Sunny Starscout and The Mystery of Magic

by OneLonelyPickle

12 - Of Potions and Ponies

An emerald field of grass stretched out before Sunny, and everywhere a pink, yellow, or baby blue flower moved with the breeze. Sometimes, the ground curved upward and became a hill, and on top there would be a huge oak tree. Sunny smiled.

She ran through the field and laughed with abandon. Bumblebees flew from flowers when she disturbed them, and tiny blue jays chirped and sang and followed her. Sunny jumped into the grass, turned onto her back, and watched the clouds above sail by. The air was warm on her fur, and Sunny could smell pollen.

Something in the air caught Sunny’s eye, creating streaks of rainbow behind it. It was nearly as blue as the sky, so Sunny could only catch a glimpse of it whenever it passed in front of a cloud, but she quickly realized it was a Pegasus.

Sunny gasped.

“It’s the figurine! The mare from my figurines!”

The Pegasus zipped and zooped in the sky, performed a loop-de-loop, then changed course and flew at Sunny.

“W-whoa, watch out!”

Sunny leapt out of the way and landed in a bed of yellow flowers. She shook her head as she got up. She turned around and saw the Pegasus had landed not far away.

“Hey. Sup?”

The Pegasus had magenta eyes that reminded Sunny of her own mane color. The Pegasus’s mane was rainbow-colored like the streaks she had left in the sky, and she was indeed as blue as that endless sea above. The Pegasus looked confident and proud, just like the figurine Sunny knew all too well. Sunny beamed and bounced in place.

“I can’t believe it’s you — oh I have so many questions! I uhh — can you tell me your name? I always made up names for you six, but I really want to know if—”

The Pegasus corked Sunny’s mouth with a hoof and chuckled.

“Hey kid, calm down. One thing at a time.”

The Pegasus thrust her head up and threw her mane out of her eyes.

“I can’t tell you my name buuut I can tell you I’m a super awesome pony who flies around and can kick clouds a mile away!”

The Pegasus assumed an excited stance as if ready to pounce.

“You wanna see?”

Sunny lit up.

“Do I!?”

Sunny watched the Pegasus fly about for what must have been hours, although Sunny stopped caring about time. She lied back in the grass, inhaled the fresh scent of summer, and closed her eyes with a sigh.

Somepony whistled in the distance. Sunny opened one eye.

“Sunny Bunny, are you out there?”

Sunny’s mouth dropped. She scrambled to her hooves.

“D-Dad?”

Sure enough Sunny spotted a pony at the top of a distant hill with another pony by his side. Sunny’s lips quivered.

“Dad, Mom, I’m over here!”

Sunny broke into a full gallop, tears streaming down her face. As she got closer, there could be no doubt it was them.

Her father had a tall mane of blue, swept back and revealing his spectacles. His coat was a similar shade to the Pegasus’s, with a pair of mutton chops sitting just below his cheeks. He wore an emblem made of wood around his neck with a six pointed star carved into it. It was unmistakably him.

Sunny’s mother, on the other hoof, looked more like Sunny. Her mane was a similar color but darker and shorter, and her fur was more yellow than salmon. She chuckled as her daughter closed in.

“Get ready, Argyle, she’s going to—”

Sunny tackled her mom and dad to the ground and hugged them tight and sobbed.

“I missed you guys so much!”

The three ponies embraced. Sunny’s mother brushed her daughter’s hair and shushed her while Sunny’s father patted Sunny’s back.

“Sunny Bunny, we’ve been here the whole time. It’s you who we haven’t seen in a long time.”

Sunny sniffled and pulled off of her parents. They stood up and smiled at her.

“But mom, dad, where are we?”

Sunny’s mother looked up to the sky. Sunny followed the gaze and spotted the Pegasus floating on a cloud not far away, waving at the three Earth Ponies below.

“In short,” Sunny’s father said, “We’re inside your mind. This is a dream.”

Sunny frowned as the Pegasus leapt off her cloud and dived toward Sunny and her parents.

“O-oh… I guess that makes sense…”

Sunny looked down at the grass swaying in the gentle breeze. It was a beautiful day in her dreams – the sun was big and heavy with light. It seemed so perfect. Sunny felt fresh tears building at the corners of her eyes.

“I just hoped… I mean, I guess I—”

“Listen kid!”

The Pegasus landed beside the three Earth Ponies with a gust of air and Sunny looked up.

“You’ve got a job to do! There’s no time for dreaming! Equestria has been waiting for way too long!”

Sunny looked at the Pegasus and then at her parents. Everypony smiled at her. Such resolute smiles. Sunny shook her head.

“All I do is dream – even when I’m awake. I’m not sure what I’m really doing, I’m just doing what feels right. It’s like a gut feeling. I know, it’s insane, but I—”

Sunny’s mother put a hoof on her daughter’s shoulder.

“That’s exactly what we raised you to do.”

Sunny’s father put a hoof to his chest.

“Remember what we used to say? ‘Anything you do, do it hoof to heart!’” Sunny’s father closed his eyes and patted his chest. Sunny sniffled and did the same thing. “You didn’t forget what it means, did you Sunny Bunny?”

Sunny shook her head and smiled.

“It means we put our heart into everything.”

“And that’s enough. You’ll see. But you can’t lose your way.”

The world started to shake. Sunny looked around frantically.

“W-what’s happening? Mom? Dad?”

The Pegasus and Sunny’s parents flickered like dying candles. Still, everypony smiled at Sunny. Her mother spoke, so close physically yet she sounded far away.

“Don’t forget what Old Man Withers told you — find yourself! And then, find the Wise One. She can explain everything to you.”

Sunny’s body suddenly shot into the sky as if some invisible force pulled her up. The earth below continued to quake. Sunny reached out.

“No! Mom, dad! I can’t do this alone!”

Sunny flew up higher and higher. She heard the voice of the Pegasus shouting far below.

“You’re not alone, Sunny Starscout! You’ve got your pals now, remember?!”

A flash of light and a huge gust of wind hit Sunny.

* * *

Sunny returned to the waking world with a jolt. She sat upright in the bed she was lying in and felt cold sweat mat her mane and fur. She looked around.

The room had dull white walls and a few small windows letting in enough light to see what was inside. There was the bare-bones bed with the thin sheet that Sunny was laying in, and a rickety wooden table against the wall opposite the bed. On it was a tray full of little clay jars and vials. Sunny panted and held her beating chest. She whimpered and closed her eyes.

“Mom, dad, I—”

The door creaked open. A mare walked in.

“Oh! You’re awake, Ms. Starscout!”

The mare smiled in such a genuine way, and given Sunny’s predicament, it threw her off. Sunny made to leave the bed but discovered a tight chain around her left forehoof, attached to a piece of metal on the wall. She groaned when she accidentally yanked at the sore hoof.

Sunny glared at the wall, her forehoof, and then at the mare.

“Where am I?”

She’s pretty too, like Izzy… jeez… and I thought school was bad…

The mare’s eyes twinkled with amber irises brought to life by her full, black lashes. Her mane was a lime green twisted into so many braids - her coat a daisy yellow. Her dimples popped when she smiled. The mare wore a vest that contained slots for vials and things to be inserted and carried on her chest and on her side, and an off-white handkerchief with a pattern of flowers hung around her neck.

“This is one of the respite lodges – you’re halfway to Castle Rockhoof.” The mare closed the door behind her, walked to the table, and placed a few vials from her vest on it. Sunny saw all colors of fluids inside. The mare continued. “When the Barge arrived at our dock, Sir Bastion was in bad shape but still carried you with one hoof! I’ve had to tend to both of you all night” — the mare covered her mouth with a hoof, closed her eyes, and giggled — “If you can believe it, they don’t have any apothecaries at the Castle. Not a one!”

Sunny did not relax her glare.

“And you? Who are you? And where’s Izzy?!”

The mare did a curtsy and cleared her throat daintily.

“My name is Layla Grassroots. I’m an apothecary from Tall Tale. The Protector sent for me a week ago, and lucky for you and Sir Bastion — umm, well, he seems pretty tough, so he probably would have been fine. But you - if I wasn’t here…” Layla giggled. “I’m afraid you might have lost your hooves! They were getting pretty bad from those chains.”

Sunny quickly pulled her hooves from under the covers. Bandages marked where Sir Bastion’s chains had been previously. The newest chain was in a different spot. Sunny breathed a sigh of relief.

“It still hurts a bit but… wow. I didn’t realize it was that bad.” Sunny mock coughed. “Thanks…”

Layla smiled warmly and cocked her head.

“You’re very welcome, Ms. Starscout! The Protector will want you in one piece.” Sunny noticed a slight change in Layla’s demeanor. “If you fail to take to the reeducation, well…” Layla frowned. “I’m afraid she may have to resort to Sir Bastion’s way of doing things.”

Layla’s whole body twitched as if she had remembered something.

“Oh, right! The Warlock King’s sister.” Layla sighed and closed her eyes in a pensive expression. “Unfortunately, I don’t think happy times await her. She’s outside in a cage now, but there is no reeducation offered to Hornheads. I believe Sir Bastion will interrogate her for secrets, and then the Protector will probably want me to make some Fluidius Forgetius before we send her back to her brother.”

Layla smiled and the end of her tongue poked out of her mouth.

“We wouldn’t want the Hornhead to spill the beans about the interrogation – that really WOULD cause an incident!”

Layla grabbed a vial off the table and moved beside Sunny’s bed, humming while she did so. Sunny shuffled back until the chain would not permit her to go back any further. Her stare was as hateful as any she had given to Sir Bastion.

“None of you are going to put a hoof on Izzy — get that stuff away from me! I’m not drinking it!”

Layla frowned.

“But if you won’t let me give you the Treesap Tincture, I’ll have to get Sir Bastion to do it.” Her mouth screwed into a worried, diagonal line. “Annnd if he has to do it, it won’t be very pretty. As an apothecary, I really must see that your treatment is done properly. Any rough behavior could cause the healing process to rebound.”

Sunny struggled to pull her hoof out of the chain. Layla uncorked the vial and emerald green mist came out of the top, the same color as the slightly glowing fluid inside. Sunny gritted her teeth and turned her head.

“Come on,” Layla assured, “It will make you feel better. It numbs the body for a few hours and lets it heal faster. Don’t worry – you’ll be riding on the Barge, so no need for walking or trying to escape!”

Layla brought the vial to Sunny’s lips but she refused to open up. The smell of the fluid hit the back of Sunny’s nostrils – an invigorating aroma of tree bark, sap, and wood chips. Sunny involuntarily opened her lips and Layla quickly poured the Tincture inside.

Sunny hacked and gagged but the fluid made its way down her throat nonetheless. It was cool and refreshing, Sunny had to admit to herself, but try as she might there was nothing left to cough up when she tried, so instead she rubbed her hooves against her tongue. Layla giggled.

“There! Not so bad, is it? My, you’re like a foal getting some medicine from her mother!”

Layla smiled and turned to leave, getting to the door when Sunny spoke.

“Wait! Izzy has a scroll from the Voice of the Five Tribes! You need to let her go!”

Layla sighed.

“That thing... it can’t save the Hornhead now. Sir Bastion has confiscated the fake scroll.” Layla made a sad noise, then left, closing the door behind her.

“Wait! WAIT! IT’S NOT FAKE! DON’T TOUCH IZZY! LEAVE HER ALONE! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO LET HER GO!”

Sunny struggled against her chain for a few minutes until the Tincture, just as Layla said, began to take effect. Sunny’s vision spun, and her body numbed to the point that, while she could move all her extremities, it was like doing so after sitting on a leg for a long time. It was the same tingling sensation, albeit not unpleasant.

Sunny fell back, head onto the pillow, her body reacting against her wishes. She stared at the ceiling, letting her thoughts ruminate.

“This is… not good… I have to… save Izzy…”

After a long time, the door burst open and flew to the other side of the room, right beside Sunny’s bed, shattering against the wall. Sunny forced her upper half up to see who it was. Her face soured and the stallion at the doorway smirked, as he always did.

“Oops.”

* * *

Little blue birds chirped in the sky and the hot sun looked down upon the world with its furious, boiling glance. Bumblebees flew from flower to flower, collecting pollen for their hives. Truly it was a remarkable day – Sir Bastion breathed the air. He closed his eyes and savored the taste of the Realm’s scent. For once his wide smile betrayed his emotions in their entirety.

“Ahh, perfection. Truly, truly perfection, this day.”

Sir Bastion, in a new set of fancy bronze armor, and looking as if the previous day’s fight had not occurred, stood tall and proud in the center of a ring of Earth Pony soldiers, plus Layla Grassroots and another mare, much larger and bulkier than even Sir Bastion.

Sunny Starscout and her friends, as luck would have it, were in little cages just beyond. They had front row seats to the meeting Sir Bastion was holding, and just behind were a number of little boring grey buildings with thatch roofs – the “respite lodges” Layla had mentioned. And further back was a similar albeit larger building – the barracks, or so Sunny reckoned. And beyond that still was the dock and Rockhoof’s River.

And, at the end of Rockhoof’s River…

Sunny sighed. The Tincture made her body sluggish – and she didn’t feel like moving anyway, so she laid and stared at the cage bars.

At least I’m not in pain anymore… and I got to eat.

Luckily for Sunny, Layla Grassroots intervened on her behalf and Sir Bastion permitted her to eat enough soldier gruel (the only food available at that halfway point to the Castle – Sir Bastion’s orders) to fill her stomach.

“Thank goodness you’re okay Sunny!” It was Izzy in the adjacent cage. “I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault, I…” She trailed off. Hitch, on the other side, chuckled.

“Yes, now you’ll be awake for the whole ride to the Castle! And look!”

Hitch threw up a hoof.

“Now I get to come with you as a prisoner! Oh, by the way, Sir Bastion revoked my sheriff status! Thanks, Sunny!”

Izzy awkwardly shuffled out of the way so Sunny could glare at Hitch once she shifted her body and looked up, with great effort. Sunny saw that all of Hitch's things were taken, including his sheriff’s star and shovel. Her speaking was slower and strained.

“I don’t recall ever… asking for your help! But you’re welcome; next time maybe… don’t let that creep push you… into the river! Why didn’t you… escape?”

Hitch pointed back toward Sir Bastion.

“With him on my tail? Even after his fight I didn’t stand a chance trying to run away! And that big one, Crusharra, would have turned me into jelly if Sir Bastion didn’t buck me into this cage!” Hitch smiled flirtatiously and flipped his mane up. “But, uhh, at one point they did have that cute mare with the green braids take a look at me and I got to go to the bathroom behind a tree. So it’s not all bad.” Hitch chuckled and stared at Layla Grassroots. “Cute as a button. ♪Layla oooo Laaaaayla♫.”

Sunny’s face turned red. She wanted to kick Hitch, or at least throw something at him, but there was nothing to throw and no way to kick his flank. Sunny was too numb and released her anger with a sigh and looked up at Izzy. Seeing the Unicorn with a tiny smile on her face made Sunny smile in turn.

“I’m glad you’re okay, too, Izzy.” Sunny’s face contorted into worry. “But, your things… the scroll…”

“Don’t worry Sunny! It will be okay. I’m sorry to be so much trouble.” Izzy looked to the dirt. “But I won’t cause you any more soon enough, I suppose.” Sunny’s brows pointed downward.

“Izzy, I absolutely won’t let… Sir Bastion lay a hoof on you! I promise - hoof to heart!” Sunny struggled to turn onto her side so she could actually put her hoof to her chest.

Hitch blew air out of his mouth.

“Hoof to heart – really? That corny gesture again?”

Sunny glared at Hitch.

“Your brother always… seemed to like it!”

Hitch jumped back, looking like a little colt. Sunny smirked.

“Yep, I remember Halter. Never forgot him… in fact. I heard he went… to Castle Rockhoof… ages ago… and I bet you got kicked out… because you were trying… to one-up him like… when we were in school.”

Hitch glared back at Sunny, his lips closed and puffed, ears sticking straight up. Sunny continued, letting her neck relax and resting her head against the grass and dirt.

“It all makes… sense to me now. I forgot you… were his brother. To me you were… always the whiny little colt… who couldn’t accept that everypony liked… his big brother more than him.”

Hitch stopped glaring and looked away. Sunny waited for a response and, failing to get one, she forced herself to look up again. Hitch’s brows were sad. He sighed.

“Halter’s not at the castle. Noearthpony knows where he is.”

Sunny frowned. She opened her mouth, but Sir Bastion’s voice assaulted her ears and cut off any hopes of a reply.

“Now my dearest Crusharra: I have been, against my will, healing for a half day now. Tell me — why are you here and not your page?”

Sunny strained her neck and head so she could watch the meeting, though from a sideways angle. The giant mare bowed for Sir Bastion, her maroon ponytail reaching her chest as she leaned forward. Her coat was a peachy shade, and like Sir Bastion, most of it was covered up by thick bronze armor. She was taller than even Sir Bastion, and was so bulky she looked more like an elephant than a pony. Her voice was deep and loud for a mare.

“Sir Bastion! I’m sorry! My page quit!” She bowed her head and kicked the dirt. “I, umm, accidentally slammed her… into a tree… so I was told to come perform my page’s duties until they find me another one.”

Sir Bastion looked up at his compatriot with a look of disdain.

“Honestly? Crusharra, that is the third page in months. I appreciate your vigor, but good pages are hard to come by. Like my Nate Chivaltarry, for example!”

Sir Bastion turned around and around. He spotted his page off to the side, staring at Layla Grassroots. Sir Bastion cleared his throat, and the blushing page scurried to his master’s side.

“S-s-sorry Sir Bastion! I was uhh…”

The soldiers laughed. Sir Bastion, smiling as always, patted his page on the back hard enough to rattle his armor.

“Nevermind that, dear page! You released the Warning Skink on the boat, despite your cowardly fear! If something, Protector-willing, had happened to me, that would have been the only way to stop those prisoners. Although, you DID fail in preventing the bulk of them from escaping.”

Sir Bastion leaned close to his page. Nate avoided looking at the giant crescent smile and sucked in his lips. Sir Bastion chuckled.

“Anyway, we have the Starscout, Trashblamer, and most importantly the Hornhead. I would say this is an excellent haul. I will hunt down the escapees and punish them accordingly soon enough.”

Dame Crusharra stomped her hoof.

“But Sir, Sir! The Drake is still out there! Give me the order and I will capture him myself!”

Sir Bastion hmphed.

“Vigor only counts for so much, Crusharra. The Drake is weakened, but he could still best you, I am afraid. He has the aid of his Hornhead trickery and machines.” He turned to the caged Sunny, and so did the others. “I will track down and deal with the Drake once I ensure that one is safely inside the dungeons of Castle Rockhoof.” Nate Chivaltarry poked his master with a hoof. Sir Bastion raised an eyebrow.

“B-but master, p-perhaps a general alert should be issued? T-to protect the Earth Ponies in the n-nearby villages and towns.”

Sir Bastion stamped a single hoof against the dirt.

“Right you are, dear page! Right you are!” Sir Bastion turned to a random soldier. “You! Sound the general alert – a Hornhead villain is in the area. Do not approach under any circumstances.”

The soldier quickly saluted and was off. Sir Bastion, and then everypony else, turned back to Sunny.

“Ms. Starscout,” Sir Bastion asked, “How has your stay been? Relaxing? Comforting?” Sunny glared a response. Sir Bastion laughed. “You look like you are taking a nap - are you tired? I should have thought you would be well rested by now. Our dear little apothecary Ms. Grassroots patched you up on my request, you know. Enjoy it while it lasts.” Sir Bastion narrowed his eyes and his smile widened. “What awaits you at the Castle will more than make up for the suffering that I endured knowing you were being healed.”

Sunny strained again to look up. She spit toward Sir Bastion. It landed unceremoniously some feet away. A single vein popped up on Sir Bastion’s neck.

“Charming mare. We will see how charming you are after I am done with you.”

Layla Grassroots chimed in with a giggle.

“Don’t forget, Sir Bastion! The reeducation comes first!”

Sir Bastion sighed.

“No, I cannot forget, because ponies keep reminding me.” Sir Bastion stared at his page, who himself was again lost in Layla’s eyes. “Nate, you and this one would make a great pair — you are both little nuisances.” Nate barely seemed to notice the words, but Layla frowned. Sir Bastion noticed and bowed.

“Ahh, my apologies, dear apothecary. I did not mean much offence. We do appreciate your potions and your healing abilities.” Sir Bastion raised his neck and addressed the soldiers with a louder voice. “All of you! Do not forget to give Ms. Grassroots your utmost thanks for sharing with us her knowledge and application of Meadowbrook’s secret potion arts! Never forget what we must defend from the Hornheads and Featherfreaks!”

“YES SIR BASTION!” was the resounding cry in response.

Suddenly, Dame Crusharra locked eyes with Hitch and stomped up to his cage. He scurried back as much he could, looking like a mouse in front of the angry cat that was Dame Crusharra. She leaned down so she could look at Hitch.

“YOU!” She looked back at Sir Bastion. “Sir Bastion, I know what you said earlier, but permission to beat this one up, please? He made Castle Rockhoof look bad! And his brother, the head sheriff! He just died a few weeks ago!”

Hitch took a step forward, emboldened from anger.

“Don’t you dare talk about my brother as if any of you actually care! And he’s not dead!”

Sir Bastion approached Hitch’s cage but stopped a foot or so away.

“Crusharra, the idiot needs to be in one piece as well. I want to watch his pleas before the Protector fail utterly, and then I want to be the one to break him.” He looked up at Dame Crusharra, who was nearly frothing. If Sunny thought Sir Bastion’s neck veins looked like little worms then Dame Crusharra’s were huge, angry snakes. Sir Bastion continued. “Although, perhaps I will let you smack him around a few times. You have always been a good and loyal Knight of the Realm.”

Dame Crusharra smiled sinisterly.

“Thank you, Sir Bastion.”

Sunny could hold in her emotions no longer. She brought up her head again.

“Hey jerkface!” Everypony looked at her. Sunny forced a strained, defiant smile. “Just so you know… you’re never going to break me… and I’m not going to let you touch a hair… on Izzy’s head!”

Sunny stuck out her tongue and wagged it around. Sir Bastion’s neck veins popped up again. One of the soldiers snickered. Sir Bastion marched over and bucked the terrified soldier into the trees. Everypony else remained silent after that, everypony except Sunny, whose temper flared.

“Hey! Stop doing that to your fellow soldiers! What is wrong with you, you jerk?!”

Sir Bastion snorted out as if holding in a great stress. Dame Crushara roared with rage.

“YOU PUKE! HOW DARE YOU TALK TO SIR BASTION THAT WAY!”

She prepared to tackle the cage, but Sir Bastion held up a hoof. He stared at Sunny, no part of his face twitching. Sunny felt the weight of the creepy smile on her and was forced to look away.

“Soon, Ms. Starscout. Soon. If I did not respect the Protector, her family, and the hierarchy that keeps this Realm intact, trust me when I say you would be getting what you deserve right this second.”

Sir Bastion turned to a random soldier.

“Get a gag on her – and new chains to keep her from removing it. And this time, no exceptions.”

Sir Bastion addressed everypony else.

“It’s time to leave! To Castle Rockhoof!”

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Its like Sir Bastion has somehow got a tiny sliver of the gem from the Alicorn Amulet, or shaving from Sombras horn, or so such psychopathic magical relic embedded in him somehow?

[Eroraf86]

11156188
Only a shaving? He's got the whole ruddy horn, right up his sadistic bum!