//------------------------------//
// The Phony Pony 
// Story: Hero of equestria 
// by equestrias guardian 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 4: The Phony Pony 

“What in the hay did you think y’all we’re doing, running off into the ever free forest like that?” Applejack shouted. She was furious, hooves stomping and eyes blazing, they were red from tears of joy to see Apple bloom alive as she walked in like nothing happened, but now her eyes stared in anger at her. Apple bloom hadn't said anything, nor could she. She made a promise not to say where she was and if she lied Apple jack would know, so she said nothing. “If you’re not going to tell me where you went today, then I can’t trust you to do anything by yourself. You’re grounded for three weeks. Git upstairs, no supper for you tonight.” Apple bloom walked slowly to her room, she got into her room and could see smoke rising up from the ever free forest. It had to be Matt. As she got ready for bed, she realized her sister had every right to be angry, she did run away and nearly died, twice in two days. Was getting a cutie mark really worth it, she thought. Of course it was and no matter what she was going to get her cutie mark, one way or another. As she yawned she said to herself.
“Tomorrows another day filled with....endless possibilities.”  She fell asleep dreaming of the day when she got her cutie mark. Everyone was cheering and chanting her name, but she couldn't see it. But whatever it was it must have been something special for the whole town to chant her name and to be recognized as a great pony. Suddenly a blinding light appeared above her, as she looked up and saw the dark clouds part to let in the sun and then, she woke up. It was a wonderful dream but it was just a dream, her cutie mark still wasn't there and probably never will be. No! Today was the day she would get it. After school, sweetie belle Scootaloo and her will form the cutie mark crusaders and find their cutie marks. As she got up and went downstairs for breakfast she forgot that she was grounded for three weeks, so no cutie mark crusaders for a while, that just means she’ll have to discover her special talent on her own.  They ate their oats in silence, Apple bloom wanted to speak but she knew the first thing Apple jack would ask was what happened yesterday. She would of course refuse to answer but sooner or later she would find out. She went upstairs and brushed her teeth only to catch big Macintoshes reflection, he was watching her closely; apparently the grounding was only part of the punishment. As she got ready for school Applejack and big Mac were waiting for her. She was going to be walked to and from school always under supervision; there is no worse feeling when no one trusts you, even for a little filly.  She arrived at school where Cheerilee was waiting for her. She must’ve been worried sick about Apple bloom when she ran away from the school, just then Apple bloom felt really guilty. She didn’t stop to think how this would look for Cheerilee. A teacher who let her student run off alone to a scary place and presumably left for dead in the everfree forest, ponies would talk about her, she might have lost her job if she did die, in a way Matt saved not only her life but Cheerilee’s life too. She knew words wouldn’t do her any good, proving she was really sorry but staying and compiling with her punishment was the only way. Applejack and Cheerilee talked about yesterday and how Apple blooms punishment was being carried out. Apple bloom didn’t listen she was still thinking about Matt; she wanted her sister to meet him. She’d like him and so would everypony else. She just wished he’d come and say hi to everypony. They’d accept him there wasn’t a single bad pony in ponyville, except two and they were staring at her now, diamond tiara and silver spoon.  She shivered in the warm sun, and stayed away from them out in the open. Applejack waited until Apple bloom was in the class room and set off doing her chores for the day.  Cheerilee kept an eye on her when she was playing with the other fillies and colts. The day seemed to drag on forever, but at last it was over. Everyone raced out the door and ran home, except Apple bloom. She was to remain in the classroom until Applejack or big Mac came to collect her. As Apple bloom waited she saw other ponies racing by, excited about something. Finally Applejack came to pick her up; as Apple bloom came out she heard the ponies chatting excitedly.
“Who would have guessed it?”  Said one pony.
“I know.” Replied the other “To think someone of that size could save us from the Ursa Major.”  Her ears perked up, she looked up at Applejack and pleaded with her eyes to go and see the hero. Applejack looked down at her.

“What is it sugar cube?” she asked.
“Can we go see the hero, please?” her eyes bulging on the verge of tears. Applejack looked at her and thought about it. She was supposed to be grounded, straight home and nothing else, on the other hoof they had to walk by that way to get home and a quick thank you for saving Apple bloom wouldn’t hurt, heck she owed this hero her life. She didn’t want to make it look like she gave in to Apple bloom’s eyes so she said sternly. 

“We’ll see the hero and then we’re off home, understand?” Apple bloom nodded with a smile. She ran ahead off Applejack to the town centre, she couldn’t believe it, Matt was here and every pony was accepting him. When they got to center of town, the crowds had gathered in force.  It was hard to see him over so many ponies; she started to make her way through the crowd, gently pushing past the other ponies. She was excited, Matt was here in ponyville, this was brilliant. Suddenly a mighty flame leapt out at the front, Apple bloom could feel the heat. It had to be Matt no one else could do fire like that. The ponies awed at the great spectacle, Apple bloom pushed ever further ahead, she could make out a stage in front of her. That puzzled her; why would there be a stage here? It was only when she had reached the front of the crowd she found out why. Standing upon the stage was not Matt but someone her sister was all too familiar with. 

“Come one, come all.” A pony in a wizards outfit beckoned to the crowd. “Come hear the great and powerful Trixies tale of her narrow escape from the beast.” She boasted. The blue unicorn in the purple wizards get up was well known in pony ville for spreading her lies and boasting of accomplishments she had never done. The crowd gathered. Eager to hear the pony’s tale. “It was quite the battle,” she proclaimed “But Trixie learned new magic while she was away.” Apple bloom couldn’t believe it. Nor could her sister.

“You again?” she exclaimed loudly. She didn’t hide the disgust in her voice, she thought when she vanished it was the last time but she came back.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Apple seed family, come to ask forgiveness from the great and powerful trixie, hero to all. I am heroic but humble, so if you admit I am the greatest hero in all of equestria I will forgive you.”  

“I’d rather eat pig swill, then tell you that.” She spat the words out at her.
“Besides, you aint the true hero of ponyville, I know who is.” As soon as the words left her mouth, the whole crowd gasp, Trixie’s eyes darted back and forth. Applejack was stunned.

“What did you say, you little hay bale.” Trixie exclaimed. “I have proof that I am the true hero of ponyville.” She pulled out from underneath her cloak a blue scarf. On the stage she was waving a blue scarf like a fan and showed it off like it was special. It was ripped at the end where some creature with claws had ripped it. “This is the end result of me saving you all, my precious scarf ruined to save you.”
“So does the true hero, in fact he told me everything.”
“HE?” Trixie was starting to become more worried. “Pray tell, little one,” trixie trying to sound calm. “What is this pony’s name?”
“He’s not a pony.” 
“Then what is he?”
“He’s a human.” Instantly she wanted to put those words back, she silently promised not to tell anyone and yet she blurted it out, in front of a large crowd. Apple bloom looked down ashamed; she let her new friend down. Worse than that she broke a promise, her gut was wrenching at the very thought of how Matt and Wilbur would react when she told them. Suddenly a burst of laughter came from nowhere. It was loud and obnoxious; Trixe had rolled onto her back on stage and laughed.

“Oh, you little foal,” she said as she tried to catch her breath back and regain her composure. “Humans haven’t existed in equestria for over a thousand years.”

“They so do exist!” she screamed.

“Prove it, trixie challenges you to bring this human.” Apple bloom stood still, she didn’t want to be called a liar in front of the crowd but she didn’t want to expose her friend more than she already did. “I will give you one hour, if you fail to produce such a human then the Apple family is nothing but a bunch of rotten lying Apples.” The crowd began to mummer, Apple bloom and Apple jack were in the center of it all. 

As Applejack and Apple bloom walked through pony Ville looks from the other ponies sent shivers down their spines all the way to the hind quarters. All around them ponies were avoiding them and shutting their doors. They didn’t know then but soon everyone would be shutting them out completely, applejack was becoming worried.
“Are you sure it was a human you saw?” she asked.
“Absolutely sis, you know an apple never lies.” She said with an innocent smile.
“Are you sure he’ll help us?”
“Of course, he’s a guardian. He won’t say no to me.”



“No, no, no, no, no.” Matt said as he frantically packed away his tent, as Wilbur helped him he grunted and growled of all the work they had to do in such a short time. 

“I didn’t mean to, it just kinda came out.” Wilbur growled at her.

“This is why we should have stayed in shadows Matt, ponies can’t be trusted.” A stabbing pain went through Apple blooms heart.
“That’s not fair Wilbur!” Matt said sternly. “I can understand why she did it, I just didn’t believe she would do it. Anyways it doesn’t matter now.” 
“Please help me.” She asked close to tears. Matt saw her eyes and said with a sigh. 
“Go back to pony vile apple bloom. We’ll meet again.” 

Apple jack waited for her from a distance and wanted to see this for herself but Apple bloom convinced her to stay for now.  Knowing her sister was in trouble she started to move forward into the everfree forest and follow the same path her little sister did. The forest seemed to close in all around her, the darkness was creeping in. The wind blowing through the trees and the animals made noises that seemed to be spookier in the dark than in the light. Suddenly she heard a snap and reared up. As she looked quickly around on her hind quarters she realized it was just a twig.
“Calm down apple jack” she told herself “If Apple bloom can do it, then so can you.” She ventured on coming closer and closer until she heard someone walking towards her. She dove into the bushes and waited to see what it was. To her surprise it was apple bloom silently crying. Something must’ve happened to upset her, she wanted to reach and comfort her but what that would do nothing except make the situation worse. As she left, apple jack emerged coved in twigs branches and thorns, she galloped in the opposite direction of apple bloom and went to confront the human.

Apple bloom felt lost, empty, betrayed. She thought the friend she made with the human was an illusion and what she saw was what humans were really like. They were nothing but selfish, cold and unforgiving creatures. They belonged away from ponies, to be lost in legends. All her sadness overwhelmed her so much she forgot where she was going and ended up straight in the middle of town. She only realized where she was when a loud, obnoxious voice called out to her.
“Well, Well, Well look who has returned and what’s this? No human beside her? Filly’s Imaginations can always run wild.” Trixie said and she stood smug upon her stage. There was nothing apple bloom could do, Trixie seemed so confident that a human wouldn’t turn up. The smile upon her face was so large anyone could see it. She was nothing more than a bully, no worse than diamond tiara and silver spoon. Apple bloom felt darkness closing in around her, isolation, she dared not speak for her voice maybe lost within it all. Suddenly a glow of light came from behind her, an orange flame. Many ponies gasped and Trixie was for once, speechless. Apple bloom turned round to see, Matt Fire heart standing in the center of town burning fire in the palm of his hand.

“Heard you like magic?” he smiled straight at Trixie “Why don’t you make yourself disappear, before I make you.” Trixie trembled in fear, she thought humans were a myth but one was standing before her. She looked at it and noticed its gleaming sharp teeth, fire burning in his hand like it was nothing. No normal unicorn who could summon fire would hold it their hooves, she resorted to her last trick. She screamed out loud to Matt.

“You have not heard the last of the great and powerful Trixie.” As she stomped her hooves a cloud of black smoke concealed the entire stage. Suddenly with the sound of galloping hooves and squeaking wheels, Trixie disappeared out of Pony Ville.  Mat was left standing in a circle by the other ponies and even those who didn’t see Trixie now wanted to see the event. As he put out the small ball of flame with a flick of his wrist he was expecting the worst. What he received was the opposite, the stamping of hooves and cheers from every pony he saw. Even apple bloom ran up to him and smiled. 

“I thought you weren’t coming.”
“I did say we'll meet again.” He smiled back. Apple bloom noticed something different about Matt, his cheek was bruised and had the markings of a hoof print. She left it, as she looked to the sky she saw Wilbur coming into land. As he landed he asked Matt as he looked around at the crowd of applauding ponies.

“Are we staying?”
“For a while, Wilbur. For a while.” Wilbur grunted.
“I’ll get the tent unpacked….again.”