> New Life in Equestria > by jkreader > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Life in Equestria Prologue Deep in a laboratory of their own home, two scientists, Eric and Sarah, husband and wife, are hard at work building a special machine to prevent something tragic from happening in the near future. These two have worked hard on it for nearly three years and now they have almost finished. These two met one day at a science fair during their final year of college. They hit it off, fell in love, and got married. A few years after their marriage, they had a child. A son named Joshua. They loved him very dearly and always spent time with him. Then one day, on Joshua’s fourth birthday, the parents discovered something very shocking that would endanger them all. They quickly devised a plan to save their son and them if possible: a machine that would send others to a different dimension. But as they worked on it, it seemed that they would only be able to generate enough power in the machine for just Joshua. Over the years of working on the machine, Joshua asked them what it was going to do from time to time. Sarah and Eric didn’t want to worry him, so they didn’t tell him much. They did let him help out in whenever he could, though. Then one day, the machine was near completion. It was the eve of Joshua’s seventh birthday, and Joshua had just gone to sleep. Meanwhile, Eric and Sarah were busy putting the finishing touches on the dimension portal. At 10:05 P.M., the machine was finished. They connected it to a power generator they used whenever the neighborhood had blackouts and turned it on. The generator whirred and came to life instantly and slowly but surely, the dimension portal powered up. But as it powered up, Sarah and Eric realized that there wouldn’t be enough power for all three of them to go through. But knowing their son would be safe, it eased their minds. The next morning, it happened. The minute the sun peaked over the horizon, the sky grew a darker shade of red. Meteors from space started raining down on the ground. Air raid sirens began going off, but they were quickly silenced when their power source was cut off or when they were hit by the meteors. Buildings exploded upon impact. Neighborhoods and cities were destroyed. People were running in a panic to escape the apocalypse that was happening, but it was all for naught. They eventually ended up being caught in explosions that were caused by the meteors. The minute the first meteor hit the ground; it created a heavy quake that shook the house Sarah, Eric, and Joshua lived in. It also woke Joshua up instantly. He looked outside and saw what was happening. He grew scared. His neighborhood was nearly destroyed. Most of the houses where his friends lived were gone. He quickly got dressed and ran down the stairs to his parents’ basement laboratory, hoping that his mommy and daddy were still okay. Eric and Sarah finished the final preparations for Joshua. Eric had just finished writing out a letter. He and his wife had just signed their names. To whoever reads this letter, This is our son, Joshua, and where he is from has met a tragic demise. He just turned seven years old today. We sent him to this place and we ask that whoever you are, make sure he is given a good home. Signed, Eric and Sarah They folded up the letter, placed it in an envelope, and sealed it up. Right when they finished, the door of their laboratory burst open. There stood Joshua with a terrified expression on his face. "Mommy! Daddy!" he exclaimed running over to them, "What's going on?! Why are there rocks falling from the sky?!" Eric and Sarah looked at each other, then at Joshua. It was then he noticed that they had pained expressions on their faces. "Mommy? Daddy?" he ventured. "Josh, sweetie," his mother said, "The end of the world is here." "The end of the world?!" he asked even more scared, "Are we going to die?!" Eric shook his head. "Not you, son," he said kneeling down and placing a hand on Joshua's shoulder. "Huh?" Joshua asked, "What do you mean?" "We knew this day was coming,” Eric explained, “This is what this machine is for: it’ll send you someplace safe.” “Why just me?” Joshua asked, “Can’t you two come with me?” “Oh sweetie, we wish we could,” Sarah said tears starting to sting her eyes, “But we were only able to generate enough energy for just you. We tried our best to generate enough for all three of us, but our best efforts weren’t enough.” “But...” Joshua began. It was too much for his young mind to handle at once. He began crying. “But I don’t want to go without you Mommy and Daddy!” “Sorry, son,” Eric said bowing his head in sadness, “Your mother and I truly are sorry we can’t go with you, but you have to be brave and strong for us, okay?” Joshua sniffled a few times, but his father squeezed his shoulders reassuringly. He looked up and nodded. “O-Okay,” he said sadly, “But I’m really going to miss you Mommy and Daddy.” “Here,” Eric said handing Joshua the letter, “Give this to the first person you see. It will tell them what they need to know.” “And take this too,” Sarah said handing Joshua a heart shaped locket. She opened it up and inside was a picture of all three of them that was taken on Joshua’s fourth birthday. “So you’ll remember us, and we’ll be with you in here,” she added pointing a finger at Joshua’s heart. All of a sudden, the ground shook again. One meteor crashed very close to their house. Joshua put the letter in his pants pocket and the locket around his neck. He then wrapped his arms around his mother and hugged her for the last time. Sarah kissed his forehead as she returned the hug. Joshua then went over to hug his father. Eric returned the embrace as well. All three of them then joined together in one final family hug. When they released, Joshua walked up to the machine. A swirl of colors was standing before him as his entryway. He took a deep breath and stepped in. He then turned around and looked back at his parents one final time. Tears falling out, he waved at them sadly. “Goodbye, Mommy and Daddy!” he said, “I love you!” “We love you too, Joshua,” Sarah said. “Goodbye, son,” Eric said, “We love you too.” The swirl started closing around Joshua, but just then, he witnessed the worst thing of his life. Just before the swirl closed, a meteor crashed through and collided with his parents. They screamed in agony from the impact, and their screams were cut off just as the swirl closed up. “MOMMY!!! DADDY!!!” Joshua called reaching out to them, but it was too late. They were gone. Joshua remained silent for a few seconds, and when he finally snapped out of his silence, he fell to his knees, hunched over, placed his head in his hands, and cried. *** In the land of Equestria, the tall, white alicorn ruler, Princess Celestia had just woken up. It had been a few days since the Summer Sun Celebration. There was the rather hectic issue with the strange vines from the Everfree invading, and the Tree of Harmony losing power, but once again, thanks to the newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle and friends, things returned back to normal. Sadly, they had to give up the Elements of Harmony back to the tree, but things would be okay for the time being. Furthermore, Twilight and her friends were going to be restoring Celestia and Luna’s old castle in the Everfree where the tree resided. Princess Celestia had strode out to the balcony just outside her chambers and was now raising the sun for the land she and Luna ruled together. She had just finished when her sister burst through the doors. She had a worried expression on her face. “Sister!” she exclaimed, “Something tragic happened!” Celestia turned around to face Luna. Celestia placed a wing over her younger sister’s back in an attempt to calm her down. After a few minutes, Luna was calm enough to talk normally. “Now, what happened?” she asked. “I could feel the lives of millions perish,” Luna said sadly, “I believe a world has met its end.” Celestia gasped slightly at hearing that. She pulled Luna close to her side as they mourned for the ones that had died. “But that’s not the only thing I felt,” Luna said a little bit later. The royal sisters got back on their hooves. “I could feel someone entering the Realm, and he is the only survivor of the world that has just ended.” Celestia was even more surprised. The Realm was a place very few could enter. Twilight recently entered that place before becoming an alicorn princess. “Come Luna,” Celestia said, “Let us go there and find him.” Luna nodded and the two sisters touched their horns together. There was then a bright flash of light as they disappeared from Celestia’s chambers. *** A little while ago, Joshua had been crying for a few minutes after witnessing the death of his parents. Just then, an opening appeared in front of him. The noise it made caught his attention. He lifted his head up from his hands and saw the other side. It led to a place where there were stars, galaxies, and small traces of cosmic dust. He walked slowly towards the opening and reached a hand through. He lowered his hand down and felt something hard underneath his palm. He then stepped through and was standing on invisible ground. The opening closed behind him in a flash. He jumped suddenly from the noise and darted his head all around him. “Hello?” he called out, “Is someone there?” There was no response. “Someone please help me?” he called again, “I’m lost.” There were a few more moments of silence, until Joshua decided to walk forward for a few minutes. Later, two figures started to fade in from nothingness in front of him. When they fully appeared in front of him, he was standing in front of two enormous horse-like creatures. They were both about the height of his late parents, but a little taller than them, had wings on their backs, a horn on their heads, and each had a mane and tail that flowed through a non-existent breeze. The white one to his left had pink eyes, its mane and tail were striped with pink, blue, purple, and green colors in a rainbow manner, a picture of an orange sun on its flank, gold shoes on all four of its hooves, a gold necklace with a purple gem in the center, and a gold tiara on its head behind its horn. The blue one to his right had blue eyes accented with light blue eye shadow, its mane and tail was dotted with countless stars and was joined with galaxies and nebulae, a black blotch with a white crescent moon on its flank, silver shoes on all four of its hooves, a black necklace with the same white crescent moon from its flank, and a black tiara behind its horn. Joshua’s eyes were wide at the sight before him. The blue one leaned its mouth towards the white one’s ears. He then heard hushed whispers coming from the blue one’s mouth into the white one’s ears. His eyes widened even more. They were talking to each other. He couldn’t hear every word, but he was able to recognize one. Sister. *** When Celestia and Luna entered the Realm, they immediately spotted something they hadn’t seen for centuries: a human. He was a very small one though. Standing at his full height, he only came to about the top of a normal sized pony’s forelegs. He had light tan colored skin, brown hair, blue-green eyes, was wearing a blue shirt, darker blue pants, and black shoes. Luna brought her mouth closer to Celestia’s ear to whisper. “A human, sister,” she whispered quietly. “Indeed, Luna,” Celestia whispered back, “But how he entered this place is a mystery. He doesn’t appear to possess any control over magic.” “Perhaps he had some form of assistance before his world was destroyed,” Luna replied. It was then they noticed tears stains on his cheeks. He had appeared to have been crying for a while. “Let us approach him carefully, sister,” Luna advised, “As I expected, he appears to be upset over what happened. He most likely lost loved ones.” Celestia nodded. The two sisters looked back at the young human child in front of them. They slowly walked up to him. The child stood still as he looked at them approaching. *** Joshua looked warily at the two winged and horned horses as they approached him. He began trembling under their gaze as they stood in front of him. Just then, the blue one lowered itself down and tucked its legs underneath it so as not to appear so intimidating. It then opened its mouth and spoke in a female voice. “Greetings, young human,” she said. She then looked and saw him trembling. “Calm yourself, we are not here to hurt you.” Joshua, still feeling nervous in front of these two, stopped his trembling and looked at them. “Allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Princess Luna, the Night Princess of Equestria and Regent of the Moon.” She then motioned a foreleg towards the white one. “This is my dear, older sister, Princess Celestia, the Day Princess of Equestria and Regent of the Sun.” Joshua bowed his head in respect when he heard the one called “Luna” introduced herself and her sister, “Celestia”, as princesses. “No need to be formal, little one,” Celestia said. Joshua raised his head up when he heard that. “If I may ask, how did you end up in the Realm?” “The Realm?” Joshua asked, “Is that what this place is? I thought I was in outer-space.” “Yes,” Luna answered, “This place is called the Realm. You can only enter here through special means. So to repeat my sister’s question, how did you arrive here?” Not sure if it would give answers or not, Joshua pulled the letter his father, Eric, wrote and held it up to the princesses. Luna lit her horn up and levitated the letter from Joshua’s hands. Joshua flinched a little in surprise when the letter floated from his hands. “Is that magic?” he asked. “Yes, it is,” Celestia answered. She leaned down to read the letter with her sister. When they finished reading, they looked at the child with saddened expressions. "We are deeply sorry for your loss, Joshua," Celestia said. Joshua wiped his tears away from his eyes, sniffled, and looked up at the princesses. "Can you please help me?" "Of course we will," Luna said. She wrapped a wing around him and gently pulled him closer for a hug. "Come with us. We'll give you a good home." With that, the sisters lit up their horns and teleported out of the Realm, taking Joshua with them to Equestria. Music: Reminiscing ~ The KG-8 Incident - Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations Night of Fate - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX I Don’t Want to Say Goodbye - Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky Lunar Nocturnality ~ Celestial Diurnality - AcousticBrony End of the World - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Dearly Beloved - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX > Chapter 1 - Going to Ponyville (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1 - Going to Ponyville *Joshua's P.O.V.* Princess Luna kept her wing on me while she and Princess Celestia took me out of the starry place. We were going through another colored tunnel. When it ended, we were in a very big room. There was a red carpet, purple walls, a seat on top of some stairs at one end, and two very big doors at the other end. There were also some pictures in windows in the room too. I was amazed. “Wow,” I said as looked around the room. “Welcome to Equestria, Joshua,” Princess Celestia said to me. Princess Luna then took her wing off me. “This is the throne room of Canterlot Castle, where Tia and I live,” Princess Luna said. I walked over to the window pictures. They had other ponies in them. One of them had two ponies with wings and horns flying around a strange looking animal that had a lot of different body parts. “That is when Luna and I defeated Discord with the Elements of Harmony,” Princess Celestia said. “Elements of Harmony?” I asked looking back at them, “What are those?” “They are the most powerful known relics to pony kind, and they help keep harmony in balance here in Equestria,” Princess Luna said, “Most of these windows show when the Elements were used.” She then walked up to a picture where there were six ponies (two with horns, two with wings, and two normal) shooting light at one big, blue pony with a horn and wings. “This one for instance is when my sister’s faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, and her friends used the Elements to save me from the hatred and jealousy of Nightmare Moon.” “That’s you?” I asked. “Yes, when I let my anger and jealousy get the better of me,” Princess Luna replied. I turned around and saw another window picture. It had a purple pony with wings and a horn, a gold crown on her head with a pink star gem in it. “Who’s that?” I asked. “That is my faithful student and newly crowned princess, Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic,” Princess Celestia said, “She became my student when she was just a filly, and she never ceased to amaze me over the years.” “Wow,” I said again. Just then, I heard my stomach growling. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna looked at me. “Hungry?” Princess Celestia asked. I looked up at her and nodded. “Come with us, we’ll have breakfast before I take you to Ponyville.” The two of them led me to a room with a big table in it. When we sat down, they gave me a bowl of oatmeal to eat. It was really good. They also told me about Equestria, the different ponies that lived there, and how they ruled it. They told me that there were four different kinds of ponies: unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies, and alicorns, and they also told me about these things ponies get on their flanks called cutie marks. After we finished, Princess Celestia lifted me onto her back and walked to an open window. “Farewell, Joshua,” Princess Luna said, “I’ll see you again soon.” “Goodbye, Princess Luna,” I said waving to her. “Alright, hold on, little one,” Princess Celestia said to me. I wrapped my arms around her neck and she started flying. I’ve flown on airplanes back on my world before, but never felt the wind blowing in my face before. It felt really nice and cool. After flying for a few minutes, I saw a town coming closer. “Is that Ponyville?” I asked. “It is,” Princess Celestia said. She then started slowing down and flying down to Ponyville. When we landed, there was a big tree in front of us. It had windows, a door, and a red sign with an open book painted on it. “This is the Golden Oaks Library. It’s where Twilight Sparkle lives.” She then got down on her knees to let me climb off her back. After I got off, she knocked on the door. When it opened, there was a purple and green dragon on the other side. He was a little taller than me, had green eyes, a green belly, and green spines on his head, back, and tail. “Princess!” the dragon said bowing. “Hello Spike,” Princess Celestia said, “It’s nice to see you again. Is Twilight in?” “No,” the dragon said standing back up, “She had some shopping to do this morning, but she should be back pretty soon.” He then saw me standing next to her and his eyes got bigger. “Uh, Princess, is that a...human?” “It is Spike,” Princess Celestia said putting a hoof on my shoulders, “His name is Joshua. Joshua, this is Spike, Twilight’s assistant.” “Uh, hi Spike,” I said holding out a hand, “It’s nice to meet you.” “Hey, Joshua,” Spike said taking my hand in his, “It’s nice to meet you too.” We shook hands with each other and then let go. “Spike, may we come in,” Princess Celestia said, “I need to ask Twilight something regarding Joshua here.” “Oh, sure, come on in,” Spike said opening the door more for us. After we walked in, I saw a lot of books in the walls, a table with a horse head on it, some windows high up, and some stairs on the other end of the room. Wow, I thought, That’s a lot of books! Just then, I remembered something important. “Uh, Spike,” I said, “Where’s the bathroom?” “Upstairs, first door on the left,” he said pointing up the stairs. “Thank you,” I said. I ran up the stairs and went through the door to see more stairs in front of me. I went up those stairs, but then I bumped into something and landed on my bottom. “Ouch!” said a new voice. It was a girl’s voice. “Sorry,” I said, “I need to…” I stopped when I saw who I bumped into. It was a pony. Her fur was black, her mane and tail were purple, she had a horn and wings, a blue shield with a light blue crescent moon for a cutie mark, and was as tall as Spike, but what I was really looking at was her eyes. They looked like Spike’s eyes, and there was a little green were the white should be. We were staring at each other for a little bit, and then she held out a hoof to me. I took it in my hand and she helped pull me back onto my feet. “Are you alright?” she asked me. “My bottom hurts a little, but I’m okay,” I said. I then remembered why I was going upstairs. “Sorry, but I need to go to the bathroom.” I walked by her and found the bathroom. While in there, I was thinking about that black alicorn filly. Why did she have eyes like Spike’s? *Nyx’s P.O.V.* Who was that? Was that a human? I thought they were myths. “Hello, Nyx,” said a voice. I saw Princess Celestia in the room with Spike after I came down the stairs. “Hi Princess,” I said. “No need to call me that anymore,” she said, “Remember, you’re royalty now too since Twilight became a princess.” “Oh, right,” I said, “Um, Celestia, I saw someone going upstairs to use the bathroom. Was that a human? I read they were myths.” “Indeed it was,” she said nodding, “I brought him here. You see, he’s been through quite a lot recently, and needs someone to look after him.” “Oh,” I said. I then heard footsteps on the stairs and turned around to see the human coming back down. “Ah, there you are Joshua,” Celestia said, “Come on down and meet Twilight’s daughter.” Was that his name? Joshua? That’s a nice name. I walked over to him and held out a hoof to him again. “Hi,” I said, “My name is Nyx.” He wrapped his hand around my hoof, somewhat nervously, and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Nyx,” he said. After we finished shaking, Joshua looked at me in the eyes. “Something wrong?” I asked tilting my head. “Sorry,” he said, “I was just wondering why your eyes are like that?” “That’s actually a long story,” I replied, “You wanna hear it?” He nodded his head, walked back over to Princess Celestia and sat down. She then placed a wing over him. I sat down in front of them and began to tell my story. Read Past Sins by Pen Stroke “Wow,” Joshua said after I finished, “That’s a very amazing story, Nyx.” “Thanks,” I said. I then looked over to a clock and noticed it was getting close to noon. “I wonder where Twilight is. She should’ve been back by now.” Just then the door opened, and we saw Twilight walk in. “Spike! Nyx!” she said, “I’m back!” Joshua looked at Twilight with widened eyes. “Oh! Celestia!” Twilight said, “What are you doing here?” “Hello, Twilight,” Celestia said. I noticed Joshua was standing behind one of her legs looking at Twilight. “The reason I’m here is because I have something to ask of you.” She then stepped to the side and showed Joshua off to her. “Twilight, this is Joshua.” Music: Peach’s Castle - Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story “Spike” - Original Chiptune MLP Theme - MandoPony Riku - Kingdom Hearts II Crepuscularity - AcousticBrony > Chapter 2 - Sweet Apple Acres (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2 - Sweet Apple Acres *Twilight’s P.O.V.* A human. An actual human! I couldn’t believe it! A human finally comes to Equestria after all these years! He certainly does look young, though. “Twilight?” Celestia said interrupting my thoughts, “Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” “Oh! Right,” I said snapping out of my trance. I then tucked my limbs underneath me and looked at Joshua. “Hello, Joshua. My name is Twilight Sparkle. It’s very nice to meet you.” Joshua walked up to me and bowed. “It’s nice to meet you too, Princess Twilight,” he said. I smiled and placed a foreleg on his shoulder. “No need to bow,” I told him, “I’m not entirely used to the whole princess title yet. If I may ask, what brings you here?” I noticed a small tear fall from his eye after I asked. I looked to Celestia for an answer. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. “Twilight,” she said, “Joshua is the last human from the world he came from. His parents managed to save him by somehow creating a device that allowed him to enter the Realm, the place where you became an alicorn. But sadly, they were unable to join him.” “Oh dear,” I said. I turned back to Joshua and rubbed his shoulder. “I’m awfully sorry to hear that.” Joshua wiped the tear away from his cheek and looked back up at me. I noticed Nyx come up behind Joshua and placed a hoof on his shoulder. Joshua turned around and Nyx wrapped him up in a hug. I stood up and looked to Celestia. “You said you needed me to do something for you? Is it something that concerns Joshua?” I asked her. “Yes, Twilight,” she replied, “He needs someone to look after him. Luna and I would do it, but we have our duties as the high princesses to deal with, so I turn to you. Will you look after him?” I paused a moment to consider this. Celestia was right when she and Luna had royal duties to take care of, so they couldn’t look after him, even if they wanted to. I didn’t have that much as far as royal duties was concerned, so that was a plus. It would probably be a little tougher with an extra mouth to feed, but at the same time, I couldn’t turn down someone in need, and it’s a princess’s job to help others. “I will, Celestia,” I said giving a nod. I just then felt a small bump on my left foreleg. I looked down and saw Joshua hugging it. He must’ve heard me. “Thank you,” he said looking up at me. I smiled and placed my right foreleg on his shoulder. “I need to go now,” Celestia said. She then looked down at Joshua and gave his cheek a nuzzle, “I’ll see you again soon, Joshua.” “Goodbye, Princess Celestia,” he said, “Thank you for helping me, and tell Luna I said thank you too, please?” “I will,” she said standing up, “Farewell for now.” And with that, Princess Celestia walked out of the library and flew off towards Canterlot. I felt Joshua let go of my foreleg as he walked over to the door and waved to Princess Celestia flying. I walked over to him. “Hey, Joshua,” I said. He turned and looked at me, “How would you like to come and meet my friends?” “Okay,” he said, “That sounds nice.” “Alright,” I replied, “Climb on my back, okay?” I lowered down to allow him to climb onto my back easily. He did so and wrapped his arms around my neck to make sure he didn’t fall off my back. I looked back at Spike. “Keep an eye on the library while we’re gone, okay Spike?” I said to him. “Sure, Twilight,” Spike replied. “Can I come too, Twilight?” Nyx asked me. “Sure, Nyx,” I said. Nyx trotted up to my side as we exited the library. I decided to head to Sweet Apple Acres first. We soon entered the streets of Ponyville. Joshua looked all around taking in the sights of the town. Just then, I saw Pinkie Pie trotting in our direction with a small bounce in her step. “Hey Pinkie,” I greeted. Pinkie looked at us and smiled. “Hi Twilight! Hi Nyxie!” she said. She then noticed Joshua on my back and froze up mid-trot. I looked back to see Joshua looking at Pinkie. He waved at her. “Hello,” he said. Just then, Pinkie jumped up, gasped overdramatically, and rushed off in a pink blur. Joshua looked a little worried after seeing Pinkie rush off. “Did I scare her?” he asked. “Don’t worry,” I assured him, “That was Pinkie Pie. She’s very random at times, is friends with everypony in Ponyville, and does something special for newcomers.” “Is she going to do something for me?” he asked. “Most likely,” Nyx replied. We kept walking for a little bit, then Joshua spoke up. “Where are we going first?” he asked. “Well Joshua,” I said, “First, I’m going to introduce you to Applejack. She lives at an apple farm called Sweet Apple Acres.” We soon arrived at the apple farm and saw Apple Bloom running towards us. Nyx ran towards Apple Bloom, and the two of them met in a hug. “Howdy, Nyx!” she greeted. “Hey, Apple Bloom,” Nyx said, “How’s it going?” “It’s goin’ pretty good,” Apple Bloom replied. She then looked over at me. “Hey, Twilight!” “Hello, Apple Bloom,” I said, “Is Applejack around?” “Yeah, she’s workin’ in the north orchard,” Apple Bloom answered. She then noticed Joshua’s arms around my neck. She raised an eye brow. “What’s that around yer neck, Twi?” “Apple Bloom,” I said turning my head towards Joshua on my back, “This is Joshua. He’s a human. Joshua, this is Apple Bloom, Applejack’s little sister.” Joshua peeked out from behind my neck and slowly climbed down from my back. Apple Bloom stepped closer to Joshua and looked at him for a little bit. She then held out a hoof towards him. “Hi there,” she said, “It’s nice ta meet ya.” Joshua wrapped his fingers around Apple Bloom’s hoof, and they shook. “It’s nice to meet you too, Apple Bloom,” he replied. “Hey Apple Bloom, what’s goin’ on?” came Applejack’s voice. We all looked down the road and saw Applejack coming up the road. She smiled upon spotting me and Nyx. “Howdy Twi! Hey Nyx! What brings you two ‘round here?” “Good morning, Applejack,” I greeted, “Nyx and I are showing a new friend around Ponyville.” I then moved closer to Joshua and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Applejack, this is Joshua, a human. Joshua, this is Applejack, one of my best friends.” Applejack walked up to Joshua and smiled down at him. “Hey there, Joshua,” she said, “It’s nice ta meet ya.” “It’s nice to meet you too, Applejack,” Joshua replied. “So, what brings ya here?” Applejack asked. “Uh, Applejack?” I said, “Could I speak to you for a moment, please?” I took Applejack off to the side and explained Joshua’s situation to her. “Land sakes,” Applejack said surprised, “He lost his family and his home world?” “I’m afraid so,” I answered, “He’s the only human left from his world.” “Poor feller,” Applejack said casting a sad glance at Joshua, “Ah know how he feels losin’ his parents.” “When I asked him, he was hesitant to talk about it,” I explained. “Ah understand,” Applejack said. Applejack and I then rejoined the kids. We noticed that the three of them were discussing something. “So what d’ya say?” Apple Bloom said to Joshua, “Wanna join us?” “Join what, sis?” Applejack asked. “Ah’m askin’ Josh if he wants ta join the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” Apple Bloom explained. She then looked back at Joshua. “Ya don’t mind if Ah call ya ‘Josh,’ do ya?” “Both Joshua and Josh are okay with me,” Joshua said. “And Ah think that Josh joinin’ your club is a great idea,” Applejack replied, “What do you think, Twi?” “I think so too,” I answered, “What about you, Joshua?” “It does sound fun,” he replied, “Okay, I’ll join.” “Great!” Apple Bloom said enthusiastically. “So Josh,” Applejack spoke up, “How’s about Ah take ya on a tour of the farm?” “I’d like that Applejack,” Joshua replied. For the next half-hour or so, Applejack showed Joshua around Sweet Apple Acres and what she and her family normally did. Joshua asked her various questions about the farm work done, like how they picked the apples from the tree. She gave him a good demonstration of applebucking. Along the way, Applejack and Apple Bloom did their usual chores together. He found it entertaining watching them make a game of it. Midway through watching, Winona, Applejack’s dog came over, curious about Joshua. “Oh,” Joshua said upon seeing her, “Hi there.” Winona began sniffing around Joshua’s legs for a minute. Joshua looked over at Applejack and called out to her. “Hey, Applejack?” he called, “Who’s this?” “That’s the family’s dog,” Applejack replied, “Her name’s Winona.” Winona then sat down, looked at Joshua, and wagged her tail. “Nice to meet you, Winona,” Joshua said patting her head. Winona barked twice and leaned into Joshua’s touch. A few minutes later, it was about time for us to leave. “Well, thanks fer stoppin’ by, y’all,” Applejack said, “And it was nice meetin’ ya, Josh,” she added looking at Joshua tipping her hat at him. Joshua waved goodbye to Applejack as he climbed onto my back. “It was nice meeting you too, Applejack,” he said, “And thanks for showing me your farm.” “No problem, sugarcube,” Applejack said, “Y’all come back now, y’hear?” “I will,” Joshua said. “Ah’ll see ya later today at our clubhouse, Josh!” Apple Bloom said. “Clubhouse?” Joshua asked. “Nyx’ll show ya where it is,” Apple Bloom added. “Okay,” he said, “Goodbye.” Nyx and I said our goodbyes as well as we walked away from the farm. We then continued to show Joshua around Ponyville. Music: Crepuscularity - AcousticBrony Traverse Town - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Crusading! - SoloAcapello The Loyalest and Most Dependable - AcousticBrony > Chapter 3 - Rainboom and the Boutique (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3 - Rainboom and the Boutique *Twilight’s P.O.V.* “Hey, Twilight?” Joshua said speaking up. I looked back at him. “Yes?” I said. “When Princess Celestia and Princess Luna brought me to Equestria, I saw some windows that had pictures about you and your friends saving Equestria with the Elements of Harmony,” he said, “They said that they were what keep Equestria safe, but could you tell me some more?” “Well,” I began explaining, “basically, they’re the six aspects of harmony here in Equestria, and my best friends and I represent them. There’s honesty which Applejack represents, Laughter is what Pinkie Pie represents, Rarity who we’re going to see next has Generosity, Fluttershy has Kindness, Rainbow Dash has Loyalty, and I have Magic.” “Cool,” he said. “But recently, we had to give them back to where they originally came from, the Tree of Harmony,” I said, “There were these strange black thorny vines that started taking over Ponyville and would eventually spread all across Equestria if we didn’t stop them. The Tree of Harmony lost its magic, so we had to give it back the Elements to save it. When we did, a mysterious chest appeared at the base of the tree with six keyholes. We’re just trying to find out where the keys to unlock it are.” “Well, I hope you do find them,” he said. “I hope so too,” I replied. “INCOMING!!!” a familiar voice called out. Joshua and I looked around, and I saw Rainbow Dash flying right towards me, with Joshua still on my back! “Sweet Celestia!” I exclaimed. I quickly levitated Joshua off, just before Rainbow collided with me. Nyx ducked just in time to avoid getting tangled with me and Rainbow. “Ow,” I said. I felt Rainbow lying on top of me. She then stood up off me and helped me back onto my hooves. “Hehe,” she chuckled nervously, “Sorry about that, Twi. New trick didn’t quite work the way I had hoped.” She then looked back over at Joshua and raised an eyebrow at him. She then looked back over at me and pointed behind her and him. “Is that a human?” she whispered to me. “Yes, Rainbow,” I answered, “His name is Joshua, and the world he came from was destroyed.” “What?!” Rainbow exclaimed in a hushed whisper, “Destroyed?!” “Yes,” I said, “And he’s a bit reluctant to talk about it, so try not to bring it up, okay?” “Gotcha,” Rainbow said with a nod. “Twilight?” Joshua said as he and Nyx came up to us, “Are you okay?” “Don’t worry, Joshua,” I said, “I’m fine. This isn’t the first time Rainbow’s accidentally crashed into me.” “So, your name’s Joshua, right?” Rainbow asked him. Joshua nodded. “Name’s Rainbow Dash. Nice to meet ya.” “It’s nice to meet you too, Rainbow Dash,” Joshua said, “What do you do in Ponyville?” “Well, I’m the lead weather mare,” Rainbow replied, “Most of the pegasi in Ponyville and I make the day-to-day weather for this town: rain, shine, snow, you name it.” “You make the weather?” he asked sounding interested. “Yeah,” Rainbow said, “Why do you ask?” “The weather where I come from works by itself,” he replied. Interesting, I thought to myself, I wonder if the same applied for the sun and moon on his world. “Also, when I’m not handling the weather, I train to try out for the Wonderbolts,” Rainbow added with zeal in her voice. “Who are the Wonderbolts?” Joshua asked. “The Wonderbolts are the best aerial acrobatics team in Equestria,” Rainbow said, “I’ve been trying forever to get into the group so I can show Equestria some of my best moves.” She then got a gleam in her eye. “Hey, wanna see one of my moves?” she asked Joshua. “Sure,” he said. With that, Rainbow shot off into the sky leaving a rainbow trail behind like usual, startling Joshua a little. We both looked up and saw Rainbow going higher and higher into the sky. I knew what was coming. She kept going up and up until she was invisible against the blue sky. “Where is she?” Joshua asked, “I can’t see her.” “Just keep watching, Josh,” I told him. Then, we both spotted a faint rainbow trail flying towards us. It got faster and closer every few seconds. Then, there was a loud boom. BOOM! Joshua covered his ears from the loud noise as a bright rainbow flew right over our heads. He looked up and was mesmerized at the sight. “Wow!” he said amazed. Rainbow came back over to us as the rainbow slowly started fading. “That one’s called the Sonic Rainboom,” she explained to him, “It’s not easy to pull off. That was like the fourth or fifth time I’ve done it.” “That was so cool, Rainbow Dash!” Joshua said excited. “Thanks, kid,” Rainbow replied giving Joshua a noogie, “I’ll be seeing you around, alright?” “Okay,” Joshua replied, “Bye, Rainbow Dash.” “See ya,” Rainbow said, “And just Rainbow or Dash is fine.” She then looked up at Nyx and me. “Later, guys,” she said before zooming off. After waving goodbye to her, I levitated Joshua back onto my back and we continued towards the Carousel Boutique where Rarity lived. About 10 minutes later, we were at the door of the Boutique. Upon entering, the door announced our arrival. “Sweetie Belle, could you go see who it is, please?” we heard Rarity call from the back room. “Sure, sis!” came Sweetie’s reply. Sweetie galloped into the room and brightened up upon seeing Nyx and me. “Hi Nyx!” she exclaimed coming over to hug her. “Hey, Sweetie Belle,” Nyx replied returning the hug. She then turned her attention to me. “Hi Twilight!” she said. “Hello Sweetie Belle,” I said, “Where’s Rarity?” “She’s in the other room working on another outfit,” Sweetie replied. She then saw Joshua looking at her and trotted over to get a closer look. “Hi!” she said to him, “I’m Sweetie Belle! Who are you?” “I’m Joshua,” he replied clambering down from my back, “Are you Rarity’s sister?” “Yep!” Sweetie replied. “Who’s there Sweetie Belle?” Rarity called walking into the room, “Oh! Hello Twilight! Good day Nyx.” “Hello Rarity,” Nyx and I said in unison. “So, what brings you two...here?” she said slowing down when she spotted Joshua. Her eyes brightened considerably. “Oh my!” she exclaimed, “And who’s this little darling?” I noticed a faint blush on Josh’s cheeks. “Rarity,” I said, “this is Joshua. Joshua, this is Rarity.” “Hello, Rarity,” Joshua said still slightly blushing, “It’s nice to meet you.” “It’s very nice to meet you as well, Joshua,” Rarity replied, “And I must say, you’re clothes definitely look good on you.” “Oh, thank you,” Joshua said, “What is it you do in Ponyville, Rarity?” “Well, the Carousel Boutique is a fashion store,” Rarity explained, “I specialize in making custom clothes for ponies.” Joshua then perked up at hearing that like he had an idea. “Um, Rarity, can I ask you something?” “Yes, darling?” she replied. “These clothes are the only ones I have, and I need to wear them all the time,” he explained, “And you said you make clothes, so could you make me some, please?” “Absolutely! I’d be happy to! I just need your measurements to make them. Would you follow me please?” she asked gesturing over to a stand. Joshua nodded and followed Rarity over where she levitated her red glasses and a measuring tape. While Rarity was getting Joshua’s measurements, I heard Nyx talking to Sweetie Belle. “Hey, Sweetie Belle,” she said, “Apple Bloom and I were thinking of letting Joshua join the Crusaders, and Josh is okay with the idea, so do you think you could make a cape for him?” “Sure!” Sweetie said happily, “I’ll go get started on one right now!” With that, she galloped off towards her room when she stayed in the Boutique. About a minute later, Rarity and Joshua returned over to us with Rarity writing something down on a notepad. “Well, that’s all the measurements I need,” Rarity said, “I should have something ready for you tonight, okay?” “Thank you, Rarity,” Joshua said hugging her. “You’re very welcome, darling,” Rarity said hugging him back. “Come on, Joshua,” I said to him, “I have one more friend to introduce you to other than Pinkie Pie.” “Okay,” he said walking over to me, “Bye, Rarity. And thank you again for making me new clothes.” “See you again soon, Joshua,” Rarity said waving us off, “Ta-ta, Twilight. Goodbye, Nyx.” “Bye Rarity,” Nyx said. “See you later,” I said as we left the Boutique. Our next stop was Fluttershy’s cottage. I had a feeling she was going to find an interest in Joshua. Music: Traverse Town - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Spectrum - AcousticBrony Lordly Tailor Department Store - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations La Couturière - AcousticBrony > Chapter 4 - Animals and Crusaders (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4 - Animals and Crusaders *Nyx’s P.O.V.* “Twilight?” Joshua asked as we walked towards Fluttershy’s cottage, “What does Fluttershy do?” “You’ll see when we get to her cottage, Joshua,” Twilight replied. As we got closer to her cottage, we passed by the Everfree Forest. I avoided going in there ever since Princess Luna took back what belonged to her from me unless I had to go with Twilight. Joshua looked over to the forest and shivered a little bit at how scary it looked. “What’s that?” he asked. “The Everfree Forest,” I explained, “The place where I was ‘created’.” “Is that where the Tree of Harmony is?” he asked. “Yep,” Twilight replied, “Near the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. I’ll take you to see it someday if you want.” “Why are we close to that forest?” he asked. “Fluttershy’s cottage is close by,” I said, “There it is now.” Twilight and Joshua looked in front of them and saw that we were at Fluttershy’s cottage. As we got closer, we spotted Fluttershy outside her house surrounded by quite a few of her animal friends. She appeared to be feeding them. “Aw,” Joshua said, “How does she do that? I can’t get close enough to animals like that without scaring them.” “It’s her special talent,” Twilight replied, “She can communicate with animals in a way nopony else can.” Fluttershy soon finished feeding her animals and was about to go back into her cottage when she spotted us. “Oh, hello Twilight,” she said, “Hello Nyx.” “Hi Fluttershy,” I replied, “How are you?” “I’m doing very well,” she answered, “Thank you for asking. How about you?” “I’m doing well myself,” I said, “Twilight and I have a new friend for you to meet.” “A new friend?” Fluttershy asked. Twilight turned to the side to show Joshua off to Fluttershy. Her eyes widened upon seeing him. “Fluttershy, meet Joshua,” Twilight said, “Joshua, this is Fluttershy.” “It’s nice to meet you, Fluttershy,” Joshua said climbing off Twilight’s back. “Oh my, he talks,” Fluttershy said amazed, “It’s very nice to meet you as well, Joshua. Um, if you don’t mind me asking, what are you?” “I’m a human,” he replied. He then looked over at Fluttershy’s animals then back to Fluttershy, “Um, Fluttershy, do you take care of animals?” “Oh yes,” Fluttershy said looking back at her animals, “I love taking care of all kinds of animals. I was just finishing up feeding the squirrels and rabbits. All I have left is the birds.” She then looked back to Joshua. “Um, would you like to help?” “Okay,” Joshua replied, “What do I do?” Fluttershy picked up a box of bird feed with her teeth then turned to Joshua. “Hold out your hands, okay?” she said somewhat muffled from holding the box in her mouth. Joshua did so and Fluttershy poured some bird feed into his hands. She then put the box down and stood next to him. “Now stand still and wait.” Joshua nodded at Fluttershy and waited patiently, until a bird flew onto his hand. “Oh, wow,” he whispered quietly, “I never got this close to a bird before.” “Really?” Fluttershy asked. “Yeah,” he replied as a couple more birds landed on his hands, “Birds sometimes flew away if I got too close.” “Hmm,” Fluttershy said as if thinking to herself. She then turned to Twilight and whispered quietly into her ear. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but her reaction gave a hint. Her eyes widened when Twilight whispered her response. “Really?” she asked Twilight quietly. “Yeah,” Twilight replied sadly, “And he’s a bit hesitant to talk about it, so try not to bring it up in front of him, okay?” “I won’t,” she replied. At that moment, Joshua turned back to us with the birdseed in hands all eaten from the birds. “Thank you, Fluttershy,” he said, “That was fun to do.” “You’re very welcome, Joshua. I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Fluttershy said giving him a hug. Joshua returned it and held it for a little a bit. I walked up to Twilight while they were hugging and tapped her wither. “Hey Twilight,” I said getting her attention, “My friends and I were going to meet up for lunch at the clubhouse today. Can I bring Joshua along?” “Sure Nyx,” she replied, “Just make sure you two are back in time for dinner, alright?” “We will,” I said with a nod. I then walked over to Joshua and Fluttershy and tapped Joshua’s back. He turned to look at me. “Hey Josh, you want to come with me to the clubhouse now? I’m going to be having lunch with my friends today.” “Okay,” he said, “I am getting hungry. Bye Twilight.” “Bye Josh,” Twilight said, “Have fun with Nyx and her friends.” “Okay,” he replied. “Climb on my back, Josh, and we’ll go,” I said to him. It was easier for him to climb on my back because I didn’t have to squat down for him. He climbed onto my back and we began our walk towards the clubhouse. About ten minutes later we arrived at the Crusaders’ clubhouse. “Well, here we are,” I said as we walked up the ramp to the door, “This is where we put our plans to help fillies and colts who don’t have cutie marks get them.” We entered inside but noticed that the others weren’t here yet. “Where are Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom?” he asked. “They’re not here yet,” I said, “Sweetie might still be making that new cape for you.” “Cape?” he asked climbing off my back. “All members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders get a cape,” I said, “While we wait for them, I’ll show you around the clubhouse. Over there is the roll call list.” I pointed to the list on the wall that had the current members. Joshua stood next to me and looked at the list. “Who are those other three on the list?” he asked. “The one with orange fur and purple mane is Scootaloo,” I said, “She’s a pegasus and Rainbow Dash’s surrogate sister. The one with the white fur, purple glasses, and red mane is Twist.” “The one who made you gave you that peppermint stick?” he asked. “Yeah,” I replied, “She knew just how to cheer me up that day. The last one with the brown fur and pink and red mane is Apple Bloom’s cousin from Manehatten, Babs Seed. She visits Ponyville whenever she can.” I then pointed to our lunch table. “Over there is where we eat our lunches.” No sooner did I say “lunches” than did his stomach growl. He covered his stomach and chuckled nervously. “Sorry,” he said, “I’m hungry.” “Well, the girls should be here soon for lunch,” I said. I then pointed over at the target rug. “Sometimes, we stand in that spot and think of great ideas, like how to help the others get their cutie marks.” “Wow,” Joshua said, “I think it’ll be fun being in this club.” Joshua looked out the window when he finished saying that. As I looked at him, a thought crossed my mind. I only hoped he wouldn’t mind answering. “Say, Josh?” I said. “Yes, Nyx?” he replied looking at me. “Sorry if this is a touchy subject but out of curiosity, did you have any brothers or sisters?” I asked. “It’s okay, Nyx,” he said, “No, I didn’t have any brothers or sisters. I wanted to, but Mommy didn’t have any more babies after me.” “Oh,” I said, “Well, if you want... I can be your big sister.” “R-really?” I asked. I nodded and he slowly walked towards me. When he got stopped in front of me, he wrapped his arms around me and quietly sniffled. I could safely take that answer as a yes as I brought my forehooves around him. Our moment was interrupted when we heard a few voices behind us saying, “Aww.” Joshua and turned our heads to the door and saw Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Twist standing there, all of them wearing saddlebags. “Egh,” Scootaloo said, “Mushy stuff.” “Oh come off it, Scoots,” Apple Bloom retorted. She then trotted up to Joshua, “Hey again, Josh. Sorry ‘bout Scootaloo. She’s not much for things she considers mushy.” “It’s okay,” Joshua said, “It’s nice to meet you, Scootaloo.” “Nice to meet you as well, Josh,” Scootaloo replied, “and this is Twist.” “Hi!” Twist said energetically, “It’s nice to meet you.” “You too, Twist,” Joshua said waving. “Well, now that we’re all here, whose turn was it to bring lunch?” Apple Bloom asked. “I think it was mine,” Scootaloo said reaching into her bag, “I brought pizza for us this time around. Do you like pizza, Joshua?” “Yeah!” Joshua nodded eagerly, “Pizza is my favorite!” “I brought some of my special made peppermint sticks for dessert,” Twist added, “I think you’ll like them, Joshua.” Scootaloo placed the box on the table and dished out six plates. The pizza was plain cheese, and it was delicious. After everyone had a slice, Twist gave each of us a peppermint stick for dessert. “Mm!” Joshua said after taking a lick, “This is good, Twist.” “Thanks!” Twist said with a smile. “Alright, y’all,” Apple Bloom said, “Time fer the initiation. Let’s get set up.” Soon enough, we got the room ready for the ceremony. Scootaloo pulled out a pair of drums and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom pushed a podium near the back wall and Sweetie Belle stood behind it taking a rolled up piece of paper. As she opened it, she groaned. “Scootaloo! I thought you said you were going to revise this!” Sweetie Belle said. “Uh, hehe,” Scootaloo chuckled nervously, “It must’ve slipped my mind.” “Just play the drums, I’ll come up with something,” Sweetie Belle replied. Scootaloo played four slow beats on the drum, which then turned into a wild pounding that shook the clubhouse. Joshua had his ears covered as he stood in the middle of the room. Scootaloo soon stopped after a while then beat the drum one last time. “Do you, Joshua, wish to be a Cutie Mark Crusader?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Yes,” Joshua replied. “Do you swear to help us in the quest to find our destiny?” “I do.” “Do you promise to never stop the journey until we find our marks?” “Yes.” “Then it’s our pleasure to welcome you as a Cutie Mark Crusader!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, tossing her newly made cape to Joshua. It landed in front of him. He picked it up and draped it across his back. “Thank you,” he said as he tied it up. “So, what next?” Twist asked. “Well, we’ve still got some time before we need to get back to the library,” I said, “How about we give Joshua a tour of Ponyville?” “Good idea!” Apple Bloom said, “We’ll be…” “CUTIE MARK CRUSADER TOUR GUIDES! YAY!!!” everyone except Joshua exclaimed. Joshua giggled at our yell. “Hop on, Joshua,” I said, motioning for him to get on my back. He nodded and climbed on. Soon we walked out of the clubhouse and out into Ponyville. Music: The Afternoon Streets - Kingdom Hearts II Balladshy - AcousticBrony A Piece of Peace - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Fun Times - Mario Party 9 > Chapter 5 - Bullies and Babs (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 5 - Bullies and Babs *Joshua’s P.O.V.* As I sat on Nyx’s back, while my new friends showed me around Ponyville, I was feeling a lot better after what happened that morning. I was liking Ponyville a lot. I had made a lot of new friends already. The Crusaders were showing me parts of Ponyville I hadn’t seen before, like the school house they all went to, a place called a spa, and some shops and stalls where they sold food and flowers. I even saw Applejack at an apple stand. She waved as we walked by and we waved back. “So,” Apple Bloom said as we kept walking, “How are ya likin’ Ponyville so far, Josh?” “It’s great,” I said, “Everyone seems really nice.” “You’ll really like it here,” Scootaloo said, “Ponyville is the best place to be in Equestria.” We kept walking around, but after a little bit, I felt like someone was watching me. I looked back and saw two earth pony fillies. One was pink, had a purple and white mane and tail, blue eyes, and a tiara on her head. The other was gray, had a light gray mane and tail with a braid on one side of her head, blue glasses over her purple eyes, and a blue necklace around her neck. I turned back to Nyx, tapped her shoulder, and whispered in her ear. “Nyx, do you know those two ponies behind us?” I asked her. Nyx looked back at the two fillies and frowned. “What do you two want?” she asked. The others turned around and frowned when they saw the two. “We’re not interested in you guys right now,” the pink one said. She then pointed at me. “We’re more interested in that.” “Hold it!” Scootaloo said standing in front of Nyx, “He’s not a thing! He’s a human being!” “Human?” the grey one asked. “That’s right!” Nyx said stepping forward a little, “There were humans here in Equestria a long time ago, and if you studied history like some of us, you’d know that!” I got off Nyx’s back and stood behind her. The pink one started laughing. “You’re so much like your mom, Nightmare!” she said, “An egghead. Now about that human, does it have a name?” “Not ‘it’!” Sweetie Belle said, “’He’! His name is Joshua.” “Heh,” the pink one said, “Human names sound weird. Don’t you think Silver?” “You said it, Diamond,” the grey one replied. So these two were Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, the ones who tricked Nyx into going in the forest and the bullies at their school. I was really hoping I wouldn’t meet them on my first day here. I was starting to get tears in my eyes. What they were saying was hurting. “If you two don’t mind,” Apple Bloom said, “We’re busy showin’ him around Ponyville.” “Well, for your information, I do mind,” Diamond Tiara said. She then looked at me. “You listen up. You’d better not stand in my way, or else...” “Or else what?” said a new voice. We all looked behind Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, and they looked behind themselves and we saw a brown earth pony filly standing there. She had a pink and red mane and tail that were short, green eyes, but she didn’t have a cutie mark. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked nervous while looking at her. “Well, well, well,” the filly said walking up to us, “I come here for a visit, and imagine my surprise at seein’ you two pickin’ on my coz and her friends.” She stopped in front of us and looked at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. She then looked back at me, smiled, winked, and looked back at the two fillies. “Can’t even give a new guy some space, can ya?” she asked them. I moved to Nyx’s ear and whispered to her. “Nyx?” I said, “Who is that?” “It’s Babs Seed,” Nyx whispered back to me, “Apple Bloom’s cousin.” “You two best back off if you know what’s good for you,” Babs said. “Why are you siding with him?” Diamond asked, “He’s a freak!” “No he ain’t,” Babs said, “Any friend of my coz is a friend of mine. Now like I said, you two best back off, or I’ll be tellin’ your mothers. Get me?” Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon backed up a little when Babs finished talking. “Fine,” Diamond Tiara said, “You win this round.” She then looked at me with an angry frown again, pointed a hoof at her eye, and then at me. She then looked at Silver Spoon. “C’mon, Silver Spoon. Let’s leave these losers for now.” Silver Spoon nodded and the two of them walked away. I stepped out from behind Nyx and next to her as Babs turned around to look at me. “You alright, little guy?” she asked. “Mm-hmm,” I said nodding and wiping away the tears from my eyes, “Thank you for stopping them.” “No problem,” she replied, “I really hate it when bullies pick on others like that. Name’s Babs Seed, Apple Bloom’s cousin. What’s your name?” “I’m Joshua. It’s nice to meet you, Babs,” I said. “You were awesome, Babs!” Scootaloo said, “If you hadn’t stepped in, I would’ve given them a piece of my mind.” “Heh, thanks Scoots,” Babs said, “So, what’s new, besides Josh there?” “Other than that, not much,” Apple Bloom replied. “Hey Babs,” I said, “Why were Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon scared of you?” “Let’s walk,” Babs said, “And I’ll tell ya.” I got back on Nyx’s back and we all started walking again. “About a year ago, when I was living in Manehattan, I got bullied for being a blank flank. I came down here to visit Applejack and Apple Bloom for a few weeks. Applejack, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were at the train station to meet me.” “Hey Nyx?” I asked, “Why weren’t you and Twist with them?” “I was helping Twist with a special contest,” she said, “It was the Summer Harvest Festival when Babs visited, so Twist and I missed the chance to meet her.” “So anyway, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo wanted me to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders when they showed me their clubhouse. I was unsure ‘bout it at first, but then they showed me the parade float they were going to ride in the Summer Harvest Parade. I was impressed, but then Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon showed up. I thought they were gonna start teasing me like I was back in Manehattan, so I joined them, started pickin’ on my cuz and her friends, and wrecked their parade float.” “Over the next few days,” Apple Bloom said, “the three of them were pickin’ on us a lot, and they even kicked us out of our clubhouse. We then came up with a plan to get back at Babs. We built a new golden apple float for the parade and booby-trapped it so it would head straight into a lake. On the day of the parade, Babs took the bait and drove off with the float after we started the timer on the trap. Applejack then told us she was proud of us that she thought we were makin’ Babs feel special, and then she told us that Babs was being bullied back in Manehattan. We realized that we turned into bullies too and tried our best to save Babs from the trap.” “The trap went off before they could catch up,” Babs said, “They managed to push me out before the float fell into the lake, but they fell in instead. Later at the farm, we all apologized to each other, started over, became friends, and I joined the Crusaders too. Next day though, we were at the train station, because it was time for me to head back. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were there too, and they started picking on my friends again, but I stopped ‘em and told ‘em I would tell their mothers about their bad attitudes. They stopped teasing them even after I left for a while. But when I came back today, I arrived in time to find they hadn’t stopped completely.” “Thank you again for stopping them Babs,” I said. “No problem little guy,” she said. “Hey Joshua?” Nyx said, “It’s getting pretty late. We need to get back to the library.” I saw the sun get low in the sky. It was a pretty sunset. “Okay Nyx,” I said. “We’ll see ya tomorrow Joshua,” Apple Bloom said. “Bye girls,” I said waving to them. They all waved their hooves at me too and left for their homes. Music: The Afternoon Streets - Kingdom Hearts II Suspicious People - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies Toad Town - Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time Reminiscing ~ The DL-6 Incident - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney > Chapter 6 - Party at the Library (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 6 - Party at the Library *Joshua’s P.O.V.* When Nyx and I got back to the library, the sun was almost all the way down behind the hills. I was pretty tired after today. Nyx stopped walking and lowered to the ground to let me climb off. “Hey, Josh,” she said, “Why don’t you open the door?” “Uh, why?” I asked. “You’ll see,” she said. “Okay,” I replied a little nervous. I climbed off her back and walked up to the door. I grabbed the door handle, and opened the door inside. It was black dark in there. “What’s going on? Twilight? Spike? Are you there?” click “SURPRISE!!!” I jumped. Inside the library, there were decorations hung from the walls, balloons blown up, and a few tables that had plates of food on it. There were also a lot of ponies inside too, and they were all smiling at me. “Wh-What is this?” I asked. “It’s your ‘Welcome to Ponyville!’ party!” said a new voice. I looked around the library to find the pony who the voice belonged to and I saw a pink pony bouncing up to me. I saw that it was Pinkie Pie. “Hi there!” she said, “I’m Pinkie Pie! I put this party together for you! Were you surprised?! Huh huh huh huh?!” “Y-Yes, I was,” I said, “But, why did you run away when I said hello to you?” “Well,” Pinkie said, “I know everyone here in Ponyville, and I know I’ve never seen you before, and if I’ve never seen you before, then that means you’re new here. You were all ‘Hello,’ and I was like, ‘*gasp*’, so I rushed over to the library and told Spike we needed to put together a party for you! Do you like it?!” “I do,” I said as my eyes started filling up, “Thank you Pinkie.” I walked up to her and hugged her. “Aw,” she said smiling and returning the hug, “You’re welcome, Joshie.” “Joshie?” I asked looking at her. “That’s my nickname for you,” Pinkie replied, “You like it?” “I do like it, Pinkie,” I said, “Thank you again.” Pinkie hugged me again and brought me over to the floor. I saw Twilight and Spike again, and they walked up to me. “So, did you have fun with Nyx and her friends?” Twilight asked. “I did,” I replied, “They showed me other places around Ponyville and I even met Apple Bloom’s cousin.” “Sounds like you kids had a lot of fun,” Twilight said. Just then, I heard my stomach growl. Twilight giggled. “You’d better get something to eat, Josh.” I nodded my head and went over to the snack table. While I was getting a few cookies, someone started talking to me. “Hey there!” said a voice, “You’re Joshua, right?” I looked next to me and saw a grey pegasus with a yellow mane and tail, bubbles for a cutie mark, and yellow eyes, but her eyes were looking in different directions. “Uh, yes,” I said to her question, “I am. Who are you?” “I’m Derpy Hooves, the mailmare,” she replied, “It’s nice to meet you.” “It’s nice to meet you too,” I said. I kept looking at her eyes for a little bit. Could she see okay with them? “If you’re wondering about my eyes, I was born with them,” she said, “I do have accidents with them sometimes, but I can still see okay.” “Oh, okay,” I said. Just then, I saw someone from behind her looking at me. When I looked, they disappeared. I looked back up at Derpy and pointed behind her. “Who’s that?” I asked. Derpy looked behind her and smiled. “That’s my little muffin, Dinky,” she said, “Come on out and say ‘Hi’ muffin.” A unicorn filly walked out from behind Derpy, stopped next to her and looked at me nervously. She had a very light purple coat, a yellow mane and tail like Derpy, and yellow eyes like Derpy too, but no cutie mark. She looked... cute. “H-Hello,” Dinky said holding out a hoof to me, “It’s nice to meet you.” I wrapped my hand around her hoof and we shook. “It’s nice to meet you too, Dinky,” I said, “Are you friends with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo?” “Yes, I am,” she replied, “They’re my classmates too.” While I was talking with Dinky and Derpy, I met Dinky’s older sister, Sparkler. She was a unicorn like Dinky with a pink coat, a purple mane and tail, purple eyes, and three diamonds for a cutie mark. After I left them, I met a white unicorn mare, with a bright blue mane and tail, big purple sunglasses, and a music note cutie mark. I couldn’t see her eye color because her sunglasses were blocking them. Her name was Vinyl Scratch and she was playing some music for this party. It was fun to dance to. Later, I was drinking some lemonade when I felt somepony’s hoof tap my shoulder. I turned around and saw two ponies: a unicorn and an earth pony. The unicorn had a bright green coat, a light blue and white mane and tail, orange eyes, and an instrument cutie mark. The earth pony had a tan coat, a blue and pink mane and tail, blue eyes, and three candy wrappers for a cutie mark. The green one looked very excited while she was looking at me. “Uh, hello,” I said. “Hello,” the earth pony said, “It’s nice to meet you, Joshua. My name is Bon Bon, and you’ll have to excuse my friend Lyra here. She saw you with Twilight and Nyx earlier today and got excited.” “Why?” I asked. “A human...” Lyra whispered. I looked at Lyra confused. “Is there something wrong?” I asked her. Just then, she picked me up in her forelegs really quickly. I was startled. “Oh no, nothing’s wrong!” Lyra said, “It’s just that your arrival just won me a lot of bets!” “Huh?” I asked. “Lyra! Put him down!” Bon Bon said. Lyra did, but kept on looking at me. “Sorry about that,” she said, “Anyway, my full name is Lyra Heartstrings, and I’ve believed in humans ever since I was little filly, but other ponies thought I was delusional. But now that you’re here, everypony now sees that I was right!” “Settle down, Lyra,” Bon Bon said, “Don’t scare him. He’s still a child.” “Right, sorry,” Lyra replied, “Anyway, do you think you could answer some questions I have about humans for me sometime?” “I’d like to help you,” I said, “But I don’t think I’ll have every answer for you.” “I know,” Lyra replied, “All I ask is that you try your best, okay?” “Okay,” I said. “Thanks a lot!” Lyra said happily. She then leaned her head down and hugged me, and I hugged her back. After we finished, I heard a clock ring. Everyone in the room looked at a clock and saw it was 10 o’clock. “We’d better head home now, Lyra,” Bon Bon said, “It was nice meeting you, Joshua.” “It was nice meeting you too, Bon Bon and Lyra,” I replied. “See you later, Josh!” Lyra said as she and Bon Bon walked away, “And thanks again!” “You’re welcome, Lyra,” I said waving to her. I looked around the room and saw that ponies were leaving the library or helping clean up. “Hello again, Joshua darling.” I looked behind me and saw Rarity standing there with something red in her magic. “Hi Rarity,” I said, “What’s that?” “It’s your first new set of clothing,” she said, “It’s a good thing I finished it in time tonight. I imagine sleeping in daytime clothes must be very uncomfortable.” She moved the red thing in her magic to me. I took it and unfolded it. It was pajamas. “Thank you Rarity,” I said smiling and giving her a hug. “You’re very welcome,” Rarity said hugging me back, “Sweet dreams.” After she finished hugging me, she left the library next. After a few minutes, most of the ponies said goodbye and welcome to Equestria to me as they left. Pinkie Pie was the last one. “So Joshie,” she said, “Did you enjoy the party?” “I did, Pinkie,” I said, “Thank you.” Pinkie picked me up and hugged me again. After she put me down, she bounced out of the library. “Goodnight, Joshie!” she said. “Goodnight, Pinkie Pie,” I replied. I yawned after Pinkie left. I was really tired. “Tired, Josh?” I looked behind me again and saw Twilight standing there. “Yeah, I am,” I answered nodding. “Let’s get you to bed,” she said, “You’ve had a long day.” She picked me up with her magic, put me on her back, and began walking up the stairs. We got up to a room that had two beds and a basket in it. Spike was asleep in the basket and Nyx was asleep in the smaller bed. "Nyx offered to share her bed with you," Twilight said. "Okay," I said, "I'm going to go put these pajamas that Rarity gave me before I get in." "Alright," Twilight replied, "Goodnight, Joshua." "Goodnight, Twilight," I said, "And thank you again for letting me stay with you." "You're very welcome," Twilight said with a smile. She leaned her head back and rubbed her nose on my cheek. I climbed off her back and went into the bathroom to change into the red pajamas. After I finished, I walked out and into the bedroom again. Twilight was fast asleep in her bed. I climbed into Nyx's bed and laid down next to her. I almost fell asleep when I felt something being placed over me. I looked down and saw that it was Nyx's hoof. She then pulled me closer to her. "Nyx, what are you doing?" I asked. "Just making sure you stay warm tonight," she replied as she rubbed her cheek on mine, "Goodnight, little brother." "Goodnight, big sister," I replied. A little bit later, I fell asleep. Music: The Afternoon Streets - Kingdom Hearts II It's About Time AcousticBrony! -_- - AcousticBrony The Fun Fair - Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance Laughter and Merriment - Kingdom Hearts II Hometown of Ur - Final Fantasy III 3D Remake > Chapter 7 - A Day with Spike (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 7 - A Day with Spike *Joshua’s P.O.V.* It had been about two days since I came to Equestria. Yesterday Pinkie Pie put another party on at the library. I think she called it a “National Random Holiday Party.” All of Twilight’s friends were there, but Rainbow was excited for a new book from something called Daring Do. It sounded interesting, and Rainbow said that I would enjoy it. She said the new book was a few months away from being finished, but Twilight said the writer pushed it back two months. Rainbow got upset at that, so she got an idea to go to the writer to help her out. Twilight left with her friends after that and they’ve been gone all day. Spike, Nyx, and I went to sleep that night, but we were worried about Twilight. She hadn’t come back. “...osh...” “J...ua.” “Joshua.” I felt somepony shaking my shoulder to wake me up. I opened my eyes and saw Nyx standing there looking at me. “Good morning, Josh,” she said. “Good morning, Nyx,” I said, “Is Twilight back yet?” “No, not yet,” she replied, “I’m starting to get worried. She didn’t say when she would be back.” “Oh,” I said, “I hope she comes back soon.” “Me too,” Nyx said, “Come on, Spike made some breakfast.” I climbed out of bed and gave Nyx a good morning hug. She then went downstairs while I went to the bathroom to change clothes. After I did that, I walked downstairs and was about to go to the kitchen when I felt something touch my head. I was starting to get nervous. “Uh, Nyx?” I called out. I saw Nyx walk out of the kitchen and looked at me. She then smiled and giggled. “Oh Owlowiscious,” she said, “What are you doing on Joshua’s head?” “Huh?” I asked. I heard some flapping and something brown flew over to Nyx and landed on her back. It was a brown owl. It turned its head around and looked at me. “An owl?” I asked. “Yeah,” Nyx replied, “His name is Owlowiscious. He’s Twilight’s pet and nighttime assistant.” “Oh,” I said, “It’s nice to meet you Owlowiscious.” “Who.” “You,” I replied, “It’s nice to meet you.” “Who.” “Stop while you’re ahead, Josh,” Nyx said, “He doesn’t say anything else. Anyway, Spike made pancakes.” “I love pancakes!” I said happily. Nyx turned around and walked into the kitchen with Owlowiscious still on her back, and I followed her. While the three of us were eating, Nyx started talking again. “Hey Josh,” she said, “Sweetie Belle said she wanted my help with something today, so you’ll be with Spike today, alright?” “Okay,” I said. After we finished up breakfast, Nyx left to go see Sweetie Belle, leaving Spike and me alone in the library. “Hey Joshua,” Spike called. “Yes?” I said walking over to him. I saw him pulling a wagon that had a shovel and bucket in it. “Hop in,” he told me, “I’ve got something fun for us to do.” “What is it?” I asked climbing in the wagon. “We’re going gem hunting,” he told me. “That sounds fun,” I said. He first put a piece of paper in case Twilight came back to let her know where we all were. Spike then pulled the wagon out of the library, and we started going through Ponyville. We then left the town and were in a place where there was no grass. I then noticed a big castle farther away. “What’s that castle over there Spike?” I asked pointing at it. “Oh, that’s where Nyx ruled Equestria when she was Nightmare Moon,” Spike said, “The town is still unsure of what to do with it. Well this is the best spot to find gems.” The wagon stopped and I climbed out. Spike then gave me the shovel and bucket. “I brought these along for you to dig with. I dig with my claws when searching for gems. Whatever gems we find, we’ll split them evenly, okay?” “Okay Spike,” I said. I began digging where I was standing. When I turned around, I saw Spike digging with his claws like a dog would. I didn’t find anything where I was digging first, so I moved to a new spot. A few minutes later, Spike called out to me. “Find anything yet, Joshua?” he said. I was about to say no when I felt the shovel hit something hard. “I think I got something!” I called back. Spike ran over to me as I began digging more. Spike came up next to me and we saw a small pile of colorful gems. “Nice work buddy!” he said patting my back. We then pulled the gems out of the hole and put them in the wagon. They looked pretty. We then went back to digging. After more digging and finding more gems, I heard something in the bushes behind me. “Spike? I think I heard something in the bushes,” I said. Spike looked over to me. “Probably just the wind,” he said. I was about to dig some more, but I heard something else. It was a voice that wasn’t Spike’s. “Shhh,” it said, “Do you want them to hear us?!” “Spike, I heard someone in the bushes,” I said backing up from them. “Uh oh,” Spike said, “Get behind me Joshua!” I did what he said. “I’m scared Spike,” I said shaking. Then three big dogs jumped out from the bushes in front of me and Spike. “You mutts again,” Spike said. “Who are they?” I asked. “We are the Diamond Dogs, and you two have something we want,” said one of them. “Forget it dogs!” Spike said, “These gems are ours. You may as well back off.” “You will give us those gems, or else we’ll take your friend for ransom,” said another one. I then felt something grab me and lift me off the ground. “Hey! Let me go!!!” I yelled. Spike ran up and kicked the dog in the knee. The dog dropped me on the ground. My tummy hurt when I fell. “You mutts leave us alone!” Spike said to the dogs as he stretched an arm over me. I started crying again because I was scared. I stood up and placed my hands on his arm. “Don’t worry Joshua, I got this,” he said to me. He then took a deep breath and blew green fire at the dogs. The dogs yelped and jumped away. They then started walking closer to us again, but Spike blew out a bigger green fire. This time it burned the dogs’ legs. They started hopping on one leg because it was hurting them. “RETREAT!!!” the lead dog said. The three of them ran away from us as fast as they could. “Yeah you better run you mongrels!!” Spike yelled at them, “And if you show your faces around me again, you’ll get worse than that!!” He then turned around to face me. “You okay buddy?” he asked. I got up and quickly hugged him crying again. “Thank you Spike,” I said, “That was so scary.” “It’s okay buddy,” he told me patting my back, “It’s all over now.” After we finished the hug, I stopped crying. “Let’s head back to town. I think we’ve done enough gem hunting.” “Okay,” I said. Then my stomach growled. “Can we have lunch too?” “Sure. Hop in the wagon and I’ll pull you back.” I did as he said, and we were heading back to Ponyville. We stopped by the library and left the wagon and gems we found there. I then followed Spike to a gingerbread looking house. We walked in and I saw Pinkie Pie behind a counter. “Hey Spike! Hey Joshie!” she said waving at us. “Pinkie!” I said, “You’re back!” “Yep, we all got back a little while ago,” she said, “So what were you two up to?” “I took Joshua gem hunting today,” Spike said. “Ooh! Sounds fun!” she answered, “So, what can I get for you two?” “Can I have a chocolate chip muffin?” I asked her. “Sure!” she said handing me one, “How about you Spike? Something with gems?” “If you have anything with them,” he said. “You eat gems Spike?” I asked. “Yep,” he said, “You didn’t know that?” I shook my head taking a bite of the muffin. “Here ya go Spike!” Pinkie said giving him a cupcake with gems in it. Spike took the cupcake and gave her some gold coins to pay for our treats. We then went over to a table to sit down and eat them. “Hey Joshie,” Pinkie said coming up, “Would you like to meet the Cakes?” “The Cakes?” I asked. “Yep! The owners of Sugarcube Corner!” “Is that what this place is called?” “Yeppy-deppy!” she said. “Okay,” I said answering her question. She then bounced over to a pair of swinging doors and went through them. I then heard the front door open up and saw Derpy coming in. “Hey Joshua! Hey Spike!” she said waving a hoof. “Hi again Derpy,” I said. “Hey there,” Spike said, “How’s it going?” “Not bad,” she said, “Got finished with the mail run.” She then noticed what I was eating. “Hey, you like muffins too?” “Yeah, chocolate chip muffins are my favorite kind,” I said, “Hey Derpy, how’s Dinky?” “She’s doing good,” she said, “She and Sparkler are out buying groceries.” She then walked up to the counter and waited for someone to help her. Pinkie then came back in the room with four new ponies. Two were earth pony adults, one was a baby pegasus, and the other was a baby unicorn. “Here he is everypony!” Pinkie said, “Cakes, this is Joshua! Joshua, this is Mr. Carrot Cake, Mrs. Cup Cake, Pound Cake, and Pumpkin Cake!” Mr. Cake was yellow with an orange mane and his cutie mark were three pieces of cake with white frosting. Mrs. Cake was blue with a red and pink mane and her cutie mark were three pink frosted cup cakes. Pound was the pegasus. He was light yellow with a brown mane. Pumpkin was the unicorn. She was yellow with and orange mane that had a blue bow in it. The babies didn’t have cutie marks. “Hi there,” I said, “It’s nice to meet you all.” Pound and Pumpkin looked up at me curiously. I then remembered something my mommy used to do with me when I was a baby. I hid my face behind my hands and asked the babies, “Where’s Joshua?” After waiting a few seconds, I pulled my hands away from my face quickly and said, “Peek-a-boo!” The two of them started giggling at my game. “Hey!” Pinkie said, “That’s a lot like something I do with them! It’s their favoritest game in the whole wide world!” “It’s very nice to meet you Joshua,” Mrs. Cake said as she gave me a hug. “It’s nice to meet you two, Mrs. Cake,” I said giving her a hug back. I then looked over at Mr. Cake. “You too, Mr. Cake.” “Same here,” he said, “Pinkie Pie has told us a lot about you.” Just then, I heard Spike making some funny noises. I turned around to look at him and saw him holding his belly. “Are you okay, Spike?” I asked him. He then burped. Some green fire came out of his mouth. I then saw the smoke from the fire turn into a rolled up piece of paper and it dropped onto the floor. He picked it up, unrolled it, and read it. After he finished reading it, he rolled it back up and looked at me. “We need to pick up Nyx now, Josh,” he said, “Twilight’s probably back at the library by now.” “Okay,” I said, “Bye Pinkie. Bye Cakes.” “Come back soon, Joshua,” Mrs. Cake said. Spike and I left Sugarcube Corner and went to find Nyx and Sweetie Belle. Music: Peaceful Hearts - Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Koopa Village Theme - Paper Mario N64 Suspense - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney It's About Time AcousticBrony! -_- - AcousticBrony > Chapter 8 - Discord (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 8 - Discord *Twilight’s P.O.V.* I couldn’t believe what we had just been through. Rainbow got it in her head to have the six of us help A. K. Yearling around her home to help move the writing of her new book along. I never expected the adventure would turn for the interesting. We had discovered that A. K. Yearling and Daring Do were the same mare! That alone officially blew my mind! We also ended up helping Daring thwart Ahuizotl. She then left to finish writing her new book. It took all morning and a little into the afternoon to come back to Ponyville. When I entered the library, I called out to let Spike, Nyx, and Joshua know I was back, but the only response I got was from Owlowiscious. He gave me a rolled up piece of paper that was written in Spike’s handwriting. Dear Twilight, In case you get back while we’re gone, I took Joshua gem hunting with me today, and Nyx is over at Sweetie Belle’s. Your number one assistant, Spike “Thanks for giving me this, Owlowiscious,” I said to my owl. “Who,” he hooted back. I took that as a yes and decided to find something to read. I hadn’t read much on Equestrian human history before Joshua arrived, but there was still more left. I pulled down the book and began reading where I left off. Before Discord’s reign, humans came to live with the ponies a few decades after Equestria was founded and during the second year of Celestia and Luna’s reign. They lived in harmony with the ponies for many years and had much to offer. But when Discord came along, his magic corrupted the humans so much, that the Elements of Harmony were forced to send them away. No human had been seen since that day, but much of our current time’s architecture is based off old human designs. That last bit was true. There were signs of it all across Equestria that it was based off human architecture. Ponyville even had a court house that was inspired by humans. “Correct me if I heard wrong, but is there a human here in Equestria living with you?” I knew that voice, unfortunately. I furrowed my brow and looked around trying to find its owner, but I didn’t see any signs. I then looked back down at the book and saw that the words on one of the pages had moved to form a certain draconequus. He began laughing ecstatically. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen one!” he said. “What are you doing here, Discord?” I asked him. “Oh, Twilight,” he said, “I made my reason clear in my question.” He snapped his fingers and disappeared from the book page. The words returned to their original spots as he appeared fully behind me. “I asked if it was true that there was a human living here with you and your daughter,” he said. “It’s true,” I replied. I then turned to face him and fixed a glare on him, “And I’d appreciate it if you don’t mess with him.” “Oh I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said holding his hands up, “Celestia told me what he’d been through, and I must admit...” He then flashed a paper heart in his hands. “...it tore my heart apart.” He then ripped the heart he produced in half. I rolled my eyes and turned back to read some more of the book. “So, what were the humans here in Equestria like before you came along?” I asked him. “They were just as peaceful as you ponies are now,” he said, “It’s a shame there aren’t that many here now. No thanks to me I suppose.” There was then a deflating noise, and like a balloon, Discord deflated himself. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes again at his antics. Just then the door opened. I turned around saw Spike walk followed by Nyx with Joshua on her back. “Hey there you three,” I said greeting them, “Sorry about coming back late, but it took us a while to get where we were going.” “I’m just glad you’re back, Twilight,” Nyx said. I then turned to look at Joshua. “So, you went gem hunting with Spike today, huh?” “Mm-hmm,” he said nodding as he slid off Nyx’s back, “I also got to meet the Cakes.” “Sounds like you had fun,” I said, “And how about you Nyx?” “All Sweetie Belle and I did was come up with new ideas for crusading,” she said. Joshua then looked over at Discord’s deflated form. He raised an eyebrow curiously and walked up closer to him. “Careful, Josh,” Spike said immediately recognizing Discord, “I wouldn’t get too close if I were you.” “Why?” Joshua asked. Just then, Discord’s eagle claw popped up and produced a pump of some sort. The tube connected to his mouth, and he pumped himself back up. Joshua backed up suddenly at the sight of Discord. He then came over to me and wrapped his arms around one of my forelegs. I could tell he was nervous. “Twilight,” he said, “Isn’t that...?” “Discord’s the name; chaos is my game,” Discord replied introducing himself giving a small bow, “And it’s an honor to meet you, Joshua. Celestia and Luna told me about you.” “Weren’t you...?” “Evil?” Discord asked. He then produced a framed photograph of him and Fluttershy. “Yes, I was, but it was thanks to my dear friend, Fluttershy that I’ve realized friendship really is a wonderful thing.” Then, the picture flashed out of his lion paw and in its place was a simple glass of chocolate milk. “And here’s a little welcome present for you.” He lowered it down in front of Joshua. Joshua slowly and hesitantly took it and brought it to his lips for a sip. I silently used my magic to make sure there wasn’t any funny business inside that glass. Thankfully there wasn’t. Joshua then looked up at Discord and gave a little smile. “Thank you,” he said. “You’re quite welcome,” Discord said, “Well, that’s all I’m here for. Now if you’ll excuse me, I planned on having tea with Fluttershy in a few minutes. Ta-ta for now.” He then snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flash. The minute he left, Joshua slowly released my foreleg. “Twilight,” he said turning to me, “Is it true that he’s not bad anymore.” “Well, some of us still have our suspicions,” I replied, “But we’re willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Fluttershy however seems to fully think so.” “Hey Twilight,” Spike spoke up, “You got a letter from Cadance.” “Cadance?!” I asked excitedly. I always enjoyed hearing from Cadance. I turned and saw Spike holding out a rolled up letter to me. I levitated it out of his claws and over to me. “Thanks, Spike,” I said to him. I unrolled the letter and read it to myself. Dear Twilight, Aunt Celestia told me and Shining Armor the news about you housing a young human child at the moment. Whenever it’s possible, we would like you to bring him down to the Crystal Empire so we can meet him. Love, Your Sister-in-law, Cadance I rerolled the scroll and put it down on the table in the middle of the room. “Alright you three,” I said to Spike, Nyx, and Joshua, “Tomorrow, we’re going to the Crystal Empire.” Music: Crepuscularity - AcousticBrony Broken Reality - Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance > Chapter 9 - Comfort in the Night (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 9 - Comfort in the Night *Nyx’s P.O.V.* “The Crystal Empire?” I asked, feeling my excitement build up. I had only seen a dream version of the Crystal Empire, and that was last Hearth’s Warming when mine and Uncle Shining’s dreams were bridged together. “That’s right!” Twilight replied. I started bouncing in circles and yelling “Yes!” over and over again, excited to see Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadance again. “What’s the Crystal Empire?” Joshua asked. “It’s one of the most beautiful places in Equestria,” Twilight explained, “It’s many miles up north, and it’s where my brother Shining Armor and my sister-in-law Princess Cadance live.” “What’s the letter about?” he asked again. “Well, Celestia told her and Shining about you living with me, and they’d like a chance to get to know you. We’ll take the first train out of Ponyville to the Empire tomorrow morning, so we’ll need to go to bed early tonight.” “You have trains here?” Joshua asked starting to sound excited. “Yes,” Twilight replied, “Did you have trains back where you came from?” “Uh-huh!” Joshua said nodding, “I really like trains!” “That’s nice,” Twilight replied. She then turned to Spike. “Spike, could you help me start dinner?” “Sure, Twilight,” Spike said stepping into the kitchen with her. I walked up to Joshua. “So,” I said to him, “Are you excited?” “Yeah!” he said nodding again. He then turned to face me. “What are Shining Armor and Princess Cadance like?” “Shining Armor was the captain of the royal guard in Canterlot before he married Princess Cadance,” I explained, “When he and I first met, he was a bit apprehensive and mistrusting of me because of what happened, but he learned to see past all that and accept me as his niece. Cadance was Twilight’s old foal sitter when she was a filly. She’s a really sweet, kind, and caring pony. I really think you’ll like them.” “They do sound nice,” Joshua said. Just then, his eyes widened a little, “Excuse me, please.” He then ran upstairs, probably to use the bathroom. While he was up there, I walked into the kitchen to see what we were having for dinner. When I entered and sat down at the table, I could smell my favorite: celery soup. I could also see some daffodil sandwiches being made. A little while later, Joshua walked into the kitchen. “What’s for dinner?” he asked sitting down at the table. “My favorites,” I replied, “Celery soup and daffodil sandwiches.” “You don’t have to eat the daffodil sandwiches if you don’t want to, Josh,” Twilight said, “I know humans can’t eat everything we ponies can.” “I’ll give it a try,” Joshua said. After everyone sat down, we started eating. Joshua found the sandwiches and soup delicious. We were all surprised. For the past couple dinners we’ve had him here at the library, we’ve been eating what we knew humans normally eat in vegetarian terms. After dinner, we all got out some suitcases and packed a few things for the trip tomorrow. We weren’t going to be staying in the Empire for too long, just overnight. We then brushed our teeth and got into bed. In the middle of the night, I woke up to the sound of quiet whimpering. I looked next to me and saw Joshua shaking and making the whimpering. It looked as if he was having a nightmare. I gently shook him to wake him up. “Joshua,” I whispered in his ear. He didn’t respond, so I tried again. “Joshua, wake up. You’re dreaming.” Joshua suddenly yelped, shot up, opened his eyes, and started breathing heavily. “Are you okay?” I asked. Joshua shook his head and started crying. I brought up one of my fore hooves around his back and pulled him closer to me. He then wrapped his arms around me and sobbed into my shoulder. I then brought my other hoof around him and started rubbing his back. “What happened?” I asked him. “I-I-It was awful,” he said, “What happened back on my home after I went through the thing that brought me here, it happened to Ponyville! And it took you all away!” He started crying harder. “Shhhhh,” I said trying to calm him down, “It was just a bad dream, Joshua. That’s all it was.” “What happened?” We turned and saw Twilight awake with a sleepy look in her eyes. “Joshua had a bad dream,” I told her. “Come up on my bed for a minute, Joshua,” Twilight said. Joshua still had tears falling out of his eyes as he left our bed and walked over to Twilight’s. She then lit up her horn and brought Joshua up onto her bed. She quickly embraced him in her hooves and wings as Joshua hugged her neck still crying. Joshua then retold his dream to Twilight. “It’s okay Joshua,” she said rubbing his back, “It was all just a bad dream. I promise nothing bad like that will happen again.” She then started nuzzling Joshua’s cheek. Joshua seemed to calm down a bit a little while later, but was still sniffling. By that time, I had also hopped up onto Twilight’s bed and placed a forehoof on Joshua’s back to rub it. Eventually Joshua had calmed down completely. “Feel better?” Twilight asked keeping him held in her hooves and wings. Joshua pulled back a bit and nodded his head. “Thank you,” he said, “Mommy used to do that for me whenever I had a bad dream.” “It was no trouble at all Joshua,” Twilight replied, “I was happy to help. Do you want to sleep with me tonight?” “Yes please,” he said, “Can Nyx sleep with us too, please?” “Sure,” she said. I carefully walked over as Twilight placed Joshua to her left keeping one wing on him. I then lay down on Joshua’s left as Twilight used her magic to pull the covers over us. “Sweet dreams Joshua,” Twilight said nuzzling his cheek once more. “Good night Twilight,” Joshua said drifting off. He then turned to me and said, “Good night Nyx.” “Sweet dreams, little brother,” I said to him placing a hoof over him. Soon all three of us fell asleep. Music: Laughter and Merriment - Kingdom Hearts II Reminiscing ~ The KG-8 Incident - Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations > Chapter 10 - Off to the Crystal Empire (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 10 - Off to the Crystal Empire *Joshua’s P.O.V.* We all woke up at 6 o’clock. I was still tired from waking up in the middle of the night from my bad dream, but I was still excited about meeting Twilight’s brother and sister-in-law. “You feeling better, Joshua?” Twilight asked me while we were having breakfast. “Yes, I am,” I said, “You and Nyx helped me a lot last night after my bad dream.” “We were happy to help, Joshua,” Twilight replied, “You know you can always come to us if you need anything.” “Thank you, Mo... I-I mean, Twilight,” I said. I... almost called her mommy, I thought to myself. What made me almost do that? Twilight had been taking care of me for a few days, just like Mommy and Daddy did before I came here. Am I okay with calling her “Mommy?” I asked myself. After we finished breakfast, we picked up what we packed and walked to the train station. While Twilight was buying tickets for us, we saw Rainbow Dash flying towards us. “Hey there, guys!” she said, “What’s going on?” “We’re going to the Crystal Empire, Rainbow,” I said. “Awesome!” she said, “You’ll have a great time there. By the way, Joshua, I wanted to give you this.” She then pulled out a book from her bag and gave it to me. It had a picture of a tan pegasus with a black mane and tail wearing explorer clothes in a jungle. Her cutie mark was a compass. There were big words on the front cover. “Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone,” I read out loud. “It’s the first book in the series I told you about. You’ll like Daring Do, Joshua,” Rainbow said, “She is undeniably, unquestionably, un-put-down-able!” “Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” I said, “This looks cool.” “Trust me, it is,” Rainbow replied rubbing her hoof through my hair, “Give my best to Shining and Cadance!” She then flew off. Twilight then came up to us carrying four tickets in her magic. “Was that Rainbow you were talking to?” she asked. “It was,” Nyx said, “She gave Joshua the first Daring Do book to read.” “Well, at least you’ll have something to do on the train ride. It takes a long time to get to the Crystal Empire from Ponyville.” “How long does it take?” I asked. “About five hours,” she said, “Don’t worry, that book will keep you occupied.” She then gave us all our tickets. Then there was a loud whistle, and we saw a train coming up to the station. It stopped in front of us and the passenger doors opened. Ponies started walking out of the cars. “Next stop, the Crystal Empire,” the conductor pony said. “That’s us,” Twilight said, “Come on you three.” We all walked onto the train car, gave the conductor our tickets, and sat down. As the train started moving, I opened up the Daring Do book Rainbow gave me. Rainbow was right; this book was amazing. Daring Do was an explorer pegasus and treasure hunter. She crashed in the middle of a jungle and hurt her wing bad. She was then surrounded by jungle cats, but she escaped from them by swinging on a vine across a ravine. When she landed, she was face to face with the temple that held the Sapphire Stone. When she went in, she had to dodge a lot of booby traps. Finally, she found the room where the Sapphire Stone was. She stopped when she saw a floor with tiles of pictures of animals. She kicked a rock onto one of them, the tile sunk into the floor a little bit, and arrows came out from one side of the room. “Twilight?” I stopped reading, looked up, and saw two unicorn adults. The stallion was blue with a darker blue mane and tail. His cutie mark was a yellow crescent moon with a smaller white one inside. The mare was light grey with a purple and white striped mane and tail. Her cutie mark was three purple stars in a triangle. Twilight had a big smile on her face when she saw them. “Mom! Dad!” she said running up to them and hugging them. “Are those her parents?” I asked Spike. He nodded his head. Nyx jumped off her seat and ran over to them as well. “Grandpa Night Light! Grandma Velvet!” she said. “Hello Nyx, sweetheart,” the mare said. “Hey there Nyx,” said the stallion. “What are you two doing here?” Twilight asked. “Same as you apparently, Twilight,” the mare replied, “We’re going to visit Cadance and Shining. By the way, Princess Celestia told us about this human child you’re taking care of.” “Can we see him?” said the stallion. Twilight nodded her head and turned to me. “Hey Joshua, come over here a minute. I’d like you to meet my parents.” “Coming,” I said putting the book down. I got down from my seat and walked over. Twilight placed a wing on my back when I stood next to her. “Mom, Dad, this is Joshua,” Twilight said, “Joshua, this is my dad, Night Light, and my mom, Twilight Velvet.” “It’s nice to meet you both,” I said. “Nice to meet you too, sport,” Night Light said, patting my shoulder. “How have you been doing in Ponyville?” Velvet asked. “I’ve been doing good,” I told them, “After Princess Celestia brought me to Ponyville, Twilight and Nyx showed me all of their friends, Pinkie Pie threw me a welcome party, and Spike took me gem hunting yesterday.” “Sounds like you’ve been having fun so far,” Night Light said. “Were you reading a Daring Do book before we came in?” Velvet asked. “Uh-huh,” I said, “Rainbow Dash gave it to me before we left. It’s awesome.” “What are you up to right now?” “Right now, Daring is in the room where the Sapphire Stone is, and trying to solve a puzzle,” I said. We soon all sat back down in our seats, and I kept on reading. The rest of the book was really amazing; Daring figured out that all the animals on the tiles were predators except rats. She walked on all of the rat tiles and made it to where the Sapphire Stone was standing, but when she picked it up, the room started breaking apart and filling with lava. She got out, but a strange looking creature named Ahuizotl captured her, placed her in a dungeon with snakes, bugs, needles, and quicksand, and took the Sapphire Stone for himself. Daring Do got out of the trap by flinging her hat to move the lever and reverse it. That was a great move. She found Ahuizotl again and took the Sapphire Stone back. And so, with Ahuizotl defeated, and the sapphire statue secured...the world was safe and sound once again, thanks to Daring Do! “Wow!!” I said when I finished, “Rainbow Dash was right! This book is awesome!” “Daring Do and the Griffon’s Goblet is the next book in the series,” Twilight said, “I think you’ll agree that it’s just as enjoyable as that one is.” A whistle blow from the train made me look out the window, and I saw what had to be the Crystal Empire. Music Investigation ~ Opening 2009 - Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations A Walk in Andante - Kingdom Hearts > Chapter 11 - The Royal Couple (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 11 - The Royal Couple *Twilight’s P.O.V.* After getting off the train, the six of us made our way into the Empire. The crystal ponies were going about their business, as happy as they could be. Some even gave us waves as we passed by. “Why are the ponies here shiny?” Joshua asked. “They’re called crystal ponies, Joshua,” I told him, “It’s a special magic that’s making them look like that.” The castle soon came into view. “And that over there is the source of magic in the empire, the Crystal Heart,” I said pointing at the relic. Joshua walked up to it and stared in awe at it. He then placed a hand on it for a short moment. “It feels so warm,” he said taking his hand off. “That’s the power of the love and unity the crystal ponies have in the empire,” I told him, “It’s also what keeps the empire safe from danger.” We then walked up to the castle doors. A couple guards were at the doors when we walked up. “Princess Twilight Sparkle and friends welcome,” one of them said. “Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance are waiting inside for you and your human friend there,” said the other one. “Thank you kind sirs,” I told them. We all walked past them, but I noticed one of them held out a hoof to Joshua. “Welcome to the Crystal Empire young man,” he said. “Thank you sir,” Joshua replied nervously. He then walked up next to Nyx. Nyx lowered herself to let Joshua get on her back. Joshua did so and we continued on. Joshua was admiring the interior as we walked towards the throne room. About halfway there, we saw my brother coming up to us. “Twily!” he said. I ran up to him, and we embraced each other, “Good to see ya again, little sis. How have you and Nyx been since the coronation?” “We’ve been getting along just fine Shining,” I told him, “How’s Cadance doing?” “She’s been doing okay,” he said, “After her recent appointment, the doctor said the foal is expected sometime near the end of November*.” “That’s good to hear,” Mom said. “Mom! Dad!” Shining exclaimed. “Hey there son,” Dad said sticking out a hoof, “Put ‘er there!” Shining and Dad shook hooves, and then he hugged mom. He then turned his attention over to Spike. “How have you been doing Spike? Making sure Twily’s been staying in line?” “Pretty much,” he said. “I heard that!” I said sharply. “Just teasing ya, sis,” Shining replied. He then looked over at Nyx and Joshua. “Hey there Nyx,” he greeted her, “How’s my favorite niece doing?” “I’ve been doing just fine Uncle Shining,” Nyx said, “Thanks for asking.” “And is that the human Celestia told me and Cadance about?” “Yep!” Nyx replied turning to the side so Shining could see Joshua, “Uncle Shining, this is Joshua. Joshua, this is my Uncle, and Twilight’s older brother, Prince Shining Armor.” Joshua climbed off Nyx’s back and bowed his head to my brother. “It’s nice to meet you, Prince Shining Armor,” he said. “Nice to meet ya too, Joshua,” Shining replied putting a hoof on Joshua’s shoulder, “And you can just call me Shining.” “Where’s Aunt Cadance?” Nyx asked. “She’s in the throne room holding day court at the moment. She should be done pretty soon though. Follow me everypony.” He then started leading us to where the throne room and Cadance were. We eventually came up to the throne room doors. “Wait here guys,” Shining said, “I need to make sure she’s finished before bringing you all in.” He then went inside leaving us to wait. After waiting a few minutes, the door opened up, and a couple crystal ponies left after talking with Cadance. “Come on in guys,” Shining called. We all walked inside and saw Cadance and Shining on the other end of the room, Cadance smiling brightly upon spotting me. “Twilight! Long time, no see!” she exclaimed trotting up to me. “Cadance!” I said, happy to see her as well. We then began our nursery rhyme and dance. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” we recited giggling and embracing each other afterwards. “How’ve you been since the coronation, Twilight?” she asked after finishing our hug. “I’ve been getting along just fine,” I tell her, “Thanks for asking. How’s the foal coming?” “It’s growing healthily,” she replied, “I’m guessing Shining told you when it’ll be due?” “Yep.” “Hello Night Light, Velvet,” she said greeting my parents, “Glad you two could make it.” The two of them nodded politely to Cadance. “And how are you faring Spike?” “I’m doing great, Cadance,” Spike said. “Good to hear.” She then walked up to Nyx and Joshua, “How about you Nyx?” “I’m doing good, Aunt Cadance,” Nyx replied as Joshua climbed of her back. Cadance and Nyx then embraced each other warmly. After they broke away, Cadance sat down in front of Joshua and placed a forehoof around his shoulders. “And you must be Joshua,” she said, “My name is Mi Amore Cadenza, but you can just call me Cadance." “It’s nice to meet you too Cadance,” Joshua said, "What was that dance you and Twilight did when we came in?” “That was a special nursery rhyme we did back when I foalsat Twilight.” “Wow, you two knew each other that long?” he asked amazed. “Yep,” Cadance said. Joshua’s stomach then gave a low growl. “My, you sound hungry.” “My tummy always growls when it’s time for lunch,” Joshua said rubbing it. Cadance then wrapped Joshua up in her magic and levitated him onto her back. “Let’s go have some lunch then,” she said starting to lead us out of the throne room and toward the dining hall. Music: Radiant Garden - Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep The Promised Beginning - Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Peaceful Hearts - Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep > Chapter 12 - A Day with the Sparkle Family and Twilight's Decision (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 12 - A Day with the Sparkle Family and Twilight’s Decision *Joshua’s P.O.V.* “Mmm!” I said after swallowing a bite of my lunch, “This crystal corn on the cob is delicious!” Cadance’s servants had brought in a pretty big lunch. These were special foods that were made and grown in the Crystal Empire. There was crystal corn on the cob, Crystal Empire nectar, Crystal Empire fritters, and a Crystal Empire berry pie for desert. “The castle’s servants always do a wonderful job with our meals,” Cadance said to me. “Cadance?” I asked, “How did you and Shining get to rule the Crystal Empire?” “Well,” she said, “A little over one thousand years ago, an evil unicorn king named Sombra, who’s heart was black as night, took over the Crystal Empire. He enslaved the Crystal Ponies and had caused them pain and suffering that made them loose their crystal look. He was ultimately overthrown by Aunt Celestia and Aunt Luna, turned to shadow, and banished to the ice of the arctic north, but he placed a curse on the empire before that, and it vanished into thin air.” “Wow,” I said, “What happened next?” “One thousand years later, shortly after Shining Armor and I got married, the Empire returned, as well as King Sombra. Shining Armor and I were sent to protect the empire until Twilight and her friends arrived to help us find a way to protect without me having to use my magic,” Cadance said. “This happened shortly before I came along though,” Nyx said. “After Twilight, Spike, and her friends arrived, they put together a Crystal Fair. It’s held once every year to renew the spirit of love and unity in the empire so it can be protected. Unfortunately, they didn’t know that the Crystal Heart outside was the source of power needed to protect the empire. Twilight and Spike went to find the real Crystal Heart, while Applejack and the others worked to keep the fair going while trying to distract the Crystal Ponies from a fake Crystal Heart Twilight carved.” “And they found it right?” I asked. “Yes we did,” Spike said, “But I was the one who brought it, because Twilight got herself caught in a trap Sombra set up. I fell out of the tower with the Crystal Heart and straight toward Sombra. But then Shining threw Cadance toward me and the heart and she caught me with the heart floating in front of her. She then put the heart back where it belonged, and the heart with the power from the Crystal Ponies destroyed Sombra.” “Wow!” I said, as we finished lunch. “Now then, how does a walk around the empire sound Joshua?” Cadance asked. “I’d like that Cadance,” I said. Twilight used her magic to lift me onto her back and we walked out of the castle. For the next hours, Cadance and Shining showed me around the Crystal Empire. First, we went to the spa. Twilight and Nyx took a dip in the crystal mud bath. Spike was sitting on a chair with pieces of cucumber over his eyes and his arms behind his head. Night Light was giving Velvet a massage, Shining gave Cadance a massage, and one of the crystal spa ponies gave me a massage too. It felt really nice. Later we went out in the fields behind the castle and picked crystal berries. I sneaked a few in my mouth while picking. They were really good. Next, Shining Armor showed me a race track where the Equestria Games were held. Nyx, Spike, and I had a race while we were there, and Nyx won. After that we went back in, had dinner, and played some board games. Twilight told me we were going to be sleeping in the castle tonight and going back to Ponyville tomorrow morning. We were going to the room where Cadance said we could sleep, with me and Nyx on Twilight’s back, very tired, and Spike walking next to us. “Did you have fun today everyone?” Twilight asked me as we went to our room. “I sure did,” I said with a yawn. “It sure was a fun day,” Nyx said. “You said it sister,” Spike added with a yawn. “Well, we’ve all had a long day, and we’ll need a good night sleep before we head back to Ponyville tomorrow,” Twilight said, “Just so you know Joshua, school will be starting up the day after tomorrow for you and Nyx.” “School?” I asked nervously. “Don’t worry Joshua,” Nyx said rubbing my back, “The other crusaders will be there, so you’ll know others there besides me.” “And you should try and make some other friends while you’re there too,” Twilight said, “Nyx knows a few colts there around your age.” “I’ll try,” I said as we entered our room. After I put my pajamas on, and brushed my teeth, I went to sleep next to Nyx. I had just closed my eyes, when I found myself in what looked like Ponyville, except it looked destroyed. The sky was red with black clouds, there were fires all over the place, and giant rocks were falling from the sky. It was just like my dream from last night. “Oh no,” I said, “Not again!” Just like before, I tried to find Twilight, Nyx, and Spike to see if they were okay. I ran all over the place, but I couldn’t find them. I then found the library, but it was split open. Inside, the three of them were on the ground, hurt. “No! Please not again!” I yelled. I then heard something coming from behind. I turned and saw a giant rock coming right at me. “NOOOO!!!!” But the rock didn’t hit me. It was caught in a blue glow and thrown away from me. Ponyville then disappeared and turned into the place the princesses called the Realm. I looked around for Twilight, Spike, and Nyx, but I couldn’t find them. I was starting to get scared again, but then I felt a wing across my back. I looked up and saw that it was... “P-Princess Luna?” “Shhh,” she said rubbing her wing on my back, “It’s alright Joshua.” I reached my arms up and around her neck and she held me close. “What happened to Ponyville?” I asked her. “Ponyville is alright Joshua,” Luna said, “It was just a bad dream, that’s all.” “How are you here? Aren’t you in Canterlot with Princess Celestia?” “I’m the Princess of the Night Joshua. It is my duty to come into your dreams.” “I’m still dreaming?” I asked confused. “Yes, you are. And if I’m not mistaken, you had the exact same dream last night, correct?” I nodded my head sadly. “It is nothing to be ashamed about Joshua. It’s just a dream. Nothing like that will happen, I promise.” “I know,” I said sadly, “but I still miss Mommy and Daddy.” “I know you do, dear one,” Luna said, “but your mother and father wouldn’t want you to be sad all the time, would they?” “No,” I said shaking my head, “They wouldn’t.” “Just remember Joshua, your old home may be gone, but as long as you remember that your parents loved you, that love will never leave you.” “Thank you Princess Luna,” I said. “You’re welcome Joshua, and you can just call me Luna,” she said. She then took her wing off my back and walked away with her horn glowing. “Sleep well Joshua. I’ll see you again soon.” She then disappeared. I opened my eyes and saw I was still in the bed in the Crystal Empire with Nyx fast asleep next to me. I climbed out of bed, walked over to the balcony, and sat down looking at the night sky. I was thinking about what Luna told me in my dream. I also thought about how Nyx wanted to be my sister, and how Twilight was Nyx’s mommy. I really wanted a mommy again, and Twilight was taking care of me. I thought maybe she could be my second mommy. I then pulled out the locket that mommy gave to me before I left my old home. I looked inside and saw the picture again. “What do I do?” I asked, “I almost called Twilight ‘Mommy’ this morning. Do I want her to be my second mommy? But I don’t want her to replace my old mommy and daddy.” Just then, I heard a voice in my head. “Remember Joshua,” the voice said. “Mommy?” I asked looking around, but seeing no one. “We’re always with you,” the voice of my mommy said. “We’ll always love you no matter what you do,” another voice spoke up. “Daddy?” I asked again. “As long as you remember how much we loved you, we’ll never leave you. And remember, no one can replace us.” Everything went quiet after that. I then realized the voices were coming from my heart. They really were with me, just like they said. *Twilight’s P.O.V.* I woke up after feeling the bed shift slightly. I opened my eyes and looked over at the balcony and saw Joshua sitting there. What was he doing there sitting awake in the middle of the night? I looked over at a clock and saw that it was getting close to the time Celestia rose the sun every day. I slipped out of bed and walked over to him. “Joshua?” I said when I was close enough to him. He turned his head to me. “What are you doing up in the middle of the night?” “I had that bad dream again,” he replied, “but Luna came to help me. After that, I woke up and couldn’t fall asleep again.” I stopped next to him, tucked my legs in underneath, and laid a wing over his back. “I’m sorry you had that bad dream again,” I said leaning my head down to nuzzle his cheek, “But remember, it was just a dream.” “I know,” he replied. After I finished nuzzling his cheek, we turned to look out on the horizon. Celestia would soon raise the sun. “Twilight?” Joshua said pulling my gaze away from the sky. It looked as though he was hesitating. “Can...Can I ask you something?” “Of course,” I said pulling him closer to my side with my wing, “You can ask me anything.” “Well,” he began, “When Nyx took me to see the Crusaders’ clubhouse, she asked me if I had any brothers and sisters back home. I said I didn’t, and she said that she would be my big sister. I was happy when she said that, but I was thinking. You’re Nyx’s mommy, right?” “Yes,” I said. I somehow knew where he was going with this. “Does...Does that make you my mommy?” he asked. “I guess it kind of does,” I replied, “But are you sure you want me to? I don’t want to replace your parents.” “You won’t Twilight,” he said to me, “As long as I remember how much they loved me and how much I loved them, they’ll never leave me, but could you please be my second mommy?” I smiled down at him, and keeping my wing on his back, I brought a foreleg around his back and pulled him closer to me. “Of course I will,” I said, “To be honest, I have been thinking about adopting you.” “You have?” said a voice behind us. We turned our heads around us and saw Nyx and Spike, rubbing their eyes. I nodded my head at them. Nyx and Spike then smiled at us and came to join in the hug. Just then, a light started shining off in the distance. We all looked and saw the sun beginning to rise. After a little bit, Joshua spoke up. “I love you all,” he said. “So do we Joshua,” I replied, “So do we.” Music: Solution! ~ Calm Moment - Gyakuten Kenji 2 Hotline of Fate - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All Lunar Nocturnality ~ Celestial Diurnality - AcousticBrony The Girl's Sadness - Super Mario Galaxy It Began With a Letter - Kingdom Hearts > Chapter 13 - Bowling with the Crusaders > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 13 - Bowling with the Crusaders *Nyx’s P.O.V.* That morning was really heartwarming for all of us, especially Joshua. He even shed a few happy tears during our group hug. When we met Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Shining, and Aunt Cadance at breakfast that morning, Twilight told them her decision, and Joshua got hugs from all four of them. After breakfast we all said goodbye to them. “Well Joshua,” Cadance said hugging him, “I hope you enjoyed your time here with us.” “I sure did Cadance,” he said, “And I’m happy you’re going to be my new aunt.” “Me too,” she said, “Come back soon okay?” “I will,” he replied. Joshua and Cadance then broke away from their hug. Shining then came up and ruffled Joshua’s hair, making him giggle. “I’ll see you soon, okay buddy?” he said. “Okay Shining,” Joshua replied. He then walked over to me, Twilight, Spike, Grandpa Night Light, and Grandma Velvet. “Well, it’s time for us to get back to Ponyville,” Twilight said, “See you two later.” “Bye guys,” Shining said. “See you all later,” Cadance called as we walked out. Later, we were all on the train back to Ponyville. Joshua fell asleep to take a nap, because he woke up early that morning. He laid down next to Twilight, laying his head on her side with her wing over him. “Spike,” Twilight said, “I’m gonna be going with Mom and Dad back to Canterlot to get some adoption forms filled out, so you’ll be in charge when we stop at Ponyville.” “Sure thing, Twi,” Spike answered, “I’ll be sure to let Joshua know when we he wakes up.” “Thanks Spike. I know I can always count on you.” A few hours later, the train arrived in Ponyville. Twilight levitated Joshua onto my back while he was still asleep, and after saying goodbye to Twilight, Grandpa Night Light, and Grandma Velvet, Spike, Joshua, and I went over to the library. Soon after going in, I heard Joshua yawn. “Hey sleepy head,” I said. “Where’s Twilight?” he asked. “She went with her parents to Canterlot. She needs to fill out the adoption forms to make her adopting you official,” Spike said, “She’ll be back sometime tonight. You two want some lunch?” “Sure,” I said. Joshua nodded his head. After having lunch, Joshua climbed onto my back, and he and I went out to find the other crusaders to tell them the news. While walking through town, we saw Miss Cheerilee. “Well hello there Nyx,” she said greeting me. “Hi Miss Cheerilee!” I said happily. “Looking forward to another year of school?” she asked. “Uh-huh!” I nodded my head excitedly, “I can hardly wait!” She then noticed Joshua on my back. “You must be Joshua,” she said trotting a little closer, “It’s nice to finally meet you. Twilight told me about you when she got you signed up for school a couple days ago. I’m your new teacher, Miss Cheerilee.” “It’s nice to meet you too, Miss Cheerilee,” Joshua said. “Well, I need to get going,” she said, “I have some shopping to do so I’ll be ready for the first day tomorrow.” “Bye Miss Cheerilee!” I said waving a hoof as she left, “See you tomorrow!” After she left, we saw Babs coming up to us. “There you two are!” she said spotting us. “Hey Babs,” I said. “Hey Nyx. Hey Joshua. Where were you two yesterday?” Babs asked. “We were visiting my aunt and uncle at the Crystal Empire,” I said. “Neat,” Babs said, “Everypony else is waiting for you guys at the clubhouse. We gotta get in one more day of crusadin’ before school starts for us all tomorrow.” “Well, lead the way Babs,” I said. She then blew her overhanging piece of mane out of her face and started leading us to the clubhouse. “Just to let you two know, I’m gonna be going back to Manehatten tonight if you guys want to see me off,” Babs said. “Oh,” Joshua said, “You’ll come back and visit right?” “‘Course I will,” Babs said, “We’ll see each other again, buddy. You haven’t seen the last of me.” “Okay.” A few minutes later, we arrived at the clubhouse. The other crusaders were already inside. “There you are,” Apple Bloom said. “They just came back from visiting the Crystal Empire,” Babs explained. “And we have a special announcement to make,” I added as Joshua climbed off my back. “What is it?!” Sweetie Belle said excitedly. “Twilight decided to adopt Joshua as a son. Now he really will be my little brother,” I told them, wrapping my foreleg around Joshua’s shoulders. “Awesome!” Scootaloo said flapping her wings rapidly. “Congratulations!” Apple Bloom said, “Anything else?” “Twilight also got me signed up to the school you all go to,” Joshua added. “That’s great to hear!” Twist said. “Well y’all, we’ve got one more day of summer vacation left,” Apple Bloom said, “What should we do?” “Why don’t we let Joshua decide?” Scootaloo suggested. “Me?” he asked putting one of his hands on his chest. “Why not?” Sweetie Belle agreed. “Your choice little brother,” I said. Joshua put his hand to his chin in a thinking manner. An idea hit him after a while. “Is there a bowling place?” he asked. “Yeah, Mr. Kingpin’s Alley,” Sweetie Belle answered, “We’ve only been there once to try for bowling cutie marks, but it didn’t work out too well. You want to go bowling?” “Yeah, bowling is something my mommy and daddy did every year on my birthday,” he said, “I missed it this year, because...you know.” “I guess it couldn’t hurt to go there again,” Scootaloo said, “After all, we agreed that he could choose.” “Then it’s settled,” Apple Bloom said. Soon, the seven of us went over to Mr. Kingpin’s alley. When we entered, the normal noises of balls rolling and pins crashing met our ears. Apple Bloom went to get a scorecard for us, while the rest of us went to find an open lane where we could play together. While looking around, we saw an open lane next to where we saw Rainbow Dash and Applejack. “Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo exclaimed running over. Rainbow looked over and saw us coming up. “Hey Squirt,” she said ruffling Scootaloo’s mane, “What brings you here?” “The rest of the crusaders and I are here to play a game as our final summer activity together,” she explained, “It was Joshua’s decision actually.” “I thought he went to the Crystal Empire with Nyx, Spike, and Twi,” Rainbow said. “We were only there for one day,” I said as the rest of us came over. We stopped at the open lane next to them. “Hey there Joshua,” Applejack said, “Went to the Crystal Empire, did ya?” “Uh-huh,” Joshua answered, “It was really cool. And Rainbow Dash?” “Yeah kid?” “Thank you for the Daring Do book. It really was awesome!” “I knew you’d like it,” Rainbow said, “I’ll bring over the Griffin’s Goblet sometime for ya. So where’s Twilight? Is she back at the library with Spike?” “No, she went to Canterlot. She said she’s going to be adopting me as her son,” Joshua explained. “Well congratulations sugarcube,” Applejack said. “Hey Applejack!” Apple Bloom came running over with the scorecard in her mouth. She placed it on a table near our lane and trotted over to nuzzle her older sister. “Hey there Apple Bloom,” Applejack said returning the nuzzle, “Decided to try bowling again?” “Yeah,” Apple Bloom replied, “What are you and Rainbow doin’ here?” “Just our usual sparrin’ that we do together,” Applejack answered. “Well, let’s get started,” Rainbow said, picking up a ball. The order in my game with Joshua and the other crusaders was Sweetie Belle starting off, then Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Babs, Twist, me, and then Joshua. Sweetie Belle picked up her ball and gave it a roll. She told me about her first time bowling, and she got all gutter balls. Her first shot was a gutter ball. On her second shot, she managed to knock down seven pins. “All right!” she cheered, “I finally got some!” On Scootaloo’s first time bowling, she had trouble keeping her ball in the lane. This time, she did a whole lot better. She first knocked down five pins on her first throw, and then picked up the spare with her second throw. “Sweet!” she said. “Nice shot Scoots,” Rainbow said looking over. Apple Bloom didn’t really want to talk too much about her first time bowling. Her first roll had her knock down nine pins. She missed the final one on her second throw. “Shoot,” she said, “Oh well.” Babs really surprised us with her first shot. It came down as a strike. “Wow Babs, nice shot!” Apple Bloom said. “Thanks cuz. My sis an’ I go bowlin’ in Manehatten every once in a while.” Twist had a little difficulty with her shot. She knocked down two pins on her first throw, then five on her second. When it was my throw, I got five pins on the first throw, and then four on the second. Finally it was Joshua’s turn. He picked up a ball that was easy enough for him to carry in his hands, and walked up to the lane. He then rolled the ball down the lane with a good amount of speed. When it reached the pins, all of them got knocked down. He scored a strike. “Whoa!” Babs said impressed, “Looks like I got some competition. Nice goin’ kid.” “Thanks Babs,” Joshua said. The rest of the game went out pretty good for all of us. Babs and Joshua were the ones beating us. They never missed a single pin, whether it was a strike or a spare. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were going all out on their game though. They got strikes every time they came up. Soon it came down to the last frame for us all, and Joshua and Babs were tied at the moment. Sweetie Belle picked up a spare on her first two and knocked down five extra pins on her last throw. Scootaloo scored a split pickup and six extra pins on her last throw. Apple Bloom managed to get a strike and a spare on her last two throws. When Babs came up, she scored two strikes and nine pins extra, putting her in a good spot to win. Twist got three pins on her first throw, then six pins on her second throw, so she didn’t get her extra throw. I got a strike on my first throw, then a 7-10 split, on my second throw, so my last throw had me knock down one of the final two pins over. This put me in fourth place behind Apple Bloom who was in third. Scootaloo scored fifth, Sweetie Belle sixth, and Twist seventh. Finally Joshua was up. “You’ve still got a good chance of beating me Joshua,” Babs said, “All you need to do is score three strikes in a row.” “I’ve never done that before,” he said. “Just try your best little brother,” I told him. He picked up his ball and rolled it down the lane. The result was a strike. “That’s one,” Apple Bloom said, “Two more.” Joshua picked up the ball again and rolled it. Another strike. “That’s two!” Scootaloo said flapping her wings excitedly. “One more to go!” Sweetie Belle said with a green spark coming from her horn. Joshua picked up the ball one final time and rolled it. We all looked on as the ball went down the lane, and with a crash, Joshua scored the third strike. “Did I do that?” Joshua asked. “You sure did!” I said patting him on the back, “Nice going little brother! You won!” “Whoa, never saw that one comin’,” Babs said, “Nice going Joshua, you beat me fair and square.” “Nice going kid,” Rainbow said as she and Applejack trotted up to us, “You were pretty good, almost as good as I was.” “Thanks Rainbow,” he replied, “How did you and Applejack do?” “We ended up tyin’ each other,” Applejack responded, “We each got a perfect 300.” “It’s my first time getting a perfect game too,” Rainbow added. “Well Apple Bloom and Babs, we’d best be gettin’ back to the farm,” Applejack said. “Okay,” the two cousins replied. “I need to get home too,” Twist said, “I was planning on making some of my peppermint sticks for desert after dinner tonight.” Soon, the rest of us had left the bowling alley, with Scootaloo riding on Rainbow’s back, and Sweetie Belle heading toward Rarity’s. It was sunset when Joshua and I arrived at the library. When we entered, we could smell Spike making dinner. “Spike? We’re back.” I called. He then peeked his head out of the kitchen. “Oh, hey there you two,” he greeted us, “Why don’t you two go wash up? Dinner’s almost ready.” After washing up, we sat down at the table and had dinner. Spike had cooked up a delicious plate of spaghetti for each of us. After dinner, we all went over to the train station to see Babs off and to see Twilight come back. We arrived at the station and saw Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Babs waiting for the next train to come. “Hey again,” Apple Bloom said upon spotting us, “Hey Spike.” “Hey there you guys,” Spike said, “What are you all doing here?” “I’m goin’ back to Manehatten tonight,” Babs said, “I’ve got school tomorrow, and I need to rest up.” Just then a whistle sounded, and we saw a train light in the distance coming toward the station. Soon, it stopped at the platform and the doors opened up. “Station stop Ponyville,” we heard the conductor say, “Next stop, Manehatten.” “Guess that’s me,” Babs said. He then turned to Apple Bloom and hugged her. “See ya later cuz.” “Bye Babs,” Apple Bloom said. Babs then turned and hugged Applejack. She then trotted up to me and Joshua. Babs and I gave each other a hoofbump, and she then hugged Joshua. “See ya Joshua,” Babs said, “I’ll be expectin’ a rematch in bowlin’ when I get back. Okay?” “Okay Babs,” Joshua replied, “Come back soon, okay?” “You betcha,” Babs said. After Babs and Joshua stopped hugging, she climbed onto the train. We then saw Twilight walking toward us. I hurried over and hugged her. “Hello there sweetie,” she said returning the hug. She then trotted up to Joshua and Spike. “Well, the adoption forms have been filled out. You are now my son, Joshua.” Joshua walked up to Twilight and hugged her, “Thank you...mom,” he said sighing happily. Later, we were all back at the library getting ready for bed. Twilight was picking out a bed time story to read to us, while Spike was already snoozing in his basket. I was still wide awake in my bed, and Joshua was in the bathroom getting his pajamas on. Suddenly... “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!” Joshua’s voice came out loud and clear from behind the bathroom door. Spike woke up from the loud scream and sat up to attention. Twilight was already hurrying over to the bathroom after hearing Joshua scream. After we burst through the door, we did not expect to see this. Joshua was looking straight at the mirror, and there on his head was a unicorn horn. Music: Family - Super Mario Galaxy Traverse Town - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Buoy Base Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy Crepsecularity - AcousticBrony Thrill Theme ~ Suspense - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney > Chapter 14 - Mysterious Magic > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 14 - Mysterious Magic *Twilight’s P.O.V.* “What happened?” I asked Joshua with concern in my voice. Joshua turned to look at us, his eyes starting to fill up. “I was taking my shirt off, but then while my head was in my shirt, there was a bright light on my forehead. That’s when I screamed. The light went away; I took off my shirt all the way, looked in the mirror, and saw this.” He then pointed at his newly formed horn. “What’s happening to me?” he asked starting to cry. He then ran towards me and wrapped his arms around my neck, sobbing into my chest fur. I wrapped one of my forelegs around him and started rubbing his back to try and comfort him. We had to figure out what was happening to Joshua, and Celestia was the only pony that could possibly know. “Spike?” “I know, Twi,” Spike responded pulling out a quill and parchment. I narrated the letter while continuing to comfort Joshua. Dear Princess Celestia, We have an issue regarding our human friend, Joshua. He told me that while taking off his clothes, he saw a bright light from inside his shirt on his forehead. After the light disappeared, he pulled it off the rest of the way and discovered a small unicorn’s horn while looking in the mirror. We have no idea how it appeared, or by what means. So we are turning to you for advice. Please respond as soon as possible, because Joshua is really scared at the moment. Your faithful student and fellow princess, Twilight Sparkle “Twilight...Sparkle, there,” Spike said. He then rolled up the scroll, and breathed his green flame on it, sending it to Celestia. Joshua was still sobbing after we sent the letter. Nyx had trotted up to us, looking at Joshua concerned. “Is he going to be okay?” she asked. “I honestly don’t know,” I told her while still rubbing Joshua’s back, “but I hope so. Princess Celestia is our best bet right now. I just hope she’ll be able to figure out what’s wrong.” After a few minutes, a bright light flashed from the stairs. “Twilight, are you up there?” Celestia’s voice called from downstairs. “Coming,” I told her, “Come on Joshua. Let’s go see if Celestia can help okay?” Joshua looked up at me, still slightly crying and shakily responded, “O-o-okay.” Keeping my foreleg around him, I led him downstairs. Spike and Nyx followed behind, both of them had worried looks on their faces. When we made our way downstairs, Princess Celestia was indeed in the room, as well as Princess Luna, both of them had concerned looks on their faces. “We came as soon as we could, my faithful student,” Celestia said. “Thank you, Princess,” I said. I then lifted my foreleg off Joshua and slowly nudged him toward the Princesses. “It’ll be okay Joshua. We’re all here to help you, okay?” Joshua nodded his head at me, and then slowly walked towards Celestia. The princesses had both laid down on all fours as he walked towards them. “Can I have a look Joshua?” Celestia asked, placing a hoof on his shoulder. Joshua nodded and lowered his head, giving Celestia a better look. She leaned in and looked carefully over his horn from all angles. After a couple minutes, she lit her horn up. Joshua saw this and got nervous, but Celestia offered a gentle smile. “It’s okay dear one, this won’t hurt.” After receiving another nod from Joshua, Celestia let the tip of her horn touch Joshua’s. A white aura surrounded Joshua’s horn as Celestia looked at it. A few minutes later, Celestia and Joshua’s horns turned off. Celestia then sighed. “I’m not quite sure how to put this,” she said, “but it would seem that Joshua is transforming into a pony.” “I’m turning into a pony?” he asked looking up at Celestia, “Can you stop it?” “I’m not sure,” Celestia said, “But we will try our best Joshua. I don’t like seeing you suffer like this. You've already suffered enough.” Joshua then walked up to Celestia and wrapped his arms around her, while she placed a wing over him, and started rubbing his back. “I’m scared Princess Celestia,” he said crying again. “I know Joshua,” she said comfortingly, “I promise you, Luna and I will do our best to help you in any way we can.” Luna then put a hoof on Joshua’s shoulder and rubbed it gently. “It will be okay Joshua,” she said, “I assure you, we will figure something out.” Joshua had cried himself to sleep and was snoring soundly as his head lay on Celestia’s shoulder. Celestia then levitated him over onto my back and then stood up. “I will have my magic researchers look into this, and we’ll try and find a solution,” she said, “Until then, try your best to comfort Joshua. He needs you all to be there for him right now.” “Of course Princess,” I replied, “We’ll try our best.” “Goodnight everypony,” Luna said. Then, she and Celestia teleported out of the room in a bright flash of light. “So what now?” Nyx asked looking at Joshua sleeping on my back, concern still on her face. “Let’s get some sleep,” I told her, “We’ll figure something out in the morning.” Nyx and Spike nodded their heads and we all went back upstairs to our beds. Spike wearily crawled into his basket and fell asleep instantly. Nyx climbed into her bed and lay her head down. I then carefully levitated Joshua next to her making sure not to wake him, brought his pajamas over, magically put them on him, and then nuzzled his cheek gently. Nyx wrapped a foreleg over him and pulled him closer to her to cuddle him. Soon, I climbed into bed after that, but didn't quite fall asleep. I couldn't stop thinking about what Joshua was going through. First he loses his old home, his friends, and his family, and now he’s becoming one of us ponies. I can only hope that we’ll figure out how to stop this without too much trouble. Sleep eventually caught up with me, and I closed my eyes. Music: Reminiscing ~ A Fate Smeared by Tricks and Gadgets - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Dearly Beloved - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX > Chapter 15 - First Day of School > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 15 - First Day of School *Joshua’s P.O.V.* I woke up the next day, still upset about what happened. What was going to happen to me if I became a pony? I would never be a human again if that happened. I liked being a human. I didn’t want to be something else. Looking behind me, I saw that Nyx had her hoof over me like she did on my first night. I carefully turned around in bed and hugged her back. I was happy she was my big sister. I knew she, my new big brother Spike, and my new mom Twilight would help me through. Nyx opened up her eyes and saw me hugging her. She smiled and brought her other hoof around me. “Good morning little brother,” she said, “You feeling any better?” “A little bit,” I told her. After we stopped our hug, I looked behind me and saw that mom’s bed was empty. Spike’s basket was too. “Spike and Twilight must be downstairs,” Nyx said getting out of bed. I got out of bed after her and went to the bathroom and changed into another new set of clothes Rarity made for me. I then went downstairs and saw a lot of books all over the floor with Spike and Twilight looking through them. Nyx was at the bottom of the stairs looking as well. “Mommy?” I said, “What are you and Spike doing?” “Oh, good morning you two,” Mom said, “We’re trying to figure out what possibly could’ve caused your horn to appear. So far nothing.” “Twilight,” Nyx said, “Is there a way we can hide Joshua’s horn? He still has to go to school with me.” “Don’t worry about that Nyx,” Mom replied, “I already thought ahead and I found a spell that could hide Joshua’s horn. The effects will wear off at the end of the day, so you shouldn’t have to worry about that.” “Okay,” I said. She then came up to me and her horn started glowing. Her horn then touched my horn, and it disappeared. I brought my hand up to my head, and it touched something where my horn was. “Is it invisible?” I asked. “Yes,” she said, “Hopefully I won’t have to keep this up for long. If Celestia and Luna really are trying their hardest to figure something out, we should have some results soon. Now come on, let’s go have breakfast.” We then all went into the kitchen, and Spike made waffles for us all. After breakfast, Mom gave me and Nyx some bags with stuff in them, writing quills, pieces of paper, and a few books too. “Well, it’s time for school you two,” she said, “Spike keep looking while I’m gone okay?” “Sure thing Twi,” Spike said. Mom, Nyx, and I then left the library and off toward our first day of school. We then came to the school that my friends showed me on my first day. We heard the bells ringing and saw other fillies and colts running into the school. “Have a good first day at school you two,” Mom told us. “Bye,” we said walking in. I looked around the room and there were a lot of fillies and colts in the room. I saw the other crusaders at one side of the room. They waved at us when we came in, so we waved back. I also saw Dinky in the room too. She was looking at me when I came in, but looked away when I saw her looking at me. I then saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon in there too. I saw they weren’t happy to see me there. Two of the colts I saw were unicorns. One was smaller than me and green with an orange mane and tail, big teeth sticking out of his mouth, and scissors for a cutie mark. The other one was taller than the others. He was orange, with a green mane and tail, a sleepy look on his face, and a snail for a cutie mark. Another colt I saw was an earth pony. He was white with brown spots on him, and a brown mane and tail. He didn’t have a cutie mark though. One other colt I saw was grey with a black mane and tail, and a fork and knife for a cutie mark. Another one was a white pegasus with a brown mane and tail, and a feather for a cutie mark. “Hello Nyx. Hello Joshua,” we heard Miss Cheerilee say as she walked up to us. “Good morning Miss Cheerilee,” Nyx said. “Joshua, would mind standing here with me for a minute?” Miss Cheerilee asked me. I nodded my head at her, while Nyx went over to sit at a desk. The other fillies and colts all sat down as the school bell started ringing. Miss Cheerilee then spoke up. “Good morning, class,” she said. “Good morning, Cheerilee,” the other kids said. “Welcome back to another year of school,” Cheerilee said, “Before we get started, I would like to introduce you all to a new student. This is Joshua, and I want you all to treat him nicely.” “Yes Cheerilee.” “Now, you go and find an open desk, okay?” she said looking happily at me. “Yes Miss Cheerilee,” I said. I saw Sweetie Belle waving her hoof at me. She was sitting at the end of one row. She then pointed at an empty desk next to her. It was in front of the white colt with the brown spots, next to Apple Bloom, and behind Twist. I walked over and took a seat in the desk she was pointing at. I then looked behind me at the white and brown colt. He was smiling at me. “Hi,” I said, “What’s your name?” “I’m Pipsqueak,” he said, “But everypony calls me Pip. It’s nice to meet you, Joshua.” “Nice to meet you too Pip,” I said. “Okay class,” Miss Cheerilee said, “Let’s get started.” School was interesting. Miss Cheerilee started with a lesson about a city called Cloudsdale. Cloudsdale was where a lot of pegasus ponies came from. I wanted to ask Rainbow Dash about it when I saw her again. Cheerilee told us that Cloudsdale was where all of Equestria’s weather was made. She also told us that it was the hometown of the pony who made the first snowflake: a blind filly named Snowdrop. She was a light blue pegasus with the same color blue and white for her mane and tail, the same blue for her eyes, and a white flower for a cutie mark. Her eyes didn’t have the black pupils like everyone else though. I felt bad for her that she couldn’t see very well. Miss Cheerilee said that Snowdrop had amazing ears that could hear almost everything around her. When Snowdrop made the first snowflake in Equestria, it was shown to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, when they were celebrating their one hundredth year of ruling Equestria. Snowdrop’s snowflakes had the power to tame winter’s snows too, so ponies could play in it. The bells rang again. It was time for lunch and recess, my favorite part of school. I followed Nyx and my other friends out to a lunch table. Twilight had packed us our lunches. Nyx had her favorites with her, while I had a peanut butter sandwich and a small milk carton. “So how are ya enjoyin’ school so far Joshua?” Apple Bloom asked me. “It’s really nice so far,” I told her, “but I’m not happy that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are there.” “Don’t worry Joshua,” Sweetie Belle said, “We’ll make sure they don’t bother you.” “Thanks girls,” I said. I then let out a sad sigh. Nyx knew what I was thinking about and put a hoof on my back. “Something wrong buddy?” Scootaloo asked. “Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it here,” I said, “Can we talk about it at the clubhouse after school?” “Sure thing buddy,” Apple Bloom said. We then continued eating our lunch. After lunch, I left to find Pip. I saw him talking to the other colts I saw. Pip told me that the green unicorn’s name was Snips and the orange one’s name was Snails. The white pegasus’ name was Featherweight. He was the editor in chief for the school newspaper, the Foal Free Press. The grey colt’s name was Truffle Shuffle. He liked to eat a lot. It made sense because his cutie mark was a knife and fork. A little later, I saw Dinky sitting on the end of the slide looking sad. I walked up to her wondering what was wrong. “What’s wrong Dinky?” I asked her. She looked up at me and I could see some tears coming from her eyes. “I overheard Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon talking bad things about mom,” she said sniffling. “They were?” Dinky nodded. “Doesn’t Miss Cheerilee know they say mean things to others?” I asked. “She does, but no matter how much she punishes them, they always start again,” she said, “Those two think they’re better than everypony else just because they have rich families. They always pick on other fillies and colts. Especially the blank flanks like me.” “You know Dinky?” I asked her. She looked at me as I sat down next to her. “When Nyx first told me about them, she told me not to let what they say go to my head. I almost did when I first met them, and it did hurt. If they say bad things again, you should tell your mom or Miss Cheerilee.” “I know, but if I do that, they’ll start picking on me even more if they find out I tell,” she said. I placed an arm around her shoulders. “I’ll be there for you okay?” I said to her, “I’m having trouble with something right now, and my new family is trying to help me, so I’ll help you okay?” She then turned her head to me, smiled, and hugged me. “Thank you Joshua,” she said. I hugged her back. Just then the school bell rang. “Back to class everypony!” we heard Miss Cheerilee say. Dinky and I got up from our seats on the slide, walked back in, and sat down in our desks. Music: Lazy Afternoons - Kingdom Hearts II Yoshi Village - Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time Landing Area - LEGO Universe > Chapter 16 - Promises Made > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 16 - Promises Made *Nyx’s P.O.V.* At the end of school, Miss Cheerilee gave us a math assignment. I noticed Joshua seemed happy at this. Math must’ve been his favorite subject in school. Soon we all left the schoolhouse, and Joshua, the other crusaders, and I went over to the clubhouse. “Okay everypony,” I said after we all sat down, “what Joshua is about to tell you all cannot leave these walls. You all promise?” “I promise,” Twist said. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” the others said, reciting and performing the Pinkie Pie Promise. Joshua looked confused at that. “What was that?” he asked. “It’s a Pinkie Pie Promise,” Apple Bloom said, “Whenever somepony makes a Pinkie Pie Promise, they have to keep it no matter what. We don’t want to lose your trust buddy, because losing a friend’s trust is the fastest way to lose a friend forever.” “FOREVER!!!” We all jumped at the sudden shout. There was Pinkie Pie staring at us sternly through the window. “Pinkie Pie?” Joshua asked confused. “Hi there Joshie!” she said returning to her happy attitude. “You heard us?” “I always know whenever somepony makes a Pinkie Promise,” she said, “And you can trust me that I’ll keep it too if you tell me what you’re about to say.” “You promise?” “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she said reciting her promise. “Okay,” Joshua said standing up, “Last night, while taking my shirt off, there was this bright light that appeared on my forehead. When it went away, I took off my shirt all the way, looked in the mirror, and there was a unicorn horn on my forehead.” “There was?” Sweetie Belle said. “Where is it now?” Scootaloo asked. “Twilight made it invisible with her magic,” I explained, “It’s still there, it’s just invisible. Show them Joshua.” Joshua then placed a hand on top of his invisible horn, and everypony there went wide-eyed. “Sweet Applesauce!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Did it hurt when it appeared?” Twist asked. “No,” Joshua said shaking his head, “Princess Celestia came in last night to look at it, but she said she didn’t know why it appeared, and that I was turning into a pony, but I don’t want to be a pony.” “Don’t worry buddy,” Scootaloo said placing a hoof on Joshua’s hand, “We’ll all be here for you. We promise not to let this conversation leave the clubhouse.” “My lips are sealed,” Pinkie said, “See you all later Crusaders! Hope you feel better Joshie.” She then bounced away from the window, humming to herself. “How does she do that?” Joshua asked. “It’s just Pinkie Pie,” Apple Bloom responded flatly, “You’ll get used to it.” “We need to get going and see if Twilight has found anything,” I said. “Plus we’ve got that math assignment to do as well,” Sweetie Belle added. So we all went our separate ways back home. Joshua and I entered the library to see Twilight and Spike still looking through the books. Twilight noticed us coming in. “Oh I’m sorry you two,” she said, “I must’ve lost track of time.” “It’s okay Mom,” Joshua said, “I understand.” “Did you tell your friends about you know what?” I asked. “Yes, except for Pinkie Pie, and they promised they wouldn’t tell anypony else. I couldn’t find Pinkie Pie though.” “She found me, Joshua, and the other Crusaders actually,” I explained, “We told them and they promised not to tell either.” “Good, good,” Twilight said, “Well, so far we still haven’t found anything about why Joshua’s horn appeared.” Just then, the spell that made Joshua’s horn invisible wore off and it reappeared. Joshua let out a sad sigh. “Don’t worry Joshua. We’ll figure out how to fix it,” Twilight said rubbing his cheek with a hoof. Just then Spike started making a gagging sound. He then burped and a rolled up scroll appeared. Twilight caught it with her magic and unrolled it. “What does it say?” Joshua asked. Twilight cleared her throat and read: Dear Twilight Sparkle, We looked through the Canterlot Archives and we think we have a lead on to why Joshua is going through his transformation. It might be something we can use to reverse the transformation, but we will have to look into it further until we are certain. For now, just do your best to help Joshua any way you can, and keep me updated on any further incidents Joshua has with becoming a pony. Your fellow princess and mentor, Princess Celestia “Well Joshua, Princess Celestia thinks she may have found something, but wants to make sure it’ll work before trying it on you,” Twilight said. “Okay,” he said showing a small smile. “At least we’re getting somewhere,” Twilight added, “Now why don’t you and Nyx go do your homework?” I nodded my head and led Joshua upstairs. There we worked on the math assignment Miss Cheerilee gave us. Soon after finishing his assignment, Joshua went to sit on our bed. “Are you gonna be okay?” I asked him. He looked up at me and had a sad frown. “I don’t know Nyx,” he said to me, “I just really hope Princess Celestia fixes me.” He then laid down on his chest looking at the clock in the room. I then finished up my assignment, trotted over to him, laid down next to him, and placed a hoof on his back. He turned to look at me and I gave him a sad smile. “It’ll be okay little brother,” I said, “You know we’re all here for you right?” He nodded at me and sat up. I did the same, and we hugged each other. “Thank you Nyx,” he said. We held our hug for what felt like hours, and I could feel Joshua relaxing in my embrace. “I hope what Princess Celestia found works,” he added after we finished our hug. “Me too,” I said, “You wanna get a snack from the kitchen?” “Sure,” he said nodding. Music: A Piece of Peach - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX The Afternoon Streets - Kingdom Hearts II > Bonus Chapter 1 - Flight to the Finish > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus Chapter 1 - Flight to the Finish *Joshua’s P.O.V.* It was two days since my horn first appeared. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have been looking for those two days, but they haven’t found anything. I hope they do find something soon. Nyx and I were in school again today. Miss Cheerilee was finishing up teaching the lesson for today. “Alright everypony, before we are dismissed today, I have important news,” she said, “Today, we have two special guests with a very special announcement! Everypony, welcome the head of the Equestria Games, Ms. Harshwhinny!” She pointed at the school door, and it opened. On the other side was a brown earth pony mare with a yellow mane and tail, light blue eyes, a trophy cutie mark, wore a purple suit, a pink scarf, and pink earrings. Miss Cheerilee backed up and Miss Harshwhinny walked to where Miss Cheerilee was standing. “Thank you,” Miss Harshwhinny said, “Thank you. Now, I'm sure you all know about the Equestria Games, where ponies from all over the land compete for glory in various athletic pursuits. Well, now you littlest ones will have the chance to compete for a weighty responsibility of your very own.” “Oh come on! Tell ‘em the fun part!” said a voice. Rainbow Dash? I thought. I looked behind and saw her fly in through a window. She turned around in the air a few times before landing next to Miss Harshwhinny. We were all amazed at her tricks. “That's right! All you gotta do is show Ms. Harshwhinny the coolest, most spectacular, most rocking routine and you're going to the Games! So who's going to be the lucky ponies?!” Rainbow asked us all. “It’s gotta be me!” I heard Diamond Tiara say. “Maybe it’s me!” a filly named Aura said. “Maybe it’s us!” Scootaloo said looking at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “Maybe it’s us!” said two voices behind us. We all turned and saw Snips standing on his hind legs holding up Snails. Just then, they fell to the ground next to my desk. I leaned out worried that they hurt themselves. Other fillies and colts looked at them. “Hey!” Snips said, “It could happen!” After Snips and Snails got back in their seats, Rainbow Dash started talking again. “So, the winning team gets to carry the Ponyville flag at the Equestria Games!” Rainbow said, “Oh, you are gonna love this!” “Ms. Dash,” Miss Harshwhinny said looking angry at Rainbow, “will you please curb your over-enthusiastic outbursts?” She then stood back up and walked over to the chalkboard. “Now then, let me be clear on the rules. You ponies...” she paused when she saw me. I gave a short wave. “...and human, will form teams. Each team will create their own flag carrying routine. Everypony will be judged on grace, style and originality. There's a most complicated scoring system, which I will elaborate upon now. Firstly--“ “Aw, get to the nitty-gritty later,” Rainbow said interrupting her, “Tell 'em the important stuff! Like who's the coach!” She got down and stood back up with a cap on her head and a whistle around her neck. She then blew it loudly. “That’s right!” she said looking back at us, “Me! And you know why I'm qualified to coach you? Guess who carried the Cloudsdale flag in the Games when she was a little filly?” She started flying near the ceiling. “Me! I'll never forget it –- I burst into the stadium, spreading my wings, the flag flapping in the breeze. I did tricks with that flag the likes of which nopony saw before and nopony's seen since!” She started waving a flag around, but then Miss Harshwhinny grabbed it and pulled her back down. “Professionalism, Ms. Dash,” she said putting the flag down, “I must insist. If you want to keep your job as coach of these children, you must maintain a professional attitude and keep your emotions in check! Am I making myself absolutely, one hundred percent crystal clear?” she asked getting in Rainbow’s face. “Yes, Ms. Harshwhinny,” Rainbow said, “Y'know, "professionalism" is my middle name. Rainbow Professionalism Dash.” I thought she told me her middle name was “danger”? I thought. “Hmph! Well, in three days’ time,” Miss Harshwhinny said, “Ms. Dash will accompany anypony competing to the Crystal Empire, where you will demonstrate your routines for me and the other judges, who will judge you very professionally.” “Ahem,” Rainbow said clearing her throat, “Yes. Quite, quite correct.” She then started flapping again. “In the meantime, get ready to train, and train hard, because I know this opening ceremony is the single most important thing that will ever happen in your young lives! But, I know you're up for the challenge. And so am I! Wooho--” She was about to backflip but saw Miss Harshwhinny looking at her. She then got back on all fours and cleared her throat again. “Ahem... Meet me after school tomorrow at 1500 hours. Sharp. And show me your flag carrying skills. I am outta here.” She was about to fly out fast, but stopped and walked out slowly. “Professionally. See how professionally?” Miss Harshwhinny sighed and rolled her eyes. She then looked back at us. “Ponies, and human, the most important thing is this: Your routine needs to show what your town means to you. So, do Ponyville proud. Work hard, be bold, wow me.” She then walked out of the schoolhouse. “That is all!” The school bell then rang. Nyx and I grabbed our bags and walked out of the schoolhouse. “So, Josh,” Nyx said to me, “You wanna be a team with me?” “Sure, Nyx,” I said, “I’d like that.” “Great!” she said, “Let’s start thinking of a routine.” “Wait Nyx, do you hear something?” I asked putting a hand to my ear. Nyx put a hoof to her ear and listened too. Was that... singing? We looked down the path and saw Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo marching and singing a song. Nyx and I followed the three of them around town as they did many things and sang. I was amazed at their singing. “Nyx,” I said turning to her, “Does that happen a lot?” “Ponies breaking out into song?” she asked me. I nodded. “Yeah, it happens from time to time.” Just then, there was slow clapping. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were in the air when they finished and they fell back down. Nyx and I saw who was clapping: Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Uh oh, I thought. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon stood up and started walking to Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. “If that's the best you've got, we're going to win for sure,” Diamond Tiara said. The two of them began walking in circles around our friends. “We already have the most divine routine planned,” Silver Spoon said. “It's absolutely sure to crush everyone else – and I mean crush,” Diamond Tiara said hitting her forehooves together. “But we're winners!” Scootaloo said, “And we have hearts...” She was about to sing again, but Silver Spoon interrupted her. “Sure. But you know what you don't have?” she asked. “Your cutie marks!” the two of them said pointing at Sweetie Belle’s flank. “Blank flanks, blank flanks, blank flanks!” What did that matter? Nyx and I stepped out from our hiding spot and walked over to them. “What does not having a cutie mark have to do with flag carrying?” I asked them. The two of them turned their heads to me and Nyx. Diamond Tiara frowned at me. “Who asked you, freak?” she said. “Having cutie mark-less ponies represent Ponyville would be unthinkable,” Silver Spoon said. “And we of course already have our cutie marks,” Diamond Tiara added as she and Silver Spoon showed off their cutie marks, “So we know who’s going to be in the winner’s circle.” “Listen you two!” Scootaloo said getting in Diamond Tiara’s face, “Cutie marks or no cutie marks, you'll see! One of the Crusader groups are gonna carry that flag at the Games.” She pointed at herself, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle, then at me and Nyx as she said that. Then, the three of them high-hoofed. “May the best ponies win!” Silver Spoon said. “Game on!” Scootaloo replied. *** The next day, we all met Rainbow Dash after school to show her our routines. Nyx and I worked hard on our routine last night before going to bed. Rainbow had liked the routine Nyx and I made, but said that it needed a little bit more work. After all the other teams did theirs, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were the last ones to go. “Show me what you got, Cutie Mark Crusaders, and make it good!” Rainbow said as she waited. “Don’t worry, we will!” Scootaloo said peeking out from behind the stage curtain. “Now, this is just a little something we threw together,” Sweetie Belle said, “Its not perfect yet, not even close.” “I’m kinda anxious to see their routine,” Nyx said as we sat behind Rainbow to watch. “Me too,” I replied. The curtains opened up, and Scootaloo started speaking. “Since the dawn of recorded time, in one town of amazing amazingness, three types of ponies coexist!” she said. Apple Bloom then walked onto the stage, backwards. “We are Earth ponies!” she said. Then Sweetie Belle hopped onto the stage. “We are unicorns!” she said. Then Scootaloo appeared behind a cardboard cloud. “We are pegasi!” she said. Then a big picture with a sun some trees and houses came down in front of them. “And the town where friendship reigns is our home. Now, welcome to the stadium, the flag of the place we love best...” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle held up a hoop with paper covering it and then Scootaloo jumped through the hoop with her scooter ripping a hole in the paper. She then jumped off and landed in the middle of the stage, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle got up on her forelegs. “Ponyville forever! Yay!” the three of them said. Confetti and streamers popped up when they finished. Nyx and I had our mouths open. That was amazing! “It's kind of a work in progress,” Scootaloo said as the three of them came up to Rainbow Dash, “So? What did you think?” “That was ama...!” she began but stopped, “To give a calm, clear analysis... Wait. You whipped that act together just yesterday?! That is...!” she stopped again, “Overall, it was... kinda, sorta... Overall, it was okay. Keep working hard. Who knows? You might have a shot. Gotta go!” she then left. I heard Nyx giggling. “I think Rainbow trying to remain ‘professional’ for Miss Harshwhinny is a big challenge for her,” she said. “I think so too,” I replied, “But did you see their performance? That was awesome! I think it’s better than ours.” “You’re right,” she said with a smile, “If one Crusader wins, then all the Crusaders win.” Nyx and I began walking towards the three of them. We walked up onto the stage and stopped in front of them. “That was great, girls!” Nyx said. “Yeah,” I replied, “I think you three are going to win this.” “Thanks guys,” Scootaloo said, “Yours’ was pretty good too.” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodded. “Thank you,” Nyx replied. “Girls, we just wanted to say your act is quite impressive!” said a voice. We all turned and saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon stepping up onto the stage. “Wait... What?” Sweetie Belle asked confused. “Um... Thanks?” Apple Bloom said. “Oh, but of course,” Silver Spoon said as they walked past Scootaloo, “As a matter of fact, we think you're very brave.” “Brave?” Scootaloo asked, “Why?” “Isn't it obvious?” Diamond Tiara asked as they looked back, “It is to us. In fact, it's obvious to everypony. You're showing all three types of Ponyville ponies, yet you have a pegasus pony...” “...who can't even fly!” she and Silver Spoon said together. Ouch! I thought, That’s too mean. “What in tarnation does that have to do with anything?” Apple Bloom asked. “I'd say not even being able to fly has everything to do with everything. Doesn't it?” Silver Spoon asked. “I mean, a pegasus pony at your age? You should've been flying long ago,” Diamond Tiara added. “So what if my wings can't get me off the ground?” Scootaloo asked. “Your career as a flag carrier isn't getting off the ground either,” Diamond Tiara answered. “Miss Harshwhinny will never pick a pegasus pony who can't fly to represent Ponyville in front of all of Equestria,” Silver Spoon added. “Miss Harshwhinny never said anything about that!” Nyx said. I nodded. She didn’t. “I would've thought that was obvious,” Silver Spoon continued. “Well, have fun practicing anyway, even if your routine will never... how shall I say... take off!” Diamond Tiara said as she and Silver Spoon walked away. “Don't listen to them, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle said. We turned to look at Scootaloo and saw her looking at Rainbow Dash watching two pegasi fillies showing her a routine. I walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Scootaloo? You okay?” I asked. “This routine isn't working how it is, girls,” she said looking at her wings, “We've gotta rethink my part in the whole thing.” “What?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Why?” Apple Bloom asked. “If we wanna win, I'm gonna have to fly!” Scootaloo answered. “Is that even possible?” Sweetie Belle asked. “And by tomorrow?” Apple Bloom added. “Maybe I can win if I work twice as hard,” Scootaloo said. She then started flapping her wings really fast. She got herself off the ground. “See?” Just then she fell down. “Oof! Maybe... three times as hard.” “Golly, I don't know, Scootaloo, I don't think that's the problem,” Apple Bloom said. “Well, I know this for sure... flying is the only way we're gonna win, so it's back to practice!” Scootaloo said trying to fly again. “Is this a good idea?” Sweetie Belle asked. Just then, we heard Scootaloo yelling. She then fell onto the ground. “I'll just work four times as hard!” she said. “Probably not,” Apple Bloom said answering Sweetie Belle’s question. The three of them walked away. I was worried for Scootaloo, and I could see Nyx was too. I looked behind us and saw that Mommy was there watching us. I looked back at Nyx. “Come on, Nyx,” I said, “Mommy’s here.” “Okay,” she said, “Bye girls. See you tomorrow.” *** The next day after school, we were all showing Rainbow Dash our routines again. She said that Nyx and I made good progress from last time. Now it was time for Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo’s routine. I hoped Scootaloo let go of what Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon said to her. “Okay, Cutie Mark Crusaders, this is your final run before you show it at the stadium tomorrow,” Rainbow sad, “I know you're gonna absolutely, positively...” she started getting excited, but got “professional” again, “...have a lot of fun, heheh. Okay, go!” She then blew her whistle. The curtains opened up. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle slowly came on stage, looking tired. “What happened to them?” Nyx asked me. “I don’t know,” I said while they went through their routine, “It looks like they didn’t get any sleep.” “Ta-da!” Scootaloo said when the finished. I liked the first one better. “So, what’cha think?” “That's... y'know... good and all, heheh... I just thought... maybe possibly you might wanna go back to, say, the first version of the act, which was, I dunno, what's the word, better?” Rainbow said, “Just do the routine as it was! Don't mess with success, right? Seriously. Now I need to...” She moved to a couple other fillies that were watching, “...go coach these other ponies! And don't forget, we've got to catch the early train for the Crystal Empire. See you in the morning!” “What are we gonna do?!” Scootaloo asked, sounding worried, “We're competing tomorrow, and I still can't fly! Unless...” “I’m just too tired,” Sweetie Belle said sitting down, “I can't keep going!” “Me too!” Apple Bloom added, “Ah'm tired, Ah’m hungry, and now Ah hate this routine! It feels like it's all about you now!” “She’s right, Scootaloo,” Nyx said as we walked up to them, “It’s like you don’t even need them anymore!” “Of course I need them!” Scootaloo said back, “Without them, who's gonna hold up the hoop?” “Ugh!” Apple Bloom groaned, “You don’t listen to yerself! Forget it. Ah'm goin' home to get some sleep.” She began walking away. “So? Are you gonna leave me too?” Scootaloo asked Sweetie Belle. “We've gotta catch the early train to the Crystal Empire,” Sweetie Belle said walking away, “I'd better get some rest. See you in the morning, Scootaloo.” “Come on, Scootaloo,” Scootaloo said to herself, “Do it for Ponyville! Just got to try twenty times as hard!” She tried flying again but only got a little bit off the ground. “I think Rainbow’s right,” I said, “I think the first one was better.” Scootaloo didn’t hear me and kept trying to fly. Nyx sighed next to me. “Come on, little brother,” she said, “Let’s go.” She began walking over to where Mommy was waiting. I looked back at Scootaloo trying to fly one more time, and then walked over to Nyx and Mommy. Don’t let Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom down, Scootaloo, I said in my head. *** The next morning, we were up bright and early at the train station. Our students were taking some luggage along. We wouldn’t be able to get back until tomorrow. Mommy wrote to Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadance about me and Nyx coming, so she and I would be staying with them after the routine competition. “Crystal Empire! All aboard!” the conductor said. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were running around the platform looking for Scootaloo. She wasn’t here yet. “Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle called, “Where is she?” “She'd better get here soon!” Apple Bloom said, “This here train is about to leave!” “Here I am.” We looked over and saw Scootaloo standing there, looking a little tired. The four of us walked up to her. “We were scared you were gonna miss the train,” Apple Bloom said. “I... I’m not going,” Scootaloo replied. “What?!” the four of us exclaimed. “I'm the weak link,” Scootaloo said sadly, “If I go, and fall, flop, or do anything but fly, I'm gonna blow it for you two.” “I can’t believe you’re quitting on us!” Sweetie Belle said sounding upset. “But you're better off without me!” Scootaloo replied. “But that’s not true, Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle said back. “You know what, Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom said, “Forget it. If she's gonna quit, we don't want her, and we don't need her!” She’s not serious, is she? I asked in my head. “Fine!” Scootaloo shouted. “Fine!” Apple Bloom shouted back. “Fine...” Sweetie Belle sighed. Just then, the train whistle blew. “All aboard!” the conductor called. Nyx, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and I walked to the train and got in. When I sat down, I looked out the window at Scootaloo sadly as the train began moving. Why, Scootaloo? I asked, Why? *** We were a little way away from Ponyville now. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were looking out the window I was looking out of. We then stepped away from the window, and I sat down next to Nyx. She put a hoof around my shoulders and pulled me closer to her. “How’s my favorite routine going today?” we heard Rainbow behind us, “Oh, I just can't keep it in! I want you to win so bad! Bom, bom, bom, bom... and then Scootaloo does that ‘Whoooosh!’ through the hoop!” “Well, there ain’t gonna be a Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said sadly. “She's staying home,” Sweetie Belle added. “What?!” Rainbow exclaimed. “She got it in her head that the only way to represent Ponyville was by flyin' in our routine!” Apple Bloom explained, “When she couldn't do it, she told us that she was quittin'.” “And then you tried to stop her from doing that, right?” Rainbow asked. “Well,” Sweetie Belle said nervously, “Actually, we kinda told her...” “...that we didn’t want a quitter,” Apple Bloom finished. “Hang on!” Rainbow said, “Are you nuts?! You're a team, and a team never leaves a friend behind!” Nyx and I turned around and saw Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looking guilty. Rainbow then flew to a rope and pulled it. The train slowed down and stopped. Rainbow then flew out of the car. “Come on!” she said flying back to Ponyville. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle jumped out of the car. Nyx and I opened the window where our seat was and looked out. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were looking out of their window too. “Sorry you can't make it!” Diamond Tiara said, “We'll take a picture for you from the winner's circle!” She and Silver Spoon began laughing as the train started moving again. “I do not like them one bit,” Nyx said. *** A few hours later, we arrived at the Crystal Empire. We all got off and were about to go to the stadium, but then we heard something coming our way. We looked to our right and saw something coming really fast. It was Scootaloo! She was on her scooter pulling Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle behind her. “They made it!” I said excited. The three of them stopped in front of the platform and walked up to us; Scootaloo was pushing her scooter up too. I ran up to the three of them and hugged Scootaloo. She put a foreleg around me and hugged me back. “You were all right,” Scootaloo said, “It wasn’t flying that mattered in the routine; it’s friendship.” “Well,” Nyx said, “Let’s get in that stadium and show them what we got!” “Yeah!” the five of us said high-fiving each other. *** All the teams did their performances, and Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo did theirs the way they did it the first time. Miss Harshwhinny walked up to a microphone and tapped it. “In the Equestria Games,” she said, “The Ponyville flag will be carried by...” We all waited to hear what she would say. “...Cutie Mark Crusaders,” she said pointing to Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. They did it! They won! The three of them cheered happily when they heard that. I heard Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon sigh and then they walked away. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo joined Miss Harshwhinny and Rainbow Dash on the stage, and Miss Harshwhinny gave the three of them flower wreaths. Rainbow then cleared her throat and flapped in the air in front of them. “Look,” she said, “What you three did was... acceptable.” “Acceptable? Acceptable?!” Miss Harshwhinny asked sounding excited, “Why, it was totally stupendously the single most amazing thing I've ever seen!” She began laughing. “Contain your excitement, Ms. Harshwhinny,” Rainbow said with her hooves on her sides, “Remember... professionalism.” “Ahem,” Miss Harshwhinny said clearing her throat and scratching the back of her neck, “Y-Yes, well, I...” she then ran off the stage. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Nyx, Rainbow, and I laughed at her. “How’s that for irony?” Nyx asked giggling. “You know what this means, right?” Scootaloo asked Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “What?” Apple Bloom asked. “We are totally gonna get cutie marks in flag-carrying!” Scootaloo answered. “Yeah!” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said agreeing. The three of them then began laughing as Rainbow left the stage. I was glad they won. > Chapter 17 - Another Change (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 17 - Another Change *Twilight’s P.O.V.* Since Joshua’s horn first appeared, Celestia, Luna, and I have been working for hours on end trying to figure out what could possibly be making Joshua change into a pony like this. It just didn’t make sense. There was no explanation as to how he was becoming a pony, and there’s always a reasonable explanation for everything. In any case, Joshua had been enjoying school with Nyx. He had been doing exceptionally well, especially in math. Saturday came around all too soon though. Nyx and Joshua returned from the Crystal Empire from their school trip yesterday. I had to make sure to double the power on the invisibility spell to keep Joshua’s horn hidden until he got back yesterday. Thankfully it worked. My friends and I have also been working on restoring Celestia and Luna’s old castle while school went on. Just recently though, we got sucked into a magic comic book Spike had borrowed and turned into the Power Ponies. What an adventure that was. Nyx, Spike, and Joshua were all asleep when I woke up early that morning. I got up and slowly trotted downstairs to the main room of the library and picked up where I left off on my reading yesterday. It was the last one to hold any possible answers as to why Joshua was turning into a pony, and if it didn’t, we would have to wait and see if Celestia and Luna could find anything. A yawn from the stairs made me twitch my ears toward the source, but I kept my eyes locked onto the book. “Good morning, Mommy,” I heard Joshua say sleepily. “Good morning, Josh,” I replied to him. I placed a bookmark in my book and turned to look at him. “How are you this...?” I froze suddenly and my levitation spell around the book stopped. The book dropped down to the ground with a “thud!” and I gave a sharp gasp. Joshua was standing at the bottom of the stairs. He still had the horn on his head, but this time something else had been added, or changed in this case. His ears had changed. They were now shaped like pony ears. “Mommy? What’s wrong?” Joshua asked apparently unaware of his new change. “You mean you didn’t notice?” I asked him. “Notice what?” he asked looking confused. I sadly lit up my horn and produced a temporary mirror in front of him. When he saw his changed ears, he gasped and gave a short, shocked yelp. “What happened to my ears?!” he asked clearly upset. “It’s another sign of your pony transformation,” I replied looking at him sadly. He cringed as tears began pooling at the corners of his eyes. He let out a couple of short sobs, ran over to me, and hugged my foreleg. I brought my forelegs under his arms, picked him up, hugged him to my chest, and rubbed his back gently as he began crying. “Shhh,” I said gently shushing him in his ear, “I know, sweetie. I know. I know this is difficult for you, but we’re all trying our best to help you.” “I know, Mommy,” he said burying his head into my shoulder, “but I’m really scared. How am I going to hide these ears?” I began racking my brain for a solution, and one quickly came to me. “I’ve got an idea, Josh. Hang on tight, okay?” Joshua nodded his head and held his arms around my neck, still crying. I then lit up my horn and teleported us inside the Carousel Boutique. “Rarity!” I called out. “Just one moment, Twilight,” she called from upstairs, “I’ll be right down.” I sat down where I was standing with Joshua still clinging to me and sobbing lightly. I continued to do my best to comfort him. Soon we heard Rarity’s hoofsteps from the stairs. I looked up and saw her coming down. “Hello Twilight,” she said, “Sorry I took so...long.” She said that last word after spotting Joshua looking upset. “What’s wrong with Joshua?” I looked down at Joshua and he looked up at me. I gave him a reassuring nod, and he turned to let Rarity look at him while I kept a forehoof on his shoulder. When Rarity saw Joshua with his changed ears... “Wah-ha-HAAA!!!” she screamed in alarm, “Oh my stars, Joshua darling, whatever happened to your ears?!” “It’s another transformation effect,” I told her, “He went to sleep last night with normal ears, but woke up this morning with them. We’re actually here because we need you to do something for us.” “You want me to make him something to help hide his ears, yes?” she asked. “Yes Rarity,” I said, “Can you do that?” “Yes I will,” she replied. She then looked down at Joshua with a sad smile. “Joshua darling, can you come with me so I can measure your head for a jacket?” “Okay,” Joshua said sniffling. He walked over to Rarity and followed her to the area were three mirrors were lined up. “Rarity, I need to send a letter to Princess Celestia about this. Can you keep an eye on Joshua until I get back?” I asked her. Rarity turned her head toward me and nodded. I then teleported myself back to the main room of the library, took out a blank sheet of paper and a quill, and started writing. Dear Princess Celestia, Joshua has stepped further into becoming a pony. This time, his ears have changed to that of us ponies. At the moment, Rarity is currently making a jacket with a hood for him so he can hide his ears, but I fear others may start to get suspicious. I suggest we start heading further into our investigation if we are to return Joshua back to normal as fast as possible. Your faithful student and fellow princess, Twilight Sparkle As soon as I finished, I heard a yawn from the stairs. I looked up and saw Spike who looked like he had just woken up. “Perfect timing Spike,” I said levitating the scroll over to him. “Could you send this off to the Princess, please?” Spike blew on the letter and it went off to the princess. “Where’s Joshua?” Spike asked rubbing his eye, “I didn’t see him in bed or in the bathroom.” “He’s with Rarity at the moment Spike,” I explained, “This morning when Joshua woke up, we noticed a new part of his transformation: his ears changed into pony ears.” When Spike heard this, he seemed to wake up completely. “Oh no,” he said, “Will he be alright?” “I hope so,” I told him, “Rarity is making him something to help hide his ears.” “What about his ears?” came Nyx’s voice. I turned and saw her standing on the top of the stairs. “Joshua went through another transformation,” I explained to her, “His ears changed into pony ears.” Nyx’s face dropped at hearing this. “Oh no. Poor little brother. You said he’s with Rarity?” I nodded my head to her. “I was about to head back there to see if she was done with making him something to help hide his ears. You two can come with me if you want.” The two of them looked at each other, nodded to each other, and walked up to either side of me. I then lit up my horn and the three of us teleported back to the Boutique. Inside, Rarity wasn’t in the main room. “Rarity, I’m back,” I called to her. “Joshua and I are in the back room,” she called back. The three of us went in and we saw Rarity comforting Joshua. He was wearing a new red jacket with a hood over his head, which hid his ears perfectly. “Good morning, Nyx. Hello, Spikey-Wikey,” she said. “Hey Rarity,” Spike replied. His usual behavior near Rarity wasn’t displaying at the moment. His attention was toward Joshua. “Is he alright?” he asked. “He’s still a little shaken up, but he’s calmed down a lot,” Rarity replied rubbing Joshua’s back. Nyx trotted up to Joshua and placed one of her forehooves on his back. “Joshua?” she said. Joshua turned his head to face Nyx. “Is it okay if I look?” Joshua nodded and pulled the hood off of his head showing his changed ears. “Wow,” Nyx said sadly, “Does it hurt at all?” “No,” Joshua said putting his head back on, “It just feels weird.” He then let out a long sigh. Just then Spike belched, producing a letter from the Princess. I caught it in my magic, unrolled it and read it out loud. Dear Twilight Sparkle, I’m sorry to hear about Joshua’s ears changing, and I send him my deepest condolences. There’s been some progress in trying to discern how Joshua is transforming, but nothing conclusive. We will continue looking deeper into it until we know for certain what to do. Yours truly, Princess Celestia “Only a small amount of progress has been made,” I said to Joshua, “but like they say, ‘Every little bit helps’.” Joshua put on a small smile, but it changed into a sad frown as he looked down. “Mommy?” he said, “Is it okay if I take a walk by myself?” “Are you sure?” I asked him. He nodded without a second thought. “Okay, I understand, you need some time to yourself.” I then placed a hoof on his shoulder and he looked up at me. “Just try not to think about it too much, okay?” He nodded again. Then something seemed to hit his mind, then he pointed at his horn. I understood what he meant and cast the invisibility spell on him again. “Just be careful okay?” He nodded again and left the boutique. “I really hope something comes up for him,” Nyx said sadly. “Me too,” Spike added. Music: La Pace - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories Disquieting - Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories Herringway and the Mayor - Paper Mario N64 > Chapter 18 - Applejack Tells a Story (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 18 - Applejack Tells a Story *Joshua’s P.O.V.* I walked through Ponyville, still feeling a sad about my changed ears. I began to wonder if I would get a pony’s tail next if my pony transformation kept going. While walking along, some of the ponies in town looked at me, but their looks were not stares as I passed them. They had gotten used to seeing me by now, and I was happy with that. I even saw a few of the ponies I knew, like Lyra and Sparkler. I kept walking still feeling a little sad, but I didn’t look where I was walking. When I looked up, I saw I was in a field in Applejack’s farm. All the apple trees still had apples on them. I kept walking when I suddenly stepped on something squishy. I looked down and saw that it was an apple, but it was all wrinkly. What made that happen? I wondered. After leaving the wrinkly apple, I walked over to an apple tree and sat down under it with my back against it. I then tucked my knees in and just sat there. A little bit later, I heard somepony. “Joshua? Is that you?” I looked over and saw Applejack. “Hi Applejack,” I said sadly. “Somethin’ wrong sugarcube?” she asked me. I lifted my head off the tree I was on, and pulled my hood off my head showing her my changed ears. Applejack gasped. “Land sakes! Y’all got pony ears now too?!” she asked surprised. I nodded sadly. “When did that happen?” “Last night while I was asleep,” I said, putting the hood back on, “I don’t remember going to sleep with them.” I then wrapped my arms back around my legs and sighed sadly. I then heard hoofsteps coming up to me. I turned and saw Applejack sitting next to me. She put a hoof around my shoulders and pulled me against her. “Y’know hun,” she said to me, “I can understand how hard things are gettin’ fer ya. Twilight told me about how ya lost yer parents.” I looked back down and closed my eyes. I felt a couple tears fall down my cheeks. “I know how it feels, because I lost mine too.” I looked up at her surprised. “You did?” I asked. “Yep,” she said with a sad sigh, “When they were still alive, Ma an’ Pa were always travellin’ around Equestria going on business trips. They were always busy, but every now an’ then, they made time for me and mah big brother, Big Macintosh. They loved us, an’ we loved them.” She then looked at me and pointed at her hat. “This stetson Ah always wear, it was Pa’s. Once Ah got old enough, he always gave it ta me before he and Ma left on a trip. “One day though, when Apple Bloom was about a year and a half old, they were about to head out to Las Pegasus. It was rainin’ hard all day that day. Once again, like always, Pa gave me his hat. After we all said our goodbyes, they left in a taxi carriage. The storm got worse that night. The wind was howlin’ loudly, there was thunder and lightnin’, and the downpour got really heavy. The wind blew so hard, it threatened to blow the barn right off its foundation. The storm passed by midnight, and the only real damage the barn received were roof tiles blown off. “That morning while we were all surveyin’ the damage, we received the bad news,” Applejack said with a tear falling down her cheek. I sat up, reached my hand up, and wiped it away. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me Applejack,” I said to her. “Ah’m fine sugar,” she said smiling at me, “I appreciate the gesture. Anyway, a pegasus came by that mornin’ and he told me that the taxi carriage that mah parents had taken to Las Pegasus, it fell off a cliff, driver, passengers, and all. Now with me bein’ the Element of Honesty, I can tell when somepony is lyin’ or not, so even before I became the Element of Honesty, I still had a tendency to tell a lie from the truth, and I could tell that the pegasus was givin’ me the honest, but heart breakin’ truth. “We all never cried harder than we did that day, me, Big Mac, and Granny Smith, we were plum heartbroken.” “Who’s Granny Smith?” I asked her. “She’s mah grandma,” she said. “What about Apple Bloom?” I asked again. “She was too young to understand at the time,” Applejack replied, “but we eventually told her what had happened. She took it harder than we all did that day. Anyhow, I was the one who took it the hardest. Big Mac an’ Ah were left to deal with the more hard labor around the farm since Granny couldn’t do it anymore. It took all of us a long time to recover from the incident, but we never forgot ‘em.” “I know I’ll never forget my Mommy and Daddy,” I said. “Y’know, the reason Ah wear this Stetson every day is ta remind me how much Ah loved them, and how much they loved me,” Applejack said taking it off her head and looking at it. She then looked at me, smiled playfully, and put her hat on my head. It stayed on for a little bit, but then it slid over my eyes. Applejack chuckled. “It’s too big, Applejack,” I said taking it off my head and giving it back. “Yeah,” she said taking it and putting it back on her head, “I just wanted to see how it looked on ya. So anyway sugarcube, I know how ya feel with losin’ your folks, but always remember, as long as you remember how much you loved them, they’ll never leave ya. And keepsakes are always great reminders too, just like mah hat reminds me of mah pa.” “I have something to remember my mommy and daddy,” I said to her showing her my locket with the picture in it. “Aww, you sure do look cute in that picture,” she said making me blush, “And yer parents sure do look like great folks.” “Thanks for the help Applejack,” I said hugging her, “I feel a lot better now.” “Anytime sugarcube,” she said bringing her other hoof around me. Just then my tummy growled. “Oops,” I said, “I forgot to have breakfast.” “Well, how would ya like ta join me for brunch?” Applejack asked. “What’s brunch?” I said confused. “It’s breakfast and lunch in one meal,” she said. “Okay, that sounds nice,” I said, “Is your family here?” “Nope,” she said picking me and putting me on her back, “Granny, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom are all down in Appleloosa checkin’ out competition we’re enterin’ that big boy over there in.” She pointed behind her at a tree bent down with a cloth covering something big. She walked over to it and lifted the cloth up a little bit. I was surprised at what I saw. It was an apple as big as Applejack! I had never seen an apple that big before! “Wow!” I said amazed, “That’s huge!” “A lot of TLC went into making this apple grow big,” Applejack said rubbing it. She then put the cloth back over the apple and started walking to her house. “Oh yeah, one other thing Joshua,” she said before we went inside, “When you introduce yerself to Granny, best not talk about Nyx around her.” “Why not?” I asked. “She still don’t think too kindly of her after what happened. She’s a stubborn mule on that matter,” Applejack said. Suddenly I heard what sounded like a mule. Applejack and I looked behind us and saw a gray mule standing there. “No offense,” Applejack said to the mule. “None taken,” the mule said. I was confused at how he showed up. But then Applejack led me inside where she started making food for brunch. Music: Lazy Afternoons - Kingdom Hearts II Reminiscing ~ True Pain - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All The Loyalest and Most Dependable - AcousticBrony > Chapter 19 - Spell Nexus (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 19 - Spell Nexus *Twilight’s P.O.V.* After leaving Rarity’s boutique, Nyx and I set out to search for my other friends. Spike decided to stay and help Rarity, but Nyx and I both knew the real reason why. Rainbow was the first one we ran into, or she almost ran into me again rather. She crash-landed just in front of me trying to pull off another hard trick. “New trick Rainbow?” I asked her wryly. “Is it that obvious?” she retorted. She stood back up and fluttered her wings clearing off any dirt and grass that got on. “So how’s Joshua doing?” “Well, this morning, he woke up with changed ears. They’re now pony ears,” I said. “Jeez,” Rainbow said wincing a little bit, “Wonder what’ll be next? How about what Princess Celestia found that could fix him?” “Well, she and Luna are making slow progress, but nothing definitive has shown up yet.” “I hope something comes soon. Well, give him my best,” she said taking off again. Nyx and I then continued our trek through town. Eventually we found ourselves in front of Sugarcube Corner. When we walked in, we saw Fluttershy at the counter talking with Pinkie. The Cake twins weren’t present in the room at the time thankfully. They still hadn’t gotten used to seeing Nyx’s real eyes after what had happened. “Hey Twilight! Hi Nyxie” Pinkie said waving at us. “Hey Pinkie. Hey Fluttershy,” I said to them. “Hello Twilight. Hello Nyx,” Fluttershy replied, “How’s Joshua doing?” “Well,” I said looking around making sure nopony else could hear, “He woke up this morning with pony ears instead of his human ears.” “Oh goodness!” Fluttershy said surprised, “Is he alright?” “He said he’s fine,” Nyx said, “He just said they feel a little weird.” “Where is Joshie anyway?” Pinkie asked. “He went for a walk by himself,” I explained, “Probably wanted to be by himself for a little bit. I hope he’s alright.” “Maybe he found Applejack and showed her what happened and then Applejack told him about her losing her parents like he did to let him know that she knows how he feels about losing ponies, or in Joshua’s case, people important to you,” Pinkie rambled. “Actually, he did Pinkie,” came Applejack’s voice from the door with Joshua standing next to her. “How did you know?” Joshua asked. “Just a hunch,” Pinkie said shrugging then grinning. “Well anyhow,” Applejack said, “Joshua came around lookin’ kinda upset, but then Ah helped cheer him up.” “Yeah,” Joshua said smiling, “And then she let me have brunch with her. It was delicious.” “I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better Joshua,” I said, “Thanks for looking after him AJ.” “T’weren’t nothin’ Twi,” Applejack said, “Well, Ah’ve gotta get back to the farm. See y’all later. And Ah hope things work out for you too, sugarcube,” she added giving Joshua a hug. Joshua hugged her back, and she then walked out of Sugarcube Corner. “Bye Applejack,” Joshua said waving to her. He then turned back around and looked at us. “Where’s Spike?” he asked. “He’s at the boutique with Rarity,” Nyx said. She then whispered in his ear, “He’s got a bit of a crush on her if you know what I mean.” Joshua giggled a little bit after hearing that. “Are you sure you’re alright Joshua?” Fluttershy asked looking down at him. “I’m sure,” he said nodding, “I just hope Princess Celestia and Princess Luna find something.” “So do I, Joshie,” Pinkie said patting his shoulder. Just then the door opened up, with the bell ringing. “Hi, Welcome to Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie said greeting who came in. I turn and see the visitor is a blue unicorn stallion with a white mane and tail, slate-gray eyes, and a cutie mark that has a circle with crescent moon inside a sun in the middle of the circle, and the mark is all black. “Ah Princess Twilight,” he said, “How fortunate I find you here.” “Nexus!” Nyx said surprised to see her former cult leader. “You mean he’s the one who tried to make you...” Joshua started clinging to my foreleg. “Yeah, he is,” Nyx interrupted, “But remember, I destroyed that dark magic.” Joshua nodded, but still clung to my foreleg. “What brings you here Spell Nexus?” I asked him. “Well,” Nexus started, “Princess Celestia has been having me help in the research for a spell that could turn your human friend back to normal, and I came to do a magic scan on him so we know how much we’re dealing with.” “Ah, I see,” I said. I then looked down at Joshua and nuzzled his cheek. “It’s okay Joshua,” I said to him, “Spell Nexus isn’t bad anymore, I promise.” Joshua looked up at me and nodded, but still kept close to me. Nexus then trotted up and lit up his horn, pointed it down at Joshua, and started moving his head slowly up and down his small form. After a few minutes, he produced a scroll and quill and wrote down some notes. “Okay, that should be everything we need,” he said, “Hopefully we should be ready for you and your friends to come to Canterlot soon. And while I’m here, I might as well get something.” He then trotted over to the counter. Soon enough though, Nyx, Joshua, and I walked out and back to the library. It was getting pretty late in the day, and we would need to rest up. Spike was there when we came back. He was feeding his old pet, Peewee. Spike had managed to find the nest Peewee came from and returned him to it. Peewee often came back to visit every now and again. “Hey there guys,” Spike greeted, “You feeling better Joshua?” “Yeah, I’m feeling much better Spike,” Joshua said. He then saw Peewee in Spike’s open claws. “Who’s that?” “This is my old pet baby Phoenix, Peewee,” Spike replied. Peewee finished pecking the birdseed in Spike’s claws and looked up at Joshua. He then flapped towards him as Joshua held opened his hands for Peewee to land in. He held the baby phoenix up to his face, then Peewee leaned in and nuzzled Joshua’s cheek. “Wow,” Joshua said softly so not to startle Peewee, “He feels so warm.” “Yeah, Phoenixes are known to be warmer than other birds. I think he likes you,” Spike said. Joshua giggled a little at Peewee’s nuzzle. “It’s nice to meet you too Peewee,” Joshua said scratching him under his beak. Peewee cheeped happily and flapped over to the small nest Spike made for him. We eventually all had dinner and got ourselves ready for bed. Joshua was in the bathroom getting his pajamas on. Thankfully, he didn’t scream again like when he got his horn. He came out again in his pajamas ready for a good night sleep. “Hey Twilight,” Nyx said, “Can you read the story Nyx of the Night?” “What’s that?” Joshua asked as he climbed into bed with Nyx. “It’s the story where Twilight got my name from,” she replied, “It’s really wonderful.” “I think that’s a great idea Nyx,” I told her. I then pulled out the book she suggested and began reading. Music: Lazy Afternoons - Kingdom Hearts II Riku - Kingdom Hearts II > Chapter 20 - Secrets Revealed (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 20 - Secrets Revealed *Joshua’s P.O.V.* I was walking by myself again the next day after breakfast with my jacket on, my horn invisible again, and the hood over my changed ears. I was glad to hear that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were almost done with the spell they found. It was pretty quiet while I was walking, but I then heard voices. They didn’t sound like happy voices, they sounded angry. “You went and tattled on us didn’t you?!” It was Diamond Tiara’s voice. “Thanks to you, Silver Spoon and I got detention for a whole week!” “B...B...But...” said another voice. It sounded upset. It was Dinky! She went and told Miss Cheerilee about Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon saying mean things about Derpy. “Quiet blank flank!” Diamond said to Dinky, “You’ll pay for this!” Dinky was right; they were getting meaner. I had to hurry and help her. I promised her I would. When I saw them, Dinky was down on the ground with her eyes filling up with tears. Diamond Tiara was looking down at her, angry. Silver Spoon was there too. “LEAVE HER ALONE!!!” I yelled at Diamond Tiara. She, Silver Spoon, and Dinky looked up and saw me running toward them. “Oh look,” Diamond Tiara said as I stood between her and Dinky, “The human freak wants to get tough. Beat it kid. This has nothing to do with you.” “Yes it does!” I said back at her, “Dinky told me first about you saying bad things about her mom. I’m the one who said she should tell her mom or Miss Cheerilee about it. Why are you two so mean anyway?” For some reason Silver Spoon looked away, thinking about something, but Diamond Tiara didn’t. “Why should I tell you?” she said to me getting in my face. I didn’t back up though, I kept standing there. “So, it’s your fault that Silver Spoon and I are in detention.” “No, it’s yours for saying mean things about Dinky’s mom,” I said back. “I knew you’d give me trouble the minute I laid eyes on you,” Diamond said, “You’re gonna pay for having Dinky getting us in trouble.” She then pushed me back. Dinky was still behind me, and I tripped backwards over her, and I then felt a cold breeze blow on my ears. I realized my hood had fallen off. I quickly pulled it back over, but it was too late. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had seen my changed ears. Diamond Tiara had a mean grin on her face, but Silver Spoon looked as if she had just seen a ghost. “Well, well, well,” Diamond Tiara said trotting over, “Finally agreed with me about being a freak, huh? Decided to ask your mother to change you into a pony just to fit in?” I didn’t say anything because my eyes started filling up this time. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had found out my secret, and they were going to tease me for it. Diamond Tiara had already started, but Silver Spoon just stood there. She didn’t move at all. It looked like her face had changed to a sad one. I wondered why, but Diamond Tiara’s voice spoke up again. “You’ll never fit in with us, weirdo,” she said, “You know why? Because you don’t belong here.” Tears were falling out of my eyes again, but suddenly somepony stood up in front of me, blocking me from Diamond Tiara. “LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!” It was Dinky. Now she was protecting me. “This doesn’t concern you anymore Dinky,” Diamond Tiara said, “Move it!” “NO!” she yelled back, “You move it!!! I’m not budging!!! Joshua helped me on the first day of school, so now I’m helping him!!! If you don’t want me to tell Miss Cheerilee again, you leave us alone!” Diamond Tiara’s brow had lowered angrily. “Fine,” she said, “But don’t think I’m done with you two yet.” She then turned around and started walking away. Dinky turned around to me and offered me her hoof. I grabbed it with my hand and she pulled me back onto my feet. “Are you okay?” she asked me. I shook my head back and forth as I felt like crying right there. Dinky the wrapped her forehooves around me trying to calm me down. I looked up and saw Silver Spoon still standing there. I thought she was going to tease me, but she started backing away. “Uh... I... should probably go,” she said running away. What was that about? I wondered. Dinky kept hugging me for a little bit more until she pulled away to look at me. “What happened to you?” she asked. “Well...,” I said, “If I tell you, do you promise not to tell anypony else?” “Of course,” Dinky nodded. She backed up a little bit and did the Pinkie Pie Promise, “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” “Well, one week ago,” I said, “I started turning into a pony, but it wasn’t Mom who did it. We don’t know who did it. It started with a unicorn horn on my head. You can’t see it right now, because Mom made it invisible. Just yesterday, I woke up with my ears changed into pony ears. This is why I have this jacket and hood. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are trying to find a way to turn me back to normal.” “Is that the problem you said you were having when I told you my problem?” Dinky asked. I nodded my head at her. “I hope it works for you.” “Me too,” I replied. “Hey,” she said, “I’m sorry I made you trip over me. I didn’t mean for it to happen.” “It’s not your fault Dinky,” I said, “Diamond Tiara pushed me. Thank you for standing up for me.” “Same to you,” she added. She then did something I didn’t expect. She kissed me on the cheek. She then backed up and looked at me with an embarrassed smile and a blush on her face. I felt myself blush too. “I’ll see you in school tomorrow Joshua,” she said walking away still blushing. “Bye Dinky,” I said to her. Does she like me more than a friend? I thought to myself. Music: Suspicous People - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies Confess the Truth 2013 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies Detention Center ~ Elegy of the Bullet Proof Glass - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies > Chapter 21 - Start of Fall (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 21 - The Start of Fall *Nyx’s P.O.V.* Joshua came home late that afternoon with his cheeks a slight red. “Hey Joshua,” I said to him, “Why are your cheeks red?” Joshua seemed slightly embarrassed when he told me what had happened between him and Dinky, especially at the end of his explanation. “Seriously?” I asked him. “Super seriously,” he said still embarrassed. “Huh,” I said, “I wonder why Silver Spoon paused like that. But seriously though, it sounds like Dinky’s got a crush on you.” “I think so too,” he said, “And I...I...” He seemed a bit hesitant trying to say something else. “What?” I asked him, “You feel the same way?” He nodded. I smiled at him and gave him a light pat on the back. “I’m happy for you little brother,” I said to him. *** The next day was the Running of the Leaves. One of my favorite events in Equestria was finally here. School was always off on the day of the Running. It was my second time watching the Running, and it was Joshua’s first time. He was excited about this. He told me and Twilight as we left the library that he liked races. We soon arrived at the spot where the race took place. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were there to participate, no surprise there. We also saw a few other ponies such as Lyra, Sparkler, and Derpy participating. I pointed out a few other ponies who I knew that were racing to Joshua, mostly the ones that were still nice to me. There was the town’s dentist, Colgate, the carrot farm owner, Golden Harvest, and the pony that was still somewhat affected from the first Discord incident that Twilight hadn’t told me about yet, Screwball. “It’s too bad this is for ponies only,” Joshua said, “I really like races, especially running in them.” “I plan on racing in this race when I get older,” I said to him, “Twilight told me about her first time running, and she placed fifth.” “What about Rainbow Dash and Applejack when you first ran Mom?” he asked Twilight, “I bet they finished first and second.” “Actually, they both tied for last place,” Twilight said. “Last?!” Joshua said shocked, “What happened?” “They got really competitive a few days before this race took place that year,” she explained, “And they turned the running into a battle to try and outsmart each other. They certainly learned their lesson that year.” “Wow,” Joshua said surprised. “Hey Nyx! Joshua!” We heard Apple Bloom call out. We turned around and saw her, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Twist running up to us. “Hey girls,” Joshua said, “What’s up?” “We came by to see the Running of the Leaves,” Apple Bloom answered, “Since there’s no school today.” “We heard about what happened with you, Dinky, and Diamond Tiara,” Scootaloo said to Joshua. Joshua blushed a bit upon hearing Dinky being mentioned, “But hearing Silver Spoon’s reaction was strange. Wonder what was up with her?” “I don’t know,” I answered, “I found it strange myself.” I noticed Joshua looking around, confused at something. “Where’s Spike?” he asked. Twilight tapped his shoulder and pointed up. He looked up and saw that Spike was floating up in a hot-air balloon with Pinkie Pie in the basket with him. “What are they doing up there?” “They’re going to be doing the play-by-play for those of us that can’t see what goes on in the woods,” Twilight explained. “Welcome everypony to the annual Running of the Leaves!” Spike said to the crowd, “The annual race held once every year to kick off fall. I’m Spike and I’m here with my co-commentator, Pinkie Pie.” “Hey everypony!” Pinkie Pie said, “Pinkie here! Ready for another exciting Running of the Leaves! The focus of attention is definitely going to be on Applejack and Rainbow Dash. They’ve been going at it ever since their whole wacky throwing each other off course just to get ahead issue a few years ago.” “At least they haven’t been doing it since that year though,” Spike added, “And here comes Mayor Mare. She seems to be approaching Princess Twilight.” Sure enough, Mayor Mare came up to us with the starting flag in hoof. “Good day Mayor,” Twilight said. “And a good day to you too Princess,” she said. She then looked down at Joshua, “It’s nice to finally meet you Joshua.” “Hello Mayor,” Joshua said, “What are you doing?” “Well yesterday, Twilight told me that you have an interest in races,” she explained, “And she asked if you could give the racers the signal to start.” She then held out the flag to him. “Really?” Joshua asked surprised. The Mayor nodded while smiling. Joshua then took the flag from the Mayor and looked at it. “Thank you,” he said. “Right this way Joshua,” the Mayor said walking toward the starting line. Joshua followed after her, and Twilight and I looked on. Mayor Mare stood at the starting line with Joshua next to her and a hoof on his shoulder. “Alright everypony, all racers to the starting line! The race is about to begin.” Rainbow Dash was on the end of the starting line where Joshua and the Mayor were standing. “Hey kid,” Rainbow said, “Gonna be starting us off huh?” “Yep,” Joshua said nodding, “I really like races.” “Start the race when ready Joshua,” the Mayor said. Joshua nodded and held the flag in both of his hands. “Okay everypony, on your marks...” he began. All the ponies racing crouched down at the ready. “Get set...” Joshua raised the flag up... “GO!” He said waving it down. All the racers shot off the starting point leaving a cloud of dust behind as they began. “And they’re off!” Spike said from above, “With Applejack and Rainbow Dash off the gate running side-by-side for first place!” “I don’t remember them standing on any gate before the race Spike,” Pinkie said, “Not unless there was an invisible one.” This drew a groan from Spike. “Anyway, with Applejack and Rainbow Dash running side by side for the lead, we have Lyra Heartstrings in third, Derpy and Sparkler rounding out the top five.” “Hey Nyx,” Scootaloo whispered waving me over to her and the other three. I trotted up to them to see what they wanted. “I noticed Joshua had a slight blush on his face when we brought up Dinky. What was that about?” “Promise you won’t tell anypony else?” I asked them in a hushed voice. They all nodded and silently did the Pinkie Promise. “Well apparently, Dinky had a crush on Joshua, and the same for Joshua. He told me she kissed him on the cheek yesterday.” “Well,” Sweetie Belle said, “That’s a bit of a ray of sunshine for Joshua. Looks like he’s got a special somepony.” “We’d better not get too involved y’all,” Apple Bloom said, “Remember what happened with Miss Cheerilee and Big Mac?” We all shuddered. I wasn’t there when it happened, but they told me what had happened, and it wasn’t pretty. “Hey, we agreed never to use that love poti-uh, poison, ever again, right?” Scootaloo said, “Besides, I think we should help them at least a little bit.” “I think we should wait and see what happens the next time we see those two together again before we get involved,” Sweetie Belle said. Twist and I nodded in agreement. “As the racers come to the entrance of White Tail Woods,” Spike spoke up, “We see that Applejack has pulled ahead of Rainbow Dash for a brief moment. AJ won this race last year and is looking to make it two years in a row!” “Let’s get back over to the crowd and keep watching the race,” Scootaloo said, “I want to see if Rainbow Dash can beat Applejack.” “No way Scoot!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, “Applejack’s gonna win again fer sure!” “Come on girls, let’s go,” Sweetie Belle interrupted. The five of us rejoined our friends to see how the race would play out. Soon we saw a cloud of dust coming at the exit of White Tail Woods. Applejack was indeed in the front with Rainbow Dash closing in from behind. “It’s gonna be close everypony!” Spike exclaimed, “Rainbow Dash is closing in fast on Applejack!” “I think Rainbow is going to cover this one!” Pinkie said, “But with what though: a tarp, a net, a bunch of clouds?” We heard Spike groan in exasperation at this. Rainbow was indeed closing the distance on Applejack rather fast. The racers were coming to the finish line fast. Joshua was still standing at the line ready to wave the flag again to end the race. As the racers crossed the line, Joshua waved the flag and the race was over. “And the Running of the Leaves is over!” Mayor Mare exclaimed, “Who was the winner Joshua?” “It was Rainbow Dash by a nose!” Joshua said. “YES!!!” we heard Rainbow exclaim. “Congratulations to Miss Rainbow Dash for winning this year’s Running of the Leaves!” Mayor Mare said handing out the ribbons. Twilight and I trotted up to Joshua who was standing next to Mayor Mare. “Nice work on the flag waving Joshua,” Twilight said. “Thanks Mom,” he said hugging her, “And thank you for asking the Mayor to let me do it.” “You’re welcome.” This was a great way to kick off fall in Equestria. Hopefully the princesses would get the spell ready before Joshua’s transformation was finished. Music Laughter and Merriment - Kingdom Hearts II Menu 1 - Super Smash Bros. Melee Luigi Circuit - Mario Kart Wii Won the Case! ~ Unending Victory - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations > Chapter 22 - Dentist Appointment (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 22 - Dentist Appointment *Twilight’s P.O.V.* The next day started out normally. I woke up before anypony else as usual, despite my being up late. I trotted downstairs to look at my schedule for the day. While looking at it, I saw that Nyx had a dentist appointment scheduled for after school today. I figured maybe Joshua could use one too. Soon enough, I heard movement from the top of the stairs. “Good morning Mom,” Joshua said. “Good morning Joshua,” I said, “Any changes?” “No, I don’t think so,” he said. He looked behind him as if looking for a possible grown tail, which there was none. He let out a sigh in relief. “Anything from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna yet?” “Not since their last letter. Joshua, out of curiosity, did your parents ever take you to a doctor called a dentist before?” “Yeah, they did,” he said, “Why?” “Well, Nyx has an appointment with Colgate, the town’s dentist, today after school, so I think I might have her look at your teeth too.” “Colgate?” he asked me, “That’s her name?” “Yeah. Why do you ask?” “Because that was the name of a type of toothpaste my mommy and daddy and I used.” “Huh,” I said surprised, “That’s a weird coincidence.” After Nyx and Spike woke up and we all had breakfast, I went over to Colgate’s office to pencil Joshua in. She’s a blue unicorn mare with blue eyes, a white and darker blue mane and tail, and an hourglass cutie mark. She looked up when I came in. “Oh! Hello Your Highness!” she said bowing. “There’s no need for that Colgate, and just call me Twilight,” I said to her, “I came here to schedule another appointment for today.” “Is it for you or Spike?” “Actually, it’s for the human I recently adopted. You’ve heard about him right?” “Of course I have,” she said, “I’d be happy to check his teeth for you.” “Thank you Colgate,” I said to her, “I’ll bring him and Nyx by after school gets out.” “I look forward to meeting him,” she said waving. 5 hours later... After picking up Nyx and Joshua from school, we arrived at Colgate’s dentist office and went in. “Hello again Twilight,” Colgate said. She walked out from behind her counter and up to us. She then looked down at Joshua. “It’s nice to finally meet you Joshua,” she said, “I’m Colgate, Ponyville’s resident dentist. Are you ready for your checkup?” “I don’t know,” he said, “I’m not really comfortable at dentists.” “Don’t worry Joshua,” Nyx said, “Tell you what, why don’t you watch me have my teeth checked on, and then you can go?” “Okay,” he said. “Wonderful!” Colgate said, “Right this way you two.” Colgate walked to the back and entered her examining room with Joshua and Nyx behind her. I followed as well, standing in the doorway. After helping Nyx into her seat, Colgate levitated a stool over for Joshua so he could watch. A few minutes into Nyx’s checkup, we heard the door open. “Be right back Nyx,” Colgate said. I turned around and saw Derpy and Dinky in the waiting room. “Hey there you two,” I greeted them. “Hi!” Derpy said, “What’s up?” “Nyx and Joshua are having their teeth looked at today,” I replied. “Dinky’s here for an appointment too,” Derpy said. “Ah yes,” Colgate said looking at a clipboard, “I’ll look at her when I’m done with Nyx and Joshua. You can come back here with your friends if you’d like Dinky.” “Okay!” Dinky chirped. She then scurried underneath me and into the room. I heard Derpy chuckling behind me. I then saw Dinky standing over at where Joshua was. “Hi Joshua,” she said. Joshua turned around suddenly. “Oh. Hi Dinky,” he said, blushing a little bit. I raised my eyebrow a bit at that reaction. “How are you?” he asked climbing down from the stool. “I’m doing okay,” she said rubbing one foreleg against the other, “You?” “I’m doing okay too,” he said. I could tell there was something going on between those two that I didn’t know about. For a moment, I thought I caught Nyx winking at Joshua while Colgate began cleaning her teeth. A few minutes later, Nyx was finished, and Colgate gave her a new toothbrush, like she did with all of her patients. Joshua was still a little nervous about getting his teeth checked, but Nyx and Dinky both gave him encouraging smiles, so he sat down in the chair and let Colgate check his teeth. As he opened his mouth, Colgate’s face turned to one of confusion, but started checking and cleaning his teeth all the same. Soon, Joshua was done, and he got a new toothbrush too. While Nyx and Joshua were talking with Dinky, Colgate came up to me. “Something wrong?” I asked her. “I’m not sure,” she said, “I expected him to have different looking teeth than us, but when I first saw them, they looked a lot the way our teeth do. Is that normal?” I knew what this meant; Joshua went through another change: his teeth, and he didn’t even know it. I saw his teeth several times before, and they had sharp ones in certain spots. I knew that humans ate both meat and plants, but Joshua said that he never ate meat before, and neither did his parents. I told Colgate what was going on, and she promised she wouldn’t say a word about it. I then turned back to Nyx, Joshua, and Dinky. “Okay you two, we need to get going,” I told them. “Okay Twilight,” Nyx said, “Bye Dinky.” “Bye Nyx,” Dinky replied giving Nyx a hug. She then gave Joshua one too, “Bye Joshua.” “Bye Dinky,” Joshua said. Joshua’s hug seemed to last longer than Nyx’s. After they broke away we left. “So Joshua,” I said trying to sound casual, “Why were you and Dinky acting awkwardly around each other?” As I suspected, Joshua’s cheeks started blushing again. Music Traverse Town - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Twilight's Curiosity - MandoPony Innocent Times - Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep > Chapter 23 - Questions from Lyra (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 24 - Questions from Lyra *Joshua’s P.O.V.* When we got back to the library, Mom told me about my changed teeth. I looked in a mirror and saw she was right. I didn’t get too upset though. We had dinner later and went to bed that night. Friday... Another week of school was done. Cheerilee gave us an early weekend off school. Nothing else was changed in my pony transformation before today. Mommy and Spike went to Manehattan with their five friends a few days ago. Nyx and I got to stay with Scootaloo and her parents. Scootaloo’s mom looked a lot like Scootaloo with a lighter orange coat, Scootaloo’s purple eyes, and a blue mane and tail. I couldn’t see her cutie mark because she was wearing a full body outfit. Scootaloo’s dad had a white coat, blue eyes, a purple mane and tail, and a lightning bolt cutie mark. After we all had breakfast, I went out to walk around again. “Heya Joshua!” I turned around and saw Lyra trotting up to me. “Hi Lyra,” I said waving my hand. I then remembered that I said I would answer some of Lyra’s questions about humans. Now would be a good time, I thought. “Hey Lyra, is it okay if I answer your questions about humans now?” Lyra’s mouth turned into a big grin when I said that. She then scooped me up into a big hug. “Yes, please!” she said, “Let’s head to my house and you can answer my questions there!” “Okay,” I said. She then placed me on her back and started walking back the way she came. We then came to a small house and went inside. Lyra then sat me down in a couch, used her magic to bring over pieces of paper and a writing quill, and sat down next to me. “Okay, first question,” she said taking one of my hands in both her hooves, “What are hands like? It’s something I’ve been wanting to ask that for a long time.” “I don’t know answer that,” I said, “Sorry. It’s just something that’s been with us forever.” “Aw, that’s okay,” she said, “Let me see, what next?” She rubbed a hoof to her chin for a little bit and then said, “How about holidays?” “Holidays I had back home?” “Yep.” “Well, there was Halloween, one of my favorites. Kids would dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating for candy.” “Hey, how about that?” she said, “That’s like Nightmare Night.” “Cool!’ I said, “After that is Thanksgiving. There was one food my family and I never ate that was part of a big meal we had each year called turkey. Some humans ate meat, but my family and I never did. We were vegetarians. Other foods we had for Thanksgiving were corn bread, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie for desert.” “Mmm!” Lyra said, “Sounds tasty! What next?” “Christmas is my favorite one,” I said, “It happens during winter. We decorate trees and give presents to each other.” “That’s a lot like Hearth’s Warming,” Lyra said, “We celebrate that to celebrate the founding of Equestria.” “Next is New Years. We celebrate it to welcome a new year to grow and learn,” I continued, “Then there’s Valentine’s Day. It’s a day when we give cards with hearts to people we like.” “That’s Hearts and Hooves Day here,” Lyra said, “We give something special to our special someponies.” “Cool. Those are the ones I can remember. What’s next?” “I could only think of a few more,” Lyra said, “The first one you already answered when telling me about your Thanksgiving holiday: what do humans eat? My last one is can humans do magic?” “No,” I said, “There wasn’t any magic like here in Equestria back home. Some people knew how to do magic tricks like pulling rabbits out of hats and coins out of ears.” “Sound kinda like the magic Trixie does,” Lyra said. “Who’s Trixie?” I asked. “She’s a unicorn stage performer,” she said, “She visits Ponyville regularly and does performances. The town didn’t take a strong liking to her at first.” “What happened?” “When she first came, she was boasting about how great and powerful she was, calling herself the Great and Powerful Trixie. She even claimed that she beat and Ursa Major. She then challenged ponies in town to prove they were better than her. Some of Twilight’s friends took her on, but she bested them. She then challenged Twilight, but she didn’t want to show off. That night, Snips and Snails wanted to see Trixie vanquish an Ursa Major like she said she did, and they ended up bringing one here. Trixie couldn’t stop it, and said that she never did beat one. Twilight managed to save the town and put it back to sleep and sent it back to where it came from. She then told us that it was merely and Ursa Minor, a baby. Trixie left Ponyville for a while after that. “On her next visit, when Nyx was Nightmare Moon, Twilight’s friends tried to have Trixie take Twilight’s place as the Element of Magic, but they failed. After Nyx took away the Elements of Harmony, she took Trixie’s hat and cape that she uses in her magic acts. Trixie fled again, and Nyx used her magic to turn into Trixie and impersonated her. We were all very scared after seeing the Elements of Harmony fail to defeat her to care about how funny it was. “Trixie’s third visit was sometime after Nyx was returned back to normal. She found a mystic, powerful, and dangerous amulet called the Alicorn Amulet. Whoever wears it is blessed with untold powers, but will also get corrupted. She challenged Twilight to a magic duel, because she wanted revenge on her and Nyx after Twilight humiliated her with the Ursa Minor, and after Nyx impersonated her in front of Ponyville. Trixie managed to beat her and banished her and Nyx from Ponyville. They ended up staying at Zecora’s and Twilight trained with Zecora in magic. Fluttershy, through some careful maneuvering, managed to sneak out to tell Twilight about the Alicorn Amulet. “Twilight then came up with a plan to get her and Nyx back into Ponyville. She challenged Trixie to another magic duel, while wearing an amulet herself. It started to look like she was beating Trixie, until Trixie took the amulet off of Twilight’s neck. She then took off the Alicorn Amulet and put on Twilight’s. Rainbow Dash managed to take away the Alicorn Amulet from Trixie, and Trixie tried to fire a spell on Rainbow that was supposed to make her ‘writhe in agony’ she said, but it ended up tickling her instead. Turns out, the amulet Twilight had was one of Zecora’s doorstops.” “Then how did Mommy beat Trixie if it was a doorstop?” I asked. “She used a different kind of magic; she had her friends help her make it look like she really was performing those spells while all she did was make clouds of pink smoke with her magic. In the end everything worked out. That night, Trixie ended up apologizing for her actions, and Twilight managed to forgive her. She then left Ponyville again, but on her next visit, she came back a better mare, not as boastful as before, instead putting on magic shows for the kids of this town.” “Wow,” I said, “I’d like to meet her someday.” “Well thanks for answering my questions Joshua,” Lyra said hugging me, “I really appreciate it. I might have some more later on, but I think that should be enough for now.” “You’re welcome Lyra,” I said returning the hug. Lyra then saw me out of her house and we waved goodbye to each other. The rest of the day was quiet up to when we all went to sleep at night. Mommy and Spike came to pick me and Nyx up the next day and brought us back to the library. Mommy was looking through her books again. She couldn’t find anything in the library about my transformation, so we had to wait for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Suddenly... “Whatcha doin’?” said a voice. “Aaagh!” Mommy exclaimed. I looked up and saw Pinkie Pie hiding in one of the bookshelves. How did she get in there? I asked myself. “‘Aaagh’ yourself! But that doesn’t answer my question, silly,” Pinkie said with a giggle. “Just some genealogical research,” Mommy replied. “Ohhh,” Pinkie replied stepping out. She then leaned in to whisper to me and Spike, “I don't know what that is.” “Genealogy is the study of family history,” Spike answered stacking up some scrolls, “Y'know, where ponies come from and who they're related to.” “Ooh, fascinating,” Pinkie said. She then went over to the stacked scrolls and began pulling out one close to the bottom. “Maybe you should pick one from the...,” Mommy began but when Pinkie pulled the scroll out, none of other ones fell over, “...top?” Pinkie then unrolled the scroll. It was a pretty long one. She kept talking to herself as she read it. Suddenly, she stopped and shouted. “WHAT?!? This is the most amazing thing ever! Why didn't you tell me how amazing this is?! Genealogy is better than cotton candy on top of a fountain of chocolate!” Pinkie then picked up the scroll and held it up so we could see it. “You'll never believe who it says I'm related to!” “Who?” I asked. Pinkie suddenly rushed back in with the end of the scroll she was holding and held it in front of my face. “See for yourself!” she said excitedly. I took it from her hoof and held it to read it. Mommy, Spike, and Nyx looked over my shoulders to see too. Then there was a name that said “Applesauce.” “Huh?” I asked confused, “Who’s Applesauce?” “It’s Applejack’s great, great aunt,” Mommy replied, “But how is she related to your family, Pinkie?” “Applesauce of the Apple family lineage is a fourth cousin twice removed of the Pie family!” Pinkie said, “This means that I’m related to Applejack!!!” “Are you sure?” Nyx asked pointing to a part of the scroll, “This last part looks pretty smudged.” Pinkie didn’t hear Nyx though, because she grabbed the scroll, rolled it up, and rushed out. Probably to show Applejack. “What was that about?” I asked. “Don’t question it, sweetie,” Twilight said, “It’s just Pinkie being Pinkie again.” Music: Peaceful Hearts - Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep It's About Time AcousticBrony! -_- - AcousticBrony > Chapter 24 - Full Effect (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 24 - Full Effect *Nyx's P.O.V.* After the whole fiasco Pinkie and Applejack's family went through to find out if Pinkie was in fact a distant relative of theirs, things settled down somewhat. I woke up the next day feeling relaxed. I looked over and saw Twilight and Spike still asleep but saw that Joshua was awake. I trotted downstairs to the first floor of the library and saw Joshua reading a book. "Good morning, Joshua," I said greeting him. He looked up from the book and smiled. "Good morning, Nyx," he said returning the greeting. He then put a bookmark in the book he was reading and put it on the center table. I walked over to him and hugged him. "You're up early," I said. "Yeah," he said, “I sometimes wake up early on Sundays. I have trouble falling back asleep when that happens.” “How are you feeling?” I asked him. “Nothing changed or added in my pony transformation,” he said. I nodded at him in understanding. “So what are we doing today?” he asked. “I don’t know,” I said, “I haven’t seen Twilight’s schedule for today.” “Hey Nyx?” he said, “Why do you always call Mommy by her real name?” “Well, ever since she found me in that bush, I’ve always called her Twilight,” I said to her, “She has been asking me to call her Mom since my adoption forms were filled out, but to me it feels weird to call her something else. Grandma Velvet said she felt the same way around Grandpa Night Light’s mom after she married him.” “Oh,” he said. Soon Twilight came downstairs yawning. “Good morning you two,” she said. “Morning,” I said. “Ready for some breakfast?” she asked. Joshua and I nodded our heads and the three of us went into the kitchen. Twilight got busy making some pancakes and freshly squeezed orange juice. After breakfast, and after Joshua put on his jacket with the hood on his head, and Twilight made his horn invisible, he and I went out to the clubhouse. We were planning on figuring out new ways for the others to get cutie marks. Unfortunately, Twist hadn’t been with us recently, because she had caught a cold and had to stay in bed for a few days. “Hey there you two,” came a voice from behind us. We turned and saw Sweetie Belle trotting up to us. “Hi Sweetie Belle,” Joshua said as they hugged each other. “Hi Joshua,” Sweetie Belle said, “You doing okay?” “Yeah,” he said, “Nyx and I were going to the clubhouse. Are you going there too?” “Yep. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo should be there waiting for us. Come on!” Sweetie Belle then ran ahead. Joshua quickly climbed onto my back, wrapped his arms around me tightly, and I galloped off after Sweetie Belle. A few minutes later, we arrived. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were definitely inside. “Hey there y’all,” Apple Bloom said when we entered. “Hey girls,” Joshua said climbing off my back. “Hey buddy,” Scootaloo said, “How’s the...thing?” We told them what had happened to Joshua's teeth at our recent dentist appointment. "My teeth don't feel too different," Joshua said, "So it doesn't feel that weird." "Well, let's hope the princesses are nearly done," Apple Bloom said, “So, what should we go crusadin’ for today y’all?” We all started thinking of ways for the others to get their cutie marks, but there was hardly anything coming to mind. About five minutes later, there was a short flash of light. I turned to where the source was, and saw that Joshua’s horn had somehow reappeared. What's going on? I wondered, "Joshua?" "Yes, Nyx?" he asked looking at me unaware of what happened. "Your horn reappeared," I replied pointing at his forehead. He looked up and saw it. His face then turned to confusion. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo looked up too. "How did that happen?" he asked, "Did Mommy not put enough magic on it?" Suddenly, his horn lit up in a white aura. All of our eyes widened. "What's happening?!" Joshua exclaimed now sounding worried. His horn got brighter, and he started floating in mid-air. "HELP!" Then, his eyes started glowing white. "Hit the deck!!!" Scootaloo said laying flat on her stomach. The rest of us quickly joined her. Then a bright light lit up the whole clubhouse. Joshua's silhouette was dark in the bright light. I noticed parts of his body changing. His hands and feet started to morph into his arms and legs, something grew out of his backside, and his head changed shape. Just then, the light grew to such an intensity that we had to cover our eyes. Just then, the loud chiming of magic in the clubhouse faded away, and a "thud!" was heard in front of us. The four of us opened our eyes to see a small blue unicorn colt with a short brown mane and tail, but no cutie mark lying on the floor with his eyes closed. I slowly stood and cautiously approached the colt. I then put a hoof to his shoulder and gently shook it. "Joshua?" I said, "Is that you?" The small colt started to move slowly and groaned quietly. He then opened his eyes up, showing them to be the same greenish-blue color of Joshua's eyes. "Nyx?" came Joshua's voice from the colt, "What happened?" he asked moving his eyes up to look at me. "Can you move anything?" I asked him. "I... I think so," he replied, "but, I can't feel my fingers or my toes." He lifted his head up and looked down, where he saw blue two forehooves in front of him. He gasped sharply at the sight. In a panic, he turned his head around and saw his newly grown tail. He then lifted a hoof up to his face to feel himself over. His hoof touching his face went slower every touch he made. He then looked back up at me and began to sniffle. "Am...," he began, "Am I a... *sniff* a..." He couldn't bring himself to finish it. I placed a forehoof on his shoulder and nodded sadly. “I’m afraid so,” I nodded sadly. His mouth hung open as his lower lip began quivering. He then reached his forehooves up, wrapped them around me, and sobbed into my shoulder. I placed my forehooves around him and started rubbing his back. “Girls, I need you all to go and get Twilight right now,” I said to the other three crusaders. They all nodded and hurried out. There was a buzzing of wings and we saw Scootaloo riding off into the distance on her scooter with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle riding in the wagon. “What now?” Joshua asked still sobbing. “I don’t know,” I said still hugging him. Music: Lazy Afternoons - Kingdom Hearts II Piece of Peace - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Shaded Truths - Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Reminiscing ~ Forgotten Legend - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney > Chapter 25 - Is it too late? (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 25 - Is it too late? *Twilight’s P.O.V.* While Joshua and Nyx were at their Crusaders meeting, I opened up another book to read as usual. About an hour later though, I heard a rapid knocking at the door. “I’ll get it Twi,” Spike said. He hurried over and opened it up. Suddenly, a chorus of three voices shouted. “TWILIGHT!!!” It was Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, and they sounded worried. “Come in girls,” I said to them looking over. They had really concerned faces as they ran at me. They all started chattering at once that I couldn’t understand them. “Girls, girls, calm down. I can’t understand you three,” I said to them. They all stopped chattering at once and took a deep breath. “Now, one at a time, tell me what happened.” “We were thinkin’ of what to do next for our cutie marks,” Apple Bloom started. “But then Joshua’s horn suddenly reappeared and it started glowing white,” Sweetie Belle added. “Then his whole body glowed white and he started floating in the air in the clubhouse,” Scootaloo said, “And when the glowing stopped...” “...HE TURNED INTO A PONY!!!” they all said in unison. I gasped loudly at hearing this. “Spike! Notify the princess!” I barked at him. He gave me a salute and quickly started writing. “Girls, lead me to the clubhouse now!” They nodded their heads rapidly at me and got to their scooter. Scootaloo buzzed her wings and sped off with me quickly following in the air. Soon we arrived at the Crusaders’ clubhouse and I landed in front of the doorway which was open, and there was Nyx hugging a blue-colored, crying unicorn colt with a brown mane and tail. I could only guess it was Joshua. “Joshua?” I said softly. He sharply turned his head toward me; his eyes had tears coming out. He tried trotting over to me, but stumbled and landed his chin on the floor. “OUCH!” he exclaimed. I walked over to him, picked him up, and brought him in for a hug. He quickly wrapped his forehooves around me returning the hug. “I’m so sorry this had to happen to you, Joshua,” I said to him. Joshua didn’t say anything but sobbed softly into my shoulder. I then turned around to face the other crusaders. “Girls, I hate to cut your meeting short...” “It’s okay Twi,” Apple Bloom said sadly, “We understand.” “I hope you feel better Joshua,” Sweetie Belle said. “Me too,” Scootaloo added. “Come on Nyx,” I said, “Let’s get back to the library.” Nyx nodded and stood next to me as I lit up my horn. I soon teleported the three of us out of the clubhouse and back to the library. Spike was still in the library, looking like he had been pacing. He looked up when he saw us appear in front of him. “Is that Joshua?” he asked looking at Joshua in my forehooves. “Yes it is Spike,” I said sadly, “Did you send the letter?” “Yeah, about five minutes ago. I’m surprised she hasn’t responded yet,” he replied. *Third Person P.O.V.* Five minutes ago in Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were just finishing up breakfast. Celestia was entering her chambers when she saw a scroll from Twilight materialize in front of her. She levitated the scroll in front of her and opened it up. The writing looked rather hurried, but she was still able to read what it said: Dear Princess Celestia, Joshua’s friends, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo came in this morning after Nyx and Joshua went to their Crusading business. They informed us that Joshua’s pony transformation is now complete. Celestia gasped suddenly when she read that part. Twilight went with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo to check and see if it was true, and has yet to return. Please respond as soon as possible. Twilight’s Number One Assistant, Spike She rerolled the letter and it disappeared. She then sighed deeply. “I’m so sorry Joshua,” she said quietly. “What is it, sister?” said Luna’s voice from the door. “Spike has just informed me that Joshua’s pony transformation is now complete,” Celestia said. “It...is?” Luna said gasping. “I’m afraid so, and I fear we might be too late to change him back,” Celestia added. “But Tia,” Luna said, “We can’t give up on him.” “I know Luna,” Celestia said, “But we haven’t found anything. Please excuse me sister; I need to write a response to Twilight.” She then pulled out a new scroll and started writing. Luna left the room with a grim frown on her face. *Twilight’s P.O.V.* “What do we do now?” Joshua asked sobbing lightly. “We’ll just have to wait and see what Princess Celestia says,” I said to him. He was still upset about what had happened, but calmed down a lot from when we left the clubhouse. We were all waiting for Celestia’s response, while I kept him held in my hooves. Eventually, a couple minutes later, Spike belched out a letter. I used my magic and brought it over. Dear Twilight Sparkle, I’m terribly sorry to hear about Joshua’s transformation being complete. As for the spell that could possibly change him back, we couldn’t find anything to give us answers. Please bring Joshua and your friends with you to Canterlot first thing tomorrow. Luna and I will be waiting in the throne room. There, we will try and think of something. Take the Friendship Express, and a guard will be there to escort you to the throne room. Yours truly, Princess Celestia I rolled the letter back up and placed it off to the side. “Spike, Nyx,” I said to them, “I need you two to keep an eye on Joshua while I go tell everypony else.” “Okay Twilight,” Spike said. I then put Joshua back down in front of them. Nyx pulled him in for another hug while Spike placed one of his claws on Joshua’s back. “Try and help him learn to walk like we do, okay Nyx?” I asked her. She just nodded in response. I trotted outside and off to where my friends were. As I did I looked back to the library. Don’t you worry Joshua, I thought to myself. We’re going to try our best in turning you back to normal. Music: Crepsecularity - AcousticBrony Hotline of Fate - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All Reminiscing ~ A Forgotten Legend - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Detention Center ~ Elegy of the Bullet Proof Glass - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies Roxas - Kingom Hearts II > Chapter 26 - Comfort from Friends (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 26 - Comfort from Friends *Joshua’s P.O.V.* I had stopped crying after Mommy left to get her friends and stayed in Nyx’s hug for a while. I just didn’t know what to do now. “Are you feeling better now?” Nyx asked me. “I guess so,” I said. “You want to practice walking like Twilight said?” “Okay.” “First things first,” Nyx said, “Let’s get you standing straight.” She let go from our hug and started using her hooves to get me standing on my new hooves. Spike helped too. My legs were shaking a little bit. I hadn’t been on fours since I was a baby. I fell over a couple times before I got to stand up straight on all fours. “There you go,” Nyx said, “Now then, first move your right front hoof.” I did what she said. I was still a little shaky but didn’t fall over. She then said to move my back left hoof, and I did. After a little bit, I was moving around. I fell over a few more times, but Nyx and Spike helped me walk like a pony. “Good job little brother,” Nyx said. Just then, there was a knock at the door. “Nyx?” it was Apple Bloom’s voice, “Are you and Joshua in there? Sweetie Belle and Scoot are here with me.” “Come on in girls,” Nyx said. The library door opened and the Crusaders walked in. “Are you feeling better now buddy?” Scootaloo asked me after Nyx closed the door. “A little bit,” I said, “I really hope the spell works tomorrow.” “Well,” Apple Bloom said, “No matter what happens, we’ll stick by you. We’re still your friends no matter what.” “Yeah,” Sweetie Belle added. “As Rainbow Dash would say right now, ‘I’d never leave my friends hanging,’” Scootaloo said. Then the three of them moved in and gave me a group hug. “Thanks girls,” I said smiling a little bit and hugging them back. I was happy to have such good friends. After we finished our hug, we heard another knock. “Hello?” It was Dinky. What was she going to say about me being a pony now? Nyx went over to the door to answer her. “Hey Dinky,” she said, “What brings you here?” “Is Joshua here?” Dinky asked. “Yeah, but he’s not exactly feeling well,” Nyx said. “Y-y-you mean he’s...?” Dinky said. Nyx sighed a little bit, “Yeah, he is.” “Can I see him?” Nyx turned her head around and looked at me for an answer. I wasn’t sure if I wanted Dinky to see me, but she did deserve to know. I nodded my head to Nyx. She then opened the door all the way and Dinky came in. When Dinky saw me as a pony she gasped quietly, ran over to me, and hugged me tight. I returned the hug. We stayed like that for a while, and Dinky rubbed her forehoof up and down my back. “I’m sorry this had to happen to you Joshua,” she said pulling away to look at me, but keeping her forehooves around me. “It’s not your fault Dinky,” I said to her. “I know, but I still feel sorry for you,” she said, “Don’t you worry, I’ll stay with you no matter what.” “You will?” I asked her. “Of course I will,” she said, “Friends help each other, just like we did for each other that day, remember?” I blushed a little bit remembering that day and the day she kissed me on the cheek. “Yeah, I remember,” I said to her. She blushed a little bit too, but continued hugging me. “Aww,” I heard Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle say. “Eh, too sappy for my tastes,” Scootaloo said. The door opened up again and we saw Mommy walk in with her friends. Pinkie looked different though. Her mane and tail were down and straight. She walked up to me and picked me up in a hug. “Don’t worry Joshie,” she said, “Everything will be okay.” “Thank you Pinkie,” I said hugging her back. After she put me down, Fluttershy came up next and hugged me in her hooves and wings. “I’m sorry this happened to you,” she said rubbing her face against me, “We’ll try and get you back to normal, I promise.” After she put me down, Applejack was next to hug me. “Flutters and Pinkie are right, sugarcube, we’re goin’ to try our best.” Rainbow Dash was next. “I’ll stick with you till the end, buddy.” Finally, Rarity. “I’m positive everything will work out for you darling.” “Thank you everyone,” I said after Rarity finished her hug, “I’m happy to have friends like you.” Everypony gave me warm smiles after I said that. “Alright everypony,” Mom said, “We’re all going to be staying here for the night and we’ll head off to Canterlot first thing in the morning.” “How are we going to be changing him back?” Rainbow asked. “I don’t know,” Mommy said sadly, “The princesses didn’t say anything about finding a spell that could work, and I haven’t found anything in any of my books.” “Uh, Twilight?” Spike said. “There’s nothing?” Rarity asked. “I’m afraid so,” Mommy replied, “And we’re going to Canterlot tomorrow with nothing prepared.” “Twilight?” Spike said again. “We can’t just sit back and let things stay like this, can we?!” Rainbow asked putting a hoof on my back and rubbing it. “Of course not!” Mommy answered, “I’m not going to let Joshua suffer in an unfamiliar body like this!” “TWILIGHT!” Spike yelled. We all looked at him. He was holding an old brown book under his arm. “Yes, Spike?” Mommy replied. “Have you tried this?” Spike asked holding up the book. “Starswirl’s spell book? The one that had that spell that switched my friends’ cutie marks?” Mommy asked using her magic to take it from Spike. She looked at it for a minute, then at me, and then at Spike. “You know, now that you mention it, I don’t think I’ve looked through it yet. The only spot I’ve really looked at was that spell.” Mommy then opened the book and looked at the pages. She mumbled to herself as she read it. I then saw her eyes widen and she gasped. “Wait a second!” she said, “There’s a curing spell in here! But...” Her face grew worried, “No unicorn’s ever accomplished it in the past 1,000 years without the help of alicorn magic.” She continued looking at it until she sighed. “Like it or not, this is our only shot. We’ll have to bring this book to Canterlot tomorrow and show Celestia and Luna.” “Twilight?” I heard Dinky say, “Can I stay here for tonight?” “We’ll have to make sure it’s okay with your mom first Dinky,” Mom said, “Rainbow? Could you find Derpy and let ask her?” “Sure thing Twi,” Rainbow said flying out. She came back a minute later and she said Derpy said yes. Dinky was happy to hear that. Spike made us a big dinner for us all to have and after we ate, we all went to sleep. I woke up to some shaking on my shoulder. I saw dark blue hooves with silver shoes in front of me when I opened my eyes. “Princess Luna?” “Yes Joshua, it is I.” I looked up at her and saw her face looking down at me. She laid down in next to me and put a wing over me. I saw that we were in the place where she comforted me when she first visited my dreams. “My sister told me what had happened after Spike sent her the letter. I’m terribly sorry we weren’t fast enough to reverse the transformation,” she said. “It’s okay Luna,” I said to her rubbing against her side. “Even still,” she said, “I wish we were fast enough.” She stayed with me for a little bit keeping her wing over me. After a little while she stood up and took her wing off me. “I’ll see you in Canterlot tomorrow Joshua,” she said lighting her horn, “Sweet dreams, dear one.” She then disappeared. I then slept peacefully the rest of the night. I really hoped the spell could make me human again. Music: Roxas - Kingdom Hearts II Friends in My Heart - Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Confess the Truth 2001 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Ventus - Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep > Chapter 27 - The Spell (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 27 - The Spell *Joshua’s P.O.V.* “.osh...” “J...ua.” “Joshua.” I felt myself being gently shaken awake. I opened my eyes and saw Mom standing in front of me. I then saw we were inside a train car. “Mom, where are we?” I asked her. “We just arrived in Canterlot,” she said, “Come on, the others are waiting for us outside.” “Okay Mommy,” I said. I had a little trouble getting back up, but Mom helped me. “Mommy, who else is here beside your friends?” “Well, today was a day off from school, so Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Dinky, Nyx, and Spike are here with us too. Derpy is as well, because she didn’t want Dinky going to Canterlot unless she came along.” We started walking toward the exit, but I was still feeling a little wobbly. “You can lean on my side for support if you want,” Mom said to me. I did what she said and she put a wing over me. When we got off, there was an orange pegasus wearing gold armor standing and talking with everypony else while waiting for us. He had a blue mane and tail and blue eyes. He walked up to us when he saw us getting off. “Hello Princess,” he said. “Hey Flash,” Mom said, “I take it you’re here to guide us to the throne room?” “Yes I am,” the guard replied. He then looked down at me. “Hey there Joshua. Wish we could’ve met under better circumstances. I’m Flash Sentry.” I nodded to him and gave him a small smile to be polite. “Follow me everypony.” He then turned around and started trotting toward the castle. I only saw the castle when I first came to Equestria, so I didn’t get to see a lot of Canterlot. There were a lot of ponies wearing clothes there walking the streets. Soon, we came up to the castle. Flash lead us inside to the throne room. When we entered, I saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna standing at the end. “Princess Twilight Sparkle and friends, your highness,” Flash said. “Thank you Flash Sentry,” Princess Celestia said, “You may return to your post now.” Flash nodded, gave a bow, and left the room. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked up to us. “Hello everypony,” Princess Celestia said, “Thank you all for coming.” She then looked down at me and frowned sadly. “I’m terribly sorry this had to happen, Joshua,” she said bringing her head down to look at me. “Celestia,” Mommy said, “Last night, Spike helped me find something in Starswirl’s old spell book: An old curing spell. No unicorn has been able to accomplish it in the past 1,000 years without the aid of alicorn magic. Could that work?” She lifted up the brown book and opened it to the page the spell was one. Princess Celestia took it with her magic and looked through it for a little bit with Princess Luna. After they were done, they looked at each other, then at me, then back to Mommy. “This is a very advanced spell, even for alicorns, Twilight,” Princess Celestia said, “But, it is our only option now.” She then looked down at me. “Do you want to go through with this, Joshua?” she asked me. I was a little worried. Would this spell hurt at all? I wanted to be a human again, and this spell sounded like the only way for me to be human again, but I didn’t want to get hurt at all. But if I don’t do it, I won’t get to be a human again. It almost sounded like getting a shot during a check-up at a doctor. Maybe it would be like a shot: only hurting for a little bit, if it was going to hurt that is. I looked back up at Princess Celestia. “Yes,” I answered bravely. Princess Celestia nodded. “Very well then,” she then looked back at the others, “I will need the rest of you to step back. Luna, Twilight, and I will need plenty of space to perform this spell.” I looked back at them all. They backed up a few steps, but Dinky stayed where she was standing for a minute. She then came up to me and hugged me for a minute. “Good luck, Josh,” she said rubbing her cheek against mine. “Thanks Dinky,” I replied. Dinky then let go and walked over to the others. I turned back to Mommy, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. The three of them were standing in a triangle in the middle of the room. “You’ll need to stand in the middle of our circle, Joshua,” Princess Celestia said. I slowly walked over to the three of them and stood in the middle. I then looked up at all of their faces as they looked at me. “Before we begin, Joshua, I just want to warn you: the spell says that you’ll need to put out some form of magic yourself for it to work.” “I need to do magic?” I asked. Princess Celestia nodded. Mommy looked at her. “But, Celestia,” she said, “He’s only just learned how to walk like a pony. I haven’t taught him basic magic yet.” “Now would be a good time to do so, Twilight,” Princess Celestia said. Mommy nodded and looked at me. “Alright, Joshua,” she said to me, “When one of us gives you the signal, here’s what you do: First, you’ll need to have a clear mind. Second, you’ll need to focus inside yourself and embrace the magic within you. Third, focus on your horn and the magic will flow into your horn. Okay?” “Okay,” I said. “Now, let us begin,” Princess Celestia said opening her wings. Princess Luna and Mommy did the same. The three of them then lit up their horns. They then slowly started floating in the air. Magic then shot out of their horns, their magic hit together, and started making a small ball of light. It got bigger and bigger until it was as big as me. "There," Princess Celestia said, "That's enough magic needed. Shut off your horns." Mommy and Princess Luna did what Princess Celestia said and all three of them looked at me. "Okay, Joshua. Now's the time for your part." I nodded and tried doing what Mommy said. I focused inside me and tried to call the magic out. A little later and nothing was happening. I had my eyes shut tightly as I was trying to do this, but there still wasn't anything coming. Just then, I felt a hoof on my back. I opened my eyes, looked next to me, and saw Mommy standing there. "You're trying to concentrate too much, sweetie," she said rubbing her hoof on my back. "You need to calm down and relax, okay?" "Okay," I said nodding. Mommy then leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. "I love you, Josh," she said, "No matter what." I smiled as Mommy went back to where she was standing. I closed my eyes again and calmed down. I tried focusing inside me again. *Twilight's P.O.V.* After backing away from Joshua to give him space to try and use magic again, I looked on and silently cheered him on. His eyes were closed and he looked to be more at ease this time around. He lowered his head and concentrated. A moment later, I could feel something sparking to life within him. I leaned in closer and saw some white sparks erupting from his horn. Keep going, Josh, I said in my thoughts, You're almost there. Another moment and a white aura appeared around his horn. Joshua opened his eyes and looked up at his forehead. His eyes widened when he saw his horn lit up. "Don't lose that focus, Josh," I reminded him, "Keep it up." Joshua nodded lightly at my voice but kept his eyes on his lit up horn. The small ball of magic that Celestia, Luna, and I made started hovering down to Joshua. It got closer and closer until it touched the tip of his horn. When they made contact, an eruption of light filled the room. Those of us that had wings had to shield our eyes from the brightness so we wouldn't be blinded. Please let this work, I pleaded in my head. Music Landing Area - Lego Universe Fellowship of Magic - Pony Empires Complete The Key of Light - Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep > Chapter 28 - Did it Work? (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 28 - Did it Work? *Nyx's P.O.V.* As soon as the ball of magic touched Josh's horn, a bright light engulfed him. Twilight, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna used their wings to cover their eyes from the light. A couple minutes later, the light dimmed down until a glowing object was laying on the floor. Twilight was about to walk closer to it, but Princess Celestia stopped her. "Hold on, Twilight," she said, "Just wait a moment." I slowly walked forward a couple steps, anxious to see what happened. Just then, the glow started moving slightly. It then stood up. At first it was on fours, but then it moved to two. The white glow surrounding it faded away and we saw, instead of a pony, a human that was at eye level with me, the Crusaders, Dinky, and Spike, wore a blue shirt, light brown shorts, white socks, black shoes, and brown hair on his head. Joshua opened up his eyes and looked down at himself. His eyes widened when he held up his hands. He then reached up to his ears, and felt them. They were back to normal as well. He then placed a hand on his forehead to see if there was a horn or not. There wasn’t. “It worked,” he said quietly at first, but then exclaimed happily, “It worked! It worked! I’m a human again!” Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and I rushed over to him and tackled him in a big group hug. “You’re back to normal!” Apple Bloom cheered. “Hooray!” Sweetie Belle said. "Awesome!" Scootaloo exclaimed. “I’m so glad you’re a human again, little brother!” I said squeezing him. “Girls...” Joshua gasped out, “You’re all squeezing me too tight...” After one more quick squeeze from all of us, we all got up. But before Joshua could recover, he was scooped up into another hug. This time by Pinkie Pie. “WOOHOO!!!” she squealed, “Now I can throw a ‘Joshie’s back to normal’ party!!!” Dinky trotted up to Joshua after Pinkie put him back down with a smile on her face. “I’m so glad you’re back to normal Joshua.” She then pulled Joshua into a big hug. “Me too Dinky,” Joshua said. The two of them stayed like that for a really long time. After they broke away, Twilight trotted up to Josh. “Are you alright now Joshua?” she asked. “I feel much better Mommy,” he said wrapping his arms around her. Twilight returned the hug wrapping a foreleg over him. After they broke away, Joshua spoke up again. “My hands feel a little funny though.” He shook them a little bit, and suddenly they glowed with a white aura. We all gasped at the sight. “Whoa!” Rainbow exclaimed, “Where did that came from?!” Joshua was looking at his glowing hands confused as to why. “What happened?” he asked looking at Princess Celestia. “Let me take a look,” she said. She lowered her head down to Joshua to inspect his glowing hands. A few moments later, she lifted her head back up. “It would seem you kept one part of your old pony form: your magic.” “You mean,” Joshua said looking at his hands again, “I can do magic now?” “It would appear so, but from what I can tell, your magic level is the same as Nyx’s at the moment.” “Wow,” Joshua said. His hands stopped glowing a little while ago, and he continued looking at them. “Fascinating,” Twilight said, “And you told me that humans didn’t have magic where you came from, right?” “That's right,” Joshua said. After looking a little longer at his hands, he looked up at Twilight. “Mommy, do you think you can help me with my new magic?” “I’d be happy to help you,” she replied with a smile, “You can learn with Nyx when we do our magic training.” Soon, we all said our goodbyes to the princesses and left to go back to Ponyville. Joshua was smiling all the way back, happy to be a human again. *Joshua's P.O.V.* I was so happy that the spell worked. But, I was confused though too. Not just about how I can do magic now, but I'm still confused about why and how I was turned into a unicorn. After we all got on the train, I looked over at Mommy. "Hey, Mommy?" I said to her. "Yes, Josh?" she asked smiling at me. "Did you find out how or why I was turned into a unicorn?" I asked. Mommy put a hoof to her chin and looked up at the train car ceiling. After a minute, she looked back at me. "You know, we never did figure out how or why," she said, "I'm in the dark about that as you are." "Huh," I said in thought. I turned to look out the window as the train continued moving. A little later, I felt the seat I was on move a little bit. I turned my head and saw Dinky had sat down next to me. “Hi Dinky,” I said. “Hi Joshua,” she replied. The two of us turned back to look out the window again for a little bit. While we did that, whenever I turned to look at Dinky, I saw that she had moved closer to me. When she was all the way next to me, I felt her but a hoof over my back. I looked at Dinky confused. “What are you doing Dinky?” I asked her. “Well...,” she nervous, “I don’t know how to say it but...” “It’s okay Dinky, you can tell me,” I said putting an arm over her shoulders. “Well,” she began, “When I first met you, I did find you kind of cute.” I blushed at that. “Then you made me feel better on the first day of school, and I was grateful for that. Then you stood up for me against Diamond Tiara after I told Miss Cheerilee what had happened. When you were doing that, I found myself falling for you.” “You did?” I asked surprised. “Uh-huh,” Dinky nodded. “I don’t know what to say Dinky,” I said. I thought about what she said for a minute, then turned back to her, “I found you kind of cute too when I first met you Dinky. I was surprised when you kissed me that day.” I blushed again, “I think I feel the same way about you.” “You do?” she asked. I nodded. We both looked at each other for a while, then Dinky smiled at me. I smiled back at her and then we hugged each other. I felt Dinky nuzzling my cheek with hers. *Nyx's P.O.V.* The rest of us were looking at Josh and Dinky with warm smiles on our faces. “Aww, my little muffin found a special somepony,” Derpy said happily. “Psst. Hey Nyx,” Apple Bloom said waving me over. I trotted over to where Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were. When I got there, the four of us formed a huddle. “What is it girls?” I asked quietly. “We’ve been discussing somethin’,” Apple Bloom whispered. “We didn’t notice it at first, but Dinky doesn’t have her cutie mark,” Scootaloo said. “So, we were thinking we’d hold a sleepover at my house tonight and invite you, Joshua, and Dinky over to celebrate Joshua being back to normal,” Sweetie Belle said, “And make Dinky a member.” “That sounds like a great idea girls!” I whispered excitedly, “And I’m sure Joshua and Dinky will like it,” I added looking over at the two lovebirds. The rest of the train ride was quiet as the ponies and the now magic wielding human rode back to Ponyville. > Chapter 29 - Magic Training, Sleepover, and New Crusader (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 30 – Magic Training, Sleepover, and New Crusader *Joshua’s P.O.V.* Dinky and I stayed next to each other, with our arms around each other all the way back to Ponyville. We were happy looking out the window watching the grass and sky go by. I was glad the spell worked and that I was a human again, but now I could do magic. I was surprised that I kept my unicorn magic too. I knew with Mommy’s help, I would do good with it. “Hey, Joshua. Dinky.” I heard Scootaloo behind me. Dinky and I turned around and saw her standing there. “Hey Scootaloo,” Dinky said. “Hey. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Nyx, and I were talking and we were thinking about having a sleepover at Sweetie Belle’s place tonight. Do you two want to join us?” “Sure,” I said, “That sounds like fun. I’ll have to ask Mommy first.” “I’ll have to ask my mom too,” Dinky said. “No need, muffin,” we heard Derpy say, “You go ahead and have fun with your friends tonight.” “Nyx already asked me Joshua,” Mommy said to me, “You two can go. Actually, you two don't mind staying with her for a couple days, do you?” "Why?" I asked. "Well, my friends and I are going to be heading up towards Rainbow Falls for a couple days," Mommy replied, "So I already made arrangements for you two to stay with her and her parents." “Okay,” I said, "Thanks Mommy." Suddenly, there was a loud screeching noise. We were back in Ponyville. We all got off the train and went back to our homes. When Mommy, Nyx, Spike, and I got back to the library, we had our lunch. After lunch, Mommy gave me my first magic lesson with Nyx. We started with what Mommy called levitation: lifting something using magic. Nyx could already lift small objects with her magic and was working on bigger objects. I had to start small. Nyx was trying to lift a book. She got it to stay up for a little bit, but there was a popping sound and the book fell. Nyx got angry because she couldn’t keep the book in the air. It was kinda scary seeing her angry. When she saw that I got scared at her being angry, she apologized and said that it was part of her old Nightmare Moon personality. I forgave her for it, because I knew she didn’t mean to scare me. I had trouble lifting something when I tried levitation, but Mom told me I would get it with practice. We practiced for an hour and later Nyx and I got some sleeping bags out and I got my pajamas and a few clean sets of clothes for staying at Sweetie Belle’s. At 3 o’clock, Mommy took me and Nyx to Sweetie Belle’s place. It was a nice looking house that was close to a lake. “Now you two behave yourselves and listen to Sweetie Belle’s parents okay?” Mommy said to us. “Yes,” Nyx and I said at the same time. “Good. I’ll see you in a couple days. Have a good night sleep you two,” she said kissing us on our foreheads. "Bye, Mommy," I said. She then started walking to the train station. We then looked at the door and Nyx knocked it. When it opened, we saw a pink unicorn mare with a purple mane and tail and blue eyes. She had yellow earrings on her ears and was wearing a red and white suit. Her suit was blocking her cutie mark, so I couldn’t see it. “Hello there Nyx,” she said as Nyx hugged her, “Wonderful to see you again.” She then looked at me. “Ah, Joshua is it?” I nodded after Nyx finished hugging her. “Well it’s nice to meet you. Sweetie Belle and Rarity have told me a lot about you. I’m their mother, Pearl.” She then pulled me in for a hug. I returned it, and after that we walked in. I saw a stallion sitting at a table with cards in his hooves. He was white with a brown mane and tail, blue eyes like Pearl, a mustache under his nose, and was wearing a blue shirt with yellow, white, and light blue flowers and a straw hat. His cutie mark had three footballs. He looked up as Pearl walked me and Nyx inside. “Ah, hey there you two,” he said. He looked at me. “You must be Joshua, the human kid, right?” “Yes sir,” I said. “I’m Magnum, Rarity and Sweetie Belle’s father.” He got up, walked over, and messed with my hair a bit. “Sweetie Belle should be upstairs in her room,” he said pointing a hoof upstairs. “Thank you,” Nyx said. She and I then walked up the stairs to a door that had a heart shape on it. I knocked and we heard Sweetie Belle’s voice on the other side. “It’s open.” We opened the door and saw Sweetie Belle walking up to us. She first gave Nyx a hug, and then gave me one. “Hey Sweetie Belle,” I said, “Is anypony else here yet?” “Nope,” she answered after we finished our hug, “You two are the first ones here. The others should be here soon. Come on in you two.” We entered in and saw that Sweetie Belle had some games out for us to play when the others got here. I looked at the names of the games Sweetie Belle pulled out. A lot of them looked familiar. One was the popping dice game Trouble. There was another knock at the door. Sweetie Belle went to answer it. “Hey girls!” she said. I turned and saw Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Twist in the doorway. I was glad to see she was better after the cold she had. “Hey Nyx. Hey Joshua,” Twist said, “Apple Bloom and Scootaloo told me you’re back to normal now Joshua. Can you really do magic too?” “Yeah,” I said nodding, “I was surprised when my hands glowed when I shook them.” I then shook one of my hands to show her and my hand glowed for a little bit. Twist looked surprised. “Wow,” Twist said amazed, “That’s cool.” After my hands stopped glowing, Sweetie Belle pulled out a deck of cards for us to play Go-Fish. We played for a few minutes until there was another knock. “Sweetie Belle,” we heard Pearl behind the door, “Can you come here a minute please?” “Coming Mom,” she said putting her hand of cards down. The door opened behind us, but before I could look back, it shut again with Sweetie Belle outside the room. A few minutes later, the door opened again and Sweetie Belle walked back in. She then picked up her cards again. Before anypony could ask for a card, a pair of hooves covered my eyes. “Hey! Who turned out the lights?” I asked. “Guess who?” said a voice. I giggled a little bit when I recognized the voice. “Hi Dinky,” I said. She moved her hooves out of my eyes and wrapped her forelegs under my arms and around my chest. She then placed her chin on my shoulder and rubbed her nose against my cheek. I reached my hand back behind her head and moved it through her mane. “Hey Joshua,” she said kissing my cheek, “Hey girls. What are you all playing?” “Go fish,” Apple Bloom said, “You want in?” “Sure!” she said sitting next to me. We played Go Fish for a while, then Trouble, Sorry, and then Twister. These games were from my old home too. Soon, Magnum came up and told us it was time for dinner. We went down and saw that Pearl had made some macaroni and cheese, another of my favorites. After dinner, Sweetie Belle took me out of the kitchen and into the living room while everypony else went upstairs. “What is it Sweetie Belle?” I asked her. “There’s another reason we wanted to have this sleepover Joshua,” she said to me. She then pulled out a new Cutie Mark Crusader cape and handed it to me. “We want to make Dinky a member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders too, and we decided to have you give her the membership cape. It would mean more to her if you gave it.” “That’s a great idea Sweetie Belle!” I said. “Glad you think so,” she replied, “Let’s head back up and you can surprise her.” I nodded my head and followed her back up to her room. I held the cape behind my back to keep it hidden from Dinky. We entered Sweetie Belle’s room and saw the others talking. “Hey Dinky,” Sweetie Belle said to her. She turned her head over to me and Sweetie Belle. “We all have a surprise for you.” “What is it?” she asked excited. “Y’all have to close your eyes first silly,” Apple Bloom said. Dinky closed her eyes with a big smile on her face. Sweetie Belle nodded at me, and I walked up and put the cape on her back. “Surprise!” I said standing in front of her. She opened her eyes and looked behind her. She gasped happily when she saw the cape on her back. She then looked back at me and quickly wrapped me up in her forelegs. “Welcome aboard Dinks,” Scootaloo said. “Thank you everypony!” she said looking at everypony, then she looked at me, “And thank you too, Joshua.” She then kissed me on the cheek again, and continued her hug, squeezing me tight. I hugged her back and kissed her on the cheek too. “Aww,” everypony except Scootaloo said. “Now they’re getting too sappy,” Scootaloo said. “Oh Scoots,” Sweetie Belle said, “Just let them enjoy their moment.” After we finished our hug, we heard another knock at the door. “Okay kids,” Pearl said behind the door, “Time for bed. You all have school tomorrow, and you need to sleep.” “Yes Mom,” Sweetie Belle said. Everypony then rolled out their sleeping bags, except Sweetie Belle. She hopped onto her bed. I had to go to the bathroom to change into my pajamas. When I came back, I saw my sleeping back had been moved closer to Dinky’s. I walked over to it and slid into it. “Goodnight Crusaders,” Apple Bloom said. She then closed her eyes and fell asleep. “Goodnight,” the rest of us said. Sweetie Belle then turned off the light and fell asleep in her bed. I had almost fallen asleep when I felt a hoof wrap around me. “Goodnight Joshie,” I heard Dinky whisper into my ear using Pinkie’s nickname for me. “Goodnight Dinks,” I whispered back falling asleep. > Chapter 30 - A Pinkie Pegasus? (Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 30 - A Pinkie Pegasus? *Joshua’s P.O.V.* It was a beautiful day at school two days later. Mommy sent a letter telling me about what happened at Rainbow Falls. It looked like she was happy she got her cheerleading right. She said that she was going to be picking me and Nyx up from school today after it was over. Miss Cheerilee was teaching us a math lesson in multiplication, my favorite thing in math, near the end of the school day. The school bell rang after Miss Cheerilee gave us our homework for today. Diamond Tiara was surprised to see that I lost my pony ears when I came into the class room today, but while we were leaving, and while Nyx was in the bathroom, she came up to me. I was afraid something would happen. “Were those pony ears real or were they just a figment of my imagination?” she said walking around me. I ignored her, but she kept going. “Couldn’t handle being a pony, could you?” she said, “Too confusing, or...” “Diamond Tiara, don’t bother him.” I was surprised to hear Silver Spoon behind us. Diamond Tiara was too. She trotted up and stood in between me and Diamond Tiara. “Whose side are you on Silver Spoon?” she asked her friend. “Come on Di,” Silver Spoon said, “He's not worth it. Don't you see he's not reacting to your words?” “Fine,” Diamond Tiara said. She then turned to me, “And you,” she pointed a hoof at me, “Don’t think you’re off the hook.” She then turned around and walked away. Silver Spoon was about to walk off but I stopped her. “Silver Spoon?” I said to her. “What?" she replied. "Thanks," I said with a smile. Her eyes looked left and right for a bit then back at me. "Whatever," she said, "But don't go thinking it means anything, got it?" "Whatever you say," I replied. Silver Spoon then turned back around and walked after Diamond Tiara. I was still smiling even after she left. She did something nice for once. It might not have meant anything to her, but it did to me. “Hey little brother,” I heard Nyx call, “Is Twilight here yet?” I looked down the road and saw Mommy coming. “There she is,” I pointed. “Hello you two,” she said as we came up and hugged her. “Hi Mom,” I said, "Why didn't Spike come and pick us up?" “He wrote to me and said that he caught a bit of a cold last night,” she said sadly, “He should be fine in a couple days.” “Poor Spike,” I said. “Well, let’s get going you two,” Mom said. I climbed onto Nyx’s back and we started going back to the library. “Oh yeah, Pinkie Pie stopped me on the way over here. She said that she has somepony she wants you to meet Joshua.” “Okay,” I said. I began to wonder what this pony would look like. “So how was the slumber party last night you two?” Mom asked us. “It was a lot of fun,” Nyx said, “We played a lot of games before dinner, and after dinner we made Dinky a member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” “She was really happy about it too,” I added, “I really had fun last night.” “I’m glad to hear that Joshua,” Mom said. We soon were walking through Ponyville market, then we heard a voice. “Hey Twilight!” It was Pinkie. She was standing outside Sugarcube Corner with a big smile on her face. “Hey Pinkie,” Mom said, “How’s it going?” “It’s going great!” Pinkie said, “The friend I want Joshie to meet is here too!” I looked around us, but didn’t see anyone else. “Where?” I asked Pinkie. “She’s right here!” I looked back at Pinkie and saw that she had opened up a pair of white wings. “Pinkie?” I asked her, “When did you grow wings?” Pinkie giggled. “That’s not me,” she said, “It’s my friend!” She bounced back and I saw a white pegasus mare with a yellow mane and tail that was poofy like Pinkie’s. She had purple eyes and a cutie mark like Pinkie’s, but the balloons were all purple. “Hi there!” she said, “I’m Surprise! It’s nice to meet you Joshie! Pinkie told me a lot about you! I’ve always wanted to meet a human too!” “You look a lot like Pinkie,” I said looking at her. Surprise giggled. “I know! And we both like parties too! It’s like she’s my Earth pony twin!” “You sound like her too,” I said. “Yep!” Pinkie said, “I was surprised myself when I first met her...” Read Surprise, Surprise for the full story... “...so even though the two of us started on the wrong hoof, we became great friends in the end,” Pinkie finished. “That’s a great story,” I said, “I really hope I can visit Cloudsdale someday.” “Speaking of Cloudsdale,” Surprise said, “I need to get back home. It was great meeting you Joshie! See ya in Cloudsdale someday?” “Sure Surprise,” I said. She then bounced up to me and picked me up in a hug. “See ya Surprise!” Pinkie said as Surprise flew away. “Well, we need to get going Pinkie,” Mom said, “See you around okay?” “Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie said, “Bye Twilight! Bye Nyxie! Bye Joshie!” She then bounced back inside Sugarcube Corner, and Mom, Nyx, and I went back to the library. When we entered in, I felt something land on my head. “Owlowisius, is that you?” I asked. “Who.” “You. Is that you?” “Who.” “Never mind,” I said. > Bonus Chapter 2 - Three's A Crowd > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonus Chapter 2 - Three's A Crowd *Joshua's P.O.V.* Mommy was looking really worried today. She's been waiting for a letter from Aunt Cadance asking if she would come visit for the weekend. After Spike went out to check the mail, he came back in with a few letters in his claws. "Mail's here!" he said. Just then, the mail in his claws were wrapped up in Mommy's magic and pulled out of his hand, making Spike fall forward. I walked over to help him back up while Mommy looked through the mail. "Please be a yes, please be a yes, please be a yes," Mommy said going through the letters. She stopped at a light brown envelope with a red seal on it. She opened it, read the letter inside and her face lit up. "Yes! She can make it, she can make it!" She lifted Spike up in her magic and began flying in a circle around me. "Going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing that Princess Cadance said she can come this weekend!" Spike said. The two of them stopped floating and flying around me and landed on the floor. "I'm finally gonna get to spend some quality time with my sister-in-law!" Mommy said happily folding her wings, "This is the best news ever!" Just then, there was a quiet knocking at the door. It opened up and we saw Fluttershy peeking in. "Um, so sorry for barging in like this..." Fluttershy said quietly, "but I'm so excited, I just couldn't wait to tell somepony!" She lifted her hooves a few times real quickly, dug her face into her mane and pulled out a piece of paper with her mouth. I took it from her and looked at it. "The Equestrian Society for the Preservation of Rare Creatures have given me permission to observe the rarest, tiniest, most adorable magical creatures in all of Equestria – the Breezies!" "Wow, Fluttershy," Mommy said amazed, "That's fantastic!" "Oh, it's not just fantastic," Fluttershy said hovering in the room, "it just might be the best news ever!" *CRASH!* I jumped from the loud noise and looked behind to see Pinkie Pie had broken down the library door on top of Spike and jumped at Fluttershy. I helped move the door off of him while listening to Pinkie. "I just got the most incredible mail anypony's ever received in all of recorded pony postal history!" she said happily, "It's a flyer about a one-day sale on used patio furniture!" Looking over at her, I saw she had lifted a poster with her tail. "Aah! Could this day get any better? Woo-hoo!" The four of us all looked at each other and shook our heads. Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie again, I thought to myself. *** Later that day, Mommy, Fluttershy, and Pinkie left for the train station to see Fluttershy go on her Breezie watching and to see Aunt Cadance come in. Mommy was planning on spending a lot of time with her since most of the time, Equestria was in danger or they were having trouble with something else. She was planning on taking Aunt Cadance to a Star Swirl the Bearded Traveling Museum. She also told me that she would bring her over to see me again. I was looking forward to seeing her. *KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!* "Hey Josh, could you get that?" Spike called from upstairs, "I'm busy helping Nyx with her science project." "Sure, Spike," I called back. I walked over to the door and opened it up. I was surprised to see Mommy and Aunt Cadance standing there. "Mommy?" I asked confused, "I thought you and Aunt Cadance wouldn't be back until later." "Well," Mommy began with an annoyed look, "that was the plan, until something interrupted us." "ACHOO!!!" I saw something wet coming right at me. I put my arms up in front of my face to block it, but something else blocked it: a light blue bubble. I looked behind Mommy and Aunt Cadance and saw...... "Discord?" I asked confused, "Why are you all blue?" "He caught the 'blue flu'," Mommy said, "And he was planning to go see Fluttershy about it, but with her being gone, and with him accidentally giving it to Applejack and Rarity, he had to turn to me." "What was that bubble that blocked his sneeze from me?" I asked again. "A magic health bubble," Aunt Cadance replied, "Are Spike and Nyx around? I want to put it on them so they don't catch it either." "They're upstairs working on a science project Nyx has to do for school," I said. Aunt Cadance walked past me and up the stairs while Mommy walked in and stood next to me. Together we saw a very blue Discord move like a worm into the library. "Sorry you had to see me like this, Joshua," Discord said as he passed me, "By the way, I heard about what had happened with the whole 'turning into a pony' thing. I would really hate to see something like that happening again." How did he know about it? I asked myself, Did he see us in the throne room doing the spell to turn me back? *** Mommy and Aunt Cadance both got a bed ready for Discord to lay in while he was sick. Nyx, Spike, and I were watching from the doorway. After putting a blanket over him, Mommy spoke up. "Need anything else?" she asked. "Just knowing that I have a good friend like you to take care of me has made me feel better already," Discord said looking through Mommy's nightstand drawer, "I'll be fine here on my own." Mommy and Aunt Cadance turned away to walk out of the room, but Discord stopped them before they got too far. "Oh, just before you go, just a little small request," he said with pleading eyes. Mommy sighed and looked down at the floor, but Aunt Cadance put a hoof to her shoulder. "It's going to be fine," she whispered, "We'll just get him what he wants and be back to the exhibit in no time." The two of them then looked back over at Discord. "What was it that you needed?" After Discord had finished singing, the whole room was wet. I was wet too; so were Nyx, Spike, Mommy, and Aunt Cadance as she lifted a small glass of water for Discord, who was all dry. Discord took it in his eagle claw, but it slipped out of his hand and spilled on the floor. "Oops!" he said, "Sorry." He then sneezed again on Mommy and Aunt Cadance, who still had their magic health bubble around them, turned into bubbles, and floated up to the ceiling. "Alright, this is ridiculous!" Mommy said walking away from the bed. "How did you even catch this flu?" Aunt Cadance asked. "Inadequate hoof and claw washing?" Discord said wiping a cloth over her health bubble. "There must be some way to just cure you!" Mommy said looking in some of her sickness books, "There has to be a spell or remedy in one of my books!" "There is one way," Discord said as Mommy dropped her books from her levitation. "And you didn't think to mention it earlier?" Cadance asked looking annoyed. "Slipped my mind," Discord said making a small smoke cloud with his finger that showed what he said, "On a hill at the very edge of Equestria, there grows an exquisite magic flower. Pick the flower as it drops its petals at sunset. Then you can make a magical soothing elixir to cure the blue flu." "I suppose you have a good reason you didn't bother to get this flower as soon as you realized you were sick?" Mommy asked. "Well, I couldn't travel that far in my condition," Discord said wrapping the blanket around himself, "By the time I got there, I'd be too weak to even attempt to retrieve the flower." "So where exactly are Cadance and I headed?" Mommy asked. "Well," Discord began clearing his throat and holding a map, "you'll want to head north, turn left, th— Oh... You know, it'd be much easier if I took you there myself." "I thought you said you were in no condition to travel," I said. "I'm not," Discord said suddenly appearing in front of me and noogying my head. He then teleported back over to Aunt Cadance and Mommy and put his arms around them. "We'll just have to make some arrangements." *** "He... was... FAKING?!" Nyx shouted when Mommy and Aunt Cadance got back. "I couldn't believe it myself either," Mommy said, "I knew there was something odd about him besides being all blue." "Uh, Twilight," Spike said, "Discord is odd; in more ways than one." "Yeah," Mommy replied, "But he said he wanted to be sure that he and I really were friends, so that's why he had Cadance and me go get that big flower, but he certainly didn't anticipate that Tatzlwurm. In the end, that beast ended up giving Discord a real sickness." "At least Fluttershy's back now," Aunt Cadance said, "She can take care of him." "Good," Nyx said, "I really don't want him asking for another glass of water in this library." > Chapter 32 - Nightmare Night (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 32 - Nightmare Night *Nyx’s P.O.V.* It has now been more than a month since Joshua came to Equestria, and a few weeks after his pony transformation incident. He and I have been practicing our magic together with Twilight, and we have gotten better over the past few days. Now, we’re coming up on one of the most celebrated holidays of Equestria: Nightmare Night. When I first learned of Nightmare Night, it didn’t go over for me too well, mostly because of the story about Nightmare Moon seeking to gobble up ponies on that one night. I never ate other ponies in my entire time when Luna and I were one and the same, or when we were separate beings. But when I stuck around and saw the whole prank after the story and when the candy was offered up, I was told that the offered candy was given to sick foals who couldn’t attend Nightmare Night, and that it was just a story. True, I did still find it a little insulting, but it made me feel a little bit better afterwards. This Nightmare Night was going to be special, because it was going to be Joshua’s first. We gave our costume ideas to Rarity the day before so she could get them done for us in time for tonight. She got them delivered to our tree house in time from before we had to go out for candy collecting. I was going to be going as a Martian pony. Rarity made a full, skin-tight green suit with two ballpoint antennae on top for me. It was perfect. Twilight was dressed up as lab scientist, with a white lab coat and eye-safety goggles. Spike had a red suit that covered up his purple and green scales and he had horns at the top. He also had a short red trident. Joshua’s costume was interesting looking. When he came downstairs out of the bathroom, he had on a red long-sleeve shirt, blue overalls attached with big yellow buttons, brown shoes, white gloves on his hands, a red hat with a big, red letter M on it, and to top it all off, Twilight used spell #25 on him, giving him a mustache under his nose. “Whoa little brother,” I said surprised, “Who are you supposed to be?” “I’m a video game character from back home,” Joshua said, “His name is Mario. He’s a plumber and a hero from a place called the Mushroom Kingdom. He protects the kingdom’s princess named Peach from an evil fire-breathing turtle monster named Bowser, who always kidnaps her. But Mario always beats him.” “Twilight,” Spike groaned, “You give him a mustache, but not me?” “Sorry Spike,” Twilight said, “But Joshua’s costume wouldn’t be complete without it. Besides, it’s just for tonight.” “Fine,” Spike grumbled, “Honestly though bro, it looks good on you.” “Thanks Spike,” Joshua said smiling. The door suddenly knocked. Spike went over to answer it, and when it opened up... “Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!” sang a group of voices. There were the other Crusaders and Sparkler dressed up. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were dressed up as the three trouble-makers from the movie Night Mare before Hearth’s Warming. Twist was dressed up as a gumball machine. Dinky was dressed up in a pink dress with a yellow crown on top of her head. Sparkler was dressed up as a court judge. “Wow girls, you all look great!” I said as Twilight placed a piece of candy in each of the Crusaders’ bags. Joshua had his eyes fixed on Dinky. “Dinky,” he said surprised, “You costume looks like Princess Peach’s dress.” “Who’s Princess Peach?” Dinky asked. Joshua then explained Mario, Peach, and Bowser to her as he did before the Crusaders arrived. “So, who you’re dressed as saves Peach all the time from an evil fire breathing turtle?” “Yeah,” he said. “How heroic,” Dinky said smiling, “So are you and Nyx ready to join us in some candy gathering?” “Sure!” Joshua and I said in unison. But before we exited the library, Pinkie ran up dressed as a road runner. “Beep beep!!” she said nearly barreling into us. “Comin’ through!!” She then snatched up our candy bowl and dumped the contents into her bag, which was overly stuffed. Then with another “Beep beep!!” she whizzed off again. “What was that?” Joshua asked. “That was just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie,” Sparkler said. “Hey Sparkler, where’s your mom?” Joshua asked her. “She’ll be around in a little bit,” she replied, “She’s just visiting a friend of hers.” We started walking through town, going from house to house collecting candy. All over town, ponies were dressed up as ponies from stories or ponies from other places. But one pony surprised us out of all the others. “Hey Joshua!” Lyra came trotting up to us. She was dressed in a blue shirt, khaki shorts, and socks on her hind legs. “What do you think?” she asked Joshua. Joshua was looking at Lyra in awe at her costume. “Are you dressed as me?” he asked surprised. “You got it!” Lyra said, “I’ve been wanting to do a human for Nightmare Night for years, and now that you’ve shown up, I can finally do it. Thanks!” “You’re welcome Lyra,” Joshua said smiling. Suddenly there was a roar behind Lyra. She shrieked and ran off. Joshua yelped in surprise and ran behind me, panting. There was suddenly loud laughing in front of us. It could only belong to... “Again with the pranks Rainbow?” Twilight asked the laughing pegasus. She was dressed up as a manticore, with her face poking out of the lion mouth. “Rainbow Dash?” Joshua asked peeking out behind me, “What are you?” Rainbow stood up after finishing her laughing fit. “Never seen a manticore eh?” she asked. “No, I don’t even know what a manticore is,” Joshua replied, “We didn’t have any on my old world.” “Well, as long as you steer clear of the Everfree Forest, you won’t have to worry about them too much. I’ll see you guys around,” she said flying off. “Alright kids, let’s go and play some games,” Twilight said. We went over to where all the games and activities were set up and saw Applejack at the apple bobbing game as usual. Applejack was dressed up as an Indian pony. “Howdy y’all!” she said when spotting us, “Happy Nightmare Night!” She then looked down at Joshua. “Enjoyin’ your first Nightmare Night, sugarcube?” “I sure am!” Joshua said. “That’s good to hear. So y’all want to bob for some apples?” “Yeah!” we all said in unison, except Twilight and Sparkler. We all leaned up so we could dunk our heads in. Joshua had a bit of difficulty however, but Applejack fixed that by wrapping her forelegs under his arms and lifting him up. “There ya go partner,” she said. “Thank you Applejack,” Joshua said before dunking his head in. We all dunked in and each one of us came up with an apple in our mouths. I pulled the apple out of my mouth and looked over at Joshua. He was still in Applejack’s forelegs, but had a big smile on his face with the apple in his mouth. He then took it in his hand and looked back at AJ. “Thanks for the help Applejack. This was fun!” “You’re welcome sugarcube,” Applejack said hugging him. She then put him down and handed him a towel. “Why don’t y’all dry your faces off.” After we did that, we said goodbye to Applejack and went to the next game: the Spider Toss. “How do you play this?” Joshua asked. “You toss the spider toward the web and try and aim for the center,” Dinky explained, “Bullseye is an automatic win.” Joshua picked one out of the bowl and threw it toward the web. It landed on the ground a few inches away from the web. “Try again,” Dinky said. Joshua did, and got the spider just below the bullseye. The rest of us took our turns, but we were all short of the bullseye. The next game we came up to was the Pumpkin-pult. Twilight levitated a pumpkin into one of the catapults for Joshua. He had couldn’t reach up to pull it down, but Dinky gave him a boost. Together the two of them held down the pumpkin-pult and when they released it, the pumpkin splattered over the target. “Bullseye!” Dinky said. “Attention everypony!” came Mayor Mare’s voice, “Your attention please!” We all turned over to look at her. She was dressed up as a vampony. “All who have been out collecting sweets should follow our friend Zecora to hear the legend of... Nightmare Moon!” she concluded in a spooky voice and an evil laugh. “Is this what you were telling me about yesterday Nyx?” Joshua whispered into my ear. Yesterday, I explained to him the story about Nightmare Moon looking for little lost ponies on Nightmare Night. This Nightmare Moon was completely different from me, and I knew it. I nodded my head to answer his question. A green mist appeared on the stage and Zecora the zebra stepped out. This was Joshua’s first time seeing her. “Follow close little foals, to hear of a mare with sinister goals,” Zecora said in her rhyming talk. We all followed her to the place where the Nightmare Moon statue inside the Everfree Forest was located. Joshua was a little shaky taking a look at me in my adult form, but I placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder to remind him I was there. He calmed down a bit. Afterwards, all the fillies and colts dumped portions of their candy hauls out. Joshua was the last to go, but before he did, he turned back around and looked at me. “Nyx, you said there was supposed to be a surprise after everypony offered some of their candy right?” he asked. “That’s right,” I said. “I’m kinda nervous about it,” he said looking back up at the statue. “Don’t worry little brother,” I said reassuring him, “It’s nothing dangerous.” “Okay,” he replied. He dumped out some of his candy and looked back up. He looked back at me with a confused look on his face. “Something’s supposed to happen now right?” *CRASH* A thunderclap sounded throughout the sky, and a dark voice came about. “Fillies and colts of Ponyville, once again, you have wisely chosen to offer up your delicious sweets to me. I’ll just feast on them, rather than you!” Joshua looked up to see the statue, now filled with color and life with white glowing eyes. Everypony around screamed and ran away. Joshua screamed too and ran behind me. “I thought you said it wouldn’t be dangerous!” he exclaimed. “Just watch,” I said calmly. Suddenly there was a flash, and Princess Luna stood where the statue once was with fake vampony teeth in her mouth. She spit them out and set them off to the side. “Princess Luna?” Joshua asked surprised. “Indeed it is Joshua,” she said walking up to us, “I hope I didn’t scare you too badly.” “A little bit,” he said calming down, “But I feel a lot better now that I know it’s just you.” “Well, shall we head back to the festivities?” Luna asked us all “Sure!” I said. For the rest of the night, we spent it playing more games, talking, and hanging out. I could tell Joshua was having fun on his first Nightmare Night. *Third Person P.O.V.* Up in Canterlot, Princess Celestia was taking care of the first few petitioners of the Night Court for her sister while Luna enjoyed the festivities of Nightmare Night in Ponyville. Just then, she heard somepony calling to her. After finishing up with the first group of ponies, she called for a break and went toward a secret area of the castle that only she and Luna could enter, unless they brought others with them. Soon, she came to a large set of doors and opened them up. Inside was a large room with a red carpet running up a large staircase, larger than Celestia herself. “Hello again my child,” said a female voice. “Hello,” Celestia said looking up at the figure at the very top of the staircase, “It has been a while.” “Only a month or so,” said the voice again, “You’re probably wondering why I called for you.” “Yes,” Celestia replied. “I am most curious about the recent member of our Equestrian family.” “The young human child who resides with my faithful student?” Celestia asked, “Joshua is his name. Sadly, he is the last of his kind.” “I am well aware of that,” the voice said sadly, “And I wish to offer my sympathies to him when I meet him.” Celestia looked up surprised. “You wish to speak with him?” “Yes.” “When?” “Hearth’s Warming Day this December.” “Should I notify Twilight Sparkle about this?” “No. You know how your student worries over things like this, and I would say this qualifies.” “Of course,” Celestia nodded before looking up, smiling, and continuing, “Mother.” > Chapter 33 - Family Time in Canterlot (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 33 - Family Time in Canterlot *Joshua’s P.O.V.* I can’t believe it’s now been three months since I came to Equestria. They’ve been amazing. It’s now December, and winter has come! I love winter! Snow is one of my favorite things about it. I really love playing in it. Nyx, the Crusaders, and I have been playing a lot in it since the first snowfall. Right now though, me, Mom, Nyx, and Spike are on a train going to Canterlot. We’re going to be spending Hearth’s Warming with Grandpa Night Light and Grandma Velvet. I haven’t seen them since before Mom adopted me. I can hardly wait to see them again. Mom also said that she and her friends were asked by Princess Celestia to do the Hearth’s Warming Pageant. It tells the story about how Equestria was made. Mom said she plays a unicorn called Clover the Clever. I’m also excited to meet another new member of our family: Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadence’s new foal, who is also mine and Nyx’s new cousin! They had it one month ago, but we didn’t know if it was a filly or a colt. They were keeping it a surprise until Hearth’s Warming. All they said was that they had their new foal. While on the train, Nyx told me about her first Hearth’s Warming. At first, Uncle Shining wasn’t too accepting of Nyx... Read Winter Bells by Pen Stroke for the full story... “...so in the end it turned out to be a great Hearth’s Warming,” Nyx said. “Wow,” I said amazed. Just then the train whistle blew. I looked out the window and saw Canterlot in view. “We’d better get ready everypony,” Mom said putting on her winter coat. Before winter started, Rarity made me some winter clothes: a heavy green jacket, black snow pants, brown snow boots, and a pair of blue mittens. They helped keep me warm while playing in the snow with my friends. I put them on before we all stepped off the train. Over at the end of the station, we saw Grandpa Night Light waiting for us. “There you all are!” he said when he saw us. I ran up and hugged him. “Hi Grandpa Night Light!” I said happily. He wrapped one of his forelegs around me returning the hug. “Hey there sport,” he said, “Good to see you again.” “You too. Where’s Grandma Velvet?” “She’s at the house getting things ready,” he said, “She likes things organized when having guests over, especially when it’s family. Now you know where my daughter got her organizing skills.” I laughed at that. “Hey Dad,” Mom said. “Hello Twilight,” Grandpa said going to hug her, “How have things been for you all since Joshua’s incident?” “Things have been okay,” Mom said, “Joshua has joined Nyx in our magic lessons. The two of them are doing wonderfully in them.” “Hey, can we do the catching up at the house?” Spike asked, “I’m feeling cold even with this winter gear.” “Sure thing Spike,” Grandpa said, “Let’s go grab a taxi. Taxi!” A half hour later, we were at a house that had three floors. It was one of the biggest houses I've seen. We all walked inside and felt warm air on our faces. We took off our winter clothes and Grandpa Night Light hung them up. “Hey Joshua,” Grandpa Night Light said coming up to me, “You’ve got something behind your ear there.” “Huh?” I asked confused. He reached behind my ear, pulled out a holiday cookie, and placed it in my hand. “Thanks!” I said taking a bite, “This is delicious!” “You’re quite welcome,” he said rubbing his hoof through my hair. Then I heard hoofsteps from the stairs. I turned and saw Grandma Velvet walking down. Mom went up and hugged her first. Then Nyx, and then me. “Hello everyone,” she said while hugging me, “How was the train ride?” “It was nice and smooth,” Mom said. “That’s wonderful to hear,” Grandma Velvet replied. She then looked down at me. “Ready for your first Hearth’s Warming Joshua?” she asked me. “Yeah, I am,” I said nodding, “I’m excited about the Hearth’s Warming Pageant Mom and her friends are going to do.” “So am I,” Grandma Velvet replied. A little while later, we were all outside playing a game of snowball fight. It was me, Nyx, and Spike against Mom, Grandpa Night Light, and Grandma Velvet. The grownups won. After that, we went inside and had dinner. Grandma Velvet was a great cook. After dinner, I got really tired from a long day, so Mom took me upstairs to her bedroom. It had bookshelves inside it like back at the library, but not as many. After I got my pajamas on, Mom lifted me into the big bed with her magic and tucked me in. “Did you have fun today Joshua?” she asked me. “I did,” I said yawning, “And I can’t wait to meet my new cousin tomorrow.” “Me neither,” Mom said smiling. She then kissed me on my forehead. “Goodnight Joshua. Pleasant dreams.” *Third Person P.O.V.* On a balcony of Canterlot Castle, Princess Luna was overlooking the night after just recently raising the moon. She was looking forward to this year’s Hearth’s Warming. Hopefully it would go better than last year’s, after the speed bumps they had along the way. She was about to head to her chambers when she saw her sister standing before her. “Good evening, Tia,” Luna greeted, “The moon has been raised.” “Excellent work Lulu,” Celestia smiled, but then her expression became serious. “Luna, there is something I wish to discuss with you.” “What is it sister?” “There’s a somewhat important matter regarding our friend Joshua,” Celestia explained, “I meant to talk with you about it after you got back from the Nightmare Night celebration in Ponyville, but we got so busy recently, that I couldn’t find the time.” She then took a deep breath and then said, “Our mother wishes to speak with him.” Luna gasped suddenly. “Mother wants to have a word with him?!” she asked surprised, “Whatever for?” “She wishes to have a talk with him and offer her sympathies over what he’s been through,” Celestia explained. “When is this to take place?” “This Hearth’s Warming Day.” “Do Joshua or Twilight know?” “No. It is to remain between you and me, nopony else.” Luna nodded. “Is there anything else sister?” “No, that is all,” Celestia said, “I’ll be retiring to my chambers for the night. Good night Lulu.” She then embraced and nuzzled her younger sister. “Good night Tia,” Luna said reciprocating the gesture. > Chapter 34 - The New Foal and Family Traditions (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 34 - The New Foal and Family Traditions *Nyx’s P.O.V.* “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” We were up bright and early next morning and had breakfast before departing for the train station. When the first train rolled in, Aunt Cadance and Uncle Shining stepped out. Aunt Cadance was looking like her normal self again. She and Twilight did their normal song and dance routine. “How are you feeling Cadance?” Twilight asked her afterwards. “Much better,” Cadance replied, “And our little bundle of joy is doing wonderfully as well.” “Where is the little baby?” Grandma Velvet asked. “Right here,” Uncle Shining said stepping to the side. There in a side saddle was a young alicorn colt. His coat was white like Uncle Shining’s, his mane and tail were a very light blue, the same shade in the light blue streak in Uncle Shining’s mane and tail, and his eyes were the same shade of blue. He was wearing a cute red winter coat that covered his whole body, with his face, tail, a piece of his mane above his eyes, and the tips of his hooves visible. “Say hello to Guard Armor,” Shining said. “Aww. He looks so cute,” Joshua said walking up to him. Guard looked at Joshua curiously with wide eyes, and then started reaching out to him, while babbling. “Aww, he wants you to hold him Joshua,” Aunt Cadance said. She then walked up and took him out of the side saddle on Uncle Shining and placed him in Joshua’s open arms. Guard then reached his hooves out and started touching Joshua’s face. Joshua giggled a little bit at the touching, which caused Guard to giggle too. “I think he likes me,” Joshua said, “Hi Guard. I’m your cousin Joshua.” “Joua,” Guard said trying to say his name, “Aww,” I said looking at them. Joshua turned around and showed me to Guard while still holding him. “Guard,” he said, “This is Nyx, your other cousin and my big sister.” “Hell-o there,” I cooed to him. Guard looked at me for a little bit, then pushed my nose with a little hoof. I did the same thing to him gentler than he did to me. “Beep!” I said. Guard giggled at my touch. “Can I see him Joshua?” Twilight asked. Joshua nodded and held Guard up to Twilight. Twilight took him in her hooves started tickling his tummy. Guard giggled at the tickling. Afterwards Twilight introduced herself. “Hello there,” she said, “I’m your Auntie Twilight.” Spike looked over Twilight’s shoulder at Guard. “Hey there little guy,” he said, “I’m Twilight’s assistant Spike.” Guard looked at Spike curiously and grabbed one of his claws in his hooves. “Looks like he likes your claws Spike,” Twilight said. “Yeah, I guess so,” Spike said smiling. “You wanna see your Gwandma and Gwandpa?” Twilight asked Guard in a baby voice. Guard giggled again at Twilight’s voice. Grandma Velvet walked up next to Twilight and took Guard in her forelegs. “Hello there sweetie. I’m your Grandma Velvet, and over here is your Grandpa Night Light,” she said pointing a free foreleg to Grandpa Night Light. He smiled at the little alicorn colt. Guard smiled back at his grandparents while babbling. “He sure is cute Aunt Cadance,” Joshua said looking up at her. “Thank you Joshua,” Aunt Cadance said hugging him. “Well, let’s drop our suitcases off at the house before we get started,” Uncle Shining said. “Of course son,” Grandpa Night Light said. Joshua finished hugging Aunt Cadance and walked up to Twilight about to get on her back when Guard reached his hooves out to Joshua again. “I think he wants you to hold him again Joshua,” Grandma Velvet said giving Guard back to Joshua. Joshua took Guard back in his hands as Twilight levitated the two of them onto her back. “He seems to be taking a real liking to Joshua,” Uncle Shining said. “Just what I was thinking,” I said. After dropping off the luggage Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadance brought, we went to our first stop, Lumber Jack’s Log and Tree Emporium. The pony that owned it, Lumber Jack, was really friendly, especially around me. Last year, Twilight didn’t want reporters that didn’t want to forget what happened to ruin my first Hearth’s Warming, so she had me wear a disguise that changed my coat color to white, hid my wings, and made my eyes like normal eyes like when I used to wear those glasses. When Lumber Jack saw me in that disguise, he gave me the name Little Snowflake. I was glad I didn’t have wear that disguise this year. The taxi we all took arrived at the Emporium, and there ready and waiting to greet us was Lumber Jack. “Ah my favorite customers!” he shouted happily running over to hug Grandpa Night Light. “Hello Jack,” Grandpa Night Light said. After they finished, everypony else got off and Jack said his helloes to them. The only ones left to say hello to were Joshua, Guard, and me who was still in Joshua’s arms. After saying hello to Twilight he turned and saw me walking out. “Little Snowflake!” he said happily taking me in another of his hugs, “Vonderful to see you again!” “I thought I told you my name was Nyx,” I said rolling my eyes. After he finished hugging me, he turned and saw Joshua and Guard still in the carriage. “And vho do ve have here?” he asked me. “That’s my little brother Joshua, and the one he’s holding is my cousin Guard Armor. He’s Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadance’s foal,” I said. “Little brother?” Lumber Jack asked looking at me surprised. “Yeah, he was adopted like me,” I explained, “It’s also his and Guard’s first Hearth’s Warming.” “Vell then,” Lumber Jack said lifting them onto his back, “Vhy don’t ve tell them both vhat you remember Lumber Jack telling you about the Hearth’s Varming logs last year?” “Sure,” I said. So while Grandpa Night Light went to pick out logs for the fireplace, Lumber Jack and I showed Joshua and Guard around the Emporium, telling them about how the different colored logs produced different colored fires. Joshua seemed especially interested in it. He said that fires were mostly orange back where he came from. Guard however just looked at the fires rather than listened to Lumber Jack’s explaining. At one point during the explanation, Joshua wanted to get a closer look at one of the logs and tried lifting one up with his magic. Jack was surprised at this display. “Goodness!” he said, “He can do magic like Twilight?” “Long story short, he got turned into a unicorn for a short while, and what was used to change him back let him keep his unicorn magic,” I explained. “Vell then,” he said, “I think I shall call you Magic Hands.” “Huh?” Joshua said confused. “It’s just how he gets to know everypony,” I explained to him, “Especially the kids. You heard him call me Little Snowflake, and he called Twilight Brainy Grape.” “Oh,” Joshua replied after a while, “I think I kinda like that.” After Grandpa Night Light made his purchase, we said our goodbyes the Lumber Jack. Guard had fallen asleep in Joshua’s arms, so he gave him back to Aunt Cadance. “Vell Twilight,” Jack said, “You’ve got a vonderful little boy under your care.” “Thank you Jack,” Twilight replied, “And he seemed to really enjoy your explanation on the logs.” “I sure did,” Joshua said, “I really like how there are different colored fires too.” “Thank you Magic Hands,” Jack added giving Joshua a noogie, “I look forvard to see you again.” “Bye Jack,” Joshua said waving as we boarded the taxi. Next day at night… Grandpa Night Light had set up logs in the fire place ready for the Hearth’s Warming fire. It was a tradition his grandfather had started: the night before Hearth’s Warming Eve, the family would come together and light a traditional Hearth’s Warming fire. First though, he was going to make a speech before lighting it. “This year has been a rather eventful one for the family. Starting in the early winter in the Crystal Empire, Shining and Cadance got the Equestria Games to be hosted there, which turned to be a success. Then in the spring, our Twilight Sparkle achieved her title as Equestria’s newest princess. Then near the end of summer, we welcomed Joshua into our family through Twilight adopting him. And finally Cadance gave birth to their new foal, Guard Armor. Welcome to the family you two.” Guard was in Joshua’s arms again smiling happily as Joshua was feeding him some milk. Grandpa Night Light then lit up his horn and the fire started. This was the best winter holiday season so far for us all. Tomorrow was going to be the Hearth’s Warming Pageant. > Chapter 35 - The Pageant (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 35 - The Pageant *Joshua’s P.O.V.* “Five minutes till curtain time!” Nyx and I were backstage at a theatre with Mom, her friends, Uncle Shining, and Aunt Cadance. I was holding Guard in my arms again. I was surprised my new cousin liked me holding him a lot. It was hard to separate him from me. Mom and her friends were getting into their costumes for the pageant. This was going to be my first time seeing how Equestria was made. I was looking forward to it. “You three better go wait for Grandma and Grandpa,” Mom said to us, “The pageant is going to be starting soon.” “Okay,” Nyx said, “C’mon Joshua.” “Keep a close eye on Guard Joshua,” Uncle Shining said to me. “I don’t think he wants me to stop holding him,” I said while smiling at Uncle Shining. Nyx and I walked out of the backstage area while I was still holding Guard and saw Grandma Velvet walking up to us. “Come along kids,” she said, “Grandpa found us a spot near the front row.” We followed her to the crowd of ponies that had come to watch Mom and her friends perform. We then saw Grandpa Night Light with three empty seats for us to sit in. We walked over to them and sat down. Just then, I heard a voice next to me. “Is that you Joshie?” I turned my head and next to me was Dinky. She, Sparkler, and Derpy were here, and they were with a brown pegasus stallion I hadn’t seen before. He had a darker brown mane and tail, blue eyes, and an hourglass cutie mark, like Colgate’s. “Hi Dinks!” I said. “Who’s that you’re holding?” she asked pointing a hoof at Guard, “He looks adorable.” “This is my new cousin, Guard Armor. He’s been hard to keep away from me since we met. I almost had to sleep with him last night.” “Aww, I think that’s cute,” Dinky said. “Is that a friend of yours Joshua?” I heard Grandma Velvet say. “Yeah,” I said turning to her and pointing at Dinky, “This is Dinky. She’s one of my classmates too. Dinky, this is my Grandma Velvet and my Grandpa Night Light.” “It’s nice to meet you Dinky,” Grandma Velvet said. “You too,” Dinky replied. Music suddenly started playing and the lights went out. A spot light lit a spot on the stage and showed Spike dressed up. He was playing the narrator. He started telling the story in a funny voice. “Once upon a time, long before the peaceful rule of Celestia, and before ponies discovered our beautiful land of Equestria, ponies did not know harmony,” Spike said, “It was a strange and dark time. A time when ponies were torn apart...by hatred!” Everypony in the audience gasped, and I did too. “I know,” Spike said talking normal again, “Can you believe it?” He started telling the story in the funny voice again. The story said that the ponies were separated into three tribes, the unicorns, the pegasi, and the Earth ponies. They only cared about themselves. If ponies wanted the weather changed, the pegasi demanded food from the Earth ponies in return. The unicorns wanted food too if they were to keep raising the sun and moon. A blizzard then came across the three tribes and ruined the peace. The Earth ponies couldn’t grow food. The three tribes started blaming each other for bringing the blizzard. A meeting was then held to talk about the strange blizzard. “Each tribe sent their leaders,” Spike continued, “Daughter of the unicorn king, Princess Platinum.” Rarity stepped on to the stage dressed in a silver crown and a purple robe. “Ruler of the pegasi, Commander Hurricane.” Rainbow came in dressed in grey armor. “And lastly, leader of the Earth ponies, Chancellor Puddinghead.” Pinkie Pie stepped in with a tasty looking outfit. “Perhaps the three tribes could finally settle their differences, and agree on a way to get through this disaster.” Pinkie, Rainbow, and Rarity started arguing as their parts told them too. “All I wanna know is why the Earth ponies are hogging all the food!” Rainbow shouted. “Us?!” Pinkie exclaimed, “We’re not hogging all the food, you are! Oh, wait. You’re right. It’s us. Well, it’s only ‘cause you mean old Pegasususues are making it snow like crazy!” “For the hundredth time, it’s not us!” Rainbow said back, “We’re not making it snow! It must be the unicorns! They’re doing it with their freaky magic!” Rarity gasped. “How dare you! Unlike you pegasi ruffians, we unicorns would never stoop to such a thing! H-m-ph!” The other unicorns on stage ‘hmphed’ too. The meeting kept on going until they all decided to leave, until they started arguing over who should leave first. “And the blizzard raged on,” Spike said ending the first scene. …Later. The three leaders set out to look for a new land to call home. Mom and the rest of their friends came on stage too. Mom was Clover the Clever like she said she was. Applejack played Smart Cookie, Puddinghead’s secretary, and Fluttershy played Private Pansy. The six ponies came to the same area. They started arguing over who claimed the spot first until the blizzard returned. All six of them had to take shelter in a nearby cave. The leaders weren’t happy about sharing it. They started splitting the cave into equal areas until they started arguing over a rock. I thought that was kind of funny. Then the blizzard reached the cave and froze the entrance, trapping the six ponies inside. “Great,” Rainbow said, “Now there’s no way out! We’re trapped!” “You two deserve this horrible fate,” Rarity said as the inside of the cave was starting to get covered in ice, “You’ve done nothing but argue and fight with each other!” “You’ve been fighting too, your Highness!” Rainbow said. “Yeah! Worse!” Pinkie said, “I haven’t been fighting nearly as much as you!” The ice started covering the three leaders. “How ridiculous!” Rarity said, “A unicorn never stoops to fighting!” “That’s just ‘cause you wimpy unicorns know you’d never win!” Rainbow said, “Earth ponies are numbskulls!” The ice now covered Rainbow all over. “Pegasi are brutes!” Rarity said, with the ice covering her. “Unicorns are snobs!” Pinkie said, the ice now covering her too. Mom, Applejack, and Fluttershy were backing away from the frozen leaders until their flanks bumped into each other. They jumped, but calmed down a bit. Just then there was a ghost sound. The three of them screamed and hugged each other. Fluttershy then looked up. “W-W-What is that...thing?” she said. Mom and Applejack looked up and saw Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadance up flying in circles. They were covered in white makeup and Uncle Shining was being held in another unicorn’s magic. “They must be...windigos!” Mom said. “Windigos?” Applejack and Fluttershy asked. “My mentor Star Swirl the Bearded taught me about them,” Mom continued, “They’re winter spirits that feed off fighting and hatred. The more hate the spirit feels, the colder things become!” “Then,” Applejack said, “this is our fault. We three tribes...we brought this blizzard to our home by fightin’ and not trustin’ each other. Now it’s destroyin’ this land, too.” The ice then started to get closer to Mom and her other two friends. “And now our bodies will become as cold as our hearts,” Mom said, “all because we were foolish enough to hate.” “Well, I don’t hate you,” Fluttershy said, “I actually hate Commander Hurricane a lot more than I hate you guys.” Mom and Applejack giggled at that. The ice started to cover them. “Actually, I don’t really hate her, I just really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really dislike her.” Now Mom and Applejack were laughing. “Well, I don’t hate you guys either,” Applejack said. “Nor do I,” Mom added. “No matter what our differences, we’re all ponies,” Applejack said. The ice now covered them, but Mom’s horn was sticking out. Just then magic shot out from her horn and from it a big pink, fiery heart was in the air. It broke them out of their ice cages and sent the windigos away. “What was that?” Fluttershy asked. “I didn’t know unicorns could do that,” Applejack said. “I didn’t either,” Mom said, “Nothing like this has ever happened before. But I know it couldn’t have been just me. It came from all three of us, joined together, in friendship.” “All through the night, the three ponies kept the fire of friendship alive by telling stories to one another and by singing songs, which of course became the winter carols that we all still sing today. Eventually, the warmth of the fire and singing and laughing reached the leaders, and their bodies began to thaw. And it even began to melt their hearts,” Spike continued narrating. “The three leaders agreed to share the beautiful land, and live in harmony ever afterwards. And together, they named their new land...” “Equestria!” Mom and her friends said together. The curtain then closed and we all applauded for them. The curtain then opened again and Mom, Spike, and their friends took a bow. Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadance came onstage to take a bow too. Music then started playing. It was the Hearth’s Warming carol playing. Mom taught it to me a few days ago. It was beautiful. Everypony on stage and in the audience began singing, and I did too. (All rights to The Heart Carol go to Daniel Ingram and Hasbro) Later backstage... “Well Joshua,” Mom asked me after taking her costume off, “How did you like the story?” “It was amazing Mom,” I said. Guard had fallen asleep in my arms and was sucking one of his hooves. “You did a good job.” “Thanks,” Mom said. “How’d you like my narrating, brother?” Spike asked me in his funny talk. “You did a good job too Spike,” I said, “I thought that voice you did was pretty funny.” “Thanks buddy,” Spike said in his normal voice patting my shoulder. “You all did wonderfully,” said another voice. We all turned and saw Princess Celestia standing in the doorway. “Princess Celestia!” Mom said. “Hello again everypony,” she said. She then looked down at me as Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadance came up. She saw Guard asleep in my arms. “Aww, who’s this?” “Aunt Tia,” Aunt Cadance said, “This is mine and Shining’s little colt, Guard Armor.” Guard yawned a bit in his sleep, but went back to sucking his hoof. “He’s taken a strong liking to Joshua when he first laid eyes on him. It’s been hard to keep them apart.” “I almost had to sleep with him last night,” I said. Celestia giggled at that. “I think that sounds adorable,” she said. She then turned to me. “Did you enjoy the story Joshua?” “I sure did,” I said nodding, “Mom and the others did a really good job.” “Well, I’m glad to hear that. I must depart now, and I look forward to seeing you all at the castle for the party tomorrow,” Celestia said walking away. “Bye Princess,” we all said. Just then, I smelled something funny. It was coming from Guard. Uh oh. “Uh, Aunt Cadance,” I said holding my nose, “I think Guard needs to be changed.” After changing Guard and after everypony took their costumes off, we all left for Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Guard stayed asleep all the way home, and I was able to put him in the crib Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadance brought for him to sleep in. “Thanks for looking after him for us buddy,” Uncle Shining said to me. “You’re welcome Uncle Shining,” I said hugging him, “Good night.” He hugged me back and then I hugged Aunt Cadance. “Good night Aunt Cadance.” “Good night Joshua,” she said, “See you in the morning.” I walked up the stairs into Mom’s bedroom and saw that Mom, Spike, and Nyx were already in bed asleep. I went into the bathroom and changed into my pajamas, and then climbed into the bed next to Nyx. Before I fell asleep though, I felt a hoof wrap around me. “Good night little brother,” Nyx whispered in my ear. “Good night big sister,” I said smiling. I then fell asleep. > Chapter 36 - Hearth's Warming (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 36 - Hearth's Warming *Joshua’s P.O.V.* It was Hearth’s Warming day when we woke up the next day. I was excited; Hearth’s Warming was Christmas in Equestria. I was always up early on Christmas day back on my old home, and I was up early today. When I woke up, I felt Nyx’s hoof still around my chest, like almost every morning when I woke up before her, so I couldn’t get up without waking her. I then pulled out the locket my first mommy gave me before I came to Equestria and opened it. “Hi Mommy and Daddy,” I whispered to the picture, “Merry Christmas. I’m sorry I haven’t talked to you two for a while. So much has happened to me.” I talked to them about everything that happened to me, my new family, my new friends, and how I could do magic now. “I still miss you both, and I still love you,” I said after a while feeling some tears in my eyes. “I’ll try and talk to you both more later. Goodbye.” I sniffled, rubbed my eyes to wipe away the tears, and closed the locket back up. I then felt another hoof wrap around my other side over my chest and both hooves pulled me closer to Nyx. “It’s okay little brother,” Nyx whispered in my ear, “I’m here.” I turned around in Nyx’s hug and hugged her back. She rubbed one of her hooves up and down my back to calm me down. “Thank you big sis,” I said to her, “Happy Hearth’s Warming Nyx.” “You too Joshua,” she said. Nyx and I got out of bed and I went to get dressed while Nyx went downstairs. After I got dressed, I was about to go downstairs when I heard some whining from Uncle Shining’s room. The door was open and I saw that he and Aunt Cadance were awake. Guard was up too. He was the one whining. “Morning Uncle Shining, Morning Aunt Cadance,” I said walking in. “Good morning to you too Joshua,” Aunt Cadance said. She then looked down at Guard and pointed his head to look at me. “Look Guard, it’s your favorite cousin.” Guard stopped his whining and reached out to me. “Come here you,” I said as Aunt Cadance placed him in my arms. “He’s been a little restless after waking up early this morning,” Uncle Shining said, “He hasn’t gotten much sleep.” “I think I know how to get him back to sleep,” I said. I started rocking him and started singing an old Christmas song my Mom from back home sang to me. After I finished singing, I saw that Guard had fallen asleep in my arms. “Sleep tight cousin,” I whispered to him. I then heard light clopping of hooves on the floor and a clapping of hands. I saw that Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, Nyx, Uncle Shining, Aunt Cadance, and Spike had gathered around me. “That was beautiful Joshua,” Mom said to me. “Is that a song from where you came from?” Nyx asked. “Yes,” I said, “It’s called Silent Night. It’s sung at a holiday like Hearth’s Warming called Christmas.” “Christmas?” Spike asked. “Yeah,” I said, “We celebrate it with decorations and lights and trees like Hearth’s Warming. The reason we celebrate it is to celebrate the birth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. We also have presents to give on Christmas too.” “That does sound an awful lot like today,” Mom said, “Well, let’s head downstairs and have breakfast, shall we?” After everypony stood up, we all went downstairs where Grandma Velvet made waffles for breakfast. After breakfast, everypony got their winter jackets and scarves on, and we left for the castle for the party. When we got there, we saw that Applejack and her family were already there, and to my surprise... “Babs!” There she was. When she heard me call her name, she turned around and smiled when she saw me. “Hey there Joshua,” she said as I came up and hugged her. She hugged me back. “Long time, no see.” “It’s good to see you again Babs,” I said after we finished our hug. “You too,” she replied, “Cuz told me what happened with you being able to do magic. That’s sounds kind of cool. You’ll have to show me sometime.” “I will,” I said. After I said that, a pair of hooves covered my eyes. I knew who it was. “Hey Dinks,” I said giggling. “Hey Joshie,” Dinky said taking her hooves off my eyes, “Happy Hearth’s Warming.” She walked in front of me, we hugged each other, she kissed me on the cheek, and I kissed her on the cheek. “Happy Hearth’s Warming to you too,” I said as we held our hug for a while. After we finished our hug, I saw Derpy and Sparkler waving at me. I waved back at them. “Hello Joshua,” I heard Princess Celestia behind me. I turned around, and Dinky and I bowed to her. “Rise young ones, no need to be formal.” Dinky and I stood back up. “Joshua, could you come with me please? Luna and I have somepony special we would like you to meet.” “Okay,” I said. I then turned back to Dinky, “I’ll be right back Dinks.” “Don’t be too long,” Dinky said winking at me. I then felt myself being levitated up into the air and onto Celestia’s back. She then walked over to a hallway, but was stopped by Mom. “Princess Celestia,” she said coming up to us, “Where are you taking Joshua?” “Luna and I have somepony special for him to meet,” Princess Celestia said, “She’s been looking forward to meeting him.” Mom knew who Princess Celestia was talking about because she had a nervous look on her face. “You mean her?” she asked. Princess Celestia nodded. “She won’t do anything to him, will she?” “Twilight, you have my word,” Princess Celestia said, “Nothing bad will happen while she speaks with Joshua. You should know that. You and your friends talked with her after you achieved your title as princess, remember?” “I know,” Twilight said, “But this is a different...” “Twilight,” Princess Celestia said stopping Mom, “I said she won’t do anything bad to Joshua. She just wants to talk with him.” Mom sighed. “Okay. Good luck Joshua,” she said walking away. Princess Celestia then started walking again with me still on her back. I began wondering who this pony Princess Celestia and Princess Luna wanted me to meet was, and why Mom was so worried about me meeting her. She must be a very important pony. Soon, we were in a part of the castle where there were no guards. “Only me and Luna know how to get into this area of the castle,” Princess Celestia said as we stopped in front of some big doors. “It is magically cut off from others unless we bring them with us. Very few ponies have met with whom you are going to meet with Joshua. As you probably have already guessed, Twilight has met with her.” Princess Celestia opened up the doors with her magic, walked in, and shut the doors behind her. She then levitated me off her back and onto the floor. I saw Princess Luna in the room. “Greetings Joshua,” she said, “Happy Hearth’s Warming to you.” “You too Princess Luna,” I said smiling, “Princess Celestia said you two have somepony special for me to meet.” “Yes indeed,” Princess Luna said. I felt Princess Celestia place a wing over me and we walked up to a big stairway that had a red carpet going up it. We stopped in front of the stairs, Princess Celestia walked in front of me and to one side of the stairs. Princess Luna walked over to the other side. “Joshua,” Princess Celestia said, “Luna and I would like to introduce to you...” she and Luna each pointed a hoof to the top of the stairs. I looked up and gasped at what I saw. “Our mother.” > Chapter 37 - The Empress and Mistletoe?! (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 37 - The Empress and Mistletoe?! *Joshua’s P.O.V.* A white alicorn was sitting at the top of the stairs. She was as big as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, had a dark red mane and tail, blue eyes, and feather quill in an ink bottle for a cutie mark. I was looking at Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s mommy. This meant I was looking at the Queen or the Empress. She got up and started walking down the stairs. I got nervous as she got closer to me. I started to shake a little bit. I then felt hooves on both of my shoulders. I saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had each put one of their hooves on my shoulders. “It is alright Joshua,” Princess Luna said, “She won’t hurt you. She just wants to meet you and talk with you.” I nodded to her and saw that their mommy was almost at the bottom. I bowed my head to her. “Greetings, Joshua,” I heard her say. She had a nice voice, “Arise.” I lifted my head up, looked at her face and saw her smiling at me. She lifted one of her forelegs up and waved me over. “Come closer Joshua.” Princess Celestia and Princess Luna took their hooves off my shoulders and I walked closer to their mommy. She sat down, opened up a wing, and wrapped it around me. “It’s wonderful to meet you at last. As Celestia and Luna have said, I am their mother. My name is Faust. My daughters have told me many things about you. First, I offer my sincerest apologies for you losing your old home and parents. I can understand how hard it was for you. Second, I’m glad you found a family in Celestia’s student Twilight and her friends.” “They’ve been very nice to me,” I said, “Just like my old mommy and daddy were.” “And I’m glad they are doing so,” she said, “I have been looking forward to meeting you for a while now. It’s been a long time since a human has graced Equestria.” “There were humans here in Equestria before me?” I asked surprised. “Indeed there were,” she nodded, “They lived together in peace and harmony with the ponies. But before my two daughters came along, Discord corrupted the humans during his reign of chaos.” “Oh, that’s right,” I said remembering something, “Princess Celestia said he used to be a bad guy.” “Indeed,” Empress Faust said, “My daughters then used the Elements of Harmony to imprison Discord in stone, but the humans were sent away from Equestria and hadn’t been seen or heard from since, until you came along.” “Wow,” I said. “I am also quite intrigued about how you can do magic too,” she said. I looked down at my hands. “I was turned into a unicorn for a little bit,” I said, “Mom, her friends, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna used the Elements of Harmony to change me back though, but I kept the magic. Could the humans from before Discord do magic like I can now?” “There were a few who could, but not with their hands like you can. They had staffs that did the magic.” We talked for a few more minutes, and we were getting along really well. “Well, my time is running short,” Empress Faust said later, “It was an honor meeting you Joshua, and I welcome you to Equestria.” “Thank you ma’am,” I said smiling up at her. She then lifted her wing off me, stood up, and walked over to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. “I’ll see you both again soon,” she said hugging them both. “Farewell mother,” Luna said returning the hug. “Yes, until next time,” Celestia said hugging her as well. The three of them finished hugging each other and then Celestia and Luna’s mommy started walking up the stairs. She then turned her head to me and smiled at me again. I smiled back and waved goodbye to her. She then turned back to the stairs and continued walking up them. She was then too far up for me to see her. “Well Joshua,” Princess Celestia said to me, “What did you think of our mother?” I turned around to her and Luna and smiled again, “She’s really nice.” “We are glad you think so,” Luna said, “Now let us all return to the party shall we?” “Yes please!” I said. Luna laid down in front of me and I climbed up onto her back. She then stood up and all three of us went back to the party. “You’re back!” said Mom’s voice. I turned and saw her walking up to us. “How did it go?” “Everything is alright Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said. “Yeah,” I said nodding, “Their mommy was really nice.” “Oh, good,” Mom said sighing. Why was she worried? “Anyway, Nyx and the others went out into the garden. They told me they have a ‘certain surprise’ waiting for you Joshua.” “Really?” I asked confused, “Is Dinky with them?” “I’m not sure,” Mom answered shrugging, “but you don’t want to keep your friends waiting.” Luna then levitated me off her back, and after I got my winter clothes back on, I went outside to find my friends. After looking around for a bit in the garden, I heard Nyx calling out to me. “Joshua!” I turned around and saw her walking up to me. “There you are Nyx,” I said hugging her, “Where’s everypony else?” “Follow me and I’ll show you,” she said walking the other way with me behind her. *Dinky’s P.O.V.* I was outside in the garden, looking at the snow on the trees, and beginning to wonder what was taking Joshua so long when I heard somepony call out to me. “Hey Dinky!” It was Apple Bloom. “Hey Apple Bloom,” I said turning to face her, “What’s up?” “Ah want to show you somethin’,” she said smiling at me. “What is it? And where’s Joshua?” I asked her. “Follow me,” she said turning and walking the other way. I followed her. *Joshua’s P.O.V.* I followed Nyx to what she said was the place where they got Aunt Cadance and Uncle Shining to try and make up last year, and where they learned Aunt Cadance was allergic to mistletoe. We walked up the stairs and saw Babs waiting at the entrance where we walked in, Scootaloo on the other side’s entrance, and Sweetie Belle and Twist looking on with smiles. I then saw Apple Bloom walking in from the side Scootaloo was on with Dinky behind her. “There you are Joshie,” Dinky said, “Who did Princess Celestia want you to meet?” “She and Princess Luna wanted me to meet their mommy,” I said. “You got to meet Empress Faust?!” Scootaloo said surprised. The others had their mouths open too. “What’s she like?” Sweetie Belle asked me. “She’s really nice and sweet,” I said, “She also said that there were humans in Equestria a really long time ago.” “That’s really cool,” Apple Bloom said. The others nodded agreeing with Apple Bloom. Then Apple Bloom backed up to the other side of the entrance where Scootaloo was, and Nyx backed up to where Babs was. Dinky and I were standing in the middle not knowing what was going on. “Mom said you all have some kind of ‘certain surprise’ for me,” I said a little while later, “What is it?” Everypony except me and Dinky giggled and pointed me and Dinky to look up at the ceiling. When we did, I felt myself blushing a bright red. Hanging from the ceiling was a piece of mistletoe. I looked back at Dinky and saw her looking at me blushing a bright red too. Dinky ran back to the entrance where Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were, and I ran to the entrance where Nyx and Babs were, but I was stopped by the two of them. “Oh no you don’t little brother,” Nyx said as she and Babs held me back, “You know what happens when you stand under mistletoe.” “Yeah kid,” Babs added, “You can’t get away that easily.” The two of them started pushing me back to where the mistletoe was hanging. I saw that Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had stopped Dinky from getting away too and were pushing her toward me. “Same goes for you Dinky,” Scootaloo said. “Now go on you two,” Apple Bloom added. Dinky and I were standing face to face with each other again, and Nyx, Babs, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo had blocked our ways out. I looked back at Nyx and Babs. “I’m gonna get you all for this!” I said. “Me too!” I heard Dinky say. She and I then looked back at each other and blushed bright red again. “Have you ever done this before?” she asked me. “No,” I said shaking my head, “But I saw Mom and Dad do it back in my old home before.” Dinky then closed her eyes and sighed. She then moved her head closer to mine. I closed my eyes and did the same. I felt my lips touch hers, but it only lasted for a second. We pulled away from each other with our eyes open and our faces bright red. The others looked on giggling. Nyx and Babs then ran off with Twist behind them while Apple Bloom and Scootaloo ran the other way with Sweetie Belle behind them. “Get back here!” I said to my sister, Babs, and Twist running after them. “You can’t get away from me!” I heard Dinky say running after the others. > Chapter 38 - Brother and Sister Time (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 38 - Brother and Sister Time *Nyx’s P.O.V.* It’s been a little more than a month since Hearth’s Warming. When Twilight, Joshua, Spike, and I were about to leave to head back to Ponyville, Guard was sad to see Joshua go. Flashback... We were on the station platform getting our tickets to go back to Ponyville. Twilight and Spike were saying goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa while Joshua and I said goodbye to Uncle Shining, Aunt Cadance, and Guard. “Well it was nice seeing you two again,” Uncle Shining said, “See ya later okay?” “Okay Uncle Shining,” I said. “Joshua! Nyx! Time to go!” we heard Twilight say. “Coming Mom!” Joshua called back. We started walking over to Twilight and Spike, but we heard Guard fussing behind us. We looked back and saw him reaching out to Joshua. Joshua walked up to Guard as Aunt Cadance put him in his arms. “I’m gonna miss you too Guard,” he said kissing Guard’s forehead, “But I need to go back to Ponyville. Maybe your mommy and daddy will bring you to visit someday, or I can come visit you in the Crystal Empire, okay?” Guard stopped his fussing and smiled at Joshua. He then wrapped his little forehooves around Joshua’s neck. “Aww,” Aunt Cadance said. Soon Guard stopped hugging Joshua and he gave him back to Aunt Cadance. End flashback... Now we were back in Ponyville. Winter Wrap-Up was coming pretty soon and so was Hearts and Hooves Day. I woke up early one Saturday morning. Joshua was still asleep in bed. Today was going to be special. I was going to take Joshua out for some brother-sister time. I carefully got out of bed and moved the covers back over him. I then went downstairs. Twilight and Spike were already up. I could smell some haycakes in the kitchen cooking. I went in and saw Spike at the stove making them. Twilight was at the table looking at a newspaper. “Good morning!” I said. “Good morning Nyx,” Twilight said to me, “Joshua still asleep?” “Yeah,” I nodded, “He should be up soon though.” I went over to the table and sat down, waiting for breakfast. “Hey Twilight, is it okay if I take Joshua out today? I want us to spend some brother-sister time together.” “Of course you can,” Twilight said smiling, “I’ve got an important assignment from Princess Celestia today, and Spike is going to be at Rarity’s because she could use his assistance with something. Just make sure you two are back in time for dinner okay?” “Okay,” I said happily. Just then, there was a yawn from the doorway. “Morning everyone,” said Joshua. He was rubbing his eyes as he walked over. “Morning buddy!” Spike said. “Good morning Joshua,” Twilight said, “Spike and I have things to do today, so I hope you don’t mind spending a day with Nyx today.” “That’s sounds nice,” he said sitting down. “You’ll like what I have planned for us today Joshua,” I told him. “I can’t wait to get started,” he replied happily. After finishing up breakfast, Spike left for Rarity’s and Joshua and I exited the library to start our day together. “Remember to be back in time for dinner you two,” Twilight called after us. “We will,” I called back. “Bye Mom,” Joshua said waving. Twilight waved back and closed the door to the library. “Where are we going first Nyx?” Joshua asked me. “First, I thought I’d take you up to get a closer look of Night Stone Castle,” I said. “The castle where you ruled Equestria? I saw it when Spike took me gem hunting.” “That’s right,” I said. I bent down and motioned for him to get on my back. “Hop on little brother.” He did and I stood back up and started walking over to where the castle was located. After a few minutes of walking, we were standing in front of the castle. “Here it is,” I said. Joshua climbed off my back and stared at the castle in awe. “Wow,” he said. “I’m sure Spike told you about it, but the town is unsure of what to do with it,” I said, “I heard somepony say that they should just give it back to me, but I’m not sure If I really want it again or not.” “Really?” he said looking at me. “Yeah,” I nodded, “Too many bad memories. Although, I do have one good memory about this place.” “What is it?” “It was waking up after passing out from the monster attack,” I said with a warm smile on my face, “Twilight convinced me that we had to free the princesses, but I was worried that they were going to banish me to the moon. She said she wouldn’t let that happen, but I wanted to have one good last memory to hang on to should the worst happen.” “What did you two do?” “We just spent a few hours together. First, she got us lunch from the kitchen, and then we spent time reading a story from front to back. It’s my favorite memory with Twilight.” “Aww, that’s so sweet,” he said. “Thanks,” I said, “I’d show you the inside, but the place is all boarded up. But don’t worry, I promise, someday you’ll get to see what it’s like in there.” “Pinkie Promise?” he asked. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” I recited and doing the motions. Joshua smiled. Forever... We both jumped at the voice on the wind. “Was that Pinkie?” Joshua asked. “It sure sounded like her,” I said, “but then again with her and that Pinkie Sense of hers, she knows almost everything that’s about to suddenly happen.” “Like making a Pinkie Promise?” he asked. “Yeah, she said she knows when somepony makes one. Anyway, shall we continue our special day together?” “Sure!” I lowered myself down allowing him to get on my back and continued on to our next stop: the Ponyville Park. When we got there, we saw Silver Spoon there. A few days after Joshua defended Dinky against Diamond Tiara, and telling me about Silver Spoon changing ways, she came to me and the other crusaders and apologized for everything she did to us. She even apologized for not accepting my apology when I first came back after my short time being an adult. She spotted us and smiled, but nicely. “Hey there you two,” she said coming up to us, “What’s up?” “We’re just spending some brother-sister time together,” I said wrapping a foreleg around Joshua’s shoulders after he climbed off. “Aww that’s sweet,” she said. She then looked over at Joshua. “By the way Joshua, I heard about the trick Nyx and the others pulled on you and Dinky over in Canterlot.” I looked over at Joshua and saw his cheeks going red in embarrassment. “I think that’s cute. You thinking of doing something special with her for Hearts and Hooves Day?” “Hearts and Hooves Day?” Joshua said, “I don’t know yet. It’s going to be my first one.” Silver Spoon put up a hoof to her chin in thought. She then looked at Joshua smiling again “I think I can set up for a nice dinner for just the two of you for that day. You just leave it to me,” she said winking, “You two enjoy your day together!” She then started walking away. “Hey Silver Spoon?” Joshua said before she got too far away. Silver Spoon stopped walking and looked back at us. “Yes?” she asked. “Do you know what happened to Diamond Tiara? She hasn’t been teasing anypony since after I got turned back into a human.” Silver Spoon put a hoof to her chin and thought for a few seconds. Afterwards she put her hoof down. “I’m not sure what happened to her. I get the feeling it’s probably me not being her friend anymore that made that change. Since then, all she’s been doing after school is just going home without bothering anypony.” “That’s not like her,” I said. Joshua put a hand to his chin in thought. After a few seconds, he asked Silver Spoon something. “You know where she lives right?” “Yeah,” she replied, “I’ve been there lots of times. Why?” “I want to talk to her.” “WHAT?!” Silver Spoon and I exclaimed. > Chapter 39 - Confronting Diamond Tiara (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 39 - Confronting Diamond Tiara *Joshua’s P.O.V.* “Why do you want to go talk to her?!” Nyx asked me. “I want to see what’s wrong with her,” I said, “Please show me where she lives Silver Spoon.” “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Joshua,” Silver Spoon said, “She might start teasing you again if she sees you.” “I just want to talk with her and see what’s wrong,” I said. “I’ll come too,” Nyx said squeezing my shoulders a little. “Okay,” I said, “But when we get there, I want to talk to her by myself.” Nyx and Silver Spoon looked at me worried, but nodded. Silver Spoon then told us to follow her. I climbed back on to Nyx’s back and we followed Silver Spoon to Diamond Tiara’s house. Diamond Tiara’s house was a big red house with a blue roof. It had white windows too. Silver Spoon walked up to the door and knocked. A door opened up and a white unicorn stallion stepped out. “Ah, Miss Spoon,” the stallion said, “What brings you here?” “Is Diamond Tiara in?” Silver Spoon asked. “Yes she is, but she’s been keeping herself shut in her room for a while. She only comes out to use the restroom or eat or go to school. Master Rich is getting worried.” “I am worried,” said a new voice. A brown Earth pony stallion came up. He had a black mane and tail, a white and blue collar, a red tie, blue eyes, and three money bags for a cutie mark. “She won’t talk to me or anypony else about what’s bothering her. She’s been like this for at least a month.” “Is it okay if I talk to her?” I asked. “Are you the human child under Princess Twilight’s care?” he asked. “I am,” I said climbing off Nyx’s back, “My name’s Joshua. Are you Diamond Tiara’s daddy?” “Yes,” he said, “Filthy Rich is my name. I suppose you can try, but I don’t know if she’ll let you in.” “I think she’ll talk to me,” I said, “I last saw her a few weeks before Nightmare Night.” “I’ll show you to her room then,” Mr. Rich said, “Miss Nyx, Miss Spoon, you two can wait in the living room until he’s done.” “Good luck Joshua,” Silver Spoon said to me. Mr. Rich led me to the top of the stairs and we stopped at a pink door with Diamond Tiara’s cutie mark on it. “Don’t be surprised if she doesn’t let you in,” Mr. Rich whispered into my ear. He then left me in front of the door. Here goes nothing, I thought to myself. I made a fist with my hand and knocked three times. “Leave me alone!” Diamond Tiara’s voice said behind the door. “Diamond Tiara?” I said, “It’s Joshua. Can we talk?” It stayed quiet for a little bit, but soon her voice came again. “It’s open,” she said. I reached for the door knob and turned it. I pushed the door open and walked in. I saw Diamond Tiara on her bed lying on her belly with her head up looking at her pillow and away from me. “Close the door behind you,” she said. I did what she said and made sure it was shut all the way. When it clicked closed, I heard her hooves hit the floor. I turned around and saw her staring at me. “Why are you here?” “I wanted to talk to you,” I said, “You haven’t been...” “Why would you want to talk to me?!” she said starting to walk to me, “You’re the reason I’m acting like this!” She got in my face pressing her nose on mine. She was starting to scare me, I made my hand into a fist again, made it glow white, and she was in the same glow too. I then moved her away from my face. Her angry face was gone and was surprised now. “How did you do that?” “I’ll tell you if you tell me,” I said. “Tell you what?” “Why you’re so mean to everypony and why you haven’t been yourself.” Diamond Tiara looked at me for a little bit more, then she sat back down onto her bed. She then patted next to her with her hoof. “Get comfortable,” she said, “This might take a while.” I walked over to her bed, and climbed up. I felt nervous sitting next to her, but her face was sad. “It started before I got my cutie mark,” she said, “Back then there were these big colts that were picking on me for being a blank flank. I didn’t tell anypony about it because that would only make them meaner. By the time I did get my cutie mark, the colts did stop, but they didn’t apologize for it. That made me really mad, but sad too. That’s when I wanted everypony else to know how I felt and started being a bully. “A little before Nightmare Night, when Silver Spoon stopped being my friend, I felt like an outsider, everypony stopped paying attention to me and my teasing, and I felt alone. That’s why I’ve been avoiding everypony and stayed in my room. “Well,” she said looking at me, “You’ve heard my story. Let’s hear yours.” I wanted to see if she was telling the truth, so I looked in her eyes for a little bit. I could see she was. I sighed and told her about everything that had happened to me, starting off with how my world was destroyed and how I was turned into a unicorn for a little bit. After I was done, I looked at her again. Her mouth was open in surprise. “Oh my...” she said, “I...I...I had no idea. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing my parents.” She looked away from me for a little bit. Then, I saw a tear fall from her face. “Diamond Tiara?” I said. Just then, she turned back around and wrapped her forelegs around me tightly and started crying into my shoulder. “I’m so sorry!” she said, “I’m sorry for everything! For making fun of you for being different, for calling you a freak, and for telling you you’d never fit in with us! I’m so sorry!” I was surprised at her. She was feeling sorry for what she did and saying it too. I then brought my arms around her and started rubbing her back. “It’s okay Diamond Tiara,” I said, “I forgive you.” “You...you do?” she said looking at me and sniffling. “Yes, I do,” I said smiling at her, “My mom from back home said that sometimes, people need second chances. You need a second chance Diamond Tiara.” Diamond Tiara looked at me for a little bit more and then smiled. It wasn’t the mean smile she used to give. It was a happy and sad smile. “Thank you,” she said and hugged me again. I hugged her back too. “Does this mean we’re friends?” she asked me. “I will be your friend Diamond Tiara, but you need to apologize to everypony else first,” I said. “Will you help me?” she asked. “Nyx, Silver Spoon, and I can get everypony from our school in the park, and you can apologize to them there,” I said. “Thanks,” she said, “And I promise...no, I Pinkie Promise that I’ll try and be a good pony from now on. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” I looked at her eyes again and saw she was telling the truth. “Okay Diamond Tiara,” I said letting go of her, “Nyx, Silver Spoon, and I will get our class over in the park. You’ll see us there right?” “I will,” she said. I got off her bed and walked to the door. “Hey Joshua?” I turned around to face her. “Yes?” “Thank you,” she said smiling again. “You’re welcome,” I said walking out of her room. > Chapter 40 - The Big Apology (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 40 - The Big Apology *Nyx’s P.O.V.* Silver Spoon and I kept our eyes on the staircase, waiting for any signs of Joshua coming down. We were worried that Joshua was going to get another round of bullying from Diamond Tiara. Soon we heard Joshua’s footsteps coming down. He had a determined look on his face when he came at the bottom. Silver Spoon, Mr. Rich and I walked over to him. “Well?” I asked Joshua. “Will my pumpkin be coming out?” Mr. Rich asked. “I think she will be,” Joshua said, “And she has something she needs to say to the whole class.” He then turned to me and Silver Spoon. “Girls, I need your help. We need to get all of our classmates over to the park. Diamond Tiara has something she would like to say to everypony.” “It’s nothing bad is it?” I asked. “I promise,” he said, “that what she has to say is nothing bad.” Silver Spoon and I looked at each other. The unsure looks we were giving showed we were thinking the same thing. We looked back at Joshua. “You sure?” Silver Spoon asked. “She and I will explain at the park after everypony is there,” he said. “Okay,” I said a little unsure, “I’ll go along with you Joshua. You okay by yourself Silver Spoon?” “Sure,” she said, “The whole class already forgave me. I just hope they do the same for her.” The three of us left Mr. Rich’s mansion and went to gather up our friends. Joshua and I got the other Crusaders along with Snips, Snails, and Pip. While Joshua and I were at Sweet Apple Acres, I made sure to keep myself hidden, because Granny Smith was the one who answered, and we still weren’t on good terms. Soon enough, the whole class was gathered up in the park when Silver Spoon rejoined Joshua and me. Just then, before we reached everypony, Joshua looked over to a tree, then back to me. “I’ll be right back, Nyx,” he said, “I need to check on something.” He then climbed off my back and walked over to where he was looking before. Silver Spoon and I then went up to our classmates. “What’s this all about?” Scootaloo asked. “Joshua will tell you when he comes back over,” I said. “Everypony!” Joshua said standing near a picnic table, “Could you all come over here please?” We all trotted over to where Joshua was standing, and he stood up on one of the seats. “Why are we all here Joshua?” the grey pegasus named Rumble asked. “Okay,” Joshua said, “Let me say what I have to.” He took a deep breath and then explained. “I’ve been talking with Diamond Tiara, and I found out why she was being a bully to us.” Several of our classmates gasped and started murmuring. “She didn’t tease you at all did she Joshie?” Dinky asked. “I promise Dinks, she didn’t,” he replied, “She just has something she needs to say to all of you.” He then turned his head over to the tree he went to a moment ago. “Come on out Diamond Tiara!” he called out. We all looked over at the tree and Diamond Tiara came walking out with a sad look on her face. Some of the class had glares on their faces, including Scootaloo, while others had looks of confusion, like Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Diamond Tiara stepped up next to Joshua and looked out at us. “Everypony,” she said sadly, “This probably isn’t enough to make up for what I’ve done, but I’m really sorry for everything I’ve done: for the way I treated you all, the way I looked down at all of you, and for thinking I was better than any of you. As Joshua said, he knows why I did what I did.” She then looked at Joshua who offered a comforting smile. She then looked back at us. “I did it because it happened to me, before I got my cutie mark. Some big colts were teasing me for my blank flank and I had no one to help defend me. After I got my cutie mark, they didn’t apologize for what they did, so I wanted everypony else to know how I felt. So again, I’m sorry, and I can understand if you don’t want to forgive me.” She then lowered her head down in sadness. The class looked at each other talking amongst themselves. There was then a long moment of silence. Then Apple Bloom stepped forward. “Ah forgive ya, Diamond Tiara,” she said. Diamond Tiara looked up in surprise. “You do?” she asked. “Sure Ah do,” Apple Bloom said, “Your situation was much like Babs’. Before she first came to Ponyville, there were bullies in Manehatten who were teasin’ her for her blank flank. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and I forgave her after the parade float incident, so Ah guess Ah can do the same for you.” Diamond Tiara looked at Apple Bloom for a while, and then smiled. “Thanks Apple Bloom, and I’m sorry for everything I did wrong to you.” The two of them hugged each other for the first time, in friendship. Sweetie Belle then came up and hugged Diamond Tiara as well. “I forgive you too,” she said. Scootaloo looked a little hesitant at first, but eventually, she finally walked forward and joined the hug. “So do I,” she said. Diamond Tiara smiled and hugged them all back. “Thanks girls,” she said. Eventually, the whole class, Silver Spoon, and I joined in the hug. Diamond Tiara looked over at Joshua after the hug and walked up to him. “Thank you for helping me Joshua,” she said, “Are we friends now?” “Yes Diamond Tiara,” Joshua said, “We are. I’m proud of you.” The two of them gave each other a quick hug. “I’m glad to see you’ve changed your ways Diamond Tiara,” said a voice. We all looked and saw Miss Cheerilee standing behind us with a smile on her face. “I owe it all to Joshua, Miss Cheerilee,” Diamond Tiara said, “If he hadn’t come to my house to talk, I probably would’ve kept myself shut in my room. And just like I Pinkie Promised Joshua, I Pinkie Promise to all of you that I’ll try my best to be a better pony from now on.” She then went through the motions of the Pinkie Promise. “Let’s hope you do,” Miss Cheerilee said, “Well class, you’d all best head back home. It’s getting pretty late, and I look forward to seeing you all in school tomorrow.” She then walked back toward Ponyville. Joshua looked to the west and saw the sun going down. “She’s right everypony, we should head home. See you all tomorrow!” Joshua said climbing back onto my back. Everypony went back to their homes as Joshua and I did. Later that night, as we were all sleeping, I woke up to the sound of Joshua whimpering in his sleep. I looked over at him and saw some tears coming out of his eyes, as well as a strange wisp of purple smoke. I was starting to get worried. I started shaking him. “Joshua! Joshua!” I exclaimed, “Wake up!” “AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!” he yelled shooting up off his pillow. He started panting heavily and quickly. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. “What happened?!” I asked quickly, “I thought I saw some purple smoke coming from your eyes!” Joshua didn’t answer me, he quickly tossed the covers off himself and ran over to Twilight. “MOMMY! MOMMY!! WAKE UP!!!” he said, “THERE’S TROUBLE COMING!!!” Twilight woke up instantly. “Joshua, what are you doing up in the middle of the night?” she asked sternly, but she softened up as she saw the tears in his eyes. “Are you alright?” she asked concerned. Joshua shook his head quickly. Twilight quickly brought him up and hugged him. I heard Spike groaning from his basket as Joshua’s screaming slowly woke him up. “What’s going on?” he asked groggily, “I was dreaming of having a nice dinner with Rarity.” “Joshua had a bad dream apparently,” Twilight replied. Joshua suddenly pulled back and shook his head. “It wasn’t a dream!” he said bawling, “I know why I got turned into a unicorn a while ago!” “You do?” Twilight asked quizzically, “But Princess Celestia said she couldn’t find anything when you first got your horn.” “That’s because who was doing it hid himself from her magic!” Joshua exclaimed. “What do you mean himself?” Twilight asked. “Wait a minute Twilight,” I said, “He might be right. While he was whimpering in his sleep, I saw a strange purple wisp of smoke coming from his eyes.” “Purple wisp of smoke?” Twilight asked suddenly. She then suddenly gasped and looked at Joshua straight in the eyes. “You don’t mean to say it’s...!” “It was Mommy!” Joshua said still crying, “It was KING SOMBRA!!!” > Chapter 41 - Shaded Truths (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 41 - Shaded Truths *Twilight’s P.O.V.* I couldn’t believe it. I don’t know how it made sense, but it did. Joshua had just seen one of the worst evils of Equestrian history and found out the reason he was turned into a unicorn. “What happened?” I asked him. He still had tears falling out of his eyes, but I kept rubbing his back soothingly. “While I was sleeping, there were black thunderclouds all around me, and lighting coming down very close to me...” he explained. *Joshua’s P.O.V. a few minutes ago* I was standing alone with no ground under my feet. There were dark clouds all over and thunder and lightning. I really didn’t like thunderstorms. Just then, there was a dark voice laughing around me. “Who’s there?!” I said. “Thought you could keep yourself from being a unicorn and becoming my pawn, didn’t you ape?” the voice said. Being called an ape hurt me. “Who are you?!” I asked again, “Why are you talking about my unicorn transformation?! Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Mommy, and her friends turned me back to normal!” “Those pathetic ponies merely delayed my plans at best,” the voice said again, “You’re the one key element I need to taking over Equestria, and turning you into a unicorn was the best way to control you.” “Control me?!” I said surprised, “What do you mean ‘control me’?” “By possessing your body once it was complete, but you had to go and have your so called ‘family’ change you back,” the voice said again. “But Princess Celestia said that she couldn’t find what was making me into a pony!” I said, “How did she not find you?!” “I concealed myself with my own magic,” he said, “I’ve wasted enough time now. Unicorn or not, the time has come for me to take control of your body.” A dark shadow landed in front of me and turned into a tall black unicorn with red eyes, a red curved horn, grey armor, a short, wavy black mane and tail, sharp teeth, and purple smoke coming from his eyes. “Equestria will belong to me!” I screamed and backed away quickly. “You!” I exclaimed, “You’re...you’re...you’re the bad pony Aunt Cadance told me about!” “That’s right,” he said, “I am King Sombra!” “But Aunt Cadance said the Crystal Heart destroyed you!” “Part of my life was saved inside my horn, my power was weakened greatly, but now, say goodbye to everything you hold dear,” he said walking closer to me. “NO!!!” I said trying to get away, “LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” “There’s no point in trying to avoid me,” he said laughing, “Resistance is futile.” He got really close to me. “LUNA!!!” I called out, “HELP!!!” Just then, a lightning bolt hit the ground between me and Sombra and knocked us away from each other. When I got back up, Princess Luna was standing there. “PRINCESS LUNA!!!” I said. “BEGONE FROM HIS DREAMS AND HIS MIND FOREVER YOU CURR!!!!” she yelled in a loud echoing voice. I had to cover my ears, because she was really loud. She then shot a beam of magic from her horn and it hit Sombra. “AAARRRGGHHH!!!” Sombra yelled, “Don’t think you’ve seen the last of me, human! Equestria will belong to me!!!” He was then gone, and the thunderclouds were gone too, the starry place where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna first found me was there instead. I looked over at Luna and saw her looking at me sadly. “LUNA!” I said running over to her. She opened her forelegs up and caught me as I jumped to her. She then hugged me and rubbed a hoof on my back as I cried. “Shhh,” she said, “He won’t bother you in your dreams anymore. But I fear he may soon be returning.” “He said he was the one who turned me into a unicorn,” I said, “he was going to use me to hurt you, Princess Celestia, Mommy, Nyx, Spike, my friends, and Dinky! I don’t want to hurt anyone!” I buried my head in her shoulder, but she kept rubbing my back. “Shhh,” she said again, “We won’t let that happen.” She then pulled me away from her to look at me. “Joshua, you must tell your mother. Wake up and tell Twilight Sparkle what you saw here.” “I will Princess Luna,” I said, “But I’m really scared.” “I know you are,” she said, “But you must tell her. We need to act fast, or Equestria will be doomed. Now wake up and tell your mother.” She then lit up her horn and put it to my head. A bright light filled my eyes and I woke up in my bed. *Twilight’s P.O.V.* “That’s when I woke up,” Joshua said to me after he finished telling us his dream. “I can’t believe this,” I said, “I should’ve known King Sombra would still be around. *Third Person P.O.V.* After leaving Joshua’s dreams, Princess Luna quickly made her way to Celestia’s chambers. Celestia was sound asleep when Luna came in. She put her hoof on her sister’s shoulders and started shaking her. “Sister! Sister!” Luna said, “Wake up! We have a very serious problem!” Celestia’s eyes opened up slowly as she stood up. “Luna?” Celestia said, “You seemed troubled.” “I am!” Luna exclaimed, “I just visited the dreams of our friend Joshua, and what I saw there was the reason he was turned into a unicorn not too long ago!” Celestia seemed to fully wake up at hearing this. “Are you certain Luna?” she asked, “I couldn’t find any real source to how...” “That’s because he was concealing himself well within Joshua’s body!” Luna interrupted. “He?” Celestia said, “Who are you speaking of?” “I am speaking of the black unicorn that overthrew the Crystal Empire so long ago,” Luna said, “King Sombra.” Celestia’s eyes shrank at hearing that. “No doubt right now,” Luna continued, “Joshua has already told your student about his unexpected and frightening encounter.” Celestia said no words, but instead lit her horn up, and in a bright flash of light, Luna and Celestia disappeared from her chambers. *Twilight’s P.O.V.* Joshua was still crying his eyes out over his frightening encounter with the dark, crystal hungry pony. I tried my best to comfort him, but he didn’t seem to be getting calmed down. Nyx and Spike had wide-eyed looks on their faces after hearing Joshua’s story of his unwelcome visit. I was burning on the inside with anger. How dare that no good excuse for a king try and control my adopted human son! But I also felt sadness. Joshua was going through a new hardship, something I felt he was nowhere near ready for: the dangers that Equestria possesses. “What are we going to do Twilight?” Nyx asked me. “I don’t know Nyx,” I said, “I just don’t know.” “Twilight!” came a voice from downstairs. “Princess Celestia!” Spike exclaimed, “She’s downstairs.” I got off the bed and while keeping Joshua held in one foreleg, the four of us headed downstairs. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were there waiting for us. “I’m sorry for disturbing you at this time of night, my faithful student, but...” I held up a hoof to stop her. “I know Princess Celestia,” I said, “And you needn’t apologize. I’ve been trying to help comfort Joshua, but it hasn’t been helping much. He just had a very nasty encounter.” “May I see him for a minute?” she asked. Joshua pulled away from me and looked at me uncertainly. “It’ll be okay Joshua,” I told him while wiping away some of his tears. He looked at me for a bit more, but eventually nodded. I placed him down and he walked over to Princess Celestia. “Now Joshua,” she said, “What I’m about to do will protect you from being controlled by King Sombra, so you don’t need to worry about hurting anypony.” She then lit up her horn and placed it on Joshua’s forehead. Joshua’s whole body lit up in her gold magic and kept shining for a few seconds until in dimmed down. “There you go.” Joshua didn’t say anything but graciously nodded his head at Princess Celestia. He then walked back over to me. I picked him back up and continued to rub his back. “What are we going to do Princess?” I asked her. “We will need to keep a close eye on Joshua at all times,” she said, “And send word to Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. If I know Sombra, he’ll try and take over the Crystal Empire again, as it will be the key point to him taking Equestria for himself.” “I think I know how to keep a close watch on him,” I said, “I’ll need an object that he’ll have to carry around at all times.” “What about my locket?” Joshua said holding up his heart-shaped locket. “That’s perfect Joshua,” I said lighting my horn, “You’ll need to keep this with you at all times.” “I always do,” Joshua said. After I finished putting the spell on his locket, Joshua continued hugging me. I felt a little bit more at ease knowing that I had a way of tracking him. The spell I had placed on his locket would warn my horn of any sign of trouble that Joshua would possibly be in. Soon afterwards, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna left for Canterlot, and the four of us went back to sleep. Joshua wanted to sleep next to me tonight, and I completely understood. *Third Person P.O.V.* Elsewhere, on the outskirts of Ponyville, near the Everfree Forest, a black shadow was moving swiftly along. Inside that shadow was the mind of King Sombra. The cursed night princess, she foiled my plans of controlling that human and using him to take Equestria, he thought to himself, No matter. If I can’t control him, then I will kidnap him and hold him for ransom. And the price will be all of Equestria for myself. The Princesses and the Elements of Harmony will pay for interfering. > Chapter 42 - Capture (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 42 - Capture *Nyx’s P.O.V.* I was really scared for my brother right now as we walked to school that morning. It was a very disturbing night last night. I wasn’t created until shortly after Sombra was defeated in the Crystal Empire, so this was completely new for me and for Joshua too. “Hey Nyx! Joshua!” It was Apple Bloom’s voice. We turned around and saw her running up to us. When she saw the worried looks on our faces, she grew concerned. “Is somethin’ wrong, guys?” she asked, “Y’all look like you’ve seen a ghost.” “I have,” Joshua said. “Really?” “Last night,” I said, “Joshua found out why he was turned into a unicorn. Did Applejack tell you about her, Twilight, and the others’ first adventure in the Crystal Empire?” “Yeah.” “Well, it would seem that King Sombra wasn’t completely destroyed.” Apple Bloom gasped. “Y’mean he’s the one who turned Joshua into a unicorn?!” “Not only that,” Joshua said with tears in his eyes, “But he tried to control me to make me hurt you all.” “Thankfully, Princess Celestia made sure that won’t happen,” I said, “She put on spell on Joshua that will prevent him from being controlled.” “That brings some relief,” Apple Bloom said sighing. She then put a hoof on Joshua’s back as we kept walking. “Let’s just hope Sombra gets captured before he gets to ya.” “I hope so too,” Joshua said. School went by very slowly than it normally did, so the wait for lunch and recess was really long. When lunch and recess finally rolled around, Joshua and I sat by ourselves, but we hardly touched our food. We weren’t feeling very hungry. “Something wrong you two?” We looked up and saw Dinky walking up to us “Yeah,” I said nodding, “Joshua had a really nasty visit last night while sleeping.” “Will you be okay Joshie?” she asked looking at him. “I don’t know Dinks,” he replied, “I know why I was turned into a unicorn now. It was King Sombra.” “King Sombra?!” Dinky exclaimed, “The bad pony who tried to take over the Crystal Empire?” “Yeah,” he said, “he tried to control me and make me hurt all of you. Princess Celestia put a spell on me so that won’t happen.” “Well, don’t worry,” Dinky said hugging Joshua softly, “I’ll be there for you, just like I always have been and always will be.” “Thank you Dinks,” Joshua said hugging her back. The rest of the school week passed normally. The rest of the Crusaders, and Twilight’s friends soon heard about what happened. They all offered words of support to us, and it helped lift our spirits a little bit, but that Friday after school, things went from bad to worse. Dinky offered to walk home with me and Joshua that day. Just then, the sky got really dark and cloudy. Thunder could be heard all around us. Joshua started shaking in fear. “Girls!” he said, “Those are the clouds from my dream!” “C’mon, let’s hurry to the library!” I said. Joshua quickly climbed onto my back wrapped his arms tightly around my neck. Dinky and I started running side by side as fast as we could to make it to the library. Suddenly, the ground around us started erupting with dark black crystals trying to block our path, and a dark voice filled the sky with dark evil laughter. Just then, I tripped over a rock and fell forward onto my chin. “OOF!” I exclaimed. Joshua was lurched forward off my back and onto the ground in front of me. Dinky slid to a stop and turned around. “Joshie!” she exclaimed running back over to Joshua. But before she reached him, a dark crystal wall appeared between them. I stood up as fast as I could and tried to get to Joshua, but another dark crystal wall blocked me from him. “NYX! DINKS!” HELP!!!” Joshua called from within his prison. He tried reaching out from his prison to grab one of our hooves. I tried using my Earth pony strength to break through, but was only able to slightly crack the crystals. Just then, a bright flash appeared in front of us, and there was Twilight. “MOMMY!!!” Joshua called, his hoof holding Dinky’s tightly. “I’ll get you out of there! Dinky let go of him for a moment!” she said. Dinky did so, and Twilight surrounded Joshua in her magic and teleported him out of there, but Joshua was quickly sucked back in! “OW!” Joshua said. The side of his face was smacked against his dark crystal prison. Just then a dark shadow formed beneath Joshua and started pulling him in! “NO!! HELP!!!” “LITTLE BROTHER!!!” I said trying to reach for him, but he couldn’t grab my hoof. Twilight tried reaching for him with her hoof, and Joshua managed to grab hers, but it was slowly slipping out of her grasp. Dinky and I grabbed each of Twilight’s hind legs and tried to help her pull Joshua out, but it was no use. Joshua lost his grip and slipped in. “MOMMY!!!” Joshua called out. Just then, a bright light erupted from within, the crystal prison was destroyed, and the dark crystal pieces flew everywhere. Twilight, Dinky, and I searched everywhere in the remains, but there was no sign of him. He was gone. Captured. “JOSHUA!!!” Twilight yelled out in agony. This was the loudest I’ve heard her yell. She used the Royal Canterlot Voice, and it was louder than Luna’s. Dinky and I were holding each other and crying in each others’ hooves. My little brother was kidnapped. “JOSHIE!!!” Dinky cried. *Joshua’s P.O.V.* It was dark all around me. I was stuck and couldn’t move. Then, I felt my bottom hit something hard. “OW!” I said. I looked around and saw I was inside a big, dark cave, with red and green fires on sticks. I was really scared. Even more scared than when my home was being destroyed. Then the dark laugh came back. “King Sombra!” I exclaimed. The dark unicorn appeared in front of me with a bad smile on his face. “Welcome my prisoner,” he said. His horn was then covered in what looked like purple bubbles. I stood up and tried running away, but more crystal walls appeared around me. I bumped into them and fell back down. “NO!” I said feeling tears fall out, “LET ME OUT!!!” I tried pounding on the walls, but nothing. “You’re not going anywhere,” Sombra said, “You’re going to stay right here until Equestria belongs to me.” He then started laughing loudly. I sat down, tucked in my knees, wrapped my arms around them, and buried my head in my arms. I started crying. Mommy, please help! I thought. > Chapter 43 - The Plan of Rescue (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 43 - The Plan of Rescue *Twilight’s P.O.V.* Anger, sadness, fear, but most of all, hatred. Those were the feelings I was feeling inside me at the moment. Anger for Sombra capturing Joshua, sadness that I couldn’t save Joshua in time, fear that Sombra could possibly hurt Joshua, and hatred towards that terrible excuse for a king. Spike, all my friends, and Joshua’s friends were there at the library when Nyx, Dinky, and I got back. “Twilight!!!” Rainbow exclaimed, “What the hay happened?! There wasn’t supposed to be any thunderstorm scheduled for today!!” “It wasn’t created by the weather team Rainbow,” I said, “King Sombra finally struck.” Everypony gasped at hearing that. Fluttershy quickly got up to me. “Where’s Joshua?!” she asked. My head lowered down in response. “Ya don’t mean to say that he’s been...” Applejack paused and gulped, “Kidnapped?” “As much as I hate to say it,” I said feeling tears sting my eyes again, “he has.” There was a sudden deflating sound. Pinkie’s mane and tail were straightened out. “What do we do?!” Pinkie asked, “How do we find him?!” “Well, a week ago when we learned all of this,” I explained, “I placed a spell on Joshua’s locket that came with him when he arrived in Equestria. Hopefully he kept that charm on him and didn’t lose it.” I then lit up my horn and reached out to locate where Joshua could possibly be. My magic then pointed up north, beyond the Crystal Empire. “Okay everypony, if Joshua still has that charm on him, Sombra has taken him somewhere north of the Crystal Empire.” Rainbow smacked her two hooves together. “Then let’s go there and get him back!” Pinkie’s mane and tail poofed back up. “That mean-meanie pants Sombra won’t get away with this!” “That sorry excuse for a king is not going to get away with kidnapping Joshua!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “Spike, send a letter to the Princess and let her know where were going,” I said to him, “And keep an eye on Nyx while I’m gone.” “You got it Twi!” Spike said pulling out a scroll and starting to write. “WHAT?!” Nyx exclaimed, “But I want to help!” “I know you do sweetie,” I said, “But this is too dangerous, and you know it. The best you can do for Joshua right now is be strong for him.” Nyx looked down, feeling sad no doubt. “You’re right,” she said. Spike soon finished up the letter and sent it off to Princess Celestia. I then went into the library and got the Elements of Harmony out. “Okay girls, let’s move out!” I said running to the train station with the girls following close behind. Hang on Joshua! I thought to myself, Mommy’s coming! *Third Person P.O.V.* The air was empty in Celestia’s chambers and she felt that something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Her suspicions were proved correct when a letter appeared on her desk and when she read it. Dear Princess Celestia, Sombra finally struck and kidnapped Joshua. Twilight managed to locate him with the spell she placed on his locket. He’s somewhere north of the Crystal Empire. Twilight and the other are going there right now to get him back. Sincerely, Spike Celestia’s brow was furrowed in anger. She brought out a new piece of parchment and began writing. Dear Cadance, As I told you a few days ago, Sombra has returned. Now he has struck and kidnapped your nephew Joshua. No doubt he’ll be coming after you, Shining Armor, and the Crystal Empire. Keep a close eye out and don’t worry. Twilight and her friends are on their way there right now with the Elements of Harmony to rescue him. Love, Aunt Celestia She then used her magic to teleport the message off to her niece and nephew-in-law. Be strong Joshua, she said to herself, Help is on the way! In the Crystal Empire... In the nursery of the Crystal Castle, the young prince, Guard Armor could sense something wasn’t right, and he made it known. He started fussing lightly, hoping to possibly catch his parents’ attention. He succeeded. Shining Armor and Cadance came in. “What’s wrong Guard?” Cadance asked, “Are you hungry?” Guard just reached out to his mother. Cadance picked up her son and cradled him in her forelegs trying to calm him down. Just then, a scroll appeared in front of her. She used her magic to unroll it and once she read it, she gasped sharply. “What is it Cadance?” Shining asked. Cadance sighed as she teleported the scroll to her and Shining’s room. She then looked at her husband with a solemn expression. “You remember the message Aunt Celestia sent us a week ago about Sombra and Joshua?” she asked. “Yeah?” “Sombra struck,” Cadance said, “and he kidnapped Joshua.” Shining gasped sharply at hearing that. Guard started whining louder. Shining and Cadance looked down at their son. “Maybe that’s the reason Guard was fussing. Twilight and her friends are on their way here right now, and I’ll have to double the strength of the Crystal Heart to make sure he won’t take over the Empire again.” “I’ll gather up some of the guards and we’ll search everywhere near the Empire. If that no good shadow harms one hair on my nephew, he’ll pay severely!” Shining said stamping down a hoof. He then ran out of the nursery to gather up some guards. Guard continued whining in Cadance’s embrace. Cadance looked down at him and started to gently rock him back and forth. “Don’t worry Guard,” she said, “We’ll save your cousin.” *Joshua’s P.O.V.* I was still very scared and crying, wanting my mommy to come and save me. Sombra went to sleep. He told me that he was going to attack Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadance tomorrow, while I stayed here. I was really hungry too. I was really worried that I wouldn’t see my mommy, Nyx, Spike, Dinky, or my friends ever again. Just then, I heard a voice whisper to me. “Psst!” I looked around the dark cave trying to find who was calling to me. “Who’s there?!” I whispered back. “Over here!” It was coming from the entrance of the dark cave. There was pony standing there. It wasn’t Sombra. I couldn’t see what he or she looked like, because she had a black cloak covering her, but I saw four light blue hooves that weren’t covered near the ground. “Who are you?” I asked. “Are you Twilight Sparkle’s adopted human son?” the pony asked. “I am!” I whispered, “How do you know mommy and about me?!” “I happen to be an acquaintance of hers. And there have been rumors of Twilight Sparkle adopting a young human colt. Don’t you worry little one,” the pony said, “I don’t have the power to free you from your prison, but I will guide your mother to you. I owe Twilight Sparkle this much for what transpired between us last time.” “Who are you? Can you please tell me your name?!” “It is I, the Great and Powerful Trixie!” the pony whispered moving the hood off her head. It was a light blue unicorn mare with a white mane and tail, and purple eyes. The cloak was still covering her cutie mark. “Trixie?” I asked, “The magician pony? How did you find me?” “I was visiting the Crystal Empire, admiring its beauty and magnificence, when I saw a mysterious black shadow moving into the mountains north from there. Curiosity got the better of me, and I followed it. Good thing I did too, because you need rescuing,” she said, “I will go and tell the Prince and Princess where you are.” “Please hurry Trixie!” I whispered, “Sombra said he’s going to go after my Aunt Cadance and Uncle Shining tomorrow!” “I will hurry!” she said putting the hood back over her head, “You will be saved little one, by the Great and Heroic Trixie!” She then ran out of the cave quickly. Please hurry Trixie! I thought to myself, Please hurry! > Chapter 44 - The Encounter (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 44 - The Encounter *Third Person P.O.V.* Trixie very quickly and quietly made her way out of the caves where Sombra kept the human child captive. She felt bad she couldn’t free him from the magic crystal walls that concealed him, but she knew Sombra’s magic was stronger than hers. If the Alicorn Amulet didn’t corrupt the user when worn, then surely that would’ve been enough, but no, she had to go and alert Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. As she exited the dark cave, she quickly descended the mountain. She was lucky to stay on Sombra’s tail while he was taking Joshua into the caverns, but now she would have to navigate the cavern again when she came back with Twilight Sparkle and her fellow Element companions. She would only hope that they would let her explain herself, considering what happened in Ponyville the last time she was there. After she got down to the foot of the mountain, the Crystal Empire could be seen a few miles away. It was night time and she had to hurry and relay her message. She quickly sped up her gallop. She didn’t have to go far as she saw Prince Shining Armor in the distance with guards nearby. “Your highness!” she called out. Shining Armor looked up to see Trixie rushing towards him, but he didn’t know it was her because her black cloak was concealing her face. “Who are you? I’m busy trying to locate my nephew,” he said briskly. “Yes, I am here with information regarding the human child,” she said, “I was visiting your wonderful kingdom when I spotted a black shadow flying through the air. I followed it up into the mountains and into a cave at the top of one. I then saw the shadow deposit the human child into one of his crystal prisons. I couldn’t free him because my magic isn’t strong enough, but I did get important information from him: Sombra will be attacking the Empire at some point tomorrow.” “That demon hasn’t harmed Joshua at all, has he?” Shining pressed. “Not from what I could see,” Trixie said, “I know which cave the young child is inside, you have to trust me your highness.” “Very well,” Shining said, “My sister and her friends should be along very soon with the Elements of Harmony to rescue him. I’ll point them in your direction.” Shining gathered up the guards he brought with him and hurried back to the Empire. Trixie hurried back to the foot of the mountain the held the cave where the child was. *Twilight’s P.O.V.* It was early morning when we arrived at the Crystal Empire train station. As soon as the train stopped, all six of us exited the train. We then ran through the streets to the castle. Shining Armor and Cadance were waiting with my nephew. “Shining Armor! Cadance!” I said running up to them. “Twily!” Shining said, “I have good news! We know where Joshua is! There was a unicorn mare in the mountains up north and she saw Sombra enter a cave at the top of one! She’s waiting for you all at the foot of the mountain where Joshua’s held captive.” “Thanks big brother!” I said quickly hugging him, “Let’s go girls!” “Be careful Twilight!” Cadance called out to me as we ran to the mountains. *Joshua’s P.O.V.* I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. The cave floor was very hard and uncomfortable. I really hope Trixie got to my Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadance in time. “About time you’ve woken up.” Sombra was right behind me. I didn’t want to look at him, he was too scary to look at, so I didn’t turn around or say anything. “Nothing to say, child?” he asked me, “I’m surprised. Most of the crystal ponies I enslaved back then put up more resistance.” I still said nothing. “You think your so called family will come and save you don't you?" "They are my family," I said, "They love me." "Love?" Sombra said, "Don't make me laugh. You think they love you. If they did, they wouldn't have let me capture you that easily. You’re going to be staying right here while I take back what’s mine.” He turned into a shadow and left the cave. I tried not to believe what he said, but those words hurt. Trixie, I thought to myself, I hope you made it to Uncle Shining in time. *Twilight’s P.O.V.* It was getting colder as we reached the mountain. Suddenly, the sky got darker. Fluttershy screeched in terror. King Sombra appeared from a dark shadow in front of us. I furrowed my brows in deep anger when I saw him. “Well, well, well,” he said, “The angry mother bird shows up.” “Angry is right!” I yelled at him, “You’ve got some nerve kidnapping a young child like that!!!” “I’ll gladly let him go if your fellow princesses give up Equestria to me.” “Fat chance!” Rainbow said charging him. Sombra turned into a shadow just before Rainbow reached him. He then rematerialized further away from us. “Very well then,” he said lighting his horn, “If you’ll stand in my way, then I’ll have to AAUUUGGH!!!” Something suddenly struck his behind, making him turn his horn off. “Back away from them foul stallion!” said a voice that sounded familiar. I looked back and saw a pony with a black cloak over her face, and back, reaching down below the knees of her light blue hooves. Sombra looked behind him, furious. “Who dares strike my flank?!” he yelled. “It is I!” the mare said pulling back her hood, “The Great and Powerful TRIXIE!!! Turn back while you can Sombra, and return that human child to his adoptive mother, or face the wrath of Trixie and the Elements of Harmony!” “NEVER!” Sombra exclaimed turning into a shadow and heading toward the mountains. “Trixie!” I said, “Are you the one who Shining said knew where my Joshua is?!” “I am Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie said, “Now follow Trixie, all of you, before Sombra takes your child somewhere else!” She started running toward the mountain where Sombra went to, with us hot on her hooves. Hold on Joshua! I’m almost there! We soon got to the mouth of a cave. “The child is captive inside this cave!” Trixie said pointing at it, “Now go! Trixie will make sure Sombra doesn’t get out!” “Let’s go y’all!” Applejack said. “Be prepared to explain yourself when we get back Trixie!” I heard Rainbow say, “I expect answers!” “Rainbow darling, not now! Joshua is in there, probably scared to death!” Rarity said. The six of us hurried inside to go after Sombra. The cave was filled with red and green fiery lanterns as we went along. I pulled out ahead of even Rainbow Dash as we went along. “Twilight! Slow down!” Rainbow called to me. “I can’t Rainbow!” I called back, “My son needs me!” I quickened my gallop faster than I ever had before. The others were soon too far behind, but I could tell I was close. “Joshua!!! Are you there?!?!?!” I called out. “Mommy?!” I heard Joshua’s voice call back, “Is that you?!” “HOLD ON JOSHUA!!!” I called to him, “I’m coming!!!” *Joshua’s P.O.V.* Mommy was coming!!! She was almost here!!! At the mouth of the cave, I saw a purple light coming. It was Mommy’s magic!!! I shook my hands to make my magic light up to let Mommy know where I was and that she was close! Then Mommy came in at the entrance, wearing her crown. “Joshua?!” she called looking around the cave for me, “Are you here?!” “Mommy!!!” I called back reaching a hand out of the crystal wall I was behind, “I’m over here!!!” I felt tears stinging at my eyes when I saw Mommy running to me. I saw tears in her eyes too. “Joshua!” she said, “Thank goodness you’re alright!” She wrapped her hoof around my hand and held it. “Don’t worry, the others will be here soon! We’ll get you out of there!” “What about Uncle Shining and Aunt Cadance and cousin Guard?!” I asked her, “Sombra said he was going after them and the crystal ponies!” “Trixie managed to make him turn around,” she said, “Where is he?! I have a few choice words to give AAAHHH!!!!” “NO!!! MOMMY!!” She was hit away from me by red magic. “Hooves off my prisoner!” King Sombra was standing right in front of me, blocking Mommy from me. I was really scared right now. Mommy was lying on the ground hurt, and I couldn’t help her. Just then, Mommy’s hair started waving. Her horn glowed white and not purple. A circle of fire appeared around her. She then got back up on all four of her hooves. “What is this?” Sombra asked. I knew what it was. Mommy told me about this. She was going into... BOOM!!! Fire exploded where Mom was standing and she was screaming really loudly. Sombra and I blocked our eyes from the bright light. When it went down. Mom was still standing there, but she looked different. Her coat was white, her mane and tail turned into flames, her eyes were red, and her cutie mark disappeared. “HE IS NOT YOUR PRISONER!!!” Mommy yelled, “HE’S MY SON!!!” Mommy had turned on her rage shift. I looked up at Sombra and he was still smiling. “Well,” he said, “this should be interesting.” He lit his horn and a weapon appeared next to him. Mommy lit her horn and a fire sword appeared in front of her. They were going to fight! “Be careful Mommy!” I said looking on. Mommy jumped at Sombra, and he jumped at her. Their weapons made a loud clang noise. They landed on the ground and slid to a stop, Mommy fired some magic at Sombra with her horn, and it hit him. He yelled as it hurt him. Sombra swung his weapon at Mommy, but Mommy blocked it. “LET MY SON GO!!!” Mommy yelled at him. “He is essential to my plans for taking over Equestria!” Sombra said, “If you surrender now, I’ll let him and you go peacefully!” “NO!” Mommy yelled back, “EQUESTRIA WILL NEVER BELONG TO YOU!” They kept fighting for a very long time. After the fight, Sombra was lying on the ground, breathing hard, and his weapon disappeared. Mommy was near the entrance of the cave as her rage shift ended and her sword disappeared. I heard running hooves coming from behind Mommy and saw Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie coming in, all of them wearing their Elements of Harmony necklaces. “GIRLS!” Mommy said, “FORMATION! NOW!!!” They all stood up straight as the Elements of Harmony started glowing, and Mommy and her friends started floating in the air. King Sombra opened his eyes and saw what was happening. “What?!” he said, “No! NO!!! STOP!!!” Mommy and her friends didn’t stop. They opened their eyes and they were all white. A rainbow shot out of the Elements and came down on Sombra, but Sombra shot magic from his horn at the rainbow. “I will not be beaten this easily!!!” he yelled. “Come on Mommy!” I called to her, “You can do it!!!” > Chapter 45 - Reunion (Final) (Not Rewritten) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 45 (Final) - Reunion *Joshua’s P.O.V.* The rainbow started pushing down on Sombra’s magic, and then it hit him and broke his horn to pieces. “NOOO!!!” he yelled, “THIS CAN’T BE!!!” “SOMBRA!!!” Mommy yelled, her eyes still white, “FOR KIDNAPPING MY SON, ATTEMPTING TO OVERTHROW THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE AND ALL OF EQUESTRIA, AND FOR ASSAULTING ME, A PRINCESS OF EQUESTRIA, I HEREBY IN THE NAME OF PRINCESS CELESTIA AND PRINCESS LUNA BANISH YOU TO THE PITS OF TARTARUS, WHERE YOU ARE TO LIVE OUT THE REST OF YOUR LIFE WITHOUT YOUR MAGIC!!!” “CURSE YOU!!!” Sombra yelled. His body started turning white as he yelled out more. He then disappeared in white sparks. Mommy and her friends landed on the ground with their eyes back to normal. The crystal walls around me disappeared in white sparks too. Tears started pouring out of my eyes, but they were of happiness, as I ran over to Mommy. “Mommy!!!” I cried. I jumped up to her as she opened her hooves out to me, and I wrapped my arms around her neck. She wrapped her hooves around my back and started rubbing it. “Oh Joshua!” she said as she rubbed her cheek against mine, “Thank goodness your okay!” I felt tears coming out of Mommy’s eyes too as we hugged each other. We stayed hugging each other for a long time. “Are ya feeling better sugarcube?” I heard Applejack ask me. I looked at her and nodded. “I am now that Mommy’s here,” I said sniffling. I then felt Mommy put her lips on my cheek as she kissed me. “Are you sure?” Mommy asked, “Sombra didn’t hurt you at all?” “No Mommy,” I said, “He didn’t. Can we go back home? I want to see Nyx and Spike and the others.” “Of course we can,” Mommy said. She stood up and kept her foreleg around me, and we started going out of the cave. After a while, we saw Trixie at the entrance. “Trixie!” I said. Mommy put me down and I ran over and hugged Trixie. “Thank you! You helped Mommy and her friends save me!” “You’re very welcome,” she said putting her foreleg on my shoulder, “I owed Twilight Sparkle this much after what happened before.” “Trixie,” Mommy said, “This is much more than I could’ve asked for you. You helped us save Joshua. If there’s anything I can do...” “There is one thing,” Trixie said, “Could you perhaps teach Trixie some of your magic tricks?” “Of course Trixie,” Mom said nodding, “I’d be glad to.” “Trixie thanks you Twilight Sparkle.” “C’mon y’all,” Applejack said, “Shining and Cadance are probably waitin’ fer us.” Mommy put me on her back and the eight of us went to the Crystal Empire. On the way there, Trixie told Mommy and her friends how she found me in the cave Sombra had me trapped inside. A few minutes later, we saw Aunt Cadance, Uncle Shining, and Cousin Guard waiting for near the castle. “Joshua!” Aunt Cadance said running up to us. She picked me up off of Mom’s back and hugged me in her hooves and wings. “Thank goodness you’re alright!” After a little bit more hugging from her, Uncle Shining came up and hugged me too. “You’re not hurt or anything buddy?” he asked. “Sombra didn’t hit me or anything,” I said hugging him back. “Thank goodness,” he said letting go. I then saw Guard crawling over to me with a big smile on his face. “Hey Guard,” I said picking him up. He then wrapped his little hooves around my neck and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around him too and hugged him back. Just then I heard my stomach growl. “Why don’t you all join us for lunch?” Cadance asked us. We all nodded our heads. I was really hungry. “Cadance,” Mommy said, “Can you send a message to Spike and have him bring Nyx and her friends over?” “Sure Twilight,” Aunt Cadance said, “I’ll let the guards know to be on the lookout for them.” *Nyx’s P.O.V.* It was almost noon and Twilight and the others still hadn’t come back. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Twist, Dinky, Sparkler, and Derpy were at the library with me and Spike waiting. I was starting to get worried. What if Sombra had hurt Joshua? What if he hurt Twilight and her friends?! What if he already took Equestria for himself?! My thoughts were interrupted from a gagging sound from Spike. He suddenly belched out a letter. He quickly opened it up and started to read it. As he did, his eyes grew wider and wider. After he finished, he rolled it back up and suddenly jumped up and cheered. “YES!!!” he exclaimed. “What is it Spike?!” Sweetie Belle asked. “THEY SAVED HIM!!!” he said, “JOSHUA’S SAVED!!!” We all started jumping around the library in happiness and relief! My little brother was okay! Dinky was no doubt the happiest of us all. She was crying tears of joy as she hugged Derpy and Sparkler. “Come on everypony!” Spike said, “Cadance invited us all to the Crystal Empire to see him!” “Let’s go then!” Apple Bloom said running out the door with us following her. *Twilight’s P.O.V* Cadance sent a letter to both Spike and Princess Celestia, telling her that Joshua was safe and Sombra was banished to Tartarus, no longer able to use magic. We were all in the dining hall having lunch. Joshua was glad to finally get some food in his stomach. He hadn’t eaten since lunch at school yesterday. Soon a guard came up to Cadance and whispered into her ear. “Well, what are you waiting for?” she said, “Show them in!” “Yes your majesty,” the guard said. He then left the dining hall. “Show who in?” Joshua asked. “Spike, Nyx, and your friends, sweetie,” she replied. Joshua smiled brightly at hearing that. A few moments later, the doors burst open. “JOSHUA!!!” a chorus of voices called. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Nyx, Spike, Dinky, and Twist came running in straight towards Joshua. Derpy and Sparkler were slowly walking in behind them. “GUYS!” Joshua climbed out of his chair and ran towards them. They all met halfway in a big group hug with Joshua in the middle of it all. “I’m so glad to see you all again!” he said. “And we’re glad you’re okay little brother!” Nyx said. The whole group broke apart, but Dinky moved closer to Joshua and put a hoof on his shoulder. “I was worried that I’d never see you again Joshie,” she said with tears in her eyes. “Me too Dinks,” Joshua said. The two of them hugged each other again. They stayed that way for a while. Just then, a flash of light emerged from the room and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were standing there. “Hello everypony,” Princess Celestia said, “I trust you all are doing well?” “We are now Princess,” I said to her. “Wonderful,” she replied. She then looked at Joshua. “Are you alright Joshua?” she asked. “Yes Princess Celestia,” he said nodding, “It was very scary, but I’m okay now.” “We are very glad to hear that,” Luna said. We spent the rest of the day talking with each other. Celestia and Luna offered Trixie a great deal of thanks to her for leading me and my friends to Joshua. Cadance was glad to let us all stay in the Crystal Castle for the night. Joshua introduced Guard to the rest of his friends and spent the day playing together. That night after dinner, and after Celestia and Luna went back to Canterlot, we all went to bed. In the middle of the night however, I woke up to the sound of some shuffling in my bed. Joshua was climbing out and walking over to the balcony where I told him I would adopt him many months ago. I got up and walked over to him. “You okay Joshua?” “I had a bad dream,” he said sniffling, “I dreamt that I was still Sombra’s prisoner. Before you found me, he said that you wouldn’t have let him take me if you loved me.” “I do love you Joshua,” I said draping a wing over his back, “You shouldn’t let those words get to you. I loved you when I said I would adopt you, and I’ve always loved you since then. Sombra’s gone for good now and will never bother Equestria again.” We sat there in silence a bit more. A thought then came to mind as I looked at Joshua with his arm around my foreleg. “Hey Joshua,” I said to him. He looked up at me. “Would you like me to sing you to sleep?” “Yes please,” he said. I pulled him closer in and started singing. (You’ll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins) I heard a light snoring after I finished singing and looked down to see Joshua with his head resting against my foreleg with a smile on his face. I carefully lifted him up and flapped back over to the bed, where I lay him down gently. “Goodnight Joshua,” I said draping a foreleg over him, “I love you.” I felt Joshua snuggle closer to me. “I love you too, Mommy,” he said smiling. THE END