Chapter Fifteen: The Big Ape
Fluttershy's Cottage
Fluttershy was taking care of the animals while humming when spotted Easter coming down the road. "Hi Easter!"
He smiled at her, "Hi Fluttershy. You'll never guess who I ran into on the way here."
"Who?" Easter turns his head and looks behind him. Fluttershy looks and a see's a big, Silverback Gorilla carrying a sack on his back coming down the road! "Oh my!" Fluttershy said and flew right towards the primate. "Hi!"
The gorilla looks up at her, "Good evening, young lady...." he said in a deep voice.
Fluttershy gasps, "You can talk?!"
"Yes, my name is Prof. George.... resident of Primate Village."
"How wonderful!"
The ape smiles, "What Easter said about you is true; you really love animals. I can see that...."
"Oh, yes!" she leads him to her cottage.
"This is where you live?" George asked.
"Yes, you like to come in?"
"Don't mind if I do. I've been walking for days and my old bones could use a rest...." he said walking in the grass. "This place ain't bad...." he said looking around and seeing the animals. He sits down in the grass, opens his bag and takes out a banana. He peels it and takes a bite, "Nothing like a banana...." he said while chewing. He puts a paw on his back and groans.
"Are you alright?" Easter asked, concerned.
"I'm not as young as I used to be...." the gorilla replied.
"What brings you here?" Fluttershy asked politely.
"I'm an old friend of Yykees and fellow scientist. He worked as my assistant while he was in school. And I've heard Princess Twilight Sparkle is a scientist too. And I thought I'd meet her before I head to Yykees' Mansion...." he takes another bite of the banana and swallows.
"Oh, but the way to Yykees' Mansion is dangerous...." Fluttershy replied.
"I am aware of that, but I'm not worried...." he said finishing his banana and throwing his banana peel away. "But I'm not overconfident either...."
Then the CMC, Wild Forrest, and Polkey Dots arrived. "Hi Fluttershy! Hi Easter!" they all greeted. Fluttershy and Easter smiled at them.
"Hello kids...." Fluttershy greeted.
"Hi kids!" Easter greeted next. The kids all ran up to them.
"Good evening children...." the gorilla said to them, startling them except for Wild Forrest.
"Who are you and what are you?" Polkey Dots asked.
"My name is Prof. George, and I'm a Silverback Gorilla...." he answered. "What are your names?"
"I'm Polkey Dots, the juggler!" the clown replied taking out his balls and started juggling.
"I'm Wild Forrest, I'm from the Everfree Forest." the wild colt said.
"I know, you have the smell of the Everfree Forest on you...." the gorilla said. "You were raised by the animals of the Everfree Forest, were you not?"
"That's right, and your scent tells me you came from a jungle far away." Wild Forrest confirmed.
"You are very good, young colt...."
"I'm Apple Bloom, I'm from Sweet Apple Acres! I must smell like apples, do I?" Apple Bloom said turning her head at the last part.
"Your scent tells me you grew up on a farm. A whole lot of fresh air, sunshine, plenty of room to run. Must be a good life...." the gorilla confirmed.
"Oh, thank you!"
"I'm Sweetie Belle, nice to meet you!" she said.
George sniffed her, "You have the scent of sweet perfume; sweet as strawberries...."
"Oh, I was around my sister when she was spraying that stuff around herself. She loves to look her best and to smell good."
"I see, I take it her name is Rarity?"
"How did you know?" she asked surprised.
"I've heard of her, and everything she has made...."
"And I'm Scootaloo! And I ride a scooter because I can't fly, I keep trying but I can't do it...." she said sadly.
The ape puts a finger under her chin so she can look up at him, "You'll fly in time, I'm certain of it...."
"You really think so?"
"I know so. You use your wings to ride your scooter?"
"Yeah, you wanna see?" she flapped her wings fast and went around in circles until she hit a rock and went flying in the air.
George raises a paw and catches her, "Careful my dear..." he said before putting her down.
"I felt like I just flew!" she said.
"You riding your scooter the way you do shows potential...."
"What does that mean?" Polkey Dots asked.
"That kind of potential means something good can come from it. Like a good future...." he explained.
"Oh, that makes sense...." Scootaloo replied then she joined hooves with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.
"And we're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"
"Cutie Mark Crusaders, huh? That's an interesting group name...." the ape said scratching his chin.
"We're searching for our Cutie Marks. We keep trying, but still blank flanks...." Sweetie Belle explained.
"You all must earn your Cutie Marks...."
"Not work for it, we know...." Scootaloo said.
"But we want them so badly...." Apple Bloom added.
"That's very understandable, young ones. But time will tell. By the way you all got together because you have no Cutie Marks, correct? And you are all really close friends?"
"Yes, we did and we are...." Apple Bloom replied.
"Why do you ask?" Scootaloo asked.
"If it weren't for you're 'blank flanks' you three would probably have never met...."
The CMC looked at each other and their blank spots and smiled. "Maybe you're right!" Scootaloo replied.
"That's a positive way to put having a blank flank!" added Sweetie Belle.
"Yes, you're the first closest friends I have ever had!" Apple Bloom said before they hugged one another.
"Awe, how sweet...." Fluttershy said before resting her head on Easter's shoulder.
"I can't imagine what they would do without each other...." replied Easter.
"Are you still going to search for your Cutie Marks?" Polkey Dots asked.
"Of course we are! We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" the CMC yelled putting their hooves together in the air.
Forrest nods, "Cutie Mark or not, we're all friends forever!" then they joined the group hug.
George smiled at the sight, "Ah, to be young again....."
Center of Ponyville
Prof. George walked with the fillies and colts talking along the way. "I have a son, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson." he told them.
"Do you have a wife?" Polkey asked.
George grunted, "I did, but now she's my ex-wife...."
"Oh my! Are you divorced?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Yep! It's a long story, so don't ask...." George told them.
"It's probably not our business." Forrest told his friends.
"Thank you, young colt." replied George.
"Now, I would like to introduce you to Ponyville's new sheriff: Bandit!" the Mayor said as the crowd cheered as Bandit, with a gold star-shaped badge on his vest saying 'SHERIFF BANDIT' on it, stepped up.
George and the kids stopped to watch. "Thank you Mayor. And I would like to thank you all for makin' me the new Sheriff...." he began. "By promisin' to do what I can to keep Ponyville safe for all of you...." with that the crowd cheered again.
"Bandit, is that his name?" George asked.
"Yes, he's my neighbor." Apple Bloom replied.
"Hmm, he seems like a good stallion. But why does he go by the name Bandit?" George asked.
"I have no idea." Apple Bloom said as they left.
Friendship Rainbow Kingdom
"Here we are!" Sweetie Belle said.
The gorilla looks at the castle in awe, "It's beautiful! I'm glad these old eyes of mine lasted long enough to this..." With that the door opened and Twilight Sparkle came on. At the sight of her Prof. George went down on one knee and bowed.
Twilight greeted them with a smile, "Hello children!" then turns to the ape, "Hello there! Welcome to the Friendship Rainbow Kingdom." "Greetings Princess Twilight Sparkle...." George said.
Twilight's Room
"You're on you way to see Yykees?" Twilight asked.
"Yes, that's right. He's an old friend of mine...." George replied.
"You know, I have been working on a teleporter." Twilight said with a hoof on her chin. "Just a few finishing touches and then it should be ready."
They walked over to a mirror similar to the mirror that leads to Equestria High. "If we worked together it should be done in no time...." suggested George picking up a wrench. "Let's get started...."
A few hours later, after working on the teleporter in every possible way, that teleporter was done. Twilight Sparkle turns it on and a map of Equestria appeared on the mirror. "It works!" Twilight yelled excited.
"But we better make sure...." said George with a paper airplane. "A letter to Yykees...." he told her before he threw it into the teleporter.
Yykees' Mansion
Yykees was working on a robot when a blue portal opened up, surprising Yykees. Then the paper plane came through and landed in front of Yykees. He picked up the plane with his magic and unfolded it. It said:
"To Yykees:
If you are reading this letter then the experiment was a success! I helped Twilight Sparkle finish a machine that can teleport us to your mansion or anywhere in Equestria. Please send us back a letter so we'll know my letter got to you.
Sincerely:
Prof. George"
After he got done reading it he got out a piece of paper and pen. He wrote:
"To George:
The experiment was a success; your letter got here safely! Feel free to come here anytime you want! And can you please bring the blueprints to the teleporter, if it's not any trouble?
From:
Yykees"
He threw the letter into the portal.
Rainbow Friendship Kingdom
The letter landed in front of George and Twilight Sparkle. George picked it up and read it. "You've done it!" the gorilla yelled.
"We done it. Thank you so much for your help!" Twilight Sparkle said.
"He also would like to make his own teleporter. You have the blueprints?"
"Got it right here!" Twilight said using her magic to picked up rolled up blueprints. "Ready?" she asked.
"Whenever you are...." with that Twilight jumps in.
Then George jumps in next, "Geronimo!"
Back at Yykees' Mansion
"WHOAA!" Twilight got out of the portal and landed on her stomach, "Ooof!" she was just about to get up when George came out of the portal and landed on her!
"Well, that was different...." George said shaking his head. He looks around, "Twilight?"
"Uh..... you're..... sitting on me..... so heavy..... ouch!" Twilight spoke as if she couldn't breath. George got up quickly and Twilight gasped for air.
"Sorry...."
"George!" Yykees yelled running towards him.
"Yykees! How the heck are you?!" George asked taking the green unicorn into a bear hug, or gorilla hug. George squeezed him and Yykees' back made a cracking sound.
"George...." he said in a whisper.
"Oh, sorry!" he sets the unicorn down.
"Phew, it's good to see that you haven't changed...." Yykees said stretching his back.
Twilight gets up after catching her breath and trotted towards them, "Hello Yykees!" she greeted.
"Evening Twilight! How have you been?"
"I've been doing okay, how are you?"
"Doing just fine! How do you feel after going through the portal?"
"Well, I felt a little dizzy because of the spiraling. But I'm alright...."
"And I landed on something soft...." George said with a snicker, making Twilight glare at him. "What, it was a joke! Even simians have a sense of humor." he told her taking out a banana.
"WHOAAA HOO HOO!!!" Pinkie Pie's voice yelled. Pinkie Pie went through the portal and hitting George's big belly and falling to the ground. Pinkie Pie got up and rubbed her head, "That gonna leave a bump!" then she notices Twilight, Yykees, and George. "Hi Twilight! Hi Yykees! We're back at the mansion?!"
"Yep, and you went through my teleporter to get here." Twilight replied.
"Teleporter?! My Pinkie Sense told me that you went through it and I thought you were in trouble!"
"I'm alright." Twilight assured her.
Pinkie looks over to George, "I didn't know you had a pet gorilla, Yykees."
George's eyes opened wide and made a growling noise, "I beg your pardon? Pet?"
"You can talk?!" Pinkie Pie asked in a surprised tone of voice and jumping in the air.
"Yes, and I am not a pet; I'm an old friend of Yykees."
"Oh, well either way it's cool!" Pinkie Pie started bouncing around the three, "Cool! Cool! Cool!"
"Is she always like this?" the ape asked Twilight.
"Yep, always...." she replied. "Oh, and here's the blueprints for the teleporter." Twilight hands it over to Yykees who unrolled them with his magic and looked them over.
"Excellent!" he looks up at George, "Shall we get started?"
"No, not yet. I've been at it for days, and I would like to rest...."
"Sure thing. Spectra!"
Hearing her master's voice she went through the wall. "Yes father?"
"Please take George to a spare room so he can rest."
Spectra nods, "As you wish. Follow me...." she exits the room with Prof. George following behind.
"We better get back to the castle before anypony else enters the teleporter." Twilight said to Pinkie Pie and Yykees.
"See you! Come back anytime!" Yykees said waving at them.
"Bye!" Pinkie Pie jumps through the portal.
"See you later!" Twilight jumps in next. Then the portal closes.
Yykees looks down at the blueprints, "Might as well get started on my teleporter." he said to himself picking up a really big wrench with his magic. He took a step and slipped on George's banana peel causing him to do a back flip, throw the wrench in the air, and land on his stomach. "Ouch!" he then looked up and the wrench fell right on his head. Yykees eyes went in circles, stars started going around his head, and then he collapsed.