My Little Pony: Sparkling Harmony: Repairing Burnt Bridges

by Captain_Cosmos

Episode 5: Defying Gravity

The sun rose over KiliHima Village signaling the start of a new day. And Twilight and Sparkler were ready to head out on patrol seeing as how they were still there for a Friendship Mission. “Alright.” Sparkler said to her kids. “Be good for Grandma and Grandpa.” She said.

“We will!” All nine kids said in unison.

“Good luck out there kiddo.” Thundercracker told Sparkler.

“If anypony gives you any trouble, just Horn Pulse the KPD.” Aurora responded. “Chief Hard Case said he’ll send out an officer on the spot.”

“Chief Hard Case is still around?” Sparkler asked.

“Yeah. So don’t worry.” Thundercracker said.

Sparkler nodded. “Alright.” She said.

After a goodbye, Twilight and Sparkler left the house, Flappy and Mina joined them outside. “Squawk! So. Where to first? Squawk!” Flappy asked.

“Let’s go downtown, that would be the busiest this time of day.” Sparkler suggested.

“Then that’s where we go. I’ll Horn our friends and let them know where to meet up with us.” Twilight said as the four walked.

---

Bradford opened his little booth for business in the morning, ready for another day of trying to sell some old stuff that he and Nova didn’t need anymore before they moved to a new town. Not five minutes after he opened up, he noticed his friend Mark approaching. “Morning Mark!” He said happily.

“Morning Brad. How’s it going?” Mark asked.

“Eh, could be better since yesterday. Hey, did you know Sparkler’s back in town?” Brad asked.

“I spent the afternoon with her and her new friends, and new family.” Mark responded.

“Right, Royal family. You think I should give them a refund on the mulahiq al'ahlam they bought for their daughter?” Mark asked. “You know, to maybe try to get on their good side so they don’t throttle me for what I unwittingly did to Sparkler?” He asked.

“Something tells me they wouldn’t take a refund.” Mark said.

“Are you sure? Because here’s a little fact for you Mark, Sparkler is an Alicorn, and in their home country of Equestria, They’re considered ROYALTY. Meaning for thirteen years, KiliHima school had a student body that harassed ROYALTY and I might as well have almost killed Royalty thanks to my blabbermouth.” Brad said, becoming more panicky by the sentence. “This is what karma is Mark, my stupidity is coming back to bite me in the flank!” Brad went on and on.

“Bradford! Calm yourself dude!” Mark responded.

Brad took a few deep breaths, calming himself down. “Sorry, ever since Potion Nova clued me in yesterday, I’ve been antsy.”

“Yeah it was definitely a surprise. But relax, Sparkler is not royalty. She told me herself yesterday.” Mark told Brad.

Brad would’ve sighed in relief, but another thought prevented him from doing so. “Well she might not be but her Significant Other most certainly is. I am positive Sparkler’s told her about our circus fiasco of a date, and now, they’re here with their nine kids and I sold a Dream Catcher to one of their daughters. By the way did I count right? NINE kids?!” Brad asked.

“Yeah. Can you believe it?” Mark asked with a chuckle.

“Sparkler has nine kids. Just, wow.” Brad Commented. “Oh Mark. What the heck am I going to do?” Brad asked.

“Well, you COULD talk to her. Tell her your side of the story.” Mark suggested.

“Nova suggested the same thing last night. Do you think that’s a good idea?” Brad asked.

“Yeah. In fact, I talked to her last night and she said she would hear your side of things.” Mark said.

“…She…She did?” Brad blinked. “How the heck did you talk her into that?” He asked, dumbfounded that Sparkler would be willing to even BE IN THE SAME ROOM with him after what happened.

“She said she would under the conditions that you two meet in a private room away from everypony, that her parrot be present in the room as a witness, and her friends in close proximity. Essentially a reverse of what happened in Freshman year.” Mark explained.

At that, Brad actually did breathe a sigh of relief. “Ok so she’s asking for perfectly reasonable terms given the circumstances. Ok that makes me feel better.” He said. “Tell her I agree to those terms.” He said.

Mark smiled. “I’ll let you know the location.” He said.

“Thanks Mark. Oh, and one more thing, where does Sparkler currently live if I may ask?” Brad asked.

“Somewhere in Equestria called Ponyville.” Mark responded.

“Alright. Thanks Mark.” Brad responded.

Mark nodded and left. Brad continued to smile for about, five seconds before facehoofing. “Ponyville. Exactly where Nova and I are moving.” He groaned. “Is this fate pushing me and Sparkler together?” He asked nopony in particular. “Is this a sign that it’s time for us to bury the hatchet?”

He sighed. He thought back to school where he watched Sparkler get harassed every day and assaulted. For years, he had stood by and watched, too scared to try and do something. Always giving in to peer pressure. It wasn’t too long before High School when he developed his long-since passed crush on Sparkler. “Heh. Figures a song would be what I need to push me over that boundary.” He commented as he thought back to what finally gave him the courage to reach out to Sparkler. And that’s when spontaneous music started playing…

---

Meanwhile, downtown, Sparkler was just staying quiet while Twilight and her friends did most of the asking around, trying to find Friendship Problems. Now, Sparkler would ask a pony herself on occasion but only if that pony wasn’t one of her bullies, but because fate was a cruel one, more often than not it was one of her old bullies, and she just couldn’t bring herself to talk to any of them. During her non-talking time, Sparkler’s thoughts randomly went to a song that she had taken a liking to back in High School. A song that had a moral that she ended up following through on in Ponyville. At that moment, spontaneous music started playing for her. And unbeknownst to her, that same music started for Brad.

🎶Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I’m through with playing by the rules
Of somepony else’s game

Too late for second guessing
Too late to go back to sleep

It’s time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap

It’s time to try defying gravity
I think I’ll try defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye I’m defying gravity
And you won’t bring me down, no

I’m through accepting limits
‘Cause somepony says they’re so
Somethings I cannot change
Until I try I’ll never know

For far too long I’ve been afraid
Losing love I guess I’ve lost

Well if that’s love
It comes at much too high a cost

I’d sooner buy defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye I’m defying gravity
I think I’ll try defying gravity
And you won’t bring me down

I’d sooner buy defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye I’m defying gravity
I think I’ll try defying gravity
And you won’t bring me down

Bring me down.🎶

The unintentional duet came to an end and Brad let out a sigh. After staring at something on the table for a few seconds, he gained a new look of determination on his face. “You won’t bring me down…” He said under his breath. At that moment, he made up his mind, while before he was hesitant, now he was determined. He was GOING to meet with Sparkler, and aim to bury the hatchet between them once and for all.

Meanwhile, Sparkler was brought out of her thoughts by Feathers tapping her on the shoulder. “Hey Sparkler?” She asked. “What the Faust was that about? You just broke out into song for seemingly no reason?” She asked.

Sparkler jumped when she realized that she was singing out loud. “Oh, uh. I’m…not sure. I just…felt the urge to sing for some reason.” She said, shaking her head clear. “Uh, did anypony find anything?” She asked, deciding to change the subject back to the Friendship Mission.

To be continued…

Author's Note:

Why Sparkler and Brad Dueting Defying Gravity (In the manner that neither knows the other is singing the same song)? Because I feel like it captures Sparkler's and Brad's situations very well.

Brad was always peer pressured into not reaching out to Sparkler. And he wanted to be done playing by those rules. Hence why he asked her out in High School, to break the limits his former friends pressured on him.

Sparkler meanwhile was stuck in her own set of rules that were forced on her. She was the school's punching bag, To the point where she tried hiding her wings in sweaters.

And both of them needed help to break those boundaries they had known for so long. Brad needed to be inspired by (Ironically) Defying Gravity, while Sparkler needed the support of one like her and the support of her friends to break through the limits of the sweater and come out to Equestria with her wings.

And while Sparkler might be skeptical (And rightly so in her eyes) Brad will not let this chance fat has given him go to waste. He won't be brought down again.

Ok that's enough of the deep thoughts. Now it's time for Sparkler to reunite with some more familiar faces. Faces belonging to SANE ponies that didn't bully her :)

THX FOR READING!

P.S.

For those of you who are new to Sparkling Harmony, I have a discord server you can join called Sparkler’s Club.

Sparkler’s Club

Feel free to join. ;)

Comments

[Bronycommander]

o need t be embarresed, Sparkler, this was cute!

[Captain_Cosmos]

11169539
Hopefully the song choice made sense

[Bronycommander]

11169542
yes

[midnight arrow]

11169542
yes it did also great chapter

[Captain_Cosmos]

11169548
Thanks.

[Da Fennec]

Wonders if the solution to the Friendship problem is already working itself out

[Captain_Cosmos]

11169645
Who knows. Sparkler and Twilight might not have just found the pony yet.

[Fluttershylover3]

Feathers is right xD what's with ponies breaking out into song and dance

[Zekrom117]

Beautiful song, got misty-eyed for a few seconds, wonderful chapter, cant wait for more XD

[Silverstone28001]

11169689
I think it’s Harmony magic at play especially when a pony needs an emotional push to voice their thoughts out.

[Captain_Cosmos]

11169689
In this case there was no dancing.

[Captain_Cosmos]

11169698
I anticipate two more chapters. in this story. And trust me, the finale is going to be awesome.

[Captain_Cosmos]

11170405
I forgot to add that they and Maddy are staying with Starlight and Spike.

As for species, Pecker and Streaker are more parrot than Pheonix, and Flapperina is more pheonix than Parrot.

[Exodd]

Mark nodded and left. Brad continued to smile for about, five seconds before facehoofing. “Ponyville. Exactly where Nova and I are moving.” He groaned. “Is this fate pushing me and Sparkler together?” He asked nopony in particular. “Is this a sign that it’s time for us to bury the hatchet?”

All roads lead to Ponyville
eventually

With the surge in population, it will soon become the proper main city of Twilight's kingdom

[Captain_Cosmos]

11173310
Remember that Twilight doesn't take the throne in this AU, Celestia and Luna never retire and hoof it to her.

[MatTheBook]

11173328
What if they pass?

[Captain_Cosmos]

11424678
Alicorns are immortal in this universe. So they can only die of unnatural means.

And if that does happen. Well of course Twilight would have no choice but I'm too squimish to actually kill off Celestia and Luna