//------------------------------// // Chapter 04 // Story: The Sun's Knight // by Lucky424 //------------------------------//         The sound of joyous laughter came up from the edge of the gardens, and the four gathered around the window, looking down to see the white unicorn mare down below having to be pulled along by her friends, whilst she was in hysterics with a hand pointing at the floored prince. The group watched as Twilight teleported out there and helped him to his feet, pushing him in the direction of the infirmary. She let her magic flow and appeared in a flash behind the group in the room, glaring at the pegasus now holding two spell guns. He was picked up in a lavender aura and floated across the office. “Captain, why did you shoot Prince Blueblood?” “Why not? All I asked for was a target, and I got one!” “Who did you send?” Alec seemed to ignore the fact he was upside down, and just shrugged at her. “Dunno their names, just know their ranks. Good luck finding them. Now, shall we talk about your apology?” “Apology for what exactly?” “Treating Mr Heartbelle like a science project?” “But... I... he... what about you? Treating him like a prisoner!” “I've already apologised.” Twilight gave a huff of annoyance, and let her magic stop flowing, causing Alec to drop to the floor with a pained grunt. Gray walked over and offered his hand, helping him back up. Before he could speak, Celestia stopped him with a wave of her hand. “Twilight Sparkle, for what you did... you are not allowed to ask Gray anything of his world until he says so.” “But...” “Further, you are not to ask anypony who has spoken to him what they have learned until that point. Do you understand?” Twilight worked her mouth open and closed a few times, before crossing her arms and nodding. “Good... now, go gather your friends, I'm sure they'll want to meet Gray soon.” Twilight's mood instantly swung around, and she happily walked out of the room, almost with a skip in her step. The other four were about to follow when there was a bang followed by a shower of confetti, momentarily blinding everypony's vision. Gray blinked a few times and when he tried to look again his vision was filled with the most impossibly wide grin and shining blue eyes, encompassed in a pink face.. “HI! I'm Pinkie Pie, who are you? Where did you come from? Where's your fur? Have you ever had sex? What was it like? Does the light stay on when you close the fridge door? Do you like cupcakes?” He didn't have a chance to answer any questions as a pink-frosted cupcake was mashed into his open mouth, Pinkie having taken this as an invite to give him one. He couldn't complain too much, it was a little too sweet for his tastes, but it was still good. Gray finally swallowed his mouthful and took a step back, nodding to please the crazy lady. “It was okay, I guess...” “Only okay? But... that was your first cupcake from me.” Her pink bubbly hair seemed to lose its fizz, falling straight down around her shoulders. She gave a weak smile to the group and turned around, starting to walk towards the door. “I guess we got a mean-meanie-pants instead of somepony fun!” “WAIT!” The mare stopped, looking over her shoulder with one eye. “It's not that I didn't like it... it was just a bit too sweet for me. If I had a sweet tooth, I probably would have enjoyed it more.” “Really?” Gray nodded, then winced as her expression flipped, her hair tail looking like they were in a wind tunnel as they went back to their usual bouncy state. Pinkie skipped over and pulled Gray into a hug, which he slowly returned, she then grabbed him by the hand and dragged him out into the throne room. “Girls, look! I got a new friend!” He was brought out to find another three women waiting for him. Mares, dammit, they're called mares!! The first one to approach was the one Gray had spotted flying out the window, her wings now tucked against her back. She offered her hand, which he slowly shook. “Hey, I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flyer in Equestria, and future Wonderbolt!” “Is your hair really natural?” The way her face went from smiling to glaring, and her grip tighten like a vice, he knew he had said the wrong thing. Gray knew he had to salvage the situation, but Dash pulled away with a huff and walked off to the side. His hand was then taken it the lightest grip he could imagine, and Gray turned to the butter yellow mare hiding behind her pink mane. “Uh... hello?” “H-h-hello... my name's F-f-fluttershy.” As quickly as she appeared, the mare backed off, leaving the orange furred one until last. His arm was then given the hardest shake he'd ever felt as she smiled at him. “Well howdy there, Ah'm Applejack, an' it's a pleasure t' make yer acquaintance.” The handshake kept going as the mare smiled eagerly at him. “Uh... hi, nice to meet you.” There was a commotion near the door, and they turned to see the fifth member of the group, a white unicorn mare, enter with a well dressed white unicorn stallion, his blue mane combed immaculately. She looked over to a group and stopped her conversation with a gasp, the stallion chuckling and whispering a goodbye, walking out of the room "Uh oh" Gray turned to look at Alec, who was backing away with an awkward smile. "What do you mean, 'uh oh'?" "Darling, whatever are you wearing? It is simply ghastly! We must sort this terrible occurrence out at once!" Gray found himself being dragged towards the throne room doors, the rest of the group laughing at her antics. “We will have this sorted out pretty quickly, we'll use Fleur's, she won't mind at all!” “CAN SOMEBODY STOP THE CRAZY LADY?” The pair stopped walking, and the mare turned with a glare, stalking right up to Gray's face. “Crazy lady? I am Miss Rarity, one of the leading fashion designers in Equestria! And your clothes are an affront to all things fabulous! WE are going to sort that out right now, whether you like it or not!” A blue glow appeared around her horn, and then an aura of the same colour around Gray lifted him into the air, floating him along behind Rarity. “I shall return him soon, Princess.” Twilight went to stop her, but Celestia's raised hand bid her stop. “It is okay, Twilight. I'm pretty sure Rarity will take care of him. Besides, Fleur's boutique is opposite the eastern entrance, I'm sure they'll make it with no... “PRINCESS CELESTIA, WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!” “...interruptions.” She turned as a guard ran up to her, bowing forward, both as a sign of respect and to catch his breath. “What is going on?” “There is a hostage situation, in Ponyville!” “Do we know who is involved?” The guard pulled out a piece of parchment, scanning over the details. “Yes, your majesty. It is the stallion Big McIntosh, and the mare Granny Smith. It was the filly Applebloom who raised the alarm. There is a strange creature that looks like a... 'shaved pony', and is apparently armed with a spell gun!” “I... see. Alec?” “I'm on it, send word help is on the way.” He turned back to Celestia's office, diving out the window and heading in the direction of the village. Luna let her magic flow, teleporting alongside him. She flew in front and passed him his personal spell gun, which he forgot in his haste.         The scene in the farmhouse was eerily peaceful, a fact that went unnoticed by the three occupants. Big Mac sat at one end, with Granny Smith pulled close to his side. Opposite him sat... something, a smaller version of what looked like a spell gun in it's hand. No words were exchanged as they simply sat there, giving the stallion time to reflect on his morning so far... Big Mac looked out the window from his breakfast of oats towards the barn, swearing under his breath as he knew what was coming. Ah'd rather be at t' town park, watchin' all those mares... Sunday, being the slow day it was, was his only opportunity to do inventory of the farm's back up stock, especially with the winter on the way, though with the (fairly) recent addition of the apple cellar, the products kept longer. And his sister had skipped out of her chores the day before, all because Princess Sparkle invited her to Canterlot for some reason or other. His ear twitched as his younger sister finished the telling of her latest adventure with her friends, and he looked down at her with a smile. “...an' as we swung from t' tree, the branch snapped! We went flyin' through the air and landed in the branches off another one, falling t' the floor! We were covered in tree sap when we hit t' ground. Why it's always gotta be try sap, Ah don't know. Did you ever get covered in sap as a colt, Big Mac?” He thought for a moment as he reminisced about his childhood, and all the times he and his friends got in trouble for doing stuff that they shouldn't... like peeking in the mare's changing rooms during the summer at the outdoor swimming pool. “Eeyup, 'appened more that Ah'd like. Now why don't ya run along, Ah'm sure you've got a lotta crusading' t' do today.” “Are ya sure y’all don't want mah help in counting the stuff in the barn?” “Nah, Ah'll be fine. In fact, Ah'd best get started. Make sure you're home for supper, understand?” “Yep, Ah'll see ya later!” Applebloom leapt out of her seat, darting out the door and causing Mac to chuckle. Finishing his meal, he quickly washed the dishes, then headed into the study. With a heavy sigh he picked up the farm's records. Once outside he took a deep breath of fresh air, the smells bringing a happy smile to his face. Opening both of the barn doors for light, he decided to start with the hay, still nicely wrapped in bales. Pulling a stray strand out, he put it in his mouth and started chewing on the end. Now came the boring stuff. Taking out his pen, he started to count the bales down the right hand side, then the back wall, and back down the left... Something caught his eye, one of the bales had been disturbed. Big Mac climbed up where the top bale should be, staring at the vaguely pony shaped depression where somepony had spent the night. Dropping back down, he spat the stalk of hay out and looked around the barn. “Now look 'ere, Ah don't mind folks stayin' the night in mah barn, but ya could at least tell me first! Now come out an' let's 'ave a look at yer!” His ear twitched, catching the creak from the upper floor, and he lifted his gaze. He barely dodged the bale that came slamming down to the ground where he was standing a moment ago. Standing back up, he turned just as... something dropped down, pointing a spell gun, or something similar, at Mac's chest. The weapon, which Mac was sure it was, was waved towards the door, so he began to walk towards it. The... thing pointed in the direction of the house, telling Mac where he wanted to go. Neither of them noticed the filly watching them from afar. She turned and ran towards Ponyville as fast as her legs could take her... So here they were, sitting at the table, nothing being said as it had gone all morning. Granny Smith stood up from her chair, the weapon tracking her movements. Mac put a worried hand on her shoulder, trying to stop her, but she just shrugged it off. “Granny, don't...” “Ah'm hungry, an' Ah bet you are too. Even that fella over there must be wantin' fer food. So Ah'm getting' some lunch.” Mac saw something out the window, flying past the barn and landing behind it. The pony that slid around the shadows was one he recognised, and the glint of reflected optics informed him that the situation would soon be under control. There was a flash of light, which broke the kitchen window, the beam impacting whatever it was sat at the table. It fell to the floor, the weapon knocked from it's grip. It looked around for it, crawling towards it as the main house door slammed open. The pony from outside charged in, spell gun glowing. Alec stuck his foot across it's back, gun aimed at it's head. “Don't move, human. Hey Mac... got any Pink Lady's?”         The jingling of a bell roused the mare from her doze, and she rose from her seat, walking into the main room. “'allo, and welcome to Fleur's. 'ow may I be of AAHHH!” She stood stock still upon seeing the strange creature stood in the middle of her store, who stared at her unblinking. “Oh Fleur, there you are darling!” Rarity came rushing over from the side, pulling the modelesque pony into a tight embrace, which was slowly returned. “Pardon the intrusion, but I simply had to do something about his clothes! They're absolutely dreadful, wouldn't you agree?” Stepping away, Fleur gave her... guest a look over, and she nodded to Rarity, signifying her agreement. Slowly walking over with a model's gait, she stopped in front of Gray and gave him a meek smile. “'allo, I am Fleur De Lis, proprietor of Canterlot Fashions, welcome to my store.” Gray, however, was stood rooted to the spot. Even if they weren't completely human, he could still appreciate beauty when he saw it, gently grabbing the mare's hand, and bowing down to kiss it, causing her and Rarity to start giggle. Then reality caught up, and Gray stood up straight, his cheeks now a delightful shade of pink. “Uh... sorry a-a-about that.” “Miss Rarity, I did not know 'e was such a gentlecolt!” Gray returned her smile, noting that her accent seemed to be similar to French. With a tug on his arm she pulled him deeper into the shop, into a private area. She stopped briefly at the doorway, calling up a set of twisting stairs. “Fancy Pants! Miss Rarity is 'ere with a guest! I will be taking 'is measurements in the back!” “Thank you Fleur, dear, I'll be down in a moment.” Came a male voice, and as the lithe mare pulled him deeper, Gray got nervous about being alone with her when what sounded like her partner was upstairs. Especially as he sounded quite big, judging by the thuds. Within moments of going through the portal, his jacket was pulled from his shoulders and thrown into the corner. He then felt his belt buckle start to unlatch. Looking down he saw a pink glow around it, the same as the one on the mare's horn. His hands grabbed the waistband as soon as it came undone, keeping his pants from falling. Fleur gave a little huff, trying to pull them away, but Gray kept a nice tight hold on them. With a growl she strode out of the room, returning moments later with Rarity trailing along behind. “Now then, why are you not complying... you know, I never even got your name before I dragged you away from the castle?” “I noticed.” Rarity pouted at his unamused tone and slight glare he was giving her. “My name is Gray. Now, as to not taking my clothes off... yeah, where I come from, guys measure guys, girls to girls.” “Well, it sounds like my assistance is needed after all.” Gray visibly paled as the unicorn he had seen Rarity enter the throne room with appeared through the doorway. His gentle looking features betrayed the fact he was huge, seemingly bigger than the guards. “Now then, my wife is a professional. Nothing untoward will happen, trust me on that. Or, I can hold you still if you wish?” Gray's hand let go of his trousers, and they fell to the floor. Before Fleur could forcefully remove any more clothes, he pulled his t-shirt off and threw it to the corner with his jacket. He heard the three gasp as they looked upon the scar that ran the length of his torso, smaller ones dotted across his body. Shaking off her shock, Fleur moved in and placed a tape measure on his inside leg, gasping as she felt something extra. “Oh... my.” “What? What is it?” Rarity leant forward, eager for some gossip. “'e seems to like dressing up! Coming unsheathed just by stripping!” “Uh... unsheathed? What does that mean?” Rarity picked up a sheet of fabric, holding it around his waist. “Well... you know. When a stallion likes a mare, his body starts to...” “Hold up now!” Gray's exclamation and raised arm bid Rarity hold what she was saying, confusion clear on his face. “Are you telling me... that your males have their parts... inside?” “Well... not quite. We do have our... parts, as you say, on display, but the majority of it is internal until we have use of it. Is it not the same for your kind?” Fancy Pants came closer, intrigue stamped on his muzzle “Uh... no. And I rather not talk about it in front of those two, if you don't mind.” Gray returned the glare that the mare's were throwing his way, clashing with the chuckling stallion. “My dear colt, I knew I would like you when I saw you in the castle. For now, a compromise. Why don't you hold one end of the tape where you feel uncomfortable for Fleur to do so.” With a nod of his head, Gray stood still as she took his measurements, assisting when she did his inside leg. Once done, Fleur and Rarity went further into the store, where the sound of machinery being started up came from. “They are begininng. So, tell me Mr Gray, where are you from?” “Uh... you wouldn't believe me if I tried.” Fancy Pants started to chuckle slightly, which then soon turned into a booming laughter. “My dear colt, I have travelled the lands of all of our allies, and have never seen your kind once. Therefore, you must come from lands quite a distance away. Unless you were going to tell me you're from another world, or some ridiculous thing like that!” His chuckling then taped off as he noted the blank stare from Gray, and the way his head was cocked. “You mean, you're... an...” “Hi, I'm Gray Heartbelle, from the planet Earth, somewhere up in space.” The stallion's jaw dropped open at the same time as his monocle popped out from his left eye. And then he fell to the floor. Gray swore under his breath as he checked for a pulse, and upon finding it, he put the stallion into the recovery position. Hearing the door move behind him, he stood up and backed away. “It's not what it looks like!” “I know, I was watching, Mr Heartbelle.” Gary froze, he knew that voice. Turning around, he once more found himself in front of the blue one, Princess Luna, whose eyes were tracing over his body. “It seems I have an advantage. How many more?” “Uh... how many more what, exactly?” “How many more of your kind came through?” She started to circle him, running her hands over the tables and other items at the edge of the room. “It is clear that there is another human down in Ponyville, so you are not alone. I will ask once more, how many more did you bring?” “I didn't bring anyone, I swear! If were really were going to invade, they wouldn't send two people! THIS city would be a burning pile of ash by now, you and your sister mostly likely already dead!” “So... you have enough forces to take the city. That is good to know.” “From what I gleaned in the conversation with Celestia, we would need only half of them.” Luna's wings shot out as she tightened her hand on the chair she was holding, staring at him with a regal glare. “THOU WILL REFER TO OUR SISTER AS HER TITLE COMMANDS, PRINCESS CELESTIA. DOES THOU UNDERSTAND?” Gray had begin to visibly shake as she shouted at him, the Royal Canterlot Voice being enough to draw Rarity and Fleur back into the room, both confused as to what was going on. “Luna? Whatever are you doing down here.” Luna waved an angry arm at Gray, whipping round to face the two mares. “He has brought another with him! They are down in Ponyville as we speak, holding Big Macintosh hostage! He lied to us!” Rarity stepped around from Luna and walked right up to Gray, staring into his eyes. “Is... this true?” “No, I swear! I don't even know how I got here, but at this rate, I want to leave soon!” The argument was soon overshadowed by Luna collapsing with a gasp at the same time as Fancy Pants coming back to the world. Rarity was instantly by her side, supporting her. “Luna, what's wrong? Luna?” The alicorn mare placed a hand over her left breast, pulling it away to reveal blood. After a quick check, Rarity discerned it wasn't hers, but that beg the question as to whom it belonged. “Luna... what's going on?” “Alec... he is hurt, badly.”