The New Timeline

by Jongoji245

Ballad of the Brobdingnag (New Timeline)

When Cosgrove first brought Schnookums into his family home, he was the size of a sweet potato. Feeding him a diet of grapes and pears accelerated his growth, eventually having a size that had him be kept in the basement. By the time he is first shown for the first time in Equestria, what first caused panic was turned for the better when Schnookums provided his strength to carry heavy loads, tear up dead trees, or replenish dried-up riverbeds in times of drought. One of his pinnacle moments was when he was brought in during the events of the wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, unintentionally defending the city from the Changeling forces, his size just twice as big as Queen Chrysalis. But one thing has become apparent since then, he was growing larger, and larger still.

Just near a month before the upcoming Apple Family Reunion, Schnookums is now measured at eight meters tall, much larger than the apple trees he's walking along. As he walked, he shook the ground with each step, forcing the fruit bats, birds, and arboreal mammals to hold the trees with an iron grip. At this point he is trained to feed on rotting material should he wander into Sweet Apple Acres. This did worry AJ still, for sooner than later he will have to turn to readily available sources of food. But on another hand, with a critter that size, not a timberwolf nearby could harm an Apple.

He has been making a series of strange noises that resonated well into Ponyville. The purpose of this has been constantly been tried and tested by Dr. Whooves, Twilight Sparkle, and Sunset Shimmer, the latter of whom worked underneath the library as the Mane 6 paced about.

"Oh, that dreadful sound is ruining the 23-hour beauty nap I was hoping for." Rarity whined.

Applejack slowly tilted her head to Rainbow Dash.

"So much for 24 hours." she whispered before they both snickered.

Cosgrove took out his bassoon, "I tried to get him to stop, but the noise is too loud for him to even hear the bassoon."

Twilight turned to Fluttershy, "Fluttershy, have you tried talking to him?"

"I have, but Brobdingnag language is like talking to a whale." She answered

"Have you ever spoken-" Twilight stopped when she would realize that Fluttershy would say her usual response - "Never mind."

"I can speak whale!" Pinkie Pie grinned before a doubtful audience.

"Pinkie, darling, I think now is not the-" Rarity was cut off when her pink friend started making a series of long, drawn out moans.

After taking another deep breath, and smacking her lips, Pinkie tried another noise that sounded much more stressed.

"Pinkie, that isn't a whale, that sounds like you're going to throw up!" - Rainbow Dash interjected as Pinkie made even less elegant sounds - "Now you sound even worse."

Sunset rolled her eyes before a series of knocks were heard. Opening the door was Dr. Whooves and his assistant Derpy Doo carrying rolls of recording tapes.

"Here you are," - The Doctor had his assistant to lower the bag - "the recordings of every large whale species in Equestria."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" - Rainbow Dash peaked in the bag - "How were you two able to get these?"

"Well, it's a funny story," - Derpy looked in the bag with Rainbow - "You see the Ta-" - Derpy stopped when The Doctor cleared his throat - "Well, that would be telling." - The wall-eyed Pegasus patted Rainbow's mane - "Still, keep asking questions, it sharpens the mind."

Sunset placed one recording, labeled Blue Whale, on a tape player while placing a recording of Schnookums' bellow on another. She looked at her friends. "This is going to take a while."

Later the following evening, the noise died down, allowing everyone to get a good night's sleep. Cosgrove looked from out the window as his grandfather walked up to him.

"Cosgrove, there is something I want to talk to you about." - When they both sat on the couch, Lion Tamer wrapped an arm around him - "As much as I respect your decision of keeping Schnookums as a pet, have you ever thought of letting him go?"

The Hipparion drew his ears back. "Not really. I mean, he's been with the family for so long, but he's not like Winona or Opalescence..." - he eyed away from his grandfather as he gritted his teeth - "or Gummy."

"I understand what you're going at, but know that even pets pass on as well." - Lion Tamer hugged his grandson - "You don't have to decide now."

Throughout the evening in the Library, Spike had his head held underneath a pillow as Sunset played each recording. The session seemed to last forever, which recording corresponds with Schnookums. She looked at the clock, the hour hand reaching eleven. One more tape she thought to herself as she placed a humpback whale recording. The sound, a drawn out moan, matched Schnookums'. She shuffled the case of the labeled recording. "Humpback Whale Pod Call."

"Does this mean...?" Sunset thought as the machinations of her mind ceased again and she slowly went to sleep.

Seven hours later, the sun shines once more over Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack and Big Mac roamed the farm to do their morning chores. Winona walked about with her mistress when she began growling.

"What is it, girl?" Applejack slowly felt a soft Rumble beneath her hooves - "Aw shucks, must be the cows."

The Apples continued their chores when the vibration became louder and louder, to the point that apples started falling on their own. Back underneath the library, the vibrations made soil drip from the ceiling, hitting Sunset's mane several times. Stirred from her sleep, she joined the citizens of Ponyville as the looked to where the vibration is coming from. They looked up to find swarms of parasprites flying as fast as they could. As they retreated into the Everfree, Schnookums devoured quite a few before walking to the town. Cosgrove and his family followed him.

Out of the horizon was a terrific site. It was not one, not two, but several Brobdingnags slowly marching to the town. A few where as big as Schnookums, many small, and even few even larger. The citizens watched in awe as they passed through. Schnookums stepped before the herd and emitted a bellow. One individual of the herd, appearing twenty-two meters tall approached him before lowering itself to his level as it nuzzled Schnookums, who then gave it a series of reassuring clicks. Rising back to its full height, the beast continued its walk to the Everfree.

"This... Is... Amazing!!" Twilight squeed "This opens several possibilities for research!"

"We already have." The group turned to a gang of Earth Ponies dragging a tarp covered wagon, the leader walking up "Dr. Cabballeron. My team and I have been following this herd for a few years now, and it never fails to amaze me."

"What kind of research have you done?" Sunset asked.

"Migration patterns, reproduction, feeding habits..."

Cosgrove took notice of Schnookums backing away, growling at the Caballeron and his associates. Something was up in the wagon when the Crusaders began to peak into the tarp.

"Careful!" - one such colleague slaps their hooves - "Very sensitive equipment."

"We better keep moving. This is the first time they migrated to Ponyville."

Applejack gave them a look as they walked towards the general direction of the Everfree before seeing Schnookums storming off. The next few hours, she, her family, and Cosgrove were working in the apple orchard.

"Cosgrove, did you get a strange feeling from them scientists?"

"Schnookums did act quite a bit strange, like as if they were Changelings of Timberwolves. Should we talk to the Mayor about this?"

Big Mac, ever the wiser, simply responded with a simple, "Eeyup."

Twilight, Spike, and Sunset were speaking to the Mayor.

"They have permission to perform research?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, they have" - Mayor Mare balanced her snout on her hooves - "I don't understand why they need a weapons permit?"

Cosgrove joined up with Schnookums as he feasted on a tree in their backyard. Thinking about what his grandfather said to him, he approached the beast and rubbed him.

"Like I said to Sunset, I wouldn't hold you back if you want to leave."

Schnookums merely responded with a series of clicks before they followed the trail to find the herd looking back at Schnookums. With a small slap on the leg, Schnookums walked up to the herd as the matriarch appeared before him. The larger individual bit part of Schnookums' head mask before other did the same. The Hipparion wiped a year before walking back home.

Lion Tamer was reading a newspaper when he saw his grandson walk up the stairs to his room, not taking a moment to say hi. Loopty Hoop peeked in his room. Cosgrove was wrapped up in blankets, his face somber as he drifted into sleep.

The evening was silent, especially that of the Everfree forest. Despite being a combination of muscle and cartilage, the Brobdingnag herd stood up when they slept, though a few yearlings laid down. The noise was disturbed when a hiss was heard. The sentries looked up before their eyes flinched to the burst of red in the sky. Turning to the yells of Ponies as they charged at them, the herd became panicked. Many tried to escape, but were deterred as some shot out fire from a canister of kerosene. Schnookums joined a huddle as they swung their legs forward, trying to deter the attackers. One of them took aim at a Brobdingnag.

With a series of knocks, Lion Tamer answered the door to find Zecora panting like mad.

"There is a matter at stake," - Zecora panted again - "Your grandson you must immediately awake."

The following morning, the Mane Seven joined with Cosgrove and Zecora, the former stood horrified. The attack last night had left three adult Brobdingnags lying motionless on the ground. As they slowly approached the dead beasts, a yearling the size of an adult Pony instinctively charged at them, trying to keep them away from one of the dead individuals. Sunset walked up to another being to find that the bony head masks were lopped off, leaving six oozing wounds. The inspected individual shook a little, slowly opening an eye before becoming limp once more.

"This isn't field work, it's poaching." Fluttershy began to cry at the sight of the dead animals.

Soon they became surrounded by the survivors, many have bullet wounds, some with burns on their skin from charging into the fire. Cosgrove kept turning around, hoping to find that the one he raised would come to him. Not one approached him, instead emitting a series of howls that slowly became a chorus that echoed to Ponyville. Many of the inhabitants shed a tear. Rainbow Dash flew towards them, a determined look on her face.

"I found wagon trails." Rainbow pointed to a bloodied trackway leading through a game trail.

"Twilight, have Spike send a letter to Celestia." Sunset began walking towards the trail.

"What'll you do?" Asked Pinkie

"I'm going to stop that trade."

"You mean we?" Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy and Cosgrove stood before her.

"Let's move!" Applejack immediately took lead as they raced down the trail.

Cosgrove, full of rage, mustered his stamina to run beside the farmer before they slowed to the sound of a conversation. Going into a slow crawl, they hid behind a rock to see Dr. Cabballeron and his associates talk to a few Earth Ponies of Manechurian origin. Cabballeron walked to the wagon and pulled the tarp, revealing the bony mask pieces of the slain animals. Behind the wagon were three live Brobdingnags chained together.

"Fluttershy," - Applejack whispered - "Ah need you to keep on the dodge as Ah let the others pass them boneheads, hootin n' hollerin', we'll cut right up to them."

Fluttershy turned her head, "Pardon me?"

"We need you to distract them long enough for us to snatch their products." Rainbow corrected.

As much as she took poaching seriously, Fluttershy began to realize that she was in shark infested waters.

"What if they aim their weapons at me?" She squealed "What if I get shot."

"Don't over think it." Cosgrove responded before he nudged her from their hiding post.

Fluttershy took a few steps before looking to the others, who gave her a nod. Fluttershy stepped closer, turning back again to find the others gone. The yellow Pegasus walked forward again when she found one of the colleagues staring down at her.

"Little early for a stroll?" - Dr. Cabballeron and his business partner turned to the colleague dragging Fluttershy over - "Got us a spy."

Throwing her to her knees, Fluttershy looked up to Cabballeron glaring at her.

"Why did you kill those poor animals? What happened to studying them?"

"Well, you see my friend." Cabballeron cleared his throat "Science doesn't pay fast enough and these frills snag quite a price to the black market."

"But what about them?" Fluttershy pointed to the three living Brobdingnags.

"These ones are better off stuffed to the highest bidder."

As they continued their conversation, the others snuck over and slowly lifted the stake that held the Brobdingnags in place.

"One of them has helped us in the past and you sold his people out!" Fluttershy yelled before being smacked in the face.

"People? These things aren't-" Cabballeron noticed the Brobdingnags being freed and escaping "Stop them!"

Arming themselves with the elephant guns used to take down the beasts, Cabballeron and his colleagues fired at them. Fluttershy scurried away as she joined the others behind the wagon. With each blast, the wagon became harder to seek cover from.

"Come on out now and we promise not to hurt you." Cabballeron ordered.

"Right, and just as soon as we come out you kill us on the spot!" Applejack retorted, sending chills to Fluttershy's spine.

"We're sorry if our merchandise gets damaged." He apologized before he pointed his gun to the wagon again.

Just as the trigger clicked, a massive red tail swept the smugglers off their hooves. Cosgrove took a peek to find Schnookums roaring at them before he charged at the wagon.

"Move, move!!" Just as the Hipparion and Ponies fled, Schnookums raised a foot, smashing the wagon and crunching the remains of his kind, ruining their chances of a quick bit.

Cabballeron bared his teeth as Schnookums turned and charged at him. He grabbed his gun, aimed it at the charging animal, and was just about to pull the trigger when a bright light shined. When the light faded out, the Ponies unshielded their eyes to Princess Celestia giving them a glare.

"Your Highness..." The sales dealer bowed before her in desperation.

"Two thousand years ago, my sister and I have gone through several crusades to eliminate the first Brobdingnag after thinking it was extinct." Celestia turned to Cosgrove "But this child, found one three years ago and nurtured him to the size capable of providing help." She took out a signed scroll "Under the Custodi Bestia, I, Princess Celestia, grant the individual known as Schnookums full protection in return for his services. Likewise, his species will be placed under the protection of law. You will never provide any illegal activity involved with this species on my land. Guards."

Celestia's guards marched over and cuffed the smugglers and sales dealer. As they were sent away to jail, the rest of the herd glared at them.

The following day, the majority of Ponyville watched the herd begin their migration once more. All except Schnookums, who stood and looked at the Pony he called father. Cosgrove stepped forward, tears flooding from his eyes. Schnookums tilted his body so that Cosgrove could rub his snout. Schnookums responded with a lick, smearing saliva on his cheek and mane. Rarity was about to walk up to him with a handkerchief when Applejack stopped her. Cosgrove watched as Schnookums traveled farther and farther away until he appeared small in the horizon. Sunset, Lion Tamer, and Loopty Hoop walked up and gave him a hug.

"Maybe he'll come back for a visit." Loopty Hoop rubbed a hoof on her grandson's chin.

"But how will I recognize him? Will he recognize me?"

Lion Tamer turned to Schnookums, just a speck in the distance.

"He'll recognize you, by sight, by scent, and by your love. That is how much you have given to him."

One day as Schnookums' herd was traveling the area of Appaloosa, Schnookums did what his kind have never done, remembering all the times he had before today.

He smiled.