//------------------------------// // Joined Beyond The Hip // Story: Broken Cookie Cutters // by Jake Witt //------------------------------// In this world, not every gem is flawless. Not every rock can be smooth. Not every Pegasus is meant to fly. With that logic, not everything can be normal. But why can’t we catch a break from those looks?! My name is Sweet Moves. I’m the third fastest flyer in the Varsity track team and I would probably fly faster if my brother would stop sending junk in our system. Oh yeah. I have a twin brother, Gumball, who has my back... or more accurately is my back, technically. We’re born weird; he is sticking out of my back and his head rests on mine. Honestly, life would suck more if he wasn’t a unicorn. I’m pretty sure he would be more depressed if he wasn’t. I mean, if I was in that position but without magic I would like my brother to scratch my nose. “Yo, Sugar Lump!” I closed my locker, our heads meeting the golden eyes of Skip, “Do you have the time?” “2:24 PM or 1424- 1425.” Gumball replied. “I mean, is your schedule open?” I thought for a bit. My minty hoof tapped the floor. “We have a date with Lemon Zest.” I looked up, “We do?” Gumball nodded and in a bored tone, “I found another lemon. I’m getting tired of her patronizing us.” “She leaves everybody lemons.” “I don’t get a lemon,” Skip said with a frown. Skip is our best friend, the only pony to look past our defect. In fact, he turned Sugar Lump into something positive as a way to not pick favorites. “What’s up, Skip?” Skip took out a paper from his saddlebags, “I cannot find the x.” “Can you show me the paper?” Gumball asked. I sat down, letting him get a good look. “It’s across the street from the Ponyville time capsule. Instructions are not 1:1 but I recommend facing opposite of Town Hall and taking twenty paces from the road and six to the left. This is assuming you’re in line with capsule location.” “Do you want to help me dig up the treasure, after school?” “Assuming it’s treasure. It might be a box of junk,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Sure.” “Looks like I’m doing some heavy lifting,” Gumball agreed in his monotone. “Maybe it’s something cool.” As soon as the bell rang we were the first one out of the doors of the old, off red school house. I levitated my goggles over my eyes as I felt Sweet Moves take flight as usual, the sensation isn’t the best but it’s the norm. What wasn’t the norm was the collision from the side. Whatever hit us made it hard for Sweet to recover alone so I kept our balance. I tossed our body just as a crimson blur in a letterman jacket flew past us. Hockey Puck tried again but Sweet rolled out of the way and into a defensive stance. “Are you seriously doing this, now?!” Hockey sweeped a hoof through his black mane, “What’s it to ya, bud?” “Well, you’re attacking us... again. It’s our business as your constant victims to get a straight answer,” I replied with a smirk. He spat to his left, “Nobody ask ya, hunchback.” “Technically you did. You attacked my brother as well as myself by proxy. We don’t have time to hear the gears turning in that blockhead of yours.” “I heard you’re digging up treasure and I want in.” Sweet rubbed his arm, “I don’t know if it’s treasure.” “Whatever it is belongs to me and you can’t stop me and you can’t deny my offer to let you join.” Sweet sat down as he rubbed the bridge of my snout before face hoofing. I let in a breath and let out a long sigh, “You don’t have the map nor know where’s the location. We have the leverage on this.” “I’ll beat the map out of you-“ We all looked at the nervous Skip, realizing the situation and making haste away from the school. Sweet ran up, punched Hockey, and began to take off but there was no time to remind my brother that the Puck Family are famous for their fights and their durability. Hockey had us in a choke hold but to my benefit had him at the center of my force field, tossing him aside. “Charging,” I informed Sweet as he dodged punches and tackle attempts. The fight took to the sky as the two Pegasi continued their combat in our element... or it would be if one of our wings weren’t sore. Hockey’s punches made contact, each one daring to break my focus. He then flew up, diving back down in a poor attempt at a Mini SRB Dive, a variant of Princess Twilight’s Sonic Star Boom... which begs where the ‘R’ came from. I teleported us at the last second, passing Skip as we floated over Town Hall. I swooped down, landing next to the Earth Pony as we ran to the meeting place. Standing at the start was a yellow crystal party pony that gleams in the sunlight, her cutie mark of half a lemon on cheese grater reflect her grate personality. Her green, fluffy tail swooshed in excitement. “Ayyy! What up Dos Locos Tacos?” She took out a mane lemon and shoved it in Gumball’s open mouth. “What do you think we will find?” Lemon Zest is... my friend? It’s unusual. I’m not sure if she looks past my condition or just my brother. “Ummm... maybe a crowbar for Gumball? That lemon seems pretty stuck...” I answered nervously. She laughed uproariously while my back was flailing angrily toward her. She ducked her head, dodging the lemon juice and catching the squished lemon. “I hope we find Discord’s paw so I can buy your farm!” Gumball shouted. “One way or another you’ll BE on my farm!” “What?” “What?” Lemon parroted, sweetly. I rolled my eyes as we followed Skip. The X was actually easy to see as it was red rose bushes within a garden of pink roses in an X shape. “Alright, who has the shovels?” Skip points to Lemon Zest who points a statue holding rusty, old shovels. Above the shovels, the sign reads, “Be a darling and plant the red roses in front of me when you’re done digging? Thank you!” Skip smiled, grabbing one of the shovels, “She seems like a nice mare... uh... Rarity! Neat.” We dig into the garden, passing the roses to Lemon Zest who placed the roses into a heart shape. The three sapphires above the statue glowed, allowing a dragon statue to rise from behind Rarity and slide next to her with a stone heart presented to Rarity, who turned to the small dragon. Two red lasers shot from Rarity and into the spiked fellow’s eyes. It looked like they were holding the heart, smiling at each other. “That’s too cute!” Lemon squealed. We pulled out the chest from the hole dug hole. Gumball broke open the old lock but before we could open it, Hockey Puck and Tackle flew off with the chest. “Should we go after them or was the real treasure our friendship?” I asked. Skip and Lemon look at me then each other. Lemon shrugged, “I dunno but we’ll find out tomorrow.” Suddenly a hole in the sky opened and a unicorn stallion falls out, sticking the landing with the old chest in his hooves, “Hi, I’m future Gumball. Here’s the chest; don’t wish to be split. Also invest in pears. Lots and lots of pears.” He faded from existence on the spot. Inside the chest was Discord’s lion paw, some scrolls, a scrapbook, and a picture of fourteen ponies and a dragon. You recognize the statue mare and dragon, Princess Twilight, and Starswirl the Bearded. On the purple frame, in gold letters, “See the light that shines from a true, true friend.” “Hey! There’s my great auntie Pinkie!” Lemon pointed to the pinkest pony. “She died as she lived; on a party cannon!” Gumball whistled, “The princess looks hot here.” “Who wears bells on a hat?” I asked. “This is some historic stuff! What should we do with it?” Skip asked.