//------------------------------// // Chapter 45 - The Sun Melts Ice // Story: Denuo Fortuna // by Firecaller //------------------------------// Chapter 45 - The Sun Melts Ice Constable Walker settled down on a cloud as he watched Constable Morning Dew trot away. He gave the cloud he was laying on a suspicious look. ‘Odd. I didn’t think the same cloud from yesterday would still be here. Perhaps the weather team is a little stretched without Miss Dash and they just missed it.’ He shuffled around, getting comfortable. ‘Good job they missed it though. It does offer a great view of Miss Sunbeam’s house.’ A grinning face appeared in the cloud for a second before disappearing. Walker looked up. ‘I can smell chocolate?’ *** Unaware she was being watched intently, Sunbeam trudged up to her front door and started patting herself down for her keys. After a few seconds of searching for them, her ears fell. Standing there, glaring at the locked door, her lips suddenly pulled back into a snarl as her horn lit up. After the flash, Sunbeam walked into her house, kicking some debris of what used to be her front door out of the way as she did so. Still snarling, she never heard the clapping coming from above her. “Bravo my dear, virtuoso performance. Encore, encore.” Discord seated himself back down on a sleeping Constable Walker. With a frown, he shuffled his rear. “This cushion is lumpy. Huh, pegasi, all bones and feathers. Give me an earth pony to sit on any day.” Reaching down, he picked up a paper container with popcorn. Grabbing a handful, he offered the bag down to the sleeping pony as he chewed on his. “No? How about something different then. Hot dog?” Throwing the popcorn away, Discord reached into the cloud and pulled out a long bread roll with a long pink tube in it. “Mustard?” Placing the roll next to Constable Walker’s right ear, he lightly tapped the top of Walker’s head and a stream of mustard shot out of the ear. He moved the roll back and forth, coating the pink tube. He moved the bread roll over to Constable Walker’s other ear and his paw hovered over his head again. “Ketchup? Oh, what’s that? Hold the ketchup you say. Okay then.” With a smile, he lifted the roll up to take a bite but stopped as he looked down at the sleeping pony. “Tut, tut. Not only sleeping on duty but being a condiment dispenser as well. Whatever would your superiors say?” Looking back at Sunbeam’s house he smiled again. “You’re also missing out on so much wonderful chaos. Chaos which I didn’t have to lift a talon to bring about.” Pausing, he looked upwards as he tapped his chin. “Well, hardly had to lift a talon to bring about. Maaaaybe a little nudge here and there” -he held up a claw- “but only to make sure everyone was in the right place and the right time. Nothing else I swear. Everything else is all their own work. I'm so proud of them.” He wiped a tear from his eye. “They grow up so quickly you know. It brings a lump to my throat.” Grinning, he settled back. “Actually old chap, I’m quite enjoying the change of pace. Just sitting back and watching the chaos without having to instigate it.” He looked towards the Everfree. “And what’s even better, I have no idea how the rest of this is going to play out. No idea at all!” He patted Walker’s head. “How wonderful is that!” Lifting the hot dog up, he opened his jaws and then stopped. Looking long and hard at it for a few moments, he threw it over his shoulder. “Nah.” Looking around, his grin grew as he spotted a familiar pegasus walking towards Sunbeam's house in the evening light. “Ah, right on time, the ever-loyal Miss Dash.” He watched her walked down the street for a few seconds before waggling a talon at her. “Now now my dear, Miss Sunbeam has been giving such a wonderful performance you really should be bringing gifts to show your appreciation.” With that, he clicked his talons Rainbow slowed to a stop then lifted her head in thought. Discord nodded encouragingly at her. “Yes, that’s right my dear. Wouldn’t beer and pizza be such a good idea, you know she likes them. So why don’t you trot along and go get some.” Rainbow started patting herself down. With a roll of his eyes, he snapped his talons again. “Reduced to a mere ATM. Well, don’t expect a receipt. The paper roll has run out and it doesn't get changed until Wednesday.” There was a chink as Rainbow suddenly found some bits in her saddlebags. Discord frowned as she started counting them out. “Yes, yes, yes you’ve got enough and... oh for goodness sake! Yes! You’ve got enough for a tip as well!” He pointed down the street. “Shoo, begone you glorified feather duster. Go get pizza and beers, post haste.” Down below, Rainbow turned away. Lifting his paw up to his muzzle Discord pretended to shout out after her. “Remember, no anchovies!” Lowering his paw he watched Rainbow trot away. “After her little eating contest with you, she’s gone right off fish.” *** Rainbow peered into the dark hallway of Sunbeam’s house. She would have knocked on the door - but there wasn’t one. “Err, hello?” In at the other end of the hallway, in the darkness, something lit up. Rainbow lifted the pizza box. “Sunbeam, it’s me Rainbow, I’ve got pizza and beer." There was a wave of cold and whatever had been lit up went out. Rainbow squinted as a shape started moving in the shadows. “Sunbeam? Is that you?” There was a pause, then Sunbeam trotted forward into the light. “R-Rainbow?” Rainbow smiled. “Yeah. Look, I’ve brought-” She was cut off as Sunbeam galloped forward and wrapped her hooves around her neck, hugging her tight. “Rainbow!” Rolling her eyes, Rainbow tried to keep the pizza upright under the assault. “Geesh Sunbeam. I know you like pizza and beer a lot, but isn’t this a bit much?” *** Sitting in Sunbeam’s living room, Rainbow watched as Sunbeam tore into the pizza slice. ‘Did she just moan?’ Reaching down she picked a beer and frowned at it. “Sorry it’s warm, it’s all they had left at the store. But I do I know a trick with an icebox and a cloud to chill them quickly…” Rainbow tailed off at the flat look Sunbeam was giving her over the pizza slice still in her mouth. “Oh yeah.” *** The pizza box was half empty and there were several empty, still frosted, beer bottles laying around. Sunbeam waved her beer at Rainbow. “So there we were out in the field, just a little south of the Griffon border, and the cook had served up this… this... something. To this day I have no idea what it was. Green Grass, one of biggest mares I’ve ever met, only managed a few mouthfuls before dumping the stuff. I swear, not even a Diamond Dog would have touched it.” She tapped her chin with the top of the beer bottle. “All I could tell you was that it tasted burnt, but that’s about it.” The bottle was then pointed at Rainbow. “So complaining that hay burgers and fries isn’t served daily in the Wonderbolt mess isn’t gonna win you any sympathy.” Sunbeam leaned back. “Oh, and by coincidence, a throat infection went round the camp later that night. Now I’m not drawing any conclusions from this you understand, but the ponies that had managed more than a few mouthfuls of that stuff ended up with the worst infections.” She sipped her beer before looking at Rainbow. “But like I said, not drawing any conclusions from that.” *** Rainbow looked up. “Nope, I don’t joke about pregnancy or morning sickness anymore.” Sunbeam lifted a questioning eyebrow. “There was a mare in the reserves. After a night out on the town she was… very unwell the next morning. I joked that she was pregnant and it was morning sickness.” Rainbow shifted herself to get her bandaged wing comfortable. “Turns out… it was. Just she didn’t know at the time and this was the first sign she'd had. Or noticed anyway. The stallion in question was just as shocked as her let me tell you. So after that, I don’t joke about it anymore.” Sunbeam nodded. Rainbow looked up at her with a mischievous expression. “Well maybe never. Hey, Sunbeam are you…” A pillow was thrown at her. *** Sunbeam frowned as she looked around. Rainbow took a sip of her beer. “You keep doing that. Problem?” Sunbeam looked around again before sighing. “Must be my imagination… but I keep getting the impression that things are not quite where I remember leaving them.” Rainbow looked around. “You sure?” She waved a hoof. “Nah. Must be just me. None of the intrusion spells have been triggered.” Sunbeam took a sip of her beer. “And it would take a pony with an alicorn’s level of power to reset them without me noticing.” *** The beer had been finished and the pizza box was empty. Rainbow finished off her beer. “Well, that’s it and I’ve gotta be up in the morning. Suppose I’d better start thinking about getting a move on...” Sunbeam stood up quickly. “Hang on. Don’t go just yet.” Rainbow watched as she trotted off into the kitchen. Sunbeam returned with a bottle of Jackie D and two glasses floating next to her. She shook the bottle with a hopeful smile. *** Sunbeam looked up at the ceiling. “So there I was, on the hill overlooking the battle, where I was” -she shifted uncomfortably- “spotting. Anyway, so there I was, spotting, when this unicorn stands up on a ridge and just starts firing blasts of magic off in every direction.” She shook her head. “She was silhouetting like mad and firing at anything that moved" -Sunbeam smirked to herself- "and probably a few things that weren't. Oh yeah, she’d completely lost it. Battle blind. Anyway, I spotted an enemy officer and after I’d-” Sunbeam took a swig of beer. “And after I'd passed that information to the relevant parties, the ridge was empty again by the time I looked back. Six, seven seconds tops, and she was gone.” She looked down. “No idea what happened to her.” She looked up with a grin. “But whoever took her down probably got a medal commendation... from both sides.” *** Sunbeam’s mouth hung open. “Y-you’re kidding!” “Nope, right on the snout.” “A full grown dragon?” “Yep.” “You’re bucking insane!” *** “I mean… It was just eww! Rarity wanted me to not only to wear a dress but also put on makeup? Me... in make up! Ewww, just eww…” Both shuddered as they sipped their drinks. *** “Hay burger and fries.” “You jest.” “Pizza is good, but it’s not the best food in the world.” “Heresy!” *** Sunbeam held Rainbow awkwardly as she bawled into her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to… I swear I didn’t mean to… I can still hear the crack when he hit the wall. I can still hear the...” Sunbeam patted her on the back. “Shhh.” She grinned nervously. “Say, have I told you the one about the candlestick maker and the two mares?” *** Rainbow was pounding the edge of the sofa with a hoof, heaving with laughter. She managed to calm herself down to point a hoof at Sunbeam. “That’s sooo wrong Sunbeam. I still want to cry you know, so why am I laughing?” Sunbeam looked at her with a straight face. “At both ends Rainbow. They were burning the candle at both ends…” Rainbow dissolved back into giggles. *** Sunbeam pointed her glass at Rainbow. “Pinkie?” Rainbow looked up as she pretended she wasn’t dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “How much alcohol you got?” Sunbeam tapped her chin, then slumped. “Yeah, not enough. Next topic…” *** A thoughtful expression settled on Rainbow’s face. “I got one. Okaaaay, Celestia raises and lowers the sun right? But where does it go after it’s set? And what happens to the moon in the daytime? Is there, like, an underside to Equestria or something?” Sunbeam calmly looked at the drink in Rainbow’s hooves. “Okay Rainbow, I think you may have had enough now.” *** Rainbow stood up, on her third attempt. “Well I really should get going and…” Sunbeam shook her head. “The night is still young, it’s only…” She squinted at a clock. “Two-ish in the morning. Plenty of night left.” “Nah. I really need to get going.” Sunbeam looked down at her glass as her ears drooped. “In the morning… I gotta, I gotta...” Rainbow tapped her hoof. “Oh yeah, forgot. I’ve been meaning to tell-” Sunbeam's voice was soft and pleading. “Please don’t go Rainbow. Please. D-don’t leave me alone with all the ghosts.” “-you...” Rainbow stared at Sunbeam, her train of thought completely derailed. Sunbeam just kept looking down as she played with the glass in her hooves. “Please Rainbow, if you crash here you can take my bed, I swear there's fresh sheets on it. I’ll go sleep on the couch, no biggie. Please, just don't leave me alone right now.” Rainbow half fell, half seated herself back down onto the couch. Sunbeam looked up at her with a hopeful smile. Still somewhat dazed, Rainbow reacted in the only she could think of. Reaching out for her empty glass, she lifted it up and shook it. The glass was encased in a white glow and Sunbeam rapidly stood up with a big smile. “I’ll be right back. I know I’ve got some of the good stuff somewhere in the kitchen. Don’t you dare move! Not a muscle!” With that, she rushed off towards the kitchen with Rainbow’s glass in tow. Rainbow shook her head, still trying to pull her thoughts back together. Unable to think of anything else, she continued with what she had been about to say. “There… There were some guards were asking for you earlier. Something about Princess Celestia wanting to see you. They were asking for you by name-” There was the sound of glass shattering from the kitchen. Rainbow’s head snapped round. “You okay in there?” Silence. “Sunbeam?” A hesitant voice called out from the kitchen “Y-yeah. I’m fine. Just walked into the table and dropped the glasses... in surprise. You say the day princess wants to see me? That’s she’s asking for me. B-by name?” “Yeah, there’s a carriage waiting to take us up to Canterlot in the morning.” She frowned. “I think that was it anyway.” “In the morning? Be precise here Rainbow. They want to take me to the Day Princess in the morning, as in not right now.” “Yeah. In the morning I was going to get you to come along.” Sunbeam trotted back in, levitating an expensive looking bottle and two cheap looking glasses. “In the morning.” Rainbow nodded. Putting the glasses down, Sunbeam uncorked the bottle. “Then let's have a few more drinks then. The night is still young-ish. Tonight is for R and R and we’ll deal with tomorrow morning... tomorrow morning. You need more to drink.” With that, Sunbeam carefully poured Rainbow twice the amount she poured for herself. *** Sunbeam watched as Rainbow’s head and eyelids started drooping. She started singing softly. “Hush now, quiet now. It's time to lay your sleepy head.” Rainbow’s eyelids flickered and she stood up. Walking over to Rainbow, her voice became even softer. “Hush now, quiet now, It's time to go to bed.” Rainbow closed her eyes. “Drifting off to sleep, Leave the day behind you.” Drifting off to sleep, Let the joy of...” She looked down at the sleeping pegasus and lightly stroked her mane. “Lightweight.” Walking over to the half-empty bottle of Lady Jacqueline she lifted it up and examined it with a sigh. “You’ve definitely had way more of this than me.” She shook her head. “The sacrifices I have to make.” She looked down and the snoring pegasus. “Thank you so much for tonight Rainbow. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come round. Probably nothing good. So thank you.” Leaning down she kissed the top of the sleeping mare’s head. “Thank you for coming round. My friend.” Picking up Rainbow’s saddlebags she turned towards the kitchen. “So as a friend, I do feel bad about stealing your saddlebags and running away like this. Unfortunately, my saddlebags are” -she rolled her shoulders- ”unobtainable right now. I’ll leave a note saying you can have all the money in my bank account." Sunbeam sighed. "I won’t be here in the morning to draw any of it out and transfers can be traced, so you might as have it all as payment. All the bits in the world are useless if the Princess finds me.” She looked back at Rainbow. “Look, I like it here in Ponyville. I really do. I like feeling normal. I loved being treated… normal.” Sunbeam looked upwards and sighed again. “But now it’s time to run. You do not let the Day Princess take you alive! I’d rather have all the ghosts haunt me than that. Letting her take you alive would be” -her tail twitched- “bad. Very very bad. Everypony was terrified of the mere thought...” She tilted her head as she looked at Rainbow. Putting the saddlebags down she walked up to her. “Put it this way, I’m certainly not going to be striding into Canterlot Castle and announcing myself anytime soon.” She smiled and brushed Rainbows forelock. “But before I do go, let's get you upstairs and tucked into bed. I said you could have it after all.” *** In the moonlit streets of Ponyville, two ponies moved silently from shadow-to-shadow. They stopped when it became clear that they needed to cross a well-lit street. One scanned for any ponies before nodding to his companion. “All clear. Let’s move!” They both galloped across the street, diving into the shadows on the other side. Panting, Jagged Edge looked around. “See anything?” “Give me a sec.” His companion, Dark Light, eyes glowed as he looked around. “Nothing. Nothing. Noth- whoa!” Blinking, he looked away. “Someponies got a huge aura. Massive.” He snarled as he looked at his partner. “Must be a bearer!” “Oh buck! Where?” Dark Light pointed. “Over there. Not moving. Let me just tone down the sensitivity a bit to get a better reading.” With Jagged looking nervously around, Dark Light looked back at the aura. “I think it’s Target Blue. Orange...? No, definitely Blue. Target is stationary and- oh hang on. I can also see another aura close by.” He paled. “Oh horseapples.” Jagged looked back at him questioningly. “What’s up?” “The other aura, it matches Icefang’s profile! And it’s pinned under Target Blue!” Dark Light took a half step forward only to have Jagged put a hoof on his shoulder. “Hold! Our orders are recon only.” “But a bearer’s got her! We can’t just…” “You wanna go head-to-head with a bucking bearer? Unprepared and with no idea of the situation? Our amulets are low on charge and more importantly, ask yourself this: where are the other bearers?” Dark Light looked around. “I didn’t see any other auras.” Jagged gave him a long look. “One bearer, taking on Icefang all by herself. Really? They're always close together. They do everything together. Remember: it’s the ones you don’t see that get you.” Dark Light lowered his head. “Yeah, but Sharp Fang ain’t gonna be happy that we left her.” “Probably. But the best thing we can do is make sure this intel gets back to him. If we tried anything half-flanked we could end up casualties ourselves. And then Sharp Fang would be down two ponies, the mission would have been blown and he’d still have no idea what’s going on.” Dark Light nodded unhappily. *** Sunbeam lay on the floor with Rainbow laying on top of her. “Ow.” She lifted her head off the floor. “Okay, maybe I can’t lift you without magic.” She prodded Rainbow. “And how can you be so damn fast when you’re so bucking heavy Rainbow?” She let her head fall back onto the floor. “Sorry but you are sleeping on the couch tonight. No way can I haul your sorry flank up the stairs. If I was sober I might be able to levitate you safely, but I’m not, so I won’t.” She stared up at the ceiling as Rainbow continued to snore. She lifted her head and looked around. “And I’m soooo glad nopony can see us like this, they could easily get the wrong idea.” She prodded Rainbow again. “Ugh! Have I mentioned that you’re bucking heavy?” After a minute, she managed to squirm her way out from under Rainbow, leaving her sleeping on the floor. Sunbeam looked down at her as she stood up. “Annnnd the heavy sleeper of the year award goes to…” She shook her head. “I’ll put you back on the couch and grab you a blanket in just a minute.” Walking back towards the kitchen, she picked up Rainbow’s saddlebags and frowned at the rough texture. ‘Oh yeah, these are gonna rub on my back, aren’t they. I’m gonna need some padding, fortunately, I know just what to use.’ Laying the bags down on the kitchen table, she walked out of her house and into the garden. In the moonlight, she could easily see the bed sheet hanging on the washing line. Lifting a corner, she sniffed it. “Huh, still a bit of a bleachy smell, but way better than what it did smell of.” She looked up at the starry night, and then around all the dark houses before sighing. “I should have gone to Manehatten. So many ponies there, I could have vanished. I was being too clever coming here.” *** Up above her, Discord snapped his talons and then tried to look innocent. He settled back into Constable Walker and prodded him. “What? Well, it’s no fun if it all gets one-sided. It gets” -he pulled a face- “boring and, even worse, predictable. Annnd you know how much I hate that.” He looked back down and waggled a talon in Sunbeam’s direction. “But that’s it for audience participation my dear. That’s your lot. No more. What happens now, happens. I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the show from now on.” *** In the darkness, a motion caught Sunbeam’s eye. She watched as two ponies ran down an alleyway, stopped, looked around in confusion, and then ran back the way they’d come. She shook her head. 'Huh. I suppose it is easy to get turned around at night, things do look different in the darkness.' She squinted at the two departing ponies. “Is that you Mr Love-Note? You are the only other pony usually around this time of night.” She looked at the two ponies. “Ah, finally got the nerve to stop leaving notes and just ask her out?” Her eyebrows rose as she watched them. “Ask him out?” After a pause, she shrugged. “Well to each their own. Not like I’m in any position to judge.” Sunbeam was silent for a second. “Oh but now you’ve got my curiosity going. I just have to know. And I’m never going to get another chance...” Her eyes glowed. “Just a quick peek at your auras, see if I recognize who- Oh that’s odd. Your auras have a tinge. Wait! I… I know that tinge. I know that…” Sunbeam dropped the sheet she was holding. *** Working frantically as Rainbow slept, Sunbeam shoved gear haphazardly into the saddlebags. “Horseapples, horseapples, horseapples. Amulets! Only amulets tinge the aura like that! They’ve found me! They’ve bucking found me!” She rushed out in the corridor. Stopping, she looked back at Rainbow as she slept on the couch with a blanket hastily thrown over her. “Please understand, I can’t fight them Rainbow! They have amulets. Working amulets! Any fight would last all of two seconds. The fact I spotted them at all is one of the biggest flukes ever. And as they didn't even try to capture me probably means they're going back for reinforcements.” She shook her head. “Reinforcements Rainbow! Probably an entire strike team out there, with amulets!” She walked towards the door. “So I intend to be faaaar away before this all goes to Tartarus. Faaar, far away.” Stopping her looked over her shoulder at Rainbow again. “Thank goodness you’ll be leaving for Canterlot in the morning. I feel better knowing that you’ll be safe by the time this all hits the fan. They'll probably wait until next sunset before...” Her ears drooped. “Before Ponyville is in serious trouble. They’ve got nothing here that could possibly stop them. The bearers aren't all here, and besides, they're in pretty rough shape last I saw.” Sunbeam closed her eyes. “In fact, the only ponies that could stop them right now are the princesses. I'd need to tell...” There was a pause before she opened her eyes with a big smile. “A note! “Yes! A note could work! I could leave a note with you Rainbow to give to the Day Princess. ‘Dear Princesses, you don’t know me, but if you could come down to Ponyville and save it from a big magical threat that would be just great’.” Her shoulders slumped. “By the way, this isn’t a trap honest. Or a way to get you to leave Canterlot undefended.” Her head fell. “Signed: a pony that ran away under not-at-all suspicious circumstances. PS just to remind you again: not a trap. Honest.” Her ears fell. “Yeeeeeah, that’s not gonna work is it. They’d have to treat a note like that with suspicion, at best. And by the time they did act, it’ll be too late.” Her head lifted up again. “But if I told them in person...” Sunbeam eyes widened. Walking stiffly back into the living room, she picked the bottle of Lady Jacqueline and took a swig straight from it. “O-okay, I really need to get going now.” *** Sitting under a tree, Sunbeam looked down on Ponyville as the sun peeked over the horizon. Rainbow’s saddlebags lay on the ground near her, along with the sheets she’d been using for padding. Taking a sip of Lady Jacqueline, she didn’t take her eyes off Ponyville. Wiping muzzle with the back of her hoof, Sunbeam’s eyes narrowed as she jabbed a hoof at Ponyville. “Look, all you have to do is stand back and let your homes and livelihoods be torn apart as they look for me. They don’t care about you, just let them do their thing and they'll be minimal deaths. M- Mini-” Lifting the bottle, she took too big a swig and started coughing and spluttering. Eyes still watering, she looked back at Ponyville and snarled. “But you won’t do that will you!” She jabbed the hoof again. “Oh no. Of course not. Just one death and you stupid bastards will try and fight!” Her ears fell. “And then you'll become a threat. And then…” She looked away. “And then Ponyville becomes a mass graveyard.” She quickly took another sip. “So please, don't fight. That way most of you get to live and..." Suddenly lifting a hoof, Sunbeam stamped it down hard. "Look, the only way you’d have a chance was if a princess was there. Which ain’t happening! So forget it.” She sat in silence for a while before rolling her shoulders. “I’ve heard the stories. That if she gets her hooves on you it's... it’s worse than anything you can imagine. And...” -she looked down- “And I can imagine so many, many, terrible things.” Lifting the bottle, her hooves shook as she took a long swig, nearly emptying the bottle. Holding the bottle up, she looked despondently at the dregs remaining in it. She gave Ponyville another look. “Please, just try not to be heros and you’ll be fine. Please, don’t be heroes. Sure there'll be a few deaths, but they’ll be minimal. Minimal! Most of you will be fine. M-most...” She emptied the bottle before tossing it aside. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Let’s do this.” She remained seated. “I can do this! I’m Icefang, the most feared and hated bitch on the battlefield. I can leave anytime I want.” She glanced over at Ponyville and then quickly looked away. “I’m Icefang, I don’t have a heart. All I have is a muscle that pumps blood around my body.” She didn’t move. Her lips curled back as she looked back at Ponyville. “I’m Icefang. Do you hear me? I’m Icefang and I don’t care if I brought them here, it'll be your fault if you get yourselves killed fighting them. I don’t care!” Her ears drooped. “Sure I could go tell the princess. I’m all for self-sacrifice and all that, but not if I’m the pony that has to do the sacrificing! Do you have any idea what she'll do to me?!” Her head fell. “I’m Icefang and I don’t care if you all die.” Her eyes closed as she ground her teeth. “I don’t care...” The morning chorus sang as the sun cast sunbeams through the branches of the tree she was seated under. “I don’t c-c-c...” She wiped her eyes with a hoof. “I… I…” *** Sunbeam stopped to kick the ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ sign before walking back into Ponyville.