. "Ah'd be glad ta help ya learn."
"And…" The green one behind the red one spoke up this time. "I want to make friends! And have, ugh, what ever those things called where groups of friends get togeather?"
"Parties?" Applejack asked, shooting the green one a smile.
"Yeah! Parties!" The green one was practically dancing in place. "Have parties! Eat pie! Dance! And play games! Lots and lots of games!"
"I guess I better keep an eye on her" the blue one reluctantly said with a streached smile on her muzzle.
"Can I…" The angery grey umbrum started to speak. "Go to art museums? Critique and judge paintings and sculptures?"
This suprised Sunny a bit, but he shook off his suprise and smiled. "Of course. But you all can't feed off other's fears, ok?"
The umbrum hesitated again, but the red umbrum stepped in and stated "if I can survive off food I make, I'll be fine. Besides, I bet I could make food that tasts waaay better then fear, right?"
"Having actually fed off fear" Sunny was reluctant to admit, but needed to confirm with rest of the umbrum. "I can tell you there are faaaar better things to taste then fear. Like Apple Fritters."
This made Applejack chuckle. "You and your apple fritters."
Summer nuzzle Applejack's cheek a little as he told her "you make the best."
"I'm ah little curious, but how do ya'll know about art and cooking if ya'll have been trapped down here?" Applejack asked the red umbrum who was closest to her and Sunny.
The blue one stepped forward to answer the quesgion, though. "Every year, the barrier that kept us here and keeps the storm at bey weakens right before the Crystal carnival. In that time, we sucked little bits of fear from the ponies above. Through their fears we learned about the world above."
"Well, what do you all say? Do you all want to live like monsters, jumping from one meal to the next? Or do you want to go out there and live better lives and be your own umbrum?" Sunny adressed the group of umbrum again with the quesgion.
"I wanna be my own umbrum!" The energetic green umbrum cheered, bouncing in place.
"Me too" the red umbrum casually nodded.
"I want to be a monster of my own choosing" the large grey umrbum stated. When he felt every creature's eyes on him, he realized how that sounded and elaborated. "An art critic can be a monster of their own."
Sunny smiled as he looked at the smoky shapes around him, their eyes no longer burning with the white hot intensity of hunger, but gleaming with possibility and hope. Hope and possibility began to pour into the umbrums minds as they began to day dream about what they could do with life. What happened next, no pony or creature was expecting, but a wide smile grew across Sunny's muzzle as balls of dimmed light began to enclose around the umbrum….
Mourning Cloak was surrounded now with only a hoof full of her dark army left, as well as the five umbrum who managed to escape the prison during the battle. Some how these foals, these brightly colored ponies and their 'friendship' have taken down most of her army, and even a legendary dragon taller then mountains. 'This isn't good. Why is it taking the others so long to feed on that mongral and get back here!? Ugh! Useless, all of them!'
"Its over, mother" Sombra stepped forward, his horn glowing bright green as he narrowed his eyes on her. "You've lost."
"Fool! You think those PONIES will just welcome you back with open hooves?" Mourning Cloak was stalling. She knew how to play at heart strings, and just needed to keep it going for a little bit longer. "Did you forget that it was YOU who tortured them? Enslaved them? Put them in chains? Attacked their castle? Or did you forget, I wasn't the only one who put a spell on all these creatures and recruited them. YOU did all of that."
"You're right" Sombra stated, but was unfazed by his mother's stetment, shocking her a little. "I've done terrible things. And I'll face judgment. But not before you do! Not before you pay for what you did to my son!"
Every creature cheered in agreement with Sombra. It was then that Mourning Cloak noticed shadows belonging to creatures flying above her. Looking up, the umbrum queen saw Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Fluttershy, Princess Luna, Snowstorm, the Dark Detective, the Wonderbolts, Shadowbolts and other flyers circling the sky. All their eyes weighing down on her.
'Great. The peanut gallery.' Mourning Cloak hissed, thinking to herself as things went from bad to worse for her. 'I might have to just abandon those umbrum foals for now. I can't hold these ponies off forever… If I turn my body to mist, I can just-'
But Mourning Cloak's contingency planning was interrupted by the sound of howls and hooves raising quickly out of the whole of the umbrum prison.
The umbrum queen cracked a smile as eyes went from her to the whole in the ground. "Ah! You hear them!? The most terrifying things to ever walk this land are near! Soon, the world will know fear like never before! We will roam the land, spreading fear and feed on you all! For the rest to your misserable-"
Mourning Cloak's rant was interrupted when a small puff of green smoke popped out of the whole, followed by a small, round head it was attached to. Every creature turned and looked at the wide-eyed creature smiling back at them with the most innocent expression on her muzzle. She looked like if someone took smoke from a mint factory and made a pony out if it. Her eyes were a bright blue color, and large compared to her head. She let out a little giggle as she climbed out of the hole. She was around the same size as a pony, same body structure, but had a pair of butterfly wings that seemed to support her body just fine, and her mane and tail appeared to be moving like a cloud or smoke. If anypony got close to her, they would see her body was slightly plush, but firm, like the world's softest cloud.
"HI! I know I'm a little early, but I just got excited I flew ahead of the group" the little green pony like creature chuckled as she dusted herself off and narrowed her eyes at everypony and other creature around who were all stairing at her. She didn't seem bothered, and actually flashed them a smile and waved before adding. "Don't worry, Sunny's coming. He's with the rest of the group."
"What!?" Mourning Cloak cracked out before the slits in her reptilian like eyes grew narrow in anger, her voice became more like a shrill hiss. "WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"
Before the little, green, cute umbrum had a chance to becime scared, a fountain of color erupted behind her, mostly consisting of whites, blacks and shades of greys, but had blues, reds, greens, yellows, purples, oranges and all colors of the rainbow in it as well. The fountain disburst, landing around the entrance into the umbrum prison were creatures very similar to the little, green cute unbrum who first poked her fluffy head out of the hole first, though, much like ponies, each one had details that separated them from one another. One red umbrum that landed next to the chipper, green, cute umbrum, had yellow eyes and a slightly flowing mane and tail, along with butterfly like wings. Unlike the green one, who's wings had an image of a rubber ball with a star on it, bouncing as her wings moved, the red one's wings had what looked like a frying pan over a fire with the fire underneath moving as her wings fluttered. The red one's mane also appeared more smooth, moving like air from vents over a stove, where the green one's mane looked more like a smoke stack from a candy factory. A blue umbrum joined the green and red one, also in a pony like form, with her shifting mane flowing down from her head and out like a waterfall to end with steam at the bottom of her tips. Some how she had acquired a pair of thin black glasses that she adjusted on the end of her muzzle as she joined her friends. On the blue one's wings were a gavel and a book. The pages of the book seemed to turn every now and again with the gavel striking down with every fourth flap of her wings. A large grey umbrum, more maculin in appearance, stood tall and proud with his waving mane slicked back revealing a broad forhead, the waving of his mane was much more subtle to a point where it hardly seemed to move. He was maybe a good two hooves taller then the three colorful umbrum, and had a chest and build similar to Big Mac. His wings flashed images of what could be some sort of abstract painting of a pony, the image hardly moves except to change the smile to a frown and back again, along with blinking here and there.
One by one the reformed umbrum fell into place, standing next to others that they felt safest with. They all appearing slightly unsure of their place in the world, having just been reborn and now that they were on the surface, where they hadn't been in over 1000 years. They didn't know what to honestly expect. Every creature studied the newly released umbrum, expecting something to happen.
"Excuse me" a familiar voice called out from the middle of the crowd, parting a way. "Pardon us! Sorry! Excuse us!"
Eventually, the one making way managed to reach the front of the reformed umbrum, shocking every creature there. Sunny stood smiling with Applejack's hoof in his. Both of them appeared to be unharmed, and even in good spirits.
"Hey everypony, hope we didn't scare ya" Sunny said with a wide smile. "Have ya'll met mah family?"
"What did you do to them!?!" Mourning Cloak growled, which made several of the umbrum shutter a little nervously. The umbrum who weren't in the prison to hear Sunny's moving speech looked onto their kind with cautious gazes. But Mourning Cloak's hard gaze was burning hotter then the sun.
Standing his ground and locking eyes with his paternal grandmother, Sunny shot at her "I gave them a choice! And now, they want to live in peace-"
Before Sunny could go into a long speech about forgiveness and redemption and a second chance, Mourning Cloak turned her body into smoke and shadow. Her essence shifted from shapeless smog into a giant serpent as it tackled Sunny, clamping him in her jaws and slithered back into the tunnel of the umbrum prison before anypony could stop her. The umbrum nearest to the hole, being the red, blue, green, and large light grey one all wanted to jump in after him but a large, muscular blue umbrum with a wild and constantly moving mane put a hoof out and stopped them.
"This is HIS fight" the masculin umbrum stated as his hard eyes looked down into the hole. "Sunny can do it. He's stronger then he knows."
*************
Falling down, down, down into the darkness of the Umbrum prison, Sunny struggled to get free from the clasping mouth of Mourning Cloak, but the smoky serpent's jaws were wrapped around him tightly. When they reached the bottom, the serpent Mourning Cloak spat Sunny out, throwing him hard against the ground. Sunny didn't expect this but managed to do a roll and land decently on his hooves. Not his most graceful landing but better then hitting the ground flat.
"You discusting thing! You fowl creature! You abomination!" The serpent hisses as it dissolved into more smoke and shadow, the glowing yellow, reptilian like eyes grew wide across the wall and shifted, circling Sunny. "I should have disposed of you when I had the chance! It would have been so easy to! You fithly little pest!"
"The umbrum are free, isn't hat what you wanted?" Sunny asked as he struggled to follow the cold reptilian eyes as they circled around him, projected on the prisons walls.
"Those THINGS out there are useless to me now! You ruined them!" Mourning's voice seemed to echo from all around Sunny.
"What's wrong with them living without having to feed off others?" Sunny asked, wincing still from the loud echo of Mourning Cloak's voice. "They're happy! They can go out and live peacefully with others? Have dreams? Goals? Make friends?"
"Mimicking the disgusting look of those 'ponies'" Mourning spat the word out. "Is that your plan? To make them all ponies? Is that how they became acceptable to you?"
"They can change their shape at will if they wanted" Sunny explained. "Its just a little easier to move around this way, is all. And now they can use their talents of detecting fear to help others! To save them from bad situations, to reasure them when they can't"
"You ruined them!" Mourning hissed again, cutting Sunny off. Mourning Cloak's eyes stopped moving and seemed go grow out of the wall. "Now I'll have to start all over again! I'll create NEW umbrum! Yes, that's it! New Umbrum! More fierce ones! And I'll teach them to obey me without quesgion!"
"Your family is still up there" Sunny pleaded to his paternal grandmother, his voice softening. "You still have a chance to…go out there and make things right."
Sunny had paused in his speech. It was as if he had just swallowed a shovel full of ice cubes. He could normally see the good in others, see that there was some hope, some light in them that twinkled, that only needed a hoof to help lift it up. But as he extended a hoof of friendship to Mourning Cloak, for the first time in his life, Sunny felt no hope for her. No inner light. Only vicious darkness shifting inside her, looking for a way to strike out, to twist and manipulate others to do her will. It made Sunny sick to realize there was actually some creature like that.
"I don't care about your 'family' or 'second chances'" Mourning Cloak practically gagged on the words. "Those foals up there have turned their back on me! On their queen! I gave them life and this is how they repay me? They owe me their lives! But you ruined them! They are nothing to me! Useless! Every one of them!"
"What about Sombra?" Sunny spoke his father's name softly while holding a look at Mourning Cloak's eyes. "He's your son. Don't you-"
"You pathetic half breed!" Mourning spat out. "He was less to the then those other fools! He was just a pawn! I was pulling his strings from the moment he saw me in the arctic! But whats worse, he made YOU! A disgusting, fowl, hiddious-"
"Ok, OK, I get it" Sunny interrupted her this time. "I know my mane is a mess and I should comb it more often. But It's just going to get messy again. I work on a farm. We work outsidenin yhe dirt. What do you expect?"
Mourning didn't laugh at his joke, only seethed in her anger for a moment before speaking in a colder tone. "Make all the jokes you want. I'm going to go and find the sacred crystals, recreate a new army of umbrum, then, I'll lead them to concure this world."
"We'll stop you" Sunny's expression hardned as his tone blazed. "You'll never win."
"Oh, I think I will" Mourning's tone grew more playful as she took her alicorn like form once more, seeming to emerge from the cave wall. Only, appearing several times her normal size, more buff, and with snakes for her waving mane and tail. Purple flames not only came out of the corners of her eyes, but the corners of her mouth and nostrils as well. A long snake like tounge flickered out of her mouth that had grown razor sharp teeth as long as chefs knives. Smaller reptilian like eyes popped up all around her body, all looking around as if trying to locate their prey. "But first, I going to rip you to shreads and leave what's left to rot down here, for the next 1000 years!"
The most foul stench filled the air, one unlike Sunny or anypony in Equestria would ever have experienced, followed quickly by a physical pain that wept over him that was both icy cold and burning. Sunny winced, but forced himself to keep eye contact with the monster Morning Cloak had become. Something deep inside him told him he had to keep eye contact with her, otherwise it would all be over for him. Then something else struck him. Something deep inside. It felt as if invisible snakes had appeared inside his own body and were slithering around. One coiling up in his throat, making it hard for Sunny to breath, and another around his heart, striking immediate panic in him. His hooves couldn't move, his body felt weak with all the elements seeming to work against him. But Sunny never broke eye contact with the monstrous creature infront of him.
Gathering what little breath he could, forcing his eyes open, head held high, Sunny barked as loud as he could at Mourning Cloak "I'm. Not. Afraid. Of. You!"
The monstrous Mourning Cloak hissed, aided by the many snakes her mane had become, flames from her eyes, mouth, and nose flared. "You arrogant little foal! Even in the face of your demise, you-"
"I'm. Not. Afraid. Of. You!" Sunny interrupted Mourning Cloak, finding the strength to speak louder then before, pushing out his chest, eyes now open up wide.
"Ignorant foal! I don't care if you-" Mourning Cloak hissed again, but was cut off once more.
Taking a step closer towards the giant monster, Sunny continued his chant, growing stronger every time he said it. "I'm. Not. Afraid. Of. You! I'm. Not. Afraid. Of. You!"
"Say it all you like! You won't-" Mourning Cloak started to spit, but was cut off again.
"I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU!" This time, Sunny's royal canterlot voice kicked in. He was no longer being restricted by fear of any kind. Mourning Cloak quickly realized the fear enhancing spells she sneakily cast, had been broken, overpowered by Sunny's cheer force of will. His words began echoing off the walls, making it seem like an entire herd of Sunny Knights were all yelling at her from every corner of the room.
"Stop it! Be quiet, you fool! You discusting-" Mourning Cloak's monstrous form began to shrink. The flames in her eyes, nose and mouth flickered away, the snakes that made up her mane and tail shriveled and became limp like old sea weed. Her entire body began to shrink and lose its monstrous shape as Sunny kept advancing towards her, still chanting his mantra.
"I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU!" Sunny bellowed several more times, holding his head up high, his eyes narrowed on the creature that was shivering before him.
Once Mourning Cloak was reduced to a shriveled up old mare, no bigger then Pappy was, Sunny stopped his assault. Mourning Cloak's body was half way between what the umbrum used to look like and an elderly pony mare much like Granny Smith or the now Princess Amore. She had a small belly, but long, thin limbs with the thickest parts being her knees and hooves. Her mane still resembled seaweed that washed up on the shore, which hid most of her muzzle. But if anypony were to push it aside, they would have seen a hidious horse like face, lips pulled back to reveal broken, rotted teeth, sunken, glowing yellow eyes, and a sunken nose like a skull. Her once large, terrifying wings that filled the room were shriveled and crumpled to her back, like a pair of dehydrated Apple slices. Her body no longer flowed and moved like it was made of shadow and smoke. She was a solid being unable to use her umbrum powers to flea or attack.
"You…" her voice sounded so much older, so much weaker, but it still carried the snarling hatred in it. "A thing like you… so disgusting… filth… abomination… I was meant to rule…I was meant to rule…"
"Its over" Sunny told her, looking down on what she truly was. "You have a choice: you can come with me, and we can work on you being part of this family, or you can go away. It won't be easy. You have alot to make up for, and I won't lie. I don't see an ounce of goodness in you. But, that doesn't mean I won't offer it to you…"
Sunny kneeled down so he was eye level with his paternal grandmother. He caught a glimpse of a glowing yellow eye peeking out from her seaweed mane. Extending a hoof, Sunny told her in a more gentle tone as he softened his expression "will you come with me? Be a part of our family?"
The glowing eye looked at Sunny's hoof for a moment then back up into Sunny's muzzle, which was trying to appear far friendlier then anypony or anything had to Mourning Cloak. For a moment, Sunny swore she was thinking about it, weighing her options. Really considering it. But that was a very, very short moment.
"I will end you!" Mourning Cloak hissed again, lunging at Sunny with all her might, ready to rip him to pieces with her weak hooves and rotten teeth if that was all she had. Blinded by rage, she didn't care how she did it, she just wanted to attack and harm him with all her might.
But before Sunny could react, several black chains came from the darkness and wrapped around her limbs, neck, and mouth, making sure to allow her to scream, but not to bite. The chains were darker then the darkest shadow that Sunny had ever seen, and if possible they seemed to be pulsing and shifting as they settled and wrapped tightly around Mourning Cloak's body, as if they were alive.
"Tsk Tsk Tsk Tsk Tsk. Now, that's now way to show you love somepony" a slick, haunting voice spoke up. A grey cloaked figure seemed to step out of thin air, a large, grey scythe in one hoof, slung over his shoulder. When he turned to the side, the figure reveiled his muzzle. He was a grey pony with pitch black sclera, and glowing yellow irises that pierced the darkness. "Course, I'm not really one to talk. But either way, you're coming with me, miss…"
The grey stallion stomped his hooves, ordering the chains to wrap all around Mourning Cloak, their ends stuck into the ground. They then began dragging a screaming and struggling Mourning Cloak into a swirling black pit that opened up underneath her. The last sight Sunny saw of his paternal grandmother was an enraged look on he muzzle as she faught to bite through her restrains with her rotten teeth. Once the top of her head was dipped below the surface of the abyss pit, her screams vanished.
"She belongs to the abyss now" the cloaked, grey stallion chuckled, twirling his scythe around, it laning on the ground. He then used it to prop himself up like it was a cane as he shot a wicked and terrifying smile at Sunny. "So. This is our first and only meeting. Probably. I doubt we'll ever meet again. Or if we do, you won't remember me."
"Who… are you?" Sunny asked the eerie cloaked pony. "Do I… know you?"
"I'm tails, and you, Mr.Popular, you are heads. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a nasty old Granny to subject Saturday morning cartoons to. I plan to give her false hope and tell her I'll only do this for 1000 years. But between you and me, that's a lie. I'll start her off with the pilot episode and restart it once we finished with gen 4 season 9. Ha! It will drive her crazy!"
Still very confused, Sunny opened his mouth to ask what he meant by all of that when another blacker then black chain popped up out of the abyss pit. The cloaked stallion grabbed hold of it with his free hoof, the other flung his scythe over his shoulder. The chain slowly began to lower the cloaked pony into the abyss.
"Wait! Who are you!?" Sunny ran up to the edge of the pit, but something deep inside of him told him not to go any closer.
The cloaked pony chuckled as his torso was slowly engulfed by the pit of the abyss. "Tell Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash that Cynical Storm is still out there. And he says hi…"
The name sounded familiar, but before Sunny could ask anything else, the cloaked pony was gone, and the pit into the abyss closed.
*************
Deeper and far more vast then the cells in Tartarus is the void known as the abyss. Reserved for creatures beyond redemption, a fate worse then being turned to stone and smashed into a million pieces. There are few creatures that are unfortunate enough to call this place home, even if such a warm word could be used to describe a horrible fate. It is endless darkness where one loses one's self in the sheer emptiness. All feelings of touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight are numbed to the point that they no longer exist. All that exists is one's own mind, and sometimes not even that.
"Welcome to your new home" Cynical's voice echoed in Mourning Cloak's head, giving her the indication that she still did existed. "I'll be your host, tour guide, and only friend. And as such, I'll show you why friendship is magic. But to do that, I have to go all the way back to the beginning…"
Infront of Mourning Cloak bright colors began to flash, causing her emmence pain at first. She couldn't blink or look away or even scream. All she could do was let her eyes adjust to the bright images infront of her. There was a gentle, up beat melody, giggling, the image of a rainbow, followed by some odd looking pegasus ponies flying around it. The pegasus ponies laughed and twirled as they slid down the rainbow that fed into a waterfall. The image zoomed out back to the rainbow where the words 'My Little Pony' appeared in bold white letters above it, and a theme song started as the direction of the image began to slowly zoom onto a pink and blue castle. "My Little Pony, my little pony, isn't the world a lovely place…"
If she could scream and turn her head away, Mourning Cloak would have. But for crimes against their world, the forces that controlled the world of the abyss have removed such abilities of hers. For the rest of her existence, the creature that went by the name of Mourning Cloak will watch every episode of my little pony, starting with the pilot episode, including gen 3.5, 4.5, all the equestria girls shorts and all their alternate ending episodes and even that last terrible Equestria girls movie that was exclusively on Netflix. When she would reach the end of it, the pilot would all play again and she would watch every episode again, and again, and again.
"Maybe in 1000 years, we'll give you another chance to be a good pony" Cynical chuckled in what would be Mourning Cloak's ear if she still had ears. But as he told Sunny, that was a lie. He himself might stick around and keep an eye on her until then, or he might go off somewhere else. Either way, he was free to choose his fate now.
********
Still a little shocked by what he saw, Sunny was knocked back into reality when something hit his head. Looking up, he saw the microphone Discord used earlier, grabbed it, and gave it a good tug. While holding onto it, Sunny was pulled up and out of the Umbrum prison and lifted into the light with speed that could have matched Rainbow Dash's.
Before he could blink, Sunny was floating above the mouth of the tunnel that fed into the umbrum prison. The prison closed permanently behind him, no longer serving a purpose, and disappeared beneath his hoves. Once his hooves touched the ground, Sunny was tackled by an orange blur. From the tight squeeze and the kiss that followed, Sunny quickly identified the blur as being Applejack.
"You were amazing, Sugar cube!" Applejack told him, lighting up on her hug a little.
"What do you mean?" Sunny was confused by what Applejack said.
"We had a fly on the wall" Discord swung a microphone around by its cord before catching it in his paw. The same microphone that had traveled down and was present and picking up everything Sunny and Mourning Cloak said to one another. After tapping on the microphone and creating a loud screech that caused every creature around to wince, Discord chuckled and spoke lightly into it. The sound amplified loud enough to carry for almost a mile "We heard everything you two said!"
Fluttershy flew up to Discord, put her hoof on the microphone, and lowered it away from his mouth. Every creature was greatful for that.
"You displayed great courage and mercy" Sunny's father stated as he approached him. Sombra was still not wearing a single piece of armor or royal clothing, his mane slicked back as it had been most of Sunny's early life, his eyes returned to the same shade of emerald green as Sunny's.
"And that is saying something, given who your enemy was" Sunny's mother who was standing next to Sombra had stated with a smug smile. "You handled her better then I would have."
Applejack let Sunny go so he could approach his patents. He nervously looked back and forth between the two for several moments before asking "are you two… ok now?"
The quesgion shocked both Celestia and Sombra. The couple paused, looked away, then back at at one another nervously, unsure of what to say.
"I… have alot to make up for" Sombra spoke up, a forlorn expression on his muzzle. "I don't expect-"
"You can have all the time in the world" Celestia interrupted him, her tone firm, but not hard as if she was scolding him. Sombra looked on her with a questioning expression, not fully understanding the atmosphere Celestia was putting off with that statment and tone. It wasn't until she cracked a smile that Sombra began to relax. "And I will be there with you, by your side, to help you through it. But there's something you have to do first."
Sombra was relaxed and relieved at Celestia's bold statment, making him feel hopeful that there was a light at the end of this tunnel. But now he was wondering what he first needed to do for his beloved. "What must I do?"
Celestia flashed a relaxed, confident smirk and held out her hoof. "Four words. I've been waiting a long time to hear four specific words."
Sombra knew instantly what Celestia was asking, and would want nothing more then to tell her those words. He hesitated only for a second to consider all he had done. But when he looked back into Celestia's caring eyes, he knew she forgave him for all the mistakes of the past and wanted their life togeather to begin a new.
But right as Sombra took a knee, grasping Celestia's extended hoof in his, a familiar and slightly cranky voice broke the intense atmosphere. "Wait one moment!"
A second later, the elderly princess Amore wobbled out from the crowd, taking a few deep breaths and paused a moment to regain her composure. The muscular blue umbrum from earlier appeared at her side and held out one of his front legs for Amore to hold onto. He whispered something to her, which caused her to smile. And togearher, the both of them approached Celestia and Sombra at a regal and relaxed pace. As they walked, it seemed some sort of magical osmosis was taking place. Amore began to regress in age as the muscular blue stallion aged slightly, until they both appeared to be just slightly older then Sombra and Celestia by a decade and a half.
It wasn't until the two of them were a few feet away from Celestia and Sombra that Sombra spoke the blue umbrum's name under his breath, looking completly shocked. "Pappy!?"
"Quiet now, boy" the slightly elderly Pappy smirked but spoke with greater authority then anypony ever heard him use before. "The princess speaks."
Speaking loudly enough for everypony to hear, the now slightly old princess Amore adressed Sombra. "Captain Sombra, I here by relieve you of your duty as King of the Crystal Empire. I would like to declare that although you have made a worse mess of things then anypony in recorded history of being a temporary ruler, I am the one to blame for all of this. I knew about you, and Pappy and the umbrum, and I deleted with the situation as I saw fit. Which turned out to be the wrong way. I payed for it with your mother. But you had to pay a price too. And for that, I am very sorry."
Sombra and Celestia were at a loss for words.
"NOW, you may say those four words" Amore smiled at Sombra and nodded for him to continue.
Clearing his throat once again, Sombra took a knee and Held Celestia's hoof in his once more. Looking up at her with his glistening green eyes, Sombra asked four words that he and Celestia had been waiting over 1000 years for him to ask. "Princess Celestia, my morning sun, will you marry me, and make me the happiest stallion in Equestria?"
Tears began to fall from Celestia's eyes as her smile grew wider then it ever had in her whole life. "Sombra, my knight in shinning armor, I do."
Having waited for over 1000 years, the two lovers could wait no longer. Gazing into eachothers eyes, Celestia knew the stallion of her dreams had returned to her. He closed the gap between them, their eyes closed and shut out the rest of the world. The only thing in their minds was the gentle touch of eachother's lips. As they shared the kiss that waited over 1000 years, they could feel the rapid pulse of eachother's hearts, the heat off eachother's bodies. Nothing had ever felt more right to them. They felt as if they had found their home in eachother once again, and this time, they would never let it go.
All around, creatures cheered, some like Rarity, Fluttershy, Princess Cadence, Princess Luna, Rosewood, and even the Masked Matter-Horn cried tears of joy at the sight of the hapoy couple. Even the seemingly emotionless Daleks that Pinkie and Derpy managed to turn into friends now cheered in their screaming voices for the two love birds.
"Ah, young love" Pappy muttered as Amore rejoined him, locking her hoof around his.
"Love only gets better with age" Amore stated as she kissed Pappy on the cheek, turning his blue coat bright red as a smile flashed across his face.
Smiling at the sight of his parents finally togeather after all this time, Sunny almost didn't notice a certain orange farm mare nudge him a little. "So, is this th' happy ending ya always wanted?"
Thinking it over for a moment, Sunny turned to Applejack, kissed her passionately on the lips for a moment, taking her by suprise. After a moment of holding the kiss, Sunny released her and told her "this is just the beginning. Hope yer in fer ah wild ride."
Unable to shake the smile off her muzzle from the kiss, Applejack readjusted her stetson and told Sunny "you keep that up an' ah'll need ta hold on to this bull with both hooves."
The next kiss Applejack and Sunny shared was a little more gentle and drawn out. Sunny ran one hoof through Applejack's mane and Applejack caressed Sunny's strong jaw. They had no idea how long their kiss lasted. But a certain pink pony who had yet to find her own special somepony popped up and made a rather unnecessary statment which redirected the three couples who were lost in the hooves of their partners.
"Hey, wait a candy picking minute!" Pinkie abruptly stated "he said more then just four words! He said like… 17 words! I mean if you-"
But before Pinkie could say anything more to spoil the moment, she was surrounded by a blue magical aura and floated away to the aura's owner, Rarity, who looked rather annoyed at Pinkie's interruption. After putting Pinkie down beside her, Rarity's expression became a strained and embarrassed smile as she told the three couples "Please, do continue. Don't let us bother you."
Everypony laughed lightly before returning to embrace their better halves. The 1000 year nightmare had ended not long ago, now was the time for dreams to come true.
After Mourning Cloak was delt with, Discord regained his power and was able to send everypony and creature back to where they belonged in their own respective dimension and times. He thanked the Doctor Whooves known as 11 for all the help in gathering the other Doctors and bringing him the microphone and speaker. It was surprising to hear that 11 was working closely with Discord this entire time, but since everything turned out alright in the end, most ponies tried not to think about it, say for Twilight who kept a closer eye on the master of chaos from there on.
The petal ponies decided to make a life for themselves and started small settlement village south of the Crystal Empire, west of the Rainbow falls. They recieved alot of tourism from ponies and other creatures traveling the Crystal Empire express from Canterlot to the Crystal Empire. The petal ponies kept their living simple by growing houses from actually foliage rather then cutting down trees to make homes, since they were living plants now. Rosewood occasionally visited King Apsen in the Everfree on peace missions, making sure to stop in and see her uncle and the Apples whenever she did so.
Whittler had taken up residence in Ponyville working in a wood shop where he continued to do what he loved. Working with wood. He started making wooden furniture, gadgets and even toys. Toy figures of Sunny sold fairly well, especially the ones with the removable Black Knight armor. Some things he really enjoyed making were furniture that could go from one thing into another. His latest project was a rocking chair that was supposed to turn into a dinningroom table. But it kept locking up half way through the transformation. But he was confident he was going to perfect it soon.
The Daleks that Derpy and Pinkie won over had gone back to Scaro with the Thals and Kelads. They may not have been the winged ones the planet's legends spoke of, but the Daleks could actually fly, which would be a great help to Rose Bud and the rest of the inhabitants of the planet. So long as they all promised to behave themselves, the Kelads and Thals promised to celebrate their birthdays.
The Power Ponies, Hum Drum, Sunday Sprinkles and the Dark Detective said their quick farewells and happily returned to their comic book universe with the help of Discord. Although future issues showed the Dark Detective still annoyed the Masked Matter-Horn with his reckless actions and self centered attitude, the two would continue to answer the other's call for help should they ever need one another.
The former Supreme King Sunny and HIS Applejack went back to their own dimension, ready to take the rest of the day off before getting up early the next morning to start the day's chores. Sitting on the porch swing, his hoof around HIS Applejack, staring into the orchard without a care in the world with the only sound being the swishing breeze, the former Supreme King Sunny couldn't help but smile. He had lived in a castle with everything a pony could ask for, but had been miserable, never able to enjoy any of it. Now, he spends his days farming, planting vegetables, harvesting apples, taking care of farm critters, and doing chores. THIS was the life he enjoyed. Without a word form either of them, the former Supreme King bent down and kissed HIS Applejack and nuzzled her. HIS Applejack was hesitant at first to bring her former, tyrant ruler home with her, but there was something deep inside that told her that he belonged there. She never imagined that she would fall for the former king. Or that they were scheduled to be married in a few weeks.
Saphire Shores and her dancing crew all celebrated with a party in Manehatten that was totally off the hook. Saphire even gave her crew the next day to recover. But the day after that, they had to prepare for their next show which would be in Canterlot.
Hot Iron and the rest of the citizens of Iron Hill went back to their home town, ready to share the story of the battle and erect new statue depicting their town hero fighting, along side Sunny Knight, against armored enemies. No pony knew that it wasn't the same Sunny Knight who they had delt with before. They were happy just believing the two were possibly friends. Hot Iron still toyed around with the idea of a name change to Iron Knight, asking his marefriends her opinion. To which she shoved another protein drink in his mouth and told him new name or not he was who he was, and to drink up, that he would need his strength.
The three elite guards of Midnight Blossom, Cloud Skipper and Charming Knight, were all given the payed vacation they deserved, and spent it in half on a cruse airship relaxing, half at Los Pegasis where they took in the shows, Midnight Blossom lost all her bits at the Poker table, and Cloud Skipper was chosen from the crowd for a magic show. When the trio returned to active duty by the end of the three weeks, an important mission awaited them. Apparently strange noise were coming from the sewers , and citizens were reporting odd glowing lights from the storm drains. They suited up and prepared for work.
Oddly enough, no record of the Battle at the Crystal Empire was ever recorded in the history of prince Razor Claw of Griffonstone. That is, until a gryffin historian uncovered his missing journal and read the part of it that described how HE and his men faught valiantly along side an owl that rode a giant metal beast. The Historian reported it to Griffonstone's council, who told him to just put that dusty old book in a museum. Apparently the whole story was already covered in the local paper.
Snowstorm was granted a Pardon for his war crimes, and offered a position in the royal guard, but turned it down. He instead went on to get his degree in teaching, having heard that a new school would be opening up near Ponyville soon. But before he did that, Snowstorm planned to confront his patents and fill them in on everything he had done. The good and the bad. But again, that's another story for another time.
After Mourning Cloak was delt with, the spell that kept Radiant Hope locked in crystal was broken. After taking a few moments to recover, Radiant was met by Sombra, who apologized profusely to his sister like friend, who he imprisoned. She of course forgave him, but he had to treat her to whatever she wanted to eat. She was starving, and had a very odd request for a desired meal. She wanted a stack of waffles as high as he was, with each waffle alternating between regular, multi grain, chocolate chip, and blue berry, with none of the waffle alternating, and never touching the same kind, but also in a different order, all drizzled with enough Crystal berry syrup to coat the entire stack, with whipped cream as big as a crown with three cherries on top. She chowed down with Pinkie Pie, who asked for the same order, stating that Radiante had some great taste.
The Pie family joined Pinkie, Radiant, Sombra and Sunny for waffles. The rest of them ate just a short stack of buttermilk waffles, avoiding looking at the sugary monstrosity the two mare's were consuming with great vigar. Once their meal was done, Sunny thanked them all for coming to his aid and offered them all to come and stay at the farm anytime they liked. Limestone did the same, with less enthusiasm, followed up by shooting Sombra a hard look as she told him to stay away from Holder's Boulder. He gulped and vowed never to go near Holder's Boulder. And with that, the Pie family went their separate ways. Most back to the farm, Pinkie back to Ponyville, and Maud to look for a place to live once she graduated collage next year.
Ponies at the Ponyville construction site were relieved to see their Bull-Doz-R was returned, but more then a little shocked that it was returned in such a state. It had swords, spears and chunks of black armor embedded in it. The boss of the construction group, a short mare with a muzzle like a toad came out to inspect it and began yelling at everypony else for neglecting to tell her it was missing. Half way through her rant, a horrid screech that could shatter glass redirected the angry boss's attention. A frightening owl, who looked as though he had seen better days, flew down and landed on the boss pony's shoulder. She decided to keep the creature as a pet, claiming it told her his name was Toast. He would help her keep an eye on her lazier construction workers and was sure to let them know when their 10 minute break was up or when they've been in the bathroom for too long.
Running away as fast as he could from the construction sight, Crackers, Sunny's pet farret, ran all the way back to the Apple farm, into the farm house, up the stairs, hopped up on Sunny's bed, and happily passed out. He slept for almost two days, which was completly normal for ferrets who ran as much as he just did. He dreamt of having tea with other pets in a castle where he sat in a circle of arm chairs, wearing a top hat and monical, holding a conversation about the Equestrian economy with a Toad, a Badger, a Raven and a Cat. They all adressed him as Charles, and they went by Trevor, Helga, Rowena, and Minerva respectively. It was an odd dream, to say the least. But enjoyable.
Pappy and Princess Amore decided to lead the newly reformed Umbrum, who all wanted to go out into Equestria and try the things they only just started to dream about. They would have a hard time dealing with them all and keeping them in line if Twilight Sparkle didn't make an offer to have them attend a friendship school she and her friends were starting togeather. It would help the umbrum home their skills, adjust to a life of not just feeding on others, and possibly make friends. The reformed changelings had planned on attending the school as well. It would help in the fact that the changelings and Umbrum's situations were so similar.
Thorax had taken the changelings back to Chrysalis's old hive and fixed it up with peaceful flowers, tapestries the more creative changelings wove, and actual homes. Not just hidding holes. The changelings took to their new roles in life rather quickly. Possibly like the umbrum, they always secretly wanted a more peaceful life, that didn't involve needing to feed on others. Alot of them were eager for when the first semester of Twilights school would begin.
Ipsy, the kelpy, had finnaly gathered enough strength to free herself from the confines of the land based bodies of water and entered the ocean surounding the west coast of Equestria. With a final wave, she bid her friends farewell, but promised that she would visit again some day. Setting off on a journey to find her family, Ipsy would come across sea monsters, an underwater civilization, a pirate and merpony who were in love but kept apart by family, and even some cursed treasure guarded by a twelve armed squid, but that's also another story for another time.
Torch lead the dragons who faught on both sides at the fight back to the dragon lands to tell his daughter, and all within a ten mile radius, of the great battle between Sunny's friends and allies against the dark army. He did fudge it a little when it came to the part about taking down Garganda, claiming to have knocked the giant dragon over all on his own, without breaking a sweat.
Garganda, himself, decided to move the treasure he had been guarding originally and take a good long nap where no pony would bother him; out in the middle of the ocean. The sound of the waves soothed him and allowed him to relax with just his head sticking up out of the water. He found a nice secluded part of the ocean between Equestria and the land of the centaurs. No creature questioned why a smoking black island appeared out of nowhere, becouse whenever Garganda snored, they feared the island might erupt.
For showing courage in the face of danger and answering a call to duty, Lighting Dust and the other Shadowbolts were cleared of all charges. But they still weren't made Wonderbolts. They would have to go through academy training and pass just like everypony else. This time around, Lightning Dust decided she would make the strive to help others and not leave them in her dust.
Wind Rider, on the other hoof, got his title of retired Wonderbolt back and a new chapter in the Wonderbolt's history book about his aid in the battle. Though, in order to be fully redeemed, he had to complete five years of janitorial service at the Wonderbolts academy. He didn't mind so much. It reminded him of his earlier years as a cadet, and put him in a more humble state of mind. That, and he got to see his granddaughters train and practice with the other cadets. He hasn't touched a mug of Cider since.
Everypony else, meaning the royal family, the Guardians of Harmony, the Elements of Harmony, and Princess Luna all had a wedding to prepare for. One that, although would be marked in the hystery books as a point that would change all of Equestria, would be kept small and as private as could be, with one specific reporter and her bird assistant being the only member of the press allowed to attend.
Celestia and Sombra's wedding was held in the Canterlot castle, in the same ballroom where the two of them first met. With only their closest friends and family present. After the Cutie Mark Crusaders, as the flower girls, sprinkled pink and white rose pettles down the aisle, pathing the way for them, Sunny walked his mother down the aisle, leading her past her faithful student and her friends on one side, Sunny's friends on the other, leading up to the alter where her own sister, Princess Luna, stood smiling at her sister as the officiant. Radiant Hope begged Celestia to let her be the maid of honor. Celestia planned on asking her anyway if she wasn't too busy. And along with giving his mother away, Sunny was proud to be his father's best colt.
After the exchange of vows, Sunny levitated the rings to his father, who placed one ring on Celestia's horn, and the other on his own. With that, by the power vested in Luna, Celestia and Sombra were now wife and husband, and shared their first kiss as such. Most ponies cheered. Sunny, Applejack, Radiant Hope, Rarity and Shinning Armor all cried tears of joy and 'liquid pride'. After the reception, Celestia and Sombra boarded an air ship that would begin their two week long honeymoon. Celestia had asked Twilight before hoof if she would mind helping Luna run Equestria while she was gone. Twilight was overwhelmed but assured her mentor that she would be honored and could handle it.
Which meant of course that they had to deal with the return of several villains, multiple friendship problems and a few natural disasters. But again, that's another story for another time.
*********
Looking at herself in the mirror, Applejack tried to stop her hooves from shaking, but found she lacked the strength to do so.
"Applejack, darling, I'm your friend and I understand the pre wedding gitters, but if you don't stop moving, I'm going to have Twilight use a paralyzing spell on you." Rarity told her friend in a politel, threatening manner.
"Ah'm sorry, Rares. Ah guess ah just… excite? Nervous? What does Pinkie say? Nervicited?" Applejack apologized, taking a breath to try and calm herself and stop her legs from shaking.
Looking at herself in the mirror again, Applejack could hardly believe that she was actually wearing that dress. Her wedding dress. It was exactly as she hoped it would be. A short train connected to a white and green south western style dress, to match both Sunny's eyes and the orchards leaves. Wearing four white, studded cowboy boots on each of her hooves, a studded, white stetson hat to match, and an emerald necklace given to her by her future mother in law, made from the crystals beneath Canterlot over 1000 years ago. It counted as her something old. Her entire outfit was her something new, which Rarity made to her exact specifications. Her something borrowed and blue was the garter under her dress around her back left leg, which Rarity insisted on lending her, even if she didn't get it back when it was tossed later.
It was finally the day she and Sunny hard waited for. The day they exchanged vows and began their life togeather. So much had happened in the last month that she nearly forgot their set date for the wedding. Since the day at the Empire, their lives seemed to fly by up until this very day.
"You look magnificent" Rarity commented a she looked over her friend one last time, pulling Applejack out of her dazed state. "Oh! I truly outdid myself this time! You look like a south west princess!"
"I agree" a regal voice rang out from the doorway as Celestia stepped inside. She had worn a rather plane violet dress that accented only one of her mane's natural colors. Smiling at Applejack, Celestia asked "Is there anything I can get you? Anything I can do yo help?"
"Don't you worry about a thing, your majasty, we-" Rarity started to say when Applejack interrupted.
"Ah could use ah glass of water. Kinda feelin' light headed" Applejack said, ignoring Rarity who was shooting her an astonished and flabbergasted look. Rarity could hardly believe Applejack just asked Princess Celestia, one of the two co-rulers of equestria, for a glass of water!
"Anything the bride needs on her big day" Celestia said with a smile as she poured a glass of water from a picture on a table in the corner and levitated it over to Applejack.
Truth be told, Applejack was a little thirsty, but she also knew Celestia wanted to help in any way she could. She had been there to help prepare a guest list, send out invitations, taste test the food, and even to set things up for the day like chairs and tables. It's something Celestia always wanted; to feel like a real mother giving away her son. After drinking the water down and passing the glass back to princess Celestia, Applejack thanked her.
"Is there anything else you need?" Celestia asked, casually smiling at her soon to be daughter in law.
Applejack looked to Rarity who shook her head. "Ah don't think so. Actually, ah think we're ready, aren't we?"
"Just about" Rarity stated right before levitating a bride's maid's outfit over her own head, then used her magic to position it just right around her figure. After double checking herself in the mirror, Rarity turned to princess Celestia and asked her "is the father outside ready to give Applejack away?"
This brought a smile to Celestia's muzzle, glowing with pride. "Yes he is. Are you ready?"
Her quesgion was more directed to Applejack, who hopped off her podium, adjusted her stetson, and nodded nervously, wishing she either drank more water, ate more food, less food, or less water. Whatever it would take to get rid of the butterflies in her stomach.
Stepping out of the room, Celestia moved aside and allowed a well dressed dark grey stallion to appear in the doorway. His gentle green eyes reminded Applejack so much of Sunny. "Are you ready, my soon to be daughter?"
If anypony had asked Applejack a few months ago if she was happy to become the daughter in law of King Sombra, she would have answered with a hardneed expression with different answers depending on if Sunny was in the room or not. But after all his hard work and devotion to making things right, Applejack could say honestly that she was very proud. He was definatly his son's father.
"Ah'm as ready as ah'll ever be" Applejack answered. 'Sides, sooner we get hitched, sooner ah can ditch this dress. It looks nice, but it ain't exactly built fer comfort.'
Her hoof wrapping around his front leg, Sombra led Applejack out of the dressing room, followed by Rarity. The Dressing room was actually a hall closet in the Apple Familt farm house that was extended and enhanced thanks to a few spells done by Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence. They performed the spell for both of their weddings previously, and had mastered it.
Sombra was cautious to hold onto Applejack and move at a speed so she would not trip or fumble in her new boots. Despite what Rarity had told her, Applejack didn't exactly break her new boots in as much as she should have. For once, she didn't want to get her boots muddy.
The walk up the trail didn't take long, and soon, the two had reached the rows of seats where their friends and family gathered. On one side, the entire Apple family, even those who didn't show up to the family reunion made it. On the other side, Sunny's family and close friends. The New Guardians of Harmony, Sunny's mother, Princess Luna, Shinning Armor, Flurry Heart, Rosewood, Whittler, Radiant Hope, Pappy, Princess Amore, as well as several reformed Umbrum and changelings were on the Sunny's side. At the alter which was placed near Applejack's parents tree, stood Princess Cadence, who offered to be the officiant, Applejack's friends who were her bride's maids, Twilight being her mare of honor, Big Mac who was Sunny's best colt, then of course, the groom himself nearest to the alter.
Sunny's muzzle lit up the moment he saw Appplejack, his back straitening up, chest puffed out, and the widest smile spread across his muzzle that anypony had ever seen. He was dressed in a new tuxedo that Rarity insisted on making herself. It was made of a fine new silk she had acquired from a shop in Canterlot that made clothing only for royal family members. Accented with a tie and vest made of a woven material consisting of actual emerald dust, giving it a reflective shine in the light. Sunny also wore a stetson hat, but insisted on wearing his usual one that he recieved from Goldie Delicious before coming to Ponyville. But what shocked Applejack and brought a smile to her muzzle was, despite Rarity's comment of 'a hat on a hat', Sunny still wore Applejack's father's bolo tie that she gave him for the Gala. She had to fight back tears after she saw the item around her soon to be husband's neck. It was like a little part of her father was there to enjoy the wedding with them. It's funny, she used to be so good at hidding her emotions and crying on the inside, but since being with Sunny, her emotions seemed to overflow, in a good way.
"Ready?" Sombra asked Applejack in a low tone, smiling at her.
Without taking her eyes off her soon to be husband, Applejack nodded.
Everypony rose from their seats as Vynal Scratch started to play on her new turn table a country style version of 'Canon in D'. Applejack was lead slowly up the aisle by Sombra, everypony watching with smiles, some wiping away tears as they watched Applejack take the long walk into the next chapter of her life. Applejack wanted nothing more then for that walk to come to an end, so she could be right next to the stallion of her dreams.
When they reached the begining of the alter, Princess Cadence asked "who gives this mare away?"
"I, do, your majasty" Sombra said humbly.
"Thank you" Applejack whispered to Sombra, shooting him a smile.
He smiled and nodded in acknowledgement as he mouthed 'my pleasure' as he took an empty seat in the front row next to his own wife.
Applejack's eyes locked with Sunny's and the world seemed to disapear. She didn't even hear all of what Cadence was saying. She knew she had some time to just gaze into Sunny's emerald eyes. He was her hero, her best friend, her confidant. And she knew Sunny felt the same way about her. They could tell eachother anything, talk about any subject, work through any problem. And now, they were here, to make it official, and take the next big step in their lives. Applejack began fantasizing about the rest of their lives togeather so much that she almost missed her biggest line.
"Ugh, Applejack" Twilight nudged Applejack's side, freeing her from her day dream.
"Ugh, wah, oh! Ah do! Ah do!" Applejack giggled as she came back to reality, her gaze meeting Sunny's again.
"And Sunny, do you, take this mare to be your wife?" Cadence turned and asked Sunny.
"Ah sure do" Sunny answered with his accent, showing he was relaxed as he answered.
"Then by the Power vested in me, by the land of Equestria, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss-"
Applejack and Sunny couldn't wait for Cadence to finish her declaration and went right for eachother. When their lips touched next, it was the first kiss they shared as husband and wife. Their eyes closed as they closed the space between one another, closing off from the rest of the world, everything and everypony else. The only thing that mattered at that moment was in eachother's hooves. They enjoyed the strength behind eachother's lips, having kissed many times, but this was one they didn't want to let go of. They wanted this moment to last forever, even though they knew better times were ahead of them. Sunny took in the natural scent of Applejack, smelling heavily like baked goods and the orchard. Applejack couldn't help but enjoy an oaky musk coming off Sunny himself, not that he smelled any different before, but she made sure to remember this smell for the rest of her life.
When the two finnaly separated, they came back to reality and the sound of their loved ones filled their ears. Turing at the same time to face the crowd, Applejack and Sunny smiled and waved to them all. Sunny's mother was holding his father's hoof, wiping away a few tears in a handkerchief that Sombra levitated up to her. It had all happened so fast, Celestia felt like she had only just gotten her son back, then her special somepony, and finnaly got married herself. Now she watched her son walk back down the asile with the love of his life. It was all very emotional for her.
Granny Smith cried a little but smiled widely at her oldest little girl as she walked with her husband in hoof. Silently, Granny whispered 'there goes yer daughter, Bright Mac, Pear Butter. She's in good hooves.'
As a chariot pulled by royal guards drove up to take Sunny and Applejack off to their honeymoon, there was a loud explosion coming in the direction of town, followed up by a loud chuckling of an unfamiliar villain.
"You guys go on ahead" Twilight told Sunny and Applejack.
"We got this" Big Mac insisted, tearing off his clip on bow tie.
"We'll help as well" Celestia added, getting up from her seat along with her sister.
"Guess I get to play the good guy in this fight" Sombra stated as he joined his wife in standing up, his horn glowing green with his magical aura.
Both Sunny and Applejack turned to eachother and said at the same time "They can handle it."
Both chuckled and casually walked into the chariot, shutting the door behind them, and ridding off into the sunset. Many would describe this as a perfect ending, but just as the two ponies in the carrage held one another, they knew this was only the begining of a new life togeather. A life both of them worked hard to set up, and will continue to build. Becouse, life and love are alot like an orchard. You can't just plant the trees and water it once and expect fruits to grow. It takes commitment, care, and nurture. Which Applejack and Sunny had every intent on giving one another.
