//------------------------------// // Chapter Three: Sunshine // Story: My Little Pony: Side Stories, Arc 1: Those That Walk With Gods // by Kiheiji //------------------------------// “Sleep, my little baby under the bright moon the winds are-a calling your name the rain sprinkles down from the oceans, not a sound may the gods watch over where you lay my precious sweet child so small yet so strong I wish a long life unto you may you prosper may you live long may you bring honor to us all In this time of darkness we can always find the light just always remember... I'll always be there for you no matter where you are because... you'll always...be in...my heart.” A small smile spread steadily up my face covering up my softly dying out voice as the lullaby ended and Onyx mumbled sweetly in his sleep beside me. His little huffs that he made while exhaling into the makeshift bed I made for him near the rear corner of the tiny little shack that we call our home made my smile brauden. To call this hovel rustic was an understatement. It was a piece of junk made out of other pieces of junk that somepony threw together in the remote shape of a shack. After making sure that Onyx was truly asleep, he sometimes pretend for my sake, I walked outside, closing the rusted door as quietly as I could, and met my sister outside. As she sat there in the dirt of the road her long yellow mane and bushy tail gently lifted in the cool night breeze. They contrasted sharply with her pink coat, but that had a nice way of making her stand out from the crowd, and I could always find her when I need to. “Hi, Rainbow,” she said in her usual soft, yet comforting voice. She slowly turned her head to me, her wings doing a little flap as she did and showing those soft yet strong eyes of red. Sometimes I just looked into those eyes of fire, getting lost in the way they seemed to dance. “Hi… Luminous,” I said sitting down beside her, “ Enjoying Luna’s night?” My own smile meeting hers. She nodded in that slow way that made her hair flow like water, “As I always did. The stars were always so beautiful to me.” Her head craned upwards as her eyes, so full of wonder, scanned the celestial realm above us. “You havin’ those wings always help with that. Did I ever tell you that I am jealous of them?” It was a silly question, I knew, but one I had always wanted to ask. She did chuckle at that, her hoof coming up to cover her mouth as she did, “Rainbow… that's sweet. And no you never did,” her eyes flicked back to the shack as she spoke, “that got in the way.” It was my turn to chuckle, “Luminous… that will never get between-” My voice stops in my throat as I look back at the shack and find that the entire thing is on fire! What?! What happened to Onyx? Why didn't I notice? Why didn't I hear it start?! For a moment I can only watch. “Onyx!” I scream, my panic finally finding my voice. I run to the door only to find it blocked. The wood covering the door is too heavy. I try to move the debris away from the door but my small foalish arms can't move it. I'm too small, damnit! Why can't I be stronger? “Mom! Dad! Are you ok!?” Nothing but the sound of the flames, and the cracking of the wood. I try to look through the debris and I think I can see something beyond. “Don't look Rainbow!” Luminous calls from behind me, her voice now not soft at all. “Don't look inside… ” I turn around to argue with her and I find myself facing a pony made out of fire! And all of ‘them’ are behind it. My eyes snap open. The warm sun greeting me, drying the fresh tears off my face. My throbbing head rousing me further, soothing the nightmare away. I wipe the shame away from my eyes with my foreleg. That's the old me. I have no need for those thoughts anymore. That's in the past. I turn my head around despite the pain. The old shambling lighthouse sits like some sort of grave marker to the island that surrounds it. The warm sand that the the beach is littered with gently caresses my back, and a voice greets me. “Oh, by the stars, are you finally awake?” The deep calmness of the voice made me think of a really big pony, but when I look at the source of the voice, the wall that now stood over me was a very large horse, I want to say? It has two fangs, dubbed irises, slits for pupils, and was huge!  Did I mention it was big? All I could muster was a confused, “Umm…” “Be still and keep your movements slow, you appear to have taken quite a nock to the head,” it said. “...what?” I needed a moment to process this. What's the last thing I remember? Onyx had just woken up and he was acting weird. I was trying to talk to him and… He hit me? He hit me! Why that no good little brat! How dare he! When I find him I'm going to give him such a talking to! The vampire horse chose this moment to speak up, “Mayhaps, was there someone else here with you?” Someone? This thing spoke weird too. “Umm,” I needed to stand up. For two reasons. One: I need to feel the ground beneath my hooves; it's an Earth pony thing, and two: I needed to see what I was talking to; he looked strange from down here. As I was struggling to my hooves his, and I do mean his, features became more clear over the dull ache in my vision. His eyes had a blue outer Iris and a green inner one, with the slit I mentioned earlier. He stood a good twelve hands above me, and dominated my vision. The sky orange fluffy fur fell down his muscled neck into a ring about his shoulders. Then it changed into a deep earthy brown that covered his well toned body ending just above the black hooves. He had two shiny, upper fangs that came down to just above his upper jaw. On his prideful back he had two wings. He had wings! Well that explains how he got here... Lastly his overly fluffy tail had this cute little puff on the end of it. As I sat there admiring this very attractive dream in front of me, he just stood there and waited, and quite patiently too. After a minute of me just sitting there he spoke up gently, “I realize my appearance is not something you see often, however I must implore you to say something of your condition.” “Oh! Um….” I half mumbled out from my stupor, “Ye-yes I'm better…. now?” This was really strange of me. I didn't normally act this way, and to be frank: It was weirding me out. I blinked the weird look out from my eyes and tried to not look between his legs. “Look I know what this may look like, but I was here with Onyx and-” I stop in a small panic. Where was Onyx? I did a small sweep of the island and found only rock and sand. I sdeadied my head for the pain and bellowed out. “Onyx?” The pain ripped from my jaw to my left ear and I made me double over. The hunk spoke up, “Excuse me, but to what creature are you referring to? If you would be so kind as to describe them I could search the island and find them for you, as you seem to still be in a great deal of pain.” “Jeez 'ou talk a-lot.” the sound coming through gritted teeth. “Yes, and I do apologise for any inconveniences in my mannerisms, but I find it most convenient to convey the whole breath of the message, to have it be delivered to the other party in response to any confusion that may arise from the conveyance of my messages, that the other party may feel on account of any shorting of my messages to their aural receptors.” “Oh, 'hut up alwhedy!” “Might I also convey that your disguise is on the verge of fading entirely?” My eyes pop wide as I examine myself and find that yes, indeed I was shedding it. This wasn't good. Not good at all. Had Onyx seen me this way? What if he had? What do I say to him? How do I explain this? Oh no… Ohhh nooo. This was bad. Even as my head gave me a reminder that I was still hurt, this was worse. I had to cover myself again, and fast. A familiar feeling flows through me and a glow surrounds me like a blanket, my pink coat returns along with my short yellow mane and tail. It suits me better anyways. ...Wait didn't that Sylvy thing see me change? “Um… Sylvy?” I ask as sweetly as I can muster. “Sylvertongue, if you don't mind.” “Can you not talk about this?” I point to myself. “I am not one to divulge someone's secrets. It is none of my business, and I have no reason to judge the actions of others.” I nod, giveing my head a chance to throb, “Good. Now then, please help me find Onyx. Yes?” He sighs, “As you desire, but as I have already explained: You are the only one I found here.” I ignore him, after all Onyx can't fly can he? “I'll just take a quick peek, ok?” I clamber up the rock face and circle around the island. No Onyx here. Maybe inside? My hooves gently breach the weak wooden door and send splinters flying into the room. Weak door. “Onyx?” I say into a nearly empty room. “I'm not angry about the hitting. It's okay, okay?” I'm standing in an Onyx-les room and the way up is gone. But something is hanging from the ceiling. I squint my eyes to see through the gloom and then reel back in shock. Is that? “Onyx!?” Did he think he had killed me. The glow from before lights up the room only to find it's not Onyx. Just some cowered that took his own life. I wipe my brow and the glow recedes. The silvered one steps in behind me, ducking in through the doorway as he does. “I haven't found anyone outside, nor around in the waters. Have you perchance found this ‘Onyx’ in here?” I turn around and start to leave, “Nope not here.” He doesn't move from the doorway, effectively blocking me in. Looking up at his face he found the body swinging from the rafters. He gives me a hard stare that seems to see right through me. “Should we, as good creatures, not give that poor stallion a proper resting place and not leave him to swing?” Sylvet said it such sincerity and said it so nicely too. I can't even remember when I was like that… Welp, never mind that thought. “He’s fine where he is. After all he put himself up there, he should be able to get himself down, right? We should just leave him up there so you can take me back to the mainland, yeah?” Another sweet smile. Another, harder, glare, “I feel I must be rude and disagree with you about the rights of the dead. He may have put himself up there, however! I feel that he would not like to hang up there forever. I must ask for your forgiveness on another matter: I can not take you back to the mainland until I have property laid him to rest.” It's looks like my benefactor has a soft heart. “Fine..” I say while rolling my eyes, “I'll wait outside while you get him down.” I trot my way out the door, and thankfully Sylvester let's me by this time, but I did notice him looking at me with those big puppy dog eyes. Outside I make my way down to the beach to where the boat once laid. Finding only small parts there. The only part I recognize is small bit of rope that is here, I must have spent weeks spinning it together. It is the only proof that anything had been here. It was a joke that I found so little. When we crashed on the beach I dragged the wreak up on shore. Back then parts fell off in my hooves. No way that Onyx or anypony could sail it back, yet there is no Onyx here and no boat either. Sylvy said he had found nothing out there in the waves. Had Onyx found a way to sail that bedraggled craft back? Or was it far worse: Had Onyx tried and failed? I shutter a the thought of him out in the waves, calling for help, and nopony coming to save him. A bright flash from within the lighthouse draws me away from by bad thoughts and back to old tower. Sylver squeezes out from the doorway and, after a quick search, spots me, “I am, for the most part, done here. You said something about needing a lift back to the mainland, yes?” Those disappointed eyes don't leave me the whole time. Is he angry with me? Too bad, I won't excuse myself to him or anypony. He'll let it go eventually. “Um, yes I did,” I say, trying my best to sound sweet. I briefly wonder if he is fooled, “Can you take me to a place called Dockside?” He shouldn't know of it, nopony does. “Yes, I know that place well.” My smile practically falls of my face. “Please don't tell me that you live there?” He asks as he climbs down to the beach. “Only the forgotten live there. I would hate to see someone like you there.” “It's not so bad,” I belong there, “the folks there like me,” Onyx doesn't, “and they treat my with so many gifts.” I follow this up with a marrish laugh. He does a quick nod at that and leans his back down to allow me to jump on, even extending his wing to make a gangplank. How thoughtful! I suppress an urge to blush. No! Bad Sunshine! I, as dantilly as I can, climb onto his back with a little huff. Even through the fur on his back, I can feel the power of his wings, and the smell of of dust fills my muzzle. That's weird. Why does he smell of old dust? I'll ask him later. As he stands up and preps his wings for the flight he asks me,”Would you mind relaying to me the series of events that led you and your little friend to wind up at such a forgotten place?” “Well I can certainly try to tell the story, but I have to look for Onyx, he may be heading back on a raft.” I say. “I can look for a small raft. My eyes are most excellent, besides it's going to take some time to get back and I would hate to spend that time in total silence.” I roll my eyes, “Ugh, fine. But you better look hard. Really hard. Got it?” I jab him in the back a few times for good measure. He gives a small chuckle, “Has anyone told you that you are cute when you spout orders?” Aw, he called me cute. “Now hold on, this might get rough.” He flaps his wings hard once. Making a hard liftoff, and a blast of sand around us, we fly. Luminous would love it.