Cosgrove’s sadness became fear as fast as the wind dried up his tears. Though his vision was blurred, Cosgrove looked back and saw his foal napper. The colt recognized him as a pegasus, but his wings are leathery, his eyes catlike and his teeth have fangs. Cosgrove’s eyes widened; he knew who that guard belonged to. He turned looked ahead and saw Canterlot Castle dead ahead.
The pegasus landed at the entrance of a chamber tower. After releasing Cosgrove, he shoved the colt with his head. Cosgrove shakingly breathed and began to climb the set of stairs with the guard following him. As he climbed up the tower, Cosgrove began to think of all that had happened and what will the future now hold for him. Would he not be able to go to school? Would he ever see his friends again? What about Apple Bloom? How would she feel if he was innocent?
Cosgrove reached the top of the tower where a pair of similar leathery winged pegasi guarded the door. The escort nodded at the door keepers, allowing them to open the door. Cosgrove entered the room slowly, knowing that this could be the last time he may ever see the outside world. The door closed slowly once Cosgrove was in the middle of the bedchamber. Cosgrove continued walking ahead.
Princess Luna was standing on the balcony looking over at the horizon. As Cosgrove walked out into the moonlight, Luna breathed in the crisp air.
“What was it that you said during our little talk,” - Luna continued to stare into the horizon - “What if you were wrong?””
Cosgrove didn’t say a word. Luna turned around as Cosgrove displayed a submissive pose.
“So now you know the damage a Brobdingnag would do. And you now know what must be -.”
“It wasn’t Schnookums’ fault…” -Cosgrove interrupted, adding more frustration to Luna - “It was mine. I had hoped to distract him long enough with the radio for the evening.” Cosgrove returned to a normal stance with his eyes still closed. “Schnookums has left Ponyville, we could rebuild the town…” Cosgrove then lowered his head again - “Or I can rebuild the town on my own.”
Luna raised the colt’s chin.
“You are just a young pony, you don’t need to be punished.” -The colt raised his ears at Luna’s words. “Lessons are not found, they must be earned.”
“What will you do now?” Cosgrove asked.
The alicorn raised her head. “The Brobdingnag will once again be destroyed.” Luna answered.
“Would an Ursa Major be needed?” Cosgrove asked.
“An ursa major will not be necessary.” Luna answered to Cosgrove’s surprise. “I still will use outside help if I am so inclined.” Luna began walking out of the door.
“And what about the other pieces of the first Brobdingnag,” -Luna stopped at those words - “What if there is more than just Schnookums?”
“Then I will hunt them to the ends of Equestria,” -Luna continued her walk out of her room - “until then... you are in my custody.”
The door closed, with the sound of a key turning on the lock. Cosgrove hopped onto the princess’ bed, crossed his forelegs at his chest and pondered. Why would anypony be scared of Schnookums if by just what happened last night Schnookums is probably more scared of them. He looked at the moon.
“I have no intent to disrespect you, but my thought still stands.” Cosgrove talked to himself.
Ballad of the Brobdingnag Part 12
Fluttershy awoke from under her bed after seeing Schnookums passed by her last night. Having a rather messy bed head, she groomed herself. The yellow pegasus walked downstairs to feed the animals she shared her home with. After she feed the song birds and small mammals, Fluttershy heard a series of loud clicks. She opened the top half of the front door and her eyes began to shrink.
Schnookums was right at her house. Birds flew and chirped in protest around him as Schnookums feed off a tree adorned with birdhouses. Fluttershy wanted to run away, but at the same time she didn’t want him to eat the birdhouses as well. Angel Bunny looked up in fright as Fluttershy flew up to the beast.
“Uhm… excuse me… Mr. Monster,” -Fluttershy’s presence caught the beast’s brown eyes - “My friends have homes on that tree.”
Schnookums merely stared at the yellow pegasus. In his defense, Schnookums was still recovering from his wounds from last night. The bruise he received had largely healed, but his hearing was still a ways to go. Schnookums can hear better, but in his perspective a loud whine prevented it from hearing Fluttershy’s soft voice. He continued to eat. Fluttershy felt she was out of options. She flew right in front of the Brobdingnag and used “The Stare.” However, the Brobdingnag didn’t falter, so she increased the intensity of “The Stare”. When Schnookums stopped eating and tilted his head at her, Fluttershy stopped using the stare.
“Thank you, now there a several-” Fluttershy remarked before Schnookums opened the top two folds of his armored head and snorted her away. “Or I can find other tree’s.” Fluttershy finished as she noticed that some of the more invasive trees were torn down.
Schnookums turned to a sound, again like that of a bassoon. He walked slowly towards the source of the sound. He walked around Ponyville this time as he felt he wasn’t in any rush. Schnookums found the source of the sound and carefully approached it. The owner of the bassoon suddenly flung into the air, revealing itself as a creature Schnookums had never seen; serpentine in appearance with mismatched animal parts.
“You just got Disc-Rolled!” The Draconequus snapped his fingers.
Just as he disappeared in a flash of light, soldier unicorns popped out of trenches and shoot Schnookums with their magic. Schnookums stumbled to the left until he fell into a massive Burmese tiger trap. As Schnookums struggled to get out, squads of pegasi drop metal nets onto top of the Brobdingnag. They aimed so that the nets would wrap around Schnookums’ dorsal spines. The squads then began to form a massive raincloud over the beast. Schnookums spied Luna flying above him. She gave a hard look before flying up to the pegasi.
“Begin the execution…” Luna flew away as the pegasi began to stomp on the raincloud sending out bolts of lightning.
Metal is a good conductor for lightning, and so Schnookums began to feel the pain. He screamed and moaned for dear life as his muscles spasmed from all the electricity coursing through his body.
“Your Highness” -Captain Ironhoof landed behind Luna -“The cloud is growing smaller, it may not even be enough to-”
“Add more clouds,” -Luna eyed the captain- “continue the execution.”
The remaining pegasi added more clouds to the shrinking cloud until they can find none close enough to be readily available. The cloud began to shrink, but the operation continued. Eventually the cloud became too small for even one pegasus to stand. There wasn’t any noise to be heard. Luna flew over to the pit and found something unnatural. There was no body. The rain must have made the ground so soft that the body sank in the mud.
“It is done…” As Luna turned around, she heard a rumble coming from the other side of the pit. The ground started to rise as mud slid off the thought to be dead Brobdingnag. Luna opened her wings and propelled herself towards the beast.
Back at Canterlot, the guards of Luna’s bedchamber continued their watch duty. However, since last night, there was hardly any sound coming from the chamber. The two looked at each other and gave each other a nod. They entered the bedchamber and found it in shambles. When they looked forward at the balcony, their eyes widened.
Cosgrove actually cannibalized the bedsheets and the metal springs to make a pair of wings. The guards ran towards the colt.
“Stop! You don’t know what you are getting yourself into!” They pleaded.
“You ponies get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’, I on the other hand have somepony worth fighting for!” Cosgrove replied as he lept arms spread. To his miracle, the fashioned wings actually worked.
The ponies of Canterlot looked upward at the winged figure. Canterlot Elite member Fancy Pants was in the middle of wine tasting when he spotted the colt gliding past the window. Princess Celestia was just walking onto her carriage when she spotted the Colt gliding past her.
In a sudden flash of purple magic, the Mane Six arrived at Canterlot and began to trot. Applejack ran fastest next to Twilight.
“Twilight, are you sure that thing took Cosgrove to Canterlot? There are several other pegasi you know.” Rarity asked
“Applejack said that pegasi had chiropteroid wings, only Luna’s guards possess those.” said Twilight.
“Well Ah sure hope so! That varmint got a lot of nerve just swoopin’ in like that!” Applejack said angrily.
Cosgrove was still in the middle of his glide when he spotted the Mane Six.
“Wait is that-” Cosgrove suddenly crashed on top of the rampart. He tried to get a hold, but the weight of the metal supports, dragged his body off. He fell down fast. Cosgrove tried to grab the wings, but the weight, combined with the force of the fall, kept his body in a straight nose dive. He closed his eyes tightly when he fell into the river.
The Mane Six continued to run until when Applejack spotted one of the guards that took Cosgrove.
“There they are!” Applejack shouted.
Rainbow Dash immediately flew above one of the guards and pile drove him to the ground.
“Okay fella, we can do this the easy way or the Rainbow Dash way!” Rainbow Dash yelled as the rest of the group came over.
“Okay, okay, you win!” The guard pleaded.
“Where is Cosgrove?” Applejack asked as she pounded her hoof next to the guard's head.
“He… flew… off the balcony… said something about somepony worthy.” The guard struggled as Rainbow Dash pressed down harder
“Yeah right, like anypony would just-”
“No, he is right.” A voice called out. The Mane Six turned around and saw Princess Celestia walking towards them. Rainbow Dash let go of the guard as they show their respects.
“Why would they do such a thing after what happened at Ponyville last night?” Twilight asked.
“What happened last night?” Celestia wondered. She had noticed that about three fifths of the army was missing, but now realizing she was kept out of the loop of last night’s event, Celestia levitated the guard towards her. “You will tell me everything you know.”