From an undisclosed location, somewhere in the middle of the woods, known as the Forbidden Forest in Caribouria, not much is known about this place, but it is rumored to hold many dark secrets. At different locations, several glowing lights appeared, revealing four individuals.
Emily noticed and exclaimed, “Frosty!!”
Frosty was caught off guard when Emily hugged her brother, with him returning the gesture.
“Whoa, there you are.” Said Genus. “What happened?”
“No idea,” said Silver. “We were teleported somewhere, but I’m not sure where.”
“Ditto on that.” Said Frosty after Emily was done hugging him. But he noticed they were three short. “Wait, where’s Beau, Bucky, and Bolt?”
They looked around and noticed that the three of them weren’t around.
“The hell did they go?” said Genus as he looked around.
“Doesn’t matter.” Said Silver as he got serious. “Wherever we are, we came here for a reason. So we’d better get going.”
“Yeah, and pass a few stories.” Said Emily. “It’s going to be a long one.”
The three agreed and traveled down the path, hoping they would find the others in time.
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From within the fog, near what appeared to be water, Bolt was instantly teleported.
But he needed clarification on where he was.
“The hell?” muttered Bolt as he looked around. But then he moved forward, trying to find his way around. “Where the hell am I?”
“Cole….”
Bolt sharply looked around while he was startled. He heard his old name, which he hadn’t called himself in years. He sharply looked around, trying to find out who said it.
“So…you’re here.” Said a familiar voice.
Bolt turned to his left, and to his shock, he saw a man he had hated all his life…his father, Corey Bolton.
“Figured that you didn’t die when you fell off that ladder.”
Bolt gripped his fists at the very sight of that man.
“Look at you,” said Corey Bolton as he took a few steps towards him. “Thinking that you have a happy life, pretending to be happily married to a horse-faced bird who only cares about herself and leaving others to dust. She’s a whore just like your mother.”
“And who do you think you’re fooling?”
Bolt was shocked to hear another voice. And looking back, it was none other than Dr. Luther Paradigm, the same man who ruined his cousin” business.
“How do you know she loved you?” said the doctor. “You never trusted anyone since you first got there. I took everything away from you, and you became bitter and never wanted to trust anyone old or new.
He stood near him and said, “And one of these days, your new friends in Equestria will betray that trust.”
Soon the two of them stood in front of him.
“And your son…is nothing more than a hideous freak,” said Corey.
“And too bad they weren’t on my world; otherwise, I’d love to experiment on both of them as my own personal….” Said Luther Paradigm.
Having enough, Bolt used his Shark Blade and struck both of them, making them collapse on the ground. As the two were in pain, Bolt stood near them.
“Don’t you ever, ever!! Talk shit about my wife and son again. Do you understand me?!!”
He looked at his father and said, “You’re so full of it. You didn’t care about anyone else. You blamed mom for your mistakes; you were why I ended up being like this. She did everything for you, but all you cared about was boning her; you didn’t even like me the day I was born. You became an abusive drunk and made our lives a living hell.”
Bolt lifted his sleeve, revealing a scar on his left shoulder.
“A son can never choose his father. For this was the only thing, you ever gave me.” He placed the sleeve back in its place, saying: “I hated you until the day you died. I heard that you died in prison. That’s the least you deserved. I don’t need to be better through other people because unlike you, I did that myself.”
He looked at Doctor Luther Paradigm next.
“My Uncle trusted you. My cousins trusted you. I trusted you. You were a good man, once a man who stood for the good of science, and you threw it all away by illegally experimenting on people. I thought you’d have a change of heart. Instead, you burnt it all to the ground, destroying everything the Bolton Family had worked for. I’m glad you died of a heart attack later, for that’s the least you deserve.”
He looked at them dead and said, “You two are done. I’m through letting the likes of you push me around. And for the first time in my life…I’m finally free. And I’m planning to live my life. And there ain’t a damn thing you can do about it.”
Bolt walked away, not bothering to look back. For what he said was all he needed. Within mere moments, Doctor Paradigm and Corey Bolton disappeared, leaving Bolt finally to finish what he wanted to say.
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In a secondary location from within the fog, near what appeared to be a few trees, Bucky was instantly teleported next to them.
“What the…?” muttered Bucky while he looked around. “This isn’t right. I was supposed to be with the others. Why…?”
“Buck…”
Bucky froze in his tracks and widened his eyes. For he heard two voices speak out at the same time, voices that he knew all too well.
“Oh no,” said Bucky to himself.
Out of the shadows were none other than his deadbeat parents, the ones who treated him like a criminal.
“You’ve got some nerve to still be alive after what you’ve done.” Said his father.
“You could’ve taken responsibility for your sister’s death…” said the mother before she was cut off.
“Let me stop you there.” Said Bucky, but before he could talk, he suddenly grabbed them both by the throats and strangled them.
“You cannot do this to us!!” shouted his father.
“We are your parents!!” shouted his mother. “What are you doing?!”
“Something I should’ve done a long time ago,” responded Bucky. “Standing up to you!!!”
He bashed their heads against one another and tossed them hard onto the ground. Both groaned, but they listened to Bucky as he spoke directly to them.
“I didn’t kill my sister.” Said Bucky. “You two did.”
He squinted his eyes and said, “You don’t remember, do you? Well, let me refresh your memory.”
He kept his focus on them to make sure they would listen.
“Long before Daisy had cancer,” began Bucky, “She was really sick. She wouldn’t make it; she would have some part of her body damaged when it happened. I told her we should take her to the hospital, but you didn’t want to and said it would be too expensive.”
He looked at them angrily and shouted, “I know we didn’t have that much money, but what the hell kind of parent would refuse to take their child to a proper doctor!!”
He calmed a bit, then said, “But you decided to buy medicine from a con man. I told you we shouldn’t buy something from a stranger, but you didn’t listen. You were so desperate to try to save her you never considered the consequences that would follow.”
Then he gripped his fists in anger. “Yeah, it may have saved her. But then, the next thing I knew, she secretly began to cough blood. I was horrified; I didn’t know what was going on. But going on a hunch, I took the medicine you gave her and gave it to a real doctor to see what kind it was. He told me that the medicine you gave her may have cured her illness, but it caused her body to relapse, eliminating most of her cells and, in turn, what gave her cancer.”
Bucky’s tears began to build up, and he said, “And the day when she was so weak, you finally took her to a proper doctor, who told her she had cancer. They wanted to perform an operation on her, but again, you refused proper treatment. And she bravely fought it for the past two years until she died.”
He shed a tear or two, then shouted, “And then you had the gall to blame me!! ME!! Your own son!! For something, I didn’t do!! Every problem you had, you kept blaming me!! You made me feel like a criminal; you kept blaming me that I killed Daisy. I didn’t kill her!!”
He stood over them as they looked at him back, showing actual fear in their eyes. He then squinted his eyes and said, “You two did. And then you didn’t show up at my graduation and had the gall to kick me out before I could find my own place in the world.”
Things were tense between them, and they kept quiet throughout most of the conversation. But Bucky was able to calm down and wiped his tears.
“After I left, I had no other reason to live. Even after I died.” Said Bucky. But then he managed a smile and said, “But after I died, I somehow was alive by a miracle. I found a home, a mare I loved, a family, and a child, one that I cherish more than anything, and I vowed I’d be a better parent than you two ever were. And for the first time in my life, I have a family to return to.”
But then his smile grew wider. “Then a miracle.”
He looked at them and said, “I found out my sister was alive. She had been here ever since she was eight. I wasn’t there for her, yet she had already become a strong woman. I made peace with her, and we became a family again. I’ll make sure I’ll protect her.”
He walked past them and said, “No matter what, I’ll always have a family. You got nothing. Enjoy living your pathetic life. I now have my own family to go back to.”
He then walked away with his eyes closed. But right before both parents disappeared, he then said, “Goodbye. Mom and dad.”
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In a third location from within the fog, near what appeared to be a grassy field, Beau was instantly teleported next to them.
“Whoa, where am I?” said Beau. “I that I was supposed to be with the others.”
But as he looked at the fog, he instantly realized what it was, given his knowledge of old legends.
“Whoa, I recognize the fog.” Said Beau. “The fog nearly looks like Niflheim. They say the fog can show your deepest fears and torments.”
“Thomas…,” said an eerie voice.
Beau recognized the voice. Or voices, in this case. He sighed and knew all too well who they were. He looked to his right and saw that. Both his parents. The deadbeat father and the workaholic mother.
“So…” said Beau as he looked at them, trying to keep a straight face. “It’s you two.”
“What?” said the father. “Not surprising to see us?”
“No,” said Beau. “Figured I’d bump into you one day. Never figured I’d be here.”
“And why not?” said the mother. “We’re finally together after all this time. To be a family.”
“Family?” scoffed Beau. “Like you ever cared about family.”
“How dare you.” Said the father.
“No, how dare you.” Said Beau. “You had the gall to think that both of you are responsible parents, yet all you did was neglect me. You never even bothered to spend time with me.”
He looked at his father and said, “You’re nothing but a deadbeat gambler, who only cared about betting and wasting money, and yet you didn’t even bother to spend time with your family. What you did affect us. No wonder your father disowned you after what you did.”
He then turned to his mother and said, “And you’re also cold, you’re also calculating, you never told me you loved me, you never even told me you liked me. You’re always working and never had any time for me. All I wanted was parents who loved and accepted me, not forcing me to do stuff I was never happy over. And because of that, I never had any friends. And leaving your child and making their lives miserable. Is that what they called parenthood in your day?”
“It was to teach you respect.” Said the mother. “And you acted like a spoilt brat, and you were ungrateful.”
“I was just a kid!!” shouted Beau. “We’re not supposed to be geniuses!! We’re not supposed to be grateful!! We’re supposed to eat your food, break your heart, make mistakes and find our own way in life, you selfish pricks!! Because of you, I was so afraid to become you that I never wanted to have a family of my own.”
Beau then held a finger in front of them to be silenced, saying, “But I ended up finding what I really wanted. I finally gained friends. I finally found someone who loved me for who I was. I even gained a daughter and made sure she grew up right. But you know what I’m equally ashamed of?”
He took a few steps forward and said, “You didn’t tell me of our legacy.”
They quirked their eyebrows at this.
“Long ago,” said Beau, “We were born in another world, the House of Rohan, and we were respected by other creatures. But because of certain events, we were forced to leave. Since then, the stories have been passed down. Then one day, by the time you two were born, you didn’t want to continue to tell the tale. You threw away the very legacy that we stood for. And because of that, innocent people from Equestria got hurt, all because you two wanted more money and wasted it away. How much is enough for you two?”
“Don’t you dare think you know what we do,” said Beau’s mother. “You don’t understand any of my business, and I had the perfect future planned out for you.”
“You’re future!! Not mine!!” shouted Beau, silencing the both of them. “When I was back home, I didn’t know what I wanted. But since the day I came to Equestria. I feel like I’m making a major difference.”
They were silent for a moment until Beau decided to walk past them, but then his mother talked to him again, making him stop and look at her.
“Thomas, stop.” His mother said, “If you had just let us explain, you’d realize that you’re talking nonsense.”
“No,” said Beau. “All my life, I did what you two wanted me to do. And now…I’m controlling my own future. My own Destiny.”
Beau then walked closer to them and said, “And what you want, that’s never going to happen. For every decision you make, I’ll always defy them, and unlike today, you don’t get to tell me what to do. And no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you threaten me, you will never change how I think, and you will never change how we live.”
He stopped near them and said, “You talk about throwing away one’s life and future? Well, congratulations. You both just did it a long time ago. And you stopped being my family. You’re a disgrace to the Rohan name. Maybe one day you will know the meaning of the word.”
Beau walks away, feeling a great sense of pride for the first time in years, and very soon, his parents disappear, too, for Beau’s trial is finally complete.
****************************************************************************************************
From outside of the fog, a large ship that nearly resembled a Viking’s ship, things have been quiet. Finally, Silver, Genus, Frosty, and Emily came out of the thick fog while waving their hands around, trying to clear their way without any problems. Pretty soon, they saw a large clearing. They saw the docked ship waiting for someone or something from that clearing.
“Whoa,” said Silver. “Is that a Viking ship?”
“It looks that way,” said Genus. “But I also see that there are also a few Caribou designs there too.”
“He’s right.” Said Emily. “I can tell by its symbols and murals on all sides.”
Frosty then looked to his left and said, “Hey, I can see the others.”
They looked in his direction, and true to his word, Beau, Bucky and Bolt walked out of the fog and made their way to the others.
“Guys, you’re okay.” Said Emily.
“If you can call going through a Norse-like fog where we had to face some parts of our past, okay.” Said Bolt.
“Really?” said Frosty. He suddenly looked at the audience and muttered, “Oh wait, of course, they did.”
“So, now that we’re all here, where to now?” asked Emily.
“Ah, I see all of you have made it.”
They turned in the right direction and saw that it was Brightstar. She smiled and said, “Congratulations on making it here.”
“Okay, we passed your trials,” said an impatient Bolt. “So now what?”
“Hey,” said Beau as he looked at them while exclaiming, “Show my grandma some
respect.”
All of them were taken aback by this.
“Hold on a second!!” said Frosty as he suddenly took out a glass of water, took a sip, and did a spit take, which surprised Emily simultaneously.
“That’s your grandma!!” exclaimed Silver.
“You’re grandma is a pony?! How?!” exclaimed Genus.
“There is a ton to explain,” said Brightstar as she gestured to the ship and said, “Now come. While I focus on taking all of you where you need to go, Beau will explain the situation.”
Soon, the lot of them boarded their ship. Once all of them boarded, the gangplank instantly got retracted. When they got on board, they were surprised to see the size of the ship, especially since it had a small bonfire for those who wanted to sit around it and make small talk.
“All of you rest up,” said Brightstar. “You could use a break after what you just went through.”
Brightstar walked to the front of the ship and used her magic to make the ship’s sails drop, then used her magic to make it move at a slow pace, for it had been a long time since anyone had used this and traveled through the waters. The husbands and Emily went over to the bonfire, and they could light it up. They sat around it, and Beau decided to tell them.
“Alright, spill.” Said Bolt. “How is it that your grandmother is a pony?”
“She’s my great-grandmother, actually. And there was more to it.” Said Beau. He then sighed as he didn’t know how to tell them. “You see…”
Then all of a sudden, Frosty stood up and…
“You’re actually a descendant of a human in a powerful family known as the House of Rohan among hundreds of thousands of others who used to live in this world alongside many other creatures and who grew up alongside Gusty the Great and Brightstar, but then one day when they realized the true dangers of the world out there, you three, along with many humans and other creatures that were selected from around the world were chosen by the powers of harmony to make you Knights, known as the knights of harmony that nearly resembled the Kamen riders that PostarMonkey50’s partner, Dragonknight92 thought up. And during that time, they, alongside the kingdom of Cunabula and the Caribou, created the Trees of harmony around the world, but then Discord came along and nearly destroyed everything. And in turn, Cunabula betrayed them and wanted to destroy them. Still, thanks to the Caribou, they were hidden until the handful of Knights from Cunabula betrayed them to Grogar and his legion of monsters. We have won, but it came at a price as many of the Knights had been slain. Then suddenly, over time, every creature hated the humans, and they had no choice but to leave Equestria and live in another world where we first came from. As for your great-grandmother, after she was married to a human named Achilles and she gave birth to their son, she became immortal no thanks to Grogar’s bewitching bell. Now all of us have come back to this world not only because of our good hearts but because we are descendants of the Knights of harmony, and now we are here to become Knights to live up to our family’s legacies.”
After that huge speech, Frosty made a “Squee” sound as he smiled brightly. As a result…
Everyone stared at Frosty awkwardly, while Beau’s mind officially broke with his jaw dropped and slowly pointed at Frosty at how he knew that. Frosty suddenly blinked in surprise while holding his head as he said, “Whoa…that was trippy.”
“Uh, I’m pretty sure that’s not what he was going to say.” Said Bolt.
“Nope, I actually did.” Said Beau.
All of them were taken aback by this revelation.
“So wait…” said Bucky as he looked at Frosty. “How the heck did you know all of that.”
“I would say just a hunch,” said Frosty. “But if you must know, I pulled a Pinkie Pie. Meaning…”
“Breaking the 4th wall.” Said Emily surprised, which surprised the guys too.
“Does this mean…?” said Genus in worry.
“That I’ll start acting like my wife?” said Frosty. “Yeah, pretty much. Although it won’t be so bad. At least I’ll be able to catch up to both my wife and kids.”
“So then, before I talk about this,” said Beau, “Who’ll start first?”
“Emily will because of, you know, lady’s first.” Said Frosty, which surprised Emily a little. “Then myself, then Bolt, then Genus, then Silver, then Bucky, and then Beau.”
They nodded in agreement. During the trip, everyone took their seats and told their stories.
Emily told her story of how she met a young dragon and helped her with something she really wanted, then encountered a female dragon and fought. After Emily won, she gained what she was looking for, and the young dragon was the female dragon’s child, who earned their trust.
Frosty started when he was in a Looney Tune type of situation; he had to try to outrace a certain rabbit that was the knockoff version of Bugs Bunny. But thanks to one that looked like Daffy Duck, he beat the rabbit in his own game and learned how to break the 4th wall.
Bolt explained that he met shark versions of his cousins and, surprisingly, a mermaid pony of Rainbow Dash. They fought against shark-like beings that looked like a certain doctor and one that looked like Queen Chrysalis, which made them roll their eyes at that one, especially since he still hadn’t gotten over Chrysalis, nearly using them as her own personal sex toy.
Genus started off when he met a different version of his wife, but she was bolder than his wife, and what made them laugh was that Angel was there too, but he had the voice of Kevin Heart. But what surprised them was that the hunter he encountered was the same man who poisoned the animals that worked at the reserve.
Silver started when he met a version of his wife that got turned into a dragon by a woman who looked like Suri, but she was turned into a dragon because of her selfish nature, not thanks to her father. So after he yelled at her and put her straight, they and a wolf named Lobo headed off to confront her. But he remembered that magic comes at a price and that he needed to give for her to lift the spell over the princess. As a result, he did give something, but he wasn’t going to tell; eventually, he passed his trial.
Bucky started when he helped a family get medicine for their youngest, but the one wanted to buy medicine that would kill her. There was a way, and that was to win a boxing match, and seeing that the eldest couldn’t compete because of his injury, he took his place. After much training, Bucky won and the medicine. Ultimately, the girl was saved, and Bucky passed his trial.
What Beau told them took them all by surprise. He landed in a different Equestria, where Chrysalis, instead of attacking at the Canterlot Wedding, attacked Princess Celestia, impersonated her, and flooded the entire world while seemingly killing Luna and banished her to the bottom of the ocean, and that all their wives and Spike became the opposite of themselves, and that all of them served as part-time mercenaries to make ends mead. Seeing that Twilight was too much of a coward to face the fake Celestia, she and the others chose to not do anything while the rest of the world suffered. While disguised, Beau decided to take matters into his own hands by bringing Sunset Shimmer back, freeing Discord, rescuing the real Celestia and Luna, and killing Fancy Pants. After scaring the Mane 6 and Spike back into shape, they got their fighting spirit back. With Discord’s help, they restored the world and launched a large attack at Canterlot to stop Chrysalis. After much fighting, Beau defeated and killed Chrysalis, freeing Equestria from her torment. Soon after that, Beau restored Equestria, made both Twilight and Sunset two new princesses, and promised not to let what he had given them back go to waste; thus, he won his trial and returned.
“Whoa,” said Bucky as he couldn’t believe his ears “Our wives in the parallel dimension had it rough.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” said Silver. “I’m glad you were able to help them out.”
“Same here.” said Beau, “Although I felt bad for yelling at them like that.”
“Hey, they needed tough love, even if they don’t want to hear it.” Said Bolt.
“But still,” said Frosty as he managed a smile, “Even if our Sunset never became a Princess, I’m glad that there was at least one Sunset Shimmer out there who became a Princess like she always wanted.”
“And I’m so proud of you, buddy.” Said Emily with a grin and playfully backhanded
Beau’s shoulder. “You helped her on the right path. You convinced her to help and taught her the difference between right and wrong. Even convinced to change her ways.”
“Even if our history didn’t show it,” said Beau, “They would’ve made excellent rulers.”
Beau lowered his eyes and said, “Maybe I can convince Celestia to make her a Princess. I mean, she’s already proven herself time and again to save her friends at Canterlot High and knows what it’s like to be a leader.”
“You think she’ll go with that?” asked Silver.
“Beau’s right about one thing.” Said Emily. “Sunset didn’t become a Princess because she didn’t know what it was like to be a leader. But now…maybe we can change fate.”
“Anything’s possible.”
They all saw Brightstar approach them, then stand near them.
“Sunset had the great quality of being a princess,” said Brightstar. “But because of Celestia, she didn’t teach her the right way or try hard enough. Certain events allowed her to see the error of her ways and learn what it meant to be a leader. Thanks to Princess Twilight and her friends from CHS, Sunset has proven herself time and time again. Maybe she will be ready to become one when the time is right.”
“One can hope.” Said Beau, agreeing with his grandmother.
Brightstar looked ahead and responded calmly. “We’re here.”
They all stood up and looked ahead; they saw what appeared to be large docks up ahead.
“We’ll depart from there,” said Brightstar. “Then we take the stairs to the top. From atop, that’s where we’ll need to be.”
“Ugh,” scoffed Bolt. “Do we really need to take the stairs?”
“Hey, quit complaining.” Said Genus. “Little walk will be good for you. Besides, you swam through your whole trial; you could at least put some effort into it.”
“Fine,” said Bolt, “But this doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
The ship soon made it to the docks, allowing the ship to carefully park next to it. They lowered the gangplank, allowing Brightstar to walk down first, with Beau, Bucky, Silver, Genus, Bolt, Frosty, and Emily in tow. Once they were all off the boat, they walked down the docks and made it to the end of it. They looked up and saw the stairs going upward.
“Let us proceed.” Said Brightstar, allowing her to go first, with the others in tow.
They all climbed the stair, trying to make their way toward the top. After climbing for about half an hour, some were beginning to get tired, some more than others.
“Ugh,” groaned Bolt while they were climbing. “This is getting ridiculous. We’ve been climbing for almost half an hour. Why couldn’t they have invented a stinking elevator or escalator in places like this?”
“Because this is a world partially set during the dark/middle ages, what’d you expect.” Responded Frosty.
“If that’s so,” said Emily while walking beside her brother, “Why do they even have Gameboys and refrigerators and bed lamps and light switches? I mean, it doesn’t even make any sense.”
“True.” Said Bucky. “And last I heard from Mayor Mare, they recently invented the telephone.”
“Great,” said Silver while rolling his eyes, “I’m sure Filthy Rich would find a way to profit out of this, especially Rainbow Dash pulling a prank over that.”
After so much talking and complaining, they eventually walked a bit down the stairs.
“You know, one thing that I still don’t buy.” said Bolt, “We’ve all seen the Tree of Harmony one time when we went to the Everfree forest with our wives when they wanted to show us around, but I don’t buy that there’s something called the Grand Tree of Harmony.”
As they finally descended the stairs, Beau stopped Bolt and said, “Are you calling my grandmother a liar?”
“If she’s telling the truth, then I want proof.” Demanded Bolt.
“Proof, huh?” said Brightstar with a smirk as she looked at them. They motioned her head over and said, “What’s that there then?”
The moment they turned and looked. What they saw had left them all speechless. The tree was the largest they had ever seen, shined by a light they did not recognize. The tree itself emanates the power of harmony itself. It looked like the Tree of Harmony back in Equestria, but it was different because it was ten times bigger and had leaves all around its branches.
“Whoa,” said Frosty. “This tree looks ten times better than the one in Equestria.”
“Remember,” said Brightstar, “This tree was the first one to be planted, and its power is far greater than the one in Equestria. The true source of harmony itself. Gusty, Achilles, and I had planted this tree when we were kids, and it grew into something magnificent that all of you now see before you.”
“And here we will be granted what we need to help save Caribouria?”
“Exactly.” Said Brightstar, then motioned with her staff and said, “Now come. Our work is far from over.”
Brightstar continued moving forward, with the husbands and Emily in tow as they followed her towards the tree. They walked towards the tree and noticed the branches carrying something important.
Beau remembered that back in Equestria, the Tree of Harmony had carried the Elements in their respective Branches and the Element of Magic at its center.
“Whoa,” said Beau. “This almost resembles the Tree of Harmony.”
“It is, but not completely.” Said Brightstar.
“She’s not wrong.”
Everyone stood still when they heard the voice. They looked around, and to their surprise, it was an anthropomorphic being bearing a type of hunter’s outfit that no one had seen before. But what really surprised them was that this was a pony mare with brown fur, green eyes, and golden hair tied to a ponytail, the same with her tail.
“Whoa,” whispered Frosty. “Who is she? More importantly, there’s another pony in Caribouria?”
“Apologies.” Said Brightstar as she turned around. “I would like all of you to meet my student, Goldenrod.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.” Said Goldenrod.
“The pleasures all ours.” Said Beau.
However, Silver noticed that she looked really familiar. That’s when it clicked, some time ago, when he and Rarity were last at Canterlot.
“Wait,” said Silver, gaining her attention as he said, “Goldenrod? Also, codename Nihashi of the Canterlot Royal Guard?”
Goldenrod was taken aback by this and said, “How did you…?”
“I know your sister, Fleur de Lis,” said Silver. “She and my wife are great friends.”
Goldenrod was surprised by this, as were the rest of the guys.
“Wait, how do you know they’re sisters?” said Genus.
“When myself and Rarity visited Fleur,” said Silver, “I saw a picture of Fleur and Goldenrod, both in military uniforms. I asked her about this, and she told me that she and her sister were in the same guard training. Both of them had excelled, and even in secret agent training together. Fleur served as both a model and an undercover spy to ensure the Royals were safe and that none of them were traitors to the throne, while Goldenrod was sent as a spy to monitor for any threats all over Equestria.”
He looked at a stunned Goldenrod and asked, “What happened to you? Last time Fleur heard from you, she said you disappeared at one of the kingdom’s borders and never came back.”
Goldenrod looked down in sadness and said, “Not exactly a pretty tale.”
“You’re among friends here,” said Silver. “There’s no need to feel nervous.”
Goldenrod calmed herself a bit, then decided to tell her tale.
“My sister Fleur and I were born in Canterlot together.” Said Goldenrod. “We were raised by a family who worked harder than any pony would. I was born an Earth Pony, but it didn’t matter to me, cause like my sister, I worked hard every day, and most of it was alongside her. Then one day, we both decided to do more by helping those in need. So we both joined the Royal Guard.”
“Wait,” interrupted Bolt while he was shocked, “Fleur? A Royal Guard?!”
“Yes?” said Goldenrod, not knowing where he was going.
“Sorry,” said Bolt. “It’s just…Fleur doesn’t seem like the kind of pony who wanted to hurt folks.”
Goldenrod couldn’t help but giggle and said, “She gets that a lot, believe me.”
She then continued where she had left off. “After we graduated top of our class of the royal guard, we became spies to watch and observe from the shadows and report anything suspicious to Princess Celestia should the danger arise. Until one day, she assigned me to go to Caribouria. Seeing that we were forbidden to set foot there, she wanted to know if the kingdom was peaceful, and if not, we had to prepare our forces. But about half the day after I got there, I was attacked and barely made it alive. That’s when I bumped into Brightstar. She took me to safety and taught me everything she knew. If it weren’t for her, I’d never survive here.”
Goldenrod smiled and said, “And I’ve been here ever since.”
“Whoa,” said Bucky. “But don’t you miss your sister?”
“I do, every day.” Said Goldenrod with a saddened expression. “But until Dainn has been defeated, I am forced to remain here until the said threat has passed.”
“Hopefully sooner than later.” Said Bucky. “One thing you should know is no one should be apart from their family.”
Goldenrod couldn’t help but ponder her thoughts over what Bucky said, with her asking, “Speaking from experience?”
“Something that my wife taught me.” Said Bucky.
“Wife?” asked Goldenrod.
“Oh yeah,” said Frosty as he spoke on their behalf, “Beau was the first male to arrive in Equestria. Then he married a Princess named Twilight Sparkle and was the bearer of the Element of Magic. Bucky came next, who married an Earth Pony named Applejack of the Apple family and bearer of the Element of Honesty. Then came Silver, who fell in love with a Unicorn named Rarity, a fashionista and the Element of Generosity. Then came Genus, who got married to a Pegasus named Fluttershy, who led her own animal sanctuary, helped calm Discord, the spirit of Chaos, and convinced him to change his ways while is also the Element of Kindness. After that came Bolt, who got married to a Pegasus named Rainbow Dash, who happens to be a member of the Wonderbolts and is the Element of Loyalty. Then I came along, even Emily. She’s dating a dragon named Spike, who happens to be Twilight’s assistant, while I married Pinkie Pie, a party organizer, a baker, a full fun house, and the Element of Laughter. We even had kids with them.”
Goldenrod was taken aback by this, as she didn’t know how to respond. “What else did I miss out on?” she asked.
“More humans came along,” said Silver. “They fell in love with Princess Celestia and Luna. Then another came along and fell in love with Princess Cadance. Then one who came along and married our friend Sunset. And your sister Fleur also married someone.”
Goldenrod was shocked to hear this.
“She’s married to a human?” asked Goldenrod.
“They also got a daughter.” Said Emily, causing Goldenrod’s jaw to drop from shock.
“I really have missed out much.” Said Goldenrod.
“That you have,” said Silver.
“So, now that we’re all acquainted here,” said Bolt, “What do we do next?”
“Follow me.” Said Brightstar as she and Goldenrod led them inside further of the tree.
When they walked, they were finally near the center of the tree, which was bright and emanating a powerful light that could rival the sun, except it didn’t burn their eyes. And in front of that tree was a large type of pedestal, which appeared to be for something important.
“What’s with the pedestal at the center?” asked Genus.
“The next part of your journey.” Said Brightstar. She stood near the tree, turned around, and said, “Each of you has overcome many difficult trials during your own trial back in the realms you were in. And in each of those realms, you helped those in need and succeeded in helping them where others have failed in the past. Now that you have passed, all of you are worthy to accept the mantle.”
“What mantle?” asked Emily.
Beau turned to them and said, “To become Knights of Harmony.”
All of them were surprised by this, with Bucky asking, “Are you sure about this?”
“I wouldn’t do this if there wasn’t any other way.” Said Brightstar. “After seeing what all of you had gone through and the goodness in your hearts, all of you are ready. But that is for all of you to decide.”
The others looked at one another, knowing that they could never go back once they accepted this. They then had determined looks on their faces and nodded, with Bucky answering, “We accept. Anything to protect our families, friends, and our home.”
Brightstar smiled and said, “Very well. All of you, present the artifacts you had been given after your trials were complete.”
One by one, the Husband 6 and Emily raised their Drivers in the air and presented them towards the tree. Within mere moments, the Tree itself shined its light toward the husbands. Once it was done, the Tree began to shine all over its branches. However, out of all the shining branches, only seven were glowing, each glowing in different colors. The colors of Green, Pink, Cyan Blue, Yellow, White, Heavy Orange, and Purple.
The moment they landed on the Husband 6 and Emily’s hands, they instantly changed shape while glowing. When the glowing faded, they were surprised by what they were seeing. The objects they held looked like their wives and Spike’s Cutie Marks.
“Whoa,” said Bucky. “What are they?”
“Those what you hold before you are known as Lockseeds.” Said Brightstar, “Each Lockseed contains a great power that no living being could fathom. Each of them powers your drivers specifically. Each of you is destined for something far greater than no one could imagine. Now, only one thing needs to remain. Please, place your respected Lockseeds onto the pedestal matching their symbols.”
The husbands and Emily looked and saw the pedestal in front of them. They walked over to the pedestal and placed each Lockseeds in matching spots.
“Now step onto your respective circles and place your Drivers around your waist.” Said Brightstar.
The seven of them had placed their Drivers around their waists and walked towards the circles, with the lines that went straight towards the pedestal itself. Emily was the first one to stand in her respective circle. Suddenly, the circle around her glowed, causing it to go straight towards the pedestal, causing it to power up the pedestal and the Lockseeds. The Husbands soon followed suit. After all of them had stood in their circles in mere moments, the pedestal grew brighter and brighter. Within mere moments, the pedestal shot up a brilliant bright light, making it go straight into the air. But what had caught them all off guard were seven different beings wearing armor they’d never seen before. And above them was a human that, to their surprise, looked like Beau.
“Fellow humans from another world.” Said the human. “This world needs you. Darkness has returned and threatens the peace and harmony that helped flourish this world. Prove yourselves worthy, fellow Knights. And fear not, the great power of harmony shall guide all of you in ways that all of you could not…imagine.”
The beings soon faded, causing the pedestal to be raised in the air as the Lockseeds grew more powerful by the minute. And within a great flash, seven large creatures that appeared to be made of metal appeared. A purple Unicorn, a heavy orange Boar, a white Wolf, a yellow Lion, a cyan blue Shark, a pink Rabbit, and a green Dragon appeared in the air, while at the same time, the seven Lockseeds floated right behind them.
Some were a bit concerned by this until they noticed that what appeared to be a black skin-tight suit had covered their bodies, taking them by surprise as they looked down at themselves. Before they could react, the creatures and the Lockseeds flew straight toward them. The creatures combined with them while the Lockseeds instantly flew toward their Drivers, causing the Drivers and themselves to be energized. One by one, the Husband 6 and Emily had each gained their own respective, what appeared to be armored. It covered their legs, their torsos, their arms, their shoulders, their backs, their knees, and finally, their heads.
Each bearing a different helmet. Beau’s helmet resembled a Unicorn, Bucky a boar, Silver a Wolf, Genus a Lion, Bolt a Shark, Frosty a Rabbit, and Emily, a Dragon. When the light slowly died, their visions were slightly blurry, not knowing what had just happened. Until they looked down and at one another. Many were shocked to see what had happened to them.
“Whoa.” Said Bolt as he looked at himself.
“Amazing.” Said Emily as she also looked at herself.
“Are we…?” said Silver as he looked at himself too.
“I think we are.” Said Bucky.
“Okay, now this is cool.” Said Frosty as he felt giddy from seeing himself.
“This is amazing.” Said Genus.
Beau suddenly felt nostalgia from within himself, having a sudden feeling inside him. “So this is what I was supposed to be.”
“Here, maybe this’ll help.” Said Brightstar as she produced three mirrors so they could observe themselves properly.
“Whoa, Emily.” Said Bucky while Emily investigated herself in the mirror; he pointed at her and said, “You’re a green dragon.”
Emily looked at herself over and said, “Amazing. Even such perfect balance. This is amazing”. But then she inspected her posterior and said, “Well, it does make my butt look big, though.”
She suddenly smirked and said, “I bet Spike would love that.”
Emily took a good look at Bucky and said, “And you’re a boar.”
Bucky noticed his armor and ended up inspecting himself in front of the mirror. “What?!” said Bucky. “Why the hell am I a pig?!!”
“You’re not a pig; you’re a warthog,” Said Goldenrod. “And they’re also strong creatures.”
“But why couldn’t I be an elephant, a rhino, or something. Then again, my wife thinks they’re cute,” Muttered Bucky as he crossed his arms. Then spoke normally and said, “And why does Silver look cool?”
Silver inspected himself in front of the mirror. “Whoa, a wolf? Interesting. And that’s my lucky spirit animal. They always run with me in my dreams.”
Genus investigated himself next, but he was also surprised to see himself.
“A lion? Whoa.” Genus then thought to himself, “If Fluttershy could see me now.”
Bolt inspected himself next, immediately recognized it, and said, “Whoa, I’m a shark? Awesome!!”
Beau inspected himself next, and to his surprise, it nearly looked like a Unicorn. “Whoa,” muttered Beau, “Looks like Twilight and I do have something in common.”
Emily, however, looked at her brother. She at first was surprised, until she began to snicker and nearly lost it. The others noticed her with flexed eyebrows. She then pointed at Frosty, which surprised the others as some wanted to laugh too.
“What?” said a confused Frosty.
The others chuckled until Bolt said, “Creative armor, you got there, Frosty.”
“What are you talking about?” asked a confused Frosty.
However, the moment he moved to the mirror, he widened his eyes in shock and gasped. He looked at Brightstar and slowly moved towards her.
“You…did…” muttered Frosty as he had his eyes squinted and pointed at him angrily. “THIIIIIIISSSSS??!!!!”
Frosty growled a bit as he gritted his teeth from underneath his helmet.
“Uh, you okay there…miss?” said Bucky, but he slightly chuckled before he was going to lose it.
“Do you have a panic attack…madam?” said Bolt as he could barely contain himself.
“Shut up.” Muttered Frosty as he got mad.
“I think you’re a girl,” said Genus as he began to snicker, “Because you’re getting many mood swings.”
“Do you need to go to the spa to calm down, milady?” said Silver.
“I said, knock it off.” Muttered Frosty.
“Hey, knock it off; he’s already embarrassed.” Said Emily.
“Thank you.” Said Frosty, as he was happy that his sister was supporting him at least.
Until Emily turned to him and said, “Are you alright... Lady Francine?”
That did it.
Except for Frosty, Brightstar, Beau, and Goldenrod, the guys laugh their heads off as they nearly want to fall over.
“It’s not funny!!” shouted Frosty. “If I’m supposed to be a freaking Knight, how the heck am I supposed to strike fear and be taken seriously in this armor!! It’s pink!! And It’s a rabbit!! And I look like Babs Bunny!! I don’t even like her!!”
“Well, in hindsight,” said Goldenrod as she approached, “You did mention that you wanted to catch up with your wife’s shenanigans and be like the Flash.”
“Yeah,” muttered Frosty, “And Postwar Monkey50 and DragoKnight92 was the one who came up with that running gag.”
He sighed and looked away, saying, “Why didn’t they ask Yabuki for this? I mean, he made me, and Postwar was the one who asked for his permission. And I have to admit, the Power Ponies and Christmas Special he wrote was quite good.”
“Uh, who are you talking to?” asked Emily.
Frosty sighed and said, “Never mind. Let’s just get this chapter over with.”
“Very good. Now… only one more thing remaining.” Said Goldenrod.
Brightstar pulled out what appeared to be a sword, with the hilt looking like a star. “Kneel.” Said the mare.
The others didn’t know what to expect until Beau walked up and kneeled before her. The others followed his lead as they stepped forward and bowed.
Brightstar walked up to Emily, knighted her, and said, “Emily Frost. For your act of helping those in need. I knight you, Tiamat, Knight of Acceptance.”
Brightstar walked up to Frosty, knighted him, and said, “Barry Frost, now known as Frosty. For your need to help others smile like your beloved, I knight you, Loki, Knight of Laughter.”
Brightstar walked up to Bolt, knighted him, and said, “Cole Bolton, now known as Bolt. For your loyal dedication to helping those in need. I knight you, Jawz, Knight of Loyalty.”
Brightstar walked up to Genus, knighted him, and said, “George Newton, now known as Genus. For your kind heart to help others. I knight you, Animus, Knight of Kindness.”
Brightstar walked up to Silver, knighted him, and said, “Jim Silver, now known as Silver. For your dedication to giving and expect nothing in return. I knight you, Beowulf, Knight of Generosity.”
Brightstar walked up to Bucky, knighted him, and said, “Buck Armstrong, now known as Bucky. For your dedication to helping uncover and tell the truth. I knight you, Hercules, Knight of Honesty.”
She walked up to Beau, knighted him, and said, “Thomas Rohan, now known as Beau. The time has come to claim your birthright. For your need to help others and to help lead them. I knight you, Achilles, Knight of Magic, and Leader of the Knights of Harmony.”
One by one, they stood up with their arms behind their backs.
“From this day forth, all of you are known as the Knights of Harmony.” Declared Brightstar.
Some got really excited as they eagerly wanted to get started.
“Before we start, Goldenrod will handle your training, considering she’s very skilled in combat.” Said Brightstar before turning to Beau and saying, “Beau, you’ll be coming with me.”
“Wait, why doesn’t he train?” asked Frosty.
“Because he’s had training since he was little.” Said Brightstar. “He’s a more skilled fighter. The only problem was he turned his back on it years ago. But now, given the circumstances, all that has changed. Goldenrod, you know what to do.”
“Yes, Master Brightstar.” Said Goldenrod before she turned to the others. “Alright now, let’s go.”
The others followed Goldenrod, while Beau followed his grandmother.
“Where are we exactly going?” asked Beau.
She pointed ahead with her staff. Beau was surprised to see she pointed at a secret cave behind the tree. The two of them followed the path down the tunnel and made their way toward a long flight of stairs.
“So what’s this about?” asked Beau as they walked down the stairs.
“Do you recall from Thorin about his family’s coronation?” asked Brightstar.
“Yeah,” said Beau as he remembered it well. “They receive the blessing, which they called the great fire of Caribouria. And they would become the ruler of Caribouria should the king pass his crown down.”
“Indeed.” Said Brightstar.
Beau looked at her with a flexed eyebrow and asked, “Why do you ask?”
“Even if all of you have the power of the Knights of Harmony,” said Brightstar, “It will not be enough to stop Dainn, not as long as he has his armies under his command. We need the support from the other houses across Caribouria’s territory that still stands, especially from those whose houses have fallen.”
“They weren’t executed?” asked Beau.
“Thankfully, no. They, along with their people and armies, have been captured.” Said Brightstar.
“But how will we gain their trust?” asked Beau.
“By making Thorin King.”
“What?” said Beau as he stopped for a moment, but then he caught up and asked, “But how? We can’t, not since their Capitol Carinthia has fallen, and their sacred flame was destroyed, so he can’t receive the blessings.”
Brightstar could only smirk and said, “That’s not the flame.”
Beau was surprised by this and said, “What?”
“The one Thorin talked about?” asked Brightstar as they approached the clearing. “That wasn’t the original flame. That flame only had a small percentage of its true power.”
“If that thing was a small percentage, where’s the rest?” asked Beau.
Brightstar stopped, and Beau was shocked to see what was right before him. He couldn’t believe his eyes at what he was seeing. He slowly looked at Brightstar, who looked at her grandson with a continued smirk on her face.
“Let me tell you a story.” Said Brightstar, for she had a feeling what Beau would hear would be a great discovery for many.