We Need A Hero

by Nerobot

Chapter 2

“Twilight, you okay?” asked Gale Force as she took a hoofstep forward. The alicorn princess was in a state of shock. Her legs visibly trembled as her eyes widened in realization. Twilight was huddled in a fetal position on the chilled and battered floorboards of the antiquated farmhouse.

“T-This can’t be happening. I can’t be in the past! I might permanently damage the timestream, or what if I accidentally become my own great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother! I have to get back to my own time as soon as possible.”

“Hey what’s your problem Princess Nutjob? What kind of hero are you suppose to be? Do you usually have this many breakdowns?” asked Gale Force with a harsh tone.

“Gale, please. I’m sure that our hero just had a frightening journey through time. No need to harass her,” said Cosmic Ray as he trotted over to Twilight. “You are alright after all, aren’t you?”

“No I’m not alright! You two summoned me to the past!” shouted Twilight. “I could be changing the future right now!”

“But does it matter? How could changing this wretched world pose a downside?" asked Cosmic Ray.

"Because It could change my future!" shouted Twilight. "I could lose everything just by setting hoof here!" Cosmic Ray paused, the unicorn placed a hoof under his chin and mumbled to himself.

"Perhaps you've already changed the future before, Twilight. You should know; was there anypony such as yourself that changed history?"

"I don't know. There was no recorded history during this era!" shouted Twilight.

"Then perhaps by sitting around and doing nothing, you are changing your future. So either choice is a valid option for you, but would you prefer your past to have Discord and Sombra in power or Discord and Sombra dethroned?"

"This guy is telling me these are my two options, but I feel like I don't really have a choice here. I don't want Discord and Sombra to remain in power, but if I'm the one to defeat them, how much would my future change?"

"After we are done, I'll send you back to the moment in time you came from," said Cosmic Ray.

“O-Okay…” Twilight muttered as she processed all the new information.

"Besides, I've already already considered how your presence might change the future. This is why the spell I have prepared will only leave your actions behind, but all knowledge or memory of you will vanish when you return back to the future. Think of it like you are some sort of ghost leaving an anonymous mark on history. I've had three years to prepare this grand spell after all."

“It’ll be like you never left and like you were never here!” added Gale Force.

"I'm not too sure about this still," groaned Twilight.

“What kind of shitty hero are you to refuse?!” shouted Gale Force.

“Hold on, don’t make me look like I’m the bad guy! You’re the ones who ponynapped me in the first place!” shouted back Twilight. Gale Force glared at the alicorn as she said this, but Twilight didn’t back down and challenged Gale’s glare with one of her own.

“I am not going to let these ponies push me around. If i’m going to be stuck in the past, it’s going to be on my own terms.”

“Anyways, I’m thrilled to have you on board, Twilight!” Cosmic Ray prematurely stated.

“You didn’t even let me respond yet!” interjected Twilight.

“The spell wouldn’t have chosen you if you weren’t the right pony for the job...even though I have my doubts,” said Gale Force.

“Alright, alright! Fine, I’ll help you! I’ll be your hero…” sighed Twilight. “It doesn't seem like I have much of a say in this anyways.”

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The three ponies waited in an awkward silence, which was only broken by the occasional question and answer. The sound of sand grinding against the unicorn’s magical barrier filled the entire house. Half an hour passed by before the storm began to die down.

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“The sandstorm should finally be over.” Ray trotted over to the farmhouse door and stepped outside.

“Finally, I can stretch my wings!” shouted Gale Force. The pegasus spread her wings and bursted through the door and flew right into a giant pile of sand.

“Deserts tend to shift during sandstorms, Gale,” said Ray as he trotted by a mound of sand that had a pony’s tail sticking out of it.

Twilight popped her head out the door and took her first glance at ancient Equestria. Her gaze was met with a sea of yellow sand that stretched far beyond her field of vision. There was the occasional thatch roof that poked out from beneath the sand. Surprisingly there were a lot of farms for a desert.

“Wait, why are there farms in the desert?” Twilight asked herself.

“Hey, Ray? Why are there farms out here?” asked Twilight.

“This place wasn’t always a desert. It use to be the most lush land in all of Equestria...until Discord thought it would look better as a desert.” Cosmic Ray explained.

“Sounds like Discord,” Twilight replied.

“Wait, you’ve met Discord before? That means he’s still alive during your future? Wait, does that mean we fail?!”

“I probably shouldn't mention to these ponies that he’s kind of a friend to Equestria now…kind of.”

“No you do succeed! It’s just that when he was defeated he was turned to stone. In my time, he came back but we beat him again,” Twilight explained. As the two were talking, Gale Force pulled herself out of the pile of sand and began to shake her head in an attempt to get sand out of her red locks.

“What are you guys talking about?:” Gale asked as she tilted her head, pushing sand out of her ear.

“Nothing.” Cosmic Ray trotted on ahead into the desert, ignoring Gale’s question. Gale shrugged and followed after him.

“Wait for me!” shouted Twilight as she galloped after the two ponies.

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The sun shined brightly as the three figures trekked across the scorching sands. Gale Force used her wings as an umbrella and Twilight quickly mimicked her, not wanting to fall victim to the wacky temperatures of Discord’s desert. Cosmic Ray seemed to fare the worst of the Trio as he pathetically shuffled his hooves along behind the two mares.

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After seeing nothing but yellow for the past six hours, Twilight spotted, what was to her, the most vivid green she had ever seen in her life. As the band of ponies got closer, she could see that the green horizon was the beginning of a beautiful and dense forest. The desert abruptly ended where the forest began, as if a certain draconequus cropped and placed a desert at the heart of a forest.

“Stars be praised! We’ve finally reached the end of this accursed desert!” cried Cosmic Ray, nearly shedding a tear of joy.

“I’m guessing hot temperatures aren’t your forte,” said Twilight as the ponies trotted under the shade of a tree.

“What gave it away?” wheezed Ray as he unscrewed a bottle with his magic and began to rinse his mouth with water.

“Probably your constant bitching and moaning,” Gale Force casually said as she laid her back against the tree.

Cosmic Ray snapped up at Gale and gave the pegasus a stare that could kill.

“Impudent wretched little…”

“Guys, you shouldn’t be fighting!” Twilight said with a worried glance between the two. “Aren’t you two lifelong friends, or something of that sort?”

“Pffft, as if! I met Ray at some rundown bar like three days ago,” scoffed Gale Force. Twilight looked surprised.

“Oh...I see,” Twilight said, with a little embarrassment.

“Word of advice Twilight, don’t make friends with pegasi,” said Ray as he trotted past the alicorn. “I’m going to go see if I can find a cave for us to spend the night in. Twilight, you just watch after Gale for me.”

“Maybe Twilight should follow you in case you get another heat stroke in the forest,” shot back Gale.

“Maybe Twilight should teach you some manners while I’m gone!” shouted Ray as he continued to trot deeper into the forest.

“Maybe you two should just calm down…” Twilight whispered quietly.

“MAYBE YOU SHOULD MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, TWILIGHT!” the both of them snapped at Twilight. Twilight backed down and sat herself under a tree next to Gale Force.

“These two could learn a thing or two about friendship.”

Twilight and Gale Force sat quietly under their respective trees as Cosmic Ray ventured further into the forest. The birds chirped and the forest was calm and peaceful. The smell of flowers and taste of honeydew perforated the air. Twilight figured it wouldn’t hurt to try to start some small talk with the pegasus.

"I suppose I should try to get to know her. After all, we're going to be companions for a while..."

"So, Gale," said Twilight. "What do you think about Cosmic Ray? You two don't seem to get along." Gale was quick to respond. Her judgement of Cosmic Ray seemed premeditated.

"He's a stuck up prick. He always tries to boss me around.

"I see... but he doesn't seem so bad."

"Perhaps to you Twilight, but you seem like the kind of pony who rolls over easily."

"I've stood my ground plenty of times before. Trust me, I don't roll over easy. I just was asking because I'm worried that constant quarrels will impede our success."

"Don't worry Twilight. Me and Ray know who the real enemies are."

"That's still no excuse for you to fight with one another. Back in Ponyville me and my friends achieve everything through our bonds with one another. It is our friendship that allows us to overcome the challenges we face." Gale scoffed at Twilight.

"What are you? Some kind of Princess of Friendship?" asked Gale as she dismissed Twilight with a wave of her hoof.

"Actually-"

“I found a cave not too far off from here,” said a familiar voice as Cosmic Ray pushed his way through a thicket of branches behind the two mares.

“Alright, finally!” Gale Force exclaimed as she jumped to her hooves. It seemed the previous conversation had already left her mind.

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Twilight could say she had never seen a forest as beautiful as the one she was current strolling through. The sound of animals filled the air and the giant trees had canopies that reached up to the sky. Twilight was certain that Fluttershy would have loved this place. The group continued to travel until the sky began to turn red as the sun sank slowly behind the horizon. They had finally reached a small cave opening in the side of a large mountain.

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“Well, here we are!” exclaimed Cosmic Ray as he laid out a fluffy sheet and plopped down on top of it. The unicorn began to unstrap the armor plating on his hooves as he dug in his satchel. “Twilight, I’ve been meaning to give you something,” said the unicorn as he continued to dig in his bag. “AHA!” Cosmic Ray pulled out a crumpled wad of papers and began to sort them. “These papers came through the portal before you did,” said the stallion as he handed the stack of messy papers over to Twilight.

“Oh, thanks. They must be some of my notes.” Twilight accepted the stack of papers and started inspecting them. Twilight’s eyes widened for a bit before her face flushed red in embarrassment. These were not her notes.

Cosmic Ray continued to unpack as he looked up at the alicorn.

“I gave them a quick peek. I hope you don’t mind. The story is quite good, extraordinary, to be completely honest with you. I’ve never read a story with such passion, and excitement as your story. It is your story, right? Surely Rainbow Dash is your pen name.”

“Well…” mumbled Twilight as she looked down and read the title of Dash’s fanfiction. In big, bold, black letters, the name “Daring Do’s Passionate Dares” sat on the title page.

“Hey if it’s so good, let me read it!” Gale Force exclaimed as she forced her way into the conversation.

“Oh, maybe another time…” Twilight said as she tried to hide the papers from Gale’s view.

“How come he gets to read it and I don’t?” Gale Force grumbled as she backed down. The pony went back to her corner of the cave and began to take off her armor. After she had removed her armor, she unstrapped her metal wing and delicately placed it against the wall. She turned back to Twilight. “Alright, now that we’re all settled in, lets get down to business.”

“Yes, let’s,” said Ray as he looked up from a book that he was in the middle of reading. The unicorn slowly closed the book and placed it off to the side before sitting up and turning towards Twilight. “Ok, hero. What should we do?”

Gale Force and Cosmic Ray looked at Twilight expectantly.

“Why are they looking at me...wait don’t tell me...these ponies don’t have a plan?!”

“I-I thought you guys would have a plan!” Twilight said exasperatedly.

“You are the plan,” Gale said with dead seriousness. Twilight sighed but put on a determined face anyways. The two ponies had complete faith in her so she might as well play the part of ‘hero’.

"Hold on! What if I got history to flow correctly? If I can get Luna and Celestia to defeat both Discord and Sombra, then nothing in the past would have changed at all! Well, at least to my knowledge..."

“Well...remember the two ponies I mentioned earlier today, Celestia and Luna?” asked Twilight.

“Yes. The mythical ponies who supposedly could raise the sun and moon. Right?” said Cosmic Ray.

“Right, well Celestia and Luna in the present time are the ones who originally beat both Sombra and Discord,” said Twilight.

“So where do we find these ‘mythical’ ponies?” asked Gale Force with a skeptical look.

“Well, that’s the hard part,” said Twilight as she scratched the back of her head with her hoof. “Recorded pony history doesn’t really begin until Celestia and Luna come into power...after they had already defeated Sombra and Discord. Discord thought history was boring and didn’t bother recording anything. Sombra, on the other hoof, wrote false history that glorified him as a supreme leader over all of Equestria.”

“So basically you have no idea then,” stated Gale Force.

“Well, she did give us some useful information,” reasoned Ray as he began to search his satchel once more. “We know the names of the two ponies that we’re looking for, but just have no idea where to find them.” The unicorn pulled his pack closer and began using his magic to rummage through its contents. “Here we go,” he said as he lifted out a small slip of paper. “I know somebody who could be of assistance to us. He kind of owes me a favor anyways.”

“Alright, so tomorrow we go find this contact of yours and he’ll tell us where to find Celestia and Luna,” said Twilight.

“Hey, Twilight...do Celestia and Luna defeat Sombra and Discord by themselves?” Gale asked. She had a look of curiosity on her face.

“I think so...why do you ask?” Twilight responded as she glanced at Gale Force.

“Well if they beat-” Gale Force began, but was interrupted.

“Shhhh,” shushed Cosmic Ray as he raised a hoof towards the two mares. “I think we’re being watched…”

The three ponies immediately tensed up as the sound of a twig snapping was heard near the cave entrance. Gale Force immediately plucked a metal feather from her wing leaning against the wall and placed it in her mouth, holding it like a dagger. Cosmic Ray slowly rose to his hooves as he trotted towards the entrance of the cave. Four old books slowly floated from out of the unicorns knapsack and began to orbit the pony.

“Twilight, you stay here. There’s no need for you to bother yourself with these pieces of trash,” said Cosmic Ray.

“Who?” asked Twilight.

“Bandits,” answered Gale Force as she clenched her teeth tightly around the metal feather.

Just as the words left her mouth, a group of ponies charged out of the darkness. The ponies wore light armor and carried crude looking weapons. They all wore masks that concealed their identities.

“Kill’em and take everything they got lads!” shouted one of the bandits as the ponies continued to charge towards the cave.

“I count no more than twenty,” stated Gale.

“This should be easy then,” said Cosmic Ray as one of the books floating around him opened up. “Book one, Earth!” exclaimed the unicorn as he raised his front hooves, creating a wall of rock. Cosmic Ray pushed his hooves forward, sending the rockwall sliding towards the bandits.

“One of em’s a damn unicorn!” shouted one of the bandits as he leapt over the wall. Most of the bandits managed to leap over the wall, but those unfortunate enough to be hit by the wall found themselves pushed back into the darkness of the forest. “Kill the unic-” the bandit began but was abruptly cut off as Gale Force punched her hoof right into his face. The bandit’s face contorted before he flew backwards and crashed into another pony behind him. The peaceful forest had now turned into a violent, clamorous fray.

“Enough! I will quickly end this childish conflict!” shouted Cosmic Ray as he extended a hoof outwards, towards the bandits. The ground beneath the masked ponies changed into a swamp of mud.

“Urgh, what is this crap,” groaned a pony as he tried to lift his hooves out of the gooey-like brown substance.

“Got you right where I want you…” whispered Cosmic Ray with a devious smile. The unicorn raised up his hooves as a pillar of earth rose behind him and shaped itself into a fist. “You attacked the wrong ponies today!” cried the unicorn as he threw his hooves toward the trapped bandits. The slab of earth swung itself back before hurling itself towards the helpless ponies.

“Oh my gosh, they’re serious! They might really kill them!” thought Twilight.

As the stone fist shot towards the defenseless bandits, Twilight leapt into action. The alicorn shot a stream of purple magic towards the stone fist, turning it into a slop of mud. The mud projectile crashed on top of the bandits, completely immobilizing them, but ultimately leaving them unharmed.

On the other side of the battlefield, a red blur bolted around the bandits as they clumsily tried to catch her.

“Catch that damn pegasus already, she only has one wing for crying out loud!” shouted a frustrated bandit before another hoof smashed into his skull, knocking him into a tree. He shakily stood up and reached for his weapon, but stopped when he felt something cold press into his neck. His two shaky, beady eyes slowly looked forward and locked with two unsympathetic, cold green eyes.

“Looks like this end of the line for you, bandit,” Gale Force spat out as she continued to press the feather into his neck.

“N-Now hang on a sec, we was just kidding about all that killing and looting!” the bandit begged as he placed a hoof on her shoulder.

The pegasus shoved the bandit’s hoof against the tree and drove the razor sharp feather right through his hoof, nailing him to the tree. The bandit cried and writhed in agony as Gale Force twisted the feather, further opening the wound. The bandit’s eyes slowly looked up and locked with two demented, frenzied green eyes.

“I would warn you, ‘don’t ever touch me again’, but it would be pointless because you’re about to die anyways,” Gale seethed. The feather began to draw more blood as the bandit whimpered pathetically. Gale ripped the feather out of his hoof and swung it towards his neck. She was fully intent on taking his head clean off. The bandit closed his eyes, too cowardly to witness his own death.

“What...the?” Gale Force whispered, in a confused tone. The bandit opened his eyes and looked down at a soft, white feather pressing into his neck. Gale Force twisted her head towards Twilight.

“What the fucking fuck you fucker, Twilight?!”

“Don’t you two think you might be going a little too far?! For Celestia’s sake look what you did to that poor pony’s hoof,” said Twilight as she trotted towards Gale and the injured bandit. Twilight used her magic to rip off a piece of the bandit’s own clothing and made a makeshift tourniquet out of it. As Twilight wrapped up the pony’s hoof, she turned towards the pegasus. “You and Ray could both learn a thing or two about friendship. Sure they may be bandits, but don't you think that killing them is going overboard?"

The bandit, feeling protected from the murderous pegasus, stood up and hid behind Twilight.

“Thank ye kind saint! I reckon you just darn saved my life,” said the bandit. Twilight turned around to face the bandit.

"Don't you act innocent. Just because I saved you life right now doesn't mean I'm taking your side. Tell me why are you robbing ponies in the forest? If you don't, I won't stick around to protect you."

“Twilight, you’re not going to try and reason with these low-lifes, are you?” asked Cosmic Ray as he stepped forward. Twilight’s head spun around and gave Ray a soul piercing gaze. “Nevermind, I forgot you’re the hero here. Please, continue, Twilight…” pleaded Cosmic Ray as he stumbled backwards.

“Are you serious right now, Twilight?! These aren’t just street rats who rob food vendors, these are career bandits who rob and kill innocent travelers!” shouted Gale Force. Twilight ignored both the pegasus and the unicorn and continued her conversation with the bandit.

“Now missus, I got a real good reasons for us being out here in the dead o’ night robbing ponies,” the bandit said as he removed his mask. The pony had a messy, unkempt peach mane that was cut short. The stallion had an orange coat that complemented his yellow eyes. “You see, we was the farmers who once lived on those farmlands that is now a desert. Ever since Discord took away our homes, we had to turn to a life of crime. I had to single-hoofedly feed my thirteen brothers and twelve sisters,” explained the pony as tears swelled under his eyes.

The pony’s voice cracked as he continued his tragic tale.

“T-T-Then my young mare of a mama...s-she contracted the ‘strangles’! OH MAMA, YOU SQUARE DANCIN’ IN THE HEAVENS NOW!” the pony finished as he burst into tears.

Cosmic Ray leaned against a tree with his hooves folded, not caring for a word that the pony had said.

Gale Force scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Twilight on the other hoof placed a comforting hoof on the bandit's shoulder.

“You poor pony, you’ve been through so much,” said Twilight. “Here...maybe this will help you with all your problems,” Twilight said as she nudged Cosmic Ray.

“Huh, what?” asked the unicorn as he looked at Twilight.

“Give him some money,” demanded Twilight, trying not to raise her voice. Cosmic Ray sighed and reached into his satchel and pulled out a small sack of coins. The unicorn slowly turned the small money sack on its side and jingled out a single bit, before handing it to Twilight.

“You could learn a thing or two from Rarity!” shouted Twilight as she used her magic to swipe the entire coinpurse from Cosmic Ray.

“Hey-” started the unicorn, but held his tongue when Twilight shot him another glare.

“Here you go, now you can feed your siblings and you won’t have to live a life of crime any longer. You find a new home far, far away from this place,” said Twilight with a sincere smile that could warm even the coldest heart.

“Well gee...no pony’s ever been this kind to me before. I guess I’ve never met a pony that’s as much a SUCKER AS YOU! AHAHA WE GOT EM BOYS!” the stallion cried, victoriously.

“W-What...b-but what about all that stuff about your siblings and your mother!?” asked Twilight, surprised.

“MY MAMA FINE! SHE RIGHT OVER THERE!” shouted the pony as he pointed a hoof to a bandit. The bandit ripped off her mask, revealing an old mare.

“GREAT JOB BOY! NOW LET’S DITCH THESE LOSERS! WE GOT KILLING AND ROBBING TO DO!” cried the senile mare as the bandits retreated into the darkness.

Twilight stood motionless with one eye twitching.

"Luckily I only gave them a small amount of money," sighed Twilight.

"By 'small amount of money' do you mean 'all of our money'?" inquired Cosmic.

"Wait? That was all of our money? That's all you had?!"

"We don't exactly have paying jobs, Twilight. We're rebels, remember?" Gale force trotted up next to Twilight and threw a hoof around her shoulder.

“Nice job, Twilight. You really taught those bandits a lesson,” said Gale Force as she held up the one bit they had left.

“No, I think she taught us a lesson, never let the hero touch the money...” said Cosmic Ray.

And from that day on, Twilight never got to touch the money.

Comments

[Solarkness]

...I am disappointed, Twilight. I am truly disappointed.
I thought you were Celestia's starstudent, surely a fireball would be easy for you.
Heck, Howling Forest's lightning-spells would have been enough.
Or his komatose-spells, all but simply standing there and watching.

[Vyacheslav]

I don't know about you, but that bandit who got stabbed is the best character ever.

[Blaze rod]

Why the fuck didn't Twilight do anything? She just gave the money and then watched them passively while they gave her the metaphorical middle finger and left? The fuck?

She didn't bother to lift them up with telekinesis and scare them away? This is the most skilled magic user in Equestria, and the one who saved the world 5 freaking times, and she apparently can't apparently handle couple of pathetic bandits with the mental aptitude of a toddler? The fuck?

Why is Twilight acting like a shy 5-year old? I have seen kindergarten kids with more backbone.

[ponybornhuman]

Great story like to see how it turns out.
But is twilight really that stupid to reason with bandits?

[sakuralovelight]

I really like this story hope to read more soon

[sakuralovelight]

i know i commented on this chapter before and i am sorry to bug you i was just wondering if by any chance you know when you might post next chapter i understand that life can get in the way and i don't want to rash you or anything i just asking if you don't know that is okay and take your time on making a grate chapter

[BringBackSonicSatAM]

This is the first thing I thought of after seeing the title: