//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Look within yourself // Story: The Misfits // by Cyber System //------------------------------// "Where is he?" asked Apple Bloom as she and her friends searched around for Fang. Cyber answered with some heat vision goggles, "Fang has always been good at hiding using camouflage, for all we know he could be right in front of us this whole time." "So, he can be invisible?" said Scootaloo, placing her head in an empty log. "Sort of," said Cyber, "he can only hide with objects the same color as he is, so look on rocks or anything gray." "Hey, maybe we could get Rainbow Dash to-" Scootaloo started to suggest. "No," Dusty cut her off. "Why?" "Because for someone like her, she would probably leave Fang here alone." Mixy flew towards Scootaloo before she could argue. "Scootaloo, Dusty and Rainbow do not see eye to eye, so it's best to not mention her while he's around, ya got it?" Scootaloo sighed and nodded. "I guess, but how can somepony hate Rainbow Dash, she's so cool, awesome, and amazing!" "You forgot 'stuck-up, egotistic, and devious,' Scootaloo," replied Dusty. Scootaloo was about to say something before Mixy stopped her, shaking her head, so Scootaloo just dropped it and continued searching. Lyra groaned. "Ugh, how can one pony be so hard to find?" "Don't forget," said Cyber "he was made for survival, so camouflage is one of his best tools." "I think I found somethin'," said Apple Bloom pointing to a rock in front of her. "Apple Bloom, we checked that rock several times already," said Sweetie Belle. "But why is it snoring?" everypony trotted over to the rock and listened closely, a faint snoring noise was heard from it. "He must have slipped into a hibernation state," Cyber said, "that's why my goggles couldn't find him, good ear, Apple Bloom." he poked the sleeping predator, shortly two eyes sprouted from the stone as it unfolded into Fang, who yawned. "Hey guys, what's up?" said Fang. "Sorry about that, sometimes I do that when I'm camouflaging for a really long time and not for hunting." "How did you do that?" asked Sweetie Belle. "It's a little thing known as evolution, basically a species is placed in an area where they have a hard time to stay alive. Then over several years, the species changes and makes staying alive easier." "Cool! Is that how Dusty is able to dig?" asked Apple Bloom. "Nah, I can dig because of a mutation." "Mutation?" asked Scootaloo, confused. "Isn't that when you get some sort of super power or extra limb or something?" "No," said Cyber. "A mutation occurs when a false gene is used while-" he stopped himself as he found out what he was getting into and who he was talking to. "On second thought, it's complicated, you'll understand when you're older." "Okaaay..." said Sweetie Belle. "So would that mean Mixy is a-" "Yes! Now moving on, Lyra told me that you're trying to earn your cutie marks right?" The CMC nodded. "How would you like to earn your cutie marks in electrical engineering?" "You mean like working with trains and stuff?" asked Scootaloo. "No, I mean working with electricity and technology, even inventing a thing or two, like these arms I have." "That sounds cool!" said Apple Bloom. "Yeah, I want arms like that!" said Scootaloo. "Maybe we could invent other cool things!" said Sweetie Belle. "If you have to potential, yes. I have a lab at my house that I would be happy to-" "YAY! CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS!" the CMC shouted before running off. "Ow, my eardrums!" exclaimed Cyber. "What have you done?" asked Lyra. "What? I had to do something and they were getting into unfitting topics. Besides, it's not like they can blow up Equestria, right?" The suggestion made Lyra visibly uncomfortable. Either from the idea of it or not wanting to tell Cyber just how possible it was. "You should probably go and make sure they don't," she said, Cyber nodded in agreement and ran off to his lab. Once he was out of sight, Fang turned to Dusty, "Ten bits says the next time we see him, he'll have soot all over his face." "You're on!" Dusty replied. Moonlight Shadow arrived at the place she hasn't been to in a long time, Canterlot. As she trotted through the halls, she got some glances by ponies, but they just shrugged off the suspicion. Obviously only looking at her cloak because they haven't seen her powers yet... She ended up in a garden where she found Luna. Luna spoke to her. "It is quite a beautiful day, don't you think, Moonlight?" "Meh," was all Moonlight could reply as she sat down next to the moon princess. "Beauty is just a way to gain attention or love towards yourself or someplace. It doesn't have any impact on anypony's destiny." Luna smiled. "Every moment I spend with you, I learn something new. You seem to think that there is a purpose for everything, and everypony but you knows what it is, and though that may be true, one must not take it in a way that they must search for the answers by other means instead of searching and discovering for themselves." "What does that mean?" "It means you may know what others think of the world and yourself, but what do you think of them?" "I... I don't know, nopony has that answer." "Nopony but you, Moonlight Shadow. When you first used your abilities over darkness and shadow, did you discover their existence, or did somepony tell you that you had them?" "I... discovered them... but that's when everypony shunned me out, like the freak of nature that I am. So I thought that doing what I thought would just leave me shunned." "So do you wish to accept it and hide in that cloak for eternity, or go out and prove that you are much more than that?" "Am I much more?" Luna chuckled. "That is for you to discover, a pony doesn't earn their cutie mark simply by sitting around and waiting for it to come to them, they have to search. Now come, it is time for lunch." Solar Eclipse pondered recent events, wondering what the right thing to do was. "Breezie, I miss you, but I wish that you have a happy afterlife," he said to nopony in particular. Eclipse heard the familiar voice of the sun princess. "Is something troubling you, Eclipse?" "Celestia, there is, your sister came to me, and she reminded me of Breezie." "Ah, yes, I remember Breezie. It's a shame that she's gone," Eclipse resisted his body from igniting. "I was able to reconsider that event, and I want to go to Canterlot. I want to start over and meet ponies without torching them alive, I want to meet the Misfits." "And why is that?" "You said that the Misfits accept ponies who are troubled, and I have never been more troubled in my life, if there is anypony who could accept me, it's them. It's what Breezie would want." Celestia smiled. "I'm glad you think that way," and shortly, both were teleported to Canterlot. "Cyber, what does this do?" asked Apple Bloom. "That is a generator connected to solar panels which change sunlight into electricity." "What's this?" asked Sweetie Belle. "That is a computer that displays levels of dangerous chemicals and substances." "What's this?" asked Scootaloo. "That's a microwave, it heats up food." "Oh, so when can we invent something?" the CMC looked at him eagerly. "Just a moment, there are a couple steps before you can invent something. First, think of a problem in your life." The CMC thought. "Well, Silver Spoon and Diamond tiara are always teasing us about being blank flanks," said Scootaloo. "Uh, how about a problem that doesn't involve vengeance," said Cyber. "Oh, I know!" said Sweetie Belle. "Opal's always clawing up the furniture and Rarity's fabric, and it's really bothering her." "That sounds good, so now we think of ways to solve it." "Maybe we could put something on her claws," said Scootaloo "Or we could put her outside," suggested Sweetie Belle. "Or we could distract her with somethin'," said Apple Bloom. "Perfect!" said Cyber. "So now that that's solved, what do cats love?" "Mice?" "Furniture?" "Other cats?" "I got it, catnip!" said Apple Bloom. "That sounds perfect! You have a knack for engineering, Apple Bloom," Cyber said as Apple Bloom smiled. "So, now we get on to business." Fang trotted over to the door of Cyber's lab, then knocked on it. "Cyber, Twilight and her friends are inviting us to a picnic, you wanna come?" Cyber's voice came from inside. "Yeah, Fang just give me a mom- no, Apple Bloom that shouldn't go there!" BANG! Shortly Cyber emerged from the lab dazed and covered in soot as smoke came out of the lab with the CMC, who were also covered in soot and trying their best to look innocent. "Well, I just discovered that catnip could be used as an explosive," Cyber said, slightly hoarse. "Anyway, that was a good try, girls, but don't see that as a failure, but instead a discovery of doing something wrong." "Nah, it was a failure," said Scootaloo. "Let's go do something else!" said Sweetie Belle. "You could talk to Dusty, maybe he could show you how he digs and how you could do it too," suggested Fang. "I wouldn't mind gettin' dirty," said Apple Bloom. "Neither would I, and I could help Rarity if I could dig like Dusty," said Sweetie Belle. "Let's go!" Scootaloo said. "And tell him he owes me ten bits when you see him!" Fang called out as the CMC ran off to find Dusty. "Well, they certainly are energetic," said Cyber. "So Dusty's not there?" "No, guess why." "Rainbow Dash?" Cyber guessed, Fang nodded. "Of course, anyway, let's not keep the girls waiting." Solar Eclipse wandered about Canterlot castle, letting the memories sink in. Remembering the good times helped him hold back the fires that ignite with his anger, then Celestia called for him. "Eclipse, could you come over here? There's somepony we'd like you to meet." "Coming!" Eclipse said and then dashed to the dining hall, where he saw Celestia, Luna, and a new pony in a black hood. "Who is this?" asked Eclipse. Luna introduced the new pony to him. "Solar Eclipse, this is Moonlight Shadow, she has had similar troubles as you did and wants a friend." "I never said that," said Moonlight, "but hello." "Why don't you join us, Eclipse?" offered Celestia. "Well, I don't want anything to burn," Eclipse replied. "No worries, we enchanted every flammable object to be resistant to your burning skin." "Oh, uh, thanks," Eclipse sat down across from Moonlight. "So, you burn things by touching them?" asked Moonlight. "Well most of the time, mostly with fabric or dry grass, or other wicks, but I can control fires with my mind to keep them from getting out of control." "I control darkness and shadows." "So, would that make us polar opposites or something?" "Yeah, sure, whatever." "You aren't that talkative, are you?" "I don't see why you would care about that." "I'm just trying to pick up conversation." "Well stop, your not getting anywhere." Eclipse took a deep breath to calm down as he could feel his skin get hotter from building rage. "Anyway, when are The Misfits getting here?" "The train is broken, it is still a few days before they can get here," answered Celestia as some ponies came in with dishes and plates. "Oh, I see, well, looks like lunch is here." "Thank you so much for having me over for lunch, Fluttershy," said Discord as Fluttershy poured some tea for the both of them. "It's no trouble, Discord," said Fluttershy. "Though, I must ask, why is it that your friends are having a picnic and you aren't there?" "Oh, I shouldn't tell." "No, no, it's fine, what harm could a few words cause?" "Well..." "Don't answer that." "Oh, okay, I guess I could say it," Fluttershy swallowed her nervousness and spoke. "Well, um... you know those ponies? The ones that just came in yesterday." "Oh, you mean the Misfits? Yeah, what about them?" "Well, there's this one pony that's a part of them, he's got sharp teeth, and camouflage, and-" "Oh, you mean Fang. Yes, is there something- wait don't tell me, you have a crush on him, don't you?" Fluttershy recoiled from the sudden assumption. "Oh, goodness, no! Actually, he really scares me." "Fang? How could he be scary? I mean I've heard about a wolf in sheep's clothing but he's more like a sheep in wolf's clothing if you know what I mean." he turned into just that to show his point. "I saw him eat a squirrel, a cute little squirrel! Do you know how that squirrel's parents felt when they saw that squirrel dead and eaten by a pony? What if he eats an even cuter animal, or a pony, *gasp* or Angel." Fluttershy whimpered at the thought as Discord changed out of his 'sheep in wolf's clothing' disguise. "If you ask me, he'd be doing most of us a favor if he ate Angel," Discord muttered under his breath. "What was that?" "Oh, nothing," Discord put on his best innocent face. "Alright, anyway, Pinkie trusts him, but I'm not sure if I should. I'm so confused, he seems nice, but the way he looks and hunts is just so scary I don't think I could even approach him." "What about the changeling hybrid?" Fluttershy gasped. "One of them is part changeling? Please tell me the other ones aren't like that too." "No, they're not. One of them is a unicorn with arms and technology, and the other one is a pegasus that's scared of heights." "Scared of heights?" "Yeah, he says he fell out of Cloudsdale and crashed into the ground." "I can understand falling from Cloudsdale, that was really scary, but I'm not scared of heights... that much anyway." "You also didn't spend several days alone and underground." "Goodness, is he alright?" "He's fine, in fact he is a digging champ! His wings seem to be paralyzed from disuse but have you seen him dig? He does it like it's nothing. Also he seems to have a quarrel with Rainbow Dash, claims she's the one who made him fall." Fluttershy gasped again. "Rainbow Dash? She would never do that!" Discord shrugged. "Oh, I don't know, you're gonna have to talk to them if you want the whole story," he then drank his cup. Not the tea, the actual cup itself before getting up. "Well, thanks again for that delicious lunch, see you later," and with that, Discord teleported away.