• Published 22nd Dec 2019
  • 855 Views, 28 Comments

Can You See Me Now - Marezinger Z



Zephyr Breeze, Marble Pie and Snips set themselves on their friends and family after receiving greatly enhanced abilities from an unknown Unicorn.

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Chapter 4

Having split up the next day to try and gain some ground in the situation, Twilight and her friends spread out to see to their given missions. Under Sweetie Belle's direction, Applejack and the CMC began travelling towards the Buckball Museum where she imagined Snips would strike next.

"I hope y'all are right about this." Applejack eyed the long road ahead.

"I may not know how Snips is doing this." Sweetie Belle began. "But we do know the why."

"That's right." Applebloom nodded. "Snips feels that Buckball is stealing his friend away. He destroyed the stadium, the next likely place is the museum."

"What the heck are we supposed to do when we find him." Scootaloo asked. "How can we stop him?"

"Y'all leave that to me." Applejack looked down at her confidently. "I've wrangled critters big and small."

"Maybe I should have been easier on him the other day." Applebloom pondered. "I wasn't trying to make him feel bad, I just wanted him to stop all the sale shenanigans."

"I can understand why he's upset, but that doesn't make anything he did right." Sweetie Belle defended. "You did the right thing, right Scootaloo?"

"Yeah." Scootaloo answered after a long pause.

"But..." Applebloom eyed her.

"I just know how he feels." She continued. "When things in life are already hard enough, sometimes the last thing you need is some pony telling you you're not handling it right." She looked across at Applebloom. "It's just like with my wings. I... know I can't fly, probably never will... and only I know how that feels. Hearing others tell me to hang in there or to look on the bright side doesn't always have the affect they think it does; sometimes I don't want help, I just want some pony to understand." She returned her eyes to the road. "I think maybe he feels the same way."

Applebloom considered her friend's words carefully, her sister saw this and patted her head reassuringly. "Don't worry." Applejack smiled. "There's never always a clear right or wrong when it comes to being there for others, all we can do is try. I'm sure you had his best interest in mind, heck... I'm sure Snips knows that too." She saw her sister's smile return as they continued on.

The feeling of being right didn't sit well within them as they neared the museum grounds; the same panic the CMC had heard at the stadium registered in their ears. With Applejack at the lead, they hurried to the scene as many others ran past them in the opposite direction. Snips' head rose from the horizon as they made it up to the museum; with methodical step he lumbered towards his target as ponies watched helplessly.

"Whoa boy." Applejack raised her hat. "Ain't wasting any time, is he?"

"We have to stop him." Applebloom ran ahead.

"Wait up!" Scootaloo shouted as they galloped after her.

"Snips!" Sweetie Belle called as they ran alongside him. "Snips! Stop!"

"Huh?" Snips halted and looked down at the girls. "You again?"

"Yes, us again!" Applebloom said firmly.

"Don't do this, Snips!" Scootaloo called up to him. "Let's just talk!"

"What a coincidence." Snips glared down at them, his eyes igniting once more. "Now that the world has to take me seriously, all of the sudden some pony want's to hear what I have to say." He stomped the ground, causing the girls to stumble. "Forget it! I'm doing things my way now!"

"Hold it!" Applejack ran in front of him as he moved to continue. "The girls said you were doing this to try and get Snails back, right!? Well, how do you think he would feel if he saw you stomping all over something he enjoys and cares about!?" She noticed him pause at the question. "We know some pony is making you do these things, probably feeding you all kinds of nonsense about how this will make things better! But it won't!" She readied her lasso. "Y'all need to tell us who did this to you so we can stop them!"

"You're wrong!" Snips' mysterious aura intensified and his voice began to distort. "Renaissance isn't making me do anything! I wanted her help, she made me strong and gave me what I needed to finally make every pony stop treating me like a joke!"

"No pony thinks of you like that!" Sweetie Belle tried to assure him.

"Really?" Snips finally began to turn from the museum and back to the CMC. "I'm not as dumb as every pony thinks I am. I know I'm short." He stepped towards them, forcing them to fall back. "I know I'm fat." He took another step. "I know I have weak magic." His aura began to flare even more. "I've never been popular; always laughed at, looked down on by other colts and avoided like the pony pox by fillies." In spite of his anger, his eyes began to grow damp and the glow about his body started to fade. "The only pony that ever wanted to be my friend, ever understood and accepted me... knew what it was like to be me... was Snails." He raised his foreleg. "I'm not going to lose him too!"

"Oh no you don't!" Applejack threw out her rope and lassoed his raised hoof before he had a chance to bring it down, she yanked with all her strength and pulled Snips around to face her again.

"Let me go!" Snips pulled back, dragging Applejack closer to him.

"Not gonna happen!" Applejack galloped towards him, the sudden slack in the rope causing him to go off balance.

"Watch out!" Applebloom pushed Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to the side as he began to topple towards them. The three girls jumped and were tossed a dozen feet as Snips hit the ground; the concrete walkway cracking under the impact.

"I'm gonna hog tie you till you decide to act right!" Applejack ran in, attempting to weave her rope between his legs.

"Hog tie?" Snips growled. "Because I look like a pig, right!?" He bucked his hind legs, catching the rope and sending Applejack flying back into the wall of the museum.

"Applejack!" The girls cried in unison, running to her aid.

"That's what you get for sticking your nose where it doesn't belong!" Snips rolled and got back to his hooves. "Now I..." He stopped at the sound of tandem galloping; he looked back down the path and saw a series of royal guards heading his way. "Aw man, lost too much time." He quickly turned and began to run in the opposite direction, his immense gait making it impossible for the guards to follow.

As Snips made his escape, the guards rushed over to Applejack who roused herself from her impact. "We got here as soon as we could." The lead guard explained. "Shall we get medical aid?"

"Nah, I'm fine." Applejack dusted herself off and fixed her hat.

"You... are?" He looked her over in shock.

"That wasn't nothing but a love tap." She assured. "Bessie has kicked me harder than that."

"He got away again." Scootaloo noted.

"It's alright." Applejack wound her lasso and returned it to her side, stepping by the confused guard. "We stopped him from damaging the museum, and we've got a name to work with."

"Renaissance, right?" Sweetie Belle recalled.

"Right." Applejack nodded. "Let's head back, hopefully the others had some luck." She patted one of the guard's shoulders. "We'll leave the rest to you."

"Uh, alright." The guard watched them as they headed off.


Rainbow Dash figured the easiest way to lure Zephyr out was to simply lay herself out as bait. She flew high, coasting above the city of Cloudsdale with Fluttershy keeping an eye on her from below. As she made her fourth round of the city, a familiar blur blew by her and skidded to a halt atop a cloud.

"There you are." Rainbow Dash folded her forelegs as she hovered.

"Oh, actually looking for me?" Zephyr smiled wide. "Wow, times are changing."

"Can it." She pointed her hoof at him. "Just listen. We know something is up and we know some pony is behind this; you need to cough up a name so we can stop them and get you and the others back to normal."

"You want me to go back to how I was?" He asked, anger flowing into his voice. "Back to the stallion you wouldn't give the time of day to?"

"Zephyr, this isn't about me." She insisted.

"It kind of is, Dash." He retorted. "I know that the two things you respect are speed and skill; now I have both... and it still isn't enough?" His eyes began to glow. "What do I have to do, Dash!?"

"Zephyr Breeze!" Fluttershy's voice sounded above the clouds. "That is enough!" She rose to Rainbow Dash's side.

"Oh, great." Zephyr sighed. "What do you want, sis?"

"I want to help you, Zephyr." She gestured to him. "Listen to you, this isn't the brother I know."

"You mean the failure you could always use to prop yourself up?" He asked bitterly.

"What?" Fluttershy felt genuinely hurt by his words.

"We're not doing this again, sis." He shook his head. "Because nothing is wrong this time. I like the new me, for the first time I... I like myself." His face soured. "So of course, that just isn't going to fly with every pony else." He looked back to Rainbow Dash. "You know, I thought making myself stronger would finally get you to give me a chance, but now you resent me for being even greater than you." He laughed. "There's just no winning with you, is there Dash; just the way you like it."

"Zephyr." Rainbow Dash calmed her tone. "Please, whatever you think I think... you're wrong."

"We want to help you, Zephyr." Fluttershy continued. "Whatever magic is influencing you is..."

"You just don't get it, do you?" He stopped her. "All Renaissance did was give me new strength, and with that strength I'm finally able to be open and honest with myself; finally have the confidence to stop being walked on and speak my mind." A moment of sorrowful honestly entered his voice. "Finally be seen and heard instead of just pushed to the side like... like I don't even matter." His aura began to calm.

"Zephyr." Fluttershy was struck hard by the realization that he wasn't being manipulated, only speaking from his heart.

"Renaissance, huh?" Rainbow Dash sternly repeated the name. "Is that who've I've got to knock senseless to get you back to yours?"

"Crap." Zephyr realized he said her name. "She's going to be peeved."

"She?" Fluttershy repeated.

"Aw c'mon!" He punched himself in the head. "I'm outta here, we'll settle this next time!?" The cloud he was on shredded into atoms from the speed at which he took off.

"I'd chase after him, unfortunately even I can't catch him." Rainbow Dash painfully admitted. "But we've got some info to go on at least."

"Yeah." Fluttershy stared out into the empty sky where he had vanished.

"Don't worry, Shy." She laid her hoof around her neck. "We'll stop this Renaissance character and get your brother back."

"That isn't what I'm worried about." Fluttershy sighed heavily.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind, let's just get back to the others." She turned and headed back for Ponyville.

"Hey, hold up." Rainbow Dash doubled back and followed after.


Knowing that Marble had zeroed in on Big Mac, the group headed back to Sweet Apple Acres; sure that she would return once more to seek him out. The sight of the side of the Apple Family home blown out made their hearts sink; they hurried inside to find a disoriented Granny Smith working to clean up the damage.

"Granny!" Big Mac ran to her. "What happened?"

"Huh?" She rubbed her hoof in her ear. "You're going to have to speak up, can't hear a darn thing after that girl's hollering."

"Marble?" Pinkie Pie asked loudly.

"Yeah, don't know what got into her." Granny Smith set her broom aside. "Said she was looking for Big Mac, told her he wasn't here and she started getting angry... blue too, now that I think about it." The old mare sighed. "Started yelling so loud she literally brought the house down."

"Oh no." Limestone looked at the massive hole. "I'm sorry Granny Smith; don't worry, we'll stop her."

"Do you know which way she went?" Sugar Belle asked.

"Headed off into the orchards." Granny pointed outside.

"Let's go." Maud said calmly, climbing out through the wall and heading for the farm lands.

They fanned out and scouted the fields for Marble. With the knowledge of what was going on, Big Mac was hesitant to confront her as he honestly didn't know what to say. A part of him hoped that her sisters would find her first, a hope that faded as he and Sugar Belle finally came upon the little Pie in the western orchard.

"There she is." Sugar Belle whispered.

"Yeah." Big Mac held her back. "Let me, I don't want you getting hurt." He stepped out into the clearing, his heavy hoof steps catching Marble's ear.

"Big Mac." She smiled. "I knew you'd come back eventually."

Big Mac was taken aback by how clearly and naturally she was talking, nothing like the overly shy and demure mare he had first met. "Marble. I know you've been looking for me, but that doesn't excuse what you did to my home."

She saddened as his disapproval. "I'm... sorry; I didn't mean to do that." She promised. "I was just... upset." She approached him. "I need to talk to you."

"Sugar Belle told me what's been going on." He nodded.

"She..." Her eyes immediately grew angry. "Whatever she said... she doesn't know what she's talking about."

"Marble." Sugar Belle emerged from the tree line.

"Sugar Belle, I told you to stay back." Big Mac glanced back at her worriedly.

"YOU!" Marble boomed, the trees around her rattling. "I thought I told you to STAY AWAY!" She lurched forward as she screamed, Big Mac moving in front of Sugar Belle and taking the brunt of the shockwave. "Big Mac." She raised her hoof. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Marble!" Pinkie's voice came from the trees as she and her sisters leapt out into the field.

"Pinkie?" Marble observed them. "Maud, Limestone... what are you doing here?"

"We came for you, silly." Pinkie sped in and wrapped her forelegs around her.

"You..." Marble stuttered.

"Thank goodness you're okay." Pinkie carried on. "We were worried about you."

"Yeah, why'd you just up and disappear like that?" Limestone asked. "Is it true that some pony used some kind of magic on you? What's the creep's name?"

"I..." Marble began to grow agitated, trying to pull herself free of Pinkie's hug.

"You've caused some real damage." Maud noted. "But we know it wasn't your fault."

"Yeah." Pinkie nodded, rubbing her cheek against Marble's. "Now that we're all together, we can..."

"Back OFF!" Marble roared, sending her sisters flying across the grass.

"Oh no." Sugar Belle saw her start to radiate energy again.

"Owie." Pinkie rubbed her head. "Marble... what's wrong with you?"

"Yeah, what's the big idea?" Limestone stood. "We're trying to help you. You don't know..."

"NOOOOOOO!" Marble raged. "Stop TALKING for me. Stop putting WORDS IN MY MOUTH!" Everyone covered their ears and hunkered down, the trees in the path of her voice beginning to uproot. "I came here to talk to Big Mac, not you and not SUGAR BELLE!" Again, Big Mac stepped up to shield Sugar Belle as Marble's anger was directed towards her.

"Marble!" He shouted back. "Stop this, now!"

Marble's aura faded as she shrunk under his anger at her. "Please... just listen to me."

"I already know." He said firmly, bravely approaching her. "Sugar Belle told me that you confessed feelings for me."

"We connected." Marble looked to him with heartfelt eyes. "I know we did, but she said you never even mentioned me before?"

"We did." He admitted. "But, I never heard anything from you about it. Not a letter, or a visit or anything." He sighed. "Look, I'm a lot different now then I was back then. I've learned to speak up and share my feelings... but that's only because of Sugar Belle."

"That's what Renaissance did for me." Marble held her hoof to her chest. "I wanted to speak up back then... but I couldn't. But now I can, now I am." She stepped towards him. "I really like you Big Mac, I think you're wonderful and now that I'm better than before we can have something."

"I'm... sorry, Marble." He apologized. "Whatever could have happened just didn't, it isn't any pony's fault." He gestured back to Sugar Belle. "I love Sugar Belle and I'm not willing to give that up for anything or any pony." He held his hoof out to her. "And this... this isn't better, Marble. Look what you're doing?"

"He's right, sis." Limestone staggered towards her. "This isn't you."

"And who am I, Limestone!" Marble turned back to her. "Huh? TELL ME!" She stomped the ground, her voice launching Limestone back.

"That's enough!" Maud commanded in a rare moment of outrage. "We know you're angry and upset, we know..."

"You don't know ANYTHING about HOW I FEEL!" Marble turned her voice to Maud, sending her to her knees. "NONE of you do... you NEVER HAVE!"

"Marble." Pinkie tried to get closer.

"NO!" Marble turned her head to Pinkie and sent her into the ground. "All my life I've been the little sister, I never spoke because none of you would ever let me!" Her eyes began to tear up. "Always deciding what I wanted, always telling me how I should feel and act... I'm SICK OF IT!" The ground beneath her collapsed into a crater at her impassioned shout. "I began to rely on you for everything because I was convinced I was nothing on my own; and then... then you all just started to leave me behind." Her tears fell free as her heart emptied. "Pinkie left to live her life and became a hero, Maud left to go to college and even found a boyfriend, Limestone was always the pick to take over the farm... WHAT ABOUT ME!?" She looked back to Big Mac. "I couldn't even tell Big Mac how I felt and now... I don't have ANYTHING!"

"Marble..." Limestone pushed herself up. "I'm... I'm sorry... I didn't know you felt that way." She limped towards her sister. "I was just trying to do what was right and keep everything together. Let's... let's just go home and..."

"That farm isn't a home to me... It's A PRISON!" Frustrated and overwhelmed with emotion, Marble raised her head to the sky and wailed with such force that the clouds high above were blown apart. "It all started there..." She muttered as she stared up at the sky. "I'm never going to be free until that place is GONE!" She started to run off, the group too battered to give chase.

"No... she's going after… mom and dad." Limestone managed.

"We have to... stop her." Maud forced herself to walk.

"How?" Sugar Belle asked as she and Big Mac helped them along.

"Twilight will know." Pinkie assured.

"I have to stay and make sure Granny is OK." Big Mac looked back to the house.

"We understand." Sugar Belle took his cheek. "We'll meet up again when we can."

Pinkie saw Limestone fall to her butt with a helpless look in her eyes. "Limestone?"

"This is all my fault." Limestone struggled not to cry. "I pushed her too hard...I..."

"This is on all of us." Pinkie laid her head to Limestone's. "Our little sister has been in so much pain for so long and we didn't even know... what kind of sisters are we?"

Maud patted their heads with a light smile. "The kind that makes it right."