Equestrian Earth: Team Solar Moon

by Tyrant Molestia

Meeting the Team

Chapter 1

Meeting the Team

“Dude.”

“No.”

“Dude.”

“No.”

“Dude.”

“I said no.”

“...du-”

“Fine, I’ll get the game, just shut up already!”

My friend displays smug grin in place of words.

“I hate you sometimes.”

“Dude, it’s worth the hate for the love later on.”

“Why am I friends with a Changeling again?

“Because you don’t have a choice with the royal decree...thingy from Princess Celestia?”

“....nevermind.”

So, here I am. The only possible unicorn to ever befriend a Changeling, and he has to be the most annoying thing in existence. Sometimes I hate him, but I could never stay mad long enough to tell if it was real hate or the brotherly love/hate that should only be between bros. What’s wrong with my life? ...Don’t answer that. I don’t think I want to know.

“So dude,” The Changeling looked up towards me. “I still don’t understand something.”

“What don’t you understand Twitch?” “I continue to stare out the window of my Ponyville house. The crowd that was there a week ago had just left yet again when they ran out of insults to say long ago. I’m thankful that the Mane Six, as some of us ponies from Ponyville have began to call them, had ended any potential fights before they had began. It helps when they have a letter from the Princess stating that the changeling was being studied in a controlled environment and was not to be disturbed. Not that it helped all that much. Whatever happened to ‘love and tolerate’?

“Why do the ponies hate me? I wasn’t even there for the attack on Canterlot. I was with you in Manehatten when that was going on.” He looked back down with his unusual yellow eyes. The funny thing is that they never change color when he changes into a different pony. Helps a lot when trying to find him.

“I honestly don’t know why, Twitch.” I looked at him. “I know one thing though,”

He looked up to see the smirk on my face. “We are going to kick some serious flank when we get that game tonight.”

~~~~~

“How long do I have to keep this disguise up for Noble?”

“Just until we get back to our house at the edge of town with that new game in our hooves.” I told him as something clicked in the back of my head. “...and stop calling me that.”

“It’s your name though, isn’t it?”

“Well yeah, but it doesn’t mean you can call me that right now, bro. I don’t want anypony to recognize me by my name.”

Twitch looked down in thought. “Why not? I thought you would want the ponies to know that you were the Commander of the Secret...uh whatever thingy.”

“It’s Director of the Secret Service Twitch, and I don’t need the publicity of what I do for the Princesses to get out. It’s not like anypony would care that I go and discreetly nab all of Equestria’s most wanted from right under their noses anyway.” I sigh in exasperation.

I had already explained this to him after Princess Luna accidently let it slip during the Royal Decree which Princess Celestia had practically every single Officer of, like, every Branch of The Equestrian Army and Naval Officers attend. She then proceeded to ‘punish’ me for harboring a Changeling by forcing me to take care of him. Of course, I don’t exactly remember what happened after that as I was kinda drunk celebrating the news with Twitch afterwards.

“Well they should care. You do so much for them and they don’t even give you a single speck of respect for it.” Twitch said with a gleam in his eyes. “It’s just wrong.”

“Yeah well, I don’t care,” I said dismissively. “It isn’t like the hierarchy of the Main Branch that Captain Shining Armor commands. We are not meant to catch the eyes of everypony with our heroic duties. It is a ‘Secret Service’ for a reason, end of discussion.”

Twitch looked back at me for a second, probably trying to decide what to say next.

“Okay then, uh...,” The disguised Changeling looked up in thought. “Oh! What do you think the game will be like huh?”

I paused for a second. ‘What did I think the game was going to be like? I knew it would be based on an old version of equestria. It would also be like a role-play type deal or something, as well. Maybe have some bandits and goblins, and you could never go wrong with some treasure hunting now and then.’ “I don’t know what to think, Twitch.” I shrugged. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?”

“Yeah I guess...we...will?” Twitch’s eyes got bigger as he stared at something in the distance.

“What? Do we need to take a detour?”

He shook his head.

“Do you have to pee?”

Twitch shook his head even harder.

“Is there a beautiful mare that will let us get laid with her there?”

He shook his head again.

“...do you have to pee?”

He looked at me in exasperation. “Dude. Look at that longass line.”

I looked over to where his hoof was pointing...

...and proceeded to drop my jaw.

The line was freaking huge! It looked like every single pony in Ponyville was in that line.

“Yo, Twitch! Hey, Nubs!”

I flinched at the name I was called. I never liked names like that. All the ponies always gave me a hard time over how short my horn was when I was just a colt. Of course, it allowed me to cast faster spells than the average unicorn, albeit they were usually weaker as a result.

Twitch looked over to see who was calling us, although I already knew who it was.

“Hey, Lyres!” He called out to the seafoam coloured pony.

I just sighed. Don’t get me wrong. Lyra was one of the best friends a pony could ask for but she tended to carry a conversation a tad bit longer than was actually necessary. She was however, the one who got us the house we live in so I guess we could go over and say hello.

“Oh, Lyra. How are you doing?” I asked hoping against hope that she wouldn’t hear me.

“I’m doing good Nubs!” She looked like she had previously swallowed half a ton of candy...or at least tried to; It was all over her face. “Are you here to get the new Equestrian Earth game too?” She knew about it?

“Uh, yeah. We were on our way over until we saw how long the line was,” I replied. “But since the line looks like it goes all the way to Neigh Pan, I think we’ll just wait ‘til tomorrow to get it.

“What!? Why would you wait, it’s going to be sold out by then!” She looked like she was about to cry, although I didn’t know why she would do that. Then she perked up as if she had an idea. ...oh, no. “Why don’t you cut in front of me?”

“Uh, I don’t think that’s such a-”

“Sure thing, Lyra! Thanks!” I looked at Twitch with as big a glare as I could give him.

“Thank you for offering Lyra, but I think the other ponies behind you would be upset.” I glanced over to the other ponies behind her who were giving the poor musician the look of death...not that she noticed.

“Oh, they’ll be fine!” She shrugged the comment off. “It’s not the end of the world or anything.”

For her sake, I sure hoped not.

~~~~~~

“Are you guys as excited as I am! I mean this game is, like, thee game. It’s the game to end all games, It’s-”

“Lyra!”

“Yeah, Nubs?”

“Calm down, filly.” She had been going off about this game since we got in line, and every time she stopped, she would start up all over again! “If you keep this up, I will gag you and shove you into a closet in the most boring place you could think of.”

“...sorry.” I turned my head towards her to see her holding back a sniff....and failing. ‘She has got to be the most emotionally weird pony to ever exist.’

“Lyra, I’m sorry,” She didn’t look at me. “It’s just everytime you go off about something, you tend to ramble and I don’t want you to end up saying something you might regret. Now turn that frown upside down and make it big. It’s our turn in line.”

She managed to smile a little bit which was good. I never did like to see her sad; it would break my heart every time I saw tears on her face.

Hey Nubs, Twitch.”

“Yes Lyra?” “Yeah Lyres?” We answered respectively.

“What’re your ingame names going to be, huh? I wanna team up with you two. It would be like the Haylo Tournament all over again!” She beamed at the memory.

Huh. I hadn’t thought about that since the time we almost beat the Mane Six in the Finals. It was close but they had won only due to having one more pony in the team. We did give them a run for their bits. though.

“It would be fun to have all five of us together again,” I replied. “What do you think Twitch?”

I looked over at Twitch. He seemed to be thinking hard about something. “My name is going to be ‘Hive’. He said after about a minute of pondering.

I looked at Lyra as she cleared her throat. “Well mine will be ‘Heartstrings’, oh! I hope the game has a class with potions!” She squealed. “What about you Nubs?”

“Me? Well, since it won’t matter in-game, I guess you can call...me...‘Noble’.” I trailed off as I saw on the shelves the last two Equestrian Earth gamecases. “Well, crap.”

Lyra and Twitch looked at me, then at each other. Lyra was the first to speak up.

“Well since you two were ahead of me I guess you both get dibs on them.”

I turned to face her with a stern look. “I don’t think so, little filly. You were the one that let us in front so you have no choice but to grab one,” I glanced back at my changeling in disguise. “Bug colt and I get to choose the old fashioned way.”

He turned his gaze over to me and grinned. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

I gave a sigh. “Yes, Twitch. We have no choice. It’s time to play the one thing that got us into this whole mess in the first place, and for that we need a certain pony here.”

“Aww, yeah!” He gave a pause. “Let’s get the game first before we do it though. Those other ponies are giving us a really...hungry look.”

I peered over at the line only to notice that he was right. They seemed like they were ready to tear us apart for the chance to get the last game.

“...er yeah, I guess we can wait to get this underway.” I answered hesitantly.

~~~~~

Later, after we were able to get away from the angry and ravenous group of equines, we walked our way over to Sweet Apple Acres to see an old friend of mine. I scanned the massive field until I spotted three fillies playing around a fixed up treehouse.

“I say we should get our cutie marks in boar hunting!”

“An’ Ah say we should try to make potions at Zecora’s!”

…Well, maybe arguing would be a better term to use.

“Hello girls. Have you seen Big Mac ‘round anywhere?” I asked.

They turned towards me in surprise.

Applebloom spoke up first. “Well howdy, Mistah Star. Mah big brother is up at the barn making sum’ of that adult cider that we aren’t allowed near.” She seemed a bit downtrodden when she said that last part.

“Thanks ‘bloom. I turned to go before I added with a smirk, “ Oh, and one more thing. If you see your sister tell her that ‘Team Solar Moon’ will be on their way to the top this time.”

“Sure thing, Mistah Star. Ah’ll make sure she gets it.” She replied in a somewhat chipper response.

“Solar Moon? What’s that?” The orange filly with the unkempt mane said.

Twitch perked up at this. “You mean you never heard of Team Solar Moon!?”

The tiny pegasus shook her head.

“Team Solar Moon is, like the only team to have made it to most all the Haylo tournaments in at least third place! We are a legend in the gaming world!” He practically shouted that last part with his front hooves in the air dramatically...and then proceeded to fall on his face.

“...why did you want Apple Bloom's sister to know then?” The white unicorn squeaked.

‘So cute’ I thought as I took over the conversation. “Well she’s part of Team Awesome, the group that has almost always gotten first place in every tournament they ever attended.”

“Team Awesome? My sister is apart of that too!” She said.

“Really?” I asked a little shocked. “What’s her name?”

“Rarity.”

“Oh, her. I still can’t get over the fact that she assassinated me that many times when we played against them that one time.” I replied whilst rubbing my head. “She must be in some Branch of the Royal Guard that I haven’t had the displeasure to meet to be that good.”

“Royal Guard? She makes dresses!”

“...” I just stood there, totally numb to the world. ‘Dresses? She makes dresses!? I got assassinated by a seamstress!?’

“Mistah Star? Are ya’ll okay?” Applebloom asked me.

“Huh? Oh, uh yeah. I’m good. You said your brother was in the barn right? Good, Twitch let’s go get this underway, what do ya say?” I said, probably a little too fast.

“It’s about time! I’m ready to kick your flank from here all the way to Canterlot!” The still disguised changeling quipped as he started to run towards the Apple’s Barn.

“Yeah well, the Big Apple himself will be the judge of that you lil’ bug!” I shot back as I ran after him.

The three crusaders looked at one another.

“What was that all about?” Scootaloo asked.

“Ah don’t know, but Ah say we go an’ find out!” Applebloom returned.

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle agreed.

Then, they too ran to the red barn.

...only to be stopped by Applejack calling from the house to tell them that it was lunchtime.

~~~~~

“Hey Big Red! You in here?” I shouted out into the echo-enabled barn.

“Eeyup. Over here fellas.” Came the reply from behind a giant cider container. Big Mac walked out from behind the wooden structure and greeted us each with a tall glass of cider. “Ah was wonderin’ when y'all would get here. Had the whole thing ready to go by the tahm you finally got here.”

“You know us too well, don’t ya Big Mac?” Twitch asked as he was finally able to release his disguise.

“Ah reckon so Twitch. How long has it been since I saw you last?”

“Uh...about five months since you visited us in Manehatten during your forced vacation.” Twitch remarked. “Who would have thought that you would have to be blackmailed by your cousin Braeburn to take one, eh?”

“Ah got him back for it, Ah assure you.”

“I’ll bet.” I said as I took a swig of the family brew. “Ahh, damn Big Mac. You sure know your stuff when it comes to making hard cider.”

“Only the best from an Apple, Noble Star.” He acknowledged with a drink from his own mug.

“I hear that.” Came my reply.

Twitch looked back between the two of us. “Okay, now that we have greetings out of the way, what do the lot of you say we get the show on the road eh?”

Big Mac and I looked at each other. “Ah reckon we might as well. Ah got the deck o’ cards right here.”

Twitch gave the biggest grin he could possibly as he sang. “Alright~!”

We each pulled up a seat as we got out our betting chips.

“Alright then, the rules as per norm’,” I began. “No take backs, no peeking and above all...” I paused as I flashed my eyes towards Twitch’s spot. “No more than two doubles on you chip raising.”

“Aww. That’s no fair.” The bug responded dejectedly.

“When you start making some money, then I will lift that rule. I’m still paying for that one game.”

“Hey! Ain’tcha forgetting a couple of players?” A voice called out.

The three of us turned to see who was calling us out. “Well?” Bon Bon asked. “You can’t have a Solar Moon card game without the other two members, can you?”

“Yeah! It’s like, against the rules or something!” Lyra quipped as she poked her head from behind the confectioner.

“Lyres, Bonny! You made it~!” Twitch sang out with hearts in his eyes as he gazed at his favorite chocolate maker.

“Twitchy? Oh I’m so glad you’re here.” Bon Bon kissed out at him. “How have you been? I hope the judgement at the Solar Day Court wasn’t too tough on you.”

“It was fine. They only made Noble here have to take care of me with lots of loves.” He said as he acted out me hugging him.

“Yeah, like I could possibly give you that.” I gagged.

“Oh quiet down Nubs, You know you love him like a brother.” Lyra jumped in. “Now pass the cider and let’s get this underway! I’m ready to win all your bits!”

“Ah think you’re forgettin’ who you never could beat, lil’ harp.” Big Mac retorted as he slid a chilled glass to the mare as she sat down.

“Oh yeah? Those were all just flukes and you know it.”

“Care to back up them words?”

“Hush you two. You’re starting to sound like Applejack and Rainbow Dash with all this bickering.” Bon Bon said as she sat down with her own glass and pulled out some of her own chips from her saddlebags.

“Ah do not sound like mah sister.” The red stallion remarked as he poured himself another cup of cider.

“Of course not dear,” She said with a sly gleam in her eye. “You sound more like Applebloom than anything else.”

We all started to laugh at Big Mac’s expense as he choked down his mug.

~~~~~

“- And I said, ‘Dude, thats my coat bro.’ and he was all like, ‘nuh-uh, I found it by the couch.’ and I was like ‘yeah, thats where I left it.’. Twitch retold the tale of how he nearly lost his favorite jacket as we put in another hoof of chips for the next round.

“Heh, Twitch that is so messed up.” Lyra said as she made a grab for some of the sweets that Bon Bon was nice enough to bring with her. “yo shood to-alley chell ano’er.”

“Lyra! Don’t talk with your mouth full!” Bon Bon replied with a disgusted look on her face. “It’s completely improper for a mare.”

“Heh, sorry Bonny.” She said sheepishly as she gulped down the rest of her sweets. The seafoam blue mare then turned her gaze over at my direction. “So, Nubs. What have you been up to before you moved to Ponyville?”

“Huh? Oh, uh I was tracking down Chrysalis to be brought before the court for her crimes against Equestria and the newly founded Crystal Empire.” I said as I drew another card from the pile in the middle of the table.

“Really? How did that go?” Bon Bon inquired.

“I got my plot singed and was encased in some green goop in some cave halfway under Diamond Dog Territory for about a month.” I chanced a glance at Twitch. “If it wasn’t for this little bug here, I might not have made it out alive, let alone had the pony power to take her down.”

Twitch blushed with a humble grin. “All I did was tell the Princess where you were and she sent some guards. It was no big deal, Dude.”

“On the contrary, my brave little lovebug,” Bon Bon inputted. “You saved a dear friend from a grave fate. That’s nothing to be modest about.” She then gave him a peck on his forehead. “If I was the one rescued, I would have been extremely grateful. I might even have a certain changeling’s favorite candy in my saddlebags for just such an occasion to have arrived.”

He perked up at the candymaker. “You don’t mean...”

“I do. How would you like to have a strawberry cheesecake flavored bonbon?”

“Yesss!” The ecstatic Changeling jumped out of his seat in joy.

“Aww. How come I don’t get one?” Lyra asked with her lip in a pout.

“Did you save a leader of an organization from some love sucking ponies?”

“...Maybe.”

“Lyra?”

“Okay, fine. But you still have to play Equestrian Earth with us so we can get the whole team together again.” The candy loving mare retorted.

“Yes well, I suppose it’s only fair.” The dignified pony said as she picked up a card for herself.

“Yo Big Mac,” I looked over at the red guy. “You’ve been too quiet over there. What are you scheming?”

“Ah ain’t planning nothin’. Ah’m just waiting for Twitch to go so I can make mah move.” He said whilst pointing a hoof over in Twitch’s direction. “If N Ah didn’t know any better, Ah would say that he was having a withdrawal or some’in.”

We all looked towards the bug only to see that Big Mac was right, he looked like a druggy who had gone a little too long without his fix, his hind leg trying to follow it’s owners’ namesake.

“Oh, crap! Twitch!” I cried out to the ill-looking bug. “You haven’t been feeding, have you!?”

“I don’t needs to feed! Yess, Feeds us the love! Gives us the precious! No, I don’t want it! We can’t live withouts it!” The apparently head sick changeling shouted at himself.

“Bon Bon!” I shouted, getting her attention. “I think you should do it. We all know that he’ll only feed off of you.”

She gazed over at the black bug rolling on the floor. “Alright dear, I’ll do it. You don’t need to tell me twice to save a friends’ life.” Bon Bon quickly trotted over to Twitch and I. “Just hold him still for a second so I can help.”

I grabbed Twitch so he wouldn’t move as much as Bon Bon walked over as calmly as she could. Of course the same calm couldn’t be said for me.

“Twitch, hey buddy? Look who it is, it’s Bon Bon. You know Bon Bon, right? Come on buddy, it’s time to eat. You know what that means. You can say that you ate Bon Bon. Heh, dang you and your dirty, infectious mind.” I was starting to ramble, as I often did in dire situations.

“Noble SunStar,” I looked up at Lyra in shock; She had never said my full name before. “You need to calm your fat flank down, right now. It’s not doing anypony any good right now.” She gave me a look of disapproval. “I thought you, the pony who commands the Secret Service in which four of us here are a part of, would be the most calm out of all of us.”

I contemplated what she had said. ‘She’s right!’ I thought to myself. ‘What am I doing!? I have proven that I can handle any situation, I took down Chrysalis. What am I afraid of?’ I looked back to where Lyra was. “...Thanks Lyra, I guess I needed that.”

“Glad to be of service, Nubs!” I just rolled my eyes at her.

I attended my attention back towards where my Changeling friend was. Bon Bon had brought her hoof up to his face in hopes that he would bite down but it was a no go. “Why isn’t he doing anything?” She asked me. “ He should be doing something, right?”

“I don’t know. What was he doing right before this began?” I investigated Twitch for some sort of sign.

“Well I was giving him the bonbon I made for him and he...gasp!” Her eyes lit up in realization. “He ate it, wrapper and all, but... the wrapper isn’t poisonous to Changelings, is it?”

I looked her in the eyes. “Yes it is, and now I have no choice but to do the one thing that I have always wanted to.”

“What would that be Noble?” Big Mac pryed.

I cast my gaze across the group of ponies I have come to know as friends. “I have to smack some sense into his thick fucking skull...again.”

As expected, the expressions from the others were diverse. Big Mac looked at me in anticipation, Lyra had an amused look on her face and Bon Bon face was one of bemusement and confusion.

“You have got to be kidding me.” She said.

“No Bon Bon, I am not,” I replied. “I wish I could say I was but if I did then I would be lying.”

I walked over to the now hyperventilating Changeling and then proceeded to bitch-slap him in the face...

...to which he then proceeded to start hacking until a wrapper covered in green goop came out of his mouth.

“Oooh, Chrysalis damnit.” He moaned out. “That is the last time I try to inhale my favorite candy,” He looked at the group of disgusted ponies. “...what?”

“Dude,” I began as I facehoofed. “You are, by far, the weirdest Changeling ever.”

“Oh, come on it can’t be that bad.” He tried to dismiss the situation with a wave of his hoof.

I frowned at him. “You were going all ‘Hobbit Pony’ on us.”

“...oh, well did I at least do the voice right?”

The whole room echoes with face hooves to go around.

~~~~~~

Author's Note:

Questions and Comments that help are advised.

Comments

[Glacia]

Well I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but I certainly did, I also havn't really seen any major problems (Well I sometimes had the feeling that the story didn't go as smooth as it should have gone but it was readable and enjoyable). Anyways, I would suggest simply keep continueing this story and I'm sure the writting will improve greatly ^^ (After all, practice makes perfect). You're a good writter and if you update regulary I'm sure this will become a great story.

Oh and am I missing a prequel orsomething?

[Tyrant Molestia]

2347314 Well thanks for the feedback it's greatly apreciated. I will only be able to update when I feel the chapters are ready unfortunately.
Also...prequel? What makes you think there is a prequel?

[Glacia]

2347481 I wasn't sure if I simply had missed a prequel and that the characters were refering to it .

And that's too bad , but I suppose having chapters that are good but take a while is better then rushed chapters.

[Tyrant Molestia]

2351579 oh I see..sorry about that. I uh, tend to make everything I write look like a story came before it. of course now that I think about it...hmm
Well anyway, yeah I also tend to be a perfectionist at times. Of course I do need a pre-reader or editor...
by the way the second chapter is almost done.