//------------------------------//
// Arc 5-5: The Telltale Roc 
// Story: My Little Pony: One as a Family.  "Life in Canterlot" 
// by SaburoDaimando 
//------------------------------//


	The Telltale Roc


Gaffe and Poindexter were wandering the Dance Hall with every pony staring at them like they were weird.  Poindexter was still wearing that green dress and shaggy wig from early ago, while Gaffe was in a tuxedo.  Judging by the look of Gaffe’s face, he looks pretty embarrassed with everyone staring at him.
“I’m beginning to think 8-Bit lost that wager on purpose,”  Gaffe said as he blushed beet-red.
“It’s alright,”  Poindexter whispered to Gaffe.  “We’re just keeping our eyes out on Shining Armor to see if he wins the girl.”
“Yeah,”  Gaffe said as he covered his face with his hoof.  “But I hope I don’t live this scenario down.”
As Poindexter walked alongside Gaffe, they noticed Lemony Gem walking towards them.  She seems to have an interest in them both.
“Hey Gaffe,”  Poindexter said as he poked his bud on the side.  “Remember that lady that Shining Armor went out with?”
Gaffe looked up and saw that Lemony Gem was right in front of them.  It seems she was trying to get their attention by calling for them.
“Excuse me,”  Lemony Gem said to Gaffe and Poindexter.  “Could you two come with me?”
“Are we in trouble with the local Headmistress?”  Gaffe said as he continued to cover his face with his arm.
“No silly,”  Lemony Gem said as she giggled.  “Princess Cadance has called for you both to the side.  We’re going to help get her together with Shining Armor.”
Those words were enough to get the attention of Poindexter and Gaffe.  They had to go out in this ridiculous getup.  But the words of Lemony Gem were enough to make them breathe a sigh of relief.  
“Lead the way,”  Gaffe said.
“Try to keep up you two,”  Lemony Gem said as she turned around and pranced towards the curtains.  Gaffe and Poindexter followed behind, walking behind Lemony Gem.
“Once we get through those curtains, you can take off that silly dress,”  Gaffe said to Poindexter.
“I think I’ll keep this on,”  Poindexter said.  “It does look cute on me.”
That was enough to cause Gaffe to cover his face again with his arm.

Nearby, Shining Armor chuckled at the sigh of Gaffe and Poindexter.  His path to Princess Cadance is a rather easy one.  But at the very least, it’s nice to have friends who are willing to stick up for him.  If not his friends, it’s also his kid sister and her friends.  For Shining Armor, he might as well be the luckiest stallion in Equestria.
“Shining Armor, isn’t it?”  That voice came from the very stallion that had a crush on PRincess Cadance.  Shining Armor turned his head and saw Buck Withers walking up to him with Gad Zookes right behind.  Buck still looked as handsome as ever, wearing the same tuxedo from early ago.
”That would be me,”  Shining Armor said as Buck Withers walked up to him.  
“I was hoping I would meet someone like you,”  Buck said.  “I heard you wanted to be a soldier in the Royal Guard.”
“No doubt about it,”  Shining Armor said with pride.  “I dream of joining the Royal Guard so that I may protect Equestria from those who would attempt to conquer us.”
“Bold words of a bold visionary,”  Buck Withers said as he put his arm around Shining.  “But have you ever thought about going down a different path?”
“A different path?”  Shining Armor asked.
“Why go down the path of a soldier,”  Buck Withers said.  “When you can go down the path of freedom?  Of adventure?  Of exploration?”
“It’s not a bad life, my friend,” Gad Zookes said as he walked towards Shining Armor.  “It’s peaceful, it’s energetic, and there’s no worries.  In fact, I’ve done this gig with ol Buck since I got done with High School.”
“Well no offense,”  Shining Armor said as he was confused by Buck and Gad’s suggestions.  “But that’s not my kind of thing.  Besides, I’m more than willing to lay down my life for the safety of this country.”

Nearby, Princess Cadance was watching from behind the curtain with anticipation.  She waited for this whole moment to finally scare off Buck Withers.  She turned her head towards Princess Celestia, who was just about ready to cast her spell.  Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Abigail and Lemony Gem were also nearby, ready to carry out whatever task they need for this prank.  Celestia looked more like she wanted to cast the spell.
“Can we get this party started?”  Princess Celestia said.  “I’m itching to cast this spell and teach that juvenile delinquent a lesson he won’t forget.”
“Not yet mother,”  Princess Cadance.replied as she looked out the curtain.  “We need to wait for the signal from Abacus Cinch.”
“Still upset over what he did with Wanda?”  Twilight asks Princess Celestia.
“Yes,”  Celestia said anxiously.  “It’s one thing to hold my child.  But traumatizing her?  Even I won’t stand for it.”
“I sure hope this turns out for the best,”  Twilight said.  “If that happened to my little Spikey, I’d pretty much flip out.”
“Hey speaking of which, guess who followed you here.”  That voice came from Poindexter, as he and Gaffe were carrying Baby Spike with them.  Twilight was a bit shocked by Spike’s presence.  
“Spike,”  Twilight said as she approached the baby dragon.  “How did you get here?  I thought you were with mom and dad.”
“You wouldn’t believe who asked us to bring this bambino to you,” Gaffe said as Twilight levitated Spike with her magic.  
“Wait a minute,”  Twilight said as she placed Spike on her back.  “By any chance, did mom and dad come by with him?”
“I believe their names were Twilight Velvet and Night Light,”  Poindexter said.  “They also told me to pass this message to you.”  And with that, Poindexter gives Twilight a written note, who proceeds to read it.

“To my daughter Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight said as she read the note.  “I know we’ve taught you that it’s wrong to hold a grudge.  But I couldn’t bare to see my son cry.  Shining Armor knew Princess Cadance back when she was a young filly, and we’ve known Princess Celestia since then.  To see Buck Withers come between your brother and your foalsitter is disheartening.   Besides, it reminds us back when another mare tried to get between your dad and mom.  What you do tonight, we will not hold it against you.  And we hope it does turn into a happy ending.  From your faithful parents Night Light and Twilight Velvet.”

Twilight Sparkle wiped a tear from her eye and said “Don’t worry mom.  Don’t worry dad.  When this night is over, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance will be together.” 
But as Twilight was crying tears of joy, Danged Spell approached Gaffe and Poindexter, still with a question on his mind.
“How were you able to get him in here?”  Danged Spell asked Gaffe and Poindexter.  “That dress is too small to hide that baby, and you had no bags.  It would have taken a real smart pony to get him through.”
“You’re right,”  Poindexter said as he approached Danged Spell.  “It was impossible for us to do any of the two tasks, as it would cause too much of a distraction.”
“Luckily,” Gaffe said as he pointed to a nearby exit.  “There was more than one entrance.  And didn't you kids sneak through that door?"
In an instant, Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst and Moondancer all laughed at Danged Spell, who looked real embarrassed over the fact that he forgot about the very back door he came from early ago.
"Someone needs to start paying attention,"  Moondancer said as she playfully nudged Danged Spell on the side.
"Oh real cute you chowderhead," Danged Spell said as he lets out a disgruntled snort.
“Besides,”  Poindexter said as he makes a little curtsy.  “We were hoping that 8-bit would show up at the back entrance. But I think he’s spending his time at home on that new Trotlight game.”
“A new Trotlight game?”  Sunset Shimmer asked.  “I thought Reining games were done with 60 bit games.”
“I didn’t know you were into gaming,”  Moondancer said.
“You did introduce me to the Neightendo Swap,”  Sunset said.  “Besides, you happen to be an avid gamer.”
“It does come with a love of outer space,”  Moondancer said as she takes out a toy rocket from her mane and observes it.  “Then again, anyone can be a nerd.  But it takes a lot of dedication to enjoy the very nerdy or geeky cultures.”
“You know,”  Lemony Gem asked.  “It does make me wonder what really makes geeks all that fascinating.  Then again, I wonder if Bucky is a geek on the inside.”
“Hey, speaking of geeks,”  Princess Cadance said as she looked out the curtains.  “Seems Shining Armor is arguing with Buck Withers about me.  This is so exciting.”
Everyone looked at Princess Cadance as if she were stating some kind of joke.
“That was awkward,”  Princess Celestia said as she shrugged.  “Even for you, Cadenza.”
Princess Cadance blew up a tuff of her hair and said “Oh and Chancellor Cinch has arrived.”
The moment that Princess Cadance said those words, everyone got into position.  Wanda, Abigail, the Unicorn Six and Spike were right next to Cadance and Lemony Gem watching from behind the curtains.  Gaffe and Poindexter watched as Princess Celestia was primed to create a Roc illusion with her magic.
"Do you really know how to do an illusion spell?" Poindexter asked Celestia.
"Compared to raising the sun," Princess Celestia said as she got ready to cast an illusion spell.  "This is a piece of chocolate cake."

Meanwhile, in the dance hall, a group of attendees were surrounding Shining Armor and Buck Withers, as the two got into an arguing match.  Gad Zookes was watching from the stands, rooting for Buck to outdebate the older brother of Twilight Sparkle.
"Look," Shining Armor yelled.  "I have known Princess Cadance since I was a colt.  You can't just march in here and declare yourself her future husband."
"And what makes you think you can be her future husband?"  Buck Withers said with fire in his eyes.  "When all you do is stay indoors and play those silly games with your dorky friends?"
"At least I am dedicated to my friends," Shining said, undeterred by Buck's choice of words.
"So you admit to being a dork?" Buck said, snorting out steam from his nose.
"Better to be a dork than to be a jerk like you," Shining said as his eyes are fixated on Buck.
"And here I thought the zoo was full of monkeys."  That voice came from Chancellor Abacus Cinch, who appeared to the side of both stallions, startling the crowd surrounding them.  
"Chancellor Cinch?" Shining Armor said as he started to calm down.  "What are you doing here?"
"Relax young one," Chancellor Cinch said.  "I just came here for the entertainment."
And with that, Chancellor Cinch walked by a confuses Shining Armor and Buck Withers, pausing only to give out a cold glance at Buck, before making her way to the bleachers.
Shining Armor and Buck Withers continued to look at Cinch with an awkward look.  Nether pony, nor the other attendees could make out why the Chancellor was in the Fall Formal Festival.
"That came right out of nowhere," Shining Armor whispered to Buck Withers.
"For once," Buck said.  "I agree with you.  I can not fathom what is in her head, coming by when she had no plans for this evening."
“It’s like sometimes,” Shining Armor said.  “She appears right out of nowhere and hovers over your shoulder to make sure you’re not acting like a juvenile delinquent.”
“And she really needs to lighten up,”  Buck said as he snorts with a disgruntled puff.  “All over a game of Ring around the Rosie?  Has she ever considered getting out into nature for once?”
“I heard that,”  Abacus Cinch said as she took her seat in the auditorium benches, glairing cold daggers at both Shining Armor and Buck Withers.  Buck and Shining looked at each other with a bit of a nervous look on their faces.
“I think we better go back to arguing like we did,”  Shining Armor said as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
“You go first,”  Buck Withers said as his eyes shrunk a bit.
Shining Armor cleared his throat and took in a breath of fresh air.  He looked like he was about to yell when he noticed Buck standing there dead silent, like something was coming to get him.  
“Hey Buck,”  Shining said as he waved his hoof in front of him.  “Are you okay?”
“R...r..r….r...r...r,”  Buck said as he shook nervously, his eyes were wide open, and his teeth chattered.
“You’re making with the R sounds,”  Shining Armor said.  “But for some reason, I can’t make out what it is.”  As Shining Armor continued to show concern for Buck Withers, a large shadow towered over both Stallions.  Shining realized something was odd as he noticed the shadow and Buck pointing right behind him.
“ROC!”  Buck Withers yelled as he freaked out.  “A GIANT ROC!”
Shining Armor turned around and looked up.  A giant Roc was staring down at him and Buck Withers, looking like he was going to eat both ponies.   Shining Armor’s eyes shrunk as his ears drooped down in fear.
“That’s what you meant,”  Shining Armor said to Buck before screaming through the top of his lungs.  The moment he does that, the Roc opens its mouth and lets loose an ear-piercing screech.  Every student turned their heads towards the Roc and also began to shake in fear.
“THAT’S IT!”  Buck Withers yelled.  “EVERY PONY FOR THEMSELVES!”
And without warning, Buck Withers ran off in the opposite direction, running towards the back door and hoping to get away from that Roc.
“Don’t let the Roc eat you,” Buck Withers chanted as he ran towards the door.  But as he was about to reach the exit, the giant Roc flies on in, and lands right in front of the door.  It glances down at Buck Withers, looking ready to strike.
“H...Hello there Mr Roc,”  Buck Withers said as he was shaking in his hooves.  “I take it you want to….eat me.”
Without a second thought, the Roc screeches at Buck Withers again.  Scared of the giant bird, Buck Withers turns tail and makes a run for as the Roc chases him around the dance hall.  Every student watches in horror as that giant bird chased Buck.  All except Shining Armor, who was sitting next to Chancellor Cinch as the duo watched Buck get chased down.
“So you were in on this plot,”  Shining Armor said as he watched Buck run for his dear life from the Roc.
“I may be a lady of traditions and rules,”  Chancellor Cinch said.  “But when a juvenile delinquent decides to horse around and treat me like a ragdoll, I’m more than willing to bite back.”
“By the way,” Shining Armor said. “Apologies for the comments I made to you.  I was just surprised by your presence.”
“Apology accepted,” Cinch said as she took a sip of earl grey tea.  “But next time, I’d be careful with your choice of words.”  She then lets out a chuckle and said “A Windigo Cultist paid with humiliation when he called me a Weak and Useless leader.”  Those words were enough to make Shining Armor wince a bit.
Down in the main floor of the dance hall, Buck Withers continued to run as fast as he could while the giant Roc was chasing him.  Gad Zookes was running up towards his friend, trying to catch up while staying clear of the bird.
“Bucky,”  Gad Zookes yells.  “Try playing dead.  It won’t harm ya.”
“Play dead at this moment?”  Buck Withers yells back.  “ARE YOU CRAZY?”
“Trust me,”  Gad Zookes yells.  “I’ve been in this situation before and it works.”
But before Buck could say anything, the Roc picks up Buck by the collar and throws him across the dance hall.  The scared stallion could only yell before crashing into a nearby table with refreshments.
“Oh dear,”  Gad said as he watched Buck pick himself up and shake some of the punch off his coat.
But as Buck Withers looked around, hoping not to see that Roc, he noticed Baby Spike sitting on the ground, playing with what appears to be his Emerald Engagement Ring that he was going to give to Princess Cadance.  Without a second moment, Buck Withers ran up to Spike.
“Now now little one,”  Buck Withers said as he quickly plucked the ring from Spike’s hands before the bambino could eat it.  “That is not a plaything.” 
Buck Withers proceeded to pocket the ring.  But as he looked forward, he saw Spike with tears in his eyes, as if his toy was taken away.
“Aww,” Buck Withers said as he picked up Spike.  “Do you need a reason to smile?”
But as Buck Withers raised Spike into the air, the baby dragon breathed fire in the stallion’s face, leaving him badly burnt and black-faced.  Buck Withers looked dumbfounded as Spike jumped out of his arms.
“Real cute,”  Buck Withers said as he shook his head back and forth, removing the black dust from his face and restoring it to normal.  But as he was about to take a step, he heard the sound of a cat growling and a bite.  This caused Buck’s eye to shrink down as he yelled real loud and jumped into the air, holding onto his butt in pain, before grabbing onto a light post.
The one responsible for that bite was little Abigail, who snickered with glee before giving Baby Spike a high five.  Buck Withers looked down and saw both Spike and Abigail, as he was shaking in fear from being up high on that light post.
Without a warning, a burst of magic surrounded Spike and Abigail, pulling the both away from the center of the hall and right behind the curtains.

“You two are a bunch of sneaky little brats,”  Princess Cadance said with a smirk as she pulled Abigail and Spike back behind the curtain.  “Didn’t anyone tell you not to mess with the jerks that we grown ups are messing with?”  Wanda was able to grab onto Abigail while Spike landed safely on Twilight’s back.
“That was a close one,” Wanda said as she and Abigail cuddled each other.  “I thought that mean ol Buck Withers might have stepped on your tail again.”  The little cat said nothing, but purred as she rubbed her cheek on Wanda’s hand.
“I’ll say,” Twilight said as Spike gave her a big hug.  “But didn’t you teach that Buck Withers a wittle wesson.”
“You know Cadance,”  Lemony Gem said as she looked out the curtains.  “I think Buck Withers suffered enough.  That bird will have him scared for days.”
“You’re right,”  Cadance said as she turns her head towards Celestia.  “Mother.  Please disable your illusion.”
“And I was having so much fun,”  Princess Celestia said with a chuckle as the glow on her horn faded.  She was reluctant in wanting to cause the illusion to disappear, mainly because she’s still bitter about what Buck did to Wanda.  But at the same time, she had to show some class just to set a proper example for her daughters.  
“Aww,”  Sunset said, disappointed.  “Why’d you do that mommy?”
“As much as I wanted to scare Buck even more,”  Princess Celestia said.  “I think there comes a point where they’ve learned their lesson.  And I’m hoping that Buck Withers has learned his.  Thankfully, that was only an illusion, and not real.”
As Celestia finished her speech, they heard a loud crash outside.  Princess Cadance, Lemony Gem, Wanda and Twilight looked outside to see the Giant Roc standing there in the middle of the dance hall.  Everyone in the crowd was hiding under the tables, fearing for their lives.  Shining Armor and Chancellor Cinch dove right under the seats, hoping not to be noticed.
“Mom,”  Cadance yelled.  “I thought you got rid of the illusion.”
“I did,” Celestria replied as she looked out.  There, she saw the very Roc that stood over every Pony in the Dance Hall.  Above the big bird was a giant hole in the ceiling.
“Uhh Princess Cadance?”  Celestia said as she became real nervous.  “I think that’s a real Roc.”

Up in the ceiling, Buck Withers was hanging on for dear life as he stared at the mere sight of the real Giant Roc.  The bird glanced at Buck, looking like he’s ready for his next meal.  Buck shook as if his entire life flashed before his very eyes.
“Uhh,”  Buck Said as he held on, preparing for the worst to happen. “Nice birdy.  You don’t want to eat me, do you?”
The Giant Roc screeched as Buck Withers screamed.  But before the Roc could bite down on his next supper, Buck Withers lets go and goes falling downward, crashing into some of the tables below.  A couple of the students emerged from below, looking upwards at the ravenous Roc, ready for dinner.
“I don’t want to be a bird’s breakfast.”  One of the students said as she cowered behind Buck Withers.  “Save us, oh great Bucky.”
“I wish I could,”  Buck Withers said as he stared death in the face.  “But I have this long fear of Rocs since I was a child.”
Up above, the Roc lets out an ear-piercing screech as it flapped its wings, causing enough force for the tables to flip over and for Buck to go flying into a nearby wall, crashing his back there.  But it wasn’t hard enough to knock him out.  Just give him a bit of pain in his back.
“Uggh,”  Buck said as he rubbed his back.  “This is part of the reason why I’m afraid of Rocs.  Mommy, I wish you were still here.”

But as the Roc continued to flap its wings, the curtains that hid Wanda, the Unicorn Six, Abigail, Spike, Lemony Gem, the Princesses and Shining Armor’s friends broke off as powerful winds blasted through the Dance Hall.  Everyone was at the mercy of the Roc.
“Hang on,”  Princess Celestia said as she rushed to grab Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Danged Spell and Moondancer.  Both Gaffe and Poindexter were able to get ahold of Abigail and Spike respectively.  
Meanwhile, Wanda and Twilight were holding onto Princess Cadance and Lemony Gem, struggled to hang on as the winds were pushing them as hard as possible.
“Don’t let go,”  Princess Cadance said.  “We have you.”
“I can’t sis,”  Wanda yelled as her grip began to loosen.
“I don’t want to die,”  Twilight yelled as she struggled to hang onto Lemony Gem.
“I’ve got you,”  Lemony said as she held onto Twilight as strong as she could.
With another blast of wind, Cadance and Lemony lost their grips as Wanda and Twilight flew out of their hooves and into the middle of the dance hall.  They both collided with a table as it fell on them both, pinning them down.  Twilight and Wanda let out an ear-piercing scream, catching the attention of the Roc.
“Oh no,”  Princess Cadance said as she watched that big bird stare closely at Wanda and Twilight.  “Mother.  They need our help.”
“On it,”  Princess Celestia yelled as she let loose a blast of magic at the Roc, hitting the beast right in the face.  Princess Cadance was able to find an opening between her and the girls who are still trapped under the table.
“Quickly,”  Princess Cadance said to Lemony Gem.  “We gotta help them.”
“Right,”  Lemony Gem said.  And without warning, the two girls ran up to Wanda and Twilight, hoping to free them from the table.
Suddenly, the Roc was able to duck underneath the magic blast.  It glanced down at Cadance and Lemony Gem before flapping its giant wings again.  The powerful gusts were enough to send both ponies flying backwards before colliding with Princess Celestia.  The impact caused Celestia to halt the use of her magic as she, Cadance and Lemony Gem land in a pile of coiled up ropes, getting tangled up by the mess..
“That wasn’t supposed to happen,”  Princess Celestia said as she struggled to break free.
“I can’t get loose,”  Princess Cadance yelled as she tried desperately to get out.
“Somepony….HELP THEM!”  Lemony Gem yelled as she could do nothing.

Back on the dance floor, Buck Withers was able to pick himself up from being pushed into the wall.  He looked around and saw ponies running for their lives as the Roc faced away from the stallion of adventure.  It looked like it was his time to leave, until Gad Zookes ran up to him.
“Bucky,”  Gad said as he approached Buck Withers.  “We need your help, badly.”
“In the presence of that beast?”  Buck Withers said as he was still afraid of one big bad Roc.  “No way.”
“But it’s a crisis,”  Gad said as he pointed his hoof towards Wanda and Twilight, still trapped under the table, and completely helpless.  “Those kids need our help.  If we don’t get to them soon, they’ll be a Roc’s supper.”
Something within Buck’s eyes changed.  Fear had left his sight, and pure determination filled his pupils.  His teeth clenched with anger as he took a tough stance.
“Gad old friend,”  Buck said as he was about to grab his whip.  “If I don’t make it out of this one, it’s been an honor to have you by my side.”

Up ahead, the Giant Roc looked down at Wanda and Twilight.  The two kids were shaking nervously as the bird looked at them with a cold stare.
“Uhh, you don’t think he’ll eat us, do you?”  Wanda asked as she looked into the eyes of the bird.
“I’m afraid so,”  Twilight said as she couldn’t take her eyes away from the Roc’s gaze.  “Just imagine a giant owl and we’re mice.”
“That’s not really reassuring,” Wanda said before she and Twilight yelled really loud as the Roc flew towards the duo, ready to grab them with its talons.
“HEY, BEAST!  LEAVE THOSE KIDS ALONE!”  That voice came from Buck Withers, whose teeth are tightly gripped onto his whip as he ran towards the bird.  
Buck proceeded to swing his whip to his left, grabbing onto a hard piece of fallen debris from the ceiling.  With a twirl of his whip and a mighty swing, Buck hurled the debris chunk as hard as he could.  
The chunk connected right on the head of the Roc.  The bird let out a painful screech as it collapsed onto the floor, right near Wanda and Twilight.  The duo could only watch as the bird slid to a complete stop before the debris chunk landed nearby.  But as the Roc was finally put out of commission, the duo could do nothing, but continue to shake nervously by what they had seen.
Buck Withers emerged from the dust generated by the beast’s fall.  A hint of surprise had filled his eyes.
“I...I did it,”  Buck said as he began to tear up.  “I beat the Roc.  I won.   YES!”
And with that, Buck Withers jumped into the air, cheering at his victory over the real Roc.  Fellow students joined in the cheer, chanting “Hero” and “You did it.”  
“Bucky baby,” Buck Withers said to himself.  “This will be a night for me to remember.”


	To Be Continued in…


	Confronting the Hero