Chapter 4: Fame is a Pain
The next day at Ponyville, Twilight, Ben and Spike are opening the library up for the day. The stallion said to his filly-friend, "I wonder how long it takes for mom to get back to me."
"Your mother has a world to run here. It may take a while longer for her to do so." Twilight explains to Ben. "Didn't you know that already?"
"Well, true, but you're the one she usually sent messages back to."
"True. Come on, Nyx, time to get you to school."
"Mommy, I don't think I will be going." Nyx said in concern as she glances out the window.
"Nyx, why not," Twilight ask Nyx in surprise. Her daughter loves going to school so why couldn't she want to go?
As Spike opens the door, the group gasps as a cheering group of ponies are outside, wanting to come in. Twilight's eyes widen in shock. There are a lot more ponies than yesterday.
"That's why." Nyx answers her mother with a shrug.
"Oh Equestria," Cherry Berry exclaims with a happy glee. "There he is! The Earth pony who can use magic and can fly without horns or wings!"
"Wait, what?" Ben asks in shock and alarm. Twilight tries to keep the ponies from entering the library but they forced their way in.
"Come on! We gotta know all!" Minuette exclaims eagerly while smiling to Ben.
"Ponies; come on! I gotta get Nyx to school!" Twilight exclaims to the ponies in annoyance.
"So what is it like to fly?" Bon-Bon asks Ben with a smile. "It is cool; odd; Cool odd?"
"Come on; give him one question at a time, Bon-Bon!" Lyra exclaims to Bon-Bon with a grin. "He's Celestia's adopted son! It's obvious that he has powers like her!"
"Well...err...hey!" Ben exclaims in worry. In the past, he was wanting attention from his peers...now, the stallion is not want any! "Come on, give me some space here!"
The couple looks worried by the amount of attention. How did these ponies even know about Ben's powers? This is getting insane!
"ENOUGH!" Ben snaps as his eyes glow. The Earth pony uses some sort of magic to force the ponies out the door quickly. At the doorway, Ben snaps, "The library is closed until further notice!"
Ben closes the door and faster than you can say 'Holy Cupcakes', a big force field (like the one Twilight once used to keep the CMC out) appears over the library, blocking the ponies out, much to their disappointment.
The rest of the Mane Six arrives, looking shocked at the force field over the tree. Pinkie exclaims, "Holy cupcakes! What's happening here?"
"Hey Derpy," Rainbow calls out to Derpy who is flying nearby. "What's going on?"
"Oh, word spread out that Ben Mare has some powers to fly without wings and use magic without a horn." Derpy explains to her friends happily. "Wow, isn't that exciting?"
"Okay, which one of us told; Pinkie Pie?"
"No way! I Pinkie Swear it that I wouldn't tell!" Pinkie insists to Rainbow in concern. "Even I wouldn't dare to break one of my Pinkie Promises."
"Well, it wasn't me, Darling." Rarity insists in concern. "And I'm sure that it wasn't Fluttershy either."
"Well, who was it?" Applejack asks in frustration. Somepony told the other ponies about Ben's powers and now...
"Hey Caramel; Why didn't you tell me that Ben could do this when you told me yesterday," Golden ask Caramel curiously. "He can put down force fields like Twilight!'
Caramel was about to speak up but notices Applejack's group glaring at him. He said, "Oh hey Applejack. Err, what's wrong?"
"Remind me 'ta speak 'ta yew later, Caramel." Applejack growls to Caramel in annoyance. "We y'all got 'ta git in there."
"How? Ben put the force field down." Fluttershy said in concern. Not even the CMC could get through a force field when it was down before.
"Let's take the shortcut." Pinkie said with a smile. The others look puzzled. What shortcut?
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"Ugh; why," Ben asks with a groan as he lies back onto his bed. Twilight and Nyx were watching. "I just wanted a normal life with no celebrity or fame, just to spend my life with you and Nyx. Is that so much to ask for?"
"Sorry, sometimes the ponies of this village are crazy and sometimes they don't stop chasing ponies who gained fame." Twilight said in concern. "I don't know who talked."
"We do!" Rainbow snaps as she and the other members of the Mane Six came into the room. "It was Caramel!"
"What the...how did you get by the force field?"
"We took the shortcut!" Pinkie exclaims happily while she points...to a film frame. The Earth pony jumps from the room frame to outside the library then right back into the place. "See?"
The other ponies, even Ben Mare, were confused by this. Rainbow groans, "Pinkie Pie, you are random."
"Caramel overheard us talking yesterday then he told Golden Harvest...and well, you know how that goes." Fluttershy explains to her friends nervously.
"Yeah, we do. Ben, I..." Twilight begins to say to Ben, wanting to comfort him but the upset Earth pony cuts her off.
"I didn't...ask to have these powers, okay?" Ben snaps to Twilight in frustration. "Or the fame that came with being the son of Celestia! It just happened! I mean...sometimes, I wish that I didn't come here at all."
"Daddy, don't say that." Nyx said gently as she got onto the bed and nuzzles Ben. "Mommy and I would miss you if you didn't want to go. We wouldn't be a family without you."
"Right, we will get through this somehow." Twilight assures Ben as she got onto the bed and nuzzles her as well. "I love you so much, I won't let whatever fame and such get to you. We will get through this as a family."
Ben pauses then smiles while hugging Twilight and Nyx, saying, "I must be...one of the most luckiest stallions in Equestria. Yeah, you're right. I can get through this fame thing...but right now, I just want some privacy and quiet time."
"How? There are a lot of ponies out there wanting your autograph." Spike points out in frustration over a lot of ponies waiting outside the library for Ben to come out.
"Well...let's take the shortcut."
"Now you're acting like Pinkie Pie."
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Later, after school is over, the Ponies, the CMC (including Twist and Dinky Doo) and Pipsqueak head over to a quiet spot in Ponyville.
"Thank goodness. I don't know how much we can take of this." Twilight said with a sigh of annoyance. "It's like the Fluttershy model thing all over again."
"Yeah, only worse," Rarity remarked.
"At least this place of Ponyville is rarely visited." Rainbow comments as Spike set things up for a picnic. "Honestly, Applejack, I don't know why you put you with Caramel."
"Ah know, Ah don't know why Ah do either." Applejack said with a sigh of agreement.
"Sorry I didn't come to school today, girls." Nyx apologizes to her friends. "With all that fuss over daddy and his new powers, I couldn't go out today."
"It's okay, Nyx." Sweetie Belle said, "We figured that might've happened, so we told Cheerilee what happened."
"Right, but yew missed a good day...no Diamond Tiara bullying us." Apple Bloom remarks with a smirk. "Ah done hear 'dat her daddy grounded her fer two weeks fer throwing rocks at Pipsqueak an' tossing his toy up 'dat there tree."
"Ha ha ha! Oh man, Mr. Rich can be a big pain even when he wasn't possessed by your evil self again." Scootaloo remarks with a chuckle. "You could hear him yelling all over Ponyville."
"I thought that's what I heard." Nyx said thoughtfully. The alicorn did recall hearing a roar yesterday...but didn't realize where it came from until now.
"Thanks again for helping me yesterday, Nyx. That was nice of you." Pipsqueak said to Nyx with a grin.
"You're welcome, Pipsqueak." Nyx replied happily.
Just then, Nyx got an idea before she signaled her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders aside, leaving Pipsqueak out a bit. The five then get into a huddle.
"Hey, girls...I did some thinking." Nyx said thoughtfully. "Pipsqueak has no Cutie Mark, right?"
"As far as we know, no," Dinky said quietly.
"Thought of inviting him to our group?" Twist asks Nyx curiously.
"Yeah, we Cutie Mark Crusaders must stick together and help one of our own...and letting Pipsqueak in can help him." Nyx said with a nod.
"But he's a colt!" Scootaloo protests with a scoff. "We never have a colt in our group before."
"So; Nyx an' Twist has Cutie Marks but we kept them anyhow." Apple Bloom points out to Scootaloo. "An' Ah say its okay 'ta bring Pipsqueak into our group."
"Plus, I made a cape for him anyway." Sweetie said with a grin. "Come on, Scootaloo, let's invite him."
"Well, okay, fine." Scootaloo said, knowing how she's being outnumbered here.
Of course, the CMC were speaking so quietly, Pipsqueak couldn't hear a word they said. He was confused, wondering what they were talking about.
"Okay, break." Apple Bloom said with a nod. The fillies then came over to Pipsqueak. "Pipsqueak, how would yew like 'ta join an ever-growin' group in Equestria?"
"Wait, as in...joining your group of Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Pipsqueak asks the fillies in surprise.
"Sure! There's always room for one more!" Dinky explains with a smile.
"We want to help non-Cutie Mark ponies get their Cutie Marks." Twist explains to Pipsqueak. "And this will be the first time we will have a colt in our group."
"Plus, we will keep one another safe." Nyx said in agreement, "So...how about it, Pipsqueak?"
The white foal grinned excitedly as he replied, "I'd love to join your group! I always wanted to earn my own Cutie Mark! I'll do it!"
The fillies grins as Sweetie took out a cape and helps Pipsqueak put it on.
"Welcome 'ta 'de Cutie Mark Crusaders," Apple Bloom exclaims with a grin. "We're gonna go out in 'de world an' discover our talents."
"A new adventure," Scootaloo exclaims as the group goes into their theme song or motto, take your pick.
"And earn our cutie marks." Sweetie said.
"We'll leave no stone unturned!" Nyx exclaims.
"No mountain unclimbed!" Dinky squeaks out eagerly.
"No meal uncooked!" Twist exclaims.
"No song unlearned!" Pipsqueak exclaims with a smile.
The foals put their hooves together then threw them into the air while cheering, "WE ARE THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERSl YAY!"
Rarity smiles as she saw what the foals are doing. The unicorn comments, "Looks like my sister and her friends got a new playmate in their group."
"After what happened yesterday, no kidding," Twilight remarks with a chuckle.
"I'm glad to get some peace and quiet." Ben said with a sigh while lying down on the blanket. "As long as no pony else sees me here..."
"So there you are!" A voice said, alarming the ponies.
"I swear! The pony was splashed when I got there!" Pinkie exclaims in alarm, but saw that the pony is actually Derpy, "Oh, hi Derpy."
"Hey, what gives in not inviting me?" Derpy ask happily as she set down a plate of muffins. "I like having picnics!"
"Err; the thought never came to mind." Ben said with a sheepish chuckle. For a moment, he was worried that it was some fans or ponies whose saw them.
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Unknown to the group, a familiar filly and her father were nearby. Filthy was super advising a building for ponies to have lunch in.
"Daddy, why do I have to be here watching this?" Diamond asked her father with a pout.
"You know what you did, Diamond Tiara!" Filthy Rich snaps sternly. "You are grounded for two weeks for throwing rocks at a colt and for tossing his toy up a tree. I am keeping an eye on you so you wouldn't get into any more mischief."
"Yes, daddy," Diamond said in an annoyed tone.
"And I don't care what you said about Ben Mare or what powers he got." Filthy Rich adds sternly. "You don't go and bully foals like that."
Filthy Rich knows what it's like to be bullied as a foal, especially since his first name 'Filthy' gave him a hard time. The last thing he wants is having a daughter who acts like some bullies that picked on him when he was little.
"Now I got to check on the cement. Stay here and don't move from this spot until I get back." Filthy said to Diamond sternly before taking temporary leave.
"Yes, daddy," Diamond said with a groan.
Filthy Rich leaves, leaving a bored Diamond behind. To her, she feels like getting hit by an ugly stick by Nyx and her friends. What is the bully going to do?
Diamond then notices something nearby: it's the Mane Six's group...and Ben Mare is with them! That mare's display of powers...the whole thing is discovered all over Ponyville!
Diamond should tell somepony but her father told her not to go anywhere. Luckily, that doesn't apply to anypony else.
"Hey, you," Diamond calls over a pony worker who looks puzzled before coming over. "How would you like to earn some extra bits?"
"Really; how can I?" The pony worker said with a look of interest on his face.
Diamond gave an evil smirk as she begins to explain...
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The picnic is almost done as the ponies are finishing up.
"So...looks like we're done here." Ben said as he helps the ponies getting the stuff ready so that they can head on home. "I got to say, we have a quiet time today."
"More quiet than when Dashie ruined my life and has to fix it!" Pinkie exclaims happily.
"Pinkie, I said I was sorry! Geez, I would've told earlier but something told me to go through the whole thing!" Rainbow exclaims to Pinkie embarrassingly.
"Oh, oh; like you were following the script as that story was a fanmake of 'Homestar Ruiner', right?"
"...Pinkie Pie, you are so random."
"At least it was done better than 'de seceding war against Celestia, 'de Battle o' de Bands, 'de making o' Dasheresque 3, as when Metal Iron 'de Invincible got released." Applejack remarks with a scoff. "Ever have those kinda problems, Ben?"
"Speaking of which, where were you all these years?" Twilight ask Ben in concern. "You..."
"There he is!" A pony voice exclaims eagerly. The group's eyes widen in shock as they saw what the gang was trying to avoid all day: the fans and ponies!
"Oh horny toads," Apple Bloom exclaims with a yelp.
"Not again, run!" Ben exclaims in alarm. The stallion and the Mane Six with Derpy (with the fillies and Pipsqueak on their backs) rush/fly off.
"Wait, come back! We want to see what else you can do!" Junebug calls out eagerly.
The chase goes right into Ponyville and all over the place. Ben's group either hides or run while trying to dodge the mad ponies, but those fans keep on chasing them like Parasprites to stuff.
"Ugh! This is like the gala ticket thing all over again!" Twilight complains a bit, remembering what it's like being chased like this before.
"As well as trying to avoid my fans when I was a model," Fluttershy explains in fear.
"And..." Pinkie was cut off as she hits a brick wall. The group find themselves cornered in a dead wall. "Well, this looks too familiar."
"We're trapped!" Nyx groans a bit as the group saw the ponies eagerly closing in on them.
"Come on, fly for us!" Twinkleshine exclaims happily.
"Or at least use magic to do cool stuff!" Caramel remarks with a grin.
"Great and I'm too tired to teleport out!" Twilight groans a bit in sadness. Not good, all the running and such, has tired her out.
Ben is sweating a bit as he is beginning to get a bit intense. The pony was shy before, worried about the attention...and now that problem is about to emerge. The folks of Ponyville are freaking him out; Soon...
"Enough, enough, ENOUGH," Ben screams angrily as he made a blast, knocking the ponies away. The Mane Six's group looks alarmed at this. They haven't seen him this angry since...his Demon Pony stage.
"Uh oh," Derpy said stupidly.
"Look, you eager yet dumb ponies! I don't want to be a celebrity, okay? I just want to be a normal pony who has a good family like Twilight and Nyx right here, and not deal with sort of problem! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?"
"Oh boy. He's upset." Rainbow said in concern.
"You think?" Rarity asks Rainbow in concern yet sarcasm as well.
"Come on, we were all excited about you being Celestia's adopted son and you having these powers and such." Caramel said nervously. "Isn't that fine with you at all?"
"NO, IT ISN'T FINE! AND IF YOU KNEW WHO I WAS BEFORE, YOU WOULD LEAVE ME ALONE!" Ben yells furiously at the ponies. At their looks of confusion or surprise, the stallion continues, "Fine! You know what? I can't hide it this last secret anymore. You heard stories of the Demon Pony, right?"
"Yeah, we all did." Noteworthy said in concern. "How he once terrorized Canterlot years ago...and how the monster did so again; At least from what we heard of."
"Actually, I think he came to Ponyville a few times too." Goldengrape comments in concern. "Why are...
"Because I was that Demon Pony," Ben yells at the ponies whose gasps and jumps back by the confession. "That right, I was the monster; I was the one who even got into the Apples' apples years ago! I even spy on you when you were't even knowing it whenever I was in Ponyville or elsewhere!"
"Whoa! That's not good." Sweetie said in concern.
"And you know? You wouldn't give attention to a Demon Pony...and I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT ATTENTION FROM PONIES WHO WON'T GIVE ME THE PRIVACY THAT I WANTED! Have any of you even learnt anything from the Gabby Gums incident? Or how Fluttershy felt when you chased her when she was a model? Huh? Huh?"
Most of the ponies feel speechless and shocked by the outburst. Ben Mare was the same monstrous Demon Pony? And he's furious by the attention and lack of privacy that they were doing? Ben grunts as he storms off.
"Ben? Where are you going?" Twilight ask Ben in concern.
"I'm sorry, Twilight, but I can't stay here if I can't be treated the way that I wanted." Ben said to Twilight in a calm yet upset tone of voice. "I'm packing my things. I'm going home..."
"Ben..."
"I'm sorry...but it isn't going work out as I have hoped..."
Ben teleports out of the scene, leaving the sad and shocked ponies behind; Looks like the adopted son of Celestia's first time in Ponyville ended in disaster.