Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

A Cranky-doodle-party

Sunny made his way through town down to the local bakery, Sugar Cube Corner. He was sent to pick up a couple sacks of flour for the next week's worth of Granny's backed goods. As he pulled the cart through town, Sunny watched as the ponies of the town went about their business as usual, all the damage of the tornado had been cleared away and all the homes and shops had been repaired. Distracted by the daily life of the town, Sunny didn't see the Pegasus guard who was patrolling the town, and ran into him.

"Hey, what he where you're going!" The guard grunted.

"Oh, A-ahm terribly sorry, sir" Sunny tipped his hat at the guard with a sheepish look on his face, then he hurried around the guard to Sugar Cube Corner.

The guard watched the yellow farm pony as he rushed away, eyeing him suspiciously. But he shrugged off his suspicion as he remembered that Alister had told him to be on guard for any suspicious 'unicorns' or 'shadows'. Not some dopy looking earth pony farmer. The guard shrugged it off and continued walking around town.

Worried about accidentally bumping into anypony else, Sunny kept his eyes forward and only paused to wave at the occasional waving townsfolk. Not long after his running in with the agitated royal guard did
the yellow stallion arrived at Ponyville's famous bakery, Sugar Cube Corner. Sunny raised his hoof to politely knock on the front door, despite the building being open for business to the public he still felt the need to be polite when working with one of Applejack's friends, but a business partner. He knocked once, but before he could deliver a second knock, he was pulled into the shop immediately by a pink flash! The door swinging shit behind him.

"Great! You're here! I need your help! I've been working like crazy all morning! But I can't do this all by myself! Well, most of the time I can, but this time it's different! And I need to make sure everything goes super-d-dooper ok!!!" Pinkie pie began to explain at top speed as she ran around the shop, tying balloons, setting up streamers, draping brightly colored table cloths over the tables, and carefully positioning party hats and noise makers at each seat.

"Ugh.... I was just told to come by and pick up some flour..." Sunny tried to say to the eccentric pink party pony, unsure of what was going on beyond the fact that Pinkie was setting up for a party of some sort.

"I know! And I rushed over to ask Aplejack if you could stay for a while and help out with the party, and she said sure! And that 'it would be great for him to meet more ponies.' So helping me out with Cranky's birthday party would great for both of us!" Pinkie finished off by tossing a splash of confetti at sunny and shoving a noise maker in his mouth.

"Who's 'Cranky'?" Sunny mumbles with the noise maker still in his mouth.

"Oh! He's one of my super-duper-special friends! We met when he first moved to Ponyville! And he's just the sweetest, kindest and most generous guy, ever!" Pinkie explained, the pupils of her eyes growing to almost the size of her whole eye, as she beamed a smile that rivaled the light of the sun.

-Cranky and Matilda's cottage-

As Cranky dragged his hooves to his front door, stretched, and yawned, and scratched both his back and his sagging chin as he looked through half open eye lids into the scenery that separated him from Ponyville. He enjoyed living near the townsfolk, but enjoyed it even more when he could get away from all their loud singing, tomfoolery, and what-nots that took place on a daily basis. He then realized he wasn't alone on his front porch. He looked down to see a young colt with a bright and shinning smile on his muzzle starting back at him. The colt didn't say anything, but held out a can with the word 'donations' on it. From the slight rattling noise it made, Cranky could tell the fella had a few bits in there already.

The wig wearing donkey frowned at the colt and growled. "I gave you a bit last month! What do you think I am, a money tree?! And why are you bothering me so early in the morning?! Don't you have school or something?!"

The colt's smile disappeared as tears appeared at the corner of his eyes as he ran off, half crying, but trying to be brave and hold it in. An unfazed, and very cranky, Cranky Doodle Donkey huffed, grabbed his morning paper and walked back inside.

(http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SJMizrTFiFo)

Sunny actually enjoyed setting up for the party with Pinkie. Every now and again Pinkie would do something outrage that made Sunny burst into a fit of laughter. Like put two balloons over her eyes and making a her mouth blub like a fish, cracking a joke when it got too quiet in shop, or when Sunny least expected it, she's sneak up on him and start a tickle fight. Sunny actually enjoyed her antics, and did his best to fight back on the tickle fights, finding out that Pinkie squeaked when her voice got too high pitched while laughing. Sunny repeated the jokes Pinkie told him in hopes to use them around town. But after Pinkie caught Sunny repeating one of her jokes to himself for the fourth time and she realized what he was doing, she vanished in another pink flash, then returned in a moment holdin a book in her mouth.

"Here! This is one of the best joke books I've ever read! I haven't told all of these jokes yet! Maybe you can get a few laughs out of the ponies in town!" Pinkie told him as she handed the book off to Sunny , 'a million and three jokes for ponies and pony folk'.

Sunny couldn't help but crack the book open and begin reading. A few jokes he did his best to memorize and repeat in hopes to use at the party. After a few moments, he put the book off to the side and continued working. Pinkie couldn't help but smile and shake her head, thinking how the yellow earth pony reminded her so much of her studious friend, Twilight.

'I wonder what he would be like if he was a unicorn?' Pinkie thought to herself. 'Oh! What if I was a unicorn?! Oh! Or maybe a Pegasus! I could work in the weather factory! Maybe even mark clouds that rained confetti! Or pull a Discord and make Cotten candy clouds that rain chocolate milk!' And like that, pinkie day dreamed of her beloved Cotten candy clouds, drooling all over one of the guest's seats.

Not long after the front end of the store was all set up, and Cleaning up the mess pinkie made in her day dream state, did guests begin to arrive. It was odd, there were ponies of all different kinds. Species, ages, colors. It amazes Sunny just how many ponies he hadn't actually seen, even after living in town for so long. 'Applejack was right. I should get off the farm and socialize more...'

As ponies began to mingle, Sunny went to find Pinkie Pie who was busy preparing the snacks in the kitchen. She was just adding dashes of sprinkles onto several dozen cup cakes when he walked in.

"Hey Pinkie, is there anything else I can help with?" Sunny asked, tipping his hat, half wanting to help, but the other half really wanted to start socializing and possible start making new friends.

"Yes! Actually! Would you mind taking that trey out to the guests?" She motioned to a mountain of cupcakes on a tray. The stack reached halfway to the roof, and as Sunny stared at it, his ears dropped, his pupils shrank to the size of needle pins, and he gulped. He knew he was strong, working on the Apple farm would do that for any pony, but balancing something like that?!

"Y-yeah! Sure!..." He gulped again, trying to swallow his fear. "N-no problem..." He then grabbed the plate firmly with his teeth, unsteadily lifted it up, then slowly and carefully begins to take it into the dining area of the shop.

Sunny takes each step very, very carefully, keeping a watchful eye on the mountain of cupcakes. About halfway to the snack table, Sunny felt his legs giving in.

"Here, let me help you" a sincere voice chimed in. The voice was female, but he didn't recognize it as bein any of Applejack's closest friends. Sunny couldn't see who the mare was who offered the help, but he was grateful. She grabbed the opposite end of the tray, and together they both carried the stack of cupcakes over to the snack table and set it down gently without dropping a single cupcake.

"Thank you" Sunny sad before he even got a good look at the mare. "They aren't as light and fluffy when they are grouped together like that."

The mare moved around the corner and came into sight. She smiled and pushed her dark grey mane out of the way and tucked it behind her ear, allowing her bright purple eyes to meet Sunny's. "My pleasure. It would be a shame if Pinkie's hard work were to end up only decorating the floor. My name is Octavia..." She help out her hoof to Sunny.

He smiled and met it with a gentle hoof shake. "A pleasure, miss Octavia."

She smiled back at the yellow stallion. "Aren't you the newest addition to the Apple farm help? Ugh... Sunny, I think I heard Applejack say."

"That's me" Sunny beamed with pride as he tipped his hat and stood up strait.

"I haven't seen much of you around town" Octavia went on to say. "I'm glad you came down to enjoy the festivities. I must say, Pinkie's parties are the best."

"That's what I hear from Applejack. Im trying to socialize a little more. I've run the Apple stand in the market, but I have been meaning to get out more." Sunny continued while pouting himself a glass of punch, then smiled and offered Octavia a glass.

"Oh, well thank you" she happily accepted the first glass, then took a small sip as Sunny poured himself a glass. "So," she began after swallowing her sip. "How do you like living in Ponyville? Enjoy and of the 'excitement' that comes with living here?"

Octavia meant it as a joke, but immediately Sunny's mind shot back to the ghost of Sombra that he saw in the apple orchard. It sent a shiver down his spine.

"I take it you have" Octavia continued to joke. "Trust me, you get used to it.
You wouldn't believe what normally goes on in town in a daily basis."

Sunny clears his throat. "He he... Well, ugh,..." He then noticed Octavia's cutie mark and was more the eager to change the subject. "Oh, that's an interesting cutie mark."

Octavia looked at her own flank and smiled, blushing a little. "Yes. My talents lie in the art of music, preferably, classical. But I do remain open minded to all forms of the musical arts."

Sunny then looked back to his own cutie mark, a grayed out, almost circle. He then looked awkwardly back at the musician, half forcing a smile. "I... Still haven't figured mine out. But I'm sure I'll figure it out, one of these days."

"That's the spirit!" Octavia sprang. With slight bravado. "Oh, pardon me, but may I say something?"

"Go right ahead" Sunny answered, heavily enjoying the conversation with the musician, then took a sip of his punch.

"Well, the way you speak, how you walk, the way you carry yourself, and even though you seem to take life in a nearly care free way, you seem... Oh I don't know, to come from a different branch of ponies other then that of a farmer."

This caused Sunny spit his punch out, thankfully away from the snack table and Octavia, and just out into the open air where it fell onto the wooden floor.

"I-if you don't mind me saying so" Octavia began to regret speaking her mind. "I mean, you are free to choose whatever path you wish, but you don't seem like you grew up in a farm. You seem some what highly educated, and well managed. Not that ponies who work on a farm aren't! Oh... I seem to be tripping over my own words...."

Sunny whipped the punch off of his lips and paused for a moment. Then he faced the grey mare with an honest smile. "You might be right about some of that. I don't know if I did come from a farm. But I do really enjoy living and working there. I'm sure somepony told you how I lost my memory before arriving in Ponyville. I don't know where I came from or what I did before. But for now, I'm really happy just living and working on the farm. "

Octavia was glad that Sunny wasn't mad or hurt by her free thinking. "Well, as long as you are happy, that's the most important thing. But I still can't help but think that maybe you came from Canterlot, trottingham, or maybe even the Crystal empire. But I'm glad you don't have to work on finding the answered out all on your own."

"What do you mean?" Sunny asked as he began to wipe up the mess he made on the ground.

Octavia grabbed a few napkins and joined him in the clean up. "Pinkie and her friends have been going all around town, asking if we knew anything about a yellow earth pony with an orange mane, that may or may not go by the name of 'Sunny'."

That made Sunny smile even more. "They really are a nice group of ponies."

Octavia gathered up the dirty napkins and tossed them into a nearby trash can. "Everypony is really nice around here. That's partially the reason why I stay here. All the friends I made hear in town really make it feel, well, like a home."

"So... Are we friends?" Sunny asked, tipping his hat again at the musician, giving her a hopeful look.

"I would have thought that was obvious" she said first with an emotionless look on her face, that quickly gave way to a bright smile. "Of course we are."

The two shared a few laughs as Sunny told a few jokes that he learned from the book pinkie leant him. Octavia, in turn, shared a few that she had picked up and found... Tasteful. But she did feel it acceptable to share a few her room mate had told her, that were for a less formal crowd. Sunny found them hilarious.

The two enjoyed each other's company for a little while longer until a velvet mare with various fruits for a cutie mark called out to everypony as she looked out the window. "He's coming! He's coming!"

With that, Pinkie turned out the lights and everypony his either behind furniture, tables, or anything they could, waiting for the guest of honor. After a few moments that seemed to drag in for hours, the front door opened and two donkeys walked through. The first one being a mare with her hair styled up in a modest way. The second to enter seemed to be a stallion donkey with a bright gold wig resting on his head, who was rather annoyed as he walked into the gingerbread like bakery and saw the lights were out. He assumed the worst.

"Surprise!" Everypony called out as Pinkie flipped in the lights, confetti and balloons fell from the ceiling, and everypony popes out of their respective hiding places. The mare seemed unsurprised by the notion, possibly having been in on the whole thing. But the stallion went from shocked, to even more annoyed, realizing his fear was very well placed. "Happy Birthday Cranky!"

The mare donkey looked as though she had to whisper something to him to keep him from turning around and leaving right there. It was then that Sunny began to think 'maybe he really isn't the 'social' type. Sunny quickly took a mental note; 'Name: Cranky, observation: doesn't appear happy at parties. Possible reason for staying: his wife.'

But Sunny shook it off and though. 'Shame on me! I don't even know the stallion! Maybe he just doesn't socialize like me, and doesn't know anypony from town. I should go over and introduce myself!'

Sunny then casually walked over to the birthday colt, and tipped his hat. "Hello, Sir, my name's Sunny. It's a-"

"Yeah?!" He growled. "What do you want, a metal?" He spat at the yellow stallion as he pushed passed him and made his way to the back end of the shop, pushing his way through more ponies as he did.

"Oh, I'm so sorry" The mare donkey approached Sunny with a very apologetic look. "He's.... Not really one for parties..."

"Then why would you want to throw him one with half of Ponyville here?" Sunny asked, scratching his head a little.

"Well..." She began, but the hostess with a cotten candy like mane popped out from the other side of the table.

"Matilda came to me last week and asked for my advice, since I'm the element of laughter, and asked what she could do to cheer up her poor hubby-hub who's been a little down lately, even when they do his favorite things. Like bird watching, cooking together, listening to music on their record player, or even just talking a walk in the woods."

"Right" Matilda jumped in. "He's just been so... So Cranky lately, but he won't talk about what could be bothering him."

"So it's up to his best friend, Pinkie Pie ! To cheer him up on his most special of special days! Hiiiiiis burthdaaaay!" Pinky exclaimed proudly, blowing into a loud noise maker after she did.

Sunny thought about it for a moment, and realized that this might be good for him to try and help this 'Cranky Donkey'. "Can I help?"