Sugarcube Races

by Stormie-squall

Chapter 4

Felix trotted into the Everfree Forest, shifting his wings both out of nervousness and to get the overwhelming feeling of ickiness out of his feathers. He hated this forest, though he’d never tell his brother that. After not seeing hide nor hair of the great earth pony for weeks, the pegasus had become worried so had decided to go visit his brother.

“Ralph?” he called, finding a space that looks like it had been recently damaged. “Ralph, it’s me, Felix. Sorry I haven’t been around in weeks, I’ve been too busy in town.” He heard a rustling in some bushes and looked around nervously, chewing his bottom lip.

The creature that leaped out of the bushes was not a large, dark orange earth pony. Rather, it was a Timberwolf. The pegasus emitted a decidedly girly shriek and jumped backwards, scrambling back towards a tree. The wooden beast was on him in a second, looming over him breathing its reeking breath in his face and growling menacingly.

“Hey, bark-breath! Why not chase someone who’ll actually give you a challenge?” a brash female voice taunted, and the Timberwolf instantly lost interest in the trembling pegasus at its feet. It took off after the rainbow blur and Felix panted for several moments before getting back onto his trembling hooves. The Timberwolf’s chilling howl could still be heard somewhere else in the forest, and it still made Felix shiver. How could Ralph live in the forest with these terrifying creatures?

“Rainbow! Didn’t Applejack teach you anything about not taunting the Timberwolves?” another mare yelled after the feisty pegasus who’d saved Felix’s hide. A purple unicorn galloped into the clearing and looked around in confusion. She almost missed the timid pegasus hiding in the bushes. “Ugh, that featherbrain,” the mare muttered, and sat down to wait for her friend to return.

“E-excuse me?” Felix greeted the unicorn quietly. She looked around for the source of the voice but, when she found him, smiled and approached him.

“Well, hello there. My name is Twilight Sparkle. Who are you?” she greeted him, stopping in front of him after he’d stepped out of the bushes he’d been hiding in.

“My name’s Felix, ma’am,” he introduced himself, fighting to keep the tremble out of his voice. “I’m from Pleasantville, I’ve been looking for my brother Ralph. I don’t suppose you’ve seen him? He’s a dark orange earth pony with a brown mane and blue eyes and he’s really big.” He gestured at about Ralph’s height but the unicorn shook her head.

“Sorry, I haven’t seen him,” she replied apologetically. “Would you like me to help you look for him, though? I’m always willing to help and I know that Rainbow Dash will probably be all too eager to help out a fellow pegasus.”

“Sure,” Felix nodded. “He’s probably in the forest somewhere and normally I’d look for him myself but...”

“The Everfree Forest is no place for a pony to be by himself, especially one who looks as civilised as you,” Twilight giggled. “I’m fine here on my own, but that’s only because my friend Zecora told me everything I should know about what to avoid here.”

“Ralph talks about Zecora sometimes,” Felix noted. “He said that she’s a very nice zebra.”

“Oh, she is,” Twilight agreed, nodding eagerly. Before she could speak further, a rainbow blur flew back into the clearing and almost crashed into Felix.

“Rainbow,” the unicorn chastised, and the pegasus grinned sheepishly.

“Heh heh, oops,” she apologised, hovering beside Felix. “You always seem to be in the way, dontcha?”

“No, I’m just really out of my element here,” Felix responded, looking at the ground as he dug up some dirt with his hoof. “My brother lives here but I don’t visit him very often because I don’t like it here.”

“Your brother lives here?” Rainbow snorted. “What pony in their right mind would live here?”

“He isn’t living here by choice,” Felix admitted. “He was banished years ago. But I won’t talk about it, he probably doesn’t want everypony knowing about his banishment.”

“I understand,” Twilight assured him gently. “Now, Rainbow, I’ve offered to help Felix look for his brother. Do you want to help?”

“I’m always up for helping a fellow pegasus,” Rainbow grinned, and rubbed Felix’s head with her hoof. “How come you aren’t flying, anyway? You’re not a scaredy-pony, are ya?”

“Of course not, I just don’t trust myself to be able to fly in such close quarters,” Felix replied, spreading his wings to prove that he did fly often.

“If you say so,” the pegasus snorted. “Now, where would your brother be?”

“Well, he was good friends with Zecora so if anyone would know where he is, it’d be her,” Felix figured. “Trouble is, I don’t know where she lives.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’ve got me,” Twilight grinned. “Come with me, Felix, I’ll take you to her.” She trotted off and Felix followed her while Rainbow Dash flew for a few minutes before landing behind Felix.

“Who has a hammer for a cutie mark?” she asked loudly, causing Felix to blush to the tips of his ears.

“Were you looking at my flank?” he demanded, flustered.

“No, I was looking at your cutie mark,” the mare grinned. “So what’s your special talent?”

“Fixing things,” he replied. “I found an ancient artefact in the Everfree Forest. When I touched it, it turned my hooves this weird golden colour and since then, I’ve been able to fix everything I touch- see, like this.” He stepped on a broken twig and it immediately reformed.

“Wow,” Rainbow gasped, and stepped on the stick to break it again. Felix fixed it again. This went on for some minutes before Twilight stomped over to them impatiently.

“What are you two doing?” she groaned, but her interest was piqued when she noticed the golden colour of Felix’s hooves.

“Twilight, watch this,” Rainbow Dash grinned. She broke a twig and Felix fixed it.

“That’s impressive,” Twilight admitted. “How can you do that, though? You’re not a unicorn unless you’re an alicorn hiding your true form with some kind of enchantment. Even then, you’d need an amulet for that...”

“Twilight,” Rainbow Dash deadpanned. The mare caught herself rambling and blushed.

“Sorry, Felix. Explain,” she prompted, clearly restraining herself from examining Felix’s hoof. Felix related his story to her, much to her interest.

“An artefact, you say? Interesting,” she hummed thoughtfully. “I’d love to find out more about it, maybe after we find your brother?”

“Sure,” Felix nodded. “I’d be glad to help you find out more about my golden hooves. Some ponies call me Goldenhoof.”

“I can see why,” Twilight giggled. Smiling, she turned and continued leading them towards Zecora’s hut.

The zebra was outside tending to some of her strange plants when the trio arrived.

“Good morning, Twilight and friend. I would love to chat but I have a garden to tend,” the zebra greeted them, gesturing to her array of exotic plants. Felix had never seen half of these plants before.

“Hey, Zecora. Felix here is looking for his brother,” Rainbow Dash informed the zebra, flicking her tail towards him.

“Ah, the brother of the big pony. Why is it that you have come to me?” Zecora asked, peering down at Felix.

“Well, y’see, I came here looking for him. Do you know where he might be?” he asked, nervously scratching at his mane.

“But of course, I gave the advice myself, that Ralph must seek help for his emotional health. He has gone on a quest to put his worthiness to the test. He is unliked by the ponies of Pleasantville, but if he brings good news, perhaps like him they will.”

“So you’re saying that he went on a quest to prove his worthiness to the ponies who banished him?” Twilight summed up. Zecora nodded in confirmation.

“Oh, he didn’t have to do that,” Felix worried. “Do you know where he might be?” Zecora shook her head, too busy watering some strange-looking blue flowers.

“Hey, don’t worry. We’ll help you look for him,” Twilight promised, putting a hoof over Felix’s back and hugging him. “Isn’t that right, Rainbow Dash?”

“Yep,” Rainbow nodded. “I’ll help you, Felix. Don’t worry, I’m not the element of loyalty for nothing.”

“Thank you, both of you,” Felix smiled, his cheeks warming in a blush. To have the elements of loyalty and magic helping him was something that he’d never dreamed of.

Author's Note:

And the dislikes keep piling up. Friendship is magic indeed, you bunch of jerks. I'm just gonna keep posting, though, in the hopes that some actual nice people will appear and help me out. Maybe it'll get some more likes now that it has 2 of the mane 6 in it.