//------------------------------// // 6 - The Left Hoof // Story: Sunny Starscout and The Mystery of Magic // by OneLonelyPickle //------------------------------// The brassy, boisterous call of a bugle pierced the air of Maretime Bay. The sound proclaimed the arrival of some rare but important visitors. It turned every head in the market. The main road that connected the rest of Equestria to Maretime Bay led right into the market, so anypony important from Castle Rockhoof would hit that important area of town first. A behemoth of a stallion, encased in shiny, bronze armor, confidently strode down the dirt road into the market. Three smaller ponies, wearing similar armor but made out of stone, tried to keep up with the stallion, positioning themselves on either side of him, though his steps were like leaps to each of them. One of the soldiers rushed out to the front of the entourage and placed a bugle to his lips and blew as hard as he could. The arrival tune sounded out once more, closer than before and much louder. The behemoth of a stallion in the middle of the group of soldiers cleared his throat and caught the bugle player’s attention with a look in his eye. “That will do, young page,” he said firmly. A crescent smile covered the lower part of his face, constant and unflinching. The bushy, dirty blond moustache above his lip matched the slick, flat top mane on his head. His eyes were a piercing silver, and his fine tan coat was immaculate. There wasn’t a speck of dust on it, and the same was true for his thick, bronze armor. The aforementioned young page yelped nervously and shuffled back to where the other soldiers were waiting. All of them let the behemoth of a stallion step forward into the market, right in front of the old fountain where the Rockhoof statue stood. The townsponies in the market held their breath, while all of the tourists oohed and awed at the sight of shiny, disciplined soldiers from the castle. “Bahh – look at this, Nate!” the behemoth of a stallion cried while beckoning behind himself with a swoop of his huge forehoof. The young page scuttled forward. “Y-yes, Sir Bastion?” The one called Bastion laughed pompously and pointed at the statue of Rockhoof. “This dirty little sculpture, Nate! The Protector of the Realm would be enraged if she saw this!” Bastion scoffed and shook his head with a closed-eye laugh. “Hohohoho… It is disgusting – a total disgrace to our national hero!” Bastion leaned down close to Nate’s face and raised a single eyebrow, his ever-present, off-putting smile gleaming in the midday sun. Nate felt sweat drip down his neck and he slunk back to escape the shadow of his superior. He rapidly nodded. “Y-Yes, Sir Bastion! It’s a real eyesore!” Bastion looked the statue up and down for a moment before undulating his throat muscles and spitting out a huge glob of saliva onto the statue. The crowd in the market gasped. Somepony stepped forward and protested: a stallion with a chestnut-colored coat and a black mane. He was somepony you could easily miss in a crowd. “H-hey! You shouldn’t do that! That’s Rockhoof! Didn’t you just say he’s our national hero?!” Bastion turned abruptly as if surprised and shot his signature grin at the protestor. “Ah! Right you are, dear citizen!” For a brief moment, Bastion locked eyes with the stallion and stared without moving a muscle. The protesting stallion gulped apprehensively and nervously stepped back. Bastion continued. He raised a hoof matter-of-factly. “And that is why you are going to hoof polish this statue until it is sparkling clean! Since you have such a grand, eloquent mouth, I imagine your hoof muscles and cleaning skills are just as grand!” The protesting stallion took a step back and turned every which way. The crowd around him whispered. He put a hoof to his chest and started to shake. “M-Me, sir?” he whined. Bastion roared with laughter. “Well, I did not stutter, my lad! Get over here and polish the statue! Come! You are a big hero who steps forward and talks out of turn when he is not asked to speak — surely, you can polish this statue until it looks good as new!” The protesting stallion gulped and stepped forward until he was standing under Bastion’s imposing form. Bastion was an entire head taller, and the protesting stallion wasn’t exactly short for an Earth Pony stallion. “Now, polish!” Bastion said with a chuckle. He motioned with his head behind him and two of the soldiers from the road trotted forward. One of them pushed the protesting stallion into the fountain with a splash. The protesting stallion flopped around, not expecting to be knocked into the fountain. Water flew everywhere, as if the protesting stallion were a pigeon taking a messy bath. Finally, he caught his bearings and looked up at Bastion. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” he yelled, quite scared at that point. Bastion raised an eyebrow. “Whatever do you mean, dear citizen? You asked for this, did you not? Unless — would you rather join the other traitors of the Realm in the prison wagon that awaits us back on the main road?” The protesting stallion shook his head with a whimper and a quivering bottom lip. He turned around and faced the statue. Rockhoof’s statue, even if it was by then battered by rain and wind to be a pale imitation of its original glory, stood tall and proud. The sun hovered just behind Rockhoof’s giant marble head from where the protesting stallion looked up. The pose of the statue was a common one in the Realm: Rockhoof with his famous shovel between his pearly whites as he dug the trench that saved all of Equestria from the great eruption of Mt. Veshoovius. The protesting stallion looked downward and cringed when he saw the trail of Bastion’s spit slowly streak down the side of Rockhoof’s worn, rocky chest. He gulped again and reached out his bushy fetlocked hoof to the spit-streaked statue. Then he started to rub it around. “Yes! There you go!” Bastion cheered with an excited clap of his forehooves. “That is how you polish a statue, young man! Keep going until I can see my face in that statue!” Bastion turned to the two soldiers who had approached and spoke to them, only slightly quieter than his usual booming voice. “Make sure this great champion of the Realm continues until you can see your faces, understood?” The two soldiers stared blankly forward and saluted. Bastion leaned to his left and whispered to his page loud enough so everypony in the market could hear him. “Nate, what is the name of this little podunk town again?” Nate leaned up and into his superior as best he could, though he was much smaller. “It’s Maretime Bay, Sir Bastion! Remember? This is the place with the mare who’s always talking about Hornheads and Featherfreaks!” Bastion straightened out again: his neck was perpendicular to his hooves, his head pointed forward at the same angle as his body. “Ah yes!” he said loudly, “The rabblerouser you woke me up about last night! I have been looking forward to this one all day!” He shot an even shinier grin than his usual at Nate, and Nate nervously smiled back. “You just knew I’d enjoy hauling this one off to the Castle, didn’t you?” Bastion cleared his throat extremely loud and pretentiously. He looked around the market as he spoke. “Take notice, dear citizens of the Realm! I am Sir Bastion Titaneous, Left Hoof to the Protector of the Realm of the Earth Ponies. I am here to apprehend a mare accused of spreading propaganda about Unicorns and Pegasi” — Bastion made a disgusted face and stuck out his tongue — “Forgive me for uttering such filth. But this is official business, so I must use the official terms.” He searched the market, still smiling, a curious lone eyebrow stuck up on his brow’s ridge. There was a clearing around the fountain where everypony had made sure to stay well out of the soldiers’ ways. Out of the market crowd strode Amos the merchant. He bowed and cleared his throat in front of Bastion. “Sir,” he said, “I was the one who contacted—” “It is Sir Bastion, citizen. Address me properly.” Amos corrected himself. “Sir Bastion, I was the one who contacted a soldier about the filly the other day.” Amos looked up and frowned. “She’s not a bad mare, just misguided. She needs to be reformed. Her family was always—” “Not a bad mare!” Bastion cut Amos off and the latter stallion bowed again and hid his face. Bastion broke into deep laughter. He closed his eyes and reared his head back in complete mirth. After some time left to his laughter, Bastion calmed down and looked down at Amos once more. The entire market was as quiet as a grave as Bastion wiped a tear away. “My dear, dear villager.” Bastion shook his head. “You simple-minded stallion. Noearthpony who speaks positively of those other creatures is anything BUT bad! We need to root out these corrupt ponies that live among us before they spread more of their poison!” “Now,” Bastion continued, and Amos looked back up, eyes wide and afraid, “tell me what her name is so that I can call her forth.” Bastion looked around, nostrils flaring as he scoped out every mane and flank in the market. Amos looked down at the dirt and cleared his throat. “It’s Sunny Starscout, Sir Bastion. She lives just down the street here,” Amos motioned behind him and the crowd quickly parted out of the way in anticipation of Bastion. Amos continued with another clear of his throat, “B-but the Starscout family is also in charge of the local observatory — though, she’s the only Starscout who lives here at the moment. Anyway, we don’t know where she is at the moment.” Bastion raised a hoof and shook his head with incredulity. “So what?” He said with a laugh, “I don’t care where she lives, where she is, or what she does. You think I am going to march through this shanty town to grab one traitor of the Realm? No offence” — Bastion looked around and barely hid the disgust on his scrunched face — “But I will wait right here until someearthpony fetches her for me. In the meantime,” Bastion spotted a pie stall and he beamed, “Someearthpony, bring me one of those pies over there!” He looked behind him. “Nate! Get me one of those pies. Oh…” Bastion waved his hoof around dismissively. “And one for the rest of the solders to share as well, I suppose.” Nate did as he was instructed. He approached the stall, pulled out his bit wallet, and started the transaction with the shaky mare stallowner. Bastion, back at the fountain, guffawed. “Seriously, Nate, giving away your meager wages for some pies? We have every right to seize them as necessary Realm provisions, you know. You still have a long way to go before you can become a Knight of the Realm, dear lad!” Nate raced back with two pies on his back. He stopped in front of Bastion, who flicked the pie off Nate’s back with a ‘hmph’ and into the air. Bastion opened his giant maw and gobbled the entire pie, crumbs flying out of his mouth every which way as he chewed his haughty jaws. Meanwhile, Nate and the other soldiers took smaller bites out of their own pie, ever mindful of the protesting stallion cleaning the statue. The protesting stallion had used his own spit once Bastion’s had gone dry. Slowly but surely, the shine in the statue returned as the harsh sun beat down on the sweating, regretful stallion who dared protest. * * * Earlier Izzy’s eyes were wide and her face pale. She held a vibrating hoof against her forehead. Sunny cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. “What are you freaking out about? It’s just some trumpets — what,” she turned to Old Man Withers, who looked grave, “It must be some soldiers from Castle Rockhoof, right? I bet they’re just here to look for recruits. They always come around this time of year.” Old Man Withers shook his head as Izzy grimaced and closed her eyes. “No,” Withers began with a grizzled clearing of his throat, “That’s no recruiting squad. Those are” — The sound of the bugles rang out again from the direction of the market, cutting Withers off. He continued when they died down — “Knights’ bugles. It means one of the Knights of the Realm has arrived.” A sudden rush of wind blew everypony’s mane aside. Sunny blinked at Withers, who stared at her with serious, grey eyes. “It means, Sunny Starscout, that your destiny has come knocking, just like I said.” Sunny rolled her eyes then shook her head, turning to Izzy. “Yeah yeah, you can cut that out already, Withers. I’m not scared of some prophecy or whatever it is you were talking about before – Izzy!” Sunny shook her friend out of her frightened stupor. “What’s wrong? Why are you so afraid?” Izzy gulped and stared at Sunny with wide violet eyes. “T-that sound! The bugles! The last time I heard them…” She closed her eyes and hung her head. “Oh, it was so scary, Sunny! If Rye Rye wasn’t with me—” Izzy opened her eyes and protested up at Sunny. “It was a Knight, like Withers said! He came out from behind us and said he was going to take me to Castle Rockhoof!” Izzy pouted and looked at the ground. “I don’t really remember exactly when this was because of the memory loss… but I’ll never forget that feeling of dread. It was like I’d never see my parents again…” Sunny raised her hoof, confusion plastered on her face. “Well, what were you doing in Earth Pony territory in the first place?” Izzy looked at Sunny with eyes and replied. “Sorry! I know, it’s stupid of me! But I long to get out of Sire’s Hollow whenever I can… so I sometimes take diplomatic trips in place of my parents. Not like anything ever happens… but I get to travel…” Izzy frowned and looked toward the ground, while Sunny became anxious and angry. “Then I bet the Knight is here for you! I’m not going to let him take you, Izzy! I don’t care what they do!” Izzy looked up, moisture gathering in her eyes. She sniffled. “I mean, I have my scroll… the permission from my” — Izzy stopped and bit her lip. She shook her head and continued, “F-from the Voice of the Five Tribes. That means none of the Knights or soldiers are supposed to bother me… but if it’s the same Knight as last time…” Izzy looked past Sunny with a thousand-yard stare. “He didn’t care at all about the scroll last time. Rye Rye had to physically fight him off. I don’t even want to remember how we got away…” Withers cut in before Sunny could ask another question. The two mares turned to him. Withers’ eyes were wide with worry. “Enough chatter! Listen, you two have to hide for now, and escape later when the soldiers leave! I can’t stay here any longer — and the both of you cannot afford to get caught, Sunny Starscout! If they take you to Castle Rockhoof, with your blabber mouth, you’ll end up in the dungeons for a lifetime!” Sunny snapped back, aquamarine eyes ablaze. “And I told you, old man, that they’re not after me! Also, you didn’t tell me about magic yet… don’t think I forgot! You’re not going anywhere!” She puffed up her cheeks and glared at Withers, urging him to spill the beans. The old, wrinkled stallion glared back and shouted. “And I already told you, Sunny, that I can’t tell you anything else! There’s no time! Right now, I don’t even think I can — bahh! I have to go!” Old Man Withers brushed past in as fast a trot as he could muster at his ripe old age. He half-turned back and forced a grin at the bewildered Izzy and fiery Sunny. “Once more so you don’t forget: discover yourself, Sunny Starscout, then find the Wise One. You’ll learn all you want about magic – and more. Izzy Mo—” He stopped midsentence when he saw a pleading face from Izzy. Sunny looked over at Izzy, then back to Withers. She made a ‘huh?’ noise. Withers continued with a grumble. “Uhh, Izzy. I trust you’ll help Sunny for as long as you can. I know you will make a great friend.” He smiled again, and Izzy smiled back. Sunny looked just as confused as ever. Withers turned to Sunny. “You’ll need more, though. Friends, I mean.” Withers looked up through the canopy of leaves. A soft breeze blew through the remnants of his mane and he closed his eyes with a wrinkly smile. “Yes… friends. Friendship. We used to talk about friendship quite a lot back in the day — it was like a lifetime ago. Hmm... I suppose it was longer than that, huh?” He shook his head rapidly and Sunny shouted again. “Wait, don’t go! You can’t just spout off all of that then leave conveniently so I can’t ask for clarification!” Withers ignored the question. “Okay, I’m going, I mean it this time!” He cried. He sped off down into the Wood. Withers called out one last time from the base of the hill that led up to the clearing. “Goodbye, Sunny Starscout!” There was a silence. Only the wind could be heard lightly whispering. Sunny squinted up at the clouds which had begun to obscure the sun. Izzy nudged her shoulder. “Sunny? What are we going to do?” Sunny wasn’t sure how to answer at first. She looked at the big, innocent eyes of Izzy, then over her shoulder back towards the cliffside where her parents were. She felt a sense of dread fall over her and for the first, meaningful time in her life, she was unsure what to do. There was a feeling like she had to make a serious choice with lifechanging consequences. Finally, she steeled herself. Sunny turned to Izzy and gave a stiff nod, her brow furrowed. “Izzy, I need you to trust me, okay?” * * * Sir Bastion Titaneous leaned back and smiled. He was seated in front of Rockhoof’s fountain, plot firmly planted into the fine plush of some townspony’s chair; it was another temporary acquisition for the sake of the Realm. Joining the chair was a hoofstool that Bastion used to prop up his hindhooves. He smacked his forehooves together decisively, created a loud, hollow shock of sound. “Right!” he cried, sighing in pleasure as he stretched his neck from side to side, “Enough of the polishing, my good man.” He beckoned toward the fountain and the quite-soaked stallion who finally let his hoof rest from the rough rubbing he had given the Rockhoof statue. The protesting stallion turned back toward Bastion, panting with tired eyes. Bastion smiled back at him, as if nothing at all was amiss. There was a pause. Bastion cocked his head, still smiling. “Yes? Is there a reason why you are still standing in the water like a fool?” The protesting stallion shook as if he was awoken from a trance, then scrambled out of the fountain and ran off back into the crowd, which had parted for him. Bastion laughed, loud and clear. “Hah! Nate, do you think I would be able to see myself in that statute now?” Nate left his superior’s side to investigate the now-polished Rockhoof statue. He blinked back at himself in the reflection, then turned back to Bastion with a bewildered nod. “Y-yes, actually, it’s pretty amazing. I didn’t think he’d be abl—” “Well of course he was able!” Bastion cut Nate off. The Left Hoof got out of his chair and stood up, tall and proud like a huge evergreen tree that surrounded the Smokey Mountains. “The power of the Earth Pony knows no bounds! How do you think I was able to fight off so many of those Hornheads at the Battle of Ghastly Gorge and cover our strategic withdrawal?” Bastion held up an armor-clad hoof that glimmered in the sunlight. “Hark, citizens!” he roared, “And take heart! The same blood that flows through my varicose, heroic veins flows, too, through your smaller, peasantly ones!” Bastion looked around and raised a bushy blonde eyebrow. “Now, where is this Starry Sunscatter we are waiting for?” Nate returned to his superior’s side and cleared his throat. “Sunny Starscout, Sir Bastion,” he corrected. “And you haven’t called out for her yet.” Bastion’s eyebrows shot up and he smiled even wider. “Ah yes! Right you are, young page! I have not!” Nate turned away and rolled his eyes. As if that tactic will ever work, Nate thought, changing his demeanor completely when his superior couldn’t see his face. He stared with annoyance to a random point in the crowd. This is going to go the same way as always… two or three hours waiting for this town to finally get fed up and drag the traitor to us… Bastion cleared his throat with extreme extravagance, giving his best effort to ensure every pony in Maretime Bay heard him. Then, he shouted: “Sunny Starscout, I order you to present yourself at once!” Everypony in the crowd looked among one another. Whispers abounded, though they would dissipate as Bastion’s unnerving, hard gaze scanned the crowd. The market was silent save for the seagulls above. Nopony moved. Nate quietly sighed to himself. See? Sir Bastion can be a real foal sometimes… Bastion took in a deep breath of air. “Sunny Starscout, I order—” A mare pushed aside the front of the crowd facing Rockhoof’s fountain and burst into the clearing. Her magenta mane, styled into a ponytail done up with three elastics, flopped to one side of her face. Her salmon furred coat was dirty and scruffy. A dangerous fire burned in her eyes. Bastion did not miss it. It was the first thing his equally as fiery eyes noticed. “That’s me!” the mare yelled. “I’m Sunny Starscout! And who are you?” A nervous hush went over the crowd. Even the seagulls seemed to stop their cries. Sir Bastion’s wide grin did not disappear, though a single, small vein popped up on his neck. His page, Nate, was picking up his unhinged jaw as he stared at Sunny with huge eyes. “Why, my dear,” Bastion said with an amused chuckle and a bow, “I am Sir Bastion Titaneous, Left Hoof to the Protector of the Realm of the Earth Ponies and Knight extraordinaire! I hear that you have been shouting day in and day out about Hornheads and Featherfreaks, here in this very market square. Is that correct?” Sunny eyed the stallion from mane to hoof. He was definitely not a local, looking more like the kind of Knights she saw in picture books as a filly. Tall. Armored. Strong. But unlike those Knights, this one seemed intimidating, not safe. She narrowed her gaze at the “Bastion” fellow. “Of course, everypony in Maretime Bay knows that!” Sunny replied matter-of-factly. “Why’s that a big deal?” Another vein jumped up on Bastion’s neck and he took a few, slow steps toward Sunny. “Every… pony…?” he asked with a very brief hint of annoyance in his voice. Sunny didn’t move or stop her glare. She stood transfixed to the dirt. The crowd was enraptured, except for a stallion who broke out into the clearing. Sunny looked over. “Amos?” she asked, relaxing her muscles slightly. Amos stepped forward, looking exasperated and worried. “Listen, Sunny, just go with Sir Bastion and the other soldiers! They came here to make sure you are taught properly about the way Equestria is, about why and how the Earth Ponies and… the others stay separate. It’s for your own good!” Bastion produced a single, amused laugh. “Something like that,” he said as he got as close as he could to Sunny without seriously invading her personal space. Looking up at him, Sunny thought he looked as large as the statue of Rockhoof. He cast a deep shadow over her. Sunny still didn’t budge. Somepony else in the crowd, a female merchant, cried out. “Go with the soldiers, Sunny! Enough is enough!” Sunny turned toward the voice. Others in the crowd started to shout other, similar pieces of advice. “We’re tired of it, Sunny! Go with the soldiers!” “Don’t come back until you learn the difference between Earth Ponies and them!” “You never paid enough attention in school, Sunny!” The last voice was one of her old classmates. Sunny felt a pang in her chest. Her ears dropped downward against her mane, and she stared bitterly at the protesting crowd all around her, biting her teeth. Bastion guffawed from above. “It is the same no matter where I go, little filly! Good Earth Ponies the Realm over know when a traitor is in their midst and they know where those traitors belong!” Bastion lowered the pitch of his voice in mock sympathy. “If you come now without further comment, I will permit you to travel alongside the prison wagon without needing to be in chains.” Sunny closed her eyes. I knew how everypony felt but… this??? They REALLY don’t want me around? Tears welled behind her lids. No. I’m not gonna… Sunny opened her moist eyes and looked up at Bastion with fresh vigor. Their hard pupils fought for dominance within their entangled stare. Sunny unleashed her frustration with a waving hoof. “What’s so wrong with Unicorns and Pegasi anyway that we have to keep them away?! Why do all you older ponies keep preaching about separation!? You talk like they’re MONSTERS or something! I’m tired of it! It makes no sense!” Without even realizing it, Bastion had backed up a few steps as Sunny screamed. Another vein popped up on his neck. The end of his smile twitched and he stepped back into his previous location, having to physically force Sunny back with his armored chest. “Your fellow villager is correct!” Bastion shouted down at Sunny, “You certainly did not pay enough attention in school! Everyearthpony with half a brain knows why we cannot live with and trust those creatures that, sadly, share our common ancestor.” Bastion turned back to his page, Nate, who was still awestruck. “Nate, my dear lad! Come and untie my chestplate. I wish to give this young lady her first, proper lesson in pony relations!” Sunny sneered up at Bastion, awaiting some kind of point to his actions. He turned back and grinned down at her while Nate quickly and with shaky hooves untied the leather straps holding Bastion’s heavy, bronze chestplate in place. First the left straps, then the right straps. Finally, the entire piece of armor fell to the dirt below with a thud. Sunny raised an eyebrow. “So?” she demanded. Bastion tilted his body to the right to show Sunny his left side. Her vision shifted over and… Sunny’s heart caught in her throat and her pupils became pinpricks. She shook with a chill, not knowing what to think, and involuntarily stepped back with an open mouth. Gasps escaped the crowd. Some of the ponies in the crowd even covered their eyes. One particularly squeamish stallion vomited. The reason was a terrible scar etched messily into Bastion’s side. The fine, tan fur of Bastion’s otherwise perfect coat was interrupted in several places by the clear signs of a tearing of the flesh. It looked like some huge animal had raked various chunks out of Bastion’s chest. “This side is from the Battle of the Soaring Plain.” Bastion announced, head held high. “The Featherfreaks were allied to Griffons, if you can believe it, and as you can see, the Griffons were not very friendly. And the Featherfreaks made no attempt to stop them from doing this to me, nor did they stop the Griffons from delivering three of my brothers to the Other World.” Bastion turned to the left and showed Sunny his right side. She winced and looked away. “This side,” Bastion began, referring to the bubbly, ruined mess of scarred flesh on his right side, “Is the result of the Hornhead weaponry at the Defense of the Hooffield Range. Even without the magic they lost centuries ago, the ingenuity of Hornheads in causing mayhem and misery is without equal. I lost my father that day, too, as well as any feeling in my right side.” Bastion motioned with his head and neck and Nate began to do up the breastplate once again. Sunny Starscout bit her lip and stared at the dirt. “This is not a game, my dear filly,” Bastion announced, “This is reality! The Realm lives in constant fear that at any moment, the evil ponies from elsewhere in Equestria will attack again! And through bravery and hard-won fighting alone we might prevail! And then again, perhaps we will not!” Bastion looked throughout the crowd and gestured here and there. Sunny followed along as if mesmerized. “Haven’t you noticed among your fellow villagers? Stallions and mares just like me! Scars of a bitter fight in defense of one’s home! And you stand so bold as to ask me, ‘Why?’” Sunny noticed them, for the first time. She compared them to what she saw on Bastion. One of the mares, a merchant of wool, who always used to wipe dirt off of Sunny’s face when she was a filly and chastise her about her ramblings, had a wooden leg. Sunny had never wondered why before or asked. Another merchant, large and fat and white-furred, had half an ear. And there was her boss, the captain of the fishing trawler. Sunny caught his light brown, scarred face hidden away in the crowd. He was frowning at her. She realized his scars were not decorations. They were not birth marks. They were the result of something… terrible. “Now do you understand?” Bastion asked. He hadn’t backed up an inch, still within a breath of Sunny. Sunny, meanwhile, had shrunk toward the ground in stature, losing the tall poise of her defiant shoulders. Her ponytail nearly touched the dirt. “I—” she said quietly. Her mind fought with itself. On one side were the images of the townsponies and Bastion. The wounds. The stark reality of what had occurred in those history books she never wanted to read. The tales she refused to listen to. And, on the other side of her brain’s innerworkings, there were the images of Sunny’s own past, and her interpretation of the things she had been told by her parents. Dreams of a better tomorrow shared with smiling faces. Make believe stories of an Equestria where Unicorns used magic to push Earth Ponies around in carts while Pegasi flew up above and played with clouds like they were fluffy pillows. Stories her parents always told her they’d help make a reality one day. And there were also the stories Professor Tyson told her about how Unicorns lived and how Pegasi flew in modern Equestria. Stories that fascinated her. Things she wanted to see herself. Those tales and the words of her parents conflicted with what Bastion showed her. What her own eyes showed her. Sunny’s breathing picked up. She felt her heart through her vibrating chest with a clammy hoof. “WELL?” Bastion shouted, not giving Sunny much time to collect herself. She was fixated on the dirt, searching for answers that simply weren’t there. She closed her eyes and let her head drop so that her ponytail streaked across the dirty ground. “D-Don’t give up Sunny!” The voice was Izzy’s. Sunny’s head swung around towards the sound. Little Izzy, who must have been hiding in the crowd, emerged into the middle of the market, her entire frame vibrating in abject fear. Her pupils were pinpricks and she had sucked in her lips, fully aware that she was in the center of an entire town’s worth of ponies. Bastion shifted his ever-searching gaze to her. The weight of the gaze was not lost on Izzy. Sunny’s eyes became wide and her pupils shrunk. Her face awoke with terror. “Izzy you were supposed to LEAVE!” Izzy was wearing her sunhat, so her only “crime” was speaking out of turn, as Bastion would rue. However, it didn’t mean she avoided his ire. Bastion strode up to Izzy, his smile as strong as ever, and he beat her down with his stare. “And who are you — another hero come to step forward?! This town seems full of them,” Bastion turned back to his page Nate, “Nate, make a note to come and investigate this town soon for mass treason!” Sunny regulated her breathing and returned to the real world. The tangible world and the tangible little town within it. She remembered where she was and who she was. It was Maretime Bay. She grew up there. It wasn’t anything perfect, for sure, and she wished that she had had more time with her parents — but it was the life she was given. And she knew what she wanted. She always did. Her parents and her shared the same goals in life. Sunny made her decision. “I want to go to Castle Rockhoof!” she spat at Bastion, turning his hate away from poor Izzy, who had turned pale and was literally on the ground. Bastion’s smile grew wide and somewhat sinister. The crowd shirked back with surprise. Sunny continued, fresh energy in her voice and a new determination creased into her brow. “Take me there so I can tell the Protector of the Realm herself that we should give Unicorns and Pegasi a chance — and that if she doesn’t agree, she’s as big an idiot as YOU!” All of the previous veins that had calmed down on Bastion’s neck stood up again, plus an additional fifteen. They popped up like angry ghosts under a blanket of tan fur. The corners of his crescent smile wavered. Everypony in the crowd covered their open mouths. The page Nate secretly cheered in his brain. L-Look at her go, telling off the Left Hoof! The pause was excruciating for anypony except Sunny and Bastion. The crowd was silent and every single throat was dry. Izzy was gone to the world, completely frozen in fear from standing up to the one Knight of the Earth Pony Realm she had never wanted to see again. Finally, Bastion broke the silence when he turned his head up and entered a fit of laughter. Sunny’s serious expression waned, and she raised a confused eyebrow. “Very well!” Bastion cried with mirth once he regained his composure, wiping a tear away. “I am curious to see what punishment you earn for such foolishness.” Bastion turned around and shot Izzy a dire look. “Oh, and you’re coming too, little hero!”