Rise of the Maximals

by Jongoji245

The Last Days of Summer

August 1st, 2005

School is approaching once again. Children moaned and complained while their parents rushed around to gather school supplies. As a few acts of desperation, high schoolers would spend a few good nights on the town. One imprisoned kid wants this opportunity. On one such night, Sunset Shimmer finally began her first escape plan. While her "sisters and mother" were dead asleep, Sunset snuck out of the window
and into the trash garden. Having marked the route to the break in the wall, Sunset easily moved through the garbage piles to said hole.

Looking back at that dreadful prison, Sunset sneered before she began scooting her small frame through the hole. Occasionally the edges of the rock would tug at her hair and scraped her knees, but it's worth being free for once in the Summer. With one last push, Sunset was free and began to run as fast she could away from her prison. The further she ran, the less pungent the air as it became replaced by the more sweet smell of pastries, flowers, and fruit.

The sun rose over an area of the town plaza called Turtle Park, so aptly named because of the large turtle statues that scatter across the grassy landscape near the river. A few hours after, Cosgrove and Chelsey played around the park as Night Dancer watched them from afar while watching Dapplewood as he happily squirmed in his cradle. The two more active children clambered on the statue of a soft shell turtle, taking the amazing sight of the horizon from the plaza in front to the Rocky Mountains in the distance. Cosgrove continued to look around until he spotted someone underneath the jaws of the snapping turtle statue. Curious, he and Chelsey hopped down and approached the figure. It was Sunset Shimmer, dead asleep after running around town last night. Grabbing a nearby twig, Chelsey poked her several times.

"Night Dancer," - Cosgrove called out - "There's a dead girl under one of the statues."

Sunset's eyes slowly opened as the sound of scattered pebbles revealed Night Dancer's presence.

"Cosgrove, Chelsey, step away from her!" - Night Dancer berated them.

Sunset curled back, holding up her arms in defense. "Please," - She begged - "don't hurt me."

The two children and young adult looked at each other before turning to Sunset again.

"We wouldn't hurt you." - Night Dancer answered before looking around - "Are your parents here?"

Sunset merely shook her head at that answer.

Night Dancer gave out her hand, "Why don't you come with us?"

Sunset was uncertain of this stranger, but her compassion made her far different from Hydia. Sunset took Night Dancer's hand and walked over to her car along with the others. A short drive later, and they arrived at Night Dancer's family home. Her parents, Lion Tamer and Loopty Hoop, were at work, and so would be a matter of time to get things done. When they are inside, Sunset was amazed at how tidy Night Dancer's home is compared to that of Hydia's.

Night Dancer handed Sunset a towel and a robe.

"The shower's over there." - Night Dancer pointed to the restroom - "Hand me your clothes when you're done."

Closing herself inside, Sunset inhaled the sweet scent of cinnamon candles before proceeding with the ordeal. A few minutes later, the eight-year-old, wrapped head to toe in bath towels, walked to Night Dancer's living room, Night Dancer herself carrying her filthy clothes to the laundry room. She sat on a chair while Cosgrove, Chelsey, and Dapplewood sat and stared at her.

"What is your name?" Asked Cosgrove.

"Shimmer, Sunset Shimmer." She answered

"Sunset Shimmer, huh?" - Chelsey chuckled - "Funny name."

Sunset gave the piebald girl a snide look, "So are you brother and sister?"

"What? No!" - Cosgrove rebutted - "Chelsey's my neighbor, Dapplewood's my brother."

Cosgrove held his baby brother's hand and waved it a little, much to his amusement. Sunset noticed Cosgrove's hands being different from all of them in this household. Cosgrove, noticing her stare, released his baby brother's hands.

"Yeah..." - Cosgrove added - "everyone's scared of my hands."

"Oh, that's not..." - Sunset lowered her head in shame - "I'm sorry..."

The slightly younger children looked at each other before turning to her.

"Where are you from?" Asked Chelsey.

Sunset looked away for a moment before seeing Night Dancer come back up with Sunset's clothes. Quickly she changed back into her clothes before running back outside.

"Hey, wait!" - Night Dancer beckoned, but Sunset was long gone - "What was that girl?"

"Sunset Shimmer." Answered Cosgrove.

The sun began to shrink back into the Rockies when Sunset made her way back to her home. Much as she loved the sweet smell, Sunset had to dirty herself again to prevent her "mother" from becoming a tad suspicious. Upon doing so, she returned to find Hydia standing there, tapping her foot with her eyebrow raised while her daughters hid behind a ragged couch. The small human approached her before examining Sunset from head to toe before stepping back again.

"To your room, now!" Ordered Hydia, pointing to the upstairs bedroom.

Sunset slowly walked upstairs to her room. When she entered her room and sat on the bed, her eyes began to stream tears as she remembered the utter compassion the strangers have given her outside her prison. It's still a few weeks away before school starts again, but this one night is one she wouldn't forget.

---

August 20th, 2005

The weekend prior each new school year, the Apple Family hosts a party for their surrounding neighborhoods. With Cosgrove's home in Great Valley Drive being among them, his family and Chelsey's were invited. One could take a bike over to Sweet Apple Acres, but it's better to drive over there. By noon, a dozen cars are parked in the grassy lot next to the house itself, their owners and children gathering at the front porch.

"Welcome to our annual get together at Sweet Apple Acres!" - Granny Smith announced, holding a megaphone - "Ahm Granny Smith and this here's my grandchildren Big Mac, Applejack, and Apple Bloom."

"Howdy!" Greeted Applejack and Apple Bloom

"Eeyup." Greeted Big Mac

"We hope y'all have a fun time here today, now let's do it to it!" - Granny Smith finished.

As the families dispersed, Cosgrove and Chelsey were being talked by their parents.

"And stay near the house." - finished Big Hooves - "Are we clear?"

"Yes, sirs." - Chelsey and Cosgrove answered.

With a warm smile, Claire gave the two children a good rub on the head before they moved along into the crowd before they meet up with Apple Bloom.

A few other families gathered around the Thunderfoots as they greeted them, admiring Dapplewood along the way. Granny Smith walked among her neighbors, each one greeting the elderly matriarch. While she looked around, she accidentally bumps into Tremor.

"Oh, pardon me..." - Granny Smith looks up at the taller elderly man - "Sir..."

"Pardon accepted," - Tremor lowered his head before fidgeting his glasses - "little lady."

"Little lady?" Granny Smith chuckled

Further away, Apple Bloom led Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Chelsey and Cosgrove through a slightly more forested part of the farm to a clubhouse.

"Okay, Crusaders" - Sweetie Bell turned to Cosgrove and Chelsey - "and guests, what shall we do for our last crusade before going back to school?"

"We can try butterfly catching." Said Apple Bloom

"Nah, we tried that already." Said Scootaloo - "How about sack racing?"

"We did that last month." Said Apple Bloom.

While they continued, Cosgrove spotted a spotted collar lizard crawling in between the group, rested a little, then scurried away.

"Why not lizard catching?" Cosgrove added, looking at the reptile running.

The children looked at each other before chasing the lizard through the forest. When the lizard went under a log, Cosgrove dug his arm inside, trying to pry the reptile out. The Crusaders and Chelsey then scattered to find other specimens. Chelsey found a horned lizard perched on a rock. She pokes it a few times before narrowly missing a jet of blood squirted from the beast's eye. The Crusaders had their sights on a few whiptail lizards before chasing them individually. Cosgrove continued shuffling in the hole before seeing the collared lizard jump out of a hole. Being the fastest lizard species in Colorado, the reptile easily outran the six-year-old before suddenly a much larger lizard snatched it in the bushes.

"Hey, guys" - Cosgrove turned to the others - "I've found something!"

Back at the party, Big Hooves, Clamp Jaw, Big Mac, Applejack and Rarity looked around for the other children.

"Ah swear Apple Bloom can get more ambitious than a jack rabbit." Said Applejack

"Eeyup." Added Big Mac

"Tell that to my son..." Clamp Jaw added out of earshot before turning to find the children holding a two-foot long monitor lizard across them.

"Crusaders Lizard Catchers!!" They all exclaimed, bringing the older individuals to attention, each giving their respective relative a glare.

"Can we keep him?" asked Cosgrove, before seeing his father raise his head, eyes looking down.

The Crusaders closed their eyes.

"Don't-!" Ordered Applejack a little too late when the trio of girls shot opened their eyes, trying to cute him out.

Clamp Jaw still kept a stern face when his hand gained a mind of its own and grabbed a police phone.

"Detective Horsetails," - Clamp buzzed - "recall the case about a stray monitor lizard in Colorado?"

"Yes?" - Answered Mae's voice from the other side.

"You can close it." - Clamp answered.

"Understood."

Clamp crossed his arms and lowered his massive upper torso to his son.

"We already have a three-month-old boy in the house," - Clamp growled - "if you can't handle a pet, he's going to be marked 'kill on sight.' Am I clear?"

Cosgrove reeled his neck back, "Yes, sir."

Clamp Jaw walked away from the children, Big Hooves joining him when Applejack and Big Mac walked up to them.

"Come on," - Applejack turned them towards the barn - "let's build a crate for the critter."

Comments

[Voldine]

Sorry, but I can't read any further than this.

You're constantly confusing your and you're, there their and they're, using other wrong words, and your 'story' has nothing whatsoever to do with Beast Wars or My Little Pony other than using Sunset Shimmer's name and the word Maximal in the title.

Furthermore, you blatantly ripped off the whole rampion enslavement.