//------------------------------// // Family // Story: Way Past Equestria // by Onomonopia //------------------------------// "Doing alright, Rainbow?" "I'm fine. How about you? You took a nasty spill back there." "I just wanted to learn about the parts of your world. You had fun on the spring pads, after all and I didn't want to be left out." "I-urp-took it like a champ. What's the point of our worlds coming together if we don't explore the both of them?" Rainbow asked. "Yeah, it's neat, but I can't say I like it," Sonic muttered. He looked around at all the places he and Rainbow passed, recognizing parts of his world while also seeing how poorly things being crushed together like this was. "So any particular reason we're going this way? Because I saw a lake made of soda a while back and it took everything I had to not stop." "This is the way to the Crystal Empire. I wanted to check on it," Rainbow Dash said. "So you had us run slash fly all the way out here? Celestia did offer to teleport us, you know." "Teleportation's too slow. Besides, I didn't want to upset your delicate stomach," Dash teased. "It's nice you're so thoughtful. But again, why not tell Celestia. If this place is worth checking up on, then shouldn't we let everyone know what's going on?" Sonic asked. "There's too much to do. The princesses need to focus on finding the elements. Twilight needs to focus on saving the day. And everypony else can focus on relaxing. But I've got work to do." "Always on the move, huh?" "Please, I'm one of the laziest mares around. Had you guys shown up when everything was peaceful, I would probably have slept through your entire visit," Rainbow said with a wink. "But since everypony's counting on me, what kind of the best in the world would I be if I didn't live up to their expectations? I'd be proving my teacher right." "Shouldering the burden with a bad joke, huh? Maybe I misjudged you." "What do you mean, bad joke?" Dash asked with a smile. The two moved in silence for a bit, before Dash sighed. "Do you ever get used to it? The constant battles? The fact that no matter how many times we seem to win, there's always a new threat, a new evil?" "No, I can't say I have. I wish things would just be...peaceful. But that's life. And if I didn't help, then maybe evil would win once and for all," Sonic replied. Then his smile returned. "Besides, there's no better place for showing off how cool you are than in the middle of a giant battle with the fate of everything on the line. Once you save the day there, you never have to stop bragging." "Oh believe me, I know," Dash said. The crystal kingdom came into sight and the pair rocketed into the center of the empire, getting the crystal ponies that were there to yelp with surprise as the two blurs came to a halt. "Well it looks like this place got off easy. Don't see any of my world here," Sonic pointed out. Before Rainbow could respond, the guards of the kingdom came galloping over to the both of them. They flashed Sonic a look of surprise, before all turned towards Dash and saluted. "Thank Faust you're here, Rainbow Dash. The entire Royal Family has been taken." "What?" was all Dash could say. "It happened the other day. A giant...spider made of metal descended on the palace, decimated the guards there and made off with the princess, the captain and their foal. We tried to follow it, but...it killed all of the fliers that went after it. I'm sorry, Rainbow." "Eggman's already been here? Geez, he's never been this fast before," Sonic muttered. "Capturing Knuxs and Shadow would have been hard enough, but all of those villains AND the royalty here? Even with Sombra helping him, it's like he's in multiple places at once. Oh geez, please don't tell me I have to deal with more than one Eggman." "Was anypony outside of the palace harmed during the attack?" Rainbow asked. "No, ma'am. The spider completely ignored the city. I...don't know whether to say we were smart enough or cowardly enough not to attack it, but it left us all alone. I'm sorry." "Don't be. If you had attacked it, he might have torn down the empire in response," Rainbow said with a shake of her head. "Dismissed." The guards saluted and took off, leaving Dash, Sonic and the crowd on onlookers who were gaze at Sonic with amazement and taking pictures. Sonic, never one to disappoint, posed for the crowd. "Hey Sonic, is Eggman the type of person to roboticize a foal?" "Without hesitation," Sonic darkly replied. "Great. Can't wait to tell Twilight all of this. Shining Armor, the captain married to the princess, is her brother. This is her family Eggman went after." "He probably didn't know that they were family. He just went after royalty." "But Spike's missing too and he's essentially Twilight's little brother. Sombra probably told him. Sombra probably told him to go directly for our families...Twilight's lost her little brother, her older brother and her sister in law and poor Jackie's lost her brother this week of all weeks." Sonic raised an eyebrow at Jackie but chose to let it go. "I need to check on the rest of our families. Make sure that they are safe and will stay safe. Starting with mine." "Then what are we waiting for?" Sonic asked as he crouched into a runner's stance. "Let's go." "I appreciate the enthusiasm but I don't think you can come with me." "Why? Think I can't keep up?" "No it's more...my family lives in the sky. On a city made of clouds. I don't think you can run up there." "Not with that attitude." ||--O O--|| "Oh mah stars, ah love it!" Applejack beamed with pride as she, Bunnie and Antoine stood atop a hill looking over Sweet Apple Acres. Bunnie's eyes had stars in them as she looked over the fields of apple trees, the chicken pens and the plethora of vegetables that were sown across the ground. "Ah figured ya would. Ya seem like the kind of gal who would appreciate the finer things in life," Applejack said. "Ze finer things? Such as ze dirt, the bugs and ze getting up super early in ze morning?" Antoine asked. "Don't ya see, Sugar-Twan? That's all part of it. The work, the maintaining, the living with all of this. This...is living," Bunnie said. Applejack fought back tears as she held a hoof to her heart, unable to believe that she had finally found another who understood. Antoine raised an eyebrow, clearly not getting it, but he figured so long as Bunnie was happy, it didn't matter if he got it. "And just wait until ya come inside! Ah bet mah family would love to meet ya!" Applejack stated. "Can ah go check out the farm? Can ah?!" "Go right ahead." Bunnie let out a laugh as she rocketed overhead, flying over the trees and farm to explore all of it. Applejack and Antoine watched as she explored, Applejack looking up at Antoine to see a happy smile on his face. "If ya don't like it here, ya don't have to come." "What are you implying" "No offense, but ya seem like somepony who would get along more with Rarity than a farmer like me," AJ pointed out. "Perhaps. But while I may not be one for...farmwork...I can appreciate what you do and how me work it takes. And you are quite ze interesting pony with how similar to ma cheire you are. And if this makes her happy, it makes me happy." "Aw, well isn't that just sweet," Applejack said. Then she looked back to where Bunnie was flying over the chicken coop, scaring the poor birds, before she asked a question that had been on her mind. "Um, about those metal parts of hers...ah don't want to sound rude, but was she...like mah brother at one point? Under Eggman's control?" "Non, we managed to avoid that. But being as she is has been...she has had a rough life." "She has?" "Oui, it has been hard for her. For ze longest time she has felt like...an outcast. Incomplete. A monster. Her metal parts used to constantly endanger her life while she faced nothing but mistrust and jeers from her peers...heh, I rhymed. She has had to suffer so much, despite how amazing and kind she is, how much she tries to help," Antoine said. Applejack noticed that he gripped his saber hilt tightly as he said this. "So it is my sworn duty, as a husband and as her knight, to make sure that she never goes through that again. To keep her safe and happy. And so long as I draw ze breath, I shall." "Huh, ya really love her, don't ya?" Applejack said. "Oui, she is my light and my world. The one who saved me and helped me to be better," Antoine confirmed. Bunnie landed just as he said this and winked at Antoine, telling him she had caught the end of that. "Applejack, let me just say that ah love yer farm. If ah could, ah would spend all day out here. But ah would love to meet yer family, so let's go!" The three started walking down the hill towards the farmhouse, Applejack and Bunnie completely lost in talks about farming apple trees, when Antoine drew his blade and stepped in front of the pair. "Antoine, what's the matter?" "Something...is wrong," he muttered. AJ and Bunnie looked around for what Antoine was talking about, but neither of them could see anything. But trusting her husband, Bunnie got her handcannon warmed up while AJ took out her lasso. The three of them walked up to the house, only for the door to be flung open and for Applebloom to come flying out. "APPLEJACK!" she cried as she torpedoed her sister right in the gut. AJ went down hard and had to take a long moment to find her breath again, all while her sister sob talked to her. "It was terrible! These dark beings came and they broke down the door and Big Mac tried to stop them but they were too strong for him and they took him away in chains and ah couldn't think of what else to do so ah repaired the door but now-" "Easier there, petite fille, slow down and tell us exactly what happened," Antoine softly said. Applebloom took a deep breath and quickly explained in more cohesive words what had happened. "Sombra," Applejack seethed once she heard what her sister had to say. "That no good sunnova...Ab's here, calm yerself...He'll pay fer this. Ah swear he'll pay." "Oui. Attacking us is one thing, but bringing in your family like zis...it is nonforgivable!" "Close enough. And ah agree. We won't let him get away with this. Don't worry, little one, we'll find yer brother, whoop Sombra and get him back to ya before ya know it," Bunnie promised Applebloom. The filly smiled up at Bunnie, before her eyes went wide as she saw Bunnie's limbs. "Wow! That's so cool!" Applebloom said. Bunnie giggled slightly as AB started examining the mechanics, before Applejack cleared her throat. "Ah want to get my brother back, no matter what, but ah also know the dangers of rushing in without a plan. Ah'll leave the call up to the two of ya." "Running off now would solve nothing. We do not know where Sombra has taken him nor do we know what has become of him. As you said, rushing in or running around aimlessly would only aid Sombra. We must be patient, as sad as it is to say." "But...mah brother..." Applebloom began, but AJ gently pulled her into a hug. "Hey, it's Big Mac. He's the toughest horse around. He'll take anything Sombra has and laugh it off," she said. Antoine looked over at the trees to pretend that he didn't see the fear in Applejack's eyes. "So come on in, ya two. At the very least ah can keep mah promise and show the both of you around." "Thank you, that would be lovely," Bunnie said. AJ swallowed her fears, opened the door and led the group inside. Bunnie awed at the sweet little home, while Antoine noticed the older mare fast asleep in her rocking chair. "Wake up Granny, we've got visitors." "Huh, wah? Applejack, what about...?" Granny Smith began, but then her eyes locked onto her guests and she raised an eyebrow. "Applejack, can ya get me mah glasses. Because ah think ah'm looking at a rabbit with robot parts and a coyote with a sword, but that can't be right..." "That's right, Granny. These are Antoine and Bunnie. They're...from another world and are here to help us get Big Mac back," Applejack explained. "They are, are they? Well then sit down fer and rest yerselves. Ah've never turned away a guest and ah don't plan to start now," Granny said. Bunnie sat down while Antoine bowed to the old mare before joining his wife. "Now ah may not knw much about the two of ya, but ah can see those golden bands on yer hands. Does that mean the same thing in yer world as it does in mine?" "Oui, mademoiselle, you are correct." "Just granny is fine. Ah'm a bit too old to be a mademoiselle," Granny teased. "Tres Bien. We are indeed married, as you have guessed," Antoine said and Bunnie leaned into him. "Aw, isn't that just the sweetest. Ah feel like it was only yesterday mah Big Mac was getting married. Do ya want to see the album?" Before either could answer, Granny whipped out a giant album and began showing pictures to the two. "Ah'm going to go look fer some cowpony hats that might fit yah," Applejack said to Bunnie as she headed off. "What's the matter, Applejack? Ya don't like looking back on your brothers happiness?" Granny teased as AJ walked off. "Granny." "Don't mind her none. In these dark times ah'm always happy to see light and love, no matter what world it comes from," Granny Smith said. "But it makes me so happy to see one of mah own happily married. Maybe one day Applejack will be like the two of ya." "Granny," Applejack said from the top of the stairs. "Of course, that's if she ever musters up the courage to confess to-" "Granny!" "Alright, alright, ah'll hush," Granny said. A devious twinkle appeared in her eye as she put the wedding album away and pulled out a book labeled "foal pictures". "Now then, who wants to see what see looked like as a foal?" "GRANNY!" Antoine, Bunnie and Applebloom all raised their hooves.