//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: A Day At The Park // Story: A Place in Equestria III: Lost in Another World // by GoebelTron //------------------------------// The next day, Sunset and the girls went to the park, along with Thomas, who was holding Sunset’s hand. As they arrived, they saw three middle schooler girls that looked like the age of 11. The first girl had pale light grayish apple green skin, brilliant crimson red hair with a dark pink bow on the backside, brilliant tangelo orange eyes, and she was wearing a light grayish green t-shirt, blue rolled up jeans with a black leather belt around her waist, and light orange rain boots with red soles and flower shaped buckles on each side. The second girl had light gray skin like Rarity, but whitish, curly hair in two shades of pale light grayish rose pink and grayish mulberry and had a reddish dark pink hairband, brilliant sap green eyes, and she was wearing a whitish rose pink t-shirt with light grayish rose pink stripes underneath a dark pink short sleeve and skirted jacket with a belt wrapped around it, a creamy yellow skirt, and dark pink boots with yellow buckled straps. The third girl had light gamboge skin, moderate cerise hair, moderate purple eyes, and she was wearing a charcoal gray hoodie with teal cuffs and shirt underneath, green cargo shorts, and charcoal gray boots with teal cuffs on top. “Oh, hello, girls,” Rarity said. “What’re you doing out here by yourselves?” Sunset asked. “We kinda got bored from the upcoming Friendship Games planning, so we decided to get some air and take a breather by coming here to the park,” Scootaloo said, but she suddenly saw Thomas hiding behind Sunset’s legs. “Who’s the kid?” “Aww, he’s so cute!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed sweetly. “Yeah! He is really cute!” Pinkie Pie said. “Girls, meet Thomas,” Sunset said. Thomas then walked over to the three middle schooler girls, and then he went to Sweetie Belle and wrapped his arms around her waist for a hug, and then Sweetie Belle hugged him back. “He’s quite a hugger, huh?” Scootaloo asked. “Eeyup,” Applejack said. “Hey, why don’t we... go over there and play some football? But the easy way since we have a kindergartener with a 1st grade curriculum here,” Rainbow Dash said. The three girls made exciting comments, and then Apple Bloom kneeled down on one knee and then looked at Thomas, “Do ya wanna play with us?” Thomas nodded, and then looked at Sunset, “Can I, Auntie Sunset?” “I think it’s okay with me, but I’m joining in, if it’s okay with you,” Sunset said. “Nah, it’s fine with me,” Rainbow Dash said, and then the girls sat on the park bench, and watched the others set up. “Okay, Thomas. The point of this game is to move the ball into the opposition's 'end zone', either by running with the ball until tackled, or by passing the ball to a teammate downfield, towards the end zone. But since you’re a little squirt who’s probably not familiar with sports, I think we’ll make this a little bit safer, okay?” Rainbow Dash explained. Thomas nodded, and then got ready. “Ready... Set... HIKE!” Rainbow Dash then passed the ball over to Sunset, and ran with it, until she threw it over to Thomas. After he caught it, Thomas ran as fast as he could, blocking the incoming middle schooler girls blocking his path, and then he reached the end zone and threw the ball onto the ground. “Yes! I did it! I did it!” Thomas exclaimed happily, until he ran over to Rainbow Dash and wrapped his arms around her waist for a hug, but she bent down and lifted him up into the air, and then set him on her hip. “That’s right, buddy! You were SO AWESOME that you completely rocked it out! I’m so proud of you!” She them pulled him into a hug and rubbed his back. “I just like to have fun by running around sometimes,” Thomas said. “That was so COOL!” Scootaloo exclaimed, as she and the other girls came over. After Rainbow Dash put Thomas back on the ground, Sweetie Belle then kneeled down and stood up a little, and then brought Thomas over and gave him a big warm hug. “You were amazing, you little cutie!” She exclaimed, until she gave him a kiss on the forehead, causing Thomas to blush as he laid his head on her chest enjoying her gentle hug. Apple Bloom then rubbed his head by ruffling his hair, “Yeah, little buddy! Y’all were so amazin’ with that runnin’!” Thomas blushed again, and then Sweetie Belle stroked her glossy polished fingernails on Thomas’s hair to soothe his blushing. “Yeah, that was totally a great game!” Scootaloo said, as she gave Thomas a fist pound handshake. “You were spectacularly marvelous, Thomas darling,” Rarity said. “Yes, and you have such good sportsmanship,” Fluttershy said. “She’s right, sugarcube,” Applejack tipped her hat. “Yeah! It was so much fun I even had to cheerlead for you! Thomas! Thomas! He’s our cute little man, but if he can’t do it, no one can!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed while dressed up as a cheerleader. “You really have quite the running speed,” Sci-Twi said. “Hey! How about if the four of us go get some ice cream to celebrate his victory?!” Sweetie Belle asked. “Yeah! Ice cream!” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo replied. “That sounds like a fun idea, but... Auntie Sunset? Can I go with them?” Thomas asked. “It’s alright with me, sweetheart,” Sunset said, handing him a $20 bill. “Just try to stay close and don’t wander off.” Thomas nodded, until Sunset gave him a warm smile and ruffled his hair. Rarity and Applejack looked at the three girls. “Now Sweetie Belle, Thomas can go with you, but if you’re going to take him along, you must make sure to take good care of him and to watch over him, alright?” Rarity asked, as she and Applejack gave them a sternly, but warm smiling look. Sweetie Belle nodded and then wrapped her arm around Thomas’s shoulders, bringing him over towards her side as he hugged her thigh and leaned his head on her hip. “Don’t worry, Rarity. We’ll try to look after this little cutie and make sure he doesn’t get lost,” she said, until she received a nod from her big sister. “Yeah! We’ll be like big sisters to him!” Apple Bloom said. “Totally like big sisters, and best friends!” Scootaloo said, and then as Sweetie Belle gently lifted Thomas up and then helped him position himself on Scootaloo’s back for a piggyback ride and, Scootaloo stood back up and held onto Thomas from underneath his legs as the small boy held onto her neck, and then the four walked away and over to the ice cream truck. “We’ll come pick you up later, okay?!” Sunset said, and Thomas nodded in reply. “Sweetie Belle sure knows how to handle a charmingly adorable little boy like Thomas, doesn’t she?” Rarity asked, with a warm heavy sigh. “Ya said it. I’m also proud of Apple Bloom looking after him as well,” Applejack said. “And Scootaloo even showed him the fist pound handshake!” Rainbow Dash said. Later on, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Thomas, who was enjoying his piggyback ride from Scootaloo, saw the ice cream truck ahead. After Scootaloo bent down to let Thomas climb off, Apple Bloom then walked over to him, “Alright, little buddy, what do ya want?” Thomas them made up his mind, “I’d like some cookies and cream on a cone.” “Okay, then,” Apple Bloom nodded, after she ruffled his hair. “Why don’t ya go sit with Sweetie Belle while Scootaloo and I get ours?” Thomas nodded, “Okay, Apple Bloom.” He then wrapped his arms around her waist for a hug, and then walked with Sweetie Belle over to a table to sit down. Sweetie Belle then sat on the sofa seat first, and after looking at Thomas, she patted her lap, “Come here, sweetie. You can sit on my lap.” Thomas blushed softly and then walked over to her and then after climbing onto the sofa, he carefully sat on her lap and then turned himself towards her. “Thank you, Sweetie Belle. Am I too heavy?” Thomas asked. Sweetie Belle shook her head, “No, of course not, little cutie. You’re almost like our little brother and best friend, and we think you’re really cute, and we care about you.” She giggled softly and then gave him a gently tender kiss on the forehead, and brought him over for a hug with a nice, warm cuddle, and then she saw him softly stroking the curls of her hair, and then rubbed his back. Suddenly, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo came back with their ice cream, and then Apple Bloom gave one to Sweetie Belle which consisted a mint chocolate chip cone, “Here ya go, buddy. One cookies and cream cone.” Thomas thanked her, and took it. Apple Bloom got a strawberry cone, and Scootaloo got a chocolate cone. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo then sat with Thomas as he sat on Sweetie Belle’s lap eating his ice cream cone. As they enjoyed their ice cream cones, Scootaloo looked at Thomas, “Hey, little dude. Since you’re new here, aren’t you excited that you’ve got friends to look out for you?” Thomas slowly nodded while eating his ice cream. Scootaloo then reached out her arm and softly stroked his shoulder, “Hey, don’t worry, Thomas. As long as you have us, we’ll watch over you and make sure that no one will ever hurt you.” She then smirked and winked at him, and then Thomas nodded with a warm smile. “She’s right, buddy. Some students at our school may not be friendly, so I’m not so sure that they’d tolerate someone as young as ya,” Apple Bloom said, giving Thomas a gentle pat on the back. “But don’t worry. We won’t let them hurt you, cutie,” Sweetie Belle said, rubbing alongside his arm warmly as she nearly finished her ice cream cone. Thomas then smiled at the three of them, “Thanks, girls. You’re the best big sisters I’ve ever had. I know you’re not really my big sisters like the fillies back at home, but it’s okay to pretend, right?” He blushed warmly with a shade of dark pink, as the three girls smiled warmly at him and shared a lighthearted laugh with him. “Don’t sweat it, kid. We’ll be there for you, just like Sunset and our sisters are to you,” Scootaloo said. After they finished their ice cream cones, Apple Bloom suddenly chuckled as she saw that there was ice cream all over Thomas’s lips. “Hold on there, little buddy. Before y’all get up...” she snickered. “You’ve got ice cream on your face.” The other girls chuckled along with her but friendlier, and then Thomas blushed. Apple Bloom then pulled out a napkin from a container, “Here, Thomas. Let me take care of cleaning that off for ya.” She then kneeled down, reached over by placing one hand on his cheek, and then wiped the napkin on the corners and lips of his mouth. Thomas then giggle and smiled at Apple Bloom, “Thank you, Apple Bloom. That was nice of you.” She then gave him a smirking nod and ruffled his hair. Sweetie Belle then smiled warmly at them, and then she gave him a kiss on the top of his head, and brought him over for a cuddly hug, “Aww... you’re such a little sweetie and really a cutie, little brother.” She then nuzzled her cheek against his, and it caused them both to blush. Later on, it started to get dark outside, and the seven girls were walking over to the bench where the four children were, and then saw Thomas sleeping on Sweetie Belle’s lap, but he was curled up and had his face buried underneath his right arm and wrapped his left arm around the girl’s waist and rested his cheek towards her belly. Sweetie Belle then comforted him by laying her arm on his back and the other hand stroking his hair with her glossy polished fingernails. They suddenly heard him whimpering softly while sleeping as his form was rising up and down. “Aww... the poor little darling must’ve cried himself to sleep. Must’ve had a bad dream,” Rarity cooed softly, until she then bent down to look at Sweetie Belle. “Was he a good boy, darling?” Sweetie Belle nodded, and then as Rarity touched the small child, she felt him shaking lightly, “Oh, my goodness. Girls, he’s freezing.” Sunset then looked into her bag, and then found her rainproof jogging sweatshirt, then she kneeled down to Thomas and wrapped it on him looking like he was wearing it, and then carefully lifted him up so she would not wake him up and held him against her chest in a cradling pose, and she saw him curl his hand on her breast, and lay his head on the soft and warm skin. “Aww... I guess he was having a bad dream,” Sunset said, until a soft sound of thunder was heard, until Thomas whimpered. “Shhhhhh shhhhhh... It’s okay,” Sunset said, until and clap of thunder was heard, again, and Rarity thought about using a bus ride home. After Sunset and Thomas got home from having dinner, she put Thomas down on the couch to let him sleep after giving him a bath and changing him into his washed Spider-Man pajamas and slippers, and after she came back in her pajamas after a shower and laid him on her lap, she thought of an idea for a quick moment. She then took out a brown hardcover journal that had her cutie mark symbol on the front cover, and gold outlines, and then took out a purple ink pen, and wrote to Twilight in Equestria. ’Dear Princess Twilight, how's life treating you in Equestria? Any cool new magic spells? It's been pretty quiet here at CHS since Starlight’s last visit. But I think I need to ask you something if you have a minute since it’s almost the middle of the night. I just met our nephew, Thomas, and me and my friends are doing our best and taking good care of him before the next 30 moons. He seemed pretty homesick and mostly sad, but I’m letting him stay with me at my place until the portal at the Crystal Empire comes back. And I guess you must be pretty busy with your role as princess. But I could really use your advice right now, since I’ve told you about Thomas.’ Sunset softly stroked his head, and then continued writing. ’You see, I really want to care for him since he misses his mother so much, so if you have a moment, could you let me know what I should do? Your friend, Sunset Shimmer. P.S. - Thomas misses his mother, so tell her that he’s in good hands for now.’ Sunset then looked at the clock and after seeing how late it was, and then she carried Thomas to the bathroom to brush his teeth, and then brought him over to her bed so that he could sleep with her, and then gave him his Snuggle Bear teddy. She smiled warmly after climbing into the bed, and laid down on the mattress, pulled the covers over them, and went to sleep.