I love lazy days like today. No chores needing to be done, no trouble afoot, and no monsters tearing up the town. I can just sit at this outdoor diner in Ponyville and just let life happen around me. Today's weather is a bit overcast as the pegasus weather teams prepare for the turning of the seasons, and there's a little bit of bite to the air that tells me that winter is on its way. Luckily my favorite denim jacket is lined with wool and does a terrific job keeping the cold out.
I take a sip of warm tea as I enjoy the day and watch the ponies go about their daily business. The street is mostly empty as three little fillies run in. I recognize Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle immediately, so the pegasus they're chasing must be their friend Scootaloo. The orange filly is bouncing a ball off her snout. "Ten, eleven," she counts as she scrambles to keep up with the flying ball. "Thirtee- Darn it!" The pegasus looses control of the ball, sending it arcing over the street.
"I've got it!" Sweetie Belle shouts, "I've got it!" She springs into the air to intercept the ball. However, the ball's angle causes it to rocket off the unicorn filly and break through a nearby window. Sweetie wilts a little as as the sound of more breaking glass emerges from the store, no doubt the result of a rapidly bouncing ball ricocheting its way around a store full of expensive and fragile wares. "Uh oh."
"Oh no. What are we gonna do now?" Apple Bloom says.
"Ask for our ball back?" Sweetie suggests.
With a mournful sigh for the loss of my peaceful afternoon, I get up and make my way over to the fillies. "You girls getting into trouble again?" I ask rhetorically.
"Lanternlight!" The little earth pony squeals.
"You three should go apologize to the owner of that shop." Scootaloo rolls her eyes, but the other two are listening politely. "The sooner you apologize, sooner any grudges disappear."
Unfortunately for my attempt at teaching the girls a moral, the owner of the damaged store emerges onto the street. He's the size of Big Macintosh and he looks kinda angry. Scratch that, he looks furios. I can kinda understand why. His cutie mark is a prism, so the chances are his store sold glass or crystal. The expensive kind. "You kids are in so much trouble!" He shouts at the top of his lungs.
"Except now," I amend myself. "Run for it girls!" I take off down the street, the Cutie Mark Crusaders at my heels. I can still hear the shop pony ranting after us, but for whatever reason he doesn't come after us. After turning a couple corners I stop to catch my breath. The young ponies who followed me look up at me expectantly.
"So," Sweetie Belle says uncertainly, "we're not going to get our ball back?"
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Later I'm looking out at Sweet Apple Acres' orchards from the farmhouse's front porch. The trees are bare-branched in anticipation of the coming winter. I'm sitting lotus-style on the wooden deck with the farm pony while we keep an eye on the kids. I escorted the Cutie Mark Crusaders here after the incident in town, and while Applejack was a little disappointed at the way I handled it she was glad that I kept her little sister out of trouble.
"Applejack, take mercy on my poor, suffering behind and get another chair please? I can't just stand around for hours like you ponies do." I shift the sore muscles in question in a futile effort to locate a softer spot on the cushion I'm using as a seat.
"Don't go changin' tha subject, ya rascal," the farm pony counters. "Everypony else is gonna get an earful from Shattered Spectrum for this. It's only fair, and responsible, for ya to get a share a' that too."
With my chin in one hand, I narrow an eye towards the pony accusingly. "I left because I would rather interact with him after he's had a chance to cool down." A green eyed glare responds to my excuse. "Fine, I'll talk to him. Later. Todays pretty much as close as I can get to a day off and I want to enjoy the rest of it."
Apple Bloom ran past us, blurting out "Siswe'regointothaclubhousewe'llbebackfordinnersoseeyathen!" before rounding the corner and vanishing down a trail with the other two fillies. Applejack shouts after them "Make sure ya'll clean up before comin' to dinner!"
We hear a distant "Okay!" from the girls.
The orange pony returns her attention to me. "Fine. Ya'll can have your day to relax. But tomorrow you're helping me an' Rarity round up tha Crusaders to apologize ta Mister Spectrum."
I consider saying something sarcastic. It would be a good way to put a burr under my friend's saddle, as the saying goes. But knowing how stubborn AJ is she'll probably find some way to turn it into an argument. So I just settle for a simple grunt of assent. That seems to satisfy her.
"Miss Applejack?" An earth pony in a postal uniform trots up to us.
Applejack stands up. "That's me."
The post pony pulls a card from his saddlebag. "Telegram." As he hands her the note he spots me. He stares at me while AJ reads the telegram, his jaw hanging loose. I smile and give him a little wave. He tilts his head to the side in confusion. Most of the townsponies have become used to my appearance by now, but I still get this reaction on occasion.
"Oh no," Applejack gasps as she finishes the letter. She runs out from under the porch cover and shouts up to the second floor of the farmhouse. "Big Macintosh!" Her big brother pokes his head out of a second-floor window, a pen dangling from his mouth. "Uncle Apple Strudel's hurt himself! Braeburn's askin' us to come over there and help him with readyin' thier fields fer winter!" Big Mac nods and pulls his head back indoors.
"Hey, Lanternlight, can Ah ask ya a favor?" She asks as she begins to walk down one of the farm's trails, urging me to follow with one hoof. I follow, genuinely curious about what Applejack could possibly need from me in this situation. "I know this is a lot to ask all of a sudden like this, but could ya look after tha girls while Mac and Ah take care of this sitiation in Appleloosa?"
"Huh? Apple Bloom lives here, and don't the other two live with their parents? Why would you need me to watch them?"
"My sis and her friends have been plannin' to have a sleepover this weekend for weeks. Nopony else had the space or the time to look after them, and since their clubhouse is on the property anyway Ah said we could take 'em in. But with this emergency we can't let them stay here. Granny Smith just can't keep up with those three at her age, an' Ah'd feel bad dumping the girls on anypony else."
"So you've decided to dump them on me instead?"
"Now don't get yer hair in a twist. You've had a lot of spare time since that Landshark ruckus, an' Ah feel that Ah can trust ya to keep an eye on the Crusaders without keepin' em from havin' fun. Ya proved that this afternoon"
Flattered by Applejack's faith in me, I turn my head and feign a sigh to cover my smile. "Well, if you put it that way." Truth to be told, she's pretty much hit the nail on the head as far as how busy I've been these past two weeks. My firebending training has reached a plateau, so I haven't been able to develop any new techniques to practice safely. The research and compilation of the histories from the barrow is moving at such a pace that even three little ponies can't really slow it down much more. Heck, even my larder's fully stocked for the winter so I won't have to hunt for a month, maybe two if I can stretch it. "I suppose I can look after them for a few days."
AJ rolls her eyes at my false exasperation. "It's mighty kind a' ya to go through so much trouble fer me," she snarks. "Seriously though, those three can be a handful. Ya gotta to stay on yer toes to keep 'em outta trouble."
We round a hill and walk towards the Crusader's clubhouse. The small wooden structure is built into a old oak tree, with a variety of structures added on to the roof. The fillies in question are nowhere in sight. After taking a peek into the clubhouse, my orange companion shouts for her sister. "Apple Bloom!"
"Sis, look out!" Apple Bloom's voice echoes from up the hill. We turn in time to see Sweetie Belle barreling towards us in a makeshift go cart. She's trying to turn away from us, but the steering wheel comes loose. Applejack leaps into the cart's path and braces herself, lifting her hind legs and stopping the out of control vehicle cold. Unfortunately Sweetie Belle comes flying out of the seat. I leap up and catch the unicorn filly, grateful that she's wearing a helmet as she dives headfirst into my stomach. We collapse onto the ground.
"Is everyone all right?" AJ asks while Scootaloo and Apple Bloom run down the hill.
Sweetie Belle sits up and shakes her head, a dazed expression on her face. "I'm okay," she says, taking a step and tumbling off me. Her friends approach us looking more than a little sheepish. The cart's wheels fall off their axles and roll off into the fields.
"I see what you mean," I groan.
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"Why do you live way out here?" Scootaloo asks me. I'm leading the fillies up the trail to Sunset Springs. The Crusaders have been unusually quiet on the way up here, probably because of the chewing out they've received from Applejack about an hour ago. At least they were, until now.
"I have to," I explain, "because it's the only place near Ponyville that is attuned to elemental magic I've been able to find. By living here I can sleep better, not to mention it's an excellent place to practice firebending."
Sweetie Belle perks up. "I think I heard Miss Twilight say that she thinks that humans are sensitive to geo… geo…?"
"Geomancy," Apple Bloom finishes, "it's the way the land and magic interact with each other."
Scootaloo gives her earth pony friend a confused look while Sweetie nods. "Yeah, that's it." I lead them through the entrance to my little valley. Lighting the lanterns along the path on my way towards the house, I take out my key ring and prepare to unlock the door.
"Still, aren't you the guardian of Ponyville? Shouldn't you live closer to the town you're supposed to be protecting?" Scootaloo asks. She brings her scooter to a halt in front of the door, looking up at me with questioning eyes.
"I'm not that far away. Besides it's not like Ponyville's out of sight." The setting sun still lights up the valley, throwing the mountains and village into sharp relief from the orange sky. The Crusaders take in the sight while I unlock the front door. "Now then," I say in a voice authoritative enough to grab their attention. "Before the, what are you calling this weekend again?"
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER THREE-DAY CRUSADING MARATHON! YAY!" They shout in unison, scattering the few winter birds in the vicinity.
"Right. Well, before any crusading can take place you need to know the three rules of Sunset Springs. The first rule, and this is important for your safety and mine, do not interrupt me while I'm practicing my firebending forms. My fire can and will burn you just like any other fire if you're not careful. Is that clear?"
"Yes Lanternlight."
"Second rule: Stay out of the cellar. I keep some things in there that are not for foals to see or play with. There is no reason for you three to mess around in there anyway. Understood?"
"Yes."
"The third, and most important rule is…" I look around, then beacon to the kids, "Come closer, it's a secret." I kneel down and cover my mouth. The Crusaders step closer to hear my whisper, "The third rule is…"
I blow into the party whistle I borrowed from Pinkie, and the green tube of paper unrolls and buzzes. The fillies jump in surprise, stunned at the sudden change of my demeanor. "Have fun," I finish with a wink. All three girls laugh at my silly grin. For all my complaining when AJ suggested this sleepover I'm actually not too bad with kids. Karol said it's because I'm still a kid at heart myself.
"Hey Lanternlight?" Apple Bloom asks.
"What kiddo?"
"What exactly does a guardian do?"
"Yeah! Maybe we can help you out!" Sweetie Belle says.
"And get our cutie marks in town protecting!" Scootaloo adds.
My hand comes up to my chin thoughtfully. "I can teach you about the duties of a town guardian, I suppose. If you three are willing to be my apprentices for a day, starting now."
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER GUARDIAN APPRENTICES! YAY!"
I'll take that as a yes. "Okay then, listen up apprentices. The first and most important duty of a guardian is to look after yourself. You have to be ready, trouble can come at any time. So, is anypony hungry?" Three grumbling stomachs answer my question. "Then let's wash up and get dinner started."
After helping the girls wash their hooves in the springs, I lead them into the house. We prepare a dinner salad, although I'm careful to hide the deer steaks I have marinating in the fridge. Because of the varied tastes of the Crusaders the salad is a little schizophrenic but I manage to keep it edible. When night falls I head outside into the field to practice.
Scootaloo comes out to watch me while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle start exploring my house. My evening routine is the more difficult of the two, mainly because I purposefully wait until after sunset to practice. Without the sun in the sky, firebending becomes much more difficult. Near the end of my routine the young pegasus speaks up. "So, what does your cutie mark mean?"
I hurl an arc of flame skyward with a wheel kick, grimacing at the weak and thin flames. "It's called a duty mark." Maybe if I change the stance and take a deeper breath? Na, that just makes a bigger, shorter-lived arc better for close-quarters. "It's different from a cutie mark."
"How?" The little pegasus tilts her head in confusion.
"Rather than representing a special talent, a duty mark manifests when a human makes a choice. When we dedicate ourselves, our lives, to a cause. Mine represents my determination to protect others from harm. Just like a lantern in the night, I keep the darkness at bay." I finish my routine and sit down to meditate, flanked by two of the iron-wrought lamps keeping my training field lit. Scootaloo stands awkwardly by the door for a minute, before asking another question.
"So, you made your duty mark appear?" Her tone is admiring as well as inquisitive, but I still do not appreciate the interruption of my meditation. Patience, Lanternlight.
I turn towards her, still in a meditative position. "Not really. When I made the decision I was unaware duty marks even existed, and even then I don't think its something that can be forced to appear. Dedicating your life to something is not a trivial decision, and definitely not something to be done lightly."
I watch the filly's face fall as she listens to my words. When I finish she kicks the grass despondently. "That's what everypony tells us. They all say that all we need to do is be patient and we'll get our cutie marks eventually. But if we sit around and do nothing, how are we ever going to find our special talents?"
Well, nuts. She's making a face. A kind of half angry, half sad, all disappointed face. It's almost breaking my heart just to look at it. As much as I want to reassure her I know that the elder ponies are right. Maybe I'm looking at this wrong. Maybe…
"Maybe you're looking in the wrong places." I think aloud.
Scootaloo looks at me like I'm crazy. "Huh?"
Congratulations, Lanternlight! I've been living kind of like a kung-fu master for the past month and a half. I live alone in an isolated location overlooking a town I protect, I practice a mystical martial art, and I drink tea almost more than water. Now I've graduated to speaking in riddles. All I need to do now is learn some cryptic old sayings, maybe even grow a beard, and the transformation will be complete.
Well, I do have three "students" for the weekend. I might as well make the most of it. And who knows, I might learn something in the process of teaching the Crusaders. Isn't that how these things are supposed to go?
"Scootaloo, would you go get Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle for me. I think its time for your next lesson." The orange pegasus nods and dashes inside, calling for her friends. In record time all three Cutie Mark Crusaders have assembled before me. I'm still sitting on the ground, my legs crossed in the meditative position. The three kids are looking expectant and excited.
Apple Bloom spoke first, "So what are ya gonna teach us? How to fight off monsters?"
I grinned and shook my head, "Oh no, not so close to bed time."
"How to look for signs of trouble?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Another shake of the head caused Scootaloo to guess next. "How to patrol a town?"
"Not that either." I patted the grass beside me. "Come and sit down with me. I'm going to teach you how to meditate."
Apple Bloom gasped. "Like Zecora does, except she balances upside-down on a stick."
I've heard of the zebra herbologist before, but I haven't had the chance to meet her in person yet. "Her technique is a little different from mine. The goal is the same, though." The fillies walk over and sit in a semi-circle around me; Sweetie Bell to my left, Scootaloo to my right, and Apple Bloom right across from me. I begin to demonstrate. "First you must relax yourself and breath. Let your muscles relax from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet." I open one eye to monitor the girls, finding all three staring at me. "Closing your eyes usually helps."
Three pairs of eyes immediately snap shut. With a grin, I continue the lesson. "Breath in through your nose as deep as you can. Then let the breath out through your mouth. Keep your throat open the whole time, like you're saying 'ah' for the doctor." Sweetie giggles a little at my simile, but I can see all three starting to relax and breath like I told them. "Very good."
"Now clear your mind." I close my eyes and follow my own lesson. "Focus all your attention on your breathing. Let all other thoughts in your mind float away, and bother you no more." For about a minute, maybe more, the only sound I hear is our breathing. It is so peaceful that I can feel the flames in the lanterns flickering in time with my breathing. Then Scootaloo speaks up.
"Lanternlight? you started this lesson because I brought up cutie marks, right?"
"That's right."
"Is this supposed to help us get our cutie marks somehow?" She demands.
My knowing grin seems to get on her nerves a bit, but now both of the other girls have opened their eyes and are looking at me expectantly. "Are you thinking that all I'm doing is teaching you how to sit still and do nothing?" One look into her eyes gives me my answer. "While many use meditation for that purpose, that's not the point here. When you have a clear mind, it's easier to find the answers you already know."
My answer earns me another confused look, this time from all three Crusaders. "Huh?", they chorus.
"When your mind is troubled and filled with many thoughts, it might be difficult to remember what you already know." I explain, looking at each filly in turn. "Meditation allows you to clear those thoughts, so when you ask yourself a question you can find the answer more easily. I can guide you through this process tonight. Later on, you will have to ask yourselves the right questions. And let me tell you, finding the right questions is a trial all of its own."
My temporary students look at each other before nodding in agreement and turning back to me. "So what questions do we ask ourselves?" Apple Bloom asks.
"That depends on what you want to meditate on." I'm feigning ignorance at this point, because their answer is obvious.
"Our cutie marks!" Scootaloo chirps.
"Very well then," I say, "let us begin."
We close our eyes. I wait until I can hear their breathing even out before I ask the first question. "What do you know about cutie marks?"
Sweetie answers. "They represent a pony's special talent."
"Somethin' she can do that no other pony can do as well." Apple Bloom says.
"It's what makes her unique." Scootaloo finishes.
"Why do you want to get yours so badly?"
"Everypony else our age already has theirs." The earth pony says. "Ah don't want to fall behind."
The other two remain silent. They must feel the same way. Exclusion from your peers is very harsh at their age. I move on. "What do you think your special talents are?"
Scootaloo speaks first, "I want to be the best flyer in Equestria, like Rainbow Dash!"
"I want to be a clothing designer like my big sister!" Sweetie says.
"Ah… Ah don't know." Apple Bloom says, slowly and sadly.
Her friends give her confused looks. "Everypony else in mah family knows what they're good at," the yellow filly elaborates. "Applejack can take care of an apple orchard like nopony else. Big Macintosh can't be matched when it comes to manual labor, an' he also takes care of the business side of things too. An' Granny Smith takes care of all of us! She taught us all how to run the farm, how to cook, clean, and take care of ourselves too! Ah just help em all out where Ah can, even if Ah sometimes make a mess a' things. So Ah really can't say what my special talent is."
The other two girls share a look. I doubt Apple Bloom shared this feeling with them. But it fits with the stories I've heard of the Crusader's past exploits. The little earth pony has always been the most driven to find her cutie mark. All this time she's been trying to find her place in the world, her place within her family. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle have been aiming for their idols, which is normal but not helpful.
"You're on the right track, Apple Bloom." I say.
"Ah am?" She looks surprised.
"She is?" The pegasus and unicorn look shocked.
"Yes. As you said before, a cutie mark not only represents a pony's talents. It also represents what makes them unique. For example, Applejack's cutie mark is three apples. Sure, she's a talented apple farmer, but it also represents her devotion to her family. Likewise, my duty mark is a golden lantern. I am the flame, the lantern represents my home, my friends. The light is my desire to protect others. A mark represents more about you than what you see at first glance." I point at Apple Blooms chest. "To find it you must look around in here and," my hand travels up to her forehead, "in here."
Scootaloo rubs her temples. "This is hard."
"Nothing worth doing is ever easy," I say with a grin. By now I notice the other two fillies have begun shivering in the frigid autumn night. We've been out here longer than I thought. I check the eastern sky, seeking the moon. I can just barely make out its glow behind the mountains, meaning that it's roughly three hours until midnight. "That's enough for tonight, time to go to bed."
The Crusaders object, much like any kid their ages would. They want to stay up later, but my good natured promise to wake them up early tomorrow persuades them to follow me up to the bedroom. I tuck them into my own bed. I bend the flames in the fireplace into slow-burning coals. With a final good night I descend the stairs to prepare my own bed for the night. While my couch doesn't really look very luxurious draped in by spare sheets and blanket, it looks comfortable enough.
After dousing the lights and making sure the doors are secure, I settle into my improvised bed and wait for sleep to come.
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A strange chill runs through my body. I leap of the couch and land reflexively in my combat stance. My eyes scan the room for any threats. What I see in the living room of my house is…
Nothing. It's pretty much in the same state as I left it when I fell asleep. The fire has died down to glowing embers, everything from the coat rack next to the fireplace to the curtains over the kitchen entrance are undisturbed. The front door's even still locked. Okay…
The hairs on the back of my neck are still standing on end, so I walk through the rest of the house to make sure everything's okay. The kitchen and dining room are empty and intact. Nothing's hiding in the bathroom or the closet under the stairs, and after I unlock the back door I enter my meat cellar. Unlike two weeks ago when a raccoon somehow found his way in there, no varmints are making off with my hard-earned carcasses tonight. Apprehension grows as I hurry up the stairs to check on the girls.
To my relief I find them all safe, snug, and sound asleep in my bed. The three fillies have snuggled together tightly against the chill in the air, but as adorable as the scene is I still double-check the upstairs loft for anything out of the ordinary. Even though all is well my weirdness sensor is still buzzing like mad. When I look out the round western-facing window I see something out there that stops me cold.
Standing at the edge of the cliff stands a pale human figure. I can't quite make him out, but he's looking directly at me. I run downstairs, grab my jacket, and storm out the door. He's gone, but I feel something pulling me towards the Whitetail Woods. As much as I want to write this whole thing off as a trick of the mind and go back to sleep, I am compelled to investigate. Before I leave I make sure to lock the front door.
The full moon it at its zenith, lighting my way through the forest. I keep an ear out for the sounds of wild creatures. I have had a few territorial disputes with the other predators that live in the area, and the local wolf pack's alpha male is a vindictive bastard. So I travel with a light step and refrain from bending a flame to light my way. Note to self, thank Princess Luna for making tonight bright and clear.
Eventually I find my way to a moonlit glade in the middle of the forest. An incredibly ancient oak tree stands over a bend in a creek, and I almost trip over the remains of a toppled standing stone half buried under the grassy soil. Watching my step, I draw closer to the oak. I lay a hand on the trunk and feel a complex pattern of maze-like lines scarred into the tree's bark. It doesn't take me long to recognize these signs. Humans were here. A long, long time ago, but they were here.
A gruff voice interrupts my reverie. "It's about time someone got here. I've been waiting all night."
I turn around and find myself face to face with a massive bull elk. His shoulder easily reaches my neck, and muscle ripples under his grey coat. Two impressive thirteen-point antlers top his head. He also looks old. His body looks a little thinner than normal, and his eyes are obscured by white cataracts. He gives me an appraising look up and down. "Well well. My eyesight might not be what it used to be, but I never seen anything like you before. Ah well, if you're here you must'a felt my call."
So that's what that feeling was. "What is this place?" The elk snorts at my question, apparently taken aback by my ignorance.
"You're kiddin'," he says incredulously. When I give him a flat stare, he shakes his head. "What did your mama teach ya, kid? This is the Pact Tree, neutral ground for predator an' prey alike. Predators use it for a meetin' ground, but it has another use. Ya see, when an old herbivores like me, livin' free an' wild unlike the pony folk or their partners, get long enough in the tooth we got two options. We can try to live out our last days strugglin' and weak, or we can come here and get some help endin' it. Quick, clean, and dignified. Ya should'a known all this already."
"I'm new here," I look him over again. "You don't look that bad to me, to be honest."
He gives a short laugh, genuine but filled with black humor. "Don't let my good looks fool ya. I've been gettin' sicker recently, so if ya don't off me this winter will probably finish me off." He looks at me, and I can see in his eyes that he's tired. So tired. "I don't want to go that way kid. Finish me here and now, do me a favor." I'm frozen in place. I never suspected that something like this was possible in this World. Correction, I never thought about it. I preferred to spend my time with the ponies and not dwell on things like this. I mean, it makes sense logically. Morally, it could even be seen as a mercy.
The bull elk snorts again as he watches me wrestle with my mind. "Humph, I never thought I'd see the day. A meat eater having an attack of conscience when confronted my a free meal." He gives another dark chuckle at my reaction.
"Well hunting is one thing," I explain myself, "but this… I have enough meat stored away to last the winter. I made a promise to myself, and someone else, that I would only hunt for food."
"I understand. Don't worry kid, my death won't go to waste. The predators know that this here's a good place to look for a meal if times are lean. Just leave my body and somebody will come by to take care of it. Probably Rockjaw, I hear his mate is pregnant and mountain cat females get savage with their toms when expecting. Kicked him right outta the hills last time. And if not him there's always the wolves and the ravens. Nature will take care of the mess if you don't." I hesitate again, and his tone changes. "Please kid."
I make my decision. "Lay down."
He drops onto the grassy floor, his legs folded underneath him. "So how we gonna do this, kid."
I straddle his back and take an antler in each hand, bracing myself with my knees. I remember that time on a back road in the mountains. A buck deer on the road, the night was dark, and I didn't see him until it was too late to brake. "Breaking the neck. You might feel a pinch."
He looks at me one last time. "Thanks kid."
My hands wrench sharply to the side, and then it's done. I feel numb, not noticing I'm walking until I'm fumbling for the key to my front door. I'm inside. I lay down and try to get some sleep.
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"We had a great time!" Sweetie Belle gushes to her sister. Rarity showed up this morning with Fluttershy to pick up the kids. I'm glad for that, because the past two days have been exhausting. "Lanternlight taught us about the things he does to protect Ponyville, which was nice. But then it rained all day yesterday, so we had to stay in the house. Then Lanternlight told us a story."
"Really," the white unicorn says with a smile on her face. "What kind of story?"
"A good one! It had a princess!" The younger unicorn chirps
"And bender fights!" Scootaloo adds.
"Pirates!" Apple Bloom yells, not to be left out.
"True love!"
"Revenge!"
"Miracles!"
"Well, that sounds exciting." Rarity cuts into the Crusader's tag-team rant. "I'll certainly have to hear it sometime."
I smile at the thought. "I'll make sure Twilight's there to record it all," I snark. Yes, I told them the story you think I told them. I modified it a bit though. Certain characters stayed human but sword fighting prowess became bending prowess. Other characters became ponies, one became a kind-hearted dragon, and the cast was expanded to add a few more ponies in. And an Avatar may or may not be involved.
As we walk towards Ponyville, I fall behind a bit. Fluttershy changes her pace to walk beside me. "Um, I'm sorry if I'm intruding but is something wrong?"
I realize that I've stopped. All that time with the kids has been forcing me to hold back on the emotions. "I…" I begin. If anypony will understand it's Fluttershy. "I was called to the Pact Tree two nights ago."
"Oh," the yellow pegasus pauses and places a consoling hoof on my hand. "Oh, Lanternlight. Are you okay? Do you need to talk about it?"
"A little bit. I've had time to get over it a bit, but talking would be nice." I start walking again, feeling a little better. "Thanks Fluttershy."
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Pinkie Pie says: Ohmygosh! That last part was so sad! I'll have to remind myself to give Lanternlight a big chocolate cupcake later. At least Fluttershy was with him and that made him a little less sad, and the Crusaders were in this chapter so it wasn't all sad. Not that there's anything wrong with a sad story.
Zuko says: Um, Pinkie?
PP: But this isn't supposed to be a sad story. I know, because the author told me that this story is supposed to stay away from all that grimdark going around. I'm happy about that because bleh! I hate grimdark stories about us. That's not what we ponies are all about, yaknow? Were about friends and parties and adventure and cake and parties and getting along and being nice and PARTIES.
Zuko: Pinkie!
PP: Yes Zu-zu?
Zuko: -_-' Weren't we supposed to say something?
PP: Oh yeah, silly me. Hey! You out there! If you liked this story click the thumbs up button at the top. That'll encourage the author to keep writing and writing! Also, if you click the thumbs down button it means your a meanie-mean-meanie-pants. >:P
Zuko: *Sighs* Comment too. The author always welcomes critiques and/or input from you readers. This is practice for his writing skills after all. Also, visit and comment on his blog.
PP: So what do you want to do next Zu-zu?
Zuko:
Don't call me that!
PP: But your sister told me that you love that name.
Zuko: Of course she will. Hey, did you know her birthday's tomorrow? >:D
PP: *GASP!!*