I awoke to find Scootaloo curled up on my stomache like a cat. I tried to move out from under her but instead woke her up.
"I'm up!" she yelled, confused, "Oh, good morning Archer."
"Morning Scoots," I replied, "Could you get up so I could make some breakfast?"
She got up and I went to my small kitchen. I looked in my cupboard and found a jar of oatmeal and some sugar.
"Do you like oatmeal?" I asked.
"Yeah."
I put some water in a pot and asked Scootaloo to grab Sagittario for me. I spun it with my hand and lit a fire to boil the water."
"How do you do that?" Scootaloo asked in amazement.
"Practice," I replied.
When the oatmeal was done I poured some into a couple bowls and added sugar.
"How do you like it?" I asked as we ate.
"It tastes great!" Scootaloo said with a full mouth. She swallowed and added, "How did you learn to make it?"
"Thanks," I was glad someone liked my cooking, "When you're on the road for three years, you pick up a few recipes."
When we were done I asked, "Do your friends know that you don't have parents?"
Scootaloo looked at the floor, "No. I don't want them to know and I really don't want Diamond Tiara to find out."
I heard about their little bully. I could understand why she didn't want her to know, but her own friends should. I didn't like people knowing about my past because they might find me dangerous.
"You'll have to tell them eventually," I said, washing the bowls, "Especially now," I guestured to her cutie mark.
Scootaloo frowned, "Maybe, but can it wait for the hype of me getting a cutie mark to wear off?"
"Sure," I went into the bathroom and changed, "Now come on, we need to get you a launcher."
I grabbed both our beys and we went outside. Scootaloo grabbed her scooter from the clubhouse and we made our way to the farm house. The way was muddy, so I had to ask Applejack if I could dry out the stadium. I had to ask to use my fire in high amounts so I don't burn the farm down.
"Applejack!" I called when we go to the house, "Could I ask you something?"
Applebloom walked outside and said, "Sorry Archer, she just went down to Twilight's."
"That's alright. I'll see you later."
"Hey Scoots. Whatcha doin' here so early?"
"I, uhm.." Scootaloo began to stammer.
"She got caught in that storm last night so she stayed at my place," I said, hoping that Applebloom would buy it.
"Okay then," she stared at Scootaloo for a full minute before exclaiming, "Scootaloo, you got your cutie mark!"
Scootaloo turned so Applebloom could see the mark head on and said, "Do you like it?"
"Yeah! Though what is it fer?"
"Beyblading," as Scootaloo spoke, I took Storm Pegasus out and handed or hoofed it over to her, "We were
heading down to Time Turner's to get me a launcher."
"How did you get it?"
"I, uhm, found it in the mud last night. Would you like to come with us, we could pick up Sweetiebelle on the
way?"
"Sure, if Archer doesn't mind."
I shrugged, "The more, the merrier."
As we walked to town, I couldn't help but feel like we were being followed. I could see a shadow out of the
corner of my eye. When I looked that direction, I couldn't see anything.
When we picked Sweetiebelle up from Rarity's place, the fillies began to jump around because of Scootaloo's newfound talent. They gave Scootaloo a group hug, despite her saying she didn't like 'mushy stuff'.
"Could you make us some beyblades?" Sweetibelle asked.
"I need help from unicorn magic," I replied, "Could you assist me?"
"Um, no. We could ask Twilight though."
We resumed our journey and when we were nearing the library, it flew onto the air and smashed into the ground. I ran inside to find Twilight with a smoking horn.
"What happened here?" I asked.
"The princess wants to see me for a test!" Twiligjt seemed very worried about this.
"You are one of the smartest ponies I know. You won't fail," I assured her.
"I was telling her it was just a test!" Spike said. He was wearing a suit of pillows and a football helmet. Spike belched up a scroll and opened it, "The princess wants to see you as well Archer."
-----------------------------------------
Twilight and I were walking into the castle at Canterlot. I had to admit that the city was awsome looking, though the ponies were snooty and gave me dirty looks. We entered a building with a large number of stained glass windows. I noticed that two had Twilight and her friends defeating enemies. Celestia and Luna were at the far side side of the room.
Twilight cleared her throat and said, "You wanted to see me? To give me a test? I brought my own quills and plenty of paper to show my work." The paper spilled to the floor and unrolled, "Sorry! Sorry!"
I resisted the urge to facepalm as Celestia rolled up the paper and said, "This is a different kind of test. The Crystal Empire has returned."
What had confused me was not my lack of knowledge of the empire, but the fact that Twilight had no idea about what Celestia was talking about. She began to look through her books and said, "The Crystal Empire? I-I thought I had studied. I don't think any of my bo-."
"I wouldn't expect them to. Even my knowledge of the empire is limited," Celestia levitated a crystal from under a glass dome. She put it on the floor and a hologram of a beautiful city appeared, "But what I do know is that it contains
a powerful magic." The empire turned black, "One thousand years ago Sombra, a powerful unicorn king, took over the empire. He was defeated and banished to the frozen north. But not before he was able to cast a curse on the empire. A
curse that caused it to vanish into thin air." The empire disappeared into thin air and was replaced by the crystal. "If the
empire is filled with hope and love, those this are reflected throughout all of Equestria." Celestia shot a light beam at the crystal, causing many rainbows to form. "But if hatred and fear take hold," Celestia's eyes and horn turned black and gree n. She shot a black beam at the crystal, causing it to turn black and it began to spread.
When the crystals got near, I instiinctively grabbed my bey. Celestia shot the crystals and destroyed them.
"Which is why I need you both to find a way to protect the empire. Archer needs to head to my old castle in
the Everfree. Raymond has been spotted there and there are some dark artifacts within that could be used for destruction."
"Okay Princess," I said, bowing, "Just teleport me there or give me a map."
Celestia's horn glowed and I was in a forest. I was on one side of a bridge and on the othere side there was a bunch of ruins. What caught my eye was a human shaped shadow on the other side. Suddenly, a something flew past my head. I turned and saw Meteo L-Drago.
I looked at the shadow and yelled, "Raymond, I know your there!"
Raymond stepped out of the shadows. He was extremly pale and looked like he hardly ate. His bey returned to him and he said, "Hello Archer. I see life has been treating you well."
I put my bey in the launcher and said, "What have you been doing all this time?"
"I've been training for this meeting. My master wanted me to get you here."
"I don't know what master you're talking about."
"Just follow me," Raymond turned and ran into the ruins.
I chased him, just hardly keeping him in my sight. The deeper we went into the ruins, the colder I felt. He stopped on the other side of an indention in the ground and held up his bey.
"Let it rip!" he called, launching his bey.
I launched my bey as well and they met in mid air. The shockwave made me stumble backwards. I had Sagittario smash into L- Drago, but it didn't budge.
"I've been getting stronger than you can even imagine," Raymond laughed, "But those ponies even give you a workout."
I moved Sagittario back and said, "How do you know about the ponies?"
"I've been watching from the shadows, as that is the power my master has offered. Special move!
Dark Dragon Pulse!"
A black energy wave hit Sagittario and knocked it back. I barely managed to stay on the lip of the indention. It was at that point that I realized something.
"This is a bey stadium," I muttered.
"So you've finally figured it out," Raymond said, "I guess it's time to accelerate the plan."
Raymond produved a knife from thin air and through it at me. It grazed my arm, but I felt like I was going to pass out.
Raymond stood over me and said, "The sandman will see you now."
My vision went dark.
------------------------------------
I awoke in a stone room. I looked around and saw Raymond standing against a wall.
"Hello Sleeping Beauty," he said, "Time for you to fufill your part of the plan."
"I won't help you," I picked up my bey and launcher from the floor and wealky launched it. Raynond moved aside and Sagittario went into a small hole in the wall.
The wall opened up to reveal a bey. Raymond picked it up and inserted it into a launcher.
"Thank you," he said as he launched his bey.
A black orb appeared around us and we appeared in a sunlit room. Black energy seeped into the strange bey. Raymond tossed Sagittario to me and said, "Time for the real fight," anoher sphere appeared.
When the orb recede, we were in what looked like a jousting stadium. Ther were ponies with crystal coats in the stands.
"Welcome to the Crystal Empire," Raymond said with and evil grin.