• Published 26th Jan 2015
  • 18,149 Views, 1,945 Comments

Shattered Skies - Arctikfox



Shattered Skies has lived much of his life tending to his forests, but after he was betrayed by a princess he trusted, all he wants to do is to live a normal life even if the world tells his otherwise.

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Chapter 5 -Do I get an award for this?-

-Do I get an award for this?-

Thirty minutes earlier

“Okay class, is everyone ready to go?” Cheerilee asked, the class of foals behind her cheering in excitement.

Cheerilee fidgeted for a brief second before entering the Everfree. She had scheduled a field trip to see Zecora, the local herbalist, but things were getting more dangerous in the Everfree as of recent. Weird sightings happened daily and timberwolf attacks were on the rise. Cheerilee bit her lip. This may have been a bad idea.

Cheerilee remembered that the Mayor encouraged her to do this field trip, ensuring everything would go smoothly. Famous last words. "Come on class!"

The foals followed along closely so they wouldn’t get lost on the way. Each colt and filly stuck close to one another for support from the imaginary monsters they saw in the shadows.

"So, what do you think is out there?" Scootaloo asked.

"I... I dun' know." Applebloom said.

"I think..." Sweetie Belle started before something crept up behind her and poked her flank, causing her to scream.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon smiled nervously, having scared their friend unintentionally.

“S-Sorry, Sweetie Belle.” Diamond Tiara said. She tried to put her best hoof forward since becoming friends with the other three fillies.

“Don’t scare me like that!” Sweetie Belle shrieked.

“I didn’t mean to, I just wanted to talk.” Diamond Tiara winced.

Sweetie Belle felt a little bad about snapping at Diamond Tiara. Everypony knew Tiara’s family life hasn’t been the same since standing up to her mother. Both her parents were prodding her to take over Filthy Rich’s company and were going to arrange her a marriage with a colt from a wealthy Prench family. Diamond Tiara wanted to become a philanthropist, but her parents didn’t approve, so they treated her coldly.

“It’s okay DT.” Applebloom said. “The Everfree just puts us a bit on edge.”

Applebloom looked over to Scootaloo, she was the only one who didn’t jump. “Ya okay, Scoots?”

Silver Spoon bumped Scootaloo, causing her to stumble out of her deep thought. “Equestria to Scootaloo!”

“Huh what? Oh, sorry girls. I was thinking.” Scootaloo smiled awkwardly.

Diamond Tiara sensed the situation and decided to change the subject. “When do you girls want to have a sleepover?”

Applebloom smiled. “Oh! I forgot to tell ya’ll.”

All of the fillies curiously cocked their heads towards Applebloom.

“I made a deal with Mr. Skyfall, I sold him prisma powder in exchange for taking us to dinner!” Applebloom announced.

“Why?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“Yeah, why?” Sweetie Belle asked in agreement with Diamond Tiara.

“Well, nopony knows anything about Mr. Skyfall, so they keep spreading rumors about him.” Applebloom started. “The way ah see it, that makes him an outcast, so if we talk to him, we can get his real story and help him!”

Ever since getting their cutie marks, Applebloom and the others became devoted to helping other ponies. The five fillies lost time talking about the questions they were going to ask their future host, but stopped when they all crashed into Cheerilee, who was completely rigid with her fur standing on end.

“What’s wrong, Ms. Cheerilee?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Cheerilee mumbled incoherently, looking back at the green orbs that peered out from the bushes deep in the woodline. She wanted to act and run away, but the foals would never keep up. She looked back and saw that some of the foals noticed them as well, causing them to panic and run in fear towards Ponyville. The wolves, however, didn’t move which meant they wanted something, somepony bigger.

“Ms. Cheerilee, what do we do?” asked one of the remaining colts.

Cheerilee looked straight ahead and saw Zecora’s hut. If all the foals ran, they would make it, but they wouldn’t last long even in the makeshift shelter. Cheerilee bit her lip and quivered in fear.

“Class, when I say so, I need you to run to Zecora’s hut.” Cheerilee said quietly to the remainder of her class. She was unsure of what would become of the foals that ran away, but she needed to save the ones she could. Her class nodded and waited for Cheerilee’s signal. “Run!”

The instant everypony started to sprint, the timberwolves rushed to catch them. The feral beasts rapidly gained on the slow class, but suddenly, Zecora threw the door open allowing the panicked class to rush in.

Zecora slammed the door and instantly threw her own body against the door as something of a barricade. Not soon after gaining her footing, the timberwolves rammed it full force, sending Zecora staggering. She turned to the class. “Foals, you must assist, if these beasts are to desist!”

The class stood as one behind the door and pushed in a desperate, futile attempt to keep the timberwolves from breaking through.

Applebloom squeezed her eyes shut and screamed. "Somepony, help!"


"Somepony, help!" The familiar voice of Applebloom called out.

"Sif, we need to hurry!" Skies shouted.

"I know!" Sif answered before letting out a guttural howl, signaling her kin to attack as soon as they arrived.

Shattered Skies leapt onto the path with Sif and sprinted towards the hut surrounded by their new enemy. According to the reports he read in the local newspaper, timberwolves targeted ponies and dragged them away to an unknown location, rather than simply killing them.

The timberwolves turned toward Sif and Skies. They, however, were caught in Skies’ trap when they tried to move their paws. Each of them were bound by roots which had grown from the ground and into their limbs. One by one, each of Sif's kin rose from their hiding places around them, teeth bared.

The ponies in the hut peeked out of Zecora's window when the timberwolves stopped banging on the door. They wanted to get a front row seat to the carnage.

Shattered Skies spread his wings wide and leapt at the bound wolves. "Kill all but one!"

Each timberwolf was torn, piece by piece until nothing remained. Sif's kin were ecstatic, fighting over what was left with joy. Sif stood triumphantly over the last one, her large paw pinning its limbless body to the floor.

Shattered Skies walked around the hut, scanning the immediate vicinity. "Good, none are still lurking in the shadows."

Pain moved through Skies as he walked, having not grown used to new movement from his slumber. As he walked around to the front, he saw Sif pass the one bound timberwolf to one of her kin before she pranced over to Skies and nuzzled him. "Just like old times."

"Oh yeah." Skies laughed.

"What should we do about the foals?" Sif asked. "Leave them?"

"No, I'm going to talk to them." Skies said before Sif blocked his path.

"Skies... my lord, I love you and I respect you, but that is a horrible idea." Sif's eyes pleaded for him to reconsider.

Skies placed his claws on her cheeks and kissed her head. "Nothing's going to take me away, Sif."

"Okay, if you say so." Sif said with unease while stepping aside.

Shattered Skies looked at the class of terrified foals. This should go smoothly.

Skies knocked on the hut's door lightly. After a few more times of knocking with no response, Skies opened his mouth. "Excuse me, is anypony in there?"

Skies heard the sound of bodies hitting the door. Did they just block the door?

"Um, hello?" Skies asked again.

A symphony of whispers could be heard inside. Always the hard way with ponies.

Shattered Skies walked around to the window and peeked inside a high window with his large golden eyes. They were all dirty from the incident earlier. Delicately, Skies tried knocking on the window, slowly but surely directing their attention towards it.

The instant Cheerilee saw Shattered Skies’ eyes, she yelped and started crawling backwards, muttering the same words over and over again. "How can you exist..."

"It sounds like you broke somepony." Sif said.

"Shush, you're not helping!" Skies chided before turning back the terrified inhabitants. "Can you open the door? I'd like to talk."

Cheerilee saw that Button Mash was going for the door and leapt in front of him. "No, don't open it!"

"Why?" Button asked.

"Don't you know who that is!" Cheerilee shouted rhetorically.

Sweetie Belle put the pieces together and stared in horror at the window. "Shattered Skies!"

Okay, I get it, the stories are bad, but come on. Am I that terrifying? Skies ran his claw over his muzzle in distress. While the ponies inside the hut shrieked and ran around, Sif was laughing hysterically, mimicking the situation.

"Oh noo... noo." Sif let out another series of gut filled laughs. "She wasn't ready!"

"Sif it's not that funny." Skies said through his claws. Skies’ statement only made Sif laugh harder. He had enough of the situation and started phasing through the wooden wall. I've had enough of this.

"Sit down." All the ponies stopped and looked at the huge Spirit in awe. "Now."

Everypony cowered in fear, making Skies feel terrible. He started to squirm while they cried. The only one that didn't fully understand what was going on was Zecora. She noticed that her new guest was uncomfortable.

"You look so blue, for them to be afraid of you. I have learned your name, but not your aim." Zecora broke the silence.

Skies sat there, confused as to why the zebra was rhyming, but answered her question. "You were being attacked in my forest, so I came to help."

Cheerilee walked toward Shattered Skies, shaking like a leaf. "A...Are you going to eat us?"

Baring my teeth as a joke would probably be a horrible idea. Sky grabbed one of his antlers. What should I tell these ponies? It's not like I can escort them out of the Everfree... Or can I?

Cheerilee saw that Skies was thinking, but mistook the silence for him wondering if he should eat them.

"No, I won't eat you. One of you asked for help and I answered the call." Skies smiled at Applebloom. "I am here to help anypony who asks."

Skies turned and opened the front door, shattering it in its weak state. Oops. He looked at the class over his shoulder. "There is a stallion coming, he should help you get to Ponyville."

"But..." Applebloom stuck out a hoof, but was cut off by Shattered Skies disappearing into a tree, followed by the wolves running off into the forest, silently.

Scootaloo looked at her teacher, who was still shaking violently. "Ms. Cheerilee, what was that?"

Cheerilee sat in silence, dazed, trying to understand what she just saw.


Sif waited in a clearing, tapping her paw impatiently. Where is he?

Shattered Skies emerged from one of the trees near Sif, shaking his body like a wet dog. "That felt good."

"Too bad you're retired, huh?" Sif reminded.

"Let me have my fun, fluffy butt!" Skies shouted, causing chuckles from Sif's kin, showing approval of her pet name.

Sif deadpanned. "I swear. I'm biting you the second we get home."

Shattered Skies made a hissing sound. "Sorry, you're going to have to go home without me. I have to take the terrified ponies back to Ponyville and make sure they get out safely."

"You saved them. You don't owe them anything more." Sif looked her old friend in the eye. "For someone so bent on being retiring, you seem awfully eager to be involved."

Shattered Skies turned back into Skyfall for his meeting with the ponies. Sky couldn't look Sif in the eye. "I can't sit by and not help, Sif."

Sif leaned forward and kissed Skyfall on the cheek, surprising him. "I know. That's why I love you."

"Oh, that ingredient you were searching for? Prisma crystal? I got some for you; it's in your room." Sky caused Sif to stop in her tracks. She looked back at him and smiled, baring her teeth.

Skyfall smiled nervously and waved, Sif's creepy smile always made him feel awkward. "Have fun with your potions."

Sif sped away, laughing maniacally. Sky chewed his cheek. I really hope she doesn't make a mess.

I better go and get this over with. Sky thought, prompting him to walk towards Zecora's hut. I just hope that all this hasn't further ruined my reputation as a Spirit. That, and I hope the foals haven't been scarred for life.

"I see somepony!" One of the foals yelled from Zecora’s doorway

Skyfall looked up from his thoughts. All the foals that were in the hut were looking out at him from the windows. Their teacher weakly walked out of the hut.

"Hiya there, Mr. Skyfall!" Applebloom shouted from behind her teacher.

"H...Hello, I'm Cheerilee, the local school teacher." Cheerilee said, shaking still from the timberwolves. She looked around at all the wooden carcasses in disbelief.

"Hi, Cheerilee. Hi, Applebloom." Skyfall nodded to both ponies. "I heard you had some trouble, I thought I could lend a hoof."

Applebloom smiled widely. "Yeah we were chased by timberwolves, and then a Spirit sho..."

Cheerilee covered Applebloom's mouth and turned to Sky, who had raised an eyebrow at the teacher's censorship. "We were chased by timberwolves, and we aren't sure what happened after that. Could you help us get back to Ponyville?"

"Sure, you seem to have gone through quite the ordeal." Skyfall gave her a reassuring smile. "Get your class together and we'll leave the moment you're ready."

Cheerilee gave a shaky smile. "T...Thank you."

While the class gathered, Sky looked around and found something odd. Zecora was giving Skyfall a curious look. That must be Applebloom's mentor. "Hello there."

Zecora blinked for a second. "Sorry, my head was in a flurry, it is getting late, you should hurry."

Cheerilee nodded in agreement. "Zecora is right, we must get back. Are you ready, Mr. Skyfall?"

"Ready." Skyfall smiled and started walking, followed closely by Applebloom, who waved Zecora goodbye.

"So, Mr. Skyfall, how did you know we needed help?" Applebloom asked.

"Your sister and lady Rarity were over my house and a guard came by to tell them that you were attacked." Sky said.

"So the foals did make it out?" Cheerilee asked with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, they ran right to a guard to report what happened." Skyfall noticed Cheerilee slump in relief, she had been in a panicked state since they disappeared.

"Thank Celestia." Cheerilee said under her breathe.

How about thanking me? Skyfall thought. Sky looked at Cheerilee's class; he recognized a few of them from around town. He knew the three Crusaders, but frowned when he saw two foals arguing, one being Silver Spoon. Skyfall gritted his teeth and called her out. "Silver Spoon."

Silver Spoon's ears flattened at the mention of her name in such a harsh tone. "What?"

"I don't think your father would like hearing that his daughter was argueing with other ponies in a dangerous situation, now would he?" Skyfall said firmly, looking ahead.

Silver Spoon cursed him under her breathe. "Why should I listen to you? You can't even fly. Freak."

Sky looked at her over his shoulder suddenly, forcing Silver Spoon to cringe. "I heard that, little miss..."

Suddenly, a large timberwolf wrapped its jaws around Skyfall's neck, it tried to bring him to the floor, only leaving both creatures in a stalemate.

"Mr. Skyfall!" Applebloom cried.

Cheerilee was standing between the foals and their attacker.

Skyfall looked at the class and smiled painfully. "Go. I'll be fine."

Applebloom tried to stay behind, but was picked up by Cheerilee. "We need to go, Applebloom, he'll be okay."

"Ya don’t know that!" Applebloom cried. "We have to help!"

Skyfall watched the foals shrink in the distance as the wolf clamped harder on his neck. The timberwolf caught him by surprise, an act that should have been impossible in any forest. "Where did you come from?"

The wolf's jaws clamped down harder, and were dislocated by Skyfall’s neck growing several inches in size as he transformed. Sky reached over and grabbed the back of its splintered neck. With one long movement, Sky wrenching it back till he heard a snap, extinguishing its mana, thus killing it.

Sky cursed himself and touched his neck. A trickle of blood oozed out of small tears on both sides. "Sif is going to kill me."

I better get home. Sky turned to go home and lamented his eventual chewing out.


For the past ten minutes, Applejack had been pacing trying to get into the Everfree. Rarity tried to reason with the guards who simply held their stone-like appearance. A group of ponies gathered outside the forest, eager to hear what was going on.

"If somethin' happens to meh sis, why I'll... I'll." Applejack started to choke up and was brought into a hug by her brother. "Big Mac, what are we gonna do?"

"Here they come!" One of the guards yelled. They sprang up and took their positions around the entrance, preparing for timberwolves. After the group ran by into the arms of loved ones, the guards became confused. "Where are the timberwolves?"

Cheerilee was too busy to answer; she was looking over all the foals before collapsing to the floor. "Everypony’s alive."

"No, he's still in there!" Applebloom shrieked.

"Who's still in there?" Twilight asked.

"Mr. Skyfall, he came in and helped us before-" Sweetie Belle tried to finish her statement.

A colt finished for her. "A timberwolf grabbed him by the neck. He told us to run."

All the guards nodded to one another. "Nopony goes in, the Everfree is off limits."

Twilight frowned. "Who's going in to help him?"

"Nopony." The senior guard said firmly.

Twilight looked at her friends who nodded silently. "We're going in to save him!"

"No you're not, Princess. I have orders from Princess Celestia herself. If timberwolves attack this close to Ponyville, shut down the Everfree to everypony." The guard said without blinking.

"Even me?" Twilight asked in disbelief.

"Especially you."

"We'll see what she has to say!" Twilight shouted and ignited her horn to teleport, but was stopped by Cheerilee.

"Princess Twilight, there are some things I have to tell you about what happened in there." Cheerilee say, unable to look anypony in the eye for fear that they would think she was crazy.

Twilight placed her hoof on Cheerilee's shoulder. "It's okay, Cheerilee. I'll talk to you about it tomorrow, that way you can have a chance to rest and gather your thoughts.

While Twilight talked to Cheerilee, Rarity was almost pleading with the Mayor. "Mayor, there must be something we can do?"

"I can't go against Princess Celestia's orders. If she says that the Everfree is shut down, then it's for a reason." Mayor Mare squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm going to wait and see if he comes out, when he doesn't... if he doesn't, I'll go to his house and post the vacancy sign myself. This is my fault, after all."

Silence fell on the crowd and all the ponies casted their eyes to the Everfree, waiting in vain for somepony to come out.


"You are such a moron!" Sif screamed into Sky's ear while bandaging his neck. "I can't believe you. You let one of those pieces of trash sneak up on you just to spite me, didn’t you?"

"In my defense, I was chewing a foal out for scaring other- ow!" Sky yelped as Sif rubbed ointment in roughly. "I destroyed the timberwolf didn't I?"

"That doesn't matter; you put yourself in unnecessary danger. What would I do if you were slain? What would any of us do?" Sif was fuming; she fought the urge to bite him. “And look at you, you’re exhausted. I knew it was too soon for you to fight.”

Skyfall’s muscles ached and he developed a wet cough from all the exercise he did that day. He coughed and struggled against Sif’s grasp. “I’m not that bad.”

“You sound horribly sick.” Sif snipped.

“So my voice is a little... hoarse?” Skyfall opened smiled wide at his corny joke and received a swift punch in return."Ow! Come on, it takes a lot more than a few-"

"I don't care!" Sif cinched his bandage down. Sky reached up and grabbed Sif's paw and held it still. "Let go of me."

"No." Sky tried to look Sif in the eye.

"I said let me go, Sky!" Sif yelled.

"Not till you look at me." Sky reached and grabbed Sif's cheek and forced her to look at him. She was still looking away, eyes blurry. "Please look at me."

Sif's eyes slowly met Skyfall's. When she saw Skyfall walk in, covered in blood, she had horrible flashbacks to her finding his broken, withered body in the royal Pony Sisters’ castle.

"I'm sorry, I was reckless and stupid. I didn't mean to upset you, Sif, you know that." He caught a tear off of her face as she pushed into his hoof. "I'll try and take it easy till I'm back to what I used to be."

"Okay." Sif said quietly.

"I'll make us dinner, how about you go and finish your potion? How do double stuffed chili cheese dogs sound?" Sky said, making Sif smile a little.

"Throw in a quesadilla lathered in barbeque sauce and I'll try look past your transgression.”

"That's my girl." Sky said, patting her on the butt.

Much of the night was spent relaxing for the both of them. Sky read some books he ordered in his second floor study, and was Sif in the basement finalizing her formula.

Sif tested the potion on some of her kin, with varying results. The transfiguration potion she made had to be just right, but she didn't have the time or the patience to test each batch to get it right. Each wolf had a sip instead of a full bottle, so the effects would only last a few hours instead of a week. They each turned into a pony of varying sizes and proportions. One wolf had four eyes, and another was hairless. Sif went on and on until she found the perfect balance. When she did, she brought the vial up to her mouth and paused. "No, I'll surprise him tomorrow."

Sif woke up early, excited to show Skyfall her new form. She looked at the green bubbling ooze and gulped it down. The smell wafting off of the potion alone was enough to cause her to gag. "Note to self, work on the smell."

"Bottoms up!" Sif took the entire shot in one gulp. "Ugh! Oh meh lawd! Why does that taste like brussels sprouts?"

Sif doubled over, shaking violently. Her skin burned and her vision blurred. The entire transformation took what felt like hours, but was done in under a minute. She laid on the floor, completely exhausted. Sif wasn't worried about what happened, she knew when somepony drinks a potion for the first time, the effects will be extremely painful because it is altering your physiology for the first time. The painful effects are multiplied if the duration of the potion is more than a day. Sif's body being forcibly reduced to a form one third her size, coupled with all that made for a uniquely grotesque experience.

Sif walked over to a mirror and stopped dead when she saw her reflection. Everything that she was used to had been changed; paws were now hooves, and her razor sharp teeth were now slightly pointed molars.

Sif stepped from side to side, examining her body further. Her entire body was snow white with a coat quite a bit longer than that of the average pony. Most pony coats were about one centimeter long, but Sif's coat was ten times that, making her a fluffy pony. She even had a cutie mark, a crescent moon with a mountain peak behind it. Her eyes were sapphire blue as usual, so luckily Sif wouldn't have to convince Sky that it was really her.

"Well, time to get this show on the road." Sif clapped her hooves nervously and made her way to Sky's study.

The second she stepped into view, she noticed that Sky was pouring over a few of his old maps that her kin had recovered for him. She fidgeted for a second, wondering if he would like the transformation. Her question was answered when she heard a quill hit the floor.

"Wow." Sky said.

"That bad?" Sif winced with one eye still open.

"No, you're hideous." Sky said in jest. He walked over and looked at Sif; she was a full head and a half shorter than he was now, but a lot more curvy. "I knew you would make a good looking pony, but wow. I might have to beat the locals down with a stick to keep you."

"I think I'm disgusting." Sif deadpanned.

"You're just saying that because you'd rather walk around being a fluffy butt." Sky said cheerfully and looked at her cutie mark. "Well, you kept your fluffy butt, but still. Now all you need is a name."

"Silent-death-killer-assassin, queen of vegemite sandwiches." Sif rattled off in a demanding manner. "I demand that this be my name or I shall kick your legs out, you are very top heavy."

"How about we call you Crescent Sky?" Sky asked.

"That is a horrible name." Sif said as she started laughing. "I'd rather just go with Sif. I doubt anyone will link me to being a wolf. But fine, Crescent Sky for now. I demand a big dinner tonight."

"Deal. What do you want to do now that you have a disguise?" Sky asked.

"Breakfast. I want at least four different kinds of sausage in-" Sif was cut off by the doorbell. "Ugh, who is taking me away from my sausage talk!"

"Probably somepony asking what happened yesterday." Sky shrugged. "We could stay in and pretend we're not here."

The doorbell rang again, but longer this time. Sif looked out the door to the study. "It doesn't sound like they're going away. I could have scared them if I didn't take the potion."

"Well, now that you have, you can actually mingle with the ponies." Sky trotted over to his tea flamboyantly to make Sif laugh.

"Oh, yes, my dream to talk to the sheltered ponies about rainbows and butterflies." Sif put her hooves together and rested her head on them before gagging. "I miss griffons. At least they knew how to carry on a halfway decent conversation."

Sky sipped his tea while putting another red pin in a new map. "I wouldn't call systematic aggression towards surrounding helpless countries a good thing."

Sif heard the front door open. "One sec."

Sif walked through a hallway and stopped at the top of the foyer stairs. Since it overlooked the entire room, she could see all the ponies looking around. "And what do you think you are doing?"

The Mayor was followed closely by Twilight and the rest of the mane six. All the ponies stared at Sif in confusion; an awkward silence hit the room as it was flooded with light from the rising sun.

"May I help you?" Sif asked impatiently. "You barge into my home and then just stand there dumbfounded, I would like an explanation."

"Yes." The Mayor said first. "I'm sorry, but something has happened. We were unsure if Skyfall lived alone and-"

The Mayor couldn't continue, so a guard answered for her. "I'm sorry, but we have some bad news for you ma'am."

Sif stood silent for a moment and giggled internally. This could be fun. "Meet me in the living room then, I will be along shortly."

As the ponies filed into the living room, Sif walked back to the study and shut the door. Sky was too busy scratching himself on the couch to care what was going on. This is too funny to pass up.

Sif elegantly walked into the living room and sat in a large armchair by a lit fireplace. She looked at the ponies harshly. "Now, which one of you will tell me what this is about?"

The Mayor sat up slowly and started introducing everypony in the room, even the guards, before ending at herself. "And I am Mayor Mare. We have some bad news for you."

Cheerilee stood and walked to face Sif. "I'm sorry, it was my fault."

The Mayor walked to Cheerilee's side. "No, it was mine."

Sif sighed and rolled her eyes. "And what exactly was the collective fault here?"

When nopony said anything, Applejack gulped, gaining Sif’s attention. "Ahm sorry to tell ya miss, but Skyfall is gone."

Sif looked at Applejack with a blank expression. "Well, yes, when I got home today, he wasn't here-"

"That's not what she meant, darling." Rarity answered delicately.

Oh this is too good. Sif thought, trying her most to harness a look of dignified confusion.

Some of the ponies started to tear up; delivering bad news was never an easy thing. One of the guards stepped forward and gave her a torn scarf. "We found this in the Everfree. We didn't find a body, but we rarely do."

Cheerilee let out a sob the second the guard said 'body.'

"I see." Sif said. "So, you think Skyfall is dead and you all came to give me a death notification."

Everypony nodded.

Sif ran her hoof over the torn scarf. This thing is several sizes too small to even fit Sky. By the way they treated it, they actually think he's dead. "Who are you ponies to Skyfall?"

"We knew him." Rarity said. "He saved both my sister, and Applejack's. We owe him this much at the very least."

The Mayor looked at Sif's cold, unmoving expression. "I'm sorry. I know you must be in disbelief, but know that we will help in any way we can."

Sif laughed and tossed the scarf into the fire, incinerating it.

Rainbow looked Sif’s flippant behavior. "Hey! I know you're upset, but you don't have to burn his things!"

Okay, I've had my fun. Sif looked at the angry ponies with an amused look. "He isn't dead, and that wasn't his scarf.

Rarity grimaced. "Dear, I know this is a lot to take in, but-"

"I'll prove it." Sif held up a hoof and smiled, silencing the room. "Sky! Am I fat?"

Everypony listened intently for their fallen victim to answer.

"Yes, you're a porpoise."

Everypony wore a look of disbelief.

"Come here." Sif said.

"You com'ere!" Sky responded.

"Oh yeah? Well, I ordered pizza, with mushroom and black olives! I’ll just eat it by myself." Sif lied. She could hear Sky knocking stuff over to get to the door. "If you're lying to me I'm going to spank you till your coat is red."

The instant Sky turned the corner; he was met with a frantic Rarity. "We thought you were dead!"

"No, I'm alive and kicking." Skyfall said light heartedly and looked at Sif who wore an innocent smile. You are so going to get it.

"Oh my word! Darling, you're hurt." Rarity stood back after pushing his scarf aside to see the bloody wrap around his neck.

"I've had worse." Sky chuckled.

Applejack walked up slowly and brought Sky into a strong hug, a hug that he returned. "Thank ya fer helpin' my sister."

"Anytime." Sky smiled at the farmer. He remembered that she seemed reluctant to meet him the first time.

Sky looked up and saw Cheerilee looking sad. Sky walked over to her. "Did everypony make it out?"

She nodded, failing to make eye contact.

"This isn't your fault you know." Sky said. "Timberwolf attacks have been getting worse, it was just a freak accident."

Sif smiled, but noticed that Applejack's hug had been too tight, breaking the clotted wounds, causing them bleed again. "Sky, hunny, it's time to change your bandages again."

Sky looked down at the bloody wrappings around his neck. "Ah, and so it is. I'll see you all later, gotta listen to the boss."

Sky trotted away gladly, he hadn't expected a group of ponies to be in his living room. Having all the ponies waiting to ask him questions made him feel extremely embarrassed about the incident. Sky stopped and squinted. That pooch made me want pizza.

Sif laughed the second Sky turned the corner, knowing exactly what he was about to crave.

Rarity smiled at Sif. "You two seem very happy."

"Oh, us? Yeah I guess we are." Sif leaned over to stoke the fire. "I've known him since I was very young."

"Ah, love at first sight." Rarity swooned

"Huh?" Sif asked.

"You and your husband, was it love at first sight?" Rarity asked again, everypony wanting to know if Skyfall and her were an item.

"Ha!" Sif laughed abruptly. "Him and I? Married? No, we just live together."

Rainbow Dash scoffed. "You two seem very close to not be together."

Twilight looked at Rainbow, who seemed really agitated. "Rainbow has a point. You both seem to give off that impression from how you acted towards each other."

"We've been through a lot. He’s saved me and I’ve saved him." Sif said plainly. “He found me one day when I was lost on a mountain path and the rest is history.”

Fluttershy held a sad look. "Oh, I'm sorry, that must have been horrible for you."

"Eh, not so much." Sif readjusted herself in the seat to face the fire. "He’s always been good with showing up at the right time.”

"Crescent! Bandages!" Sky yelled. "And pizza!"

"He'll probably want me to bathe him too. Can't deny him that now can we?" Sif muttered to herself. Sif looked up as some of the ponies were blushing. "Well, you heard him. Time to go."

Twilight, putting off her awkward feelings after hearing what Sif said, turned to her. "It was nice to meet you, Crescent. Hopefully we can all get together and welcome you both to town the Ponyville way."

Twilight's statement made Pinkie Pie squeal in delight.

"Maybe. Got to see how the big guy feels about it." Sif said. She looked over at the pink haired pegasus, the entire time she was trying to say something, but couldn't. "Anyway, I guess I will see more of you around."

The group of ponies left and Sif turned, walking inside. She found Skyfall neck deep in the pantry, cursing up a storm. Sky turned and glared at her. "You ate all the pizza toppings, didn’t you?"

Mission accomplished.


"Okay, Cheerilee, are you sure that's what you saw?" Twilight asked.

Cheerilee nodded solemnly. "Yes. I swore the foals to secrecy until I talked to you."

"That didn't stop the little ones." Applejack shook her head. "Applebloom and her friends were up all night talkin' bout that thing."

"What's the big deal? It's just another Spirit that we can zap with the elements." Rainbow lounged in the air, completely unphased by the news at all.

Twilight hoofed through her book directory and cocked an eyebrow at Rainbow. "We don't control the elements anymore Rainbow. Remember? We had to put them in the Tree of Harmony after Starswirl, us, and the pillars revived them?"

"Yeah, yeah." Rainbow moved her hoof dismissively. "My point is he can't be that tough."

"Spike! Where is that book on Spirits?" Twilight shouted.

Spike cringed at his name being shouted. "Uh, I lent it out to Skyfall."

"Ugh." Twilight put her head in the directory. "Of course."

"Um, are you okay Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." Twilight lifted her head slowly; her hair was a tangled mess now. "Wait, Fluttershy, you live by the Everfree. Have you seen anything weird?"

“Aside from the white wolves Cheerilee mentioned, no. However, my animals have been acting really weird lately. They used to be afraid of the Everfree at night and now they’re not.” Fluttershy said.

Applejack slammed her hoof on the table. “Ah bet that darned Spirit’s responsible fer all the timberwolves! Him “saving” Cheerilee’s class was just a ruse!”

Twilight had put the final touches on the letter to Princess Celestia then hoofed it to Spike to send. “I was thinking the same, Applejack. Once I send this letter, I’m sure the Princess will write back immediately with an answer to our new prob-”

Suddenly the seven ponies and one dragon were blinded by a bright, fiery entrance.

Twilight shook her head from the spots in her vision. “Princess Celestia? Princess Luna?”

Princess Celestia closed the distance from her to Twilight in two stride, making Twilight back up slightly when she saw the look in her mentor’s eyes. “Twilight, tell me everything. Right now.”

Author's Note:

Sorry about the wait. Lots of life happened and no not the board game.

Actual Shattered Skies Editing process.
Who acts like who?
Twilight: me
Derpy: Buckshot
Lyra: Pwn Ease

Mix-up is the official artwork team member and he has updated the look to Shattered Skies. I encourage you to look at his art. :)

Fimfiction: Mix-up
Deviantart: amalgamzaku
Fluffy Sif
Next chapter is written up and awaiting bombardment. now on to chapter 8 ^.^

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