Little Pony Story 2: The Search for Scootaloo

by Lets Do This

The Storm Breaks

Twilight marched into the Audience Hall set, and found Tempest and Grubber, standing near the ramp leading up to the throne platform. At her approach, the two of them swung round to face Twilight, though Tempest cast an occasional glance over her shoulder, towards the balcony exit.

"Look, Tempest," Twilight said quickly, "I know you want to finish this movie, but just hear me out. I don't know why your owner sold you, but that doesn't matter. My friends and I can help you. The whole reason we're here is because we were looking for another toy: a Scootaloo, who got snatched up by that filmmaker's bid-bot and sent here. We wanted to bring her back with us, and give her a decent home, with friends!"

"Friends?" Tempest replied. "There's more of you?"

"Uh huh! And we have an owner, Tempest, a little girl named Bonnie! And she's the sweetest, most imaginative child a toy could ever hope for! And if you want, you could come back with us. She'll play with you! I know she will!"

Tempest's eyes went wide at that. But she shook her head doubtfully. "Me? A scarred, broken, evil villain toy from a movie?"

"That's not an issue for Bonnie." Twilight shrugged. "She even plays with Nightmare Moon! She calls her the Evil Dark Princess Pony. And even if she didn't play with you... you'd still have all of us: a family of pony toys, who look out for each other and help each other. You'd have a home, Tempest!"

"That would be nice..." Tempest looked hopeful. Then she glanced upwards. "But... my horn..."

"Tempest, you don't need your horn for a child to want to play with you. And that's what you really want, deep down. Isn't it?"

Tempest stared at her. "How do you know that?"

"Because you're a toy," Twilight said, surprised. "You want to be loved and played with. Isn't that what any toy would want?"

"Oh, I don't know," purred a coldly amused voice from the balcony entrance. "I'm a toy... and it's not exactly turning me on, now is it?"

The Storm King strolled in breezily, carrying the Staff of Sacanas. Stepping around the twin thrones, he walked down the ramp. "In fact, it's not appealing to me at all. Being played with by some sappy, sticky little brat? Is that really what you want, Tempest?"

Tempest had swung round to face him, but she glanced between him and Twilight uncertainly. "I... I don't know."

The Storm King's expression darkened, and he leaned closer, looming over her. "Well, let me tell you something, Tempest... it's not what I want. I want what I should've gotten: a movie about me. Me! Where I'm the star! Where I come out on top! The Storm King! And that's exactly what I'm getting here! I'm going to be famous!"

"What?" Twilight stared at him, astonished. "This guy's making a home movie! At best it'd be posted on some video-clip site, like... MeTube or SelfieClick, or..."

"Ooooh, yeah!" The Storm King nodded, stroking his chin. "It might even go viral! I could be a household word by sunset! Hmmm... wonder how many clicks I'd get? And if there's a way I can get a cut of the payout?"

"Urghhhh!" Twilight clapped a hoof to her forehead in disbelief.

"And, if I was popular enough," the Storm King went on, "they'd want more of me, Tempest! The filmmaker would want to make more movies... with me! And you could be part of that, too, Tempest! You stick with me, my little pony, play your cards right, you could go places!"

"Are you kidding me?" Twilight shook her head. "That filmmaker doesn't care about you! He doesn't care about any of us! Not in the slightest! Don't you see that? It's just a technical challenge to him, making these films. When he's done filming this clip, he'll just move right onto the next one! He'll be done with you! Finished! He'll throw you out, just like all the other toys!"

"Wait, what other toys?" Tempest demanded, looking at her.

"In the trash can, below the balcony! I saw them down there... dozens of toys... all in pieces! He's done this before. When he's done filming, he won't keep you, Tempest! He won't even bother selling you! He'll throw you away!"

The Storm King's eyes blazed with fury. His voice became a threatening rumble.

"So... what?"

Both ponies stared up at him, and he sneered. "We all hit the junk pile sooner or later! All of us! No child stays a child forever! We're all just animated plastic, just tomorrow's trash walking around!"

"You knew?" Tempest gasped. "But... what about my horn?"

"Get with the program, Tempest! I used you!" He shrugged carelessly. "It's kinda what I do! I mean look at me! I'm a movie villain toy! I was made for the movies! I'll never have another shot at the limelight! I'll never be loved, never get played with! Ever! This is it! My one chance! This is all I've got! All I'll ever have!"

He scowled down at Tempest, and swung the staff round, pointing it at her. Despite herself, she flinched away from it.

"And it's all you can ever hope to have, either!"

"That's not true!" Twilight said to her desperately. "Tempest, in the TV show, there's this villain character, Starlight Glimmer? And we redeem her. I mean, I redeem her! And back in Bonnie's room? We just got a Starlight Glimmer toy in the mail, and she's one of us now! Because every pony deserves a second chance. Every pony!"

"Even... me?" Tempest whispered back, miserably.

"Oh, wake up, Tempest!" The Storm King snarled. "Wake up! Open up your eyes! We're mortal, all of us! We only have a limited amount of time here, to make it or break it! And the only thing to do with that -- the only thing -- is to get in first and take what you want from life! Take it! Before someone else takes it away from you!"

The two ponies drew back from him. He was glaring down at them, raging uncontrollably, completely unhinged.

"Because you'll never get a second chance, Tempest! Never! You need to grab all you can while you're here! Make sure no one else gets in your way!"

He suddenly came to a halt. And smiled, as if at a wonderful thought. "And, speaking of which..."

Dropping the staff, he reached out and grabbed up both ponies, one in each hand. Tempest struggled desperately, but even she couldn't break free of his grip. And Twilight knew she didn't have a chance either.

The Storm King turned, and strolled past the thrones, heading out towards the balcony. "I'm going to make sure that this time, I'm not the one who gets knocked over the edge! This time, I won't be the one who loses! I'm not gonna be torn to pieces by that monster down there!"

"Wait..." Twilight gasped. "You know about that thing?"

"But," Tempest said desperately, "we're not done filming the balcony scene yet! You need us to finish the movie!"

"I don't need you! Either of you! Your close-ups are done! And it's like you said, that filmmaker doesn't care about any of us. When you're gone, he'll just order up new copies of you."

He grinned evilly.

"After all, that's what he did the last time!"

Twilight and Tempest stared at each other in horror.

"And this time," the Storm King went on, we'll do my final big scene properly, with no issues, and no complaints... because what does an E-Zonned toy ever have to say, eh?"

He laughed, loud and long.

"The only one who's coming out on top here... is me!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The other ponies had just returned to the model Mega Cannon, in sight of the castle playset.

"Look!" Rainbow pointed. "Up there on the balcony -- the Storm King's got Twilight and Tempest! He's gonna chuck them over! We gotta save 'em!"

"Both of 'em, Rainbow?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on, A.J.! This is no time to quibble! We save 'em both now, sort it out later!"

"No argument here. But how we gonna get up there in time?"

"My party cannon!" Pinkie patted the monster cannon proudly.

"Aw no, not that thing again!"

"Whaddaya mean again, A.J.?" Rainbow stared at her. "You've never done this before!"

"You kiddin', Rainbow? It was bad enough watching it in the movie!"

"Oh, come on! Get in, everypony!" Rainbow yelled. "We gotta hurry!"

Reluctantly, the pony toys piled into the cannon, while Pinkie carefully wound up the spring mechanism and shoved the massive barrel into alignment. Then the party pony hopped into the cannon herself -- having somehow acquired a crash helmet and goggles in the process.

"Everypony ready?" Pinkie asked, excitedly.

"Ready as we'll ever be," Applejack said, fatalistically. "But Pinkie, if we're all inside this thing... who's gonna fire it off?"

"Oh, yeah! No problem, A.J., I got a plan!"

Crawling back up to the mouth of the cannon, she looked down. And spotted one of their Storm Guard captors approaching the base of the cannon, clearly searching around for the escaped prisoners.

"Hi! Looking for us?" she called.

The Storm Guard's mask snapped up, and he growled angrily.

"Well, here we are, come get us! All you have to do is push that big red button on the side to lower the cannon barrel!"

Warily, the Storm Guard approach the cannon, and put a paw on the button. He looked up at Pinkie, who nodded happily.

"That's the one! Better push it before we get away!"

She slid back down into the cannon, and giggled, grinning at the other ponies. "Three... two... one..."

The guard pushed the button. And then leapt back when the cannon's spring went off, thrusting the cannon backward across the table.

And five ponies went flying through the air, arcing towards the palace balcony.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Storm King strode towards the balcony railing, cackling madly to himself. Twilight and Tempest struggled, unable to get loose from his grip.

And then, suddenly, it rained ponies.

Applejack smacked hoof-first into the small of the Storm King's back, making him lose his grip on Twilight and Tempest. And then Pinkie collided helmet-first with his head, dazing him and sending him stumbling forward. His knees hit the balcony railing and he tumbled over it, desperately flailing, and then vanished from sight.

Twilight looked up from where she'd fallen, astonished. And then she smiled in relief. "Woah! Perfect timing everypony! I'm so glad you're here, I..."

And suddenly she was being smothered from all sides by a group hug.

"Aww, come on, Twi!" Rainbow said. "You know we could never leave you gals hangin'!"

"You and Tempest both!" Applejack pointedly added.

"Yeah, yeah! Rub it in, A.J. Hey! I call dibs on the big stick with the gem on it!"

"I... think we should just work on getting out of here," Twilight said. Then she shut her eyes in happy bliss. "In a minute. I am so glad to have you girls back!"

"Why?" Fluttershy asked. "Where did we go?"

Twilight looked at her. "You... don't wanna know."

Tempest stared at the heap of ponies, all hugging each other, Twilight right in the middle of it. And Tempest smiled. It might not get her horn back, but maybe Twilight was right. She didn't need her horn to...

And then she saw the Storm King, clambering furiously up over the railing, reaching out a paw to grab Twilight's tail, as if determined to drag her down with him.

"NO!"

Near-blind with rage, Tempest launched herself over the group of ponies, colliding bodily with the Storm King and sending him flying back over the railing... in midair this time, with nothing to grab onto. He plummeted helplessly away, into the shadows below.

Tempest herself was also flying uncontrollably over the railing, arcing out into the darkness, to her death. She had only a moment to regretfully hope that Twilight would find the toy she and her friends were looking for, and get her home safely...

And then there was a sharp tug on her tail. She swung downwards like a pendulum, slamming hard into the curving plastic wall of the balcony. It momentarily knocked the wind out of her, and she dangled in midair, swinging back and forth...

... and so she had a perfect view as the Alien Queen grabbed onto the falling Storm King. The monster fell upon him, dismembering him in furious rage, scattering the pieces about the pile of discarded parts in her lair.

Then the Queen's head swung up toward Tempest. She hissed loudly.

Tempest finally managed to take a deep, restoring breath, relieved that she hadn't had to deal with that thing herself.

Up top, on the balcony, Applejack and Pinkie together held the end of Tempest's tail, the other four ponies holding on to brace them.

"I can't believe she did that," Applejack said.

Twilight nodded. "I can." She smiled, then looked around at the others. "Okay, everypony... heave!"

Slowly, steadily, Tempest was hauled back up and onto the balcony. Once she was safely sitting on it, she just sat still for a moment, catching her breath. And smiling thankfully at her rescuers.

Twilight stepped closer, and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Are you all right, Tempest?"

"I am now. Thanks!" Then she looked around. "Hey, has anyone seen Grubber?"

"Uh, boss?" The hedgehog peered out from the arch leading onto the balcony. "Err, sorry for ducking out like that. I wouldn't have been much use. And I didn't want to screw things up by being in the way. If... you don't want me as your hench-hog any longer, I'll understand. I mean --"

Tempest cut him off with a look, and then motioned imperiously with a hoof. Timidly, Grubber padded up to her, hunched fearfully...

... and then found himself wrapped in her forehooves, being hugged tightly.

"Uhh... geez, boss. What's this for?"

"This," Tempest whispered, "is what friends do."

"Ooookay. You feelin' all right, boss?"

Tempest sighed. "Don't ask silly questions, Grubber. I'm just glad to be alive." Letting him go, she cleared her throat, then turned to look at the other ponies.

"Now," she said. "Who was that toy you came looking for, again?"

Comments

[Weirdly Normal Human]

Huh, a nice combo of Prospector Pete and the Storm King.

Neat.