Zaps Apple
The rumbling, swooshing sound of water racing over the dusty stuff, turning it squishy and soggy; it retreated as fast with the swooshing fading away. The gentle wind and the sweet unknown smells came to me as I sat there with eyes closed, feeling relaxed. I didn't know what the large body of water came from but it how it moved up and down with the rumbling swooshing sounds was wondrous.
I opened my eyes to the night sky with the moon shining brightly, the sight of endless water with the sounds made me wonder what all this was. Standing up on my hooves I stepped into the wet squishy soggy stuff, feeling the hooves sink a little. Blinking, I curiously look to my right and to my left.
It was endless too, the yellowish stuff turned brown by water went on forever. I turned and there was just grass after hills of the grainy stuff and big trees with mountains far behind them. “Where am I?” I turned to the endless water again. “I was in the library with Applebloom and the others when Big Mac came in and then I was here...”
“Curious.” I turned instantly and saw Luna standing not far from me. I didn't even see her appear, fly in or even walk. She was just there. “Have you seen an ocean before?”
I blinked a few times, feeling the weird sweet water from the waves and wind sprinkling on my fur and eyes a little. “O-oce-o... erm... what you said Luna. No. I’m not sure what it is. Is it the name of endless water splashing up and down on this yellow stuff turning it brown and squishy?”
Luna smiled, turning to face me now and laughing a little too. She trotted over to me, leaving hoof marks behind that were soon taken by the water washing over it and back out again. “Yes, but it isn't endless as you think. It does end but beyond our sight of vision. As for the yellow stuff turning brown, it called sand. All beaches have it, even the lake at Ponyville I believe.”
“Sand?” I put my right front hoof against the grains and slide it through. “When it dries it’s grainy and when it’s wet it’s all slushy?”
“Some is and some not. This type of sand is grainy, but there are many other types like that at Ponyville and some other beaches on the ocean that ponies go to. They make sandcastles out of it with a bucket filled with sand and put it upside down, the bucket lifts and you get a sandcastle.” A bucket appeared with a spade and she filled it with some of the stuff that was damp but not very wet and turned it upside down.
I watched it lift and there was a bucket-shaped sand object she called a sandcastle. “Wow.” I looked at it and tapped it with a hoof, some of it falling off. “Oops... I didn't mean to!”
“It’s okay Zaps. As for all this, how do you dream of a place you have no knowledge of?” Luna asked me.
I tilted my head. “I am dreaming? But I can feel the weird sweet tasty feel of the water, the squishy sand and dry sand. Even the wind...”
“How long have you been here?”
“Erm... Not long after you arrived I think. Last thing I remember was my big brother Big Mac walking in with us trying to stop Twilight from casting another of her spells on the box.” I replied with what I did remember.
She turned to the sky and I looked up at it too. “So it’s true from what I heard from the others.”
“What’s true?”
“You were fused with two other ponies for a week, Zaps.” She turned to face me again. “He was able to free you and the other two ponies from his form at the cost of his own life to save not only you three but everypony that was there at the Shadow Temple.”
“I don't understand. What do you mean a week and who this he that I...” I paused blinking a few times. “What does fused mean?”
Luna giggled. “When you wake I will explain. I promise.”
“Erm... Okay...” I saw the moon getting brighter and brighter.
“It time to wake. See you when you open your eyes little brother.” With a mighty flash everything was gone.
The brightness went and my eyes opened to a red cloth roof over my head. I remember these! They were the beds in Canterlot Castle, the same ones from before with the party and amazing breakfast with the view of Ponyville from a window. “Good morning Zaps.” I sat up, turning to Luna standing by the bed side with a warm caring smile. Beside her was Night Spark who looked happy to see me too.
“It’s been a while Zaps. How are you feeling?” Night Spark stepped up to me with one of his bat wings out to me.
He helped me get out of the bed and onto my hooves with his wing. I looked up at both of them, specially Luna after what she said in my dream. “Erm... You said something about explaining about this fuse word, about me being part of somepony, you told me at the ocean and beach place we were at in my dreams.”
Night Spark glanced over to Luna. “Fuse? Princess sorry if I speak out of turn...” Night Spark turned around to face her directly.
“You may speak your mind Night Spark, I owe you that. Speak whatever you wish without the need to ask for this day forth.” Luna spoke back. He had to ask to speak his mind? Why? I thought everypony could, is this some guard thing?
“What’s going on here? First one of my best friends I’ve known for a long time doesn't remember anything of his life, family, training or even who I am.” He raised his voice at Luna, looking really angry and putting his hoof out to me as he continued to speak. Night I remember was given orders to keep me safe, I think that’s what it is.
“And now something happened to Zaps, the one you gave me special duty to keep safe. Is there something I am missing here?” His slitted eyes were glaring right into Luna's! He wasn't happy by all this at all! He almost shouted out at her, and his teeth were showing with those pointy ones!
“Did Luna do something to upset you Night?” I asked, tilting my head curiously, trying to understand what going on.
He sighed heavily, putting his hoof on my head and ruffling it through my mane. “No Zaps. I’m just letting out my frustration out on my Princess for not knowing what was going on exactly...”
Luna just kept a smile on her snout. “That is understandable my dear guard of the night. Night Spark, what happened to your friend happened to 27 other ponies all over Equestria.” She looked very sad now. “Me or my sister couldn't restore any of their minds... It as if a darkness passed through them and removed everything they once knew from within them completely. Even their dreams are not what they once were...” Luna lowered her head with the sadness still there.
“I failed your friend and those ponies.”
“Princess you tried and I thank you.” He put a hoof to her. “Now what happened to Zaps?”
Luna rose her head and her eyes laid on me directly. “Over a week ago Twilight cast a spell to unlock a chest by activating the right combinations of the very chest. The result was... unexpected.” Luna’s eyes grew soft. “It fused Zaps, Big McIntosh and one other into one single pony.”
“I don't remember that.”
“You wouldn't Zaps, the memories of his short life were his and his alone. Golden Apple gave up his own life force to restore you and the others.” She looked away with tears. “I had lost three brothers to gain a new, then Golden Apple faded and returned them back to us.”
“Is that other stallion Armour McApple, Princess? The-”
I heard that name and gasped. “Armour!? My brother from the Kingdom of Harmony!?”
“Wh-what!?” Night Spark was startled as I was but for another reason. He was surprised by what I said. “Kingdom of Harmony!? Bu-but...”
“Indeed it’s true, he sits at my sisters bed, unmoving. He made sure the guard would keep my sister safe, and being her husband, he and I confirmed this made sure they listened to his orders.” She warmly smiled, looking down to me once more with tears still there. She didn't care to wipe them away. “Would you like to see him?”
I was conflicted. If my real brother was here, what of my other brother, my sisters and Granny Smith? “Can I see Bi-Big Mac first?”
Luna picked me up with her magic and put me on her back. “As I thought you would say my little brother.” Luna turned to Night Spark. “Can you gather the others and meet us at my sister’s room?”
“At once Princess!” Night Spark saluted and flew out of the door, turning right before disappearing from view.
“Let’s go see how our brother is doing. I heard Applejack and Applebloom are there.” Luna started to walk.
I thought about Applebloom and the others. “Are Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom here?”
“Indeed. They are with Applejack.” Luna answered as she made her way down the hallway, with me holding onto her neck feeling the strange magic of her mane going through me a little.
“Can you run there?”
“Indeed! Hold on Zaps, you are in for a ride!” She galloped and I enjoyed it, laughing as she charged down the corridor. Many ponies quickly moved aside, watching us whizz pass as I continued to laugh and enjoy this ride on Luna's back!
I heard somepony call out and knew it was Applejack. “What in tarnation is goin’ on out here!?” She stepped out from a door way.
“Applejack!” I called out, waving my hoof from the side of Luna's neck in view of Applejack. We over shot and Luna took to the air, flapping her wings to come to a stop.
Applejack looked up at us. “Sounds like somepony’s havin' a good time.”
I grinned. “Yeah! Luna can really run! She’s really fast! I really enjoyed it!”
“Indeed so did I.” Luna landed before Applejack. “Is Big McIntosh awake?”
Applejack showed her own smile. “In a matter of fact he did, just moments before ah heard gallopin' and a little colt havin' a lot of fun screamin' out with laughter.” Applejack stood up on her hind legs with forelegs out to me. “Come on down and yer can see ya brother for yerself.”
I leapt off Luna's back into her hooves and she set me down on my own hooves before she backed on all fours herself. “Yes! And then all can go see my brother from the kingdom!” I bounced each step I took into the room.
Applejack glanced to Luna from what I saw and back towards me. “Yeah... That...”
I saw Big Mac and turned to Applejack with a confused expression. “Why are you sad?”
“It means we may no longer be your brother and sister Zaps, he’s ya real brother... We just-”
“What do you mean? Why would you be not my sister anymore?” I asked, rubbing my head with my hoof. “Is something wrong with him being family too?”
Big Mac chuckled and I saw him get onto his hooves out of the bed. “Enope.”
Applejack spoke up looking directly at him. “Big Mac! With his brother back we-”
“Enope.” He cut her off.
Applebloom stood by him. “Ah agree with mah big brother! It doesn't stop us bein' family! We’re just a bigger family!”
“Yeah, I can see that, what’s stopping you?” Scootaloo now stepped up beside Applebloom with Sweetie Belle.
“I think it’s amazing! He’s over 1000 years old! Even Zaps is that old!”
I tilted my head looking over to her. “Over 1000? Is that really a big number or smaller than ten?”
Sweetie Belle giggled. “It’s way bigger!” Scootaloo put her forelegs out. “You might have been trapped in some weird nightmare place never ageing, but you were born before Nightmare Moon! So that makes you the oldest awesome colt in the world!” Scootaloo beamed with excitement and boasted about me being around sometime so far back.
I rubbed my head. “It’s awesome?”
“Heck yeah!”
Applejack rubbed her head. “Princess is this makin' any sense?”
Luna walked in looking around at each of us. “In a manner of speaking it does, he is at an age that is by calendar over 1000 years of age. The true age I am not sure of, but the same could be said of all the Crystal Ponies from the Crystal Empire including their children. They like Zaps were put into a frozen point in time with magic.” Luna walked around us as she spoke about it. “But...”
“Armour wasn't, was he?” Big Mac made us all look at him as he spoke, the words made us all look very puzzled by what he just said. My big brother just made us all look uncertain apart from Luna.
She stood before him, looking back into his green eyes as he gazed back at her. “You would never part from being his brother, am I correct?”
“Eeyup.”
“Thought so.” Luna nodded to him a little. “Armour McApple is then your brother as much as mine. You are part of our family as we are as yours.” She turned away, heading over to the door. “Come. We go to my sister’s bedroom. Armour resides in there by her side.”
Applejack glared at Big Mac. “Yer and that paper!”
“Do ya regret it?” he replied.
“Enope.” Applejack responded with a hit on his foreleg with her right front hoof. “Now let’s go meet the newest Apple shall we?”
“Eeyup!”
I felt uneasy all the sudden not moving. “Somethin' the matter?”
“Yeah! We’re about to see your brother from the kingdom itself!” Scootaloo added with a foreleg around my neck, with the other grabbing me lightly on the chest.
I look down. “I didn't think this would happen. I feel scared...”
“We all were back in the Shadow Temple.” Sweetie Belle put her foreleg over Scootaloo's and close to me too. “We’re friends, we stick together as the Crusaders we are!”
I nod nervously. “O-okay...”
A flash appeared and before us was this weird looking being I had never seen before. “Who are you?”
“Discord, the god of Chaos! My friend, it’s good to see you and all of you back together again! It was a delight to see you back when I gave you all ice cream!” He beamed with delight, and with a click of the paw thing that should be a hoof a flash appeared again.
I looked at my foreleg to see an ice cream cone. “You’re the unicorn that we traded with!” I gasped in surprise. “You helped us get the box!”
“The one and only!” he chuckled. “I said we meet again didn't I?”
“Yeah! Are you coming with us to Sunny's room?”
“Oh, I haven't heard that name in such a long time!” He chuckled and got a dark look from the adults. “Oh please! I am not going to do anything! I am here because if it wasn't for me you would all be squished!”
Luna sighed. “He is correct. Discord did save you all...”
“Ah would like to know why.” Applejack continued to look at him coldly.
Discord crossed his forelegs. “Oh please! I did it because I choose to!”
“That doesn't seem like ya at all! It doesn't make sense!”
“And what fun is that? Making sense? Me! Mah!” He huffed, turning his head away.
I was confused by this exchange. “He saved us, right?”
“Yes,” my friends and Applebloom answered.
“He looks a little odd, but if he saved us then he’s awesome isn't he?”
Scootaloo went up to Discord. “Yep, in a weird way.”
Discord bowed to her and rose back up. “Thank you! Thank you! I’ll be here all night!” I heard clapping and cheering.
Looking around I couldn't see anything. “Where is it coming from?” I asked.
Discord put his paw thing on my back and pointed to the end of the corridor. “That was me, but look at that.”
I looked at for a second, and I saw something that was... I don't know what it was. It was looking right at me for that second with pale skin and a brown mane on its head and above each eye. It didn't even notice I was looking at it or those soft toys behind it! “Whoa what was that!? I saw-”
He put his paw on my snout. “Shhhh, it’s my gift to you. What you saw only I, Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich will understand, no pony else will.”
“Why?”
“It a fourth wall thing.” He chuckled and with a click we all were before Celestia's door! He just teleported us all there in an instant. “And here we are! That will be zero bits please! And just a-”
“Thank you!” I hugged his leg.
He froze up, looking down at him. He looked surprised when I hugged him. “Y-your welcome...”
“Did I do something wrong?” I asked, letting go and looking up at him still.
Discord lowered himself to my eye level. “No... I... You’re truly something. Back in the Kingdom and now.” He touched my snout with the yellow claw. “You always have a way with me kiddo.” He rose back up. “Fluttershy!”
“Discord! I was wondering when you be coming.” Fluttershy flew up to him as the others joined us. “You’re not causing trouble, are you?”
“Me? Causing trouble! Please!”
“Ha yeah right, you’re a big-”
Applejack cuts in. “He didn't. Discord is bein' himself but in a little friendly way.”
“What!? Seriously?!”
“Indeed.” Luna confirmed.
Twilight looked at me and the girls. “Is this true?” We all nod. “Well that is new... Discord got a heart.”
He crossed his arms again. “I got a heart! I always had! I like to show it in the most chaotic way I possibly can!”
“Indeed darling that is true.” Rarity replied.
Pinkie Pie looked directly at me. “You saw him, right?”
“Him?” I blinked and remembered that creature I saw. “Oh you mean that thing looking at me for a second!”
“Oh silly, he wasn't just looking at you. He and everyone that reads will see us!”
“Read and everyone seeing us? What do you mean?”
“Every story has a story!” she giggled.
I tilted my head a little. “I create a story, and if I say they’re making the story, they’re making one?”
“Yep!”
“Wow! How many stories are there?”
“Stories are always being written. It’s just that some haven't been written yet or some have been forgotten over the ages.” We all turned to see the door was open, but none of us heard it open. Standing there was a stallion almost the same colour fur and build as Big Mac, but he had black hooves with a black mane and tail.
He smiled warmly to me. I knew who it was but I couldn't move, I didn't know what was wrong! He was there and I couldn't do anything; my body didn't want to move! I was frozen as he stood only a few feet away from me.
My big brother Armour McApple! And he didn't say anything as no one said anything either for a long time, and suddenly he reached out to me with a foreleg and pulled me into a hug.
I stared into space, feeling the warmth of his fur and now his tears. I felt tears starting to form. I exploded into tears and hugged back, crying into him, not forming any words. He didn't either, but his eyes turned away from me and looked to the others.
We were in tears...
But we were happy...
Why cry and be happy?
A wing, no, two wings came around...
In silence, Celestia with tears embraced us and Luna...
I understand... No words can be expressed of the happiness we had...
No words...