It has been about five years since the events with Free fall, Smasher, and Fang. Since then the three have grown to fine young adult Dinosaurs and Pterosaur and have left the safety of Canterlot and now live in the dreaded Everfree forest under the care of Zecora. Fluttershy, Paleo Soar, and the rest of the main ponies visit them even the cutie mark crusaders have joined in on this tradition.
It is a bright cool spring day in Equestria everypony was going about their normal lives as if they never heard or saw the three hatchlings four years prior from this day. A young mare with a yellow coat, red mane, and red bow, trotted with her older sister an earth pony with an orange coat, yellow mane, and wearing a cowboy hat that was pulling a wagon filled with apples, the finest apples from her orchard to be exact along with lettuce and three barrels of fresh cider.
"Shoot, ah wish they were still young." The earth pony groaned pulling the wagon. "Because back then they didn't eat and drink so much!"
"C'mon Applejack it's them you're talking about. They've grown way bigger now and they diet is bigger to." Said the mare, trying to uplift Applejack's mood.
"Ah know Apple bloom but ah." She was stopped when they heard a loud screech from the sky and a blinding glint.
They looked up to see Free Fall, all grown up, his body still a whitish grey with that same purple marking, but his wing span is ginormous! 18 feet from tip to tip to be exact, clad in pearl white with gold trimmed armor came dive bombing straight for the mares.
"Here he comes, the big show off." Apple bloom laughed.
The pteranodon swooped in making a small mini wind storm in his wake making Applejack almost losing her hat and Apple bloom losing her bow, their manes and tails blowing in the harsh breeze. Free fall landed in front of them, delighted to see the mares he considered part of his second family. He proudly raised his head as his helmet which covered his entire top half of his head and his crest to shine as he adjusted his wings. His armor covered his chest which had the royal crest of Equestria on it and the medal he had since he was born. His back which has a saddle for a pony to ride on, his legs were covered by armored leggings, and his feet which sported gold talons.
"Howdy, Free Fall." Applejack said bowing her head. "How have you and your brothers been?"
Free Fall nodded to Applejack nudging her with his beak letting her know that they were doing fine. They were at eye level even though by now Applejack is use to him she still couldn't believe that he was a tiny thing that couldn't fly at all and if he did it is only for a minute or two before he would crash into something. He turned his head towards Apple bloom waiting for her to bow her head.
"Apple bloom!" Applejack nudged to her sister.
"What?!"
"Bow! You're forgetting to bow! We are in front of royalty."
"Oh, sorry Free Fall." She bowed her head with a blush and Free Fall bowed his head back.
Although they themselves are far from the word royalty, the three lived in Canterlot most of their lives and as such they picked up the habit of making ponies bowing their heads in front of them to show their respects mainly because Paleo Soar and the three siblings were followed by Celestia. Free fall walked over to the wagon hoping she brought something for him. He pecked and flipped over apples and lettuce until he got to the bottom of the wagon and found eel, salmon, and his favorite, cod. Free fall quickly pecked out an eel and slurped it down just as Apple bloom tried to shoo him away.
"No Free Fall you can't eat yet!" Apple bloom playfully shouted at the pterosaur's thievery.
"Alright ladies can we get movin?" Applejack stopped ruining the moment.
"Alright fine sis."
The three walked around Ponyville with everypony not really caring about the armor-clad flying reptile walking with two mares. At last they finally reached the entrance of the Everfree forest. It was an eerie silence with the air as still as a graveyard. Free fall noticed something on the ground, two large monstrous three toed foot prints that stood four inches away from them.
"They must be Fang's tracks." Applejack concurred looking at the giant tracks. "Free fall, sound the lunch bell if you don't mind."
Free Fall nodded and cocked his head back as he stood up with his wings spread out. He let out a screech that rang through the forest, but his high pitch song also was hurting the two mare's ears. He got louder and louder with each caw flapping his wings as he sang his eagle-like screech. He then got back on all fours and waited, silently waiting for something. Not even a minute passed when they heard a low sound bellowing back in their direction. They heard footsteps, each one sounded like thunder and heard trees snap and break as the thunder became louder and louder. Down the road they then saw two large masses clad in the same shimmering pearl white and gold trimmed armor as Free fall's. They got closer and closer the large masses evolved into giant masses of scales, armor, and horns. Fang and Smasher made their presence well known to other animals that they were here and they were in charge.
"Hi Fang; Hi Smasher!" Apple bloom happily waved to the two hulking dinosaurs.
Some fallen flower petals danced in front and behind them as if they themselves were welcoming back royal valiant war heroes. The two stopped in front of the two mares as they were in awe about how big they were and their armor. Fang is now the size of a full grown adult male but to the ponies he is like Godzilla to them, his scales pebbled like fine chainmail but was still that deep forest green and his bluish purple markings on his tail and legs still remain but are covered up by the finest armor Celestia had to offer. Smasher is the same way, his leathery scales are still muddy green, and his pinkish purple markings are still visible under his eyes and like his brothers he is clad in the finest armor. Fang's armor covers his head in a helmet that has blades on the front and sides that look like tusks. His chest armor, like Free Fall has the royal crest and his medal on it, his small forearms have talon-like blades on the claws, on his legs are large shield-like armor that protect his thighs from attacks from dragons or hydras, his shins and feet are also armored, his tail is covered in armor plates, and the end part of his tail is protected by a sword attachment.
His brother, Smasher has his head protected by blades on his front and upper horns, his frill has a fine layer of armor on top of it so if anything tries to bite his frill it will have the taste of steel rather than his frill which would cause him to bleed to death, his chest armor like his brothers sports the same crest and his medal, his sides are protected by shields, his legs are armor plated, his feet though unlike his brothers do not sport claws but armor boots to make sure that monsters do not go for his legs and feet, and tail is protected by fine armor plates. The two looked like dragons bristling with blades and armors as if they were prepared for war. Applejack snapped back to reality after gawking at the shinning animals and started to unload the wagon. Free fall flew off the ground and perched himself on Smasher's frill and watched the ponies do their work.
"There you go boys dig in!" Applejack said wiping the sweat off her head with her hoof.
The armored animals said nothing but dived into their lunch all except for Fang who stood there waiting for his brothers to finish.
"What's wrong Fang? You ain't hungry?" Apple bloom questioned with a bow of her head as with her sister.
Fang said nothing but listened and sniffed the air as if he smelled for prey. Just then a cockatrice slithered out of the bushes with its small wings; green scales, snake-like body, and poultry head clucked and hiss at the three giants. As fast as lightning Fang swung his massive head over to the cockatrice and bit it on the head before it could turn the mighty dinosaur to stone, thrashing it about like a ragdoll until he heard its little neck break from the violent shaking. Applejack shielded her sister's eyes as Fang ate the bird hybrid with a grotesque sight. The bones of the doomed animal snapped and broke inside his mouth as his banana shaped railroad spike-like teeth made short work of its intestines which sloshed around in his massive toothed mouth as it was squashed by the broken bones. It made horrid sloshing, popping, and cracking sounds while small pieces of bone, tail, and one of its claws came drooling out of his mouth as he swallowed the mesh of crushed guts, scales, feathers, wings, and bones with a burp. Applejack almost vomited from this, she has seen the armored behemoth eat before but it always made her feel sick and she was glad Apple bloom didn't see it.
"What happened sis? Did he get the cockatrice?"
"Y-Y-Yeah h-h-he sure got him and made sure of it."
She saw some bit of its blood oozing down with some saliva to the ground. This made the mare's stomach urge her to release whatever was coming up. She ran behind a bush to release her lunch.
"Um, Fang, Ya got some drool there big guy." Apple bloom pointed out being oblivious to what happened prior. "Ya alright sis?"
"Fine, ah'm just fine." She said while still vomiting from what she saw and heard.
Fang wasn't satisfied with just that little Cockatrice he ran off into the woods of something bigger for him eat. As the rest were settled Paleo Soar came swooping in for his daily visit with the three creatures. Smasher and Free Fall were overly happy to see
their unicorn father and rubbed his body with their beaks.
"Where's Fang?" Paleo Soar pondered. "He is usually the happiest to see me."
"He went off to go get his lunch." Apple bloom happily said.
They heard loud crashes and a choir of low roars from deep in the forest. Applejack was afraid of what poor creature was under his claws and inside his armored jaws. 15 minutes later Fang returned with a hydra being dragged by its tail, its heads were sliced off including the middle center head. Applejack and Apple bloom were disgusted by the horrid sight. He dragged the carcass, landed it next to him and was taken over by excitement to see Paleo Soar. After the touchy reunion Paleo Soar unbuckled the straps on their helmets so they could feel more comfortable. Fang then dug into his kill with bone-crunching bites, gulping down large chunks of the reptile's flesh and meat making the apples uneasy to watch except for Paleo Soar who watched the T-rex eat his meal without flinching. As Fang ate his fill a purple unicorn being followed by a dragon that was clearly twice as big as the mare came galloping in and stopping in front of them. They were shocked about seeing Fang digging into the corpse of the fallen Hydra. Every time he tore out a chunk of flesh of the large reptile the toes and legs twitched as if it was in a permanent state of running away from his murder.
Twilight could barely watch this violent consuming of flesh, scales, meat, and bone. Spike watched but couldn't handle hearing the awful snapping of its bones, the popping of its organs, the sloshing of meat being pushed around by the dinosaur's massive head. Spike and twilight bowed their heads while the other two proceeded and Fang stopped his eating and bowed his bloodstained head. He took one last bite of his kill and pulled out its heart. He chewed it, made sickening sloshes and pops then finally he swallowed it.
Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Applejack, and Apple bloom galloped behind a bush and released their breakfast and lunch at the same time while Paleo Soar smiled as he pulled out a towel, trying to clean the Tyrannosaurus.
"Jeez Fang, daddy has taught you proper table manners! At least if you're going to eat that in front of your aunts do it with some class. Remember you and your brothers are royal Canterlot guards!" Paleo tried to wipe the blood off of the t-rex's mouth with a small towel.
"That's all ya care about is Table manners?! Ah think he needs to be re-educated for royal table manners!"
"He is just a big baby still. They all are really, this is what they do and how they eat it's so fascinating really if you think about it." Paleo Soar said boastingly.
"We all ain't a bunch ponies who like the sight of a giant lizard eating a cockatrice and half of a hydra!" Applejack stomped her hoof in protest.
The two began an argument about Fang's eating habits while Twilight, Spike, Apple bloom, even Fang, Smasher, and Free Fall got tired of the two bickering and walked off to Sweet apple acres. Apple bloom climbed at strapped herself to Free fall's saddle as Twilight jumped onto Smasher while Fang grabbed his helmet and walked off. Along the way they came across Pinkie pie with a grown up Gummy walking down the street for Sweet apple acres.
"Hey Pinkie, you have everything ready for today?!" Twilight asked shouting from the back Tyrannosaurus's back.
"Yep, I sure do! You're never too old parties!" She shouted in a musical voice as Gummy dragged a rather large sack behind him with his teeth.
Smasher was curious about what was in there and wanted to go over and see it; Twilight lightly banged on his armor and steering the hulking Triceratops away from it.
"No, no Smasher not yet, you have to wait till later big guy."
Smasher obediently nodded his large horned head and started to gallop to the ranch. In the sky, Free fall flew faster with Apple bloom in the saddle, she held onto her bow as tightly as she could as the pterosaur picked up speed. Apple bloom loved the feeling of being in the sky when she rode on the Pteranodon. She wondered if this is what a Pegasus like her friend Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash feels like when they are in the sky. While in the air they saw a blue comet with a rainbow trailing it, Free fall instantly knew who it was and flew faster trying to catch up with it. The blue comet changed its path and headed straight for the Pteranodon; Free fall gracefully glided towards it and started to tuck in his large wings. The comet dive-bombed passed the flying reptile, which he did the same ignoring Apple bloom's pleas to slow down. He dive-bombed after the comet screeching like a proud young eagle and fully tucking his wings in. The fall for poor Apple bloom seemed like it was forever! Free fall finally caught up with the comet and was looking at…at her in the eyes.
"Hey Free Fall, glad you're up to a challenge today!" A blue Pegasus mockingly said.
Free Fall only let out a screech as he dove passed the Pegasus who accepted this challenge and flew after him. The two were reunited again and were heading straight for the ground with Apple bloom screaming her head off in a mix of terror and joy, she felt the rush of adrenaline running through her young body, she was happy to be up in the air which was a rare treat for her, the crisp spring air coldly kissed her body and coat as she plummeted to the ground. The blue Pegasus pulled back letting Free Fall win the race as his wings spread and swooped away from two inches of air the was between him and the ground and landed softly and soundly onto Fang's back armor. The party finally made it to Sweet apple acres; Free Fall hopped down from Fang and allowed Apple bloom to get off. Her mane was air blown back and messy. The blue Pegasus held out her hoof to the pterosaur which he proceeds to hoof bump as she bowed her head.
"Oh hey Apple bloom I didn't see you there your mane's a mess you should fix it for the party." Said the blue Pegasus being completely oblivious to what had happened.
"Oh hi Rainbow dash, how are you today?" Apple bloom said as she fell to the ground.
Meanwhile back at the Everfree forest Paleo Soar and Applejack were still in a heated argument. Applejack's brain was going numb from all the big words Paleo Soar was saying. Paleo Soar felt like he was going nowhere if he only had Techie or Star shadow to carry
an intelligent conversation, even though they feel the same pain as Applejack. Paleo Soar looked around to see that they were gone Applejack followed to.
"Where'd they go off to?" Applejack asked.
"Maybe they went to Sweet Apple acres for the party?"
"Shoot! Ah should have been there by now if this egg-head pony wasn't babbling about how he graduated when he was a colt!"
"I see no egg-head here I see an ignorant earth pony who is no smarter than a pebble!"
Paleo Soar decided to be the mature pony and broke off from the argument as his pterosaur wings grew out from his sides.
"Hop abroad misses pain in the flank." He said with such immaturity.
Applejack just strutted over and climbed to his back and she felt a cold icy breeze as she was pushed into the air. During the flight there was an uncomfortable silence Applejack saw worried and sadness in Paleo Soar's eyes. It was the look of a worried father who was worried about his kids' future.
"So, um are Free Fall, Smasher, and Fang the only ones left or did you revive more of them?" Applejack asked trying to break the silence.
There was a long pause after that. Paleo Soar didn't want to answer this. But he knew that since she is now part of the family the three made she had to know the truth. He swallowed a large lump in his throat and sighed.
"No, I could only do three eggs. Sadly they are truly the last of their kinds. Out of all the eggs I tried doing the same with the left over eggs from the nests but they came out stillborn. I spent weeks, no months in the lab working and preparing them for a happy future but it was a lost cause. I wanted to bring back females for them so they could feel like what true love is like so they can breed and have hatchlings and feel that same joy I had felt when they were born but it looks like this will never happen."
"Ah'm so sorry sugar cube Ah bet they must be very lonely." Applejack said laying her head on the back of his trying to comfort him.
He sarcastically laughed at his misfortune while he accepted the earth pony's kind offer. He then started to continue in his rant.
"I was so mad; I bucked, screamed, and cried knowing that my children could never spread their legacy. And I didn't eat for four days because I was so mad!" Water started to form in the unicorn's eyes but he sucked them back in and tried to finish the sad tale. "I see it in their eyes, I see that they are happy to see me, Fluttershy, Celestia, Luna, Techie, Star shadow, Zecora, and you five but they are also crying because of how lonely they are! They want to love something, to protect something, and to live happy with something they love dearly! But they can't, they just can't! I failed them as an owner! I failed them as a father!" He said while tears ran down his face.
Applejack cried a little bit at this knowing the three creatures she considered part of her family, they are just as much part of her family as big Macintosh, Apple bloom, her grandmother, and her friends are and are going to die off and there will be nothing to carry on their legacy. This revelation made her cry a little bit. Applejack wanted to say something but couldn't find the words for it. She cried, Paleo cried, they both cried until the saw the orchards. Paleo Soar landed with an icy breeze and his wings disappeared. Applejack embraced the unicorn with a tight hug.
"Feel better now?"
"Ye-yeah I do thank you, AJ."
"Now c'mon they're expecting us."
The two walked through the orchards to find Granny Smith bowing before the three armored clad animals showing her respects. She never thought she would be alive to see these magnificent creatures in the flesh!
"It's great pleasure to meet the three of you." The old mare said bowing her head. "I remembered seeing the three of you as little ankle biters but you all grown up and to see the legendary giants of the Everfree is truly an honor." She finished with a withered old laugh.
The three bowed before the old mare showing their respects, from what the apples, Paleo Soar, Techie, and even Twilight Sparkle had told them that if it wasn't for Granny Smith's family Ponyville wouldn't stand. They kneeled before her and rose back up, gracefully as a knight in front of a queen.
"I don't know what those Canterlot folks had taught them. But they are some of the most respectable and well-mannered creatures I had ever laid my eyes on. Now I wish my grandkids could be more like them." She finished with a playful bantering old cackle.
"Um, Granny we are sitting right next you, and we heard that." Big Macintosh commented as he was clearing his throat.
The three saw Applejack and Paleo Soar walking up to the ranch and ran over to greet them. They tackled the unicorn licking him like a band of happy puppies.
"Yes I know daddy's here. But I think your aunt Applejack might want some love'n to." He said with a devilish grin.
The three tackled the earth pony giving her the same treatment as they gave Paleo Soar. Fang picked up the earth pony by her mane and carried her to the back of the barn with Paleo trotting happily behind his band of prehistoric children. Fang dropped the earth pony which landed flank first into a bail of hey. The three then walked into the barn in a single file line with Free Fall being first, Smasher being second, and Fang being third. Paleo Soar with the help of Big Macintosh striped the animals of their armor. When each one stepped out of the barn they felt nude, their armor was like a second skin to them but they also felt lighter having that heavy armor taken away. They then rejoined the group of ponies when Rarity, Sweetie belle, Scootaloo, and most importantly
Fluttershy walked in pulling a cart of something wrapped in a pink tarp. They quickly ran over to the yellow coated and pink manned Pegasus and greeted her with happy faces. The other three mares bowed their head and they did in return. Smasher wanted to look inside the cart but Fluttershy kindly grinned and told them in a motherly voice.
"Not now Smasher just please wait for a little bit. These are for tonight."
Smasher bucked the ground and walked off to join the other two. As everyone was having a good time there was a knock at the door of the main house. Apple bloom trotted over to see who it was. When she opened the door there was a young unicorn mare in front of her. Her mane was a mix of pink and black. Her body type was medium and slender. Her coat, a violet blue that seemed to shine in the mid-day sun that was covered by a lab coat, her eyes are an icy pale blue that are covered by glasses, her cutie mark; though it looked like Paleo Soar's but it was different. It had two claws crossing each other opposed to Paleo Soar's which just had two bones crossing each other, and a T-rex skull. She looked like she was no older than Apple bloom herself but she was actually the same age Paleo Soar.
"May Ah help you ma'am?"
The unicorn mare said nothing but fixed her glasses with her hoof, with a mean serious look on her face as she clear her throat.
"Yes, I' am looking for Paleo Soar." She said very coldly.
Feeling slightly intimidated by the mare Apple bloom lowered herself with a frown on her face. She had the straightest poker face Apple bloom had ever seen! There was no tone, no emotion, just a blank cold stare and that voice! It was like she was spitting ice at her!
"He's in the back. May Ah ask who you maybe?"
"I' am Limestone, his assistant." She said walking from the front porch to the back yard.
While Limestone maybe his assistant she used to be his rival. She had her own Paleontology business, Celestia offered her a job in Canterlot before but when she learned Paleo Soar was part of the job she rejected it. She made her business in Manehattan to try to rival Paleo Soar but her business went belly up and she had no choice to work with him. Despite their rivalry they are childhood friends.
"Geez of all the times you have to be out and about with your so called 'children' I had to be stuck in the lab, alone, almost in the dark, no one to talk to about 'oh LS did you do something with your mane?' or 'my you look lovely as ever today', or even 'did you sleep well through that storm last night? Because if you're scared, you could just snuggle with me.' No! Instead of that you run off with her and our kids, I mean your crazy monsters of science leaving me with all the darn paper work!" she thought to
herself in frenzy as she stomped over to the group.
As she got over to the group, the three stopped whatever they were doing and sank their bodies low to the ground as she gave the whole group a cold stare. It was like a glacier, the coldest of glaciers was staring at them!
"W-W-W-Who is that?" Twilight Sparkle asked being just as scared as the three animals.
"That would be Limestone, my assistant." Paleo Soar said with a cold tone.
"Paleo Soar!" She shouted in a harsh voice.
"What is it Lime?" He commented back with a stone cold face.
"You, Techie, and even Star Shadow all left me! I was left all morning filing your stupid reports!"
Paleo Soar ran up to her with an angry scowl on his face.
"Stupid? Stupid?! Those reports are far beyond stupid! They are the essence of my hard work! That's why I sit in Canterlot under the princesses' orders! Unlike a certain mare I know who had her business go belly up." He finished his venomous words with a snicker.
"Yes they are stupid because you have disturbed the natural order you bantering moron! Even your magic is something that should not be messed around with! The only reason why they chose you instead of me is because you like to show off more!" Limestone finished spitting her words back at him.
"I thought you rejected the offer." He thought to himself.
Fluttershy, not wanting a fight let alone an argument on a day like this wanted to break the argument but Free fall put his wing out in front of her.
"It's like they are arguing like a married couple." Rainbow dash whispered to the pink mane Pegasus mare.
"You two? At it again?" A dark blue Pegasus with a black mane and sky blue eyes spoke as he hover down to the ground as a light brown earth pony with a curly brown mane with blond tips came galloping after him.
"And also Paleie, err I mean Paleo I also got a letter from Celestia herself stating that there will be a race in Cloudsdaile called the ' Iron wing challenge' and she wants all of us to attend." She finished her argument and walked over to Free fall, Smasher, and Fang.
The three smiled as she petted them and kissed them on the sides of the heads. She smirked at Fluttershy as if she was taunting her as if she was saying "they are mine!" Fluttershy just ignored this and pulled some of the carts out of the way. As the day went on the whole group held a birthday party for the three since they were born on the 7th day of spring. Limestone kept her distance from the six ponies and stayed close to Paleo Soar but kept a cold uppity expression on her face. As day turned into the evening and when that melted into sunset the sky was painted in beautiful shades of pink, orange, blue, purple, and violet.
The party was on their way to Canterlot for a celebration. The three were clad in their armor which clanked as they took their thunderous steps. Everypony who was walking to the castle was in awe to see the armored beasts. Some bowed, some had eyes that grew, and some were even terrified of them. Due to their massive sizes compared to their small subjects Celestia with help from Limestone ordered special gates for them just so they could get in. when they walked through the iron gates their eyes were treated to a marvelous garden! With flowing waterfalls, creeks, and ponds filled with the best fish for Free Fall to eat, bushes of the finest berries and tubers Smasher could eat, and Birds of various origins that Fang could eat. Truly this would be a nirvana for them if they were still small and if they hadn't seen this year after year. Smasher took a nibble of a blueberry bush while Fang and Free Fall snatched a buzzard and eel out of the air and water, ate their meals as the marched. They then saw Celestia standing in the middle of a circle with a smile on her face. They bowed to her as she did the same. Then another Alicorn stepped out from behind her. It was Luna her younger sister, Star Shadow's boss, and princess of the night. This is the first time she had seen them in a long time. The last time she saw them when they were juveniles, and their last year they could live in Canterlot.
"My, the three of thee has grown into fine creatures." Luna gasps while patting the side of Smasher's face.
"Yes they have and they have grown into local legends as well sister." Celestia commented back with a giggle.
The three gave the two rulers a nod and went to their seats. They stood behind small shrines dedicated to them, covered in wreaths of beautiful flowers, small stone statues laid in front of them with their titles in graved in to each. They read.
"Free Fall, the valiant flyer."
"Smasher, the noble horned defender."
"Fang the courageous leader."
The three all let out a sigh of boredom. They didn't want to be here, they wanted to be with their family, to live happily, to be…free. Limestone stepped out of her room to see the three sitting, waiting for a festival to start in their honor. She had grown just as much attached to them as Paleo Soar; in fact they see her as a mother like Fluttershy. She saw something in their eyes that the two rulers didn't. It was the look of boredom, loneliness, and sadness. When the two princesses walked away to join their subjects Limestone trotted into the garden wearing a beautiful gown with a small tiara on her head with a frown.
"What's wrong babies?" She said with a motherly voice.
The three looked at her with a glance of wanting to run away and go to the Everfree forest.
"I know how you feel, being alone and wanting to escape your title."
Fang nudged her knowing that they understood her and if they could talk they would tell her how they feel about this. Since they became royal protectors of both Ponyville and Canterlot; ponies have been praising them for their good deeds and fearing them when they are angry or even just their sheer size and looks. They would tell fillies and colts that if they misbehaved Fang would gobble them up or Free fall would pluck them from the ground and carry them off. Some young mares and stallions would dare each other to go into their domain and sit in front of the old castle where they sleep in and recite a poem, mocking them and if they don't eat them they are considered to be "tough" and go inside their castle for dates and ghost hunts. But some ponies praise them because nothing messes with them and they can sleep well knowing that their town and land is safe. But all the citizens are oblivious to them being tired of the praises of being great heroes and torment for being different and being out of place and wish to have families of their own. However Limestone, Paleo Soar, Fluttershy, and Zecora see this in their eyes. They want to cry but they know that their tears would be lost causes and empty.
"Mamma's here its ok if your cry in front of me." She whispered to them.
"Daddy's here kids, I know they treat you like circus animals right now but if you wish to cry then do it." Paleo Soar said walking next to Limestone.
Limestone blushed when she saw him near her but she focused her attention on the three depressed animals. The touchy mood was soiled Celestia walked back into the garden.
"Hello your highness." Paleo Soar said with a bow.
"Hello Paleo Soar, Hello Limestone out on a date?"
The two blushed until they were red as apples and both stomped their hooves in denial.
"No we are not!"
"Oh, well alright then what's wrong with them?" she tilted her head as she pondered about the three's sad faces.
Limestone and Paleo Soar told their ruler what was wrong with them and how long they had felt like this. Celestia sympathized with them. She actually wanted to cancel this festival but her sister wanted to see them so she gave in to her sister's pleads. After 15 minutes of talking about their problems they decided that after tonight they will cancel the festival. They walked out of the garden and into a spacious courtyard where everypony was waiting in anticipation and terror for the three to show up. Paleo Soar stood next Limestone who stood next to Techie and Star Shadow. The torches that decorated the courtyard made low amber glows that laminated only the bottom and middle parts of the threes' massive heads.
The shadows covered where you would see their eyes making them zombie-like except the occasional twinkle that made their jade green eyes glow. Fang's teeth and Smasher's ivory-like horns glowed from the series of embers. The fires glowed on their armor giving it an orange almost black shade as the small fires' reflections danced on the metal armor and the light of the moon shined on their backs. They truly looked like monsters of the fiercest caliber! Everypony including Luna, the princess who helped bring these animals back to life was even a little bit afraid of their looks! Finally Fang nodded his head that broke the silence. He let out a low hum of a growl that made everypony's manes stand up. Some wanted to run for it fearing that he will devour them in a brutal massacre but some like his family wanted to stay for their sake.
"Greetings everypony." Celestia announced trying to break the tension. "We are gathered here today for the last guardian spring festival. Due to reasons I wish not to go into detail. For three years this festival was made in the honor to the three animals that protect both Canterlot and Ponyville from vicious monsters. For this we all give them our greatest gratitude. Free fall, the valiant flier, Smasher, the noble horned defender, and Fang, the courageous leader we all thank you from the bottom of our hearts and bless you with a long happy life. And we also thank these six mares, Techie, Limestone, and Paleo Soar for bringing and raising these magnificent beings for all of use." They silently bowed their heads and listened to the princess. "Without further ado let the festival begin!" she shouted with her wings spread.
There was music, contests, food, drink, the works for everypony except the three. They were too big to dance with their family and miss it. Free Fall gulped down his cider like a bird drinks water as he looked at all the happy ponies having a ball and looked at his brothers which looked at him to. Paleo Soar and Limestone didn't leave their sides through the whole party but looked on with a depressed look that was the same as their saurian children. The three then saw something that triggered something deep inside of them, couples dancing. This made each one feel very lonely as they gazed upon their tiny subjects. This also made them feel something that they put in the back of their minds for the longest time. They looked at the fine royal walls of the courtyard, the trimmed bushes, the barrels of cider, the torches, the cobblestone road that lead to the yard, their armor, and the ponies themselves and finally that thought smacked them in their mental faces as it returned to them.
They felt…misplaced, they felt like they weren't supposed to be here both in Ponyville and the time period they currently live in and…lonely very, very, very lonely. As soon as the party ended the six walked to their respected homes and Paleo Soar and Limestone walked with the children to the castle. As the band walked deep into the black cloaked Everfree forest Limestone became slightly afraid of the branches of the trees that looked more like crooked spikes with giant thorns sticking out in all directions and the howling from the other creatures.
"Um, Paleo? Is it alright if I um, lean on you for a bit?" Limestone asked slightly frightened.
"Um, I guess so? Why is the little brat scared of the forest?" He ruined the touchy moment with the sarcastic remark.
Limestone bucked Paleo Soar in the back of his head as she leaned on his body for protection. When they finally got to the old castle and into their usual lair, the old throne room the two unicorn parents took off their armor, kissed them on their scaly heads even though they tear up a bit knowing they can't stay with them and said their goodbyes for the night knowing they will return tomorrow.
While in their chamber the three couldn't sleep. They still had the thoughts of not belonging and loneliness still fresh in their minds. The three looked at each other as if they were communicating telepathically. They just stared at each other for about three hours then looked at the full moon and fell asleep ready for a new day.