Night in Ponyville, Almost day.
Cold Colt and Emerald Aura were out in the open. Up to their shenanigans once more.
"Does it have to so late in the night, Emerald?"
"Why are you worried? We're just cosmic creations, we can't get tired."
"Yeah but... I'm still kinda spooked by the dark, ya know. We can still feel fear."
"We'll get this done quickly and we can head back to the hideout."
"Okay.." Cold Colt was shivering as he was looking around. He saw intimidating eys from the trees and bushes, making him more uneasy. Emerald Aura used her magic to sprout another problem, but they were stopped by the one Pokemon who's up at night and hangs around here.
"Look who it is." That familiar voice made Emerald Aura jump in fear. She turned around to see the Pokemon who held a huge grudge on her.
"D-D-D-Darkrai. You look well... Hehehe."
"Come here to stir up more trouble have you? I haven't forgotten what you did to me." Darkrai's anger could be felt. It was building up.
"Now now. It was all in good fun. I mean, the Rift wanted to see how it would be solved so it was gonna work out in the end." Emerald was doing her best try and reason with him.
"Fun? FUN?!" A surge of darkness filled the area. Cold Colt felt like he was about to pass out as Emerald Aura grabbed him, running off. She decided that they couldn't stay here anymore, not with a Pokemon like Darkrai around. However, the Pitch Black Pokemon had appeared right in front of her, ready to fire a Dark Void to put her into a horrible nightmare.
"WAIT! You don't wanna do this right? I mean... I'm just doing what the Rift tells me to do! Honestly! I mean it! So please don't put me into a nightmare state! I beg of you!" She was on the ground, begging the Dark Pokemon. Darkrai looked down on her, not amused.
"And you think that'll just let me spare you?"
"Come on. Have a heart please." Emerald Aura was genuinely terrified. Normally Darkrai wouldn't hesitate to send them into a nightmare, but spending time with Ash, Luna and everyone else has managed to change him. He laid down his Dark Void as it fizzled out.
"I'll give you a chance. But if I see any funny business going down..." Darkrai threatened her by staring her down with his void-like eyes. Emerald gulped, agreeing not to try anything.
"Y-Yes, sir." She gently trotted off, heading back to their hideout.
The day had arrived, and Emerald Aura was still shaken up from last night. Darkrai now knows she's here. And if she tries anything, he'll put her into a horrifying sleep state.
"What's wrong with you? You're quaking uncontrollably." Cold Colt asked.
"We can't be seen outside anymore."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Darkrai is just there. Waiting... in the shadows. And if we cause any problems.. then its lights out for us. But mostly me."
"So what? We just give up?"
"YES! I don't wanna deal with him okay?! We'll let Ghetsis handle everything else."
"Then what do we do now? We can't just stay here forever. It's so boring!"
"Too bad. I don't wanna have nightmares!"
"Well fine! I'm out of here! I'll cause problems on my own." Cold Colt left the hideout, leaving Emerald alone. Emerald was sitting on a chair, getting a good listen to the eternal silence. She sighed, just sitting there.
Cold Colt went out in the open to Ponyville. He wasn't too worried since the only ponies that know of his existence are the Mane 6 and Ash. Other than that, he's a total stranger. A kid just wandering about.
"Okay. How am I gonna do this?" Cold Colt looked around to see what he could sprout up. But nothing caught his interest really. Everything was so calm today that it was virtually impossible to ruin it all. "Oh. I have no idea where to start." He was clueless now. He knew one thing he had to do at least. Avoid getting seen by Twilight and her friends. But that was stopped abruptly as Applejack was right behind him.
"Going somewhere?" Her voice called to him. He jumped up, slowly turning his head to see the Earth Pony there. He gulped knowing this might be the end of the line.
"Ehehehe. Hi."
"You here to cause even more trouble? A little fella like you needs to know better."
"Uhh. I- I wasn't doing anything! What are YOU doing? Stalking me?"
"Yes."
"Wow. How honest... well... quit it! I'm not up to anything! So hah!"
"Uh-huh. Well, I still haven't let you go after what you did back in Oreburgh City. Not at all."
"Oh come on. It was last month. Give me a break. I'm just a kid."
"A kid that was made up by some Rift thingy and is in cahoots with ponies who tried to make Sombra succeed and corrupted Darkrai."
"A-" Cold Colt couldn't retort since everything she said was true. "Alright fine! I am up to something."
"Mhm." Applejack nodded her head, catching him in the act.
"But would you mind your own business lady! At least let me make the problem so that you can solve it eventually. Geez!"
"Solving the problem ain't what I care about. It's your reckless actions. You're putting everypony in danger all because of some fun that the Rift wants? Don't you feel a little bad?"
"Should I? I'm just a creation made out of cosmic astral energy. I can't be expected to have some sympathy."
"Well ain't that a bunch of nonsense. I can tell you can emote."
"Pssh. Yeah right. You have no proof."
"The way you reacted when I called you out. And you got riled up as well. You're just like us. Appearance and everything."
"I am not one of you. Don't get your hopes up." Cold Colt turned away.
"If you say so. But I'd better not see any funny business going on. And just to make sure..." Applejack wrapped her lasso around his leg.
"Hey! What gives?!"
"I'll be keeping an eye on you."
"Geez. You're not my mom! But fine, I won't do anything."
"Good. Now how about I show you around so you can get to know Ponyville better?"
"I'd rather be back at my hideout."
At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack brought Cold Colt here once she showed him around Ponyville. He was bored out of his mind, not wanting to be apart of this but he had no choice. Applejack could easily stop him at any moment if she wanted.
"And here's Sweet Apple Acres. Our family's pride and joy."
"Oh wow... Apples." Cold Colt felt like he was about to fall asleep.
"That right there's Big Macintosh. And Granny Smith. Now, where's Apple Bloom?"
"Here!" Her little sister replied. That's when Cold Colt's boredom turned into something else. It was the one thing that was very predictable to see. Anypony much older can see it. The young blue colt was another victim of love at first sight.
"W-Who's that?"
Applejack could see it in his eyes and the way he was moving.
"Oh, I see. Predictable young'ns. Well, I'll just say this. You have no chance." Applejack shut him down instantly. Cold Colt walked towards Apple Bloom, putting on a cool persona.
"Hey. Name's Cold Colt. Everything about me is cool. What's yours?" He gave off a horrible smolder."
"Hi. My name's Apple Bloom. Pleasure to meet ya, Cold Colt." She said shaking his hoof. Cold Colt was trying to keep his composure. Despite him being an astral creation, that doesn't mean he wasn't given the natural things that ponies have. Perhaps this is also part of the Rift's plan.
"Well, we've taken a tour around most of Ponyville, you wanna keep going little fella?"
"You crazy, lady?! I'm bored out of my mind! The only thing interesting is right front of me!" He said pointing his hoof at Apple Bloom.
"Alright. If you say so. You wanna head back then?"
Cold Colt actually didn't want to head back. He didn't want to sit around in a room for who knows how long. He was like every foal, full of energy and excitement.
"Actually... I think I'll stay for a bit."
"That's what I like to hear. How about I give you some apple pies. You'll love em."
Meanwhile, with Emerald Aura, she was still sitting there, alone. She sighed in boredom as she realised that being here wasn't doing anything for her. But her privacy was broken once Obsidian entered the room.
"Bored out of your mind?"
"Obsidian! Oh finally. Somepony else is here."
"I'm sorry did you just say, 'Somepony'? Guess you're adapting to this world very quickly. Anyways, I came to check up on how everything goes. Have you sent something else over to spice things up a bit?"
"Well no. We only sent Ghetsis and nothing else. We don't even know what other options are good enough. And what even is Ghetsis doing right now?"
"The guys going around making Hydregion the top Pokemon. Right now he's made his Hydregion steal the DNA of many Pokemon. So now it can use more than 4 moves."
"Yikes. That's actually kinda terrifying."
"Yeah, it is. Now I got a question for you. What are you going to do now?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the Rift sent you here for a reason. And here you are just sitting about."
"You think I wouldn't do anything by now? I can't cause any problems, because Darkrai's out there. All he has to do is toss some black orb at me and its game over. And he's still holding a huge grudge from when I was controlling him."
"I see now. Quaking in your hooves are we?"
"Whatever! I bet you'd be terrified to do anything with HIM around! And what even are you doing? We're the ones doing most of the work while you just sit around popping up in places. You only ever did something at the Royal Canterlot Wedding."
"I'm doing my part. Besides, I'm waiting to make a big move when Tirek arrives."
"Tirek?"
"Oh yeah. In the original timeline, this Tirek guy causes some real damage to Equestria. And good old Princess Twilight and her friends with the day as usual. This time, I'm gonna add something extra into the mix." Obsidian gave off a dangerous smile.
"W-What are you planning?" Even Emerald Aura wasn't sure of this.
"You'll see. Only 22 days left until the whole Tirek event happens. See you there." Obsidian was returning back to the realm of the rift.
"Wait! Don't leave me! It's so lonely here!"
"If you want company, go see the Dazzlings. They're hanging about in Ponyville, trying to be cautious not to be seen by Twilight and her friends. Ciao." Obsidian was gone.
"Ugh. This sucks!" She shouted as her shout could be heard from the surface. "Maybe Cold Colt is right. Sitting here is boring. But I can't go out there. Unlike Cold Colt, everypony knows who I am and what I did. There has to be something I can do..." She thought hard and long until she came to a conclusion. "That's it!"
She grabbed the list of things to send over by the Rift and decided to change things up a bit.
"Me, Obsidian and Cold Colt are the only ones who were made by the Rift. Why not add one extra member. But I'm gonna use this one for something special." She had a bit of a maniacal laugh. She knew what she was planning and she wanted it to be executed.
Over at Sweet Apple Acres, Cold Colt had eaten the pies and actually enjoyed them. He could taste the flavor they held.
"This is delicious!" He began chomping away at the pies.
"First time having pies?" Applejack asked.
"My first time eating EVER! So this is what food is like? I've been missing out!"
"First food ever? Where do you come from?" Apple Bloom wondered.
"Uhh.." Cold Colt turned to Applejack. He was hesitant to tell the truth while Applejack knew what would happen if he did. She had a smug look on her face that said it all. "I'm from... uh... Galloptopia." He made that up. Exactly what a young kid would say.
"Galloptopia? Sounds like a neat place!"
"It sure is." said Applejack, knowing that Cold Colt was lying through his teeth The young blue foal knew as well as he was sweating with Applejack just onto him.
"So when are you heading back there?"
"Oh uh... I don't have a home!" He blurted.
"You don't have a home? How come?"
"Well uh, you see...Back in Galloptopia... you need uh... 300 bits to own a house."
"300 BITS?!" Apple Bloom yelled.
"Mhm. 300 bits total. It's a pretty fancy city so it obviously costs a lot. And I don't own that many bits so.. there's that."
"That's a real shame. No wonder you haven't eaten before. But what about your parents?"
"Yeah, Cold Colt. What about your old folks?" Applejack sat next to him.
"They uhh... Left me!" He lied once more, coming up with anything he could think of. "Yep. Didn't want anything to do with me, so they ditched me in the streets and I was left to wander the world by myself and now I ended up here. In Ponyville. True story." He did everything to make sure Apple Bloom wasn't terrified of him. The Rift was deemed a threat to Equestria after all.
"Aw... that's so sad." Apple Bloom pouted. "I'm so sorry for you!" She gave him a pity hug which made him twitch. Applejack shook her head in disbelief. These were some of the worst lies she's ever heard of. "Applejack. Can we help him?"
"Hmm. Gee Apple Bloom. I don't know. Is he up for it?" Applejack leaned in on Cold Colt, making him feel the pressure. The young colt was sweating bullets. Normally he would decline and jet off, but love is a powerful force that can keep even the strongest of spirits pinned down.
"Totally! Totally am!"
"Then it's settled. Welcome to the family. Cold Colt."
"Isn't that great? Can I call you Cold? Are you a big brother or a little brother? Does this make you the middle child?" Apple Bloom rambled. What has Cold Colt gotten himself into?
"Gather round everypony!" Applejack shouted as the entire Apple Family was here. "We've got a new family member. Meet Cold Colt."
"Oh no." Cold Colt was surrounded on all sides. He set himself into a trap and there was no way he was getting out of it now. And Applejack knows this as well. If anything, she foresaw this. Almost planning it and every event that would play out here.
"Hope you all can make him felt at home." Applejack grinned. Now they had a member of the Rift, right in their hooves.
Chapter 58 End.