//------------------------------// // Episode 4: Shocking Revelations // Story: My Little Pony: Sparkling Harmony: Season Two // by Captain_Cosmos //------------------------------// Celestia’s sun grazed the land as Equestria awoke to face another day. In the town of Ponyville, two residents were already awake making breakfast. Sparkler turned on the stove to cook the pancakes she was making. Flappy got syrup from the pantry and placed it on the counter, noticing the lack of weight to it. “Squawk! We’re running low on Syrup it seems. Squawk!” Sparkler nodded. “We can do a grocery run after we drop Kicker off with his house.” Flappy nodded. “Squawk! That is, IF he wants to go home. Squawk!” Sparkler nodded. “Yeah. Whatever had him spooked about going home last night...no foal his age should be afraid to go home.” Flappy nodded, and was about to say something when they heard something hit the front door. Sparkler smiled. “That must be the daily paper. Flappy could you get that?” Flappy nodded and flew to the front door while Sparkler turned her attention to flipping the pancake over to cook the other side. After a moment, Flappy returned with the paper. “Squawk! Guess who made the front page, again. Squawk!” Sparkler checked the paper that Flappy set down on the table, and sure enough, there she was, wings and all, on the front page of Ponyville Daily. She sighed. “Right. Let’s see what the article says this time.” She quickly located the article associated with the picture. “The appearance of another Alicorn in our town was definitely a shock. Questions arose about this mysterious newcomer. Yesterday’s press conference answered a lot of these aforementioned questions. Sparkling Medley, commonly referred to as Sparkler, has confirmed that there will not be a coronation and that she has no desire to be a princess—” Flappy nodded. “Squawk! So far so good. Squawk!” Sparkler nodded and continued reading. “—but the wings are here to stay as she says that she was born an Alicorn and had not ascended like her fellow Alicorn Twilight Sparkle.” Sparkler gulped. Was she about to read something awful? “It is currently being looked into how she is an Alicorn since she shouldn’t have any Pegasus DNA in her body. But regardless of the how, Sparkler has proven to be a good friend and ponies around town have voiced their continued support for our second most powerful resident.” Sparkler smiled as she finished the article. “Phew. That was better than I thought.” Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Ponyville continues to prove it’s worth as a haven for all creatures. Squawk!” Sparkler nodded, then turned to look at the stove, and the clock above it. “I’m gonna go and check on Kicker. He should be awake by now.” ... ”There you are. You little runt!” ”You thought you could escape us? Think again!” ”We’ll make sure you never run again.” Kicker shook his head, trying to run. “No! Get away from me!” He heard laughter behind him, laughter that was getting closer. All of a sudden, he felt his tail get yanked up and he was hanging in the air by his tail. He gulped when he saw that he was caught in the aura of one of the ponies chasing him. “No! No! Please! Let me go! No!” Thunder Kicker bolted upright in a start. He panted as frantically looked around. W-Where am I?! He could see the sunlight flood into the room, which was unfamiliar to him. At that moment, there was a sudden knock on the door and Kicker instantly jumped and pulled the covers up over his head. “No! Stay away from me!” He shouted. For a moment, nothing happened, then Kicker heard the door open, followed by a voice. “Kicker? Is everything alright?” That voice...it sounds familiar... Kicker shook his head as he slowly peaked his head over the covers to see a mare standing off the side of the bed giving him a look of concern. The Mare from last night? So last night wasn’t a dream “M-Miss Sparkler?” Sparkler nodded. “Yeah. Did you just wake up from a nightmare?” Kicker nodded. Sparkler reared up on her hind legs and wrapped her forelegs around the colt. “It’s alright Kicker, you’re safe. Nothing’s gonna getcha.” Kicker nodded as he instinctively snuggled into Sparkler’s comforting embrace, the kind of embrace he hadn’t felt in a long time. After a second, Sparkler let Kicker go, much to Kicker’s disappointment. “Come on.” Sparkler got back down on all four hooves. “Breakfast is ready. You hungry?” Kicker nodded. Sparkler smiled. “Then let’s fill up that tank.” Kicker nodded, Sparkler helped him off the bed, and they walked out. ... Down in the kitchen, Flappy was munching on watermelon as he was scrutinizing the day’s Ponyville Daily. With Sparkler on the front page with the headline. ALICORN NOT ROYALTY?! Flappy read the associated article for himself and smiled. “Squawk! Thank Celestia, one paper stayed true to Sparkler’s word. Squawk!” He heard hoofsteps from the stairs and looked up to see Sparkler with that foal from last night enter the kitchen. He smiled as he launched into the air and flew over to them. “Squawk! Morning Kicker. You sleep alright? Squawk!” Kicker said nothing as he slowly nodded. Even if I had a nightmare, it was better than I’ve been getting for a while. Sparkler smiled as she walked over to the counter. “Sit yourself over at the table and I’ll get your pancakes.” Kicker nodded and hopped onto a chair at the table while Sparkler floated a plate full of pancakes his way. “Enjoy.” Kicker nodded, and took one bite in his mouth. Sweet nibblets! This is good! He took another bite, and another, enjoying each bite as if it were the best he had ever had. Sparkler and Flappy watched him eat fast and chuckled. “Hey! Slow down there Speedy Gonzales.” “Squawk! You don’t want a belly ache now do ya? Squawk!” Kicker slowly nodded as he slowed down eating. Sparkler smiled and shook her head. “Have you ever had pancakes before?” Kicker shook his head. “No. I haven’t.” His mood dropped a tad when he said that. Sparkler and Flappy glanced at each other before turning back to Kicker. “Well, if you like them maybe you could get your parents to make you some more when we take you home—“ “NO!” Kicker just burst out. “Please! Don’t make me go back! I don’t want to go back there!” Without warning, he dived under the table. Flappy and Sparkler blinked out of their shock of the sudden outburst, and immediately lowered under the table to see Kicker had curled up into a ball, and was shaking in fear. Flappy took a few steps closer under the table. “Squawk! Whoa whoa. Hey, calm down kid. It’s gonna be alright. Squawk!” Kicker shook his head. “No. I’m not going back there. I never want to go back there again!” Flappy glanced back at Sparkler, who raised an eyebrow. “Hey.” She cooed as she lit her horn to carefully bring Kicker out from under the table. She carefully set him down on the floor in front of her. “Hey, Kicker. It’ll be ok.” Kicker shook his head. “No. I’m not going back. I’m not.” Flappy raised an eyebrow. “Squawk! Why not kid? Don’t you think your parents are worried sick right now? Squawk!” Kicker shook his head. “No they aren’t. Because they’re dead!” Sparkler and Flappy gasped. “Dead?!” Kicker nodded. Sparkler and Flappy glanced at each other. Rummaging in the garbage, scared to go home, dead parents... Sparkler’s mind was racing with just what Kicker’s story was. For the moment, nopony said a word, and then Flappy broke the silence. “Squawk! Kicker, if something’s going on, we need to know. Squawk!” Kicker shook his head. “I...I can’t tell you. They’ll punish me if they find out.” Sparkler shook her head. “What you say right now will not leave this kitchen...I promise.” Flappy nodded. “Squawk! It’s ok. You’re in a safe place. Squawk!” Kicker, through his tears, glanced between them, debating what to do. After a moment, he sniffled and wiped away his tears. “I-it all started three years ago, I was only two at the time. I don’t remember much, but one night, based on all the commotion I heard, a pair of ponies broke into our house, murdered my parents, foalnapped me...and set fire to the house, destroying everything.” Flappy and Sparkler gasped and recoiled. Of all the things to fly out of Kicker’s mouth, neither of them were expecting that. Sweet mother of Celestia. It’s worse than I thought! sparkler shook her head. “Kicker—“ “I know how it sounds.” Kicker cut Sparkler off. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true!” Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Ok, ok. Calm down kid. Nopony called you crazy. Squawk!” Sparkler nodded. “Just relax, and tell us what happened from there.” Kicker calmed down from his momentary outburst, and nodded. “At the time, I thought those ponies had saved me from the fire, I thought the fire had killed my parents. But they set the story straight the first time I misbehaved. They told me that if I ever misbehaved again, they’d kill me like they killed my parents.” Sparkler held a hoof to her mouth in shock as she glanced at Flappy. Kicker continued. “After that, they did the bare minimum to take care of me...and when I turned 4, they started making me do all the chores I was able to. While barely feeding me anything and not allowing me any freedom...” Flappy shook his head in disgust while Sparkler just lunged forward and wrapped Kicker up in her forelegs. A couple tears of her own falling from her face. “Oh Kicker. That’s horrible!” Kicker nodded as he instinctively snuggled into Sparkler’s kind and caring embrace. “I couldn’t take it anymore, I got out of there two weeks ago, hopped on a train, and just kept moving until I ended up here.” Sparkler’s eyes widened. Two weeks?! Flappy shook his head. “Squawk! Kicker, you realize what you’re saying right? Squawk!” Kicker nodded. “I’m telling you the truth. I promise.” The waterworks came out in full force again as Kicker cried into Sparkler’s chest. Sparkler’s mind raced, debating what she should do. I can’t believe anypony would do such a thing. Especially to a foal so young. She shook her. She needed to do SOMETHING. Everything about Kicker pointed towards his story being true, but it was still hard to believe. What do I do? I need to find someone to help confirm... She stopped as an idea came to her. If Kicker was telling the truth, a murder would surely catch the attention of law enforcement. A house fire increased that chance. And if law enforcement WAS involved...Sparkler nodded. Thank FAUST Twilight’s only a few minutes’ flight away. While she was certain Twilight herself wouldn’t know anything, she would be able to find out, and fortunately for Sparkler, they had a little get together planned that day. She nodded as she released Kicker. “Come on Kicker.” She got down on her haunches. “We’re going for a flight.” Kicker’s eyes widened. “No! Please! Don’t take me back there!” He jumped to his hooves and backed away. Sparkler giggled and shook her head. “Don’t worry. I’m not bringing you back to THEM.” Kicker raised an eyebrow. “You-You’re not?” Sparkler shook her head. “Nope. I’m taking you some place else. I know somepony that can help you.” Kicker glanced skeptically at Sparkler, still keeping his distance. Flappy shot an encouraging smile at him. “Squawk! It’s ok. You can trust her. Squawk!” Sparkler nodded. “My friend is nice. And, she lives in an awesome house that is out of this world.” Kicker didn’t move, still nervous. After a second, and after seeing the encouraging smiles of those who welcomed him into their home...he finally walked over, and climbed onto Sparkler’s back. Sparkler smiled and stood up. As they were walking out the door, Kicked raised an eyebrow. “Where is it that we’re going?” Sparkler turned her head and smiled at him. “The Castle of Friendship. Hold on tight.” With that, Sparkler spread her wings, and took off into the air. With Flappy close behind. To be continued...