//------------------------------// // After Breakfast Discussion // Story: Zaps Apple // by Electuroo //------------------------------// Zaps Apple After Breakfast Discussion Twilight “Big Mac, I am asking you to go with Vinyl and the children ahead of us, I really need to talk to the girls and Spike about what happened to me in Ponyville,” I pleaded with Big Macintosh as the children in the next room cleaned themselves up for their trip to the Wonderbolt Derby. The sound of running water could be heard from within the bathroom. Big Macintosh placed Smarty Pants down on the bedside and turned to face me. “Ah understand Twilight Sparkle, but keepin' this from Zaps is bad enough, lettin' the others know where he is truly from... it’s just not somethin' ah will agree on...” “I can't keep them in the dark, they need to know!” I protested. He just shook his head with a simple, “Nnope.” “Gah what do I have to do to get you to agree!? We’ve been talking in circles for almost twenty minutes now!” I was glad the children were taking their time to get cleaned up, but Big Mac was being very difficult! “Nnope!” “Gah! What will it take!?” “Compromise...” I sighed, why did Big Mac have to choose now to be stubborn? I had to let the girls know what exactly happened to me and what danger we might be facing. “Big Macintosh...” I walked over to the window, looking out to Canterlot. “What if I just tell them that I was attacked by the Pony of Fear, that she has been trapped in the Kingdom of Harmony for over 1000 years and that she tried to use me to find a way to escape but failed? I won’t say anything about Zaps’s part in it all.” Big Macintosh stepped up beside me. “Eeyup.” He nodded his head. “Thank you Big...” “Only if ah can tell mah sister the whole truth when Zaps is in school on Monday.” I stared at Big Mac blankly. I couldn’t believe him. How could he stop me telling ponies who might be in danger because of Zaps, but then tell Applejack himself? “But…” I started. “That is mah compromise, Twilight. Ah have to tell Applejack, she has a right to know.” I rubbed my hoof on my snout, it was obvious that he wasn’t going to budge. “Fine, Big Mac, I suppose she did sign the agreement to be the guardian of Zaps, even if you two are calling him your little brother. Alright you can tell her, but can I be there as well when you do?” “Eeyup.” “Thanks, I’d better get going to tell the girls to meet me. Make sure that Vinyl, Night Spark and the others know that the Spike, the girls and I will meet you all at the Derby shortly.” I trotted over to the door and opened it, turning back to look at Big Macintosh as I left. “Eeyup.” His typical reply. I just smiled and shook my head as I closed the door. In the other room I heard the flow of water stop and the bathroom door opened. “Children, are yer ready to go?” Big Mac called. “We sure are, big brother!” Applebloom yelled back in reply. I turned and left. It was time to go and find Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Spike. I’d better work out what to tell them. I’d given my word to Big Mac and I was not going to let that stallion down. Two guards stood by the entrance as I made my way down to the study. They opened the door for me as I approached. Stepping through, I immediately spotted my friends. Pinkie Pie was sitting in the corner reading a book and giggling at the contents. Rarity was fixing up the hat she planned to wear for the Derby and Spike was sitting with his arms crossed, looking incredibly bored as a very impatient Rainbow Dash paced back and forwards. Rainbow Dash turned to the sound of the doors opening and was instantly in my face. “About time you got here Twilight! What the hay is this all about!? We’ve been waiting here since breakfast!” Rainbow Dash’s attention span was not nearly as long as the time I had spent arguing with Big Macintosh. “I'm also wondering why you’re here Twilight. Vinyl told me that you were acting, well...” Spike paused, though that hardly surprised me. The crazy mare that had cast a 'Want it, Need it' on an entire town was not a part of me that I was particularly proud of. “What Spike is trying to say, darling, is that you were acting rather frayed.” Rarity finished. I walked up to them and took a seat on a cushion by the low table. “That wasn't me, and that is why I asked you all here. Vinyl and Big Mac already know what I am going to say but we can’t tell the young ponies any of this.” “Oh! Is it a scary clown?” “No Pinkie...” “Is it the boggy pony?” “No...” “Is it...” Rainbow Dash put a cupcake from the plate on the table into Pinkie Pie's mouth. I shook my head. “Thanks Rainbow.” “No problem Twi, so what’s the deal with the crazy Twilight? If it wasn’t you then who was it?” Rainbow Dash landed by Pinkie Pie. I stared at Rainbow Dash. “How did you...” “You said it wasn’t you.” “Oh right...” “So was it a Changeling?” “If only, Rainbow Dash. This creature, whoever she is, is much worse than a stray Changeling. She is a pony of mysterious for sure. I know very little about her, other than that she was after Vinyl and that she was somehow able to create some sort of magical double of me from shadows. I don’t think she can cast the spell more than once, it is very powerful and would be unstable to use a second time.” I explained to the girls. The very thought of what I had seen in that pony made me shiver in fear. Rainbow Dash frowned at me. “If she can’t cast the spell again then why are you worried?” “I agree, Twilight dear. What exactly was she after from poor Vinyl?” Rarity inquired as she finished working on her hat, placing it down beside her. I shrugged. “That, I do not know but Princess Celestia called her the Pony of Fear...” Pinkie Pie giggled. “Oh Twilight, that’s just a pony tale! There’s no such thing as the Pony of Fear!” “Yeah Twi, I have to agree with Pinkie.” Not even Spike, my loyal assistant, believed me. “Please, I am serious, she was trapped in the Kingdom of Harmony! The ponies there were somehow able to restrain her and seal off the kingdom from the rest of Equestria with the Mist of Misdirection.” I stood up, stomping my hoof down to emphasise my point to them. “Woah, Time out Twi!” Rainbow Dash cried, forming a T shape with her hooves. “Are you telling me that this ‘Pony of Fear’ not only attacked you and tried to use an evil double of you to, for whatever reason, go after Vinyl, but she did this all while trapped in some mythical kingdom?” I nodded with a heavy sigh. “Yes Rainbow Dash. She couldn't get what she wanted though. Somehow Vinyl was able to fight her off, maybe it was to do with her new teleport spell but she was lucky to escape that crazy mare. If it wasn't for Applejack and Fluttershy finding me in my wardrobe, I might still be tied up by her black magic ropes...” “Wow, you’re serious...” Rainbow Dash said slowly to me. Finally, it was sinking in. “Wow Twi, that’s creepy...” “I’ll say.” Spike shivered, rubbing his arms with his claw hands. “But Twilight, if she is stuck in the kingdom, then why are you still worried?” “Please tell darling.” Rarity looked a little nervous, either by what she thought I was going to say or what had been said. I walked by them, picking up a large, dusty book from the shelf and placing it on the table. “You see this book? It has thousands of pages in it, each one filled with information, and each one unique. As long as this book exists that information is preserved; anypony who wants to can open these pages and discover all of this information for themselves.” “Right.” They said together. I flipped the pages over. “Somepony like her wouldn't accept defeat this easily. Not after being locked up for over a thousand years, as many years as there are pages in this book. Five hundred years ago an artist, the author of this book and a genius of his time, found the Kingdom of Harmony. What he saw turned him mad. He became paranoid, obsessed by the creatures of his imagination. One night, overcome by paranoia, he destroyed his life’s work; this book is all that remains.” “I believe that when that pony discovered the kingdom, an essence of the Pony of Fear was absorbed into him. It is only a matter of time before somepony else finds the Kingdom of Harmony, Celestia knows what could happen then.” I took a good look at each one of my friends as I explained this to them. Pinkie Pie giggled. “Oh the mad pony that only saw fear and never stopped talking about it, right?” “Yes” “Oh I wish I was there to make him smile and tell him not to be scared!” Pinkie Pie saying this reminded me of the first time I met her and I couldn't help but laugh. “See! I made you forget your worries!” “Yes, Pinkie, you did. But for now we are safe. I just want you all to keep an eye out for any shady ponies, any that bug Vinyl about spells, especially one’s that she hasn't shared.” I hope I am just being paranoid about this, but we can’t be too safe. Rarity put her hoof on my side. “Of course darling, we can do that for you, and we won’t let any of the children know either.” Spike crossed his arms. “Did the Pony of Fear say anything to you that might be important?” I shrugged. “Not really. I think she was just finding it amusing that I was so scared...” “Your crazy self...” Rainbow Dash shuddered. “That’s creepy for me, I almost fell for the crazy spell you put on that thing Twilight.” Rainbow Dash paused and frowned. “I noticed Zaps has it now, how the hay did it get to Zaps?” “Oh that... Erm... Well...” Pinkie Pie cut in and explained it to them. “Oh it’s simple silly! Don’t you remember the article that the girls wrote about Big Mac and Smarty Pants when they were still doing the Foalfree press?” “Oh yes I saw that, so it was true?” Rarity turned to me. “Yes it is... Big Mac refused to give it back and since I did cause all that mess I gave up trying and just let him have.” I rolled my eyes with a groan, that pony is always so stubborn. “Now he passed it on to Zaps after fixing her up.” Spike gave a shrug. “Well at least it’s not sitting in your dusty chest anymore, Twilight, it found somepony that will take care of it.” “Your right Spike.” I replied. “Smarty Pants has found someone who needs him more than I do. Maybe someday he might even give it to somepony else when he’s older.” “Indeed darling.” Rarity placed her hat on her head. “Now why don't we leave and catch up with the others, the Derby will be starting soon.” Rainbow Dash pumped a hoof into the air. “Oh yeah! Wonderbolt Derby time! This is going to be epic!” “You mean super dooper fun!” Pinkie Pie giggled as she bounced around. I opened the doors and one by one we left. I was the last to leave. The talk I had with them and dangers we might be facing stayed in my mind. I just hope I had told them enough. “I did my part Big Mac, now it’s time for you to fulfil the agreement we made.” I whispered with a smile and closed the doors behind me, it was time to go to the Wonderbolt Derby.