Sunburst and The Shadow Pony

by Miner

King Thorax and Queen Twilight

Inside Castle Friendship,

Starlight Glimmer has been pacing back and forth in the library for hours. On some chairs nearby Spike and Rarity watch the mare making a reck of herself.

"Starlight," Spike said, "you have been acting like this for the past few days. What is wrong?"

"What is wrong?" Starlight said before shouting, "WHAT IS WRONG!?"

Spike shrinks back in fear, "Isn't that what I just said."

"What is wrong, Spike! Is that I haven't heard from Sunburst for weeks," She resumes her pacing, "I know that he is a busy pony with all his studies and helping out with the Crystal Empire," She stops in front of a picture of her and Sunburst hugging at their hometown. She touches the frame, dragging a hoof down it with a depressed look, "But he always had time to say hi or something."

Rarity who has been silent up to this point, took the information and understood for friends concern, "Have you tried talking with his mom?" she asked.

"I did. And that what's got me worried," Starlight turns to face them, "She said something about him helping somepony in need and don't know when he is going to be done."

"So what your saying is that Sunburst has gone silent ever since he went to help this somepony," Spike said.

"That is exactly what I am saying. And I don't like it. What if something has happened to him."

"Starlight calm down." Rarity gives her an assuring hug, "I am sure he has his reason for being quiet for so long. But you got to have faith in him and hold out for a little while longer."

"Your right."

"Also if you don't get a hold of yourself. Ponies my start saying things." She broke the hug and moved back to Spike, leaving Starlight confused at to what she was talking about.

"What kind of things?"

"Oh, you know. Things." Rarity said with a grin and batting her eyes.

Starlight look at Rarity confused before her face turned a shade of red. "What!" Starlight waved her hoof back and forth in denial. "No no, no. You got it wrong it. I am just concer-Worried!" She quickly corrected herself only deeping her embarrassment, "That something had happened to Sunburst that is all."

Rarity giggles at her outburst not believing a word she said, "Starlight you are talking to a mare that lives and breathes romance. I can recognize when somepony is in love with another pony."

"It is nothing like that!" She cares for Sunburst, but not like that. She thinks,

"Well, I am going to check up on Twilight," Spike said, leaving the mares. He makes his way through the castle and pasts a few guards before he came to Twilight's room guarded by two guards. They look at Spike, not showing any emotion. "Can I see Twilight?"

"Address her as her title, sir Spike." One of the guards said.

"Sorry. Can I see Queen Twilight? Or is it can I see Queen Sparkle?"

"I will ask her highness."

Before he could ask, a voice called from inside the room, "You Ponies do realize that I can hear you in here, right?" Twilight said from inside her bedroom.

"My apologies your highness."

"You guards don't have to be so formal with me. Also, Spike is free to enter and leave as he wants to."

"As you wish your highness." the guards open the door for Spike as he enters the room.

Twilight's room has changed in the last few weeks. For starters, it is much darker to where Twilight's bed is. Not to mention the new refrigerator in the corner of the room and other things that Spike has no idea what they are for. Spike can see Twilight on her bed with her back is facing Spike.

"Hi, guys," Spike said.

Thorax lifts his head off the bed to see Spike behind Twilight. "Hello, Spike,"

Twilight turns her head around to face Spike. "Hi, Spike,"

Spike moves onto the bed and hugs Twilight. "How is it going Twilight?"

"Alright, I guess."

"You guess?"

Twilight then looks between herself and Thorax to see a small pile of changelings eggs. "I am just worried about my children, that is all. They are so tiny in their little eggshells. I am just worried that something will happen to them if I even leave them for a second."

Spike moves on to the bed and looks at the eggs before looking at his friend, "I have been meaning to ask you Twilight."

"What is it?"

"Why is it so dark in this part of the room?" Gesturing to the room they are in,

Twilight looks around thinking about it, "I just feel safer with my eggs in the dark that is all."

"That would be your Instinct's Twilight," Thorax said. "To protect ones young from predators, mothers would seek safety away from view."

"So how long until they hatch?" Spike said nudging one of the eggs and getting a mean look from Twilight and quickly pulling his claw away.

"Not long," Thorax said. "They could hatch in a week, a few days or even today."

"That is right. So until then, I am not leaving them." Twilight said, moving her head next to her young.

"So what will we expect from these changeling's Thorax?" Spike asked,

"I am not sure. This the first time that the Queen was an alicorn before becoming a changeling. Their magic might be different from a regular changeling, but they will be changelings."

Spike was going to ask more question when there was a knock at the door. Thorax looks to the door before he spoke to Twilight. "I got it." they shared a small nuzzle before Thorax went to the door.

Thorax exited the room and looked at the guards. "What is going?"

"There are ponies here wanting to see the Queen."

"My wife refuses to leave our bed for our young. Whatever it is, I will deal with it."

They bowed at his reply and moved out of the way, "Of course your highness."

Thorax heads to the meeting hall to see the ponies that want to see Twilight. Once there, he sees three ponies. Two adults and one filly. The mare and filly he has never seen before. However, the last one. "Sunburst!" Thorax quickly hugs his friend get a small hissing sound from the mare next to them.

"It good... to see you too Thorax." Sunburst strained to say as Throax let him go,

"What brings you here?"

"Well, we came here for Princess Twilight help."

Thorax smile went flat at their request, "I am sorry, but my wife is unable to help anypony at the moment."

"WAIT!" Sunburst shouted, not believing what he was hearing. He knows he was going for from time, but not long enough to miss the marriage of one of his friend's best friends and one of the princesses of Equestria. "You married Princess Twilight?!" As Sunburst said this the mare next to him had a weird twitch in her eye. That Thorax didn't understand this. Maybe she was dumbstruck with shock at this new or something?

"Yes, I did. So what is it that you need her for."

SUnburst rubs the back of head trying to think of a way to say what needs to be said, "It is kind of complicated."

"You are taking forever Sunburst," Crystine said and moving in front of him, "We need her and her friends to blast Sunburst with the Elements of Harmony to stop King Sombra from taking over his body."

There was a moment of silence before Thorax found his voice. "What?"

Crystine went on to explain to Thorax what has happened to Sunburst and herself. At the end of the explanation, Thorax slapped a hoof to his head.

"This is why you don't mess around with Dark Magic Sunburst."

He looks away in embarrassment, "Sorry."

"Look you two. Even if Twilight was will to help you, she can't. Half of the elements bares are not here. Rainbow Dash is with the Wonderbolts at a show in Manehatten. Pinkie Pie is visiting her family. And Applejack is helping her relatives in Appleloosa. Not to mention that the Elements of Harmony are back on the Tree of Harmony."

"That is a problem."

"I can send word to Princess Celestia and see if she can do something about you two. In the meantime, don't go too far that we can't find you two when she arrives. The last thing we need is something speeding up the arrival of the king of shadows."

"Alright, Thorax."

"By the way. Who is your little friend?" He said looking at the little filly hiding behind Sunburst legs,

"Oh her." Sunburst was caught in a bind right now. If he speaks up right now, then Melody will be sent home. But for some reason, Sunburst didn't want her to go. After all, she must have her reason to leave her home. But a little filly like her should be with her family, so why is this so hard? "Well... she's..."

"She is my daughter," Crystine said, pulling the little filly next to her.

Sunburst looked at Crystine with confusion at first but decided to play along for now. "Right. Sorry about that."

Crystine rolled her eyes at Sunburst before looking back at Thorax. "Now if you will excuse me. I am going to take Melody to the inn."

"Alright then, have a good day ladies," Thorax said to the ponies, but he could shake the feeling that something was wrong about those two.

---

Outside the castle, Crystine took Melody to Ponyville lake to rest. They sit under the tree as they lay-flat across its shadow with a loud groan. After a few minutes of silence, Melody spoke up.

"Why did you tell him that we are related?"

Crystine looked up to the little filly, "How else are you going to stay in Ponyville without a parent?"

"I just thought that you did like me that much that is all."

"Look at this way, kid. You get a reason to be away from home. And I get somepony to keep Max accompanied."

"Max?"

"My rat." She said as Max pop out from the saddlebag,

"Oh!"

---

Back in the Castle Friendship.

Thorax had taken Sunburst to the dining area for a quick snack. Sunburst was in the middle of eating a large bowl of salad when Thorax spoke up. "Sunburst how well do you know Crystine and her daughter?"

Sunburst swallowed his mouth full, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, it is just-" Thorax couldn't finish his sentence when a light purple blur past him shouting,

"SUNBURST!" And with that Sunburst was tackle out of his chair.

Comments

[DustyDaHorse]

well, that escalated...

[Edguy0009]

9463802
Yep.