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Raiden POV
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The bakery was currently swamped with its usual lunch rush hour. The cakes were running all over the place attempting to give out orders to each customer while I was sweating bullets attempting to keep up with the demands. Even Pinkie was started to look tired, something I didn't even know was a possibility until today.
I threw the latest batch of cupcake dough into the oven and leaned against a wall. "How many more customers do we have?" I groaned as Pinkie looked out into the shop for a second before responding.
"Only twenty left!" She cheerfully said as she finished several trays worth of cookies and ran out to deliver them to their respective buyers. I shook my head and looked to the clock.
12:15
So that means I have three more hours of this? Canterlot was never this bad! I sighed as I felt my eyes droop from exhaustion.
I blink as I suddenly find myself in a blank room with pictures of me with my brothers on the walls. I hear a door open from behind me and turn to see Luna standing there.
"Luna? What are you doing here?" I asked her as she walked in with the grace of a princess. She raised a brow at my question before giggling slighly.
"Raiden, does thou not know you are dreaming?" She asked me as I shake my head. "Well, now you do." She adds before I chuckle softly before embracing her in a hug.
"Luna, you have no idea how stressfuI have been here in ponyville. I'm starting to regret trying to work here." She pulled back and looked into my eyes with deep concern.
"Why? We- I thought you enjoyed cooking?" She asked as she sits on a couch that appeared from nowhere. I stare in shock for a second before remembering the obvious. Duh, dreamworld! I smile and sit next to her, letting her recline on my lap as I answer her.
"Well, I do love to cook. But I think I am more cut out for being a private chef than your run of the mill baker." I said with a sigh as I rubbed my hands through her starry mane. She looked up at me and smirked.
"Then why not come back to Canterlot and serve your princess?" She said with a wink as my face flushed slightly before I looked away from her gaze.
"I can't just leave for Canterlot. My brothers are here and I couldn't risk being seperated from them again." I said as Luna frowned for a second, before her eyes flashed with brilliance.
"What if thou could travel between the two places easily?" She asked as I raised a brow.
"That would help, but I would have to be able to return at a moments notice." I said as she sat up and got off the couch, suddenly way more energetic.
"There is an old spell my sister and I know how to cast. It can allow reflective objects such as mirrors to be gateways. Whether it be to a place in this world or another." At my questioning glance she quickly added. "Sadly, only worlds and locations that have similar properties of this world can be connected to, such as similar beings or places."
I nod in understanding. "So, like an alternate world of this place, or just another city in this world." She nodded. "Why haven't you made this spell public?" I asked as she frowned quickly.
"Due to a rather...unexpected incident years ago, we were forced to make the spell private among royals only." She said as she turned, though I could've swore I heard the words "blasted shimmer" escape her lips.
I ignored the last part and smiled. "Well, there's a big mirror in my guest bedroom, so you could be able to enchant that to connect to the one in yours. That way I can come to you directly as either of us please." I said as she turned back to me and nodded vigorously.
"That will work perfectly, Raiden!" She exclaimed and pulled me into a long kiss. After we parted, she realized what she did and blushed heavily before her horn lit up.
"Now, I shall go and enchant your mirror, you go and finish those cupcakes." She said as a blue light flashed brightly.
"RAIDEN!!!" I heard Pinkie yell cheerfully in my face. I awoke with a start as I heard the alarm for the cupcakes go off. I quickly pulled them out and placed them on the sides before turning to a smiling Pinkie.
"No sleeping on the job, silly." She said as she hopped out of the kitchen, leaving me to finish the cupcakes.
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Nicholas POV
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After shooting blind during a test Cherilee gave out (she had went over the notes while Tak was giving me the lowdown on Scootaloo.) We had been mercifully given recess.
"Did anypony do good on that history test?" Scootaloo asked as Applebloom made a face and Tak and I shrugged. Sweetiebelle, meanwhile, looked confident.
"I think I did great!" She said proudly. I smirked and rolled my eyes.
"Well, I'm an alien from another world who has been here only a month, and Tak here has been underground almost his whole life. So history is defenitely a poor subject for us." I said as Tak nodded in agreement while looking past us before pointing suddenly.
"Friends, look over there." He said as we turned and saw a very angry Silverspoon brush by Diamond tiara to sit alone at a tree. "The anger coming from that silvery pony is strong and bitter." He said as Applebloom grinned.
"Serves that bully right!" She said as the other crusaders chimed in with a resounding "yeah!" while I frowned, suddenly finding myself agitated. I turned to the crew and forced a smile.
"Well, bully or no, I promised to help them sort their mess out." looks of suprise appeared on all of their faces as Scootaloos eyes narrowed.
"But you can't help her!" She stated loudly as Applebloom chimed in.
"Yeah, she's the enemy!" Applebloom said while Sweetiebelle, who already knew about what I planned to do, remained silent. Tak, however, wasn't so quiet.
"Enemy or no, It's good that Nicholas plans on showing kindness to Diamond Tiara and her friend. Who knows? Perhaps our friend will convince those two to be better ponies." He said as Scootaloo scoffed.
"Please, those two won't change! And besides, that type of stuff only happens in storybooks anyway." She said as Tak raised an eyebrow.
"So I and my mother are the stuff of child tales then?" He said with a smirk as Scootaloo realized what he meant and kept quiet with a sheepish grin on her face. I, having heard enough, turned to Applebloom.
"You may think those two are beyond redemption, but if my brother could befriend a war-crazy queen. No offense, man." I said as Tak shrugged. "Then I should be able to help those two make amends with each other." I said as I turned a decent 180 and walked towards Diamond Tiara.
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Tak POV
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As my companion walked off to pursue his noble mission, I turned to the girls to find myself nearly overwhelmed by the anger swelling off two of the girls.
Applebloom frowned deeply. "Ah don't know how Diamond Tiara managed to get Nick to talk to her, but she has tah be using him fer something!" She stated as Sweetiebelle nodded in agreement. Scootaloo turned to me.
"Tak, could you read Tiaras emotions for any sort of bad stuff with your changeling powers?" She asked as I chuckled and nodded.
"Very well." I said as I focused on Tiara, finding no malice or miscontent in her. Only sadness and...oh boy.
I shifted my focus to Nicholad to check his emotions as well. There was determination (though that always seemed to be there) along with concern, worry and...Alas, it is present in him as well.
Here I was, asked to check for any evil purpose in a fellow schoolmates intentions. Yet instead of darkness and anger, I find out that Tiara and Nicholas are...attracted to each other?
What in the name of my elders happened when I left last night?
I turned to the trio of girls and smiled. "There is no foul intentions in Tiaras mind or emotions. In fact, it is my belief that she regards Nicholas in a special way." I said before clamping a hoof over my mouth, but it was too late.
Scootaloo face-hooved and Applebloom looked confused, but Sweetiebelle was angry. And not 'hey you bumped into me' angry, more like 'Hands off my stallion' angry. She turned to Applebloom and grabbed her shoulders.
"Applebloom, she likes Nick!" After that was said, Applebloom quickly gained the same emotional vibe as Sweetiebelle. But just as they went to follow Nicholas, Scootaloo stepped in their way.
"Listen you two. Tiara may be a pain in our flanks, but what do you think Nick will do if you two go and interrupt him like that? He's attempting to fix a friendship, something that your sisters and Rainbow Dash would do." The two's emotions calmed down at that, and I sighed in relief as I turned to where Nicholas was leading a worried Tiara to her angry companion.
I am never leaving those three alone at a bonfire again.
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Nicholas POV
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I approached Diamond Tiara, who was facing away from me and towards her friend, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Listen, I'm in no mood to deal with-" She cut herself off as she turned and realized it was me. "Nicholas, its just you." She said as she returned her gaze to Silverspoon. "I-I don't think I can do this."
I smiled and pulled her into a hug, leaning my head next to her ear. "Relax, love. I'll be with you the whole way." I said as I blew into her ear playfully.
She shuddered in delight for a second before nodding. "Ok, but don't do that ear thing again!" she said as I chuckled and grabbed her by the hoof, leading her to Silverspoon.
I stole a glance over to my friends to see Scootaloo arguing with Applebloom and Sweetiebelle and Tak looking towards me with an tired look on his face. Sorry man, hang in there for me. I thought to myself. We reached Silverspoon and Diamond stopped abruptly.
I walked over to Silverspoon and sat next to her. She looked at me in confusion. "What do you want?" She asked as I smiled at her.
"What I want is irrelevant." I said as I motioned for Tiara to sit next to me. She did so, but terribly slowly. "What matters is figuring out your two's deal." I said as Silverspoon frowned quickly.
"She knows what she said." Silverspoon growled, yes growled, at Diamond, who frowned back before turning to me.
"Ugh! I knew she would be like this!" She went to stand up before I placed a hand on her head and gently, but firmly, pushed her back into a sitting position.
"Ok, I was going to do this the Raiden way. But now we are doing this the Ronin way." I turned to silver and frowned. "Tiara may know what she said, but I don't. So enlighten me." I said as Silverspoon rolled her eyes, but answered regardless.
"Last night, my father came back from his job in Canterlot as a chef. He isn't around much and Tiara knows that. When she saw me with him, she had came over to me and asked me who he was. So I told her she was my dad. And do you know what she says next?" Silverspoon says as Tiara shrinks back a bit from the glare she recieves, while I raise an eyebrow.
"What?" I say as Silverspoon takes a deep breath to calm herself down a bit.
"She goes 'That's your father? No wonder he doesn't stick around much." She quotes as I blink in suprise as I turn to Diamond Tiara.
"You said that? why?" I ask as I notice tears in her eyes before she speaks suddenly.
"I was jealous, OK!" She yells out as Silverspoon and I are taken aback. "I saw how he hugged her and spoke lovingly to her and it reminded me of how little my own father does the same to me." She said as the tears came freely now. "He may buy me whatever I want or let me do whatever, but he never treats me like I'm his family!" She cried as she latched onto me and cried into my chest. I sighed and rubbed her head.
"So that's why you were so mean to me last night? you were jealous of me?!" Silverspoon said with suprise laced in her voice. Tiara turned to her and smiled weakly.
"Y-yeah.*sniffle* Silverspoon I'm so sorry about what I said last night. I didn't even think before I opened my dumb mouth. I-" She was cut off as Silverspoon hugged her.
"It's ok, Tiara. But you should never be jealous of me. Your as equally important as I am." She said as I nodded in agreement as I placed Diamond on my lap and blew into her left ear again, causing her to turn up to face me and mutter "stop that you." playfully before giggling and nuzzling my neck.
*AHEM*
A loud cough came from behind us as we turned to see Applebloom and Sweetiebelle standing there with Scootaloo standing really close to Tak, the former two looking quite peeved.
Crap
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Ronin POV
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I collected the last basket of apples and brought them up to the barn. I had been working almost all day and I honestly was loving every second of it.
This is defenitely becoming my day job. I thought as I took a seat next to a equally worked Applejack. "Well, that was the most I've enjoyed working in a long time!" I proudly stated as Applejack turned to me and grinned.
"Ya think so?" She said as I nodded. "Good, cuz ah was gonna ask if ya wanted tah work here weekly." She said as I smiled big.
"Really? That's mighty kind of ya Apples." I said as she laughed at the nickname before standing up as a bell sounded out from the house nearby.
"Welp, that'll be granny calling fer lunch break. Wanna come and grab a bite?" She offered as I smiled and stood up myself.
"I'd be delighted." I said as we walked into the house. I was lead to a table that had an assortment of food on it, from grits to pie (probably apple, considering the family). As I walked in, I was meet with the sight of an older green pony and the big pony I had arm wrestled last night. Wasn't his name Big Mac or something?
"Who's this?" the old mare asked as Applejack chuckled lightly and patted me on the back...hard.
"This here is Ronin, one of those humans ah told ya about. He was a big help with the harvest today." She said as the mare smiled.
"Well that changes everything. Folks around here call me Granny Smith. And this quiet stallion here is Big Mac." Called it. Said pony stood up and approached me, staring me down eye to eye inches from my face with a serious expression.
This was easily one of the biggest ponies I had seen, and even though I beat him yesterday in the arm wrestling match, I knew this guy could do some damage if need be. We stood there for a hot minute saying nothing as Applejack looked like she was sweating at the tension in the room while granny Smith just looked on.
After what seemed like an eternity, Big Mac offered me his hoof. I nodded and shook it, giving the big guy a smile on his face.
"Thanks fer the help, Ronin." He said as I smiled as we took our places at the table. As I took a bite of what was defenitely apple pie, my thoughts wondered to Chrysalis.
I hope she's doing ok. I couldn't help but think as I sat there enjoying my lunch for the day.