//------------------------------// // Sunny Skies, Rainy Feilds // Story: A Risk She is Willing to Take. // by CreativeCreatures //------------------------------// Even at a young age Sunny was surrounded by stories of heroins saving the world. Now she was one of them! An overflowing joy in the shining sunny sky, a dream that came true! The pony races were now once again together, her new friends living lives they could only dream of! Everything was perfect! Right? Honestly, no. Something always got Sunny curious. Where did her dad get the gem of earth ponies? Why did he hide it from her?  Recently Sunny found an odd map tucked away under her fathers old bed, the reason all the questions came to light. It seemed the same as any other map, but a small red X crossed off a clearing in the everfree forest. He left a note beside it, saying that a secret sat there.     Her father died of mysterious means a long time ago, way before Sunny even learned to question what she knew. He always smiled, saying something about returning to a castle. He wanted to bring her. To show her… something. Maybe the X was where the old castle was? There was a world to explore, and by Celestia's name Sunny was gonna explore it! Who knew what was out there? Who knew WHO was out there? Who knew what the map would bring her to? Where would this adventure bring her friends?  Was she finally gonna find out? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “AUGH!” a high pitched squeal spooked Sunny from her dazed thinking. Turning around quickly expecting danger the orange coated mare only found a close friend of hers hoof stuck in the mud. The over dramatic pegasus, Pipp Petals, wings flapped about in a panicked fashion as the pony let out annoyed wimpers. “Sunny! Why are we out here again?!”  “Because Sunny found a mysterious map in her house, remember?” Izzy quickly answered for her, “so she asked us to come along so, if it's dangerous, we can defeat it together!”  “I don't know if it would be more dangerous than these woods.” Zipp commented, landing beside an angry Hitch, “the leaves are too thick to go through, I can't see above the tree line.”  “Come on guys! Everything will be ok as long as we stick together!” Sunny smiled, causing her friends to loosen up a slight bit. Well, all but Hitch. He continued to have an angry look due to being dragged from his house at 3 in the morning. An understandable anger. “Look, we will be in and out quicker than you can say- woah…”  The group came to an abrupt stop, staring at a destroyed dusting town they have never seen before. The houses’ roofs almost caved in with wood shattering at the sides. Bits of dirt and debris lined the overgrown streets as old market places sat frozen in time. It was like walking into the past, the past of the heroes Sunny loved so much. The rest of the group gawked at the still beauty of the once populated town as Sunny let out a happy little squeak.     It was like her dreams were coming true! She could see the crystalline castle in the distance marking the town as it once was.  The town called Ponyville.  Before Sunny even knew, her hooves were running to the town in pure excitement causing her friends to follow. Pipp, of course, took pictures of practically everything and began live streaming. Zipp flew around the buckled roofs peeking inside houses every now and then. Izzy practically ran ahead of the crew, smelling what she claimed to be old food. Even Hitch was getting in on the action! Before anypony even knew they had all separated to explore different parts of the town and thus leaving Sunny in front of the crystal castle of the once infamous Princess Twilight Sparkle.     It was an amazing spectacle of history which Sunny was so desperate to learn. It towered over her in regal elegance, keeping its royal glow through all those years. The main gates were cracked open practically begging Sunny to come inside which, of course, she gladly obliged. The walls kept their purple sheen as spiderwebs and wood sprinkled the hallways. Once lit lanterns sat in the cold as the room's doors broke at the hinges, showing glimpses of the objects inside. It was amazing, a true blast from the past! Everything was preserved in their original places and hardly touched! It was just… wow!  The excitement continued until she reached a certain room. A throne room. Glowing crystals of memory dangled above the darkened room. Each let out a soft glow casting shadows over ponies sitting on thrones. One in particular was moving back and forth in a rocking motion, almost like it was scared. Was it a pony? A pony in need maybe? How long were they living here? Why weren't others helping? Sunny decided to ask.      There was nothing to lose in making a new friend, right? Gaining the confidence to open the doors fully Sunny attempted a smile. The light shined into the room as the figure quickly ducked around their throne, almost too quick for Sunny to even notice. But, that wasn't something Sunny seemed to care about.     Eyes widening when glancing upon the pony statues, Sunny let out a breath. They were almost all there, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Pinkie, Rarity and Twilight! Sitting in stone upon their thrones, frozen in place.     The statue of Twilight seemed a little less for wear, bits of the stone having cracked almost like they were kicked. The chest had the worst of it, a large crack splitting around the stone causing the head to almost fall off. Whoever kicked it was strong, but holding back some strength for sure.  Entering the room more, Sunny approached the map in the center of the room. Everything seemed frozen, like she was seeing how the world used to look before the races separated. Towns she hardly even heard of dotted the map as it glitched.     Setting her hoof upon the map Sunny mumbled in admiration, this was the old room of the 6 friends’ thrones. Statues remained as a memorial for their kindness. Interestingly, all but one of the friends were there.  “Well I’ll be…” a raspy southern accent spoke from one of the shadowed corners of the room, “if you ain’t Sunny Starscout.'' The voice was low, almost sad. A secret desperate calling lacing each word like it would be their last. Sunny couldn't help but spin, trying to find the sound to no prevail. “Who are you?” Sunny attempted, turning around the room in search. “Why are you here? Did you do something to Applejack's throne? How do you know who I am?”  “Applejack's throne? Like tarderis she deserved it. That mare was only good at being exploited.” Sunny's ears lowered as she moved to a defensive pose. “That's not true, why would you say that?” “How would you know what's true?” the voice snarled, only to compose itself soon after. “Sorry, sorry.. I didn't mean to be rude.” the voice grew clear as an orange hoof exited the darkness. “I know who you are because I sensed you connecting the pony race gems.”  “You sensed it…?”  “Of course I did.” another hoof left the darkness as a dirty wheat mane began to drag, “it's the guardians job after all.” Foggy emerald eyes shined, leaving the shadowy home from which they emerged. Sunny's ears practically dropped as the figure before her stepped into the light.  A hero… no, a legend stood in complete misery. “You.. you can't be..” Sunny stuttered, her voice growing high as her tongue itself wrapped from excitement. “I can be.” Applejack mumbled, stepping around Sunny and plopping down on her old destroyed throne. “I see your dad finally stopped hiding?” the hardened southern accent darkened with anger. “You knew my dad”, Sunny asked. The former farmer mare nodded. One of her heroes… knew her dad. Why didn't her father ever tell her? Was this truly real?  Was Applejack alive?  Was this the surprise? “Ya, ah knew em. He kinda left me to rot here and never came back.. Like the others” stated the hero with a painfully cracked voice. “Others…? By the others you don't mean-” Sunny fell silent, her life's goal suddenly coming into question. If her assumption was right, Applejack had been left in the castle for years alone because of her friends, But it couldn't have been that bad? She was a hero! An unmoving force! She seemed fine anyway! right? “Ya, I mean them. Twilight wanted someone to stay behind ‘er somethin to protect the gems.” Sunny slowly smiled, causing the decrepit farmer to make a confused look. “You're happy about that? Ah mean, I guess? Ah wasn't the best of the group so it would mak-”  “No, you're so cool!” Sunny quickly cut the farmer off, “that's not what the smile was about- oh my i'm so sorry! I’m smiling because I bet there was a good reason!”   “I think I already implied the reason.” Applejack’s confused face scrunched up as she watched the mare before her. “Are y'all alright? You look like yer gonna blow.”  “Alright? I'm looking at one of my greatest heroes!” Sunny giggled, “and I’m walking the same hallowed halls my heroes used to walk all the time! Twilight lived here!” “Ahm honored to be a hero ‘n all but I wanna know why you're here.” Applejack spoke carefully. “Ah, I think we are getting off topic.”  “Right, sorry, me and my friends came here to investigate a mark on a map my father used to have.” “You brought your friends here?” AJ’s eyes grew relatively darker as an annoyed look crossed her face which she quickly covered behind a few blinks. Something wasn't right with the mare.  It was like she was fighting something. “Uhm, I’m sorry again but-” Sunny froze as Applejack suddenly began to leave the room, “wait- where are you going? Didn't you have any questions? I know I have more!” the hero simply nodded as if telling Sunny to follow.  “I'm sorry, ah just don't have long right now.”              Sunny gave a confused look.              "It’s amazing to have met you Sunny.”  “Hey you can't just leave-” AJ froze in place hearing the words. Sunny kept protesting. “Come with us.”  “Come with you…” the old mare muttered, some odd look crossing her eyes. Then, a small smile grew on her lips.  Was she thankful?  It was so hard to tell.  Maybe later Sunny will learn.   “I would like that.”  That friendship will always lead to pain.